fantasy – Page 5 – Leah E. Good

November 16, 2012March 1, 2013

Book Review & Giveaway: Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court

*Giveaway Closed*

Big day today! I don’t know if any of you have noticed the countdown box in the sidebar, but today marks the beginning of another book giveaway. This time the book is a signed copy of Sir Bentley of Holbrook Court. I hope you’ll take the time to read the review and leave a comment. Leaving a comment will automatically enter you in the drawing for the book*. The winner will be announced in a week on Thursday, November 22.

Bentley mounted Silverwood, look down at his parents, and launched the powerful steed into the kingdom…a kingdom waiting for one young knight to discover the truth of a Stranger.

When Bentley refuses to kill two Followers, his fate is sealed. His days as a Noble night have ended. Now he must leave Chessington in search of the Truth. He learns that the man called The Stranger was, and is, the Prince. The Son of the True King. In his pursuit to follow in the footsteps of his Prince, Bentley becomes a peasant and ventures into Holbrook. He becomes one of the farmers and discovers oppression, injustice, love and a cause to fight for. The day is coming when Holbrook will need a knight of the Prince.

This may well be my favorite book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series. Bentley’s quest for Truth and desire to serve the Prince illuminate truths about God and our responsibilities as Christians. A paragraph from the back cover of the book sums up the reason I love this series so much. “Journey to Arrethtrae, where these knights of noble heart live and die in loyal service to the King and the Prince. These knights are mighty, for they serve a mighty King.” I think that we, as Christians today, often forget to walk in the truth that we are in a battle and should and can fight that battle as mighty warriors, for we serve a mighty King. Never forget, the King reigns…and His Son!

Author: Chuck Black
Audience: All Ages
Genre: Christian Allegory/Adventure
Pages: 208
Publisher: Multnomah

Come back on Wednesday for an author interview with Chuck Black!

What do you like about the Kingdom Series or the Knights of Arrathtrae Series? Why would you like to win a copy of Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court?

Book Review: The Door Within

“What can I do?” Aidan pleaded. “I can’t fight. I even had a middle schooler beat me up once.”

Aidan is upset about his family moves. Lonely and restless, he ventures into his Grandfather’s basement in search of adventure. He doesn’t expect scrolls to magically appear, but they do. When Aidan chooses to believe what the scrolls say, he becomes part of an adventure bigger than he ever imagined. He enters the land of Alleble, and joins the Glimpses of the realm in a fight against the evil Lord Paragor. Can a teenager from the Mirror Realm save many from death?

Great book! I highly recommend The Door Within and the other two books in the trilogy. I read all three of them in a week! The Door Within gets off to a little bit of a slow start, but stick with it. It gains momentum through the whole book (you won’t be able to put it down), and the beginning is important in the grand scheme of things. Allegorical components add rather than distract from the story, and there’s no magic to worry about.

Author: Wayne Thomas Batson
Audience: All Ages
Genre: Christian Fantasy
Pages: 311
Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Book Review: Worlds Unseen

When they see beyond the sky,
When they know beyond the mind,
When they hear the song of the Burning Light;
Take these Gifts of My Outstretched Hand,
Weave them together.
I shall come.

When Maggie promises to deliver a mysterious scroll to Pravik, she does not realize the magnitude of the journey she is embarking on. A clash between the forces of good and evil is beginning. A struggle that will change the seventh world. Maggie soon realizes that the scroll she carries is an important part of something she does not understand. Whatever happens, she must get it to Pravik. But will fulfilling her promise be enough?

I found this story about a year ago and was hooked from page one. This book is a riveting fantasy story with allegorical elements woven into it. I definitely recommend it. And there’s a bonus. You can read this book free by downloading the pdf file from Rachel Starr Thomson’s website. Be warned, once you read Worlds Unseen you’ll want to buy the other two books in the trilogy!

Author: Rachel Starr Thomson
Audience: 12 and up
Genre: Christian Fantasy
Series: Book one of The Seventh World Trilogy
Pages: 321
Publisher: Little Dozen Press

Join me on Wednesday, June 13th for an author interview with Rachel Starr Thomson!

Book Review: Beauty

“Did I not tell your father that no harm should come to his daughter?” I opened my mouth, and then shut it again, and he continued sadly: “No, you need say nothing. I am a Beast, and a Beast has no honour. But you may trust my word: You are safe here, in my castle and anywhere on my lands.”

Though not normally a fan of fairy tales, this retelling of Beauty and the Beast is a real favorite of mine. When Beauty’s father looses his fortune and the family is forced to move to the country, Beauty adapts to their new life faster than her sisters. She considers herself happy in her new home until her father returns from a trip with a horrifying story.

To save her father from death at the hands of the Beast, Beauty volunteers to leave her family and live at the Beast’s mysterious castle. There she meets him, and after her initial fear begins to fade…Well, I would love to tell you the whole story, but you should read it for yourself.

Audience: 10 through adult (very enjoyable read and not overly romantic)

February 22, 2012

Book Review: Chosen Ones (The Aedyn Chronicles)

“From deep within the shadows of the trees, a hooded figure watched her. Two children were needed to fulfill the prophecy–when would the other appear?”

In a story that is like the Chronicles of Narnia in both plot and writing style, two children arrive at their grandparents home for what promises to be a boring vacation. When Julia discovers that her grandparent’s garden glows when there is no moon, she is intrigued. Scientific Peter does not believe her until he sees it for himself. When they both hear a voice calling them, they step into the silver pool and are whisked into another world.

In the new world, they have new power, but power can corrupt. Three evil lords have enslaved the people and forbidden the remembrance of the Lord of Hosts. An old man tells Julia that she is called to deliver the people. Will she and Peter resist the temptations thrown at them and fulfill the prophecy?

Though I wasn’t thrilled with the writing style, if you like the Chronicles of Narnia, you’ll probably enjoy this story too. The allegorical theme is harder to follow in Chosen Ones, but many aspects of it seem to be drawn directly from The Magicians Nephew and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Happy reading!

Chosen Ones: book 1 in the Aedyn Chronicles