Reviewed By K.C. Finn: Karma’s Collection: A Cozy Mini-Mystery is a work of fiction in the murder mystery, thriller, and suspense sub-genres. It is the fifth book in the Karma’s Revenge series and was penned by author Jwyan C. Johnson. It is presented here in audio format with narration by Priscilla Broussard. Readable as a standalone adventure, but also part of the wider series, this rip-roaring adventure takes us in hot pursuit of the serial killer Karma. Dedra is back with another chance to outsmart the stylish killer, and a whole host of fascinating, larger than life characters will be sure to complicate the mystery along the way.
In terms of the story itself, author Jwyan C. Johnson has a distinctive style that sets this mystery off at a quirky, psychological angle from the get-go. One of the strongest features for me personally was the development of the wide range of interesting characters and their dynamic interplay in one another’s lives, which makes the mystery just as much of a thrilling soap opera as it does a complex mystery tale. Regarding the audiobook production, I found the work to be excellently edited, with clear, crisp sound quality and great pacing. The narration by performer Priscilla Broussard brought a great highlight to the characterization of the different figures, and she had a quirky, delightful voice with a keen sense of where to put emphasis for the mysterious clues to unfold. Overall, I would certainly recommend Karma’s Collection: A Cozy Mini-Mystery in this highly entertaining format, both for fans of the series and newcomers who enjoy an unusual and psychological adventure.
-- Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/karmas-collection
Reviewed By Tiffany Davis: Faith and the Parable of the Blindfold by Jwyan C. Johnson is a Christian read that gives biblical scriptures throughout various short stories. In the first story, Thomas Walker visits a doctor to obtain a second opinion regarding his skin's sensitivity to sunlight. Oddly enough, Thomas is visiting a doctor named Faith, that his friend Christian has referred him to for this second opinion. The story was a good read because as the story unfolds and Thomas agrees to try physical therapy with Dr. Faith, he says that he doesn't see how it will help but he realizes he has nothing to lose.
Faith and the Parable of the Blindfold tests your faith through symbolism. This was an easy read because it gave a different insight to the Christian faith and was a great way to help learn different scriptures. Although short in length, it was very well written and done in a creative way that enabled the reader to understand exactly what was intended by the author. At the end of the book, all of the symbols in the stories are identified to help give an even better understanding of what occurred in the stories.
Throughout the book, scriptures are referenced for continued understanding which is a bonus. The overall goal seems to to be to get people to better understand scriptures and it’s a great idea for young teenagers. At the end of the book there are questions as well as a skit that encourages the reader to push even further when trying to gain a better understanding of the scriptures used. The skit is also an outstanding way to hold the attention of readers of all ages.
Jwyan C. Johnson has done an excellent job with this book because it packs a punch and makes one wonder beyond reading the story. I found myself smiling at the scriptures and having a better understanding of how they should be interpreted. This is a good read from beginning to end and I would definitely recommend it to others with preteen children.
Reviewed By Tiffany Davis for Reader's Favorite
Reviewed By Rabia Tanveer: "My favorite parable was The Parable of the Fixed Marriage (with Mr. and Mrs. Verbal Abuse). That was hilarious and enchanting. I also liked The Blind Architect Parable and The Parable of A Fair Affair. These three were absolute gems. Johnson's brilliant and witty writing style fits well with these eclectic characters and that just heightened my reading experience.
WORDPLAY - NEW CHRISTIAN PARABLES by Jwyan C. Johnson is a collection of... I don't know what to call it, but I do know that it is brilliant and very, very creative. It is books like these that make me appreciate art. I am not a Christian, but I love religion and I love to read about religion, in whatever form I can find. It was fun, it was light hearted, and it gave me a moral lesson. It has 12 parables and each one has a hyperlink that takes you biblical phrases. I loved that;it gave me context and it showed me where the author is coming from.
There is a lot of "reading between the lines" in this book, and I absolutely enjoyed that. The books that get my mind racing and force me to find the meaning behind things are my favorite. You know the best thing about this book? It can be read by anyone and everyone. There are no cultural or religious boundaries here and that's what art is really.Art is all about enjoying the characters, how the story is written, and you just simply go with the flow. This is what I did and I cannot tell you how happy I am.
-- Reviewed By Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite
Reviewed By Arya Fomonyuy: "WORDPLAY: NEW CHRISTIAN PARABLES by Jwyan C. Johnson is an interesting tool designed to both entertain readers and help them memorize the Bible, a workbook that features simply told stories with deeper spiritual meanings. For instance, the Parable of the Visiting Son is about salvation. A son returns to find debt collectors and bankers at home, harassing a father who's about to lose his home. He strikes a new deal with a banker and takes the debt on himself. One could think of the story as an easy one, but it is the references it makes to salvation offered by Jesus that is worth retaining. This book is filled with many such stories.
Jwyan C. Johnson has done a brilliant job in creating this Bible wordplay, a tool that will help anyone who wants to memorize Bible verses. However, this is not designed to merely entertain readers. It's a study tool, so it's stuffed with links and references that will open up new pages although I think the author could have simplified the layout. Some of the parables reinforce Bible truths such as the salvation spoken of in this verse: "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." But then strangers can be messengers from God, so "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels." WORDPLAY: NEW CHRISTIAN PARABLES will be a useful tool for group Bible study and for families who would love to study the Bible in a fun way."
-- Reviewed By Arya Fomonyuy for Readers' Favorite
Reviewed By Christian Sia: "WORDPLAY: NEW CHRISTIAN PARABLES by Jwyan C. Johnson is a book that opens a new world for Bible lovers, allowing them to both test their knowledge of the Scriptures and to explore the significance of new words, create biblical parallels, and memorize Bible verses easily.There are stories laced with biblical symbolism, and stories told with words that are carefully chosen to reflect the spirit of the Christian Scriptures. Readers are introduced to educative parables - Ventriloquist without His Puppet, the Visit of a Son, a Hide and Seek Game -that could be read as a personal journey toward self-realization, and a lot more. Each story has a hidden Christian message and a moral for readers.
Jwyan C. Johnson's work is a brilliant collection of parables told for Christian families and Bible study groups, one that can be used for interactive studies. I enjoyed the references to Bible verses and the links. However, the fluidity of the language and its simplicity are among the positive things to consider about this book. It will be a fun playground for Children who want to study the Bible and to cultivate Christian values. Adult readers will find stories they can share with their kids, stories that will allow kids to develop a powerful awareness of some of the Christian values and the story of their Salvation. It is interesting to note that each story contains references to the Bible. WORDPLAY: NEW CHRISTIAN PARABLES is a good book to have at home and in Bible study groups.
-- Reviewed By Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite
Reviewed By Deepak Menon for Readers' Favorite: "WORDPLAY: NEW CHRISTIAN PARABLES by Jwyan C. Johnson is an incredibly innovative and creative book where the author has opened up wonderful new perspectives to understanding the true meanings of the parables. This book is not about Christianity, but rather it is about the messages given to people to lead honorable lives. The formatting of the book is excellent. The cover is charming and focuses on the 'family unit,' in keeping with the focus of the book. The author explains at the outset that a parable is a communication tool used to animate understanding between others through fiction. In this book, the author has skillfully interwoven inspirational short stories with morals as a direct story combination of new literature and biblical animation: several scriptures sharing the same short story scene! The setting is imagination; the main character is the will of God.
There are too many wonderful parables to comment on individually, but I felt that each one has an electric beauty positively affecting the reader to the core. The morals are many, yet none are unknown to anyone - they are merely ignored by most people who are too busy in their lives to reflect and realize that morals make us stronger to meet life's challenges. WORDPLAY: NEW CHRISTIAN PARABLES is about learning how to overcome baser emotions; about overcoming temptation; about walking the right path. The effortless connection that each modern story has with the scriptures is memorable and the many links, story symbolisms and links to the actual parables and relevant biblical scriptures are really wonderfully placed. This is a 5 star book, both for the ordinary man and the theologist. Well done, Jwyan C. Johnson.
--Reviewed By Deepak Menon for Readers' Favorite
Reviewed By Sefina Hawke: "WORDPLAY: NEW CHRISTIAN PARABLES (The Ventriloquist & The Blind Architect) by Jwyan C. Johnson actually ended up helping me get a firm understanding of symbolism and halfway through the stories I was able to understand the symbolism myself without the bullet lists.
--Reviewed By Sefina Hawk for Readers' Favorite
Reviewed by Ray Simmons: "Jwyan C. Johnson has created a book that can be used as a great tool to teach kids the moral lessons of Christianity without boring them to tears. Adults can learn from WORDPLAY: NEW CHRISTIAN PARABLES 2 also, but even more important in my opinion is that the entire process can be done together as a family. I highly recommend this book to every Christian family with kids in the house. You will enjoy the parables, the fun facts, and activities, and move closer to each other as you move closer to God. I wish I had discovered this book before my kids grew up."
