In His Image Review

 It was supposed to be a routine check of a parched planet. That was what Andi expected when she joined the small exploration team, but when their shuttle crash landed, the unthinkable happened — they encountered intelligent life.

Now stranded on the strange world, the team accidentally angers the iron-fisted leader of the village, and the compassionate intervention of a young native named Elasson may be all that's keeping them alive.

Their shuttle seems beyond repair, the oppressive heat is sapping their strength, and the local ruler is determined to execute them. Can Andi help find a way to escape before they are destroyed?
--From J. Grace Pennington's Website

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I read most of this book on Christmas Day, having to wait until the next day to read the last few chapters because I figured I should go to sleep at some point. My sister disregarded sleep, and read the whole book in one night. After that, it sat on the table with my school books for a few days, which ended with my mom reading it as well. This truly is an awesome book. After reading it, I can still say that Grace is an amazing writer.

In His Image is rather different from Radialloy in that very little of it takes place on the Surveyor. Most of it takes place on a planet where there is intelligent life. The question of how this life fits in with a Biblical worldview is integral to the story, and superbly done.

I can't not mention the characters. The character development increases in this book. There is, of course, plenty of Andi, and the other characters, such as the Doctor and Captain Trent, emerge more. There is more of Crash in this book than the last. He still can be quite annoying, but I loved getting to know him better nonetheless. Then there is Elasson. I loved Elasson. There is a language barrier between him and the team from the Surveyor (which is a major plot point), but somehow I got to know him well anyway. He is my sister's favorite character in the Firmament series. For me, I think he's tied with Andi. But I really want to read more about Elasson.

In His Image is a terrific book, and, once more, I am greatly looking forward to the next book in the Firmament series.