Review: Castle on the Rise

Castle on the Rise

by Kristy Cambron

About the Book

A storied castle. A band of rebels. And a nation chasing the centuries-old dream of freedom . . . What legacy will they leave behind?

When Laine Forrester travels to France to attend her longtime friend's vineyard wedding, she expects to find a bride on the brink of a fairy-tale life. But after a series of unforeseen setbacks--a devastating diagnosis, a castle restoration put on hold, and the emergence of deep-seated family dynamics that threaten to derail the new couple's fledgling marriage--it seems the storybook life Laine had imagined for her friend--and once, for herself--is suddenly crumbling before her eyes.

With hopes of resurrecting a happy ending for one of them, Laine throws support behind her friend and agrees to accompany the couple to the groom's family home in Ireland, where the merging of a mysterious inheritance, long-buried wounds, and a fractured family set out to upend the trip from the start. It's in the unlikely corners of a historic Dublin pub, and across the wide-open moors bordering Ireland's majestic Wicklow Mountains, that Laine is slowly drawn in by the land and the people, sparking hope for something she never imagined possible: the courage to heal. But with secrets of her own--and a heart afraid to trust again--Laine must determine how much she's willing to risk in mending the broken places within herself, and whether she believes that even through the depths of our pain, a beautiful story can emerge.

Set in three time-periods--the revolutionary era of the late eighteenth century, Ireland's turbulent Easter week of the 1916 Rising, and present day--Castle on the Rise weaves a story of legacy, conviction, and redemption against the backdrop of Dublin's storied streets, and the stretch of Ireland's stunning emerald shores. It raises the question: given the choice between the fairy tale or a life of truly anchored faith--which legacy would you choose?

My Thoughts

Spanning three generations, Castle on the Rise transports readers to the gorgeous emerald fields of Ireland, telling the stories of courageous characters in the midst of rebellion, heartbreak, and healing.

There’s a special place in my heart for Ireland, and while this wasn’t my favorite novel by Cambron, I still really liked the book. Some of the characters were hard to relate to and the book’s pace was a little slow in places. Despite this, there were characters that I did really like and it was interesting to learn more about Ireland’s history through this novel, as it covers bits of history not often featured in Christian fiction.

My favorite storyline would probably be Issy and Sean’s during the 1916 Easter Rising. I really like that time period and I found Issy to be a noble heroine. She was so brave and an admirable character. While at times Mayve and Eoin’s story was a little harder to follow, I liked the characters and admired their fearlessness. I couldn’t really connect with Laine much. I don’t really know why, but she was a hard character for me to like. I did like Cormac, though, and regard him as one of my favorite Cambron heroes.

All in all, I think Castle on the Rise is a nice addition to The Lost Castle series. If you love historical fiction, I would recommend giving this book a try.

All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book.