What do you think?
Rate this book
Until The Dawn #1
Until the Dawn
Top-Notch Dramatic Historical Romance from a Rising Star
A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners.
The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.
Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?
A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners.
The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.
Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 24, 2015
441 people are currently reading
2571 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 402 reviews
July 31, 2019
..
This saga was a clean and wholesome journey filled with life lessons, faith, and strength. It depicts life in another time and place, without the comforts of the present era.
A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners.
Elizabeth Camden, an award-winning novelist, immerses the reader in a historical adventure filled with mystery, intrigue, and a touch of romance as well. The descriptions are phenomenal, allowing the reader to almost see, touch, and smell the magic of the grand Hudson River Valley estate Dierenpark and the enigmatic Vandermark family.
The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.
Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie eventually find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?
There is a multitude of characters, yet I never felt confused about who was who or why they were part of the drama unfolding in the storytelling. The emotions in the story were all over the place, uup and down the scale from miserably grumpy to cheerfully happy. Now how to find a happy medium? Read on and find out!
The conclusion was a tremendous H.E.A. since it included a major twist that most readers will not see coming at all.
Ellie Faye Amazon Review: "... I adored delving into the mysterious Dierenpark and its history. Camden masterfully prompts her readers to ponder the nature of faith, the importance of hope, and the healing nature of love and forgiveness."
.
This saga was a clean and wholesome journey filled with life lessons, faith, and strength. It depicts life in another time and place, without the comforts of the present era.
A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners.
Elizabeth Camden, an award-winning novelist, immerses the reader in a historical adventure filled with mystery, intrigue, and a touch of romance as well. The descriptions are phenomenal, allowing the reader to almost see, touch, and smell the magic of the grand Hudson River Valley estate Dierenpark and the enigmatic Vandermark family.
The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.
Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie eventually find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?
There is a multitude of characters, yet I never felt confused about who was who or why they were part of the drama unfolding in the storytelling. The emotions in the story were all over the place, uup and down the scale from miserably grumpy to cheerfully happy. Now how to find a happy medium? Read on and find out!
The conclusion was a tremendous H.E.A. since it included a major twist that most readers will not see coming at all.
Ellie Faye Amazon Review: "... I adored delving into the mysterious Dierenpark and its history. Camden masterfully prompts her readers to ponder the nature of faith, the importance of hope, and the healing nature of love and forgiveness."
.
June 19, 2022
4.5/5!
This turned into a fun family drama, mystery, redemption story with a nice dose of romance!
I found it lagged just a bit in the middle and the grouchy Quinten was frustrating for me.
But I LOVED how it ended and how faith was really the central thread from beginning to end.
It was clean. Would recommend if you like historical romance and family secrets!
This turned into a fun family drama, mystery, redemption story with a nice dose of romance!
I found it lagged just a bit in the middle and the grouchy Quinten was frustrating for me.
But I LOVED how it ended and how faith was really the central thread from beginning to end.
It was clean. Would recommend if you like historical romance and family secrets!
March 22, 2017
I’ve learned something exciting! For a while, I’ve wondered how I can enjoy reading so much without being conscious of the identity of my favorite author. I’ve WANTED to know who it is! This month, I’ve decided that it absolutely must be Elizabeth Camden. After loving my first Camden book years ago ( The Lady of Bolton Hill), recently adoring
With Every Breath
and now loving this one, it’s official. Ms. Camden is indeed my favorite. She strikes an awesome balance between a lovely romance and a very interesting plot, and she somehow manages to surprise me often.
Until the Dawn (2015, Bethany House), first in the Until the Dawn series by Elizabeth Camden, is a Christian historical romance set in New York in 1898. The novel is very definitely a standalone story, but Toward the Sunrise , a (free) novella-length prequel to Until The Dawn, establishes the setting very nicely while being a great story in its own right. Unsurprisingly, I read this book because I LOVE whatever Elizabeth Camden writes.
Rating: 5 stars
The hero: Quentin Vandermark is the grandson of the current owner of Dierenpark. After a sixty-year absence of Vandermarks from the estate, Quentin unexpectedly comes to stay. He has a son, whom he dearly loves, but their relationship is on shaky ground. Quentin is a widow, and “ever since his wife’s death eight years ago, his life had become an endless night of darkness and despair, waiting for a dawn that never came.” Additionally, he walks with a limp due to a previous injury or illness, and often struggles with a great deal of pain. He may be wealthy, but he’s had plenty of trials, so it isn’t surprising that he’s a bit of a grouch. I love heroes like this. He reminds me somewhat of Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre.
The heroine: Sophia van Riijn, 26, the daughter of Dierenpark’s former cook, has no official (or paid) role on the beautiful estate, but she has plenty to keep her occupied. She loves to cook (and is good at it!) and provides meals for the staff. Sophia also faithfully takes daily readings of the weather atop the mansion’s roof on a volunteer basis, as part of a national effort in weather prediction. “In her long line of failed engagements and thwarted dreams, her tiny weather station on the top of the Vandermark mansion was what gave meaning and purpose to Sophie’s world.” I really like how Sophia knows her own worth and doesn’t kowtow to the intimidating Quentin. At their first meeting, she tells him, “I’ve never met someone who can take one of poetry’s most remarkable passages about the purity of love and twist it into embittered screed on the spot.”
Christian elements:
*The book opens with the following quote: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. -- Matthew 5:8” It seems to be a motto for the heroine, and if I remember rightly, is directly visited in the book.
*Quentin Vandermark is an atheist. He grew up being dragged around from country to country by his grandfather Nickolaas, who was apparently on a spiritual quest for fulfillment and dabbled in a variety of religions. ”The more exotic and strange [the religion], the more Nickolaas liked it. He believed in everything, which meant he believed in nothing.” Quentin is very turned off by religion, and scorns Christianity. He tells Sophie, “I will tolerate no superstition. If my son inquires about fairies or goblins, or God or Jesus, I want you to squash the discussion.”
What I liked:
*The setting is just fabulous. The estate is luscious, mysterious, and holds a very strong place in Sophia’s heart. I have to say, I checked Wikipedia multiple times, convinced that Dierenpark is an actual mansion in New York. I kept coming up with nothing.
*The befriending of Sophia and Quentin was rather wonderful. They start out with him being antagonistic toward her, but steadily grow into friends. This was actually a difficult road for Quentin to traverse, and it was such a pleasure watching him do so. “Her buoyancy annoyed him at the same time as it attracted him.”
*Also, this may sound strange, but I LOVED the names of the main characters. I just wish I knew how to pronounce Sophia’s last name. :-) I assume it’s “RYE-gin” but it’s just a guess. UPDATE: I was way off! Ms. Camden answered my question, and she says it rhymes with “grin.”
*A couple of favorite quotes:
*”That was an apology? I’m sorry, I mistook it for another legal salvo.”
*”Why did oatmeal taste so delicious simply because it came out of a pot stirred by Sophie van Riijn?”
What I didn’t like:
*God is treated in vague terms in one situation when I think the author should have been more explicit. But in general, the Christian aspect was well done.
--------------------------------------------
I will still continue to read more of Elizabeth Camden’s stories. I’ve put Beyond All Dreams on my to-read list, and have picked up her newest free novella, as well.
I recommend this book to fans of Christian (or clean) historical fiction or romance. There is a bit of tension from a mystery, but it just makes it more interesting. I do feel it’s worth mentioning that intimate relations are discussed in this book. It’s completely appropriate to the plot, and no details are given, keeping it clean. However, I would recommend this book only to the 16+ crowd.
Until the Dawn (2015, Bethany House), first in the Until the Dawn series by Elizabeth Camden, is a Christian historical romance set in New York in 1898. The novel is very definitely a standalone story, but Toward the Sunrise , a (free) novella-length prequel to Until The Dawn, establishes the setting very nicely while being a great story in its own right. Unsurprisingly, I read this book because I LOVE whatever Elizabeth Camden writes.
Rating: 5 stars
The hero: Quentin Vandermark is the grandson of the current owner of Dierenpark. After a sixty-year absence of Vandermarks from the estate, Quentin unexpectedly comes to stay. He has a son, whom he dearly loves, but their relationship is on shaky ground. Quentin is a widow, and “ever since his wife’s death eight years ago, his life had become an endless night of darkness and despair, waiting for a dawn that never came.” Additionally, he walks with a limp due to a previous injury or illness, and often struggles with a great deal of pain. He may be wealthy, but he’s had plenty of trials, so it isn’t surprising that he’s a bit of a grouch. I love heroes like this. He reminds me somewhat of Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre.
The heroine: Sophia van Riijn, 26, the daughter of Dierenpark’s former cook, has no official (or paid) role on the beautiful estate, but she has plenty to keep her occupied. She loves to cook (and is good at it!) and provides meals for the staff. Sophia also faithfully takes daily readings of the weather atop the mansion’s roof on a volunteer basis, as part of a national effort in weather prediction. “In her long line of failed engagements and thwarted dreams, her tiny weather station on the top of the Vandermark mansion was what gave meaning and purpose to Sophie’s world.” I really like how Sophia knows her own worth and doesn’t kowtow to the intimidating Quentin. At their first meeting, she tells him, “I’ve never met someone who can take one of poetry’s most remarkable passages about the purity of love and twist it into embittered screed on the spot.”
Christian elements:
*The book opens with the following quote: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. -- Matthew 5:8” It seems to be a motto for the heroine, and if I remember rightly, is directly visited in the book.
*Quentin Vandermark is an atheist. He grew up being dragged around from country to country by his grandfather Nickolaas, who was apparently on a spiritual quest for fulfillment and dabbled in a variety of religions. ”The more exotic and strange [the religion], the more Nickolaas liked it. He believed in everything, which meant he believed in nothing.” Quentin is very turned off by religion, and scorns Christianity. He tells Sophie, “I will tolerate no superstition. If my son inquires about fairies or goblins, or God or Jesus, I want you to squash the discussion.”
What I liked:
*The setting is just fabulous. The estate is luscious, mysterious, and holds a very strong place in Sophia’s heart. I have to say, I checked Wikipedia multiple times, convinced that Dierenpark is an actual mansion in New York. I kept coming up with nothing.
*The befriending of Sophia and Quentin was rather wonderful. They start out with him being antagonistic toward her, but steadily grow into friends. This was actually a difficult road for Quentin to traverse, and it was such a pleasure watching him do so. “Her buoyancy annoyed him at the same time as it attracted him.”
*Also, this may sound strange, but I LOVED the names of the main characters. I just wish I knew how to pronounce Sophia’s last name. :-) I assume it’s “RYE-gin” but it’s just a guess. UPDATE: I was way off! Ms. Camden answered my question, and she says it rhymes with “grin.”
*A couple of favorite quotes:
*”That was an apology? I’m sorry, I mistook it for another legal salvo.”
*”Why did oatmeal taste so delicious simply because it came out of a pot stirred by Sophie van Riijn?”
What I didn’t like:
*God is treated in vague terms in one situation when I think the author should have been more explicit. But in general, the Christian aspect was well done.
--------------------------------------------
I will still continue to read more of Elizabeth Camden’s stories. I’ve put Beyond All Dreams on my to-read list, and have picked up her newest free novella, as well.
I recommend this book to fans of Christian (or clean) historical fiction or romance. There is a bit of tension from a mystery, but it just makes it more interesting. I do feel it’s worth mentioning that intimate relations are discussed in this book. It’s completely appropriate to the plot, and no details are given, keeping it clean. However, I would recommend this book only to the 16+ crowd.
June 6, 2016
I loved this one! The mystery was truly interesting, with a few first-rate twists near the end. I loved, also, that the romance was mostly understated instead of being the driving force behind the characters. I also loved that Sophie was not afraid to stand up for herself and her beliefs.
I did notice a number of little things that just made the characters seem a trifle too modern at times, and one of the excuses of crime seemed slightly stretched, to me, since I've recently studied a bit about the Dutch settling of New York. Otherwise a great read!
I did notice a number of little things that just made the characters seem a trifle too modern at times, and one of the excuses of crime seemed slightly stretched, to me, since I've recently studied a bit about the Dutch settling of New York. Otherwise a great read!
December 4, 2015
See my full review at: http://smilingbookreviews.blogspot.co...
This book has the ultimate dark versus light component that makes for a thrilling read. I can't say that I really liked the hero when he's first introduced but that's to be expected since he is in desperate need of some good in his life and soul! Sophie becomes that light to his life and also helps show him the light of God for his soul. I loved Sophie! She had a lot of character and strength. In spite of the sorrow she has experienced, she is still cheerful, friendly, kind, and compassionate. She closes doors softly even when she's upset! For some reason, I loved that little tidbit in the book. :)
I liked how Dierenpark is described - the land and atmosphere surrounding the house is beautiful, serene, healing to the body and soul - almost a paradise of sorts. It sounds like a wonderful place to live. But it's also been tainted by the rumors about what caused the family to abandon the house and land for sixty years. I liked how the author wove the threads of beauty and tragic mystery together.
There are a lot of secondary characters that support the story. The grandfather plays a pivotal role in the relationships between Quentin and his son, and Quentin and Sophie. They in turn help bring him to a happier place. I liked the guards - big and scary and loyal and hidden soft sides. And then there was Quentin's son - a little boy in dire need of the sunshine of Sophie's love and the healing hope of a good life at Dierenpark.
All in all a great story with a sweet and somewhat stormy romance, plenty of mystery to keep you intrigued, the hope of redemption from a tragic past, and the light of salvation for a better future.
*Thanks to Bethany House & Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.*
This book has the ultimate dark versus light component that makes for a thrilling read. I can't say that I really liked the hero when he's first introduced but that's to be expected since he is in desperate need of some good in his life and soul! Sophie becomes that light to his life and also helps show him the light of God for his soul. I loved Sophie! She had a lot of character and strength. In spite of the sorrow she has experienced, she is still cheerful, friendly, kind, and compassionate. She closes doors softly even when she's upset! For some reason, I loved that little tidbit in the book. :)
I liked how Dierenpark is described - the land and atmosphere surrounding the house is beautiful, serene, healing to the body and soul - almost a paradise of sorts. It sounds like a wonderful place to live. But it's also been tainted by the rumors about what caused the family to abandon the house and land for sixty years. I liked how the author wove the threads of beauty and tragic mystery together.
There are a lot of secondary characters that support the story. The grandfather plays a pivotal role in the relationships between Quentin and his son, and Quentin and Sophie. They in turn help bring him to a happier place. I liked the guards - big and scary and loyal and hidden soft sides. And then there was Quentin's son - a little boy in dire need of the sunshine of Sophie's love and the healing hope of a good life at Dierenpark.
All in all a great story with a sweet and somewhat stormy romance, plenty of mystery to keep you intrigued, the hope of redemption from a tragic past, and the light of salvation for a better future.
*Thanks to Bethany House & Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated are my own.*
November 10, 2017
This was another 3.5....And perhaps this was just because I'm a writer but there were times I pouted at the lost chances to really execute something to its full potential, making it a 3 for me and yet, past chapter 4 I was turning pages to the end despite the late hour and the fact I knew there would be no nap to be had the next day, therefore I round up to 4 stars :) The story is Quentin's. He's most likely the hardest, least likeable hero I've come across in Christian fiction and yet if it wasn't for him, I'm not sure I'd kept up with the book, I needed to know how he turned out and if he could win me over. He really has nothing going for him through most of the book, but if you're wondering at the beginning of the book if you can root for him, you can. The romance is light (so if you're looking for sigh worthy kisses that's really not here) and yet I cried at the big scene at the end because I wanted Quentin happy--so Camden still got me emotionally.
February 25, 2017
This is really a 4 1/2 star review. Not quite a 5, reasons at the bottom.
Sophie van Riijn has two dreams, to be a wife and mother, and to be a meteorologist of sorts. She has a weather station on the roof of a long abandoned grand estate called Dierenpark, to report conditions to the government on a volunteer basis. Her desire is to have a true monitoring station in New Holland. As for her desire to be married, she's been engaged three times, but fiance's death or break-ups ended them, and now she wonders if she'll ever be married.
Along comes surly Quentin Vandermark (future heir to the Dierenpark estate), his young son, and a team of bodyguards. His mission is to take up residence for a time, then destroy this beautiful mansion at the request of his grandfather. However, Dierenpark has been one of the greatest joys in Sophie's life, and this would break her heart. Quentin's grandfather (Nickolass Vandermark) has believed all his life that the mansion was cursed, and he hasn't lived in it since his teens.
From the moment Quentin set foot on the property he was nothing but awful to Sophie. Assuming she was a staff member because she was in the house (after coming down from the weather station) he "fired" her because he thought she had told ghost stories to his son when they met at the dock below the house. In fact, he fired everybody.
From here the tale begins with hiring her because his son had grown fond of her as she visited to do her readings on the roof. Her job was to tutor Pieter and cook for the staff. She was a Christian and Quentin an atheist, so he warn her, in no uncertain terms, to never speak of her "superstitious nonsense" to his son.
Eventually as he got used to her constant sweet mood, which at first galled him to no end, and saw the joy she brought everyone, he grew fond of her, but still treated her with indifference for the most part. Mind you, this took a very long time.
But the story is of the house, the curse, the strange calm and loveliness of the grounds, and the scientists sent for to find explanations for mysterious aspects of the property, the association with the Indians back in the 1600s, and strange cryptic notes in another language. All this made for a very interesting book.
Like I said, this is a 4 1/2 star review. Ms Camden's writing is superb. She keeps you wanting to see what's next and I certainly hated putting it down. I was a bit disappointed in the "Christian Fiction" category. Although Jesus is brought up a few times, the gospel is never mentioned. Christ's death and resurrection, absent. Repentance, absent. Forgiveness of Christ, absent. Acceptance of Christ as a means to salvation, absent. At one point a character (and I won't say who) gives in to the peace and idea of a higher power, feels peace, and joy blinded him. But there is nothing about Christ at that point. He even says "the something or someone" had surrounded him. Doesn't sound like he understood Christ if he could call Him "the something".
Also, at one point Sophie tells Pieter that God doesn't always answer prayer. Yikes. What a thing to tell a child. It may seem at times He's not answering, but a no answer sometimes feels like that.
Anyway, it bothers me at times when authors don't go the whole distance with the gospel. I don't know if it's because they don't want to be offensive (?)... I don't know. I just don't like when God, and his mercy and forgiveness are things a Christian author leaves out for any reason. It's like short changing God.
But aside from that, the story was amazing. Loved the Cain and Abel metaphor in the story, which you will have to see as you read it. And read it you should!!!
Sophie van Riijn has two dreams, to be a wife and mother, and to be a meteorologist of sorts. She has a weather station on the roof of a long abandoned grand estate called Dierenpark, to report conditions to the government on a volunteer basis. Her desire is to have a true monitoring station in New Holland. As for her desire to be married, she's been engaged three times, but fiance's death or break-ups ended them, and now she wonders if she'll ever be married.
Along comes surly Quentin Vandermark (future heir to the Dierenpark estate), his young son, and a team of bodyguards. His mission is to take up residence for a time, then destroy this beautiful mansion at the request of his grandfather. However, Dierenpark has been one of the greatest joys in Sophie's life, and this would break her heart. Quentin's grandfather (Nickolass Vandermark) has believed all his life that the mansion was cursed, and he hasn't lived in it since his teens.
From the moment Quentin set foot on the property he was nothing but awful to Sophie. Assuming she was a staff member because she was in the house (after coming down from the weather station) he "fired" her because he thought she had told ghost stories to his son when they met at the dock below the house. In fact, he fired everybody.
From here the tale begins with hiring her because his son had grown fond of her as she visited to do her readings on the roof. Her job was to tutor Pieter and cook for the staff. She was a Christian and Quentin an atheist, so he warn her, in no uncertain terms, to never speak of her "superstitious nonsense" to his son.
Eventually as he got used to her constant sweet mood, which at first galled him to no end, and saw the joy she brought everyone, he grew fond of her, but still treated her with indifference for the most part. Mind you, this took a very long time.
But the story is of the house, the curse, the strange calm and loveliness of the grounds, and the scientists sent for to find explanations for mysterious aspects of the property, the association with the Indians back in the 1600s, and strange cryptic notes in another language. All this made for a very interesting book.
Like I said, this is a 4 1/2 star review. Ms Camden's writing is superb. She keeps you wanting to see what's next and I certainly hated putting it down. I was a bit disappointed in the "Christian Fiction" category. Although Jesus is brought up a few times, the gospel is never mentioned. Christ's death and resurrection, absent. Repentance, absent. Forgiveness of Christ, absent. Acceptance of Christ as a means to salvation, absent. At one point a character (and I won't say who) gives in to the peace and idea of a higher power, feels peace, and joy blinded him. But there is nothing about Christ at that point. He even says "the something or someone" had surrounded him. Doesn't sound like he understood Christ if he could call Him "the something".
Also, at one point Sophie tells Pieter that God doesn't always answer prayer. Yikes. What a thing to tell a child. It may seem at times He's not answering, but a no answer sometimes feels like that.
Anyway, it bothers me at times when authors don't go the whole distance with the gospel. I don't know if it's because they don't want to be offensive (?)... I don't know. I just don't like when God, and his mercy and forgiveness are things a Christian author leaves out for any reason. It's like short changing God.
But aside from that, the story was amazing. Loved the Cain and Abel metaphor in the story, which you will have to see as you read it. And read it you should!!!
December 22, 2015
The mystery about the house was compelling. The truth came out in layers and was well done.
The romance between Quentin and Sophie was less compelling. Their romance was slow to grow, which was completely understandable. However, the spark that finally came was more like a sparkler than a firework show grand finale.
Sophie's relationship with Pieter was sweet and she was a great influence on him and his love of science.
The thread of the weather bureau started heavy and then tapered off drastically. I was expecting a bit more detail about the weather bureau.
I would have loved for the author to add an author's note at the end about what was factual in the story. Overall, it was a good historical read with a bit of mystery.
The romance between Quentin and Sophie was less compelling. Their romance was slow to grow, which was completely understandable. However, the spark that finally came was more like a sparkler than a firework show grand finale.
Sophie's relationship with Pieter was sweet and she was a great influence on him and his love of science.
The thread of the weather bureau started heavy and then tapered off drastically. I was expecting a bit more detail about the weather bureau.
I would have loved for the author to add an author's note at the end about what was factual in the story. Overall, it was a good historical read with a bit of mystery.
August 25, 2016
I really loved this book. The plot was incredible and brought me out of a reading slump that has lasted all summer. I would have given it another star, except I felt the spiritual "aha moment" was very vague. With Christian fiction this doesn't always bother me because I understand the author may feel like they're preaching to the choir when it comes to the Gospel. However, with this book I felt it was an intricate part of the story, so I felt like it should have been given clearly. That being said, I love this author's style and really loved the characters and setting for this one!
April 1, 2017
I really liked this story about a bitter man who learns to love life and people again, and I couldn't put it down because I just had to find out the story behind the "Vandermark curse". I also loved how Elizabeth Camden seamlessly weaved in archaeology, languages, travel and medical, natural and climate science- all in one book. I was so intrigued the whole way through by these topics.
I didn't like it as much as "Against the Tide" or "With Every Breath", but I definitely enjoyed it.
I didn't like it as much as "Against the Tide" or "With Every Breath", but I definitely enjoyed it.
July 21, 2016
A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners.
The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.
Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?
Elizabeth Camden's books are always filled with wonderfully realistic characters, amazing plots, and tons of historical detail. Until the Dawn continues this tradition. Sophie has had her share of disappointments but her strong faith keeps her full of grace, kindness, and joy. Quentin on the other hand only believes in what he can see and touch so his tragedies have left him grouchy, melancholic, and pain ridden. In the midst of beautiful Dierenpark and confronted with Sophie's kindness and grace, Quentin begins to see life from a different perspective.
Camden's focus on the Vandermark family history as it ties in to the history of the Hudson River Valley and Dierenpark in particular along with the supposed curse and legends make for a great plot. Her surprise ending was a perfect tie in to previous parts of the plot. Her focus on light overcoming darkness throughout the storyline as both Quentin and Pieter began to understand more about faith was very well done. Her books are both entertaining and enlightening making for great reads.
FAVORITE QUOTES: (This book has too many so here are just a few.)
"Climatic events are predicted by analyzing the change in atmospheric pressure...God designed the rules of nature, and we are getting better at reading them. That doesn't mean he isn't the original author."
"When you try to love, or at least understand your enemies, I think you will be surprised at the way the world looks a little brighter."
"You touch everyone around you with kindness and grace, and that has an incalculable effect on the world.....Your legacy of grace and compassion will echo down through generations to come."
The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.
Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?
Elizabeth Camden's books are always filled with wonderfully realistic characters, amazing plots, and tons of historical detail. Until the Dawn continues this tradition. Sophie has had her share of disappointments but her strong faith keeps her full of grace, kindness, and joy. Quentin on the other hand only believes in what he can see and touch so his tragedies have left him grouchy, melancholic, and pain ridden. In the midst of beautiful Dierenpark and confronted with Sophie's kindness and grace, Quentin begins to see life from a different perspective.
Camden's focus on the Vandermark family history as it ties in to the history of the Hudson River Valley and Dierenpark in particular along with the supposed curse and legends make for a great plot. Her surprise ending was a perfect tie in to previous parts of the plot. Her focus on light overcoming darkness throughout the storyline as both Quentin and Pieter began to understand more about faith was very well done. Her books are both entertaining and enlightening making for great reads.
FAVORITE QUOTES: (This book has too many so here are just a few.)
"Climatic events are predicted by analyzing the change in atmospheric pressure...God designed the rules of nature, and we are getting better at reading them. That doesn't mean he isn't the original author."
"When you try to love, or at least understand your enemies, I think you will be surprised at the way the world looks a little brighter."
"You touch everyone around you with kindness and grace, and that has an incalculable effect on the world.....Your legacy of grace and compassion will echo down through generations to come."
February 5, 2017
I'm so glad I was able to read another one of Elizabeth's books - she is such a "solid" author in that so far I've enjoyed each book of hers that I've read (although I've only read 4 at this point, but that's still a good record).
In Until the Dawn, we have compelling characters, a superbly written setting and a plot that kept me engaged more and more as I read. Sophie and Quentin are so opposite, and at first I had trouble feeling any chemistry between them. They aren't my favorite as a couple, but they both had compelling story lines as individuals, so by the end of the story, I loved the way that they interacted with one another. I loved the relationship between Pieter and Sophie - sometimes children are written awkwardly into books, but I thought Pieter's character to be very well done and realistic. The character that changes the most is definitely Quentin, and I rooted for it all the way (except at first when I had a pretty intense dislike for him, haha). His change is genuine and heartfelt.
Elizabeth includes unique details and situations in all of her stories - things that I usually don't think about how they worked in the past - in this case, it was Sophie's work with the Weather Bureau running a weather station, which she collected the data from and then sent to the bureau. I would have actually liked a little more detail about the mechanism of it - not too much, just something a bit more descriptive. However, overall, it is a unique thing to include, in my opinion, since I've never read anything about the early days of tracking the weather. I also must mention my love for the setting, Dierenpark - oh my, this place came to life for me for sure. There was just an overall atmosphere of rest and peace, which only Sophie seemed to feel.
The ending has a neat twist that I didn't see coming that made the falling action have an even greater significance. I love how things turned out for Sophie and Quentin, as well as Dierenpark. I know Elizabeth has brought back characters that were children in one book as adults in another, and I would love a story about Pieter, but that's just wishful thinking on my part.
I'm even more eager to read the rest of Elizabeth's books now!
In Until the Dawn, we have compelling characters, a superbly written setting and a plot that kept me engaged more and more as I read. Sophie and Quentin are so opposite, and at first I had trouble feeling any chemistry between them. They aren't my favorite as a couple, but they both had compelling story lines as individuals, so by the end of the story, I loved the way that they interacted with one another. I loved the relationship between Pieter and Sophie - sometimes children are written awkwardly into books, but I thought Pieter's character to be very well done and realistic. The character that changes the most is definitely Quentin, and I rooted for it all the way (except at first when I had a pretty intense dislike for him, haha). His change is genuine and heartfelt.
Elizabeth includes unique details and situations in all of her stories - things that I usually don't think about how they worked in the past - in this case, it was Sophie's work with the Weather Bureau running a weather station, which she collected the data from and then sent to the bureau. I would have actually liked a little more detail about the mechanism of it - not too much, just something a bit more descriptive. However, overall, it is a unique thing to include, in my opinion, since I've never read anything about the early days of tracking the weather. I also must mention my love for the setting, Dierenpark - oh my, this place came to life for me for sure. There was just an overall atmosphere of rest and peace, which only Sophie seemed to feel.
The ending has a neat twist that I didn't see coming that made the falling action have an even greater significance. I love how things turned out for Sophie and Quentin, as well as Dierenpark. I know Elizabeth has brought back characters that were children in one book as adults in another, and I would love a story about Pieter, but that's just wishful thinking on my part.
I'm even more eager to read the rest of Elizabeth's books now!
September 14, 2016
I was very excited when I read the author's book With Every Breath because I felt like I had found a new writer to enjoy. So, as I looked forward to reading her other books, I picked up this book. The first two-thirds of this book were very good. Camden is a talented writer, and tells an interesting, engaging story. However, the last third of the book became preachy, proselytizing, and delivered the religious message with all the subtlety of a jackhammer. Therefore, I took off a star for the heavy handed religious message.
I enjoyed With Every Breath, in part because the religious content was delivered with a very light touch. I thought this book would be the same, but alas no.
So, if I don't want a heavy-handed religious message, why do I read inspirational historical romance? I'm always looking for new (to me) authors who can write well, and I have read several authors of inspirational historical romance who not only write very well, but also have that light and subtle touch with the religious message. Further, I like that the hero and heroine in inspirationals often have a purpose in life. No, not their religious purpose (though that may be what motivates them), but the purpose to do something that helps others or have causes or jobs that they're passionate about (like provide medical care to the poor in the 19th Century). I find those kinds of stories very interesting.
Because I liked With Every Breath so much, as well as the first two-thirds of this book (before it got preachy), I will try more of Camden's books, and hope that her religious content is lighter in the other books.
I enjoyed With Every Breath, in part because the religious content was delivered with a very light touch. I thought this book would be the same, but alas no.
So, if I don't want a heavy-handed religious message, why do I read inspirational historical romance? I'm always looking for new (to me) authors who can write well, and I have read several authors of inspirational historical romance who not only write very well, but also have that light and subtle touch with the religious message. Further, I like that the hero and heroine in inspirationals often have a purpose in life. No, not their religious purpose (though that may be what motivates them), but the purpose to do something that helps others or have causes or jobs that they're passionate about (like provide medical care to the poor in the 19th Century). I find those kinds of stories very interesting.
Because I liked With Every Breath so much, as well as the first two-thirds of this book (before it got preachy), I will try more of Camden's books, and hope that her religious content is lighter in the other books.
January 23, 2023
Всяка книга на Elizabeth Camden е преглед на исторически моменти и събития, които са дали своя отзвук. След като за първи път се срещнах с нея чрез Beyond all dreams започнах да разбирам колко голяма сила са истинските мечти, когато за тях работим упорито и постоянно. И сега в Until the Dawn добросърдечието и силната привързаност преобразиха натрупани съмнения и студенина. Описанията на вековното имение с невероятната жизненост на заобикалящата го природа сякаш извикваха стремеж да преодолеем всяка трудност и всяко съмнение. За мен беше увлекателно, че действието в Until the Dawn се развива на брега на река Хъдсън. Детските ми впечатления от книгата на Джеймс Фенимор Купър " Последният мохикан ", а по - късно и от едноименния филм още владеят фантазията ми. Френско - индианските войни от 1574 до 1763 година , които са се водили в района на Северна Америка, се свързват с тази река. Река Хъдсън води началото си от езерото, носещо красивото име „Сълза от облаците”, което е разположено на върха Мърси (Mount Marcy), който от своя страна е част от планинската верига Adirondack Mountains. И красотата на това езеро е описана в книгата на Elizabeth Camden. Сама участвайки с много исторически препратки, това томче завладя интереса ми и с образа на слънчевата Софи.
* " Повечето пъти щастието не се създава от актове на голям героизъм или престиж. . . "
* " Това беше характерното за наивните идеалисти: понякога те изненадваха със своята из��бретателност."
* " Повечето пъти щастието не се създава от актове на голям героизъм или престиж. . . "
* " Това беше характерното за наивните идеалисти: понякога те изненадваха със своята из��бретателност."
June 5, 2016
First 80%: five stars
Last 20%: zero stars
***This review will contain spoilers***
Short version: This novel would have much benefitted from more sex and less (pseudo)religion.
Long version: I bought this novel immediately after finishing the prequel novella, Toward the Sunrise. I was eager to learn more about the mysteries of the Dierenpark estate, and to read about the romance of difficult millionaire Quentin Vandermark and the sweet and beautiful Sophie van Rijin. The premise sounded right down my alley: grumpy rich man, turned sour after an incident left him with a limp, assumes sweet girl as cook and teacher for his fragile son. I was ready to eat up the old Beauty-and-the-Beast trope, spiced with the mysteries surrounding the wonderful estate they live in. For the first 80% of the novel I was ready to give it six stars. Quentin Vandermark was just the right shade of grumpy, the mysteries were interesting, and the small faults here and there could be negligible in the larger picture, had the ending delivered.
Alas, after the 80% mark this book turns into a mess so enormous I can’t even begin to describe it. All the small faults come back with a vengeance and become very large faults I could no more pass on.
First, Quentin’s conversion is dreadful. It comes not from the character but out of the author imposing it on the character because of her inspirational agenda. Where Toward the Sunrise was thankfully devoid of outright preaching (the religious aspects of the novella were very thin and limited to notice that both H/h attended church), here the religious intention is much more marked and repetitive. If I ever read the sentence “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” one more time I might be sick. And the problem is also that religion is presented here as a collection of sentences repeated many, many times, which together form more a viscous blob than a serious presentation of Christianity. Therefore it was not only disgusting from a narrative point of view, but also shallow as a representation of faith.
The heroine, Sophie, has been betrothed three times already by the beginning of the novel. The first fiancé dumped her, the second is in prison, and the third one died before the events in Toward the Sunrise. We are repeatedly told that all Sophie wants in life is to get married and have kids. However, when Quentin asks her to marry him, she refuses because he is not a Christian (!) So were all the previous fiancés pure examples of men of faith? And shouldn’t the fact of finally having the concrete possibility to marry surpass the faith matter, if she is as eager to be married as she’d described to be? Apparently not. It suddenly becomes a problem, so the hero is forcefully thrown into conversion by the author. But then not even the conversion is enough for Sophie. The hero has to be taken to the point of death for her to accept to marry him on the spot. A disgusting practice, ever since it was used in Flowers from the Storm.
By the way, this perennially cheerful Sophie is a different character from the melancholic girl presented in Toward the Sunrise. She rarely thinks about her dead fiancé anymore (possible?), does not seem to have any female friends (Julia Broeder is mentioned only briefly, and Sophie never thinks about her), and by the end of the novel doesn’t even seem madly in love with the hero. Also, what heroine in 1898 would say something along the lines of “See how the heat causes the bubbles to rise in the mixture? I need to keep the eggs moving so the proteins in the eggs don’t burn, but you can’t stir too hard. That will cause all the air to escape.” (We are told that Sophie wasn’t a good student, so why does she suddenly talk of the proteins’ properties?)
2. The more I read, the more I realized I couldn’t approve the ideology hidden inside this novel. Sophie runs a weather station for the national Weather Bureau: she tries to establish a larger weather center in the village, but while the center is founded, she is not allowed to work in there because she’s an ignorant woman. Ok, I could accept that for historical accuracy. But then, when Quentin’s latest surgery proves faulty and he has to lose his leg, I started to see a pattern. Despite the outward declarations on the validity of science, science is always proven inferior to religion throughout the novel. Sophie will not work at the weather station because all she has to do is to be a perfect wife and mother and cook for the people she loves. The experimental surgery performed on Quentin doesn’t work, so he has to be amputated and rely on a prosthetic leg. And above all this, the bet between scientists ends in a moot point for science all.
Of course, the bet is the craziest part of the plot. Nikolaas Vandermark hires some archaeologists to prove that there is a curse on Dierenpark (how could archaeologists *prove* there is a curse??? They could at least find historical records of someone throwing a curse), while Quentin hires some biologists to find scientific reasons for the exceptional plants growth in Dierenpark. Of course, neither team of scientists can find any proof in a sense or the other, therefore undermining their whole purpose on the estate. We must believe that Dierenpark is a new Eden, because there are more things on Earth than science can prove of. Aargh.
I won’t even mention the final appearance of the Indians because it was atrocious.
If only the religious preaching could be contained and actually come from the characters’ inner beings. If only the H/h physical relationship could have been explored more. This book could have been so good; it had all the potential. Unfortunately the author decided to crush it all.
Last 20%: zero stars
***This review will contain spoilers***
Short version: This novel would have much benefitted from more sex and less (pseudo)religion.
Long version: I bought this novel immediately after finishing the prequel novella, Toward the Sunrise. I was eager to learn more about the mysteries of the Dierenpark estate, and to read about the romance of difficult millionaire Quentin Vandermark and the sweet and beautiful Sophie van Rijin. The premise sounded right down my alley: grumpy rich man, turned sour after an incident left him with a limp, assumes sweet girl as cook and teacher for his fragile son. I was ready to eat up the old Beauty-and-the-Beast trope, spiced with the mysteries surrounding the wonderful estate they live in. For the first 80% of the novel I was ready to give it six stars. Quentin Vandermark was just the right shade of grumpy, the mysteries were interesting, and the small faults here and there could be negligible in the larger picture, had the ending delivered.
Alas, after the 80% mark this book turns into a mess so enormous I can’t even begin to describe it. All the small faults come back with a vengeance and become very large faults I could no more pass on.
First, Quentin’s conversion is dreadful. It comes not from the character but out of the author imposing it on the character because of her inspirational agenda. Where Toward the Sunrise was thankfully devoid of outright preaching (the religious aspects of the novella were very thin and limited to notice that both H/h attended church), here the religious intention is much more marked and repetitive. If I ever read the sentence “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” one more time I might be sick. And the problem is also that religion is presented here as a collection of sentences repeated many, many times, which together form more a viscous blob than a serious presentation of Christianity. Therefore it was not only disgusting from a narrative point of view, but also shallow as a representation of faith.
The heroine, Sophie, has been betrothed three times already by the beginning of the novel. The first fiancé dumped her, the second is in prison, and the third one died before the events in Toward the Sunrise. We are repeatedly told that all Sophie wants in life is to get married and have kids. However, when Quentin asks her to marry him, she refuses because he is not a Christian (!) So were all the previous fiancés pure examples of men of faith? And shouldn’t the fact of finally having the concrete possibility to marry surpass the faith matter, if she is as eager to be married as she’d described to be? Apparently not. It suddenly becomes a problem, so the hero is forcefully thrown into conversion by the author. But then not even the conversion is enough for Sophie. The hero has to be taken to the point of death for her to accept to marry him on the spot. A disgusting practice, ever since it was used in Flowers from the Storm.
By the way, this perennially cheerful Sophie is a different character from the melancholic girl presented in Toward the Sunrise. She rarely thinks about her dead fiancé anymore (possible?), does not seem to have any female friends (Julia Broeder is mentioned only briefly, and Sophie never thinks about her), and by the end of the novel doesn’t even seem madly in love with the hero. Also, what heroine in 1898 would say something along the lines of “See how the heat causes the bubbles to rise in the mixture? I need to keep the eggs moving so the proteins in the eggs don’t burn, but you can’t stir too hard. That will cause all the air to escape.” (We are told that Sophie wasn’t a good student, so why does she suddenly talk of the proteins’ properties?)
2. The more I read, the more I realized I couldn’t approve the ideology hidden inside this novel. Sophie runs a weather station for the national Weather Bureau: she tries to establish a larger weather center in the village, but while the center is founded, she is not allowed to work in there because she’s an ignorant woman. Ok, I could accept that for historical accuracy. But then, when Quentin’s latest surgery proves faulty and he has to lose his leg, I started to see a pattern. Despite the outward declarations on the validity of science, science is always proven inferior to religion throughout the novel. Sophie will not work at the weather station because all she has to do is to be a perfect wife and mother and cook for the people she loves. The experimental surgery performed on Quentin doesn’t work, so he has to be amputated and rely on a prosthetic leg. And above all this, the bet between scientists ends in a moot point for science all.
Of course, the bet is the craziest part of the plot. Nikolaas Vandermark hires some archaeologists to prove that there is a curse on Dierenpark (how could archaeologists *prove* there is a curse??? They could at least find historical records of someone throwing a curse), while Quentin hires some biologists to find scientific reasons for the exceptional plants growth in Dierenpark. Of course, neither team of scientists can find any proof in a sense or the other, therefore undermining their whole purpose on the estate. We must believe that Dierenpark is a new Eden, because there are more things on Earth than science can prove of. Aargh.
I won’t even mention the final appearance of the Indians because it was atrocious.
If only the religious preaching could be contained and actually come from the characters’ inner beings. If only the H/h physical relationship could have been explored more. This book could have been so good; it had all the potential. Unfortunately the author decided to crush it all.
July 14, 2016
I enjoyed this book! All the talk of recipes and food made me want to join in with the characters for meals. :)
The aspect of tracking the weather in the set time period was new to me and I loved learning about that!
I also liked how the main character wasn't afraid to share her faith and stood by her beliefs. The little boy in the story was really cute and it was great to see how all the relationships developed and the romance wasn't even the main focus all the time and I LOVED that!
Only one thing bothered me. When one person in the story comes to faith, and then finds a romantic relationship after coming to faith in Jesus, he states something along the lines of how he's now finally happy in life because he found his happiness in the woman he loves and something about the place he lives etc. Now this is a huge problem for anyone, and definitely for a Christian! If you find your happiness and joy in a person, in your love interest, what happens if they die? What happens when they have a foul mood and lose their temper? If you find your happiness in a person, place or thing instead of in Jesus, you will be left sad and broken, because every single person will fail you whether they want to or not. Jesus is the center of our lives, He is the one we must find our happiness in, He is the only one who will never fail us and who gives us a joy that outlasts any happiness that comes from this life.
Of course, I am not saying that we can't find happiness in relationships. Of course we can and God designed it for it to be that way! But in the story it was stated by stressing that now, finally, this person is happy in life because he has his romance and a nice place. And at his point, this person was a changed Christian, but it was said in a way that made it seem that if he didn't have these things, he wouldn't have any happiness regardless of his faith.
But other than that, I did like the story a lot and would give it 3.5 stars :)
The aspect of tracking the weather in the set time period was new to me and I loved learning about that!
I also liked how the main character wasn't afraid to share her faith and stood by her beliefs. The little boy in the story was really cute and it was great to see how all the relationships developed and the romance wasn't even the main focus all the time and I LOVED that!
Only one thing bothered me. When one person in the story comes to faith, and then finds a romantic relationship after coming to faith in Jesus, he states something along the lines of how he's now finally happy in life because he found his happiness in the woman he loves and something about the place he lives etc. Now this is a huge problem for anyone, and definitely for a Christian! If you find your happiness and joy in a person, in your love interest, what happens if they die? What happens when they have a foul mood and lose their temper? If you find your happiness in a person, place or thing instead of in Jesus, you will be left sad and broken, because every single person will fail you whether they want to or not. Jesus is the center of our lives, He is the one we must find our happiness in, He is the only one who will never fail us and who gives us a joy that outlasts any happiness that comes from this life.
Of course, I am not saying that we can't find happiness in relationships. Of course we can and God designed it for it to be that way! But in the story it was stated by stressing that now, finally, this person is happy in life because he has his romance and a nice place. And at his point, this person was a changed Christian, but it was said in a way that made it seem that if he didn't have these things, he wouldn't have any happiness regardless of his faith.
But other than that, I did like the story a lot and would give it 3.5 stars :)
February 17, 2018
I feel like the author deserves a bravery medal for writing this book. I know that vague, but that’s where I’m gonna leave it.
December 23, 2015
About this book:
“A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners.
The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.
Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?”
Series: Book #1, has a connecting novella which is considered #0.5. Review Here!)
Spiritual Content- Matthew 5:8 at the beginning; Prayers; Scriptures are quoted, mentioned & remembered; Many, many talks about God, Jesus, atheists, Heaven & holy places; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; A couple mentions of missionaries; Mentions of prayers; Mentions of church & pastors; Many Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Many mentions of (& talks about) those in the Bible & Biblical symbols; Many mentions of religions, Christians & faiths; Sophie has a strong faith; Quentin doesn’t believe in anything he can’t see and says he’s an atheist (*Spoiler* *End of Spoiler*);
*Note: All about a curse; Many, many mentions of séances, voodoo, ghosts, gods, demons and other things of the likes; A mention of Adonis; A mention of evolution.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three forms of ‘stupid’ and six ‘idiot’s; Mentions of curses said not written; Sarcasm; Lots of Pain & mentions of vomiting & bones (semi-detailed to detailed); Many mentions of a dead body, suicide, murders & drownings (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths; Mentions of a kidnapping; Mentions of stealing & prison; Mentions of gangs & prizefighters; A few mentions of parents separating & divorcing; A couple mentions of war; A couple mentions of hunting.
Sexual Content- a hand kiss, a forehead kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, a semi-detailed kiss and a detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss; Mentions of kisses; Touches, Blushes, Hand Holding & Nearness (semi-detailed); Noticing & Attraction (up to semi-detailed); Jealousy; Sophie says her spirit longs for a man’s touch; 19 year old Quentin was looking forward to the physical side of marriage with his new wife, but she was dreading it & said it would be like sharing a bed with her brother & mentions of the marriage bed and enduring it; A mention of King Solomon’s seven hundred wives; A couple mentions of shirtless men; A couple mentions of an affair; Mentions of a labor (borderline barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Mentions of illegitimate children; Love, falling in love & the emotions.
-Sophie van Riijin, age 26
-Quentin Vandermark
P.O.V. switches between them.
Set in 1898-1899
346 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
This book is challenging to rate. I definitely could have done without the marriage bed mentions, but it wasn’t above barely-above-not-detailed, which was good, but still I wasn’t a fan of those parts. Elizabeth Camden did it again with all the history and info she pours into her books. Lots and lots of historic information, but told in a non-boring way. ;) I enjoy creation debates and there was a couple in “Until the Dawn”. All of Sophie’s witnessing was really nice, Quentin got a bit annoying, though. :} The ending was a bit intense though and I did not see it coming! I do have to add that I’m highly disappointed in the cover, spine & back-cover artwork for this book. “Beyond All Dreams”, the author’s last released book, had a beautiful cover and spine like all her previous books. This one has the girl’s head cut off (as does the prologue novella), the spine is very plain and doesn’t match the look of the author’s previous books at all. :(
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Bethany House Publishers) for this honest review.
“A volunteer for the newly established Weather Bureau, Sophie van Riijn needs access to the highest spot in her village to report the most accurate readings. Fascinated by Dierenpark, an abandoned mansion high atop a windswept cliff in the Hudson River Valley, Sophie knows no better option despite a lack of permission from the absent owners.
The first Vandermark to return to the area in sixty years, Quentin intends to put an end to the shadowy rumors about the property that has brought nothing but trouble upon his family. Ready to tear down the mansion, he is furious to discover a local woman has been trespassing on his land.
Instantly at odds, Quentin and Sophie find common ground when she is the only one who can reach his troubled son. There's a light within Sophie that Quentin has never known, and a small spark of the hope that left him years ago begins to grow. But when the secrets of Dierenpark and the Vandermark family history are no longer content to stay in the past, will tragedy triumph or can their tenuous hope prevail?”
Series: Book #1, has a connecting novella which is considered #0.5. Review Here!)
Spiritual Content- Matthew 5:8 at the beginning; Prayers; Scriptures are quoted, mentioned & remembered; Many, many talks about God, Jesus, atheists, Heaven & holy places; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; A couple mentions of missionaries; Mentions of prayers; Mentions of church & pastors; Many Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Many mentions of (& talks about) those in the Bible & Biblical symbols; Many mentions of religions, Christians & faiths; Sophie has a strong faith; Quentin doesn’t believe in anything he can’t see and says he’s an atheist (*Spoiler* *End of Spoiler*);
*Note: All about a curse; Many, many mentions of séances, voodoo, ghosts, gods, demons and other things of the likes; A mention of Adonis; A mention of evolution.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three forms of ‘stupid’ and six ‘idiot’s; Mentions of curses said not written; Sarcasm; Lots of Pain & mentions of vomiting & bones (semi-detailed to detailed); Many mentions of a dead body, suicide, murders & drownings (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths; Mentions of a kidnapping; Mentions of stealing & prison; Mentions of gangs & prizefighters; A few mentions of parents separating & divorcing; A couple mentions of war; A couple mentions of hunting.
Sexual Content- a hand kiss, a forehead kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, a semi-detailed kiss and a detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss; Mentions of kisses; Touches, Blushes, Hand Holding & Nearness (semi-detailed); Noticing & Attraction (up to semi-detailed); Jealousy; Sophie says her spirit longs for a man’s touch; 19 year old Quentin was looking forward to the physical side of marriage with his new wife, but she was dreading it & said it would be like sharing a bed with her brother & mentions of the marriage bed and enduring it; A mention of King Solomon’s seven hundred wives; A couple mentions of shirtless men; A couple mentions of an affair; Mentions of a labor (borderline barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Mentions of illegitimate children; Love, falling in love & the emotions.
-Sophie van Riijin, age 26
-Quentin Vandermark
P.O.V. switches between them.
Set in 1898-1899
346 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Three Stars (and a half)
This book is challenging to rate. I definitely could have done without the marriage bed mentions, but it wasn’t above barely-above-not-detailed, which was good, but still I wasn’t a fan of those parts. Elizabeth Camden did it again with all the history and info she pours into her books. Lots and lots of historic information, but told in a non-boring way. ;) I enjoy creation debates and there was a couple in “Until the Dawn”. All of Sophie’s witnessing was really nice, Quentin got a bit annoying, though. :} The ending was a bit intense though and I did not see it coming! I do have to add that I’m highly disappointed in the cover, spine & back-cover artwork for this book. “Beyond All Dreams”, the author’s last released book, had a beautiful cover and spine like all her previous books. This one has the girl’s head cut off (as does the prologue novella), the spine is very plain and doesn’t match the look of the author’s previous books at all. :(
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Bethany House Publishers) for this honest review.
January 11, 2024
I knew from the start that this book would have a different "feel" than the other books that I've read by this author, and I was right.Until the Dawn had a more prominent religious theme, for one thing (which I didn't mind at all) and the setting/mood seemed a little different, too.
Sophie was such a sweet, refreshing heroine! I've read a few reviews that said she was a naive Mary Sue character whose incessant cheerfulness was unrealistic and annoying; this offended me. Being cheerful and nice to others who don't deserve it is not naive, it's a choice, and I think that was what the book was showing. ahem. I'll get off my soapbox now. (I also loved that fact that what she really wanted to do in life was to be a wife and mother, because that's not something you find a lot of--most historical heroines follow the "all I want is a career" track which is incredibly over-done)
Quentin was more difficult to like as a character; it wasn't that I didn't necessarily understand where he was coming from, but he still was begging for a bucket of ice water thrown onto his head in the first half of the book. While I did grow to like him, I think I just didn't fall in love with the characters' relationship. I liked them both separately, but I wasn't totally enthusiastic about them together.
I think my favorite aspect of this book, aside from the mystery of the house, was the supporting cast of characters--the bodyguards, for example, and the group of archaeologists and biologists. I especially loved the bit where everyone was involved with Sophie in making chocolate.
However, while this book had a lot of good aspects, all together it felt like something was missing or lacking. It didn't mesh together as well as it should have, and in some places the actual writing didn't seem as good as I normally expect from Elizabeth Camden's novels. I never felt bored during it, but it didn't keep me flipping pages in the way that Against the Tide, With Every Breath, or Beyond All Dreams did. That being said, I still enjoyed this book, and it did have some unusual elements and little-known historical facts that gave it the little extra spice that most Christian fiction novels lack.
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Sophie was such a sweet, refreshing heroine! I've read a few reviews that said she was a naive Mary Sue character whose incessant cheerfulness was unrealistic and annoying; this offended me. Being cheerful and nice to others who don't deserve it is not naive, it's a choice, and I think that was what the book was showing. ahem. I'll get off my soapbox now. (I also loved that fact that what she really wanted to do in life was to be a wife and mother, because that's not something you find a lot of--most historical heroines follow the "all I want is a career" track which is incredibly over-done)
Quentin was more difficult to like as a character; it wasn't that I didn't necessarily understand where he was coming from, but he still was begging for a bucket of ice water thrown onto his head in the first half of the book. While I did grow to like him, I think I just didn't fall in love with the characters' relationship. I liked them both separately, but I wasn't totally enthusiastic about them together.
I think my favorite aspect of this book, aside from the mystery of the house, was the supporting cast of characters--the bodyguards, for example, and the group of archaeologists and biologists. I especially loved the bit where everyone was involved with Sophie in making chocolate.
However, while this book had a lot of good aspects, all together it felt like something was missing or lacking. It didn't mesh together as well as it should have, and in some places the actual writing didn't seem as good as I normally expect from Elizabeth Camden's novels. I never felt bored during it, but it didn't keep me flipping pages in the way that Against the Tide, With Every Breath, or Beyond All Dreams did. That being said, I still enjoyed this book, and it did have some unusual elements and little-known historical facts that gave it the little extra spice that most Christian fiction novels lack.
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
June 6, 2025
Blog Post: https://fictionwithphoebe.com/until-t...
There was so much I loved about this story.
Despite its tragic and mysterious history, Dierenpark sounds like such a fascinating and beautiful place! Aside from water lilies, the estate has fruit trees, berry bushes, an herb garden, and even fresh honey.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sophie's cooking scenes and how all the men staying at the mansion loved her food.
Watching Pieter blossom under Sophie's care and rebuild his relationship with Quentin was quite sweet.
One thing I did find a bit disappointing was the romance between Sophie and Quentin. It felt rushed, especially toward the last third of the book. I really wanted to like them together. And I do think they could have worked as a couple, but their relationship need more time to develop.
While the romance did let me down a little, overall Until the Dawn was a fun and intriguing read.
Favorite Moments:
🪷 All of Sophie's cooking scenes
🪷 Quentin saving Pieter from the bees
🪷 Sophie and Quentin working on the proposal for the Weather Bureau
🪷 Quentin comforting Sophie after she overhears Dr. Clark
🪷 Cocoa beans
Content Notes:
noticing and awareness, death and dying (from suicide, murder, fire, and illness), a family is rumored to be “cursed,” a few characters believe in superstitions (fairies, goblins, etc.), the hero starts out as an atheist, a character is said to have “dabbled in Buddhism, Shamanism, Transcendentalism, even the rites of the ancient Druids,” the hero recalls the day his son was born (no graphic details), brief mentions of surgery, description of a past kidnapping and the trauma associated with it (nothing graphic), retaliation against the kidnappers that is implied to have killed some of them (no graphic details), “melancholia” and “dark moods," touching, characters briefly consider the possibility of an illegitimate child, mention of a wedding night and implied intimacy of a married couple (no explicit details), mention of Buddha, kissing, men are mentioned being shirtless a couple times, a married man is said to have fallen in love with another woman, the aftermath of a broken leg is described with some rather graphic details mentioned, leg amputation with a couple graphic details mentioned
There was so much I loved about this story.
Despite its tragic and mysterious history, Dierenpark sounds like such a fascinating and beautiful place! Aside from water lilies, the estate has fruit trees, berry bushes, an herb garden, and even fresh honey.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sophie's cooking scenes and how all the men staying at the mansion loved her food.
Watching Pieter blossom under Sophie's care and rebuild his relationship with Quentin was quite sweet.
One thing I did find a bit disappointing was the romance between Sophie and Quentin. It felt rushed, especially toward the last third of the book. I really wanted to like them together. And I do think they could have worked as a couple, but their relationship need more time to develop.
While the romance did let me down a little, overall Until the Dawn was a fun and intriguing read.
Favorite Moments:
🪷 All of Sophie's cooking scenes
🪷 Quentin saving Pieter from the bees
🪷 Sophie and Quentin working on the proposal for the Weather Bureau
🪷 Quentin comforting Sophie after she overhears Dr. Clark
🪷 Cocoa beans
Content Notes:
noticing and awareness, death and dying (from suicide, murder, fire, and illness), a family is rumored to be “cursed,” a few characters believe in superstitions (fairies, goblins, etc.), the hero starts out as an atheist, a character is said to have “dabbled in Buddhism, Shamanism, Transcendentalism, even the rites of the ancient Druids,” the hero recalls the day his son was born (no graphic details), brief mentions of surgery, description of a past kidnapping and the trauma associated with it (nothing graphic), retaliation against the kidnappers that is implied to have killed some of them (no graphic details), “melancholia” and “dark moods," touching, characters briefly consider the possibility of an illegitimate child, mention of a wedding night and implied intimacy of a married couple (no explicit details), mention of Buddha, kissing, men are mentioned being shirtless a couple times, a married man is said to have fallen in love with another woman, the aftermath of a broken leg is described with some rather graphic details mentioned, leg amputation with a couple graphic details mentioned
January 19, 2020
I really liked this book! It's probably not for everyone (the Heroine being a bit Pollyanna-ish) but I enjoyed it thouroghly. I especially enjoyed her old fashioned recipes that she prepared in mouth watering detail.
After a life filled with one tragedy after another the hero had become icy, cold and cruel (and it didn't help his temperament at all that there was a curse hanging over the family for centuries).
I have always liked cold brooding heroes in romance novels that finally have a life altering epiphany (add a little mystery and I'm set)!
This is my first book considered "Christian romance" and thankfully it wasn't what I was expecting. I was afraid it would be full of preaching, and it wasn't (not that there is anything wrong with that), I just don't want that in a romance novel.
It did get a bit "smooshy" towards the very end, but....... I will definitely search for more of this authors books.
After a life filled with one tragedy after another the hero had become icy, cold and cruel (and it didn't help his temperament at all that there was a curse hanging over the family for centuries).
I have always liked cold brooding heroes in romance novels that finally have a life altering epiphany (add a little mystery and I'm set)!
This is my first book considered "Christian romance" and thankfully it wasn't what I was expecting. I was afraid it would be full of preaching, and it wasn't (not that there is anything wrong with that), I just don't want that in a romance novel.
It did get a bit "smooshy" towards the very end, but....... I will definitely search for more of this authors books.
December 24, 2015
Sophie van Riijn gets the shock of her life when the Vandermark family returns to Dierenpark, after a more than half a century long absence. And not only that but they have apparently returned with the only purpose being to destroy the beautiful mansion. With so many bad memories associated with the residence it isn't a wonder but to obliterate the property sends the town into shock. Least of all Sophie. As a volunteer for the Weather Bureau the mansion is also the perfect place to gather the needed date to send back to Washington. And when she finds herself kicked off the property by the current and very angry Vandermark, her job gets a little difficult.
Next to Julie Klassen, Elizabeth Camden is my FAVORITE author. She writes fabulous stories and seems to just whip them out of nothingess. I think she could probably write about mold growing on a loaf of bread and make it seem like some kind of swashbuckling adventure. As always she takes a heroine with some really great ideas, sets them in a spot where adversity (e.g. time period, gender gap) and watches them fight it out - and just when it seems they're about to take a plunge from which they wont recover the character rallies and proves that with enough determination and grit you can win. While Until the Dawn was not my favorite story by this author, it was certainly a very good read.
DISCLAIMER: In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” we would like to note that we received an electronic copy of “Until the Dawn” provided by the publishers, Bethany House, in exchange for our honest review.
reetchampionbookreviews.wordpress.com
Next to Julie Klassen, Elizabeth Camden is my FAVORITE author. She writes fabulous stories and seems to just whip them out of nothingess. I think she could probably write about mold growing on a loaf of bread and make it seem like some kind of swashbuckling adventure. As always she takes a heroine with some really great ideas, sets them in a spot where adversity (e.g. time period, gender gap) and watches them fight it out - and just when it seems they're about to take a plunge from which they wont recover the character rallies and proves that with enough determination and grit you can win. While Until the Dawn was not my favorite story by this author, it was certainly a very good read.
DISCLAIMER: In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” we would like to note that we received an electronic copy of “Until the Dawn” provided by the publishers, Bethany House, in exchange for our honest review.
reetchampionbookreviews.wordpress.com
October 29, 2015
I have no doubts now! Elizabeth Camden has to be hands down my utmost favorite author! I’m convinced that I must have all her books on pre-order because I already know that they are going to be absolutely AWESOME!!
I can truly say that this book was the author’s way of stepping out of her comfort zone because the story was so different which is always a very good thing in my opinion. I love it when an author can step outside themselves and always bring life and new excitement to their novels. This novel makes me excited to discover more about her writings that could be presented on many,many different levels.
Until the Dawn was such a good read that I don’t mind reading it again and again! It was just that good! I kept thinking about it over and over which is a good sign in itself.
I love how the author always finds new ways to incorporate in her novels about the professions of her heroines. It was so interesting to read about this heroine’s profession. I’ll try not to spoil it!
All in all, this was just a fantastically wonderful story! I loved reading this novel which I devoured in no time because it had a way transporting me to a wonderful sublime place.*Sigh* The writing flowed perfectly and the characters were superb! I highly recommend this book! (4.5 stars)
Posted on my blog!
https://ablogfromtheheart.wordpress.com/
I can truly say that this book was the author’s way of stepping out of her comfort zone because the story was so different which is always a very good thing in my opinion. I love it when an author can step outside themselves and always bring life and new excitement to their novels. This novel makes me excited to discover more about her writings that could be presented on many,many different levels.
Until the Dawn was such a good read that I don’t mind reading it again and again! It was just that good! I kept thinking about it over and over which is a good sign in itself.
I love how the author always finds new ways to incorporate in her novels about the professions of her heroines. It was so interesting to read about this heroine’s profession. I’ll try not to spoil it!
All in all, this was just a fantastically wonderful story! I loved reading this novel which I devoured in no time because it had a way transporting me to a wonderful sublime place.*Sigh* The writing flowed perfectly and the characters were superb! I highly recommend this book! (4.5 stars)
Posted on my blog!
https://ablogfromtheheart.wordpress.com/
March 27, 2016
SO satisfying! The hero is less than likeable, but as his faith grows, so does his attractiveness. Sophie is almost TOO sweet, but as we get to know here, we learn about some of her struggles and how she has worked hard to overcome them and maintain her upbeat attitude. PLUS, this story made me hungry! Now I want to cook . . . and love . . . like Sophie.
July 2, 2016
This was good.
April 1, 2023
Gave me Beauty and the Beast vibes... really enjoyed it!!
May 25, 2018
A solid, safe, and clean read. If you're not a Christian, it might be a bit too preachy for you, but I happen to agree with a lot of what the h believed in this book so it didn't bother me. The h was a little annoying in the beginning, with her Mary Sueness, but her character definitely grew on me. I also found myself liking the poor H as the book progressed. The characterization was quite good, and this was a character driven story which made up for the slightly simplistic and humdrum plot.
The writing was engaging and easy to read, with lovely historical details woven throughout. I would recommend this to anyone who likes inspirational historical romance.
The writing was engaging and easy to read, with lovely historical details woven throughout. I would recommend this to anyone who likes inspirational historical romance.
February 3, 2019
The story line of this book was a little weird and not like anything I had ever read! I did enjoy it, it just took me some time to GET INTO the story!
December 19, 2015
I really wish websites offered half-star ratings. Because 3 stars doesn’t do it justice, but I feel 4 is stretching my enjoyment a bit. So 3.5 would be my rating of choice. That being said, I did enjoy this book and found it quite engrossing, but there were a couple things that bothered me about it, as well, hence the indecision.
I personally adore historical fiction and Elizabeth Camden is by far one of my favorite authors in the genre. She’s known for unique characters and stories set in unusual places. Her books are always rich in historical detail and I find them entirely engrossing. I love her writing style and how she brings the characters to life within the pages of her stories. Who else could make me so thoroughly love an embittered man determined to destroy his ancestor’s home? I was pulled into the story from the first page and didn’t want to put it down, but then, something changed about half way through. I’m not sure I can even pinpoint the difference, but the story seemed to change drastically and while I still wanted to find out the ending, I found myself losing interest in the characters. Sections of the story felt contrived, as though maybe the author didn’t know where to go next and simply added an odd twist. The ending was also rather abrupt, though I’ve noticed that trend in a couple of her previous books, so I really can’t fuss too much.
I really loved Sophie, with her happiness and sunshine. She was determined to be kind and gracious, even when someone (Quentin in particular) was incredibly rude. Her joy and grace worked to balance Quentin’s bad temper and surly attitude, and seeing him through her eyes allowed me to like this otherwise unlikable man. He also worked to balance Sophie’s “Sally sunshine” demeanor so that the book wasn’t too sugary sweet. Though some may not like Quentin’s character, I found him interesting. He’s had many trials to overcome and rather than turning to faith, he’s turned to science to explain away everything or even to heal him. He battles almost constant pain and depression as a result of it. While he’s not the most lovable person to begin with, knowing his perspective helped me to understand why he was acting and reacting with such a force of temper. I enjoyed seeing his transformation as he learned to let go of his bitterness and embrace happiness again.
I’m going to be honest, the main issue I had with this story was the spiritual concepts displayed. Though some have called it “preachy,” I’m actually going to say the opposite. There is much talk of curses, magic, and Quentin’s grandfather searching for “transcendence.” Quentin himself scoffs at the idea of any god for much of the story. He firmly believes everything can be explained by science. We have several differing views, obviously, but though Sophie is the Christian in the midst of this, she really doesn’t share her perspective very often. It really bothered me that they compared Dierenpark to the Garden of Eden, but even that wasn’t my main problem. When something couldn’t be explained by science, it was almost always brushed off as magic or as simply beyond our understanding. It didn’t point to God. And there are several times when Quentin is considering God and feels as though there is a presence of “something - or someone” written exactly like that every time. I understood that he was still considering the idea of a Creator God, but the author never flat out says that it’s God and it drove me crazy! I didn’t appreciate her alluding to Him, without ever being straightforward about it. I believe doing that left the book with a murky sense of spirituality.
Overall opinion: This book is well written with excellent characters and great historical depth. If you ignore the somewhat murky spirituality and the abrupt shift in the middle of the book, it’s really a very interesting story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
I personally adore historical fiction and Elizabeth Camden is by far one of my favorite authors in the genre. She’s known for unique characters and stories set in unusual places. Her books are always rich in historical detail and I find them entirely engrossing. I love her writing style and how she brings the characters to life within the pages of her stories. Who else could make me so thoroughly love an embittered man determined to destroy his ancestor’s home? I was pulled into the story from the first page and didn’t want to put it down, but then, something changed about half way through. I’m not sure I can even pinpoint the difference, but the story seemed to change drastically and while I still wanted to find out the ending, I found myself losing interest in the characters. Sections of the story felt contrived, as though maybe the author didn’t know where to go next and simply added an odd twist. The ending was also rather abrupt, though I’ve noticed that trend in a couple of her previous books, so I really can’t fuss too much.
I really loved Sophie, with her happiness and sunshine. She was determined to be kind and gracious, even when someone (Quentin in particular) was incredibly rude. Her joy and grace worked to balance Quentin’s bad temper and surly attitude, and seeing him through her eyes allowed me to like this otherwise unlikable man. He also worked to balance Sophie’s “Sally sunshine” demeanor so that the book wasn’t too sugary sweet. Though some may not like Quentin’s character, I found him interesting. He’s had many trials to overcome and rather than turning to faith, he’s turned to science to explain away everything or even to heal him. He battles almost constant pain and depression as a result of it. While he’s not the most lovable person to begin with, knowing his perspective helped me to understand why he was acting and reacting with such a force of temper. I enjoyed seeing his transformation as he learned to let go of his bitterness and embrace happiness again.
I’m going to be honest, the main issue I had with this story was the spiritual concepts displayed. Though some have called it “preachy,” I’m actually going to say the opposite. There is much talk of curses, magic, and Quentin’s grandfather searching for “transcendence.” Quentin himself scoffs at the idea of any god for much of the story. He firmly believes everything can be explained by science. We have several differing views, obviously, but though Sophie is the Christian in the midst of this, she really doesn’t share her perspective very often. It really bothered me that they compared Dierenpark to the Garden of Eden, but even that wasn’t my main problem. When something couldn’t be explained by science, it was almost always brushed off as magic or as simply beyond our understanding. It didn’t point to God. And there are several times when Quentin is considering God and feels as though there is a presence of “something - or someone” written exactly like that every time. I understood that he was still considering the idea of a Creator God, but the author never flat out says that it’s God and it drove me crazy! I didn’t appreciate her alluding to Him, without ever being straightforward about it. I believe doing that left the book with a murky sense of spirituality.
Overall opinion: This book is well written with excellent characters and great historical depth. If you ignore the somewhat murky spirituality and the abrupt shift in the middle of the book, it’s really a very interesting story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review, which I have given. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.
January 8, 2016
Amazing book in the Christian historical fiction genre!
I like this book a lot. Being my first time to read Elizabeth Camden, she definitely impressed me with her knowledge of the historical time period and depth of interesting characters. And I have a lot to say about the book...
This isn't your average Christian fiction novella. It is complex in composition and has intense family drama (from generations back!) which consequently affects the lives of those in this story, in 1898. (This really drives the point home that what you accomplish and the kind of people you associate with now, certainly affects where your great-great-great-grandchildren might live or what they'll end up doing with their lives.) Deeeep!
Sophie van Riijn, at twenty-six, (who could have been married 3 times over, with each relationship flopping) is a volunteer for the Weather Bureau, a government agency still in its infancy. She revels in the fact that by dutifully taking measurements and calculations from her rooftop weather station every day for the Bureau, she's providing a special service for her country. The bounds of weather are still being discovered; in fact, to find weather predictions in the newspaper is such a new (and helpful) idea. If anything, Sophie wants to make the world around her better, and is even interested in bringing a full climate observatory to Hudson River Valley for jobs -- if only the government would notice what a faithful attendant Sophie is.
I loved this part of the story >> Around the 1890s, people were still figuring out just how to predict weather. New tools and meters had been invented just for this purpose, and a very helpful purpose it was. The entire nation could benefit from knowing that a snowstorm was occurring in the Midwest, while the rain keeps pouring in the South. It's so different how people tracked weather systems back a hundred years ago, and that it could possibly even be a novelty for citizens -- the government couldn't even post meteorologists in every city, and had to rely on thousands of volunteers to manage their best in delivering accurate readings.
Sophie grew up in the Vandermark's mansion, it could be said. She's not an employee of the family, and lives with her father back in town. But through all the years that the rich Vandermarks left their Hudson River Valley property, Sophie was there anyways, cherishing the paradise on its grounds. So it comes as a great shock when the Vandermarks return with plans for Dierenpark -- to demolish it! The plot can only thicken after that, as buried secrets come forth. For generations, some have believed Dierenpark to be tainted by a curse -- a direct effect of the assumed murder that took place after the original Vandermarks immigrated to New York. Many tragedies seem to have dogged each generation since then, and who knows what will be dug up before the story is fully told?
Cons? There's barely any, as I love this book truly. But it does seem like the author has a few "pet" words that she likes to use. Re-use. And re-use, several times.
Lastly, one other thing I loved -- a true religious battle. So much of Until the Dawn relies on the existence of God vs. other religions and atheism. This intellectual quest even comes down to the Vandermarks hiring biologists and archaeologists to solve the mysteries that cannot be figured out alone...
There's definitely a Victorian gothic appeal in this book -- a shadow of darkness covering the pages. But one needs darkness in a story like this, to contrast the brightness of the forthcoming light...
This is adult fiction -- although it's certainly a clean read, I'd personally recommend it for older teens and adults.
Overall? I love Until the Dawn. Can't wait to read another one from Camden.
Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the free review copy & for the opportunity to express my honest opinions.
I like this book a lot. Being my first time to read Elizabeth Camden, she definitely impressed me with her knowledge of the historical time period and depth of interesting characters. And I have a lot to say about the book...
This isn't your average Christian fiction novella. It is complex in composition and has intense family drama (from generations back!) which consequently affects the lives of those in this story, in 1898. (This really drives the point home that what you accomplish and the kind of people you associate with now, certainly affects where your great-great-great-grandchildren might live or what they'll end up doing with their lives.) Deeeep!
Sophie van Riijn, at twenty-six, (who could have been married 3 times over, with each relationship flopping) is a volunteer for the Weather Bureau, a government agency still in its infancy. She revels in the fact that by dutifully taking measurements and calculations from her rooftop weather station every day for the Bureau, she's providing a special service for her country. The bounds of weather are still being discovered; in fact, to find weather predictions in the newspaper is such a new (and helpful) idea. If anything, Sophie wants to make the world around her better, and is even interested in bringing a full climate observatory to Hudson River Valley for jobs -- if only the government would notice what a faithful attendant Sophie is.
I loved this part of the story >> Around the 1890s, people were still figuring out just how to predict weather. New tools and meters had been invented just for this purpose, and a very helpful purpose it was. The entire nation could benefit from knowing that a snowstorm was occurring in the Midwest, while the rain keeps pouring in the South. It's so different how people tracked weather systems back a hundred years ago, and that it could possibly even be a novelty for citizens -- the government couldn't even post meteorologists in every city, and had to rely on thousands of volunteers to manage their best in delivering accurate readings.
Sophie grew up in the Vandermark's mansion, it could be said. She's not an employee of the family, and lives with her father back in town. But through all the years that the rich Vandermarks left their Hudson River Valley property, Sophie was there anyways, cherishing the paradise on its grounds. So it comes as a great shock when the Vandermarks return with plans for Dierenpark -- to demolish it! The plot can only thicken after that, as buried secrets come forth. For generations, some have believed Dierenpark to be tainted by a curse -- a direct effect of the assumed murder that took place after the original Vandermarks immigrated to New York. Many tragedies seem to have dogged each generation since then, and who knows what will be dug up before the story is fully told?
Cons? There's barely any, as I love this book truly. But it does seem like the author has a few "pet" words that she likes to use. Re-use. And re-use, several times.
Lastly, one other thing I loved -- a true religious battle. So much of Until the Dawn relies on the existence of God vs. other religions and atheism. This intellectual quest even comes down to the Vandermarks hiring biologists and archaeologists to solve the mysteries that cannot be figured out alone...
There's definitely a Victorian gothic appeal in this book -- a shadow of darkness covering the pages. But one needs darkness in a story like this, to contrast the brightness of the forthcoming light...
This is adult fiction -- although it's certainly a clean read, I'd personally recommend it for older teens and adults.
Overall? I love Until the Dawn. Can't wait to read another one from Camden.
Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the free review copy & for the opportunity to express my honest opinions.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 402 reviews