M. R. Jenks

Hearth: Exile is most definitely one of those reads that draws you in gradually. Set in modern day New York, the main character immediately grips you, but it's the quiet unravelling of his story that begins to stir your interest and curiosity. At the outset of this book you don't even know the main characters name, for he himself has amnesia and has no idea who he is. However, for those who worry that this read will take a while to get into, Jenks' beautifully crafted New York cityscape is show more superbly drawn. It's winter, it's desolate, but the Big Apple continues to shine in all its beauty, and adds as much to the story as a supporting character.

As the story progresses, the main character's identity is revealed and he starts to remember aspects of his past life. This is particularly sparked when he meets Lauren; a stunning woman that he's sure he's met before. She offers support, kindness and shelter by way of a city Convent. There, under the watchful eye of Sister Regina, the pair of them begin to not only develop old feelings for one another, but sense that something rather sinister has happened to them.

One of the reasons that I loved this book was that the fantasy aspect was done in a very subtle way. It is the characters fascination for discovery that drives this story along, and the fantasy is peppered throughout; just enough to cause intrigue and curiosity, but not too much to turn what is a well structured character driven novel into yet another pointless fantasy saga. As more details emerge, so the fantasy thrills increase, offering an exciting end to this first novel in the series. I really liked the mixture of characters, including youngster Page who surprises everyone with her intellect and becomes a vital part of the storyline.

There's no doubt from the end of this novel, that Hearth: Exile is set to have a sequel written. And, such is my need to find out just what has happened, I hope that Jenks' has this sequel planned sooner rather than later. I highly recommend this book, and it'll leave you wanting much, much more. show less

I started this book during a break from studying for my finals. A few pages into this book and I knew that I wasn't going to be doing much studying anymore. This book held my interest throughout, and at times I was completely wrapped up in it. The characters are compelling and I really came to root for them. I have to say that I connected the most with Page and loved reading her backstory. The more I learned about the characters the more I cared about them.

M.R. Jenks did a great job telling show more this story. It really flowed well and there didn't seem to be any lull in the story for me. I have to say that my favorite part of this story was Page's backstory. While I was reading that part I was so hooked that an earthquake wouldn't have torn my attention away from the book.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in this series. show less

I found Exile to be an intriguing read that flowed nicely in the way the knowledge of the situation was given to the reader. The characters are realistic and you find yourself caring for their well being. You can tell immediately that the main characters are from a different time or location due to their speech, but it's not difficult to read. The author also has a unique voice that works well for him. The novel is thorough and intelligent and is one of the first novels I have read in this show more genre. I picked the novel up because I read about it on Library Thing and it sounded very interesting--it was! I'm glad that I chose to expand my typical reading pool and can't wait for the next installment! The ending worked very well, as it wrapped up the story nicely, but still left the reader wanting more.
I believe that the star system should allow for .5 stars, and if it did I would give this 4.5 stars, but because it doesn't I am giving it 5 stars because it accomplished its job well--it made me want more! show less

Exile is the first volume in a projected series and is not really a stand-alone book because some people will see the ending as something of a cliff-hanger. This self-published book was remarkably free of typos and while I did find that there were a couple of slightly awkward sentences and I was a bit confused about Sister Regina's religious views these are minor quibbles. The storytelling was great, pulling me in immediately so that I had to keep reading til later in the night than I meant show more to. (This Kindle version was set up properly and worked as expected in my IPad Kindle app.)

At the beginning of Hearth: Exile we meet a despairing Brinn outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. For months he has been searching for clues to his identity and his past with very little luck. Homeless, with a rather peculiar form of amnesia, Brinn has about run out of ideas as to what he should do next. Then he meets Lauren who has the same problems with her memory. Through her, Brinn also meets Page, a young orphan, and Sister Regina of the Convent of the Sisters of Saint Margaret. With their help he finds a temporary refuge working for the Sisters and begins to recover his memory and uncover the fact that he and Lauren are not from our world. The story is about their recovery, the relationship they form with Page and their discovery of the danger they are all in.

My only real complaint about M. R. Jenk's book is that it will be a few months before the next installment is available. show less