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Warriors of Aralan #8
Journey to Freedom
Variation cover of Journey to Freedom (Warriors of Aralan #8).
Josiah is a prince... albeit one that has just about had it with his hypocritical parents and grandparents, the ruling family of Aralan. Sure, he's not that much different than they are, really—but when they turn down a small country's plea for help in an oncoming war, Josiah is furious. A full one-eighth of his blood comes from that country, and he can't believe his ears when they send the emissaries away without a promise of assistance. So he flees the castle, hires a cook to feed him in his travels, and breathes the free forest air for the first time in his twenty-one years of life. Sleeps on the ground for the first time in his life. And argues—constantly—with the most stubborn cook he's ever met in his life. Emma is not one to take orders quietly, despite coming from the poorest part of Freymont; a stark contrast with her sweet-tempered, eleven-year-old sister named Hadassah. Add in Josiah's crazy hermit uncle, a pair of mischievous identical twins, an unheard-of amount of sass, a war of epic proportions, and a betrayal or two—and you have a Journey to Freedom.
Josiah is a prince... albeit one that has just about had it with his hypocritical parents and grandparents, the ruling family of Aralan. Sure, he's not that much different than they are, really—but when they turn down a small country's plea for help in an oncoming war, Josiah is furious. A full one-eighth of his blood comes from that country, and he can't believe his ears when they send the emissaries away without a promise of assistance. So he flees the castle, hires a cook to feed him in his travels, and breathes the free forest air for the first time in his twenty-one years of life. Sleeps on the ground for the first time in his life. And argues—constantly—with the most stubborn cook he's ever met in his life. Emma is not one to take orders quietly, despite coming from the poorest part of Freymont; a stark contrast with her sweet-tempered, eleven-year-old sister named Hadassah. Add in Josiah's crazy hermit uncle, a pair of mischievous identical twins, an unheard-of amount of sass, a war of epic proportions, and a betrayal or two—and you have a Journey to Freedom.
177 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2017
11 people want to read
About the author
Katelyn Buxton
13 books96 followersHello and welcome!
If you’ve chanced across this page, odds are you’re wanting to know a little more about this "Katelyn" person you found on the Internet. Well, the truth is, I’m just like any other author. I spend my days dreaming about stories and falling hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with my characters. I'm the author of the Warriors of Aralan series, as well as a sci-fi standalone called Tè Nan Lezar, and a couple of nineteenth-century-inspired serializations titled What Is and Could Be and To Live and To Breathe.
When not pursuing a literary career, I can be found with my nose buried inside a book I didn’t write, baking cookies, taking photos, learning French, watching movies, and spending time with my friends and family. My passion is to always give God the glory through my writing in hopes that these stories will touch some lives.
If you’ve chanced across this page, odds are you’re wanting to know a little more about this "Katelyn" person you found on the Internet. Well, the truth is, I’m just like any other author. I spend my days dreaming about stories and falling hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with my characters. I'm the author of the Warriors of Aralan series, as well as a sci-fi standalone called Tè Nan Lezar, and a couple of nineteenth-century-inspired serializations titled What Is and Could Be and To Live and To Breathe.
When not pursuing a literary career, I can be found with my nose buried inside a book I didn’t write, baking cookies, taking photos, learning French, watching movies, and spending time with my friends and family. My passion is to always give God the glory through my writing in hopes that these stories will touch some lives.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 13, 2017
Journey to Freedom is a fantasy novel that can be enjoyed by all ages! It takes a bunch of fantasy tropes and combines them together to make a novel full of inspiring themes, great Christian messages, and endearing characters!
Being the 8th book in a series, this book marks a new beginning to the series, and as such, it can be read on its own without needing to have read the previous books. (Though there are references to earlier books) I had only read the 1st book before this one and wasn't confused at all!
Synopsis:
Josiah is a prince... albeit one that has just about had it with his hypocritical parents and grandparents, the ruling family of Aralan. Sure, he's not that much different than they are, really—but when they turn down a small country's plea for help in an oncoming war, Josiah is furious. A full one-eight of his blood comes from that country, and he can't believe his ears when they send the emissaries away without a promise of assistance. So he flees the castle, hires a cook to feed him in his travels, and breathes the free forest air for the first time in his twenty-one years of life. Sleeps on the ground for the first time in his life. And argues—constantly—with the most stubborn cook he's ever met in his life. Emma is not one to take orders quietly, despite coming from the poorest part of Freymont; a stark contrast with her sweet-tempered, eleven-year-old sister named Hadassah. Add in Josiah's crazy hermit uncle, a pair of mischievous identical twins, an unheard-of amount of sass, a war of epic proportions, and a betrayal or two—and you have a Journey to Freedom.
While I wouldn't call the plot anything spectacular, I actually saw this as one of the novel's strengths! I think more often than not authors feel the need to develop a long winded complex thought and in the process the concept of well developed characters is forgotten. So the fact that the characters were able to carry the story despite having just a simple plot to work with speaks volumes of the characters strength. It's in this way that I believe the simple plot happens to be one of the book's underlying strengths!
And speaking of the characters, can I just say I loved them! Each of them were very interesting and diverse in their own little ways, they all had something to add to the story! Emma and Josiah were definitely my two favorites. They correlated very well as the two MC'S! They were similar enough to each other to make their personalities clash, but different enough to be seen as their own entitiy. Both were fun characters in their personality traits alone, but what I really loved about them was their subtle complexity.
Josiah has never known any other life but that of nobility, so when he leaves all that behind and is forced to learn peasant ways, he regards it in a sliently snobbish way. It's very subtly done as Josiah never goes out and says it, but rather we can tell by the way he views the customs. Yet, despite his flaws, Josiah has very noble intentions and a heart of gold beneath it all.
Then there's Emma, a girl who was burdened way young with the weight of raising her family. She never got to have that happy innocent childhood that she wishes for Hadassah; Instead, she was too busy worrying about how to keep her family alive each and every day.
Caleb, Hadassah, Elias, and Emory were all great additions to the story as well; each contributed something to the story and helped to spice things up. Caleb's role as a mentor served him well, Hadassah as Emma's voice of reason likewise, and Elias and Emory were great as the comic relief.
The Christian themes in this book corresponded very well with the plot I thought. Rather than just throw in a bunch of Christian messages just for the sake if throwing them in, Buxton thought them through and molded them into the story in a believable way. They serve as a great reminder that saying your a Christian isn't enough, we need to live it out as well, through or actions and words.
I did think that some things happened a bit too fast and could've been a little more fleshed out, it wasn't anything more than a minor dislike however and it didn't by any means hinder my enjoyment of the novel. I also found the battle to lack.... a certain amount of....logic? I just have a hard time believing that a bunch of untrained commonfolk we're able to he there own against an army of trained soldiers without ant explanation as to why. However, I'm very picky about my stabby stab battles, so chances are my critique of this detail has more to do with me than the book.
Journey to Freedom serves as a very solid new beginning to the series and is a book that I would highly recommend. It's heart, it's themes, and it's characters all combine to make a pure inspirational story that I believe is well worth reading!
Being the 8th book in a series, this book marks a new beginning to the series, and as such, it can be read on its own without needing to have read the previous books. (Though there are references to earlier books) I had only read the 1st book before this one and wasn't confused at all!
Synopsis:
Josiah is a prince... albeit one that has just about had it with his hypocritical parents and grandparents, the ruling family of Aralan. Sure, he's not that much different than they are, really—but when they turn down a small country's plea for help in an oncoming war, Josiah is furious. A full one-eight of his blood comes from that country, and he can't believe his ears when they send the emissaries away without a promise of assistance. So he flees the castle, hires a cook to feed him in his travels, and breathes the free forest air for the first time in his twenty-one years of life. Sleeps on the ground for the first time in his life. And argues—constantly—with the most stubborn cook he's ever met in his life. Emma is not one to take orders quietly, despite coming from the poorest part of Freymont; a stark contrast with her sweet-tempered, eleven-year-old sister named Hadassah. Add in Josiah's crazy hermit uncle, a pair of mischievous identical twins, an unheard-of amount of sass, a war of epic proportions, and a betrayal or two—and you have a Journey to Freedom.
While I wouldn't call the plot anything spectacular, I actually saw this as one of the novel's strengths! I think more often than not authors feel the need to develop a long winded complex thought and in the process the concept of well developed characters is forgotten. So the fact that the characters were able to carry the story despite having just a simple plot to work with speaks volumes of the characters strength. It's in this way that I believe the simple plot happens to be one of the book's underlying strengths!
And speaking of the characters, can I just say I loved them! Each of them were very interesting and diverse in their own little ways, they all had something to add to the story! Emma and Josiah were definitely my two favorites. They correlated very well as the two MC'S! They were similar enough to each other to make their personalities clash, but different enough to be seen as their own entitiy. Both were fun characters in their personality traits alone, but what I really loved about them was their subtle complexity.
Josiah has never known any other life but that of nobility, so when he leaves all that behind and is forced to learn peasant ways, he regards it in a sliently snobbish way. It's very subtly done as Josiah never goes out and says it, but rather we can tell by the way he views the customs. Yet, despite his flaws, Josiah has very noble intentions and a heart of gold beneath it all.
Then there's Emma, a girl who was burdened way young with the weight of raising her family. She never got to have that happy innocent childhood that she wishes for Hadassah; Instead, she was too busy worrying about how to keep her family alive each and every day.
Caleb, Hadassah, Elias, and Emory were all great additions to the story as well; each contributed something to the story and helped to spice things up. Caleb's role as a mentor served him well, Hadassah as Emma's voice of reason likewise, and Elias and Emory were great as the comic relief.
The Christian themes in this book corresponded very well with the plot I thought. Rather than just throw in a bunch of Christian messages just for the sake if throwing them in, Buxton thought them through and molded them into the story in a believable way. They serve as a great reminder that saying your a Christian isn't enough, we need to live it out as well, through or actions and words.
I did think that some things happened a bit too fast and could've been a little more fleshed out, it wasn't anything more than a minor dislike however and it didn't by any means hinder my enjoyment of the novel. I also found the battle to lack.... a certain amount of....logic? I just have a hard time believing that a bunch of untrained commonfolk we're able to he there own against an army of trained soldiers without ant explanation as to why. However, I'm very picky about my stabby stab battles, so chances are my critique of this detail has more to do with me than the book.
Journey to Freedom serves as a very solid new beginning to the series and is a book that I would highly recommend. It's heart, it's themes, and it's characters all combine to make a pure inspirational story that I believe is well worth reading!
November 6, 2017
4.5 rounded to 5.
Well, I've only read the first three books in the Warriors of Aralan series, but this serves as a new beginning. So I was able to read this book without being lost. However, there are plenty of Easter eggs for people who have read the series up to this point. Branwen and Quintin, who were in the first three books, get mentioned every now and again, for example.
While I was aware that future books in the series began to openly talk about the Christian faith, I was intrigued by seeing it in this book. Josiah and Emma are not believers, but I could easily see why. Josiah, while having a heart for injustice and wanting to do what's right, still has a lot to learn.
Emma has her faults, and it gets the group into trouble on more than one occasion. But she repents of her faults and slowly becomes more open-minded as the book goes on.
Hadassah, Emma's younger sister, and Caleb, a relative of Josiah's have "the most sense in this company" as Caleb would say. Hadassah's child-like faith allows her to be a light and a uniting factor when Emma and Josiah's bickering threatens to get out of hand. Caleb's faith combined with his experience carries the group further than they would have been able to make without him.
All of these characters are on a "Journey to Freedom," even though they are fighting for another country's. Some have reached the conclusion of their journey. Others have only just begun, and I am looking forward to seeing them continue.
Buxton's writing has greatly improved since her first three books. While I still would like some scenes to be fleshed out (hence the dropping of half a star), the pacing flowed well, the character development was more natural, especially for the main group. There are a certain pair of twins that I wish we'd gotten to know more about, but I'm hopeful that they'll appear in future books.
Very excited to continue this journey (once I catch up on the other books of course. Hopefully book nine will be out by then! :D )
Well, I've only read the first three books in the Warriors of Aralan series, but this serves as a new beginning. So I was able to read this book without being lost. However, there are plenty of Easter eggs for people who have read the series up to this point. Branwen and Quintin, who were in the first three books, get mentioned every now and again, for example.
While I was aware that future books in the series began to openly talk about the Christian faith, I was intrigued by seeing it in this book. Josiah and Emma are not believers, but I could easily see why. Josiah, while having a heart for injustice and wanting to do what's right, still has a lot to learn.
Emma has her faults, and it gets the group into trouble on more than one occasion. But she repents of her faults and slowly becomes more open-minded as the book goes on.
Hadassah, Emma's younger sister, and Caleb, a relative of Josiah's have "the most sense in this company" as Caleb would say. Hadassah's child-like faith allows her to be a light and a uniting factor when Emma and Josiah's bickering threatens to get out of hand. Caleb's faith combined with his experience carries the group further than they would have been able to make without him.
All of these characters are on a "Journey to Freedom," even though they are fighting for another country's. Some have reached the conclusion of their journey. Others have only just begun, and I am looking forward to seeing them continue.
Buxton's writing has greatly improved since her first three books. While I still would like some scenes to be fleshed out (hence the dropping of half a star), the pacing flowed well, the character development was more natural, especially for the main group. There are a certain pair of twins that I wish we'd gotten to know more about, but I'm hopeful that they'll appear in future books.
Very excited to continue this journey (once I catch up on the other books of course. Hopefully book nine will be out by then! :D )
July 23, 2022
Definitely even better on the reread!
The ruthless, imperialistic nation of Eclon has the small, peaceful land of Calima on the top of its agenda. Emisionaries from Calima implore the royal family of Aralan—a large and powerful nation that Calima has long been on friendly terms with—for assistance in the oncoming war. Due to their small population and their inexperience with warfare, the people of Calima deem Aralan their only hope to survive as a nation. Josiah, a well-meaning but naïve prince of Aralan who has long been disgusted by his family’s Christian hypocrisy, becomes further incensed when his family refuses to join forces with the Calimans in their hour of desperate need. So he flees from the castle in the night and sets off toward Calima, where he intends to offer the nation his assistance in the war. Having trained in weaponry and warfare from youth, he feels that he can offer the peaceful Calimans some much-needed perspective.
This is the synopsis of Journey to Freedom, and it is undoubtedly Buxton’s most mature novel yet (even if it does not quite oust Fires in The Night as my personal favorite in the series for subjective reasons). The Aralan quest tales are certainly quite enjoyable, but I tend to find them more fun than truly believable. Even in Fires in the Night, my personal favorite, the villain’s grand scheme is rather difficult to take seriously. In Journey to Freedom, however, Buxton crafts characters that feel genuine and real, placing them in a grim situation that seems not too different from what one might encounter in the real world. As another reviewer has mentioned, the plot itself is rather simple, but this ended up being one of the novel’s greatest strengths! The relatively simple plotting of the narrative allowed me to really believe in the characters’ plight. Whereas books two and three of the series center on an overpowered evil-doer wreaking havoc on Aralan in the midst of some nefarious scheme of theirs, Journey to Freedom simply explores the characters’ quest to protect a neighboring country from an imperialistic kingdom. I was drawn in by the believability of this situation. Not to mention, this concept gives way to the most expansive world-building in the series yet, as the characters’ voyage to an entirely different nation!
Although I certainly liked the characters on my initial reading, I feel like it was not until my reread that they entirely “clicked” with me. Josiah is by far and away my favorite. While I do not think that he has quite surpassed Quintin as my personal favorite character of the series yet, I found Josiah to be by far Buxton’s most finely crafted, complex, and human-feeling character. I suspect that the reason that he did not immediately appeal to me all that much before would be the fact that he seems on the surface like an archetype that I have seen many, many times before: a member of a royal family who is intent on achieving good in the world, even as everyone around him lives foolishly and selfishly. When executed poorly (as these figures most often are in my opinion), such characters come across as contrived, bland, and simply too perfect to relate to. King Tiriain from The Last Battle comes to mind. But what’s so engrossing about Josiah is his nativity. Until he flees during the night, Josiah has scarcely stepped outside the castle grounds, and he has never left its immediate vicinity. All he knows is a life of royalty, and he has exceptionally little idea how to go on in the real world. He has the best of intentions, but he often behaves immaturely. What's more, Josiah being the only non-Christian in the royal family while also being the only one who seems to possess any moral integrity makes him all the more engaging.
The other characters are strong, too. Throughout the book, a lovable ensemble of eclectic individuals join Josiah on his journey. Caleb is one of the funniest and most eccentric mentor figures that I have ever encountered in any book. Emory and Elias are also a hoot. Emma, while not necessarily the most endearing of individuals, is wonderfully complex; there are simply so many layers of her to peel back and savor! Although the main characters in her early works were enough to show me that Buxton has a knack for characterization, I found myself craving slightly more vividness from the secondary characters. By this seventh installment, however, Buxton has hit her stride; all of her characters shine in some regards.
So, if Buxton has improved her craft in so many ways, then why is this installment not my favorite of the series? The presentation of Christianity is a bit hit and miss for me. In some regards, Buxton incorporates Christianity into the narrative exceptionally well. In other regards, though, this fell short for me. Personally, it strikes me as anachronistic to read about a fictional fantasy land where Christianity exists exactly as we know it on Earth—complete with the same Bible and Bible verses. Personally, I would have loved for Buxton to have taken an approach similar to what K.L. Pierce did in her Two Lives series or what C.S. Lewis did in Narnia. I would have crafted a different religion with extremely obvious and undeniable parallels to Christianity—just as Aralan and Calima make for fictional nations with parallels to real-world countries. Maybe this is just me, but I feel like that would have jelled so much more organically into the narrative. I also noticed a fair number of instances where Emory and Elias and Hadassah say things about God and religion that struck me as contrived.
This is not to say that the Christian message is not powerful in its own right. Through the characters of Emma and Josiah, Buxton explores some of the most pressing questions of the Christian faith. And she does a spectacular job at it. Josiah detests Christianity because all that he has ever known is the Christian hypocrisy of his family—while Emma refuses to believe in a God who would have allowed her parents and brother to die. I feel that Christian hypocrisy and human-suffering are the two things that most often turn off people from Christ today (aside perhaps from the question of Hell). In Journey to Freedom, Buxton explores both of these ideas with more depth and thoughtfulness than perhaps any faith-based fiction that I have ever encountered. Not to mention, making Christian hypocrisy a focal point of a Christian novel was hugely refreshing for me. I am often irked by a tendency of many Christian authors and movie-makers to oversimplify Christianity—presenting Christians as consistently commendable, while portraying nonbelievers as unwaveringly callous. (I am looking at you, Pureflix and God’s Not Dead.) So Journey to Freedom simply makes for so refreshing a read in this regard!
Perhaps I would have loved for Buxton to have incorporated Christianity into the narrative in a slightly different manner, but Journey to Freedom has proven nonetheless to be a fantastic read. Subjective qualms aside, Buxton is hitting her sweet spot as a novelist in many regards, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!
The ruthless, imperialistic nation of Eclon has the small, peaceful land of Calima on the top of its agenda. Emisionaries from Calima implore the royal family of Aralan—a large and powerful nation that Calima has long been on friendly terms with—for assistance in the oncoming war. Due to their small population and their inexperience with warfare, the people of Calima deem Aralan their only hope to survive as a nation. Josiah, a well-meaning but naïve prince of Aralan who has long been disgusted by his family’s Christian hypocrisy, becomes further incensed when his family refuses to join forces with the Calimans in their hour of desperate need. So he flees from the castle in the night and sets off toward Calima, where he intends to offer the nation his assistance in the war. Having trained in weaponry and warfare from youth, he feels that he can offer the peaceful Calimans some much-needed perspective.
This is the synopsis of Journey to Freedom, and it is undoubtedly Buxton’s most mature novel yet (even if it does not quite oust Fires in The Night as my personal favorite in the series for subjective reasons). The Aralan quest tales are certainly quite enjoyable, but I tend to find them more fun than truly believable. Even in Fires in the Night, my personal favorite, the villain’s grand scheme is rather difficult to take seriously. In Journey to Freedom, however, Buxton crafts characters that feel genuine and real, placing them in a grim situation that seems not too different from what one might encounter in the real world. As another reviewer has mentioned, the plot itself is rather simple, but this ended up being one of the novel’s greatest strengths! The relatively simple plotting of the narrative allowed me to really believe in the characters’ plight. Whereas books two and three of the series center on an overpowered evil-doer wreaking havoc on Aralan in the midst of some nefarious scheme of theirs, Journey to Freedom simply explores the characters’ quest to protect a neighboring country from an imperialistic kingdom. I was drawn in by the believability of this situation. Not to mention, this concept gives way to the most expansive world-building in the series yet, as the characters’ voyage to an entirely different nation!
Although I certainly liked the characters on my initial reading, I feel like it was not until my reread that they entirely “clicked” with me. Josiah is by far and away my favorite. While I do not think that he has quite surpassed Quintin as my personal favorite character of the series yet, I found Josiah to be by far Buxton’s most finely crafted, complex, and human-feeling character. I suspect that the reason that he did not immediately appeal to me all that much before would be the fact that he seems on the surface like an archetype that I have seen many, many times before: a member of a royal family who is intent on achieving good in the world, even as everyone around him lives foolishly and selfishly. When executed poorly (as these figures most often are in my opinion), such characters come across as contrived, bland, and simply too perfect to relate to. King Tiriain from The Last Battle comes to mind. But what’s so engrossing about Josiah is his nativity. Until he flees during the night, Josiah has scarcely stepped outside the castle grounds, and he has never left its immediate vicinity. All he knows is a life of royalty, and he has exceptionally little idea how to go on in the real world. He has the best of intentions, but he often behaves immaturely. What's more, Josiah being the only non-Christian in the royal family while also being the only one who seems to possess any moral integrity makes him all the more engaging.
The other characters are strong, too. Throughout the book, a lovable ensemble of eclectic individuals join Josiah on his journey. Caleb is one of the funniest and most eccentric mentor figures that I have ever encountered in any book. Emory and Elias are also a hoot. Emma, while not necessarily the most endearing of individuals, is wonderfully complex; there are simply so many layers of her to peel back and savor! Although the main characters in her early works were enough to show me that Buxton has a knack for characterization, I found myself craving slightly more vividness from the secondary characters. By this seventh installment, however, Buxton has hit her stride; all of her characters shine in some regards.
So, if Buxton has improved her craft in so many ways, then why is this installment not my favorite of the series? The presentation of Christianity is a bit hit and miss for me. In some regards, Buxton incorporates Christianity into the narrative exceptionally well. In other regards, though, this fell short for me. Personally, it strikes me as anachronistic to read about a fictional fantasy land where Christianity exists exactly as we know it on Earth—complete with the same Bible and Bible verses. Personally, I would have loved for Buxton to have taken an approach similar to what K.L. Pierce did in her Two Lives series or what C.S. Lewis did in Narnia. I would have crafted a different religion with extremely obvious and undeniable parallels to Christianity—just as Aralan and Calima make for fictional nations with parallels to real-world countries. Maybe this is just me, but I feel like that would have jelled so much more organically into the narrative. I also noticed a fair number of instances where Emory and Elias and Hadassah say things about God and religion that struck me as contrived.
This is not to say that the Christian message is not powerful in its own right. Through the characters of Emma and Josiah, Buxton explores some of the most pressing questions of the Christian faith. And she does a spectacular job at it. Josiah detests Christianity because all that he has ever known is the Christian hypocrisy of his family—while Emma refuses to believe in a God who would have allowed her parents and brother to die. I feel that Christian hypocrisy and human-suffering are the two things that most often turn off people from Christ today (aside perhaps from the question of Hell). In Journey to Freedom, Buxton explores both of these ideas with more depth and thoughtfulness than perhaps any faith-based fiction that I have ever encountered. Not to mention, making Christian hypocrisy a focal point of a Christian novel was hugely refreshing for me. I am often irked by a tendency of many Christian authors and movie-makers to oversimplify Christianity—presenting Christians as consistently commendable, while portraying nonbelievers as unwaveringly callous. (I am looking at you, Pureflix and God’s Not Dead.) So Journey to Freedom simply makes for so refreshing a read in this regard!
Perhaps I would have loved for Buxton to have incorporated Christianity into the narrative in a slightly different manner, but Journey to Freedom has proven nonetheless to be a fantastic read. Subjective qualms aside, Buxton is hitting her sweet spot as a novelist in many regards, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!
November 18, 2019
Josiah is a good man with a sense of justice. He knows that the lifestyle of corruption and cold-heartedness is not the type of leadership that the Kingdom of Aralan needs. The young prince, however, is still pampered, spoiled, and easily irritated. His intentions to help the nation of Calima in their war against Eclon are noble, but he’s got a lot to learn about what it takes to be a true leader.
Josiah hires a peasant woman named Emma to be his cook on the journey to Calima. Emma’s fiery temper and her desperation to protect her little sister, Hadassah, put her at odds with the runaway prince. As tensions rise between Josiah and Emma, their division and disagreements will threaten the success of their mission. Calima needs the leadership of the prince to win against Eclon, but Josiah will have to face the war raging inside him if he wants to succeed. Forgiveness will be the key, but how can he learn to forgive when he’s never even learned to receive the love of Christ in his heart?
Journey to Freedom, by Katelyn Buxton, is a character-driven adventure that centers around the conflict in Josiah’s heart, his bitterness towards Emma, and the trouble that his untamed emotions get them into. I loved seeing the depth of each character in this novel. Josiah is lost within his desire to do the right thing but easily drawn into anger and irritation. His heart is far from God because of his parent’s poor witness to the Christian faith. Watching the effect his parent’s lack of true biblical faith and their hypocritical actions had on Josiah was a situation that is so relevant today. Many have been hurt by people who claim to be Christians but are unsaved in their hearts. Emma’s story showed us another relevant perspective in our culture. She was bitter towards God and refused to believe because He did not save her parents from sickness and her younger brother from being beaten to death.
My favorite thing about this novel was the way the author used the plights of these fictional characters to challenge the reader in their spiritual walk. I was challenged by the concepts explored in this story and wanted to become a better witness of the Christian faith to others in my own life. Through Josiah and Emma, Buxton showed the power of apology and forgiveness and how they can soften a hardened heart. Her message is not only relevant, but relatable, and I loved the depth and honesty in her writing.
The story was motivating, full of emotion, and kept me interested from start to finish. I loved the sensational side-characters, including Hadassah, Caleb, Elias, and Emory. I also loved the pure exhaustion that dripped from the pages through the battle scene in Calima and the visible emotional turmoil witnessed between Josiah and Emma. There were plenty of surprises within the story to hold my attention and keep me cheering for the characters through their challenges.
This book was easily a 5 out of 5 and made me eager to read the next book in the series. Since I am new to the world Aralan, I can say that this 7th book in the series can be enjoyed without having read the previous installments. I now have a great desire to learn more about Aralan’s past and the events leading up to this point. I added the other books to my TBR list and look forward to many more adventures in Aralan!
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Josiah hires a peasant woman named Emma to be his cook on the journey to Calima. Emma’s fiery temper and her desperation to protect her little sister, Hadassah, put her at odds with the runaway prince. As tensions rise between Josiah and Emma, their division and disagreements will threaten the success of their mission. Calima needs the leadership of the prince to win against Eclon, but Josiah will have to face the war raging inside him if he wants to succeed. Forgiveness will be the key, but how can he learn to forgive when he’s never even learned to receive the love of Christ in his heart?
Journey to Freedom, by Katelyn Buxton, is a character-driven adventure that centers around the conflict in Josiah’s heart, his bitterness towards Emma, and the trouble that his untamed emotions get them into. I loved seeing the depth of each character in this novel. Josiah is lost within his desire to do the right thing but easily drawn into anger and irritation. His heart is far from God because of his parent’s poor witness to the Christian faith. Watching the effect his parent’s lack of true biblical faith and their hypocritical actions had on Josiah was a situation that is so relevant today. Many have been hurt by people who claim to be Christians but are unsaved in their hearts. Emma’s story showed us another relevant perspective in our culture. She was bitter towards God and refused to believe because He did not save her parents from sickness and her younger brother from being beaten to death.
My favorite thing about this novel was the way the author used the plights of these fictional characters to challenge the reader in their spiritual walk. I was challenged by the concepts explored in this story and wanted to become a better witness of the Christian faith to others in my own life. Through Josiah and Emma, Buxton showed the power of apology and forgiveness and how they can soften a hardened heart. Her message is not only relevant, but relatable, and I loved the depth and honesty in her writing.
The story was motivating, full of emotion, and kept me interested from start to finish. I loved the sensational side-characters, including Hadassah, Caleb, Elias, and Emory. I also loved the pure exhaustion that dripped from the pages through the battle scene in Calima and the visible emotional turmoil witnessed between Josiah and Emma. There were plenty of surprises within the story to hold my attention and keep me cheering for the characters through their challenges.
This book was easily a 5 out of 5 and made me eager to read the next book in the series. Since I am new to the world Aralan, I can say that this 7th book in the series can be enjoyed without having read the previous installments. I now have a great desire to learn more about Aralan’s past and the events leading up to this point. I added the other books to my TBR list and look forward to many more adventures in Aralan!
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2017
*4.5 Stars rounding down to 4*
A rich adventure book with spiritual messages and lovable characters.
Buxton has come a long way as an author. She had a very specific story to tell and it is very apparent that she poured out her heart onto the pages. Her writing gets better with every book.
In this particular story, prince Josiah, fed up with his family's hypocrisy sets out on a quest to do what he thinks is right and makes some interesting friends along the way. And by the way, Josiah was by far my favorite character in the book and possibly of the whole series so far. He is wonderfully complex. As a prince, he has been well trained and educated and is a very capable swordsman, but he is young and immature in other areas (people skills, maybe?). He faces some very challenging choices throughout the book and by the end, although his story is not over, we have truly seen what he is made of.
The side characters are fairly well done too, though perhaps not to the same degree of Josiah. I found Emma to be frustrating and annoying, but I think that gives credit to Buxton's writing skills. The mentor character was refreshingly different than all of the others and added new perspective. Those three were probably the strongest.
The ending felt a little incomplete to me after the heavy, emotional scenes of the climax. I do think Buxton has a little room to grow in transitions and pacing. And I think the more life experience she gains, the richer her characters will become and the emotional depth of her stories will even out.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was authentic, moving, and fully kept my interest! If you are looking for a clean, YA, fantasy read with Christian themes, you should go buy this book right now! I mean RIGHT NOW!
A rich adventure book with spiritual messages and lovable characters.
Buxton has come a long way as an author. She had a very specific story to tell and it is very apparent that she poured out her heart onto the pages. Her writing gets better with every book.
In this particular story, prince Josiah, fed up with his family's hypocrisy sets out on a quest to do what he thinks is right and makes some interesting friends along the way. And by the way, Josiah was by far my favorite character in the book and possibly of the whole series so far. He is wonderfully complex. As a prince, he has been well trained and educated and is a very capable swordsman, but he is young and immature in other areas (people skills, maybe?). He faces some very challenging choices throughout the book and by the end, although his story is not over, we have truly seen what he is made of.
The side characters are fairly well done too, though perhaps not to the same degree of Josiah. I found Emma to be frustrating and annoying, but I think that gives credit to Buxton's writing skills. The mentor character was refreshingly different than all of the others and added new perspective. Those three were probably the strongest.
The ending felt a little incomplete to me after the heavy, emotional scenes of the climax. I do think Buxton has a little room to grow in transitions and pacing. And I think the more life experience she gains, the richer her characters will become and the emotional depth of her stories will even out.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was authentic, moving, and fully kept my interest! If you are looking for a clean, YA, fantasy read with Christian themes, you should go buy this book right now! I mean RIGHT NOW!
April 13, 2019
Though Journey to Freedom is the seventh book in the Warriors of Aralan series, I had heard it was a good starting place to pick up, as it picks up with a new protagonist, Josiah. I could tell that the author's previous work in this series created a much richer world history than often existed, and there were several points where I knew some references must strike readers who have read earlier books with wonderful nostalgia (though they didn't detract from my enjoyment).
I appreciated how many different settings (aka not all forest or medieval European-styled cities) the characters visited in this story. I'm a sucker for desert fantasy, and I appreciated the culture of the desert dwellers in JtF. The characters were all unique, with their own personalities, strengths, and flaws. I especially loved little Hadassah.
This is Christian fantasy, which I knew going in. I haven't read much in this genre so far, and the presence of blatant Christianity in a fantasy setting was rather jarring for me, feeling anachronistic. This is probably something that more seasoned Christian fantasy readers expect, and is certainly a matter of personal taste.
Some of the thematic elements (again, an issue entirely of personal preference) didn't sit well with me, particularly a sudden violent turn of the story in the last third.
Readers of Christian fantasy and journey adventures will enjoy this book. Buxton has told a unique story about the struggle between morality and immorality, faith and disbelief.
I appreciated how many different settings (aka not all forest or medieval European-styled cities) the characters visited in this story. I'm a sucker for desert fantasy, and I appreciated the culture of the desert dwellers in JtF. The characters were all unique, with their own personalities, strengths, and flaws. I especially loved little Hadassah.
This is Christian fantasy, which I knew going in. I haven't read much in this genre so far, and the presence of blatant Christianity in a fantasy setting was rather jarring for me, feeling anachronistic. This is probably something that more seasoned Christian fantasy readers expect, and is certainly a matter of personal taste.
Some of the thematic elements (again, an issue entirely of personal preference) didn't sit well with me, particularly a sudden violent turn of the story in the last third.
Readers of Christian fantasy and journey adventures will enjoy this book. Buxton has told a unique story about the struggle between morality and immorality, faith and disbelief.
April 26, 2019
Wow!! This is what I’d been hoping for the whole series: taking the time for things to develop. The characters in here are great — believable, complex, sometimes fun, always interesting. I love the adventures that Buxton takes us on, and it was fun to return to that after a few (still enjoyable!!) pastoral tales centered in Linfort. Super-cool to visit other countries, and to see some ways Aralan has changed over time. I really hope there’s a Book 9 set in the near future and published in the near future :)
December 16, 2019
4.5 rounded to 5!
Buxton has gotten better with each of her "Warriors of Aralan" books, and the trend continues with "Journey to Freedom."
We meet our main character and start the quest all in the first few pages. Unlike in previous books where we needed some exposition. Josiah is a prince who wants to help a country in need, and when the royal family refuses to help, he takes matters into his own hands and escapes the castle. Half the battle is in getting to the country, and then there is the battle itself. While parts of the ending seemed rushed, overall the pacing was good, and even in the slower moments there was plenty going on to keep me reading.
The world-building is well done. It grounds you with elements of medieval Europe setting, but Buxton explores not only different countries, but the various parts of those countries. We see both areas where royalty inhabit and where commoners inhabit, and see how each of the characters adapt when in an ecosystem that isn't there own. Christianity is explicitly part of this world, and while some of the wording may seem preachy to some, she balances out by making sure that those who do not follow the Christian faith are not seen as "bad" by any means.
Speaking of which, the characters were fantastic in this! Josiah is a prince of Aralan who does not believe in Christianity like the rest of his family. But this is less due to the faith itself, and more of how his only examples of Christians, who are very hypocritical when it comes to the faith. Josiah does have a bit of a temper at times and is impuslive, but he does have a good heart when it comes to those in need. Emma and Dassa were fun to watch. Emma being practical and also having her own doubts about Christianity, and her and Josiah's bickering was always fun to read. While her sister Dassa may be the youngest of the group, but she is wise beyond her years and is far from naive. Emory and Elias are twins who they meet along the way, and essentially say "We're coming with you guys, deal with it." As does Caleb, Josiah's uncle who serves as a mentor figure and the glue that keeps the company together. All the characters were unique and brought something special to the company.
While this is the 7th story in the series, it brings a new cast of characters so you can start with this book and feel right at home. That being said, reading the other "Warriors of Aralan" series will allow you to get many of the references to the previous books that are spread throughout this one's pages.
A great introduction to the newest of Aralan's warriors. Can't wait to see where Buxton takes them next!
Buxton has gotten better with each of her "Warriors of Aralan" books, and the trend continues with "Journey to Freedom."
We meet our main character and start the quest all in the first few pages. Unlike in previous books where we needed some exposition. Josiah is a prince who wants to help a country in need, and when the royal family refuses to help, he takes matters into his own hands and escapes the castle. Half the battle is in getting to the country, and then there is the battle itself. While parts of the ending seemed rushed, overall the pacing was good, and even in the slower moments there was plenty going on to keep me reading.
The world-building is well done. It grounds you with elements of medieval Europe setting, but Buxton explores not only different countries, but the various parts of those countries. We see both areas where royalty inhabit and where commoners inhabit, and see how each of the characters adapt when in an ecosystem that isn't there own. Christianity is explicitly part of this world, and while some of the wording may seem preachy to some, she balances out by making sure that those who do not follow the Christian faith are not seen as "bad" by any means.
Speaking of which, the characters were fantastic in this! Josiah is a prince of Aralan who does not believe in Christianity like the rest of his family. But this is less due to the faith itself, and more of how his only examples of Christians, who are very hypocritical when it comes to the faith. Josiah does have a bit of a temper at times and is impuslive, but he does have a good heart when it comes to those in need. Emma and Dassa were fun to watch. Emma being practical and also having her own doubts about Christianity, and her and Josiah's bickering was always fun to read. While her sister Dassa may be the youngest of the group, but she is wise beyond her years and is far from naive. Emory and Elias are twins who they meet along the way, and essentially say "We're coming with you guys, deal with it." As does Caleb, Josiah's uncle who serves as a mentor figure and the glue that keeps the company together. All the characters were unique and brought something special to the company.
While this is the 7th story in the series, it brings a new cast of characters so you can start with this book and feel right at home. That being said, reading the other "Warriors of Aralan" series will allow you to get many of the references to the previous books that are spread throughout this one's pages.
A great introduction to the newest of Aralan's warriors. Can't wait to see where Buxton takes them next!
October 3, 2019
I follow Katelyn on Twitter and have seen her talk about the protagonist in this story, Josiah, several times and I'd have to say, it was Josiah that got me interested in this story.
I have read none of the other Warriors of Aralan books yet, but was told that this would be a perfect jumping-in point.
Things I loved:
1. The settings. I loved the beautiful settings that the characters got to walk through and noticed that they interacted with them and that the settings weren't just there as backdrops.
2. The characters. The character dynamics were well thought out. I especially loved the relationships between the protagonist, Josiah, Emma and Hadassah. The addition of the twins was a nice touch. I loved their joyful, playful spirits.
3. Dialogue. There were some great lines of dialogue in this book. I struggle to write believable dialogue, but I don't feel that Katelyn does. Each character had their own unique voice, and even without dialogue tags I would've been able to identify who was talking.
Things I didn't like:
1. Pacing. There were parts of the story that seemed a bit rushed to me. I wish the author would have slowed it down a little. The story was a rich one and could've used a slower pace at times.
Really, that's all the critique I have for it, otherwise the book was fun and enjoyable and I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
I have read none of the other Warriors of Aralan books yet, but was told that this would be a perfect jumping-in point.
Things I loved:
1. The settings. I loved the beautiful settings that the characters got to walk through and noticed that they interacted with them and that the settings weren't just there as backdrops.
2. The characters. The character dynamics were well thought out. I especially loved the relationships between the protagonist, Josiah, Emma and Hadassah. The addition of the twins was a nice touch. I loved their joyful, playful spirits.
3. Dialogue. There were some great lines of dialogue in this book. I struggle to write believable dialogue, but I don't feel that Katelyn does. Each character had their own unique voice, and even without dialogue tags I would've been able to identify who was talking.
Things I didn't like:
1. Pacing. There were parts of the story that seemed a bit rushed to me. I wish the author would have slowed it down a little. The story was a rich one and could've used a slower pace at times.
Really, that's all the critique I have for it, otherwise the book was fun and enjoyable and I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
December 11, 2019
In my opinion, all of Katelyn's books are inspiring and fantastic choices for all ages, although I think they would be particularly awesome for Mid-Grade level readers.
Filled to the brim with adventure and classic quests, you follow her characters through various challenges and get to watch characters grow and change!
A fun and wonderfully simple read! I enjoyed this book, and was impressed that in this Christian fantasy, the main character is NOT a Christian! Not many young authors I know would be brave enough to tackle that.
And I don't know if this counts as a spoiler, but, I would highly recommend reading this book so that you can read the next book in the series, Eye of the Storm, Katelyn's best book yet!
I wish I could add .5 to the rating, because this book deserves more than simply a 3! I rated it as I have because of I truly did enjoy it, but at times, I did wish there was a little more description or found that some things could have been better researched for the sake of writing those scenes with a little added something to help the reader immerse themselves. But for story and characters, Katelyn masters the fun element in a great way!
All in all, I think this is a good book and a wonderful author.
Filled to the brim with adventure and classic quests, you follow her characters through various challenges and get to watch characters grow and change!
A fun and wonderfully simple read! I enjoyed this book, and was impressed that in this Christian fantasy, the main character is NOT a Christian! Not many young authors I know would be brave enough to tackle that.
And I don't know if this counts as a spoiler, but, I would highly recommend reading this book so that you can read the next book in the series, Eye of the Storm, Katelyn's best book yet!
I wish I could add .5 to the rating, because this book deserves more than simply a 3! I rated it as I have because of I truly did enjoy it, but at times, I did wish there was a little more description or found that some things could have been better researched for the sake of writing those scenes with a little added something to help the reader immerse themselves. But for story and characters, Katelyn masters the fun element in a great way!
All in all, I think this is a good book and a wonderful author.
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