Book Review: Protector

About the Author:

I met Megan Schaulis at the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference in 2022. We had interacted on Instagram before and noticed we were both going to be attending the conference that year. We agreed we should meet up and let me tell you I’m so glad we did!

 I was easy to spot because three days before the conference, I took a tumble down my stairs and had a nice foot-long purple bruise on my leg! Megan struck up a conversation about it and I’m so glad she didn’t judge me for my clumsiness! She’s a mom and I’m pretty sure she’s used to random encounters with the ground. Whether it be her chasing little ones or tiny tots taking their first tumbles (which is usually what I resemble.

We got to talking and found out we both were writing Esther retellings! Mine was a romantic fantasy and hers a dystopian sci-fi. I loved hearing about her work and was sad when we both had to travel back home after the conference ended. We stayed in touch, as best as busy authors can, via Instagram. Her publishing journey had a few bumps along the way, but one day she posted a publishing house had picked her up! I am pleased to present a review of that beautiful book here!

It is a fabulous futuristic retelling with a hint of the American Ninja Warrior TV show (only this obstacle course is much more deadly)! Also, if you don’t follow her on Instagram or subscribe to her newsletter, you need to. She gives invaluable writing advice and shares the daily struggles of being a Christian writer and mommy in an overwhelming world. (here’s her newsletter: Megan Schaulis | Author, Young Adult Christian Fiction)

Okay, enough rambling!

Protector:

An oppressed people fighting for the right to survive and a king seeking justice for his late father will collide, leaving Novalise to decide whom she will save. Novalise, a young freedom fighter, is tired of playing lookout for their group while her older brother and his men infiltrate the palace.

Her connection with their deity, Alpha, gives her an advantage in most situations. She can see punches before they come and find solutions to problems that haven’t arisen yet. She soon gets her wish when she is kidnapped and forced to compete with other women to become the king’s new bodyguard. Only now she is at a disadvantage, the other competitors are all enhanced while she has been mislabeled as enhanced.

King Zadien battles phantoms of guilt and fear as he is unexpectedly ushered to the throne after his father’s untimely death. The council wants to find the best bodyguard to protect him so that this tragedy is not repeated, and Zadien lacks the confidence to reject their plan.

The council constructs a training program and a deadly maze to find the strongest enhanced girl, but Zadien has bigger concerns on his mind. His father’s murder might have been partly his fault, but the true culprit could be someone in his very midst.

Scoresheet:

Category: YA/NA Dystopian Sci-Fi

Spice/Romance: Clean read/No spice. Only a brief mention of intercourse without marriage regarding side characters.

Violence: No excessive gore. Death, broken bones, and some blood are prevalent.

Morals/Worldview: Christian worldview. Good morals.

Recommended reading age: 16+