Genre

Young Adult, Fantasy

Audience

Teens

Author’s Worldview

Catholic

Year Published

2022

Themes

Identity, Friendship, Adventure, Good and Evil, Birthright

 

Reviewed by

Tiffany Buck

The peaceful land of Bonvida is threatened when the wicked warrior Luvanasis escapes the dark realm of Calsirv. Luvanasis brings his hideous army of Arcods with plans to rule over the land. Only one person can defeat Luvanasis: Atticus. He is the grandson of the great Desmond who once wielded the sword that protected Bonvida from the darkness.

Atticus is unaware of his legacy and the battle that awaits him. He and his mother were brought to Bonvida from Calsirv by good warriors as an infant, after the death of his father. Atticus grew up on a farm with his adoptive parents and sister. Meanwhile, his mother lives in exile watching over the sword of Desmond. On his eighteenth birthday, Atticus finds his mother, Lavender. She tells him his destiny and gives him the sword. Before Atticus battles Luvanasis, he must gather the shards that give the sword its power.  

On his own, Atticus feels the weight of his destiny holding the sword of Desmond. Like any teen, he craves adventure, but the task he’s been given seems impossible. Bonvida is being torn apart by the Arcods. Not to mention he has no idea where to find the shards. Thankfully, he finds others who believe in the mission and agree to travel with him. The first one to join him is his adoptive sister, Daria. Joining her is Prince Victor of El-Valr, Barlos, an army commander, Lena from a sea colony, Meg, the youngest in the group, and Zane, a scholar. Similar to The Lord of the Rings, the travelers trek across the dangerous terrain of Bonvida in search of the shards. Each traveler has a unique talent that advances the quest.

By far the most intriguing traveler is Zane. He has studied all the prophesies. He is the only one that knows where all the shards are hidden. Always at Atticus’ side, he tells Atticus something quite unsettling. Luvanasis has a descendant who opened the gate to Bonvida for him.

Author C.D. Smith has created an adventurous fast-paced fairytale for teens about the importance of identity with a raging battle of good and evil in the backdrop. Atticus finds his true identity a lot to take in. Does he have what it takes? This makes him remarkably like each of us created by God. How many of us ponder the fact that we are sons and daughters of the king made for greatness.

A sequel to Bonvida’s Adventure is forthcoming The sequel titled Bonvida’s Quest for Light was released Friday September 15th. I am hopeful the author will give the readers a bit more detail on Bonvida and Calsirv. In the story, there are a few creatures/beings the adventurers come across traveling through the regions of Bonvida. They are named but never described. Who and what are they? Of course, any reader would be most curious about the dark descendant. Who is he? Is he one of the travelers? 

I recommend this book to all teen fantasy lovers. Readers will find the characters quite enjoyable. Atticus is overwhelmed by his destiny and yet he perseveres. His adoptive sister, Daria is a young woman of virtue as well as a good fighter. Prince Victor leaves everything behind to follow Atticus. These characters and their values shine through the pages. A prince and a sibling could be quite jealous over Atticus being the chosen one. They aren’t though. They believe in him and help him every step of the way.

A Very Jurassic Christmas by Corinna Turner

Christmas with Jurassic dinosaurs is often wild!

Standing Strong by Theresa Linden

Keefe hides his call to the priesthood and no matter how much Jarrett tries he still gets into trouble. Can the brothers find their courage?

Through the Ashes by Jacqueline Brown

Fans of The 100 and Runaway’s and The Gifted will find this YA story riveting.

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson

Discover the far deeper, more salvific tale that Disney turned into romantic fluff.

Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman

An intriguing story that will enchant with a sweet romance and take you on a thrill ride through the Gothic version of modern-day New York City.

Demons are Forever by Declan Finn

Marco flees from his fears of hurting Amanda by taking a job to train Vampire Hunters in San Francisco. Should be a quiet job right?

Shadows: Visible and Invisible By Catholic Teens Books

Bringing the holy back to All Hallows, these short stories entertain & remind us of the mercy we all rely upon.

How the Dragon Awards Could Uplift Catholic Fiction

If you don’t like current state of mainstream publishing and wish there were more widely available alternatives, this is your chance to help make that a reality.

Why Flannery O’Connor is Too Dangerous for Catholic Book Stores (And why I love them both for it)

Why the promotion of religious fiction is just as important as the promotion of nonfiction and Apologetics.

The Wolf, the Lamb, and the Air Balloon by Corinna Turner

A wolf, a lamb, an air balloon—what could go wrong?

The Phantom Phoenix

A humble phoenix rises from the ashes to clean up corrupt, 1920s Chicago in this thrilling superhero comic

Jennifer the Damned By Karen Ullo

A story of a teenage vampire without the glamorous tempting allure, trying to really live in the real world.

Why Reading Fiction Made Me a Better Catholic

How reading fiction became a crucial step in my conversion to the Catholic Church.

Crusader St. Tommy NYPD Book 5 By: Declan Finn

Detective Nolan embarks on a Crusade against demonic sex traffickers trying to raise a demon.

Worth Dying For By Marie C. Keiser

In the shady corporate-ruled galaxy, a man can acknowledge no god. Yet having nothing worth dying for frightens Mark more than death itself.

Sydney and Calvin Have a Baby by Adrienne Thorn

Sydney writes romances but living her own romance will require more courage than anything yet required of her.

The Rescue Sisters Series Adventures by Karina Fabian

Kickass Catholic Nuns in Space- what more do you need?!

The Exile by Allison Ramirez

Is there hope beyond the Island of Mirror?

Blink and We’ll Miss It by Ginny Kochis

Back amongst her estranged best friends and former love, Mae tries to hide her time-hopping secret.

Breach! by Corinna Turner

Isaiah’s got a T-rex size problem, but this time, it’s not a dinosaur.