Sir Rowan

Thanks to the recent heat-wave last week, I actually got a book read!  Sir Rowan is the sixth book in the Knights of Arrethtrae Series by Chuck Black.  I’ve read a couple other books in this series (Sir Quinlan and Sir Dalton) and was looking forward to the final book in the series.

Summary:
Sir Rowan rose from humble beginnings to become the most popular knight in the kingdom of Cameria. He looses focus and forgets about his pledge to serve the king. After rising to the top, he is double-crossed and left for dead.  At the last moment, he finds out he has an even higher calling and destiny…

What I Thought:

I’ve enjoyed reading all of Chuck Black’s books. Sir Rowan is an allegory of the Last Days and the book of Revelation. He does a pretty good job at creating allegory in the story, but I’m always left wanting more. When I read, I don’t always want the allegory so obvious. At points I could predict what was coming next or why the name was picked because he took it straight from the Bible or just spelled real places backwards. I always am left wanting more character development too. In spite of that, I’m always drawn to his books. He gives me another way to share my faith with my kids. When I read the book, it gets me thinking and reflecting about things in my own life. I think this whole series is a great discussion tool for parents and older kids. There is even a discussion guide included in the back of each book. Boys especially will be drawn to the way Mr. Black describes battle scenes (not gory). All in all, I’d give this book 4 stars out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for free to review through Blogging for Books from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, but was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor

I’ve been on the look-out for books that my 11 yr. old son might enjoy. When Blogging for Books listed Sir Quinlan by Chuck Black, I jumped at the chance to review it because it looked like a book perfect for my son. (Yes, I was judging a book by its cover because the cover looked so cool!)

Book Summary:

The book documents the transformation of a young man nicknamed Twitch. He and his best friend Tav have been in training with hopes of becoming knights that serve the king. When a furry distraction comes into the camp, Twitch and Tav must choose their course, to follow the king or not.

 What I Thought:

I enjoy reading fantasy books, especially ones that are telling a truth at the same time. Chuck Black’s purpose for writing The Kingdom series is to present Biblical allegory set in medieval times. The allegory teaches Godly character with no magic, mysticism or wizardry. I appreciate that aspect of the book.

Sir Quinlan started off a bit slow but then drew me in. At time though I wanted more.  I wanted to know what certain characters were thinking (like Tav). More depth could have been developed between the characters. I did enjoy the book and it encouraged me to think about how I fight for the King here in our world. In the back of the book are a list of discussion questions by chapter. That was nice to include, especially if you didn’t catch the allegory  in the chapter the first time. I do plan on reading more in this series and feel like this series is a good option for my son.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for free to review through Blogging for Books from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, but was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed here are my own.

God Gave Us So Much

As a mom of 6 kids, I can relate to endless questions being asked. In the limited-edition God Gave Us So Much by Lisa Tawn Bergren, Little Cub shares the questions she thinks about in this three-book series.

In the first book, God Gave Us the World, Little Cub learns that God created the world and everything in it, and that God created all things for a purpose. 

The second book, God Gave Us Love, Little Cub find that it’s hard to love the pesky otters. This time Grampa helps Little Cub learn about different types of love and how God wants us to love others.

In the third book, God Gave Us Heaven, Little Cub and Papa bear talk about the wonder of heaven and the questions that come up when thinking about heaven.

This three-story edition has made it onto our favorites shelf. The conversational way the stories are written paired with Christian principles makes this a book we will enjoy reading often. My young children (2 and 4 yrs) enjoyed the illustrations and could relate to some of the questions Little Cub asked. The stories sparked some nice conversations with my 8yr. old, especially with last book about heaven.  Be warned, this book might not be the best bed-time story as it can open up lots of discussions with your children! We read it after lunch when we had time to talk. :)

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for free to review through Blogging for Books from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, but was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed here are my own.