Arise From Dark Places + Giveaway

A modern-day retelling of Sleeping Beauty

Finally free of the ten-year revolving hidden world in which she lived, Ari wants one thing before her life transforms for the final and most critical time—to see the young man who first brought her love. But he no longer lives in the beaten-down shack he’d once shared with his abusive, alcoholic father. Where could he be? Will Ari find him in time, or will those who want her dead find her first? She’d search to the ends of the earth, if only …

~Run, run, as through a maze. A spinning wheel will end your days.~

… her mother’s premonition hadn’t just come true.

Trying to absolve himself of his greatest sin, Manny seeks to help those in need, even if one of them is his very wealthy employer. But the memories still assault Manny with blows more powerful than his father’s fists.

Until he meets the woman who will change his life.

My Review:

published in 2017

What a stunning Sleeping Beauty retelling! So full of emotion and faith and even allegorical elements I found so inspiring!

As in Almony’s first ‘Dark Forest’ novel, this contemporary story is gritty in places. She deals with some tough issues, but does so with compassion and grace. And so much hope.

And the way she wrapped the classic fairy tale into her own uniquely imaginative retelling is quite brilliant. The sleeping spell part of this tale is particularly ingenuous. And the whole thing is written with such an air of mystery that sometimes I wasn’t sure if I actually understood what was happening. I pressed on though, slightly befuddled but eagerly snatching up every cleverly planted hint until I had enough pieces to send me into a gobsmacked tizzy of exciting revelations! Even some goosebumping ones!

‘Arise from Dark Places’ is the very definition of unputdownable!

At the Edge of a Dark Forest + Giveaway

Cole Harrison, a war veteran, wears his disfigurement like a barrier to those who might love him, shielding them from the ugliness inside. He agrees to try and potentially invest in, a prototype prosthetic with the goal of saving a hopeless man’s dreams.

Carly Rose contracts to live with Cole and train him to use his new limbs, only to discover the darkness that wars against the man he could become. 
At the Edge of a Dark Forest is a modern-day retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Only it is not her love that will make him whole.

My Review:

A unique contemporary reimagining of Beauty and the Beast that’s saturated in emotion and faith.

There are some darker elements to this story which had me a bit wary at first. I was worried that Cole’s issues would be dealt with superficially (this is a novella, after all) and the seriousness of the situation warranted so much more. Almony proved my concerns were baseless though, and after finishing ‘At the Edge of a Dark Forest’, I wasn’t surprised to discover that she has a background in Christian counselling. What a powerful overcoming faith journey!

Loved the way the author wove classic fairy tale elements into this modern day retelling. Sometimes obvious, other times more subtle and genuinely unique to this particular story. This is my first Connie Almony reading experience but I’ll definitely be reading more of her books after finishing this compelling fairy tale retelling.