Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: Undercurrent
Author: Michelle Griep
Publisher: Risen Books
ISBN-13: 978-1-936835-02-7
Release Date: February 2011
Genre/Sub-genre: Paranormal Inspirational Romance, Time Travel
Year/Setting: 10th Century Norway
Overall Rating: 4.0
Sexual Content Rating: Subtle
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: Minimal
Michelle's Website/Blog: www.mmgriep.com
Professor Cassie Larson is an inspiration to her undergrad students. While on a summer trip with her students to the North Sea, she tries to escape the hero worship and continuous company of one of her students, Tammy. Tammy is a nice enough girl, but annoying when she never wants to leave your side. When their group makes a stop at Britain’s Holy Island, Cassie makes a side trip into a little gift shop and finds the most uniquely carved pin. It’s a knot carved from wood. The shopkeeper tells her it is Rowan. She thinks this is the type of wood.
As she hurries to catch the ferry, she looks back at the shop and it’s overgrown with the locks rusted and obviously unused. She doesn’t have time to ponder this as the boat heads back into the North Sea. While catching some air at the rail, she falls into the water and into a small vortex. She is found, unconscious by Alarik, a warrior on a mission…one that happens to be back in the tenth century. Good thing for Cassie that she’s fallen into the time period she specializes in. Not knowing how long she’ll be there, she sticks to Alarik like glue. Eventually, she meets Alarik’s best friend Ragnar. She is drawn to Ragnar and his mystique. Even his simple, yet life altering belief in Jesu is attractive to her. And he treats her like a lady.
As Ragnar, Alarik and Cassie embark on a journey that may cost them their lives, she will have to wrestle with the idea of becoming emotionally attached to the people of the tenth century or risk the heartache of heading back to the present day. As they travel, the perils increase at every turn. Some will live and some will die—the question is who will fall on the wrong side of death?
An enchanting story that drew me in from the start and held me throughout. I especially loved the way Alarik treats Cassie. Although he ends up being a secondary character, he starts off seeming to be the most unlikely hero for Cassie. Once we meet Ragnar and I saw how the two of them interacted, I knew our real hero had been found. The dialogue is interesting because of the language barrier, but the mistakes made created the wittiest banter I’ve read in a long while.
Christian book readers may not like the Christian tone and theme of the book. I found it to be a unique Christian book in the way that the Gospel is not ever really preached or dealt with. Ragnar is a Christian during a time of extreme persecution for Christians. He stands tall with a quiet faith and while he has shared his Jesu with all he knows; in the pages of the book we find his faith mainly expressed through his actions. His ‘lifestyle evangelism’ spoke so loud; I couldn’t hear the words he spoke. I was truly touched by the depth of his love for his Savior, but I never once felt as though I had been preached to. I think that makes this book much more appealing to non-Christians or those who wouldn’t normally read Christian fiction.
I enjoyed the book and look forward to more from Michelle Griep.
Robyn
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