Review: Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest

The sixth, and final, book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series by Chuck Black is probably the best of the series.  Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest takes on the task of showing the fatal consequences of pride and the subtle, slow manner that Satan conquers us through our belief in ourselves over all else.

Rowan starts out life as an orphan on the streets of Cameria.  He only wants one thing:  to learn to sword fight and join in the grand tournaments -- this is truly success in the Arrethtrae kingdom.  The idea of "more crowds. More cheering.  More glory and gold" is his total focus.  And he finally gets his chance when he meets Sir Aldwyn, a Knight of the Prince, who agrees to teach him the art of sword-play and the message of the Prince.  Rowan proves an amazing student who soon surpasses his teacher and begins to win ... win big ... win the praise and adulation of the crowds.  Problems arise, though, when Rowan forgets Who gave him this talent, forgets about sharing the message of the Prince, and instead assumes all the glory to himself.  Rowan falls heavily into the sin of pride. 

And boy, does he have to pay the price to redeem himself before it's too late.

Black's book is an excellent allegory for the end-times, Christ's coming back to separate the wheat from the chaff, the believers from the non-believers.  On which side will Rowan find himself?  The message of this book is cloaked in a well-written, action-packed story that will teach without tiring ... will be remembered long in the minds of readers as they begin to see around themselves the false praise of the crowd and remember the message of the Prince!

Definitely recommend this book, and all the books, in the series for all tweens/teen readers.  NOTE:  you do NOT have to read the books in sequence or even all of them to understand the message -- each of the volumes is its own story from start to finish with a different theme surrounding a good Christian life.

Here are all six of the titles in the Knights of Arretthrae series -- all suitable for tween/teen boys (and girls!):
1.  Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione
2.  Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court
3.  Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart
4.  Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue
5. Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor (review here)
6.  Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest

DISCLAIMER:  I received Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest as part of the Blogging for Books program.  The review above is my honest reaction to the book -- yes, it is that good!
 

Looking for a book series for your sons?

Have I got a series to recommend to you! 

My 11 yo son and I both recently read Book 5: The Knights of Arrethtrae: Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor by Chuck Black.  My son and I both immediately than got Book 1 and are anxiously awaiting books 2-4!  Yes, the books are that good.  The books can be read out-of-order and are stand-alone stories so don't feel like you have to read each and every one. 

[The following review is specifically about Sir Quinlan.]

Sir Quinlan begins in a world where the Silent Warriors are in a battle with the Shadow Warriors.  In the village of Burkfield, two boys are raised together.  One, the son of the house, is an amazing teen-warrior.  The star of his academy, Tav has it all: skill, a loving family, even a local girl who likes him.  Twitch, an orphan raised as Tav's almost-brother, is not as fortunate:  not as skilled a warrior, loved but underappreciated by his adoptive family, noone to love him ... That's how the book starts, but positions quickly change when the young men each make their own choices:  Tav to stay in the village and not follow the Prince; Twitch, to give up all, go against his "family's" wishes, and fight for the Prince.  How these personal choices affect each boy and his whole life are the subject of the rest of the book.

This book has it all:  good vs evil ... scary creatures ... tough battles.  Chuck Black, the author and former F-16 pilot, brings to the story some amazing battle tactics and strategic warfare that makes the story shine.  Black also brings to the story his Christian faith -- which shouts out from each page in the classic battle between God and His people and Lucifer and his minions.  The theme of this book is the great danger of apathy and its insidiousness that allows diabolical events to occur unchecked.  At the end of the book are study questions for using this book a a teaching tool -- excellent reinforcement of the message!

Both Lego Maniac and I really liked this story; and the underlying message is one that a Christian parents wants her children to learn and take to heart.  Thank you, Chuck Black, for writing such a great series for tween/teen boys -- a group of readers that are often overlooked in deep, meaningful contemporary literature.

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Disclaimer:  I received a review copy of Sir Quinlan from WaterBrook Multnomah's "Blogging for Books" program.  The above review is my honest reaction to the book.