Two young people from opposite sides of the Great Continent must make sense of their life. Rune has grown up all of her life in the mountainous northern nation of Kansanai. As granddaughter of the Senior Elder, she has been a devout believer of the Vihishki gods her whole life. Yet, when a prophet challenges the Vihishki gods against his Aivan, the One Truth, everything she thought she knew is turned upside down. Will she be able to let go of the life she thought she deserved for something far greater than what she could have ever imagined? Rolf goes through the motions of everyday life in the southern nation of Etalentin. Yet, his routine is disrupted when a voice claiming to be the one true God speaks to him. Listening to his heart, he follows Aivan, but he is thrown temptation after temptation on his journey. Will Rolf be able to resist the temptations in order to fulfill Aivan’s plan for him? Aivan: The One Truth is a story about self-discovery, identity, and faith. |
Genre: Young Adult Christian Fantasy
Release Date: July 23, 2022
I've been on a young adult / new adult fantasy kick in recent months so this little novella, Aivan: The One Truth, was right up my alley. Kayla E. Green's blend of fantasy and Biblical retelling turned out to be even more interesting than I had anticipated. In fact, I wasn't even really expecting to come across Elijah and the prophets of Baal on the mountain. But there they were against a backdrop of magic and quite the fantasy realm.
Aivan: The One Truth was a quick read and considering it is scarcely over 120 pages I found Kayla E. Green's fantasy realm to be surprisingly detailed, though there is still plenty of room for it to grow. The novella was an interesting series starter and with that ending I'm now curious to find out where things will go in the next book....
Tell Tale Book Reviews gives Aivan: The One Truth by Kayla E. Green a 4 Bark rating.
More from Kayla
One of my current projects is developing a companion devotional for Aivan: The One Truth as well as the full-length novels that will be part of the complete Chronicles of the One Truth series (which will be released at a later date). The devotional would be a tool for parents, teachers, and pastors to use along with the book to help young readers understand the themes and biblical parallels.
Two major themes within the novella center around identity and purpose. Rune’s struggles with disappointment with shattered dreams and the heartache of feeling lost, alone, and unfulfilled are struggles that are arguably universal. In looking at Rune’s journey, young readers as well as adult readers can recognize the real-world challenges of identity: Who exactly are we? In today’s world, there is a constant battle between God and society. How can one embrace their identity as a child of God when the world demands us to rage and rebel against that title?
In Exodus 3:11 (NIV) Moses asks God, “Who am I?” after he is told to go to the Pharaoh to rescue the Israelites. God tells Moses, “I am with you,” (Exodus 3:12, NIV). Similar to Moses’ walk of faith, Rune, like us all, must learn to accept the truth. Like Aivan in the fantasy novella, our God, the one true God, is always with us. We may not immediately—or ever—understand His plan; however, through Him we are whole, redeemed, and loved. And in that, we have great purpose.
I pray that whoever reads Aivan: The One Truth finds parallels to our own world and finds solace knowing that we are because God is the great “I Am.”
In my upcoming companion devotional, I will explore the concepts of identity and purpose from a biblical perspective. Anyone who wants updates on this, should follow my blog and subscribe to my newsletter to be the first to know!
Kayla E. Green is a school librarian, speculative fiction author, and poet who adores her husband and their furbabies. When she isn’t writing, reading, or taking photos for her bookstagram, she loves singing loudly and off-key to KLove Radio, napping, and pretending she’s a unicorn. Her award-winning YA fantasy novella, Aivan: The One Truth, and her inspirational poetry collection, Metamorphosis, are now available through book retailers. Kayla also has stories and poems featured in various anthologies, contest-winning stories published with Clean Fiction Magazine, and several flash fiction stories available online through Havok Publishing. |
It's Time For A Giveaway!
Aivan: The One Truth, a paperback of Metamorphosis, an Aivan inspired booksleeve,
Rune and Rolf character art cards, and a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card!!
Blog Stops
Texas Book-aholic, January 12
Blossoms and Blessings, January 13 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 13
Artistic Nobody, January 14 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, January 15 (Author Interview)
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 16
Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 17
Locks, Hooks and Books, January 18
Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 19 (Author Interview)
Book Butterfly in Dreamland, January 19
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Blogging With Carol, January 22
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 23 (Author Interview)
A Reader’s Brain, January 24 (Author Interview)