I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this short story, and it left me wanting more.

It's obviously a "retelling" of Jesus coming to Earth, and I really appreciated the being brought out of bondage aspect. Another thing I was glad of was that, although the new mark brought Nova peace and happiness, she wasn't guaranteed to always have a good time. It's an easy pit to fall into when your mark gives you joy to make it as if the Christians can't ever have sadness again.

The tension at the end

Spoiler

due to the execution and all that

was very good, but that did make me wonder what was going to happen next. Of course, I know the story of Jesus, but it was interesting seeing it told in this way, and I wondered how the author might go about filling in the story further.

Nova's anxiety was very palpable, especially during the stitching scenes. I can't stitch neatly either, but I've never risked so much because of it! The contrast with the very real calm and peace beneath the willow tree was clear and sweet.

The only two gripes I have are that there are some punctuation mistakes and that the chapter titles just didn't feel right to me.

So yeah, I definitely recommend this short story! It's a quick but intense read, and a beautiful way of telling the story of a new believer.