The first in The Dancing Realm series, I have to say I really enjoyed this book. Calara is training to become a dancer to help control her world. However, days before her final test, she begins to see that things are not exactly as she thought they would be. She is called on to teach a class of the youngest dancers in the Order, and she sees between her experience while teaching along with her final test. She passes the test and is invited to join the Order as a dancer. It should be everything she wants, but she sees that everything is not what she expected it to be.

When one of the student’s uncles comes to rescue his niece, Calara escapes with them From there the danger and adventure picks up as soldiers come after her. Calara encounters the true Maker and sets out to reveal the truth about their world to her people. So if you like a book with adventure, danger, and quests. Check out this book for yourself.

I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review. ( )

Will she seek a new dance pattern from her Creator?

Fantasy has never been my genre of choice but over the years I've started to step out of Narnia and Middle Earth, discovering new worlds and some pretty good quality fiction. Hidden Current was one such peregrination. I was first attracted to the book by the pretty cover, and then, when I read the blurb it sounded different than any other fantasy novel I've read. Though, Sharon Hinck is a new-to-me-author I didn't let that stand in my way, as all good voracious readers do not, and I went ahead and dived in.

I was actually quite pleased with Hidden Current. It captured both my attention and imagination quite completely. Despite the nearly 300 pages I finished the book in a day, I started in the late morning and finished that evening. I was just so curious about where Sharon Hinck would take her characters, not to mention readers, that I couldn't put it down.

There are few miscellaneous things that I'd like to mention about the book. One is that it is very much Christian fantasy, there are many Biblical parallels and truths but it still retains that true fantasy vibe. The second is that the story is told from a first person perspective, and it was done very very well. The third is that the author's own dance experience shines through on every page lending a vivid authenticity that helps the reader to become thoroughly immersed in the story. Another thing is that, while the book obviously has a YA bent, it can be enjoyed by any age. And the last thing is that I thought the romance element was well played, it's there but does not hijack the story away from the more important themes.

Can you tell yet that I really enjoyed Hidden Current? Though the year is still young it was one of my favorites so far. Sharon Hinck may be a new-to-me-author but it will not stay that way all. The hardest thing now is going to be having to wait for the next book in The Dancing Realms series...

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.) ( )

Part dystopian, part fantasy, and wholeheartedly mesmerizing, Sharon Hinck’s “Hidden Current” begins The Dancing Realms series. The story unfolds with a steady rhythm that aligns with the pacing of the plot, an intricate dance that subtly yet powerfully carries the reader along. On a quest for truth and restoration after the shocking revelation that the Order is constructed on lies, Calara joins Brantley of Windswell and they set off. As she searches for her birth family away from the detainments of home, Calara goes up against the inevitable backlash, all to find that the stabilizing force they need has been present all along, waiting for them. This is a fine parallel of Christian life. Whereas ordinarily gifts and unexpected surprises come from friends and family, the Christian throws wide the floodgates to blessing when accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Told in the first-person from Calara’s perspective, “Hidden Current” is rich in narrative and plot. Because of this direct connection to the story from the heroine, the reader is able to experience the tale as if participating in it. Calara observes that “When fear or doubt arouse, there was always the pattern. The pattern comforted. The pattern never changed.” This reflection leads ultimately to the Creator Himself, the only one who keeps the world spinning and who watches over us in every way, every day.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own. ( )