In only two days, Karina becomes queen of Aletheia and prophetess of the Creator. She begins a divine quest to find six holy relics and use them against a powerful warlock—a lot of responsibility, especially for a seventeen-year-old young woman. Ralene Burke’s Armor of Aletheia gives readers classic fantasy suffused with spirituality. Its world is built with elves and griffins and goblins, and the heroine’s quest leads her through colorful landscapes. The author creates settings with particular skill, vividly and efficiently evoking a sense of place. Both established religion and individual spirituality are prominent, driving the characters and forming the world. Although some challenges are easily defeated, especially after the discovery of holy relics, Armor of Aletheia finishes as sweet, colorful fantasy.

Best for: YA audiences, female readers, fantasy fans.

Discern: Mild violence; villain murders a close family member; drunk ruffian sexually harasses a young woman (someone else intervenes); and a kidnapper implies, to his female victim’s embarrassment, that they are renting a room.