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A Paraphrase of Paradise Lost for Youngsters – 4 Star Review

Posted on July 26, 2022 By Jenna No Comments on A Paraphrase of Paradise Lost for Youngsters – 4 Star Review

This retelling of books V and VI of the epic poem Paradise Lost, written by John Milton, follows the story of Satan’s rebellion and fall from grace.

Welcome to one of the July 26th stops on the blog tour for A Paraphrase of Paradise Lost for Youngsters by Joseph Stemberga and Thomas Lane with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, more reviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

About the Book

A Paraphrase of Paradise Lost for Youngsters
The Tragedy of Lucifer
by Joseph Stemberga & Thomas Lane

Published 13 November 2021
Tellwell Talent

Genre: Children’s Fiction
Page Count: 36
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

This retelling of books V and VI of the epic poem Paradise Lost, written by John Milton, follows the story of Satan’s rebellion and fall from grace. The Father announces his heir, Satan rebels, Abdiel tries to reason with the fallen angels, followed by a war scarring Heaven’s landscape. Brother against brother, the rebellious few against their Father, a family torn apart by war, concluded by the victor, the Father’s chosen Son, casting the disobedient out of paradise.

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | BD | B&N

Excerpt

At this point, the angels who had responded to Satan’s call arrived at the hill where Satan sat on his throne. They listened to him when he declared, “THRONES, DOMINATIONS, PRINCEDOMS, VIRTUES, POWERS, the Son of God now eclipses our power and so takes all power from us! We may not all be equal in power, but we are all equal in freedom! Why should we be bound by law to do what we already did freely and without sin? I trust you will not bow before this new Word!”

While all those who had gathered began to agree with Satan, one angel, named Abdiel, scolded Satan with great enthusiasm, “I never expected to hear such blasphemous words in Heaven, least of all from you! By rejecting God’s law, you are making your own law which you think God should obey. God created you and gave you your freedom, glory, and power. He does not want to obscure it, but to magnify it.”

Satan replied, “Did God really create us? Were you there when this creation took place? The only thing I know from experience is what I am now, and that I have always been this way. My power – OUR power – was not given to us; it is our own.”

My Review

My Rating: 4 Stars
Consider liking my review on Goodreads

I was granted complimentary access to A Paraphrase of Paradise Lost for Youngsters by Joseph Stemberga and Thomas Lane as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Goddess Fish Promotions. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

A Paraphrase of Paradise Lost for Youngsters: The Tragedy of Lucifer is as the title implies, a paraphrased, condensed retelling of Lucifer’s story from the classic Paradise Lost written in language that is more appropriate for a younger audience. There’s certainly enough of the original left here that this also just serves as an excellent summary of the story for refresher purposes, too!

The illustrations are beautiful and give a nice nod to the era in which the original was written. I reviewed this as a PDF, but I’m sure the printed version is a beautiful thing to behold and would probably make a nice coffee table book as well.

I must admit, I’m a little confused about the target audience age range. The format of 36 wide ratio pages with full page illustrations makes one assume, at first, that this is a very young childrens’ storybook. The reading level, however, is much more appropriate for an older child; someone already ready for middle grade novels and novellas. It’s possible that particularly nerdy 6-8 year olds will enjoy this book being read to them, but this isn’t going to be an appropriate read-by-child book for kids young enough to be drawn to the format.

About the Authors

From a large Croatian family, Joseph Stemberga grew up with three sisters, a father, and a mother.
He studied theology at Concordia University, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, as
well as a bachelor’s degree in history and religions.

Inspired by a transcription of Dante’s Divine Comedy for a younger target audience, he
contemplated and discovered that no such equivalent existed for another epic poem, Paradise Lost.
Thus, the work began…

Thomas Lane was inspired to work on the project in the same way the Irish monks copied and
recopied older manuscripts to keep them from disappearing during the Dark Ages. Just as these
monks never signed a single manuscript with their names, Lane prefers to use a pen name to honour
their legacy and bring a classic work to life for its own sake.

Kamila Oleszczuk has been drawing since the age of three, but contrary to most children, she never
stopped. Her passion for art and animation fuelled her desire to create. Beyond the years of drawing
throughout her childhood, she went on to learn more about different art mediums and forms by
studying film animation at Concordia University. Kamila has been focusing mainly on children’s
illustrations ever since.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GR Joseph | GR Thomas

Giveaway Alert!

Joseph Stemberga and Thomas Lane will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
July 26Westveil PublishingIron Canuck Reviews & More
August 2Fabulous and BrunetteSplashes of Joy
August 9The Faerie ReviewTravel the Ages
August 16Gina Rae MitchellCrowvus Book Blog

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Comments (0) on “A Paraphrase of Paradise Lost for Youngsters – 4 Star Review”

  1. Bea LaRocca says:
    July 26, 2022 at 5:43 AM

    Thank you for sharing your review of A Paraphrase of Paradise Lost for Youngsters, the authors’ bios and book details, this sounds like an excellent story to share with my grandchildren

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    1. joseph Stemberga says:
      July 26, 2022 at 11:58 AM

      Yes it is an excellent book for both children and adults alike! I hope you enjoy it!

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  2. Goddess Fish Promotions says:
    July 26, 2022 at 8:04 AM

    Thanks for hosting!

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  3. joseph Stemberga says:
    July 26, 2022 at 11:55 AM

    Hi there,
    I would like to thank Jenna R. from Westveil Publishing for hosting my book on this blog, while also reviewing it. I know there are many different genres of books that come out and it takes time to look at. It was a pleasure writing A Paraphase of Paradise Lost for Youngsters for today’s generation of kids.

    Thank you once again for the kind words and your four stars!

    Joseph St.

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  4. joseph Stemberga says:
    July 26, 2022 at 11:57 AM

    I hope you are going to look at the book “A Paraphrase of Paradise lost for Youngsters”

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  5. Cali W. says:
    July 26, 2022 at 6:53 PM

    Great excerpt and giveaway. 🙂

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    1. joseph Stemberga says:
      July 26, 2022 at 7:44 PM

      Thx Cali!
      Hope you enjoy the classic that we brought back to life! And yes it is a pretty great excerpt…… it is where Satan talks to his fellow angels and convinces them to join him.

      Hope you win the giveaway.
      cheers,
      Joseph St

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  6. Kim Kern says:
    July 26, 2022 at 7:53 PM

    Nice idea to paraphrase it so children can understand the story.

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    1. joseph Stemberga says:
      July 26, 2022 at 9:38 PM

      Hi Kim,

      thanks for the compliment! Yes, I thought it was a great idea because no one reads Victorian English anymore….while we translated the story into modern English, we also condensed the story so it is simple that everyone could understand.

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  7. bn100 says:
    July 27, 2022 at 1:21 AM

    nice cover

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    1. joseph Stemberga says:
      August 2, 2022 at 1:42 AM

      thx you BN100…. hopefully you enjoy our children’s book and tell your friends! This book is great for both adults and children alike.

      cheers,

      Joseph St

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  8. xjanelx78 says:
    July 27, 2022 at 12:09 PM

    Really nice cover and excerpt, looking forward to reading this!

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  9. Rita Wray says:
    July 27, 2022 at 3:31 PM

    Thank you for the review.

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    1. joseph Stemberga says:
      August 2, 2022 at 1:43 AM

      Hi Rita,

      Hopefully you enjoy our book! If you are into the classics….. this will be a perfect match!.

      Cheers,
      Joseph St

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  10. xjanelx78 says:
    July 28, 2022 at 3:12 PM

    If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?

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    1. Joseph St says:
      August 12, 2022 at 9:26 AM

      Hmmmm I would try and understand Lucifer, while trying to convince him what he was doing was wrong. And make up with his Father.

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  11. xjanelx78 says:
    July 29, 2022 at 1:41 PM

    What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

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  12. xjanelx78 says:
    July 30, 2022 at 5:12 PM

    Have you read any of the old classics? What did you think of them?, looking forward to reading this!

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  13. Eva Millien says:
    July 30, 2022 at 8:54 PM

    Great excerpt, A Paraphrase of Paradise Lost for Youngsters sounds like a book that I would like to share with my grandkids and I like the cover! Good luck with your book and the tour! Thanks for sharing it with me! Thanks, Jenna, for sharing your review! Have a glorious weekend!

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    1. joseph Stemberga says:
      August 2, 2022 at 1:45 AM

      Hi Eva,

      I am glad you enjoyed the excerpt! This pro And hope you enjoy the classic, it took a lot of time and effort. Feel free to share it with your friends.

      cheers,
      Joseph St

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  14. xjanelx78 says:
    July 31, 2022 at 1:33 PM

    What do you think makes a good story?

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    1. joseph Stemberga says:
      August 2, 2022 at 1:48 AM

      Hi xjanelx,

      Wow that is a tough question…… what makes a good story? hmmm well I guess it depends what the reader is into? I love history books myself. Hope you enjoy our version of Paradise Lost and share it with friends.

      cheers,
      Joseph

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  15. xjanelx78 says:
    August 1, 2022 at 2:11 PM

    What author do you look up to the most?

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  16. xjanelx78 says:
    August 2, 2022 at 2:44 PM

    What book are you the most proud of writing?

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  17. xjanelx78 says:
    August 3, 2022 at 12:55 PM

    What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

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    1. Joseph St says:
      August 3, 2022 at 2:08 PM

      Hey,

      That is a very good question. Hmm maybe to kill a Mockinbird? Or The Merchant of Venice. What is yours?

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    2. Joseph St says:
      August 12, 2022 at 1:12 AM

      Mostly we condensed the story to make it easier for the reader to understand.

      And I like all the classics. So I really do not have just one favorite author

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  18. xjanelx78 says:
    August 4, 2022 at 12:02 PM

    What is a significant way your book has changed since the first draft?

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  19. xjanelx78 says:
    August 5, 2022 at 1:08 PM

    Hope you have a great Friday and weekend!

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  20. xjanelx78 says:
    August 10, 2022 at 9:59 AM

    What inspired the idea for your book?

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  21. xjanelx78 says:
    August 11, 2022 at 6:35 PM

    What characters in your book are most similar to you or to people you know?

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    1. Joseph St says:
      August 12, 2022 at 1:08 AM

      Firstly, I was reading Dante’s divine comedy for kids….and I found out that no one ever made a children’s book of Paradise Lost. So my imagination just went from there.

      And secondly, I guess Lucifer. Even though we try and follow in our Father’s footsteps, but we sometimes end up having family quarrels because of a different point of view. This can happen in almost every family.

      Hope I answered your questions 🙂

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  22. xjanelx78 says:
    August 12, 2022 at 11:02 AM

    What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?

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    1. Joseph St says:
      August 13, 2022 at 9:15 AM

      Hmmm usually I need silence and motivation. Everything else just comes to me….. if I were writing an essay and good topic writes itself.

      Cheers,

      J

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  23. xjanelx78 says:
    August 13, 2022 at 10:53 AM

    What books have you read more than once in your life?

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    1. Joseph St says:
      August 13, 2022 at 12:49 PM

      Thx for the great questions…..
      Just the classics. But I try and read different books. I don’t like to read the same book twice…unless I’m using them in a paper or something or referring to it…

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  24. xjanelx78 says:
    August 14, 2022 at 12:25 PM

    How do you come up with the titles to your books?

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  25. xjanelx78 says:
    August 15, 2022 at 11:13 AM

    Have you ever traveled as research for your book?

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  26. Joseph St says:
    August 15, 2022 at 9:30 PM

    Hey,

    Our title was up for debate. But we ultimately chose what you seen now.

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  27. Joseph St says:
    August 15, 2022 at 9:31 PM

    Hmm I have traveled, which inspired me to do this book. But never intentionally

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  28. xjanelx78 says:
    August 16, 2022 at 11:20 AM

    What do you hope your readers take away from this book?

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    1. Joseph St says:
      August 16, 2022 at 6:52 PM

      I just hope they like a new version of a classic. That is the goal.

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  29. xjanelx78 says:
    August 17, 2022 at 10:41 AM

    What advice would you give a new writer, someone just starting out?

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  30. Joseph St says:
    August 18, 2022 at 9:17 AM

    Hmmm what advice……

    Ok…. patience is key! Work hard, play hard and go with a publishing company that will do all the marketing for you. Writing is only half the battle….. also make sure you have a great idea, because there are so many books coming out each year, that it NEEDS to stand out. And have fun with it.

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