Lewis: The Scarred

by Lauren H. Brandenburg

Lewisia Anna has accepted the invitation to join an exclusive apprenticeship, an opportunity to study the Inimicus—the destructive, wolfish beasts of legend—in the darkest depths of the under-lands, in a place known as the Mines. To get back home to her family and the citizens of the Amharclann, Lewis is convinced she must exceed the Gardener’s expectations and make her way up to the Platform—where the most deceptive of the creatures are contained. But in the bitter cold darkness of her new home, where steam is mined and there seems to be no difference between night and day, Lewis quickly learns the apprenticeship isn’t at all what she thought it would be. With the help of her new friend, Basil, Lewis must uncover the mystery of the Mines and decide what is more important… finding her Story or finding her way back home.

260 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2024

About the author

Lauren H. Brandenburg is a mentor, speaker, and author who happily blurs the lines between traditional genres in both middle-grade and cozy women's fiction. Her fourth book in The Books of the Gardener series, Orlo: The Created, was a finalist for the Selah Award middle-grade novel of the year. The Death of Mungo Blackwell, a humorous family fiction (Lion Hudson publishing) was longlisted for the People's Book Prize in the United Kingdom and won the ACFW award for contemporary fiction. Lauren is a former junior high and high school English teacher who stepped away from her profession to raise and homeschool her two children. She currently lives with her husband, Jamie, and their children in a lovely little town just south of Nashville, Tennessee where they eat and laugh a lot. www.LaurenHBrandenburg.com

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren Brandenburg has a way of incorporating Biblical truths into her story lines. Even as an adult reading this book for middle grade children I was reminded throughout the book of Biblical ideas that should be a part of my everyday life.
It did take me a bit to get into the story, more than the 10% read I recommend to children. It has been awhile since I read the first book about Lewis, and I haven’t read any of the other Books of the Gardener. Maybe if there had been a synopsis of the previous books it would have helped me get into the story quicker.
Lewis is a character that some readers will identify with. She thinks she is strong, she thinks she can conquer evil. Yet when she is faced with it on a daily basis, faced with the subtleness of it, she gradually loses her potential for good. But there is redemption, she realizes that she can make a choice and turn her life around.
I look forward to reading the next book about Lewis to see how her story concludes.
Lewis: The Scarred is appropriate for a K-12 Christian school library. Students in fourth grade through middle school will enjoy the story.
I received a complimentary copy of Lewis: The Scarred. This is my honest review.