Have you ever read a book that sort of blew you away, and you needed to take a few days to figure out what you really thought about it? That was definitely the case for me with a new release published by Thomas Nelson, and written by Rachel Linden. “Ascension of Larks” is a beautiful story written in a rare, vivid, insightful, descriptive, voice. Although a novel of prose, it almost reads like lyrical poetry at times—that’s how amazing and compelling the writing voice is!

As far as the content of the book, well, it isn’t just a cut-and-dried Contemporary Fiction novel. There are various elements of mysticism mixed in with the more traditional Christian aspects, and at times the border between the two becomes a little fuzzy. While the spiritualism didn’t exactly bother me, it did surprise me at times. Why? Perhaps because “Ascension of Larks” wasn’t truly a supernatural novel, nor a fairy tale, but it still contained hints of those genres. Photography is also a huge part of the fabric of this novel, and I loved how the art of being a photographer was showcased in breathtaking ways.

The romance in this book was also a little controversial, because it consisted of a love triangle between three best friends. Unfortunately this allowed room for some uncomfortable dialogue and scenes that bordered on inappropriate, but thankfully it did not cross the line more than once or twice. Towards the end of the novel, a beautiful scene occurs that actually helps some of the more controversial romantic scenes become easier to deal with.

In the end, if you enjoy beautifully written and extremely compelling novels that contain hints of mysticism and whimsy, you should definitely give this book a try. On the other hand, if you are like me and tend to stick with a favorite genre or two and rarely step out of that reading-comfort-zone, “Ascension of Larks” might just prove to be an intriguing journey, and perhaps even one of personal growth. In any case, this novel will make you think, and the beautiful writing style will draw you in and captivate you from the very first page.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.