Valley of Decision: Carthage Chronicles Book 3 By Lynne Gentry

I received this book from Litfuse Publicity for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Description:

Every choice has a consequence in the explosive conclusion to the Carthage Chronicles as Lisbeth returns to third-century Carthage for a thrilling final adventure.

Thirteen years ago, Lisbeth made an impossible decision---leave third-century Carthage and her husband Cyprian behind for good. She knew it was to protect her daughter Maggie, so Lisbeth gathered the strength to move on with her life.

All these years, Lisbeth has thrown herself into her work and raising her headstrong daughter, all to live up to the promise she made to Cyprian. But Maggie is sick of being protected. In an act of teenage rebellion Maggie decides to do what her mother can't---secretly returning to the third century on a quest to bring her father back, leaving Lisbeth no choice but to follow.

With Maggie's surprise arrival in Carthage, chaos ensues. She finds her grandmother on trial for murder and attempts to save her, but instead the diversion sparks a riot that nearly destroys the plagued city. Only one thing will appease the wrath of the new proconsul of Carthage: the death of the instigator.

Will Lisbeth arrive in time to save her daughter from the clutches of Rome? How can God possibly redeem such a slew of unwise decisions and deep regrets? Filled with heart-wrenching twists and riveting action, Valley of Decision brings the romantic adventure epic, The Carthage Chronicles, to an electrifying conclusion.

My Thoughts:

Valley of Decision is the third and final book in Lynne Gentry's series The Carthage Chronicles and all I can say is OH MY GOODNESS!!!  As a huge fan of Christian Historical Fiction, The Carthage Chronicles series had me hooked. This book and series is a perfect blend of past and future. Lynne Gentry seamlessly transitions between the two worlds and brings them together perfectly. In Valley of Decision it is Thirteen years later and Lisbeth has moved on with her life knowing she can never see Cyprian again. Now their daughter is 18 years old and decides in a hasty decision to go back to the third century to save her father and bring him back to the present.  Lisbeth finds herself heading back to the third century, this time with her father in tow. It is thirteen years later in the present but in the past it has been less than a day. Maggie finds out her grandmother, Magdalena is on trial for her life and Maggie's father is her legal counsel even though he has his own worries for his life. Maggie tries to save her grandmother and her three friends with the help of 2 men who have feelings for Maggie and the diversion they create starts riots and destroys the one thing the new proconsul loves. Now it is in question whether anyone will survive and how they will get back to their own times.

I had the privilege of reading all three books in this series and wow, each one was better than the last. The Valley of Decision brings this series to an explosive, unexpected end.  The story picks up right where the second book ended and so much is in chaos. Lynne Gentry writes with authority on archeology, art from both past and present, our world past and present, and time traveling. Lynne Gentry does what not many authors can and that is flawlessly transition between the past and present, making time traveling seem possible.  This book and series had me on the edge of my seat, guessing until the end. I could not put the books down and could NOT wait for the next one to be published.  I enjoyed all of the characters in this book and series, a great mixture of characters from completely different times brought together.  I enjoy Lynne Gentry's style of writing and really learn a lot from her writing as a craft and through historical facts. She brings together the perfect blend of fact and fiction, I found myself looking up and learning so much about our history especially as Christians and the struggles they faced. I am sad that the series has ended but enjoyed every minute of it. I HIGHLY recommend this book and series to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Fiction, you will NOT be disappointed. I do recommend reading the books in order. I cannot wait to read what Lynne Gentry comes up with next! I give this book and this series 5+ STARS!!