Review of Alma by H.B. Moore

Just to let you know, I purposely chose to read Alma cold--meaning I have never read any of H.B. Moore's books before and did not read Abinadi before reading Alma. I also haven't looked at any of the other blog reviews of Alma so I wouldn't have anyone else's opinions to mix with my own.

Having said that, I'll tell you I picked up the book Saturday evening and had it read by Sunday night. I've actually never read any historical novels based on the events of the Book of Mormon before, so this was a new experience for me as a reader. I found Alma to be an engaging read without being overly complex. The characters had me rooting for them right away, and even though the author gives the reader insight into four different character's thoughts and feelings, I didn't find this confusing.

I'm not a scriptorian by any means, but in reading Alma I did recall things I had read in the Book of Mormon and I personally liked being able to link the two. It's clear the author did extensive research of the time period and what resources were available to people back then. That kind of attention to detail may seem less significant, but if a weapon or type of food is out of place in the story, it would jump out at the reader and distract them from the point of the book.

I would recommend Alma to anyone who likes historical fiction or wants to know more about life in ancient times. It's really a great book and I'm anxious to read my copy of Abinadi now, as well as Alma the Younger when it's released next year. 5 stars.