A Force of Nature by Janna Ruth kicks off an electrifying Urban Fantasy series set in Europe that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The story takes place in a world where nature spirits have ravaged cities, and the only hope of humanity's survival rests on the shoulders of the Spirit Seekers, a group of elite soldiers trained to defend against these malicious spirits. However, not all of the spirits are visible, making it challenging for the Seekers to win every show more battle.

In the midst of this chaos, we meet Rika, a homeless young woman who suddenly finds herself in the middle of a Spirit Seeker and spirit fight in Berlin. Rika possesses a unique ability to see and communicate with the spirits. Her actions during the fight catch the attention of the Seekers, who recruit her to join their team, much to the dismay of some of the members.

The character development in this book is exceptional, especially with Rika's journey from a homeless girl to a woman who finally feels like she belongs. The author's prose is excellent, and the narrative flows effortlessly, making it easy for the reader to get sucked into the story. The wordbuilding is solid, and the mythology-fantasy mix used to portray the spirits is absolutely fascinating.
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Mar 13, 2026

anzlitlovers 2,069 reviews

Time to Remember by Janna Ruth

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the devastating Christchurch Earthquake.

The earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time. The earthquake struck the Canterbury region in New Zealand's South Island and was centred 6.7 kilometres south-east of the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand's second-most populous city. The earthquake caused widespread damage across Christchurch, killing 185 people in the nation's fifth-deadliest

disaster.

Christchurch's central city and eastern suburbs were badly affected, with damage to buildings and infrastructure already weakened by the magnitude 7.1 Canterbury earthquake of 4 September 2010 and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt. The earthquake was felt across the South Island and parts of the lower and central North Island. While the initial quake only lasted for approximately 10 seconds, the damage was severe because of the location and shallowness of the earthquake's focus in relation to Christchurch as well as previous quake damage.(Wikipedia, 2011 Christchurch Earthquake, lightly edited to remove some technical jargon, footnotes and unnecessary links, viewed 7/2/21)

Janna Ruth's timely novel came recommended to me by NZ publicist Elizabeth Heritage who persuaded me to overcome my reservations about self-published books. As Elizabeth says on her promo page successful publicity is all about relationships, and though we have never met, she thought I would like this one, and she assured me that it was professionally edited, and she was right!

Time to Remember is the story of some Canterbury University students who were children when the quakes hit. They are now coming of age, but the usual YA preoccupations take second place to the real business of the novel. These students, busily getting on with their lives, are living with personal trauma, which some of them don't even know that they have.

Natalie, a Kiwi of Asian descent, is a volunteer at the student newspaper, 'Canta'. She wants to be a journalist and is a talented writer, But she's in a self-destructive relationship with Aidan, who sleeps around behind her back and takes advantage of her professional perspective on the paper. He often leaves her to do hours of hard work before the deadline—when his is the only paid position on the paper and he is the one who should take responsibility for it.

Natalie conceives the idea of a commemorative edition comprising student memories of how the quake affected them. Everyone thinks it's a good idea because it releases long suppressed trauma that, despite counselling, hasn't been properly acknowledged because they were children at the time. All except Josh, who is vociferous in his opposition and is spectacularly rude to Natalie in the way that he voices his objections.

Well, of course, he has 'issues', and his character also plays the role of an adolescent Mr Darcy. The first part of the book depicts both pride and prejudice, and a good bit of pettiness as well.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2021/02/07/time-to-remember-by-janna-ruth/ show less

Feb 6, 2021