The Lost Castle (The Lost Castle #1)

Title: The Lost Castle
Author: Kristy Cambron
Series: The Lost Castle #1
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

 

About the Book:
“Launching a brand-new series, Kristy Cambron explores the collision of past and present as she discovers the ruins of a French castle, long lost to history.

A thirteenth century castle, Chateau de Doux Reves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France’s picturesque Loire Valley. It survived a sacking in the French Revolution, was brought back to life and fashioned into a storybook chateau in the Gilded Age, and was eventually felled and deserted after a disastrous fire in the 1930s.

As Ellie Carver sits by her grandmother’s bedside, she hears stories of a castle . . . of lost love and a hidden chapel that played host to a secret fight in the World War II French resistance. But her grandmother is quickly slipping into the locked-down world of Alzheimer’s, and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history.

Sparked by the discovery of a long forgotten family heirloom, Ellie embarks on a journey to French wine country to uncover the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty–the castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale–and unearth its secrets before they’re finally silenced by time.

Set in three different time periods–the French Revolution, World War II, and present day–The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged, and an enchanted castle that inspired the epic fairy tales time left behind.”

Review:
Have a box of tissues handy before you start this read! The Lost Castle is the story of three women in different times but the same place. This book is hands down being added to my favorites pile. It was nearly impossible to put down with each chapter ending with moments of suspense that left you needing to know more. Despite the book taking place during war-times, the reader is spared many gruesome details. The eminence of danger is clearly felt throughout the entire story without the graphic details needing to be shared. Although the book is a work of fiction, the author shares in the acknowledgements that many of the events and characters were based on real-life. (The main characters were purely fiction). The author does an amazing job of blending fiction and reality and you will find yourself being sucked right in until the very last page. I’m very glad I read this book, and hoping a sequel comes out soon!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 

Age appropriateness: I’d say this is a book that can be shared and enjoyed by the different generations. For any young readers who enjoy history, this is a much safer read to many alternatives of the time periods. I would say the book is intended for ages 15 and up, but content-wise I don’t see anything major that would prevent younger readers from being able to enjoy it as well. Obviously with the book taking place during times of war, there is some violence involved but the details are thankfully mild.