Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

In the Christian fantasy novel The King's Feather, book one in the Under His Wings series by Amy Earls, seventeen-year-old Pero possesses a pendant left by her missing mother. Dr. Carper took her mom, and Pero wants her back. Pero learns she has a power related to music and is one of the chosen ones. Her mother's location is revealed to be in another universe called Origo by Henry, Pero's protector, and she decides to leave with Henry to get her. Captured and brought to Moon City, Pero discovers her role in a much bigger plan. Carper reveals they both have unique abilities, and Pero's mother returns, revealing that Carper's power is tied to her blood. Conflicted, Pero must decide where her power should be used. She faces hurdles that challenge her physically and emotionally, with betrayal, and moral dilemmas surrounding things like faith, forgiveness, and self-sacrifice, but remains determined to rescue her mother with Elohim's protection.

I loved the nuances that Amy Earls uses to weave her themes through The King's Feather. The skill of a Christian author really shines through when they are able to convey a message through character action, emotion, and exceptionally well-implemented symbolism instead of outright telling us. Lately, I've only found the heavy-handed latter but Earls changed that streak, and I'm blissfully happy for it. The standouts are Pero's faith in Elohim, or Yahweh, a figure of authority and love, the concept of divine intervention, and even the use of biblical names such as Sam, Abram, and Salmon. There is also a scene where Pero, who depends on her pendant to get out of Moon City, realizes she can at least still commune without it. Yes, she must get it back but even if she doesn't, her “access” to what's most important will always be there. Overall, this is a really excellent novel and while it's written for teens, this grown man still enjoyed it. Very highly recommended.