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Winslow Breed #3

As the Sparks Fly Upward

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The trilogy The Winslow Breed serves as a prequel to the author’s highly successful House of Winslow series (published by Bethany House). As the Sparks Fly Upward is the final book in the trilogy.

Young Colin Winslow grows up feeling altogether different from the rest of his family. Not bold and rough like his charismatic brother, Adam, or headstrong and spoiled like his sister, Adara, he is a gentle soul with a special love for natural things. His interest in animals, medicine, and healing brings him in contact with a strange woman who lives in the woods, Meg Caradoc. She teaches him the fine art of using a variety of herbs to quell sickness and pain.

When Colin studies at Oxford, an eccentric but brilliant professor, Dr. Phineas Teague, guides the young man to a career in medicine. The formal knowledge Professor Teague imparts, combined with knowledge of Meg's herbal remedies, make Colin an insightful and successful doctor—one with the approving eye of Queen Elizabeth on him. Colin’s skill quickly earns him many patients, some highly placed in the courts of both his queen and her sister Mary Queen of Scots. This once shy and uncertain young man finds himself in the midst of court intrigue and a key player in quelling assassination plots and passing vital information to the queen’s court. When Colin faces his most difficult case—curing the wounds his brave brother suffered in battle—he must confront his attraction to Adam’s wife, his unsteady faith in God, and his command of medicine: will he abandon his noble role and succumb to temptation, or will he take his place as the new hero of the Breed of Winslow?

293 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2011

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5 stars
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36 (27%)
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32 (24%)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Profile Image for Kate.
170 reviews
May 25, 2012
Why do I keep picking up books with religious themes?
The historical part of this book was interesting, but the religious tone is a huge turn off for me.
Thankfully it wasn't really bad until near the end.
39 reviews9 followers
June 18, 2021
This review covers the three Winslow Breed books that add to the 40 book Winslow family series by my favorite Christian author, Gilbert Morris. They provide a preface to the 40 book series about the Winslow family in the USA by giving life to the family's history in Great Britain when it was great.
This completes Morris' Magnum Opus on the Winslow family that provides a fascinating 43 book background on the times and lives of that family and the historical background surrounding them over several centuries.
These books are really great for anyone who is interested in history, but bored by the common history books. Morris skillfully weaves historical events and famous personalities into the affairs of the fictitious Winslow family.
I had read almost all of Morris' other books postponing these for the last and must say that these are certainly his best.
Profile Image for Barbara.
1,983 reviews
April 27, 2020
Set in Tudor England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, this book held my interest throughout. The main character, Colin Winslow, grows both in his faith and as a person during the course of the plot. Family relationships, sin, forgiveness, treachery against the queen will keep you reading. The Winslow family is one I want to read more about.
Profile Image for Victor Gentile.
2,035 reviews65 followers
March 16, 2012
Gilbert Morris in his new book, “As the Sparks Fly Upward” Book Three in the Winslow Breed Series published by Howard Books takes us back to England in the 1500′s.

From the back cover: The third novel in The Winslow Breed the prequel to the famed House of Winslow series.

Young Colin Winslow is altogether different from the rest of his family. Not rough like his charismatic brother, Adam, or headstrong like his sister, Adara, he is a gentle soul with a special love for natural things.

His interest in animals, medicine, and healing brings him in contact with a strange woman who lives in the woods, Meg Caradoc. She teaches him the fine art of using a variety of herbs to quell sickness and pain.

When Colin studies at Oxford, an eccentric but brilliant professor, Dr. Phineas Teague, guides the young man to a career in medicine. The formal knowledge Professor Teague imparts, combined with knowledge of Meg’s herbal remedies, make Colin an insightful and successful doctor—one with the approving eye of Queen Elizabeth on him. Colin’s skill quickly earns him many patients, some highly placed in the courts of both his queen and her sister Mary Queen of Scots. This once shy and uncertain young man finds himself in the midst of court intrigue and a key player in quelling assassination plots and passing vital information to the queen’s court. When Colin faces his most difficult case—curing the wounds his brave brother suffered in battle—he must confront his attraction to Adam’s wife, his unsteady faith in God, and his command of medicine: will he abandon his noble role and succumb to temptation, or will he take his place as the new hero of the Breed of Winslow?

The spotlight is now on Colin Winslow, the grandson of Stuart Winslow from the first novel in this series, “Honor In The Dust”. “As the Sparks Fly Upward” is an engrossing historical thriller with, practically, everyone’s life in danger before the book ends. Gilbert Morris has a deft hand as he leads us through the reign of Queen Elizabeth and the romance between Colin and the lovely Twyla. As always God is the central figure in a Gilbert Morris book and His sovereign hand of protection is in evidence as well as proof that He is King of kings, or in this case Queens. If, like me, you have read everything ever written by Gilbert Morris then you are going to love this book. If this is your first reading of anything by Gilbert Morris you are going to love this book. “As the Sparks Fly Upward” is a very fulfilling read, leads us right into the storyline that begins “The House Of Winslow” series and I seem to want to re-read that entire series now.

If you missed the interview for “Honor In The Dust”, Book One in this series, and would like to listen to it and/or interviews with other authors and professionals please go to www.kingdomhighlights.org where they are available On Demand.

To listen to 24 hours non-stop, commercial free Christian music please visit our internet radio station www.kingdomairwaves.org

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Howard Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
7 reviews
March 9, 2012
I grabbed this book from the library's "new" shelf not knowing what to expect. When I got home I found out it was the third book of a trilogy so I almost didn't bother reading it. It ended up being my traveling companion and I was pleasantly surprised. I never would have guessed it was in a trilogy. The characters in the book are interesting, but I never felt really "taken in" by them. It wasn't a page turner for me, but I did enjoy it.
Profile Image for Ginny Reed.
50 reviews
April 9, 2016
I found this book slow reading for me. These three books in this series incorporate a great deal of religion. I don't feel that some of the characters in the book were convincing.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews

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