Can one bunny save a country?
So, What the Heck is This Book About?
Gideon may be pious but he's not exactly the ideal pick as his country's chosen warrior, given his lack of fighting skills and short stature. The far better choice would be Samson, a massive wolf with almost supernatural strength. So when the Holy One chooses Gideon, even the rabbit himself is shocked.
But when Samson betrays his country by selling it to two devious witches, it's up to meek Gideon to save it. To do so, he'll face giant lions and strange chameleons while recruiting the help of a vengeful mole, criminal rabbit, wise cheetah, and greedy coyote.
Above all, Gideon must learn to trust the Holy One's guidance since there's no way this little rabbit is going to save the country on his own.
This Was Awesome!
First off, as a Christian myself I love when books have Christian themes or take inspiration from the Bible. I believe this book is based off the Biblical story of Gideon, but I'm unfamiliar with the story so I'm not entirely sure. That being said, this book still had a lot of great messages about forgiveness, humility, and following God, which I think are core themes of Christianity and were handled very well throughout the story.
Secondly, towards the middle this book picked up and started to get very interesting. By the end of the story, I found myself becoming invested in all the characters and eager to read what would happen next.
And This Kinda Sucked
I believe Johnson has a lot of potential as a writer, which really shined through towards the end of the book. However, I think the book could've been even better with more editing, especially by a professional. There were several typos and other issues like telling instead of showing and repeating phrases.
In many ways these errors saddened me because I could see the potential of this novel and writer very clearly throughout the book. That's why I'm looking forward to seeing what he writes next as he improves in skill with each book that he writes.
The Conclusion Is...
This book was a charming read with lovely characters! I'd recommend it to those looking for a fun fantasy adventure rooted in Christian faith during this Christmas season.
Rating: 8/10
Goodreads Rating: 4/5