Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor
by Chuck Black
Reviewed by Jennifer Bogart
"Celebrated author Chuck Black again delights readers of his Christian fantasy parables, filling the pages of Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor with faith challenges, character growth, and wildly fantastic creatures."
Sir Quinlan is a shy knight, unskilled with a sword, orphaned, and something of a social outcast. Marked by a nervous facial tic, he is known as “Twitch” to those who know him; his true name largely forgotten. His informally adopted brother Gustav, or “Tav” on the other hand is handsome, confident, and a gifted swordsman.
Though mismatched, these knights of the Prince share a deep affection and a great deal of time with one another. When they discover a new pet, the paytha, they both adopt one, only to find these pets drawing them away from their activities at the haven of Burkefield. The paths of Gustav and Quinlan soon diverge as they are confronted with the call to deeper service in the name of the Prince.
Celebrated author Chuck Black again delights readers of his Christian fantasy parables, filling the pages of Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor with faith challenges, character growth, and wildly fantastic creatures. Quinlan is such an authentic character, and it is delightful to watch him growing into his faith and maturing as a believer. I’ve not seen this sort of development so clearly laid out in one of the Knights of Arrethrae novels, so this is definitely one of my favorites.
Though the fifth of a sequel series, Sir Quinlan can be easily read as a stand-alone, though it will be clear to those who have followed this series that the forces of darkness are escalating their efforts. I was again delighted to read this action-packed tale aloud to my family, who would always beg for another chapter. With in-depth study and discussion questions provided chapter-by-chapter, Sir Quinlan is also a wonderful choice for family devotions, faith-based young adult book clubs, and homeschoolers.
Those who deeply appreciate
the character-filled insights of the series that presents the challenges
and victories of the Christian life might
feel disappointed to learn that there is only a single title following
this one before the series is complete. Hope is on the horizon however,
as plans are being made to create a movie based upon Black’s original
Kingdom series. Our family, for one, is eagerly awaiting its release!
Jennifer
Bogart is a child of God, wife and homeschooling mother
of three young children (so far). She writes homeschooling resources with her
husband at Bogart Family Resources, and reviews as a creative outlet. Passionately
dedicated
to
promoting
the
work
of
Christian authors and artists, her blog
Quiverfull Family features
reviews, contests, family updates, homeschooling tidbits and well - a bit of
everything.
