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Kingdom#2
Kingdom's Hope
A Riveting Medieval Parallel to the Bible
Good and evil clash. Leinad and Cedric are determined to not only survive, but claim hope and victory! In Kingdom’s Dawn, Leinad and Tess, along with all the king’s people, must escape slavery by the powerful Lord Fairos. Kingdom’s Hope finds them free and arriving in the Chessington Valley. But when they forget the king, will Kergon and the Kessons capture them for good? After many years, Kingdom’s Edge finds Cedric living a hopeless life until a stranger appears with powerful words of a new kingdom and a grand army. Finally, Kingdom’s Reign marches you through the danger of earth’s last days as the evil dark knight threatens to defeat the prince once and for all. Swords, knights, and battles define these captivating tales that parallel biblical events from Genesis to Revelation!
Fierce castle lords hold the kingdom hostage.
But a champion is coming…
Fairos thought he had sentenced Leinad to death in the Banteen desert. But he was wrong. Leinad survived. Now, trained by the King himself, Leinad returns—a true Knight of the King. His skill with the sword is unmatched this side of the Great Sea; his resolve is unshakeable. He is determined to fulfill the mission given him by the King and to free the people from their bondage to Lord Fairos.
Leinad’s quest takes him from the chains of slavery, near the jaws of dragons, and close to the arms of love. And when the rest of the kingdom turns away from the King and the Code, Leinad turns to his most faithful ally, Tess. With her help, Leinad struggles to conquer his own doubt. But he must do so soon, for the King’s archenemy, the Dark Knight, is about to unleash his entire evil force, and only Leinad can stop them…
Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil; where the future of the kingdom is at the threshold of either victory or defeat—and one man holds the key.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDED
Story Behind the Book
“When my six kids’ eyes glossed over during a reading from the Bible, I paused to explain the significance of redemption to a sin-sick soul. I was rewarded with patronizing elephant nods and more blank stares. Shortly thereafter, I awoke in the middle of the night with a medieval story enveloping my mind. I wrote it down and later read it to my children. Their waning attention transformed into complete anticipation. I was amazed and disappointed. Why did it take a fictional story, not a Bible passage, to get that response? Then I realized—that is how Jesus taught! Parables are powerful! I penned the Kingdom series to help young people get excited about the supremely significant story of Jesus Christ and His mission to save mankind.”
—Chuck Black
Good and evil clash. Leinad and Cedric are determined to not only survive, but claim hope and victory! In Kingdom’s Dawn, Leinad and Tess, along with all the king’s people, must escape slavery by the powerful Lord Fairos. Kingdom’s Hope finds them free and arriving in the Chessington Valley. But when they forget the king, will Kergon and the Kessons capture them for good? After many years, Kingdom’s Edge finds Cedric living a hopeless life until a stranger appears with powerful words of a new kingdom and a grand army. Finally, Kingdom’s Reign marches you through the danger of earth’s last days as the evil dark knight threatens to defeat the prince once and for all. Swords, knights, and battles define these captivating tales that parallel biblical events from Genesis to Revelation!
Fierce castle lords hold the kingdom hostage.
But a champion is coming…
Fairos thought he had sentenced Leinad to death in the Banteen desert. But he was wrong. Leinad survived. Now, trained by the King himself, Leinad returns—a true Knight of the King. His skill with the sword is unmatched this side of the Great Sea; his resolve is unshakeable. He is determined to fulfill the mission given him by the King and to free the people from their bondage to Lord Fairos.
Leinad’s quest takes him from the chains of slavery, near the jaws of dragons, and close to the arms of love. And when the rest of the kingdom turns away from the King and the Code, Leinad turns to his most faithful ally, Tess. With her help, Leinad struggles to conquer his own doubt. But he must do so soon, for the King’s archenemy, the Dark Knight, is about to unleash his entire evil force, and only Leinad can stop them…
Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil; where the future of the kingdom is at the threshold of either victory or defeat—and one man holds the key.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDED
Story Behind the Book
“When my six kids’ eyes glossed over during a reading from the Bible, I paused to explain the significance of redemption to a sin-sick soul. I was rewarded with patronizing elephant nods and more blank stares. Shortly thereafter, I awoke in the middle of the night with a medieval story enveloping my mind. I wrote it down and later read it to my children. Their waning attention transformed into complete anticipation. I was amazed and disappointed. Why did it take a fictional story, not a Bible passage, to get that response? Then I realized—that is how Jesus taught! Parables are powerful! I penned the Kingdom series to help young people get excited about the supremely significant story of Jesus Christ and His mission to save mankind.”
—Chuck Black
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Chuck Black
33books658followersChuck Black first wroteKingdom’s Edgeto inspire his children to read the Bible with renewed zeal. This captivating expanded parable led him to write the Old Testament allegories,Kingdom’s Dawn,Kingdom’s Hope,Kingdom’s Call,andKingdom’s Quest.Chuck's currents works include theKnights of Arrethtraeseries,Call to Arms,and his series in progress,Wars of the Realm.
Chuck is a former F-16 fighter pilot and currently works as an engineer for a firm designing plastic consumer products and has coinvented eleven patented construction products now being sold internationally. He has a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and served eight years in the United States Air Force. Chuck and his wife have six children and live in North Dakota.
It is Chuck’s desire to serve the Lord through his work and to inspire people of all ages to study the scriptures in order to discover the hope and love of a truly majestic King and His Son.
Chuck is a former F-16 fighter pilot and currently works as an engineer for a firm designing plastic consumer products and has coinvented eleven patented construction products now being sold internationally. He has a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and served eight years in the United States Air Force. Chuck and his wife have six children and live in North Dakota.
It is Chuck’s desire to serve the Lord through his work and to inspire people of all ages to study the scriptures in order to discover the hope and love of a truly majestic King and His Son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
December 20, 2017
Woohoo still loving this. Except one thing... who else is annoyed with the constant mention of names in the dialogue? “Something something something, Leinad.” “Something something something, Tess.” Like, who actually uses names that much when they talk? One thing, guys. That’s all though. xD
February 7, 2023
3.75⭐️
Basically the Israelites liberation from Egypt, told in medieval times
Basically the Israelites liberation from Egypt, told in medieval times
February 26, 2022
The first fifty pages are slow but the end of the book make’s up for that. This book focuses on the book of exodus and has a lot of stories for it.
January 6, 2019
I am really enjoying this series and the plot it is following. Even though it is based from a bible story i really don't feel like I'm reading a bible story as I'm not religious at all. I'm here for the fantasy story it is given. I really like Leinad as a main character and that he knows what the aim of the journey is. I also like bond with Tess and how it was slowly growing to more. I love how chuck describes the battles as he goes in so much depth and it was a joy to listen to on audio. The book kind of had a magical feel to it too with some of the warriors turning up in the middle of nowhere when they are needed.
I gave this book 4 stars and am looking forward to carrying on with the series.
I gave this book 4 stars and am looking forward to carrying on with the series.
July 8, 2020
Really enjoying this series!
February 4, 2024
I love this series! The books move at a good pace, and each chapter has something interesting that keeps the plot moving. I also love that the chapter titles often highlight that interesting tidbit so you know what to look forward to!
Characters:
This story follows Leinad and, in turn, Tess and Audric... I love Leinad and his determination to do right. His doubts of his worthiness just make him so real!
Tess is so loyal and brave... I aspire to be like that.
Audric has such a true heart, and he is just so cool!
Themes:
Staying true to God and remembering that He never turns His back on us, we are the ones who turn our back on Him. He is always there for us!
Romance:
A little bit, and it's so bittersweet... it hurts.
Language:
N/A
Overall:
I live this series! This book has some cool scenes... like the Dragamoths and Leinad refusing to leave anyone behind in that one part... and just...ack! So good!
The audio of this series is epic, too! Just so everyone knows.
Characters:
This story follows Leinad and, in turn, Tess and Audric... I love Leinad and his determination to do right. His doubts of his worthiness just make him so real!
Tess is so loyal and brave... I aspire to be like that.
Audric has such a true heart, and he is just so cool!
Themes:
Staying true to God and remembering that He never turns His back on us, we are the ones who turn our back on Him. He is always there for us!
Romance:
A little bit, and it's so bittersweet... it hurts.
Language:
N/A
Overall:
I live this series! This book has some cool scenes... like the Dragamoths and Leinad refusing to leave anyone behind in that one part... and just...ack! So good!
The audio of this series is epic, too! Just so everyone knows.
April 12, 2024
❝𝓗𝓮 𝓴𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓼𝓸 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱 𝓫𝓲𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓲𝓻𝓬𝓾𝓶𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓯𝓪𝓬𝓮𝓭.❞
This book has me conflicted.
❀ I've seen sooo much hype for this series and to be honest, I didn't really feel it personally, but I can see definitely see it for others.
But,it could be that this is the first book I've read in the series as the person who loaned me the series had misplaced the first book.
✿ However, whatever the reason, I still do think it's a pretty cool book. The very idea of a closely followed allegorical series set in somewhat medieval -type setting is pretty cool. I also LOVED the discussion questions at the end of the book, and I thought it would've been cool if underneath the chapter titles it said the Bible passages they were based upon.
❀ I think the biggest thing that bugged me was the writing. I'm not really sure what age the series is geared towards (I assume 8-12 year olds) but I guess I've just gotten used to reading strong YA-Adult books. For the first two thirds of the book's writing fell flat to me and didn't grasp me (but again I think I'm not exactly the age range lol). Although, for the last one third of the book the writing did finally grasp me and I really felt the emotional toll of one of the scenes.
✿ It's incredibly unfortunate that I don't have the first book because I think it would've explained a lot of my confusion and perhaps I'd understand why our main character was constantly calling Tess 'Sunshine'
❀ Overall, it's a cool book and I'll definitely be checking out the other books. I'm curious if my rating would've been higher if I was closer to the age range, as I think Elementary to Middle School kiddos would really eat this book up. I also think it would make a really cool Bible Study if you read this book with the chapters in the Bible it parallels.
Absolutely no hate at all to this series. To wrap up my final thoughts, I liked how the author included both a female & male main[ish] character so kiddos can see how Godly Women and Men should act in the face of the physical and spiritual battles of life.
Content:Slightly descriptive animal deaths, slightly described battles and battle injuries
Age Recommendation:8+
This book has me conflicted.
❀ I've seen sooo much hype for this series and to be honest, I didn't really feel it personally, but I can see definitely see it for others.
But,it could be that this is the first book I've read in the series as the person who loaned me the series had misplaced the first book.
✿ However, whatever the reason, I still do think it's a pretty cool book. The very idea of a closely followed allegorical series set in somewhat medieval -type setting is pretty cool. I also LOVED the discussion questions at the end of the book, and I thought it would've been cool if underneath the chapter titles it said the Bible passages they were based upon.
❀ I think the biggest thing that bugged me was the writing. I'm not really sure what age the series is geared towards (I assume 8-12 year olds) but I guess I've just gotten used to reading strong YA-Adult books. For the first two thirds of the book's writing fell flat to me and didn't grasp me (but again I think I'm not exactly the age range lol). Although, for the last one third of the book the writing did finally grasp me and I really felt the emotional toll of one of the scenes.
✿ It's incredibly unfortunate that I don't have the first book because I think it would've explained a lot of my confusion and perhaps I'd understand why our main character was constantly calling Tess 'Sunshine'
❀ Overall, it's a cool book and I'll definitely be checking out the other books. I'm curious if my rating would've been higher if I was closer to the age range, as I think Elementary to Middle School kiddos would really eat this book up. I also think it would make a really cool Bible Study if you read this book with the chapters in the Bible it parallels.
Absolutely no hate at all to this series. To wrap up my final thoughts, I liked how the author included both a female & male main[ish] character so kiddos can see how Godly Women and Men should act in the face of the physical and spiritual battles of life.
Content:Slightly descriptive animal deaths, slightly described battles and battle injuries
Age Recommendation:8+
June 16, 2021
I am astonished!❤️🥺 This book guys! I love this book! I almost had a heart attack the last 20 pages. And when Leinad said “I love you.” to Tess I literally screamed. And when Tess almost DiEd I was like *insert screaming/crying here* I did NOT want her to die. And then Tess died anyway of an illness and Leinad didn’t have very much time with Tess. And they finally admitted their feelings for each other. And now she’s GONE!🥺❤️ *eternal tears* I’m sad🥺🥺 ughhhhh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2016
Just flipped through this again to look at the fight scenes on a friend's recommendation. Same as the first: It could have been really good if he'd taken the time and space to develop it properly. If I remember right, Leinad and Tess's relationship seemed out of place when I first read it, but (could just be that I skipped over most of it) it seemed more realistic to me this time. Walls of caution that were finally broken down, realization that she was just waiting on him, and all. That happens sometimes. And is Black a fan of LOTR? Because crossing the Great Sea sounds suspiciously like going into the West. I may finish the series at some point. I hear they get better after the next book.
November 19, 2011
Lienad and Tess are two amazing characters. I loved reading how they stand beside the King, no matter who is against them, and never waver in their trust for them. This is my second time through, but each adventure was just as good as the first time.
Love this medieval/fantasy retelling of the Bible!
Love this medieval/fantasy retelling of the Bible!
February 4, 2024
It was awesome!!! Everything we've come to expect from a Chuck Black book!!! Kept us on the edge of our seats!!! Aww, just such a great book in such a great series!!!!
March 20, 2024
This series is fun. No thinking required just a fun group of books.
January 23, 2022
The 2nd instalment of 6 in the Kingdom series; picking up where volume 1 left off. The establishment of the people in Chessington and the delivery of the sword of hope. We see the tale of Leinad come to its conclusion with an appearance by Lucius and his evil forces. The Silent Warriors help to save Chessington, but the enemy is only in retreat; not defeated. That is yet to come.
Love the analogy of this book to the narrative of Scripture. You love the people who are faithful to the King, and I love how the author revered the king - you can’t help but want to be there, serving the King!
Love the analogy of this book to the narrative of Scripture. You love the people who are faithful to the King, and I love how the author revered the king - you can’t help but want to be there, serving the King!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2020
Read it in three sittings (chapter 1, then 2-5, and 6 to end). Love it and terribly encouraged by it.
January 20, 2024
I remember listening to these books in the car when I was younger, back when we had to listen to it on a CD: the ones you borrowed from the library and crossed your fingers that it wasn’t scratched. Many years later here I am listening to them again, this time on a little device. I still love it.
April 14, 2023
I won't lie - I love Leinad and Tess so much. Listening to this story again makes me highly aware of the loose plot but what a killer Old Testament allegory. Probably 3.5 stars but I wouldn't hesitate to listen again and again as I have since childhood.
November 29, 2017
After days of fighting, a losing Farios has finally had enough and releases them. Leinad leads them away until they get to the red Canyon and all hope of escape is lost. I love how Chuck Black shows the character of Leinad and his loyalty to the people. They finally reach home, Chessington, and settle into a beautiful life there until Lord Quinn takes a wife and she does not serve and honor the King, nor do her guards. Lord Quinn is then killed and the people of Chessington are taken away. For Leinad it's a time of remorse, and reflection. He begins to realize that Tess is more than just a friend, but he stuffs his emotions away. After many weeks of captivity, they are freed and go back to Chessington, but it will never be as it once was. They work hard to rebuild their life there and everything seems back to normal and then an army of Shadow Warriors come. (Basically the warriors who work for The Dark Knight or Satan) They finally defeat them…or so it seems. One comes running back, trying to kill Leinad…in that a moment, a sacrifice is made. Instead of Leinad, Tess is stabbed in a fatal spot. To make her stay with Leinad would be wrong. She must go to the Kingdom on across the Great Sea. In the moment of treachery and anguish, Leinad realizes that she was more then just a counselor and friend. She was his love. She says that she will not go to the Kingdom across the Great Sea, cannot go there. There is no wrong or detailed romance in the book. She stays with Leinad a few years longer, until there is no other choice, and Leinad must wait to see her until he is also called home.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2013
Well, this book may be a bit better than the 3 I'm giving it here. I got the audio book from Audible and it's done... "DRAMATICALLY".
I'm not big on audio books with a cast of multiple readers, mood music throughout, sound effects and so on. A good book and a good narrator make a good read. For me the rest is simply annoying.
This is an overtly "allegorical" book, though not in the sense that sayPilgrims Progress Gift Bkis. That is a picture of the Christian journey through life told within a symbolic story. Here we tell the story in the Bible starting with the picture of human rebellion and how the angelic rebellion of Satan led into the rebellion of humanity.
It's usually quite easy to see who the "adapted" characters are. Not so much for the primary character as he fills several roles.
I like the book and have no problem with the way the story is told. It seems a bit "spare" or sketched out and I think could use more depth. As noted I'm not thrilled with the audio version I bought from Audible. I will probably keep it as it's only around a $6 purchase (and it's only a 3 hour read). I don't know if I'll follow it up or not. We'll see.
So a very middle of the road 3 stars. Readable and a good story, could use more development as a novel.
I'm not big on audio books with a cast of multiple readers, mood music throughout, sound effects and so on. A good book and a good narrator make a good read. For me the rest is simply annoying.
This is an overtly "allegorical" book, though not in the sense that sayPilgrims Progress Gift Bkis. That is a picture of the Christian journey through life told within a symbolic story. Here we tell the story in the Bible starting with the picture of human rebellion and how the angelic rebellion of Satan led into the rebellion of humanity.
It's usually quite easy to see who the "adapted" characters are. Not so much for the primary character as he fills several roles.
I like the book and have no problem with the way the story is told. It seems a bit "spare" or sketched out and I think could use more depth. As noted I'm not thrilled with the audio version I bought from Audible. I will probably keep it as it's only around a $6 purchase (and it's only a 3 hour read). I don't know if I'll follow it up or not. We'll see.
So a very middle of the road 3 stars. Readable and a good story, could use more development as a novel.
September 29, 2013
I still haven't warmed to this series. The problem is that I really like a cogent coherent plot, not just things happening. The big failing of allegory is that the plot is always subservient to the moral of the story.
Leinad has morphed again and now is, by turns, a Moses figure, then a Samuel, Elijah, Daniel and finally a Nehemiah.
And much as I dislike saying it, I find the 'God figure' here - the King of Arrenthtrae - to have fallen victim to one of the oldest issues of an allegorical/fantasy mix: he appears absent and impotent. The mystery of his strange appearances in the nick of time are never addressed; if he can be there in dire danger, why can't he be there all the time?
By portraying the king as basically human - or rather, by not exercising due diligence in pointing out he's an analogy for a spirit - his actions seem inconsistent and aloof.
I was told the series was a superb one - but I've yet to be convinced.
Leinad has morphed again and now is, by turns, a Moses figure, then a Samuel, Elijah, Daniel and finally a Nehemiah.
And much as I dislike saying it, I find the 'God figure' here - the King of Arrenthtrae - to have fallen victim to one of the oldest issues of an allegorical/fantasy mix: he appears absent and impotent. The mystery of his strange appearances in the nick of time are never addressed; if he can be there in dire danger, why can't he be there all the time?
By portraying the king as basically human - or rather, by not exercising due diligence in pointing out he's an analogy for a spirit - his actions seem inconsistent and aloof.
I was told the series was a superb one - but I've yet to be convinced.
December 1, 2010
My Review
The story starts with Lianad riding towards a battle. A lot of the time when this happens, the book doesn't quite pull it off. This one did. And it did it well. As I said before, the action in this book is great. Mr. Black captures the heat of battle and forms it into words greatly. I've always been a fan of a good sword (or lightsaber) battle. Kingdom's Hope has many of them.
If anything, this book expands the characters of the first book even more. There are new characters that make big impacts on the story. Again, Mr. Black converts people and places from the bible to a great fantasy story.
Austin (http://ReadingTween.blogspot.com/)
The story starts with Lianad riding towards a battle. A lot of the time when this happens, the book doesn't quite pull it off. This one did. And it did it well. As I said before, the action in this book is great. Mr. Black captures the heat of battle and forms it into words greatly. I've always been a fan of a good sword (or lightsaber) battle. Kingdom's Hope has many of them.
If anything, this book expands the characters of the first book even more. There are new characters that make big impacts on the story. Again, Mr. Black converts people and places from the bible to a great fantasy story.
Austin (http://ReadingTween.blogspot.com/)
March 22, 2017
This book definitely broke the "show don't tell" rule. Also, I'm not ok with everyone repackaging the Bible into some kind of fantasy/sci-fi book instead of finding their own plot.
But the MC is not only Seth, but Nehemiah, Moses, and another prophet in this book (can't remember the third one grr) so it reads like some AU OoC fanfic. And I'm strangely ok with that.
(If you get my reference above I will consider you my Goodreads bff:) )
But the MC is not only Seth, but Nehemiah, Moses, and another prophet in this book (can't remember the third one grr) so it reads like some AU OoC fanfic. And I'm strangely ok with that.
(If you get my reference above I will consider you my Goodreads bff:) )
July 29, 2015
This book was (I think) waayyyy better then the first. "Kingdoms Dawn" (but that one I did like and it was good!), I really liked this one! (to bad it's not on my book shelf instead of my sisters:( ) the ending ah so, bittersweet. that is all I shall say about it for now:)
October 28, 2015
Great books!
November 28, 2020
4.8
Wow. Again could have gone with a little more detail, but still fantastic! This one was very fast paced which was nice.
OVERVIEW
"Fairos thought he had sentenced Leinad to death in the Banteen desert. But he was wrong. Leinad survived. Now, trained by the King himself, Leinad returns—a true Knight of the King. His skill with the sword is unmatched this side of the Great Sea; his resolve is unshakeable. He is determined to fulfill the mission given him by the King and to free the people from their bondage to Lord Fairos. Leinad’s quest takes him from the chains of slavery, near the jaws of dragons, and close to the arms of love. And when the rest of the kingdom turns away from the King and the Code, Leinad turns to his most faithful ally, Tess. With her help, Leinad struggles to conquer his own doubt. But he must do so soon, for the King’s archenemy, the Dark Knight, is about to unleash his entire evil force, and only Leinad can stop them… Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil; where the future of the kingdom is at the threshold of either victory or defeat—and one man holds the key."
POSITIVE ELEMENTS
Again, Leinad stands firm in his beliefs even when faced with awful consequences. Tess and Audric stand beside him.
VIOLENCE
Lots of sword fights and mentions of a war. Leinad has to fight and tries not to kill unnecessarily. Mentions of being near death and in pain. A boy is accidentally killed by his father. Mentions of feeling vengeful.
SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
Many, many, many biblical parallels and truths are shared in this story. Each character represents some one from the Bible in each chapter. "The King reigns" is a common phrase. Mentions of those who oppose the King.
SEXUAL CONTENT
Leinad falls on love with Tess. Mentions of her beauty and his feelings. He kisses her hand and forehead. It is later said that they got married.
LANGUAGE
Nothing. One man says "curse you all" when the King's people complain after they were just saved.
OTHER NOTES
***SPOILER***at one point, Leinad, Tess and Audric refuse to bow before a man and are thrown to a creature called a dragonmouth. They are rescued by the Prince (similar story to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego)***END SPOILER***
Wow. Again could have gone with a little more detail, but still fantastic! This one was very fast paced which was nice.
OVERVIEW
"Fairos thought he had sentenced Leinad to death in the Banteen desert. But he was wrong. Leinad survived. Now, trained by the King himself, Leinad returns—a true Knight of the King. His skill with the sword is unmatched this side of the Great Sea; his resolve is unshakeable. He is determined to fulfill the mission given him by the King and to free the people from their bondage to Lord Fairos. Leinad’s quest takes him from the chains of slavery, near the jaws of dragons, and close to the arms of love. And when the rest of the kingdom turns away from the King and the Code, Leinad turns to his most faithful ally, Tess. With her help, Leinad struggles to conquer his own doubt. But he must do so soon, for the King’s archenemy, the Dark Knight, is about to unleash his entire evil force, and only Leinad can stop them… Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil; where the future of the kingdom is at the threshold of either victory or defeat—and one man holds the key."
POSITIVE ELEMENTS
Again, Leinad stands firm in his beliefs even when faced with awful consequences. Tess and Audric stand beside him.
VIOLENCE
Lots of sword fights and mentions of a war. Leinad has to fight and tries not to kill unnecessarily. Mentions of being near death and in pain. A boy is accidentally killed by his father. Mentions of feeling vengeful.
SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
Many, many, many biblical parallels and truths are shared in this story. Each character represents some one from the Bible in each chapter. "The King reigns" is a common phrase. Mentions of those who oppose the King.
SEXUAL CONTENT
Leinad falls on love with Tess. Mentions of her beauty and his feelings. He kisses her hand and forehead. It is later said that they got married.
LANGUAGE
Nothing. One man says "curse you all" when the King's people complain after they were just saved.
OTHER NOTES
***SPOILER***at one point, Leinad, Tess and Audric refuse to bow before a man and are thrown to a creature called a dragonmouth. They are rescued by the Prince (similar story to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego)***END SPOILER***
June 14, 2017
This book and series are very charming and fun, although I must complain about the allegorical 10 Commandments mentioned. I love Christian allegories in general, but this allegorical book created the "Code" to represent the 10 Commandments, but it has only a couple commands that are similar to the originals in the Bible. I am perfectly fine with authors slightly rewording Scripture in order to make it work within an allegorical world, but the Code is completely different from the 10 Commandments. And the author specifically states in his discussion Q & A at the end of the book that the Code represents the 10 Commandments, so I am not imagining the symbolic nature of the Code. The Code does not teach bad things; it teaches good things, many of which are referenced elsewhere in the Bible, but that does not excuse the completely inaccurate symbol. Furthermore, the Code commands people to be "compassionate," "merciful," "courageous," "noble," and "humble." Again, these are good traits that the Bible does talk about, however, the 10 Commandments are laws and rules about things to "do" or "not do". They were not about character traits, but about actions. It is Jesus who switches the focus from outward acts to inward traits, but He has not yet arrived in this allegorical world to change the way we think. The 10 Commandments' purpose was to show to the people that they are impossible to follow perfectly without first being changed within: only Jesus had the ability to live according to them his entire life. We had to first understand problems of only thinking according to unbreakable, inflexible "yes" or "no" laws before we could understand why we needed Jesus and why we needed to change on the inside rather than just outwardly. We had to try to live by only changing our outward actions and fail before being able to understand the necessity of changing our inward character traits in order to produce the righteous acts described in the 10 Commandments.
September 4, 2018
The second book in Chuck Blacks Kingdom series continues an excellent story. If you like the first book, you'll it definitely enjoy the second.
What I like so much about Chuck blacks books is the reminder of why we are here. If you're Christian, you believe that God created us and gave us a mission. We are to take dominion and increase. That mission was added to by the Son Of God, Jesus, when he commanded us to tell people about himself. We're to love one another and spread the gospel, the good news. But sometimes we get lost in our quest and end up filling our lives with work and play. The daily 9 to 5 demands more extracurricular activities including sports, clubs, organizations, and even church. Those diversions steal our time and cause us to forget what life is all about. Kingdoms Hope reminds us that we are here for a reason. We are here to follow the calling given to us by God. Through thick and thin, God is always there, and He's waiting for us to successfully complete our mission.
I must say that I was a bit disappointed by part of the ending. Leinad lost something very valuable and important. It happened as a bit of a shock. It's one of those moments in a book that makes you wonder how much one person can take. It was lost gracefully, so it maybe it wasn't so bad once it was over, but I still wish Leinad didn't have to go through so much!
It's looking like book 3 will change the direction of the series' story. We will be hearing the tail from another character, not Leinad.
I encourage you to read Chuck Black's Kingdom series! Kingdoms hope is a good book and its only part 2 in the 6 book series!
What I like so much about Chuck blacks books is the reminder of why we are here. If you're Christian, you believe that God created us and gave us a mission. We are to take dominion and increase. That mission was added to by the Son Of God, Jesus, when he commanded us to tell people about himself. We're to love one another and spread the gospel, the good news. But sometimes we get lost in our quest and end up filling our lives with work and play. The daily 9 to 5 demands more extracurricular activities including sports, clubs, organizations, and even church. Those diversions steal our time and cause us to forget what life is all about. Kingdoms Hope reminds us that we are here for a reason. We are here to follow the calling given to us by God. Through thick and thin, God is always there, and He's waiting for us to successfully complete our mission.
I must say that I was a bit disappointed by part of the ending. Leinad lost something very valuable and important. It happened as a bit of a shock. It's one of those moments in a book that makes you wonder how much one person can take. It was lost gracefully, so it maybe it wasn't so bad once it was over, but I still wish Leinad didn't have to go through so much!
It's looking like book 3 will change the direction of the series' story. We will be hearing the tail from another character, not Leinad.
I encourage you to read Chuck Black's Kingdom series! Kingdoms hope is a good book and its only part 2 in the 6 book series!
July 29, 2021
Leinad learns that he must confront Lord Fairos and free the hundreds of slaves. After the loss of someone significant, Lord Fairos lets the slaves follow Leinad, but soon sends troops to kill them all. They survive and eventually find land to settle upon for a new kingdom. After a time the appointed leader falls in love and marries a women who has ulterior motives.
When Leinad warns them of an impending attack he is thrown in the dungeon. When Leinad is let out, he stands by his old friend who is outnumbered and the people become slaves again.
Refusing to bow down to the newly proclaimed king of the land, Leinad and 2 friends are forced to fend off dragons and succeed with a little help. This grants them slave privileges in the castle. The castle is attached and the king killed, free again, Leinad leads his people back to their own land.
Leinad is called away to help an old friend. While there he learns that his home land is under attack. He rides back to defend his home. The force retreats after reinforcements arrive.
Leinad can finally have some peace for a while.
When Leinad warns them of an impending attack he is thrown in the dungeon. When Leinad is let out, he stands by his old friend who is outnumbered and the people become slaves again.
Refusing to bow down to the newly proclaimed king of the land, Leinad and 2 friends are forced to fend off dragons and succeed with a little help. This grants them slave privileges in the castle. The castle is attached and the king killed, free again, Leinad leads his people back to their own land.
Leinad is called away to help an old friend. While there he learns that his home land is under attack. He rides back to defend his home. The force retreats after reinforcements arrive.
Leinad can finally have some peace for a while.
August 23, 2023
I’m currently working on reading through this series again, and I greatly enjoyed rereading this book. This is at least the third time I’ve read the series, and although I’m well beyond the age of the book’s intended audience, I enjoyed it just as much this time around as I have other times. Chuck Black writes books with heart, adventure, and a wonderful respect for God and His work in people’s lives. I love the way he brings true Bible stories into a new setting, and it’s fun guessing, as the stories go on, which characters represent which people from the Bible. This book also has a decent amount of adventure—I particularly enjoyed how the story of Daniel in the lion’s den and the three Hebrew children were combined to make a powerful scene. Overall, recommended, if you enjoy fantasy from an allegorical Biblical perspective!
February 10, 2020
I’ve been reading this series (back-and-forth style) with my ten-year-old son. We’ll discuss the key points and address the questions in the back (brilliant!) every chapter or two. The biblical allegory can be rigid, but it excels especially in the personal decisions that are made in light of truth.
My son and I have had great discussions about living for a purpose, being versus living the Code, and believing in the goodness of God. As a sequel, this didn’t drop off the excitement level. Also, it wasn’t just a plot filler for the next one. You might expect a book like this to be very linear, connecting one dot to the next, but it included many unexpected and memorable diversions and sub-plots.
Thanks Chuck Black for filling a void and doing it well!
My son and I have had great discussions about living for a purpose, being versus living the Code, and believing in the goodness of God. As a sequel, this didn’t drop off the excitement level. Also, it wasn’t just a plot filler for the next one. You might expect a book like this to be very linear, connecting one dot to the next, but it included many unexpected and memorable diversions and sub-plots.
Thanks Chuck Black for filling a void and doing it well!
September 30, 2019
This book was very good. It is obviously retelling the Bible and it does a nice job of it. The author makes a point of not having magic and mysticism. I appreciate what he is doing, but at the same time it kind of diminishes God's miracles. It creates story telling problems more than theological problems, but the theological issues are there for someone still learning the Bible.
The big mark against the book, however, is the tremendous difficulty in reading it aloud. Awkward syntax, lilted dialogue, difficult diction. It can become almost like a tongue twister. If I had to do it again, I would find the audio books (I think it is a full cast radio drama) and we would enjoy those instead.
The big mark against the book, however, is the tremendous difficulty in reading it aloud. Awkward syntax, lilted dialogue, difficult diction. It can become almost like a tongue twister. If I had to do it again, I would find the audio books (I think it is a full cast radio drama) and we would enjoy those instead.
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