Crossway ESV Illuminated Bible: Art Journaling Edition Review

ESV Illuminated Bible: Art Journaling Edition

Provided by Crossway

ESV Illuminated Bible: Art Journaling Edition

The ESV Illuminated Bible: Art Journaling Edition was published by Crossway.

On the inside flap we get a quick overview about this elegant journal bible. The presentation page is decorated nicely. Of course one of the first pages with full print will be the all about the copyright details and publishing information. The following page, is the contents page, listing out the books and other features that can be found in this bible. Before we open up to the Old Testament, there is a section that goes into detail about the English Standard Version (ESV) translation.

Each book in this Bible has a fully designed, unique title page. In the back of the Bible, we have an index of the title illustrations.

There are 64 title pages with full page gold illustrations. The fine art doesn’t end with the the titles pages, because there are more than 250 hand lettered verses that can be found in the margins along with over 100 additional illustrations.. The 50 full page verse illustrations are very well designed

Cited Information from the Bible and Crossway.org:

9. Lexicon Font

Black Letter Text

2-Color Printing

Illustrated by Dana Tanamachi

Smyth-Sewn Binding

Single-Column, Paragraph Format

Thick Cream-Colored Paper

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

The Illuminated Art Journaling Bible is beautifully designed. The cream colored paper, the gold artwork, and black text look great together. The layout is simple and the illustrations and artistic scripture writing throughout are nice. The margin space is generous, plenty of room for journaling your thoughts and prayers.

The 9 pt. font is a decent size and the single column paragraph format, makes reading the scripture easy without the wording/structure feeling cramped. The wide margins leave a generous amount of space for journaling your thoughts and prayers.

So, do I recommend that you pick up the ESV Illuminated Bible: Art Journaling Edition? Yes!

Purchase the ESV Illuminated Bible: Art Journaling Edition: https://amzn.to/2EVKHTt

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Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow

Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow is a YA Novel written by E.K. Johnston. It was published by Disney-Lucasfilm Press.

SUMMARY

The time has come for Padme to step down as Queen of Naboo. As she walks away from the throne, she discovers other opportunities in which she can still serve her home planet. Serving as a Republic Senator, Padme can be a representative for Naboo, and attempt to better the galaxy in the political ring.

CHARACTERS

A lot of us tend to paint Padme as a strong female character… but is she? Or is she just paranoid, relying on those around her to bail her out? The conclusion I’ve come to, is both. We know from The Phantom Menace that during the skirmish of Naboo with the Trade Federation, Queen Amadala has hand maidens, a body double, an altered voice for “Royalty’s sake and body double disguise.” This book pretty much shows us that she has always been paranoid, before the Trade Federation conflict.

When Amadala makes her transition from Queen to Senator, it’s a bit tough for her make the adjustment. Padme uses the name Amadala as a stage name… an alias. When Padme is with her handmaidens behind closed doors, they talk about Amadala like she’s another person. It’s weird.

Even as Senator, Padme has handmaidens, a body double, a security team, and even has someone tapping into the newsfeeds on Coruscant.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

The book leads to a dead end. There is no climax. There is no real resolve. Some issues are tackled with the story… but overall, as a whole… the story leads to nothing. I don’t know if it’s supposed to tie into Clone Wars or if a second book is to be release… but the epilogue suggests that’s not going to happen. As I’m making my way through Clone Wars season one. I can’t recall any names that have been dropped in this book. I finished reading this book unsatisfied, underwhelmed, and a little confused.

RATING: I give this book an F. I expected a powerful YA novel about Padme. I wanted to close this book and feel that she was a truly powerful and in control character. Yet, I close the book feeling that she was just paranoid, relying on others to help her gain success.

I can’t recommend you read this book… But as a Star Wars diehard, it’s best to go ahead and complete your library. And hey, you may like this book, everyone’s taste is different.

*Purchase Queen’s Shadow: https://amzn.to/2Uj9yqG

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By clicking these links and buying the products you are helping to support my content. There are no additional costs to you. I use these products and stand behind them. I appreciate the support!

Star Wars: Darth Bane Dynasty of Evil Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars: Darth Bane Dynasty of Evil Book Review

Star Wars: Darth Bane – Dynasty of Evil, was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Drew Karpyshyn. This novel is the eleventh event on the Legends novel timeline. This tale takes place during the Old Republic Era, it also counts as book three, in the Darth Bane trilogy. It takes place 980 years before A New Hope.

SUMMARY

Dynasty of Evil is a bigger tale, introducing many new characters with multiple agendas. That said, I will focus primarily on the Darth Bane and Darth Zannah aspect of the story.

Darth Bane grows weary and anxious. Age is finding its place in Bane’s body and mind. His obsession with the dark side is ever present. He’s tired of waiting for his apprentice to take her rightful place as the master. He believes Darth Zannah will sit by, idly waiting for her master to die before taking the role. And that’s not the way of the Sith. Bane comes to the conclusion that if his apprentice will not do her duty, he will seek out the secrets of immortality and find a replacement. Meanwhile, there is another, out to seek and destroy the Bane. A child from the past, now grown and granted with the power of royalty.

Zannah senses the weakness in her master. She sees his growing frustration as he attempts his own holocron creation. She’s on the search for her apprentice, she knows her time to take on Bane is near.

To sum it all up into a few words, the theme of this final tale; a quest for revenge, power, and healing.

CHARACTERS

This book has a handful of great characters once again. In my review of Path of Destruction, I did not mention Bane in this section. In this review, I’ll only talk about Bane..

Bane: Free of the Orbalisk parasites, he’s become obsessed with creating his own holocron! The wear of age is catching up to Sith Master. The uncontrollable twitch in his nerves is irritating and a reminder of his mortality. Bane is one of the best villains I’ve read about. He’s wise, he’s powerful, yet vulnerable at times. He’s had many failures throughout his life. The path he chose, or rather, was forced into, eventually led him to the dark side. How would he have ended up, had he not got into that fight with republic soldiers so many years ago? Back when his name was Dessel. He is certainly worthy of the name, Darth Bane.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

I think Drew Karpyshyn is a master of character development. The arch in each character, either new in this book or the few that have remained since the beginning is crazy good. Darth Zannah’s journey through the dark side is drastically different than Bane’s. While you can argue that Bane’s path to the dark side was more of a tragic accident. Zannah made the choice to follow Bane’s teachings. When she was left on her own to find her way off Ruusan as a child… she did so. Had she not craved the power, she would have never returned to Bane. Darth Zannah is an incredible Sith, with a frightening power.

This final chapter in the Bane trilogy doesn’t fizzle out. No, it’s exciting, tense, and explosive. If I had to recommend you only read just one series in the Star Wars Legends canon… the Bane trilogy is definitely the series I demand you read.

Do I recommend you read Star Wars: Darth Bane – Dynasty of Evil? Of course I do,. I just said so!

RATING

I give this book an A. It was (99%) almost everything I wanted in this wrap up story of Darth Bane.

*Purchase Darth Bane Dynasty of Evil: https://amzn.to/2Pf84KL

Star Wars: Darth Bane Rule of Two Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars: Darth Bane Rule of Two Book Review

Star Wars: Darth Bane – Rule of Two, was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Drew Karpyshyn. This novel is the tenth event on the Legends novel timeline. This tale takes place during the Old Republic Era, it also counts as book two, in the Darth Bane trilogy. It takes place 990 years before A New Hope.

SUMMARY

Darth Bane has completed his task in destroying the Brotherhood of Darkness. The Sith army is done, and the quest to destroy the Jedi and rule the galaxy has begun. Darth Bane has acquired his apprentice after successfully wiping out the Sith. The Sith Order has been reformed to its origins, with Bane’s apprentice, the rule of two has been reinstated. One with the power, another to crave it.

Bane discovers a book with the tomb location of an ancient Sith, Freedon Nadd, and will seek it out with the hope of finding a holocron. The holocron is a device that captures the essence of its creator, used to pass on knowledge. Bane will go alone, leaving behind his apprentice. In this quest, Bane becomes the host of a strange parasite called an Orbalisk that feeds on the dark side, but produces an enzyme that produces strength and increases the flow of the dark side. These hard shelled parasites cannot be removed. However, their exoskeleton is an incredible armor.

Zannah is left on Ruusan by herself as Bane begins his research. She must find a way to meet up with him on another world. This serves as her first test by Bane. As time jumps forward, Zannah is still learning the ways of the Sith, while a link from her past tempts her to turn from the dark side. The time for her to seek out her on apprentice is near. Through her own adventures, she has infiltrated a rebellious cell against the Republic. It is through this group she discovers a force sensitive who she may find useful.

The rebel cell attacks a government official who is guarded by the Jedi named Johun. Johun eventually discovers that the Sith are actually still in the galaxy. He will gather other Jedi to meet Bane and Zannah in a clash of lightsabers.

CHARACTERS

This book has a handful of great characters once again. In my review of Path of Destruction, I did not mention Bane in this section. In this review, I’ll talk about Bane, Zannah, Johun, and Darovit.

Bane: He has become so powerful, yet still craves more and more dark side energy. As the Master, he works tirelessly, nonstop at gaining more understanding of the Sith. With this knowledge, he will pass on all he learns to his apprentice, so that the order will remain true to its origins.

Zannah: Her power in sorcery is incredible. She can twist her opponents mind, turning their fears against them, driving them mad. She’s on the prowl for an apprentice, it has been quite a challenge to find the right candidate. She’s loyal to her master, absorbing as much knowledge and skill she can before she will eventually dismantle Darth Bane from his position.

Johun: He was the padawan of Jedi Master Hoth. He served with his master in the fight against the Sith, as a Jedi soldier in the Army of Light. Johun can be temperamental at times, causing others to remind him often, to take it easy. He’s brave yet vengeful, and will find his way to be face to face with the Sith.

Darovit: The temptation of Zannah. He’s the link to her past, to her childhood. He’s persistent in his pleading to Zannah, to go back to the light. He constantly refers to her as her former name, Rain. He went by the name of Tomcat in his youth. His failure as a Jedi padawan led to darkness, but he quickly abandoned the Sith and returned to the light. Will his quest to turn Zannah from the dark side be complete? Get this book and read it to find out.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

The Rule of Two is an excellent continuation in the Darth Bane trilogy. I’m just as thrilled with this read as I was with Path of Destruction! In this book we’re introduced to a new cast of characters and revisiting some from the previous book.

Bane has some nasty stuff going on with those parasites for sure. The imagery described for the Orbalisk and what they do is disturbing and disgusting. Karpyshyn does an incredible job at tying in new characters to the story and revisiting previous themes or locations. It reminded me of what George Lucas said about the Star Wars films, “it’s like poetry.”

The climax of the book had me on edge, the drama and thrills can cause chaotic reading and rereading. Darth Bane’s views on equality are pretty much real world politically incorrect, I love it. Bane’s quote on equality is so spot on, I had to copy it down in a notebook. That also goes to show that the dialogue in this book, is legit.

Do I recommend you read Star Wars: Darth Bane – Rule of Two? Yes, it’s a must, it’s book two of a trilogy!

RATING

I give this book an A+. It continues the brilliant tale of how one character changed the destiny of the Sith, and shapes his apprentice.

*Purchase Darth Bane Rule of Two: https://amzn.to/2Pf84KL

Star Wars: Lando’s Luck Book Review

by Matthew Wilson

Star Wars: Lando’s Luck Review

Star Wars: Flight of the Falcon – Lando’s Luck

Star Wars: Flight of the Falcon – Lando’s Luck is a junior novel, written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Justina Ireland. Illustrations in the book were done by Annie Wu.

SUMMARY

Lando Calrissian is out on the planet Hynestia, playing a game of sabbacc after doing a bit of smuggling business. He smuggled in some special juice which is highly illegal on Hynestia. Well once this game ends a bounty hunter bursts through the cantina doors and arrests Lando’s sabbacc opponent… her name is Zel. She had something stolen something called the Solstice Globe. Lando attempts to make his way out of the cantina when the Queen of Hynestia comes in and basically says, “Hey… you sit down, you smuggled in some illegal juice!” So while Zel is sentenced to time in the dungeon, Lando is given a death sentence. However, Lando’s hide is saved when Prinecss Rinetta steps up and says “How about we let Lando take the Solstice Globe to the Empire, as our payment to them.” So the Queen agrees. However, what the Queen and Lando don’t know, is that Rinetta was actually working with Zel, to get the Soltice Globe off planet to Livno III, where it came from. Long ago, Hynestians had stolen it from Livno III. So… a bunch of shenanigans ensue and that’s basically the story… A crazy adventure to get an artifact from one place to another, with obstacles needing to be overcome.

CHARACTERS

Lando Calrissian: He’s consistant with who he is in the films, especially Solo: A Star Wars Story. He’s obsessed with himself, his looks, and his ship, He wants to get rich, but he’s got to do it the easy way… by cheating.

Princess Rinetta: She’s defiant against her mother. She’s got a strong will and wants to follow her heart and act on what she believes is the right thing.

L3: I don’t like this droid, the book didn’t make “her” any better for me. L3 is just as annoying in this book as she is on screen. However, L3 did provide some humor.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

It’s an okay read, nothing too special. It’s a quick easy read. Character development was pretty good. The familiar characters were consistent with how they appeared in previous material and the new characters were introduced well. The Flight of the Falcon Series will take the Falcon on several new adventures and I’m looking forward to what else we have in store for the series.

Do I recommend that you read Flight of the Falcon – Lando’s Luck? Sure, read this instead of Last Shot!

RATING: I give this book a B-

Story of Redemption Bible Review

by Matthew Wilson

Story of Redemption Bible Review

Provided by Crossway

Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey Through the Unfolding Promises of God

The ESV Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey Through the Unfolding Promises of God was published by Crossway.

The hardcover edition is pretty think, but not too heavy. The design on the dust-jacket is very impressive. The inner flap sheds light on a few of the features within this Bible (listed down below). Underneath the dust-jacket is black board with some gold designs and text on the spine. With a book this thick, I personally prefer taking the dust-jacket off to prevent wear and tear. This Bible is also available in tru-tone and top grain leather.

On the inside there is a presented to page with some elegant design work. The cream colored pages with the gold and grey highlights are just beautiful. The contents page lists everything within this Bible along with its page number. On the back of the contents page, is a chronological overview, organizing the books in, well… chronological order. To summarize the Introduction, it’s basically saying that the Bible is a STORY, an epic TRUE STORY. However, it’s not just an epic tale of those within the books, it’s OUR story, our epic. It’s true, because God’s Word is still relevant and the story is still unfolding. The preface provides a brief history of translations and an explanation of the English Standard Version translation.

Each book in this Bible has a unique illustration that sits above the title. In the back of the Bible, we have an index of the title illustrations. We see all the art with a summary of what it represents. You can also find a Daily Bible Reading Plans section, with two different plans. Both take you through the bible in one year. There’s a suggested reading plan and a canonical reading plan.

Cited Information from the Bible and Crossway.org:

9.25 Milo Type (Scripture)

8.5 Milo Type (Notes)

897 notes written by pastor Greg Gilbert

All-new introductions to each book of the Bible

80+ maps, illustrations, and timelines

Foldout timeline in the back

Highly readable typesetting with generous margin space

Premium cream-colored paper

Smyth-sewn binding

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

The Story of Redemption Bible is gorgeous. The cream colored paper, the gold accents, and black text… beautiful. The layout is simple and the illustrations throughout are a nice touch. The margin space is generous, but it wouldn’t be considered a “wide-margin.” While there is some space, you’d have to write pretty small or turn the Bible to write your notes horizontally.

This single column paragraph style is clean, the paper isn’t overloaded with text. So, there’s no references or notes at the bottom of the pages, just the occasional translation note.The notes are in line with the paragraph format, separated by dividing lines within the scripture. They are conversational, inspire thought, and share valuable, wise information. I love how these notes are laced into the scripture, it’s so much easier than referring to the bottom of the page.

So, do I recommend that you pick up the Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey Through God’s Unfolding Promises? Yes! If you like elegant, simple design and distraction free reading… get this bible!

Purchase the Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey Through God’s Unfolding Promises: https://amzn.to/2QefdMR

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