Kingdom’s Reign

“Strand strong, gentlemen, and prepare for battle!” I exclaimed. I kicked my horse and commanded the rest of my men to follow. We rode north at full gallop, up the Chessington Valley, directly toward the enemy. The flow of wind across my face and the pounding of the horse’s hooves upon the ground helped to ease my growing apprehension. A hundred things could go wrong, and we were delivering ourselves into the teeth of the dragon.

Book: Kingdom's Reign (Kingdom, Book 6) by Chuck Black, Multnomah Publishers, 2007

Genre: Allegory

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 11-19

Subjects: Salvation, Power, Trust in God, Rapture, Millennial Kingdom

Summary: “The years ahead will be the darkest the kingdom has ever seen.” Talea looked up at me. “We can be grateful to the King and the Prince that we are not there.” Dark days indeed. When the time of the Prince’s reign in Arrethae finally comes and the Knights of the Prince return to conquer they find much suffering and evil. Some are very hesitant to even trust anyone. And the forces of evil have no intention of surrendering the kingdom. And those who have willingly given their allegiance over to Lucius aren’t interested in a kingdom of peace ruled by the Prince.

Notes: Kingdom’s Reign is the sixth and final book in The Kingdom Series. The Kingdom series is allegory focused on retelling Bible stories in terms of knights and sword fights and castles. Each book focuses on characters learning to put their faith in the one true King and dedicate their lives to His service. The characters face struggles and doubts and failures and have to keep turning back to the King. The books shorten the time frame to days or weeks instead of years or decades or even centuries so as to cover more of the overall timeline of the Bible.

In this book Cedric represents Christians who get taken to Heaven in the rapture, experience Christ’s millennial kingdom on earth and then the final victory over Satan once and for all.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Kingdom’s Quest

Four burly men took Gavinaugh to a rock quarry beyond the surround hills of the city. His bonds were not loosed, so his unprotected body bore the full blow of each fist and foot. When he could no longer stand, he fell to his knees and the rocks beneath him turned red with his blood. The pain of the beating began to fade until it seemed his body was completely numb. He fell face-down with nothing to soften the impact and could vaguely feel the jarring of his body across the jagged rocks as the beating continued, but the pain was nearly gone. A dark cloud descended from the sky and enveloped his mind, giving him a final escape from the brutality of the thugs.

Book: Kingdom's Quest (Kingdom, Book 5) by Chuck Black, Multnomah Publishers, 2007

Genre: Allegory

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 11-19

Subjects: Salvation, Power, Trust in God, Missions

Summary: “You are to travel to Thecia and take the word of the Prince to that city. You must be vigilant, Gavinaugh, for we have received information that the forces of the Dark Knight are plotting to kill you. It is difficult to predict more than that, so you must be on your guard at all times.” Not everyone wants to hear the message of the King. Therefore, not everyone is pleased with Sir Gavinaugh. His mission to spread the news of the King and the Prince to the Outdwellers causes some to seek his death and destruction. One of these comes from a surprising source, a young woman, an angry young woman who wants revenge for who he was years ago. It’s not enough to battle forces of evil, Gavinaugh even has to guard against the person whose life he saved!

Notes: Kingdom’s Quest is the fifth in The Kingdom Series. The Kingdom series is allegory focused on retelling Bible stories in terms of knights and sword fights and castles. Each book focuses on characters learning to put their faith in the one true King and dedicate their lives to His service. The characters face struggles and doubts and failures and have to keep turning back to the King. The books shorten the time frame to days or weeks instead of years or decades or even centuries so as to cover more of the overall timeline of the Bible.

In this book Gavin represents Saul/Paul. He goes on the missionary journeys and experiences imprisonment, being sent to various groups, and preaching the Gospel to all he encounters.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Romans 15:20 - It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation

Kingdom’s Call

After that night, Gavin set his mind to eliminating the Followers as quickly and forcefully as possible. He immersed himself in the task, but as the days and weeks passed, he discovered that this challenge was much greater than he had anticipated. He was fighting an elusive enemy who never attacked the Noble Knights in retaliation. With every haven of Followers he routed out, two more would take its place.

Book: Kingdom's Call (Kingdom, Book 4) by Chuck Black, Multnomah Publishers, 2007

Genre: Allegory

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 11-19

Subjects: Salvation, Power, Trust in God

Summary: “Look into my eyes, Gavin,” the Prince said. “I have been calling you. The peace you seek you will find if you follow Me.” A life changed. The most determined of the Noble Knights, the one who most hates those who follow the one who claimed to be the Prince, the man who filled the prisons to overflowing with Followers – this man encounters the Prince. On his way to hunt down more Followers, chasing them, even out of Chessington into the lands of the Outdwellers, Gavin is struck down and finally encounters all he has been seeking. Encountering the Prince is just the beginning though. Pledging his life to the Prince’s service and learning to boldly declare Him, even to the Outdwellers is much harder!

Notes: Kingdom’s Call is the fourth in The Kingdom Series. The Kingdom series is allegory focused on retelling Bible stories in terms of knights and sword fights and castles. Each book focuses on characters learning to put their faith in the one true King and dedicate their lives to His service. The characters face struggles and doubts and failures and have to keep turning back to the King. The books shorten the time frame to days or weeks instead of years or decades or even centuries so as to cover more of the overall timeline of the Bible.

In this book Gavin represents Saul/Paul. He encounters Jesus on the road to arrest more Christians, faces the challenge of getting the other disciples to accept him and receives his commission to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

   Acts 9:15 – “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he    must suffer for my name.”

Kingdom’s Edge

 “Today your lies and blasphemes end,” Kifus said. “Your death and the deaths of your petty servants will restore order to this kingdom once and for all!”

Book: Kingdom's Edge (Kingdom, Book 3) by Chuck Black, Multnomah Publishers, 2006

Genre: Allegory

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 11-19

Subjects: Salvation, Power, Trust in God

Summary: “People of Arrethrae, My Father has not forgotten you. I come to raise up an army of truth, justice and honor. An army willing to fight and die for the good of the kingdom. An army willing to serve the people. An army that must someday fight the Dark Knight and his Shadow Warriors. I come in the name of the King. I come to serve Him and you. Follow Me and learn the true ways of the Code.” How dare this man claim to be the Son of the King? How dare he challenge the noble knights, those whose ancestors were chosen by Leinad and Quinn for the sole purpose of protecting the kingdom! Yet, there is “something about that man” that draws in Cedric and Quinn and emboldens them. They may be here peasants but this man declares them knights and trains them as such! The Noble Knights have no intention of letting it go that easily though. They will stop at nothing to stop this impostor!

Notes: Kingdom’s Edge is the third in The Kingdom Series. The Kingdom series is allegory focused on retelling Bible stories in terms of knights and sword fights and castles. Each book focuses on characters learning to put their faith in the one true King and dedicate their lives to His service. The characters face struggles and doubts and failures and have to keep turning back to the King. The books shorten the time frame to days or weeks instead of years or decades or even centuries so as to cover more of the overall timeline of the Bible.

In this book Cedric and William represent Jesus’ disciples, untrained, uneducated, unimportant young men called by God to turn the world upside down! They travel with the character who represents Jesus, learn from Him, watch Him suffer and die and rise to life again.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Isaiah 61:1 - The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners

Kingdom’s Hope

Fairos soon appeared and approached Leinad. “As you can see, I have gathered everyone so that they may witness your death today, slave. Your futile attempt to rescue these pathetic people is over, and so is your life.”

Book: Kingdom's Hope (Kingdom, Book 2) by Chuck Black, Multnomah Publishers, 2006

Genre: Allegory

Target Audience: Boys and Girls 11-19

Subjects: Slavery, Power, Trust in God

Summary: “Hear the words of the King: Let my people go!” Simple words to say, but words no one has ever before dared to say to the powerful ruler of Nyland. Leinad approaches with a boldness and confidence not his own, but rather the King’s. Leinad longs to see freedom for his captive people, especially Tess, the young woman who became his closest friend. However, he will be challenging the most powerful man in the kingdom and the greatest swordsman. And he himself is nothing more than a former slave, once believed to be dead. Can he really free his people? And if he does, can he truly lead them to faithfully follow the King?

Notes: Kingdom’s Hope is the second in The Kingdom Series. The Kingdom series is allegory focused on retelling Bible stories in terms of knights and sword fights and castles. Each book focuses on characters learning to put their faith in the one true King and dedicate their lives to His service. The characters face struggles and doubts and failures and have to keep turning back to the King. The books shorten the time frame to days or weeks instead of years or decades or even centuries so as to cover more of the overall timeline of the Bible.

In this book Leinad represents Moses, Samuel, the prophets before and during the exile, and Nehemiah leading them home from exile, waiting for the One who will come and bring salvation.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Exodus 3:7-10 - The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

Shades Of Doon

With a final burst of effort, I lunged for Vee’s hand. Our fingers touched for an instant, and then I was plunging backward into the dark. Spinning into nothingness, I lost Vee, the room, everything but the nauseating sensation of blindly swirling out of control. I was Dorothy Gale – but without a house, minus a little dog, and with no hope of encountering a good witch at the other end of my journey. I was at the mercy of evil, helpless to resist the Wicked Witch of Doon.

Book: Shades of Doon (A Doon Novel) by Carey Corp and Lori Langdon, Blink (Zondervan Publishers), 2015

Genre: Fantasy/Supernatural

Target Audience: Girls 16+

Subjects: Magic, Witchcraft, Dating Relationships, Friendship, Family Relationships, Love

Summary: Confidence is theirs at last. Both Vee and Kenna know that Doon is where they belong. As soon as they decide though, it seems the choice is taken out of their hands. They are thrust back into the modern world without the rings to take them home to Doon again. In Doon, a friend has turned into a betrayer, and the witch is launching a plan to return herself to Doon. Truth lies hidden in old documents. Visions of tragedy may hold the solution – but at what cost? How many lives, hopes and dreams will be forfeit to save the kingdom?

Notes: Doon is a the third in a spin-off series about the legend of Brigadoon or Bridge ‘o Doon, the story that a village in Scotland, in an attempt to fight off the evil influence from the rest of the world, prayed and was blessed with the ability to disappear into the mist and only make contact with the world every hundred years. In this story, characters can come and go from Brigadoon during that time as well as any time if they are wearing one of two magical rings. This story is very focused on the romance aspects. Both girls have just graduated from high school, both come from broken or at least single-parent homes and are looking to control their own destinies. Doon is a world that encourages the exact opposite. They have a strong belief in magic and destiny and some form of ultimate-being. The spiritual elements are hinted at all throughout this series. The two girls wonder and doubt and consider the possibility of the power of prayer and how much God is or should be involved in their lives. One of the people in Doon explains their views that the civilization’s “Creator” or “Protector” is outside the laws of nature and does amazing things that for lack of a better understanding, people call “magic”. Everyone in Doon attends church and to the girls, the princes seem to hold a strong faith. But the book is careful to not make anything too clear. They never outright say that God is the “Protector” of Doon or that putting one’s trust in Him for salvation is necessary. The “Protector” is a benevolent, powerful being, but not necessarily involved in their day to day lives at all, more just there for emergencies. The characters are extremely moral – notably in issues of sex. Jamie gets mad at a character for walking around in his underwear in front of Vee. Neither boy is willing to go too far with the girls.
In this third book, the spiritual elements all but disappear. The characters have to rely on themselves to fight the magic of the witch. This story focuses a bit on the Vee’s negative relationship with both of her parents. There is also an element of trusting those around you. Vee is used to trying to fix things on her own but learns she needs to trust her friends to help her.

Overall, this is an entertaining series, but there isn’t much of spiritual value in it. Any hints of spiritual matters are just left in vague, unclear terms, leaving the reader to just form their own opinions rather than presenting the Scripture.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 1/5

Entertainment Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 4:13-17 – Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

Thank you to Book Look for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Chivalrous

Gwen did not know whether to growl like Mischief or melt into a puddle of tears. But Rosalind did not deserve her temper, and if she started crying, she might never stop. Instead she pulled Angel into her arms once again.

“Plus.” Rosalind held up a finger. “There is a tournament involved. Won’t that be fun?”

“A tournament, to watch idly, from the stands, stuffed into a silken gown.” Grew shook her head in disgust. “I do not wish to watch a tournament. I wish to fight in one.”

As the words poured from her mouth, an idea sparked to life in her head and took hold of her. Before succumbing to a life of drudgery, she would enjoy one glorious hour of triumph!

Book: Chivalrous (Valiant Hearts) by Dina L. Sleiman, Bethany House Publishers, 2015

Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Romance

Target Audience: Girls and Boys 13+

Subjects: Faith in God, Pride, Trust in God rather than self, Abuse, Abortion, Immorality

Summary: Marriage. Every young woman’s dream. Except Gwen’s. Not only does she not have any interest in marriage, her father’s idea of marriage is to get her under control by finding a strong man who will not allow her to do any of the things she enjoys, a man who will keep her very tightly under his control. All Gwen wants to do is spend her days jousting, horse riding and climbing trees – the very things her father finds completely unacceptable for a woman to do. Suddenly though, the simple act of attending the Duke’s tournament sets into motion a chain of events Gwen could never have dreamed of – including the meeting of the one man who actually stirs her interest.

Allen, still hurting a bit from a proposal rejection is simply looking for a place in the world where he can fight for the right reasons under the right leadership. Rumors says that Edendale is exactly that. It’s where the legends of King Arthur are lived out in the kingdom. The tournament sets of a whirlwind of events for him as well. He finds himself a pawn in a movement much bigger than himself.

Both must rethink exactly what it means for one to be chivalrous.

Notes: Chivalrous is second in the Valiant Hearts series. This series focuses on showing strong, independent women and the strong men who love them. The author is encouraging young girls to be bold and strong and follow where God leads them and then if/when God brings a knight in shining armor into the picture, to join together in following God.

Chivalrous focuses on a woman who is wrestling with her desire for things viewed unladylike by society and an independence from a controlling, abusive father. Due to her father’s character and yet willingness to claim to be religious, she has no faith of her own and an incorrect view of God Himself. Allan opens her eyes to the truth of how God views people, especially women and the love God has for her. Allan wrestles a lot with pride. He starts off humble, but when he finds himself thrust into a position of power, he starts to believe it’s owed to him, that God is just obviously rewarding him for being such an extremely good person. A word from a priest recalled at just the right time knocks him back down, showing him that he is allowing his pride to lead him places he was never supposed to go.  

Overall, the book clearly shows the spiritual struggle of the characters from the very beginning and continues the theme consistently through the book.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Enjoyment Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 103:6-14 – The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

Thank you to the author/publisher for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I greatly enjoyed it!