Apology and Book Review of Ammon by H.B. Moore

First off . . .  WOW!! It has been a long time! I do have an excuse though. I have been suffering from a severe case of morning sickness. Plus, summertime is just crazy around here.

Anyway, I am way behind on a couple of book reviews. So, first off is a review of Ammon by H.B. Moore. She graciously sent me a copy and I think I was supposed to have the review done by June so I apologize to her as well. (But it was FANTASTIC!)

Title: Ammon

Author: H.B. Moore

Date Released: June 2011

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Genre: Historical LDS fiction
Series: 4th book in the Book of Mormon series
Received from author for review

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:
With the fire of newfound testimony, Ammon and his brethren leave Zarahemla to preach the gospel in Lamanite lands, carrying nothing but hunting weapons and the promises of God. Spotted by an enemy scout, they part ways in the dense jungle with hopes of reuniting at the close of their harvest. Ammon follows the Spirit to the borders of Ishmael, where he’s ambushed just seconds after spotting Elena, a fair-skinned woman who captures his interest.

As Ammon gains renown in the kingdom, he defends Elena from the advances of Gad, the loathsome widower she’ll soon be required to marry. Then swearing allegiance to the Lamanite king and trusting in the Lord, Ammon further proves his strength and devotion by sparing King Lamoni’s flocks from plunderers. The amazed king and his court are converted to the gospel through Ammon’s powerful teachings and the miraculous events that follow. But each action Ammon takes causes more and more disruption throughout the kingdom. And when Elena is abducted by her own brother and hidden away in an unspeakable place, Ammon faces his greatest struggle yet: not just the outward challenge of lethal combat but also the inward challenge of loving one’s enemy.
 
Review:
Another fantastic addition to H.B. Moore's Book of Mormon series! As a member of the LDS church, I am very familiar with the Book of Mormon and its many characters. However, that book does not necessarily go into much detail about these characters or the intricacies of their lives. That is one of the reasons that H.B. Moore's books have been so powerful to me. These books make the characters come to life! The author gives them personalities, emotions, and weaknesses and in so doing, allows the reader to relate on a more peronsal level.

The story of Ammon in the Book of Mormon is definitely a favorite of mine (and most LDS members, I think!) This book not only added to the story but enhanced it by expounding on Ammon's life and emotions. We know from the previous book, Alma the Younger, that Ammon and his brothers have already gone through some incredible changes in their lives. Obviously they had some weaknesses to begin with but were able to repent and return to leading righteous lives. Though it may seem that from then on human weakness did not touch them, Moore reminds us that righteousness is a continual process and even men as incredible as the sons of Mosiah had to work at it every day.

As Ammon lives and works among the Lamanites he must learn to love his enemy and struggle to come to terms with the violence that is forced into his life. Even though he is much more righteous and strong in the gospel than I will ever be, I still could relate to some of his struggles. I appreciated this aspect of humanizing such an amazing figure from the Book of Mormon.

As always, a great amount of time and research was put in to the creation of this book. I absolutely love historical fiction (and always appreciate a romantic storyline as well!) I'm seriously hoping that Moore will write another one of these amazing books (maybe Abish? It is an "A" title after all!)