Commission: The Books of Light

by Susan Valles

A thousand years from now, books are banned and even the memory of reading has faded into legend… But there is one…a girl, trained to bring the most important book ever written back into the world.A hundred years after the Desolation, the Children of Light and the Children of Shadow are still at war. Tiana ventures into a desolate wilderness alone, where the dragon is waiting to destroy the treasure she carries and kill her if he can. Will her training in the precious words of Olam be enough?Miles away, Ru is dreaming of a girl he doesn’t know. “Go,” his father tells him. “Find her and you will find Olam’s plan for you.” But leaving everything behind to follow Olam into the unknown is not as easy as it sounds. Once he finds her, why does her mission sound more like heresy than truth?Full of adventure and hope, journey with Tiana and Ru into their world and rediscover Olam and His Son all over again. Come as a child. Find joy through new eyes in this tale your whole family will love!

163 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 19, 2021

About the author

By Susan Valles on who she is: "Wife. Mother. Daughter. Friend. Singer. Songwriter. Author. Child of God."

Susan Valles lives with her husband and four children in Raleigh, North Carolina. Spending hours in God's presence in worship, Susan has cultivated hearing His Voice. He is the inspiration for all her music and her books. Her prayer is for others to know the peace and love that is found in His presence.

Reviews

[Izabella C-M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating, adventurous. So Good!! Puts a longing in my heart to have that kind of relationship with God 💛

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

"… And the darkness can never overcome it."

“Has the Truth yet become a weapon?”

"I am just a man and all you’ve told me about your mission makes no sense to me. But… if I could understand the ways of Olam, I’d be more than the man I am. He is the Eternal One" "Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord? Who knows enough to give Him advice or teach Him?"

"You saw for yourself all the effect your prayer and kindness had on him. Did you think they were going to miraculously save him from Shadow?" "Not right away. But it’s ‘kindness that leads to repentance,’ Ru"

What did I like about this book? Everything! Even the things that were weird to me at first ended up being wonderful e.g. the cover, the illustrations and the naming of things! Still trying to figure out the meaning of Yushan (only definition I see is mountain?).

Overall really great book! It doesn’t look like a fantasy book but it really explored that genre in a new and different way. I’ll probably be re-reading before the year ends!

For a more detailed (& relatively spoiler-free) video review, Commission: The Awakening Review

[Oluwakanyinsola Adebayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Susan Valles! Really enjoyed this read and the themes represented here. I love Ru's character growth in understanding that the Tracers/Penumbrae are not to be despised but it is the Shadow in them that should be hated instead.

Tiana's story ark is not one of character growth but instead, challenges how consistent she can be in her faith and beliefs.

Figuring out all the different derived names was fun lol. Still haven't quite found the origin of Yushan, perhaps it's a personal twist on the name Yeshua and not an existing word?

I like that Cyril's war within himself continues. Often times in reality, unbelievers do not turn to God with one encounter. However, the seed has been planted and God can work His magic on Cyril's heart of stone.

I will say that from an unbeliever's perspective, a lot of the words and themes might have been better more explained.

All in all it's a great book with consistent but spun biblical themes. The worldbuilding is just alright, the characters are loveable, and I learned a lot from it!

[Barbara Keigher · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was well done. It took me a while tho to be certain it really was a Christian fiction...
things like being trained in martial arts and a monk as a teacher etc.
made me wonder for a while.

But then it became clear it was Christian.
The only slightly off putting for me, was that because the female was so well trained
to defend herself, it was as if the male character was absolutely NOT necessary in protecting her.

I don't have a problem with women being trained to defend themselves,
but to the point men are mostly useless ( it totally) that way....
just don't warm my heart.

I don't expect women to be fainting, crying, and sniveling...
but really?

Otherwise, it was an interesting read, and it did have scripture quoted
Yeah!!!

Except for the few things I mentioned it would have been a 5.

[Mark Kadoshnikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story that takes you on a captivating journey. The bible verses throughout allow you to immerse yourself in a fantasy novel while also drawing closer to God. The author does an excellent job making you feel like you're in the character's shoes. I love the writing, in particular I love this line: "Hunger and loneliness. They had walked with her a lot lately...companions she'd rather weren't so familiar." Gems like this are scattered throughout the book, making it an enjoyable work of art.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh so nice. The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never overcome it.

[R. K. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not an adult book. More for a teen. Fell flat.

[Sharla Kuhn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for Young Readers

This was heartwarming cover to cover. A quick read, and great for young readers who want to better grasp the concept of blind faith.