About the Book
Book: Fear No Evil
Author: Allen Brokken
Genre: Christian Middle Grade Fantasy
Release Date: December 5, 2020
Across the land of Zoura, people and creatures alike continue to fall prey to the persuasion of darkness. The seeds of evil pollute not only those outside the Light, but those within it. Pitting neighbor against neighbor. Brother against brother. The Dark One gains ground in his pursuit to shroud the heathlands in eternal darkness. Zoura’s only hope lies with three children.
Twelve-year-old Lauren and her younger brothers, Aiden and Ethan, are determined to reignite the Tower of Light in Blooming Glen. But an attack by dark forces separates them, driving them into a valley of darkness. Without each other or their Knight Protector, the three siblings must navigate the wilderness while fending off creatures tainted by evil. They fight not just for Zoura, but for their own survival.
Will the darkness overtake Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan? Or will they prove their faith is stronger and that they fear no evil?
Click HERE to get your copy!
About the Author
Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband and father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. He began writing the Towers of Light series for his own children to help him illustrate the deep truths of the Bible in an engaging and age appropriate way. He’s dedicated 15 years of his life to volunteer roles in children’s ministry and youth development. Now that his own children are off to college he’s sharing his life experiences on social media @towersoflight, @twodadsandajoke, and through his blog https://www.lightofmine.net
More from Allen
The stakes have been raised in the 3rd book of the Towers of Light Series, Fear No Evil. The children have been separated from one another in the darkness shrouded, Muddy River valley. Evil prowls around them at every turn. Do they have the faith to fear no evil?
My favorite part about writing this book was a conversation I had with the real Ethan. I had a tight editorial deadline to meet and I decided to go on a writing retreat to finish the book. While I was trying to leave home, my youngest the real life Ethan kept asking me questions and delaying my departure. Finally, I said, “You know the last time I wrote there was a ferocious bear about to eat Ethan. If I don’t sit down and start writing soon, he’s going to be a bear food.” Ethan’s reply was, “Yah you better go write now!” You’ll have to pick up Fear no Evil to see if I got back to the story in time.
My Review
Book three of Allen Brokken’s Towers of Light series offers a divergence from the first two in several ways, intensifying the danger and adventure while still serving to encourage and inspire young readers. This series needs to be read chronologically because it tells one complete story sectioned into five books. Fear No Evil picks up where the second book, Still Small Voice (see my review HERE), leaves off, and although there are enough reminders crafted into the opening chapters to refresh readers’ memories, the narrative as a whole will not be as enjoyable or as appreciated without the entire story arc.
There could not be a more apropos title for this book releasing at the end of 2020 than Fear No Evil. The target audience is children and middle-grade, but they are just as suitable for adults, with timeless lessons that we never outgrow and often need to be reminded of now and again. This story marks the mid-point of the series, and it proves to be the most challenging for the characters so far, with the poison of darkness spreading and the three siblings separated for the first time. Lauren, 12; Aiden, 9; and Ethan, 5 each end up on their own after an attack by the darkness that is overtaking Zoura. Struggling to maintain their faith in the midst of persecution, each sibling prays and recalls the twenty-third Psalm throughout their ordeal while also working with creatures they come upon. Due to their separation from one another, each chapter focuses on only one of the children, often ending with a bit of a cliffhanger to be resolved in a few more chapters, heightening the suspense.
Brokken excels at combining fantasy and childlike faith in a credible manner. The animals and beings he brings to life on the page are similar enough to reality and are described well enough that they are easy to envision, yet sufficiently diverse to stoke the imagination. Readers get a glimpse of how God’s creation was intended to work before sin entered the world, with prey and predator together and even helping one another. Likewise, the effects of darkness (sin) taint everything in its wake. However, the light dispels darkness, and in Fear No Evil especially, the children give compelling witness to their faith: through words, but also through actions and admitting when they are wrong. They each demonstrate their dependence on God through trials, embodying the words of David in Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
My rating: 5 stars ♥♥♥♥♥
Blog Stops
Inklings and notions, December 5
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 6
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 7
Texas Book-aholic, December 8
Beauty in the Binding, December 9 (Author Interview)
deb’s Book Review, December 9
Locks, Hooks and Books, December 10
For Him and My Family, December 11
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 12
Spoken from the Heart, December 13 (Author Interview)
Ashley’s Bookshelf, December 13
For the Love of Literature, December 14
Artistic Nobody, December 15 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
Sara Jane Jacobs, December 16
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, December 17
Vicky Sluiter, December 18
Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Allen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/1045b/fear-no-evil-celebration-tour-giveaway
For the Love of Literature 
Wonderful review! Sounds like a must read. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you! It reminds me of the kinds of books I used to read growing up. 😊
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Sounds like a great book.
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Definitely the kind that we need more of, especially for our youth.
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I can’t thank you enough for taking time to leave such a detailed and thorough review. The saga that this series is has been on my heart for over a decade, and I’ve often wondered about the timing. As I was telling this story with my children on my knee I thought darkness was encroaching. I had no idea 2020 would become what it has, when the planning came together for this release. I was blessed to see that you felt the timing was right as well.
I wanted to let your readers know for the month of December they can start the adventure at the beginning with Light of Mine for only $0.99 with the ebook of Light of Mine or order signed paperbacks of the series at https://www.towersoflight.net .
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It’s always thrilling to me to see how the Lord works in His perfect timing and sovereignty, and the message of your book is such a reassuring reminder of Who is in control. I’m thankful that you are using this series to speak truth and hope into the darkness!
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This sounds like a really good read. Great cover!
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I would love to see more books like this out there for school-age kids (and we adults can learn from them, too)! All of the covers for this series are beautifully done; this one is my favorite so far.
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Thank you for sharing. I enjoy finding new books and authors.
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You’re welcome! I’ve discovered so many wonderful authors through Celebrate Lit. 😊
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This sounds really good! Thank you for mentioning that the series should be read in order–that’s important to know.
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I’m eagerly anticipating the next book! As the author noted in his comment above, the first book is only $0.99 this month, and if you happen to have Kindle Unlimited, books 2 & 3 are free to read with that program. 😊
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I wanted to thank you for your support of Fear No Evil and let you know it was chosen by the Christian Independent Publishers Association as a finalist for the 2020 Book of the year in the 8-12 year old category. It’s a people’s choice style award and you or your reader’s vote might be the one to take it over the top. So your participation would be greatly appreciated.
http://www.christianaward.com
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Congratulations! I noticed that “Still, Small Voice” is also listed in the same category, so hopefully one of them will win!
A note: For anyone who is able to participate, it may appear in the survey’s status bar that there are 177 pages (it did for me in my browser), but there are not, so please don’t be deterred. There are actually about 12 pages, give or take.
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