The Light of Eidon (Legends of the Guardian-King, #1)

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The Light of Eidon (Legends of the Guardian-King #1)

3.9 of 5 stars 3.90 · rating details · 1,411 ratings · 149 reviews

Book 1 of Legends of the Guardian King which follows the life of Abramm Kalladorne in his turbulent search for truth and self--a search that will transform him from a sickly, head-in-the-clouds youth to a legendary hero of strength and courage. Set in a world of swords and cloaks, of glittering palaces and mystical temples, of galley ships and ancient, mist-bound cities, h...more

Paperback, 432 pages

Published July 1st 2003 by Bethany House Publishers (first published June 1st 2003)

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The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Christian Fantasy

33rd out of 243 books — 307 voters

Christy Award Winners

28th out of 114 books — 69 voters

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Jun 16, 2012 D.M. Dutcher rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian, fantasy

A christian fantasy with unlikable characters and a fair amount of genre twisting and tweaking.

Eldrin is a royal heir way down the succession line, and has chosen to enter the Eidonnite priesthood. It's his coming of age when we find out the royal situation is nowhere as stable as he thought, nor the Eidonnite religion, nor even the love his family has for him. Life is about to get very bad for Eldrin, but maybe there's a light at the end of the tunnel in the revelation of a true faith he can be...more A christian fantasy with unlikable characters and a fair amount of genre twisting and tweaking.

Eldrin is a royal heir way down the succession line, and has chosen to enter the Eidonnite priesthood. It's his coming of age when we find out the royal situation is nowhere as stable as he thought, nor the Eidonnite religion, nor even the love his family has for him. Life is about to get very bad for Eldrin, but maybe there's a light at the end of the tunnel in the revelation of a true faith he can believe in.

The characters are annoying or two dimensional. Eldrin starts out as a massive wimp, but gets better although it takes a long time to do so. His sister Carinna never gets better, and the rest of the characters never came alive beyond their appointed roles. The world starts out typical, but takes an engaging switch later on, which redeems the book some. There's also some relatively edgy decisions for a Christian book to take, some of which work, some of which may not. I'll mention them later under spoilers. The world is okay, with some nice touches and a lot of generic blandness.

Spoilers about the edgy nature of the book:

(view spoiler)

It's not too edgy, but if you are relatively sheltered you might be surprised.

Plot is okay, but I'm not a fan of plotting for a trilogy like this because Eldrin starts out with a motivation he more or less ignores due to being placed in other circumstances. This is the "toughening up" book, and it used to be that this would just be the first part of a single novel.

It's a book with a willingness to turn some genre conventions on its ears. I wish it would have taken more chances and been more creative though: as it is, it's just solid and likable, not must-read.(less)

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Apr 14, 2012 Benjamin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had a hard time caring about the main character. It's clear that his Ben Hur story arc and his macho transformation are supposed to be the stuff of epic page turners, but the guy is just really, really bland. The book climaxes with the epiphany that his greatest obstacle is pride and self-reliance and that everything he's accomplished is actually his deity acting through him; the character's own actions only ever get in the way. I doubt it was the intention, but this plot point turns the clich...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The story is compelling, the characters engaging, the plot continually twisting and turning, both physically and emotionally. I had a hard time putting this one down. The tale seems to flow almost effortlessly, each plot point encouraging the reader to discover the next. And I say 'effortlessly' because there are some minor bumps in the road: grammatical errors, word repetition… Thankfully, these are few. There is one character, Katahn, who...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: spec-fic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. c2003. This was a freebie from the Kindle bookshop. I realise that the next sentence is highly politically incorrect but as these reviews are more of a memory jog for myself (and hopefully too inconsequential for anybody else to read), I am going to state my first thought. Do not be put off by the fact that this book is by a 'Christian' author or that the book is somehow classed as Christian literature. It is a jolly good read. The writing is not high falutin', the plot is simple and the charact...more

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Jan 24, 2011 Timothy Ward rated it 4 of 5 stars

Karen Hancock has made a significant contribution to the genre of Christian Fantasy with her novel, Light of Eidon. Her allegories are illuminating, accurate to biblical truth and very creative. I enjoyed her characters and how they came from so many viewpoints; they were all true to themselves and left a lasting impression. Her crisp prose never settled for boring description and in doing so kept this world alive. I was glad that she kept me guessing, and even more at how many times I guessed w...more Karen Hancock has made a significant contribution to the genre of Christian Fantasy with her novel, Light of Eidon. Her allegories are illuminating, accurate to biblical truth and very creative. I enjoyed her characters and how they came from so many viewpoints; they were all true to themselves and left a lasting impression. Her crisp prose never settled for boring description and in doing so kept this world alive. I was glad that she kept me guessing, and even more at how many times I guessed wrong. Karen also does a great job keeping you emotionally involved. Her main character, Abramm is a strong protagonist that is well worth being the focal point of a series. On top of all this, I loved her action scenes. This world has a gladiator type system of fighting that makes for great battles, not to mention her unique magic system and monster creations.

For anyone writing Christian Fiction, this book provides a great lesson in how to write quality fiction that embraces spiritual truths we all battle. Her characters have depth to their reasoning and in doing so Karen addresses the many concerns people have with embracing a God of grace. I did not find this book preachy — in part because she does not dismiss challenges to biblical faith. Some people accept that gift and others don’t, plain and simple. She is not writing this book to make converts, but rather to show how real the struggle can be and that people can go either way and still be real. You don’t know coming in who will and who won’t, so there is plenty of drama to keep you till the end.

The world Karen created is a fantastic example of carrying truths from our world to a fantasy, while using those allegories to express truths in ways you’ll never forget. The golden shield of the Tertsan is an idea I wish I came up with, but I won’t tell you why. The Gospel and how to be saved are both creative and truthful. The opposing religions are complex and not at all straw men or two dimensional in any way. You can really feel what it would be like to live within their religious system and in providing these examples we get a better understanding of the faiths around us. I’m excited to see what adventures are in store for Abramm as he battles against the many enemies left to face in future books.

I would have paid for this, but because it was not only free but a very good book, I’ll definitely be buying more of her work in the future. (less)

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May 18, 2010 Beanbag Love rated it 3 of 5 stars

I guess this is a 3.5 for me. I found myself very annoyed at a couple of the main characters and, while I knew their TSTL impulsiveness/stubbornness was necessary for the arc of the story it went on through 90% of the book. A bit much.

Particularly Carissa, the hero's sister. I kept hoping she would meet her doom and she just never did. But then her utter ineptitude and arrogance pretty much created every obstacle poor Abramm and Trap had to overcome so I see the point of her existence, but she r...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Kaylin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, favorites

As a big fan of Christian fantasy, this book was pleasantly surprising. It's definitely not the YA high-action, low-dialogue fantasy that I was expecting. It's actually a lot deeper and meant for an older audience.

The main character, Eldrin (renamed Abramm later on), is the fifth son of the king of Kiriath. As a child, he didn't excel in fencing, like his younger brother Gillard, because his love was in religion and history. He joined the religious group known as the Matatio at a young age, giv

...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Lisa Marie rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first, although I was drawn into the story unfolding as Abramm prepares for his vows and the conflict that is approaching, I was confused. New terminology, relating to the complexities of the faith systems introduced to us and of the different cultures mentioned. I felt like I'd jumped headfirst into a new world, smiling and nodding, without really knowing what people were talking about. I settled into understanding after a while and the book started getting really interesting.

The author's d...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Em rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: free

I have to admit, I liked the book. In some ways, the religious overtones in the book were much stronger than in most books with a Christian theme, and in some ways they were much weaker. They're constantly talking about converting, and the nature of their god, and things like that, throughout the book, but it's their god, and their religion, which are very different from Christianity and God. Christians don't have gold shields magically appear over their hearts, can't do magic, and don't go craz...more I have to admit, I liked the book. In some ways, the religious overtones in the book were much stronger than in most books with a Christian theme, and in some ways they were much weaker. They're constantly talking about converting, and the nature of their god, and things like that, throughout the book, but it's their god, and their religion, which are very different from Christianity and God. Christians don't have gold shields magically appear over their hearts, can't do magic, and don't go crazy and have physical abnormalities when they accept God and later turn away from him.

The story itself was fun. Abramm was a prince, but merely a fifth son. He wasn't like his brothers, he didn't have the characteristics and traits that were most admired in his countrymen, so as a preteen he decided to join the church. The story really starts 8 years later, when he's almost going to move from novice to full fledged member of the cloth, except...everything goes wrong.

He finds out his father, and most of his older brothers are dead. He'd been disinherited when he joined the church, but now he finds that he's only a step away from the throne as he's been reinherited. The two brothers left alive, the one on the throne and the one who is now two steps away, plot to sell him into slavery or kill him, whichever is easier.

He ends up being sold into slavery where he must be a contestant in the great games until he dies. Abramm, who was always small and weak as a youth, and studious and peaceful as he got older, flourishes in the training for the games, and does what no one expects, and survives.

He becomes a symbol for those that have been oppressed by the hosts of the games, and eventually escapes and goes to lead them in their fight against their oppressors.

The entire book is really about his journey through accepting a new faith, though. He renounces one faith at the beginning, and is leery of being duped, so refuses to accept another. But he has a destiny, and this god, who he refuses to accept, still has a hand on everything Abramm does, and everything he's been through.

I'd be interested in reading the sequels.(less)

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Oct 19, 2012 Jenn Forte rated it 5 of 5 stars

This novel is an action-filled story about a young man's struggles with his beliefs and faith as he finds himself on adventure after adventure. The story flows along beautifully, its plot and environments blending seamlessly with its overall themes. In addition, the journey that the main character takes, both figuratively and literally, gripped me and ensured that I would continue reading page after page until the end of the story.

What I found in the story was a compelling tale of redemption an...more

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Aug 21, 2010 Jeremy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was about a third of the way into this one before I decided it was a pseudo-Christian allegory; I realize now that that was the whole point, but if you start out thinking you're just in for some basic run-of-the-mill fantasy, it'll be a kind of surprise. Change a few proper nouns and some minor details, and you've got yourself a world beset by evil where Christian faith is all but outlawed but is really the only right answer. The main difference between being a Terstan and being a Christian is...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Sara Elice rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I ended up reading this book because I had somehow gotten a free download on the Kindle app and I was in need of distraction one day and popped it open. I actually couldn't stop reading it. It was really good. Although I far from share the authors very strong religious beliefs, I could appreciate the savior tale she was weaving and the although the Christ figure imagery was strong, I could still enjoy the story behind it. She is a good writer, with very descriptive passages, that except for in a...more

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Aug 25, 2010 Ashley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally posted on www.examiner.com/fantasy-media-in-nat...

The plot of Light of Eidon by Karen Hancock keeps the reader turning pages, but lacks originality. It's a typical allegory, with the lines between black and white stark for the reader, but often blurred for Abramm.

Brother Eldrin is ready to make the final journey towards becoming a guardian in the Mataio. But trouble is brewing in his country. Eldrin, formerly prince Abramm, is fifth in line to inherit the Kiriathan throne. Or he was....more

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Jan 05, 2012 Sunny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had to get past my frustration with the main character. I understand Karen Hancock may have wanted to show his struggle to the way of the Light. However, it was irritating to read the thoughts of the character as he came off as a prideful idiot. Even when it was obvious, he kept sticking his head in the sand. Now this would have been fine if it had only lasted about 10 - 20% of the book. No, this lasted for about 75 - 80% of the book. And the main character's sister was just as bad. Neither we...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Tiana rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found myself annoyed at the main characters a lot - their stupidity and stubbornness became too much at times. And while I knew this was Christian fiction, believe me when I say it's much more *heavily* Christian than I was anticipating. Not that that's a bad thing (I actually read quite a bit of it), I'm just putting it out there. Carissa's character ... eh. She wants to be a strong female character, but I just didn't connect with her and found her mostly annoying. I mean, come on, (view spoi ...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Rachel Thompson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I downloaded this book for free for my Sony e-reader.

This is a wonderful book that maintained my interest all the way through. It has everything you could want: action, romance, political intrigue. I was a bit shocked and a little upset to find that this book is considered to have heavy Christian overtones. This is a fantasy book, and many fantasy characters believe in a god or gods, so I guess that's why it was more palatable to me than a strictly Christian book. The religious aspects of it did...more

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Jan 15, 2010 Katy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was really well done. This also received a Christy award for fantasy and I wanted to see how the author used fantasy to explore religion. She did well. The overall message was how easy and wonderful it is to "convert" or "accept" Christianity. Which, in my opinion, is way overdone in Christian fiction. There are so many other aspects to leading a Christian life. This book does touch on that briefly with "sartosis" which intrigued me, at least as an effort.

Beyond that, this book stands on it...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Lydia Shellenbarger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Christian fantasy tends to have one major flaw, the main character is so pious and holy that you generally have a hard time tolerating them and they usually come off as simpletons or jerks (coughthelastfourbooksofBeyondtheSummerlandcough). Hats off to Ms. Hancock, as she does not have that issue here, and in fact the whole religous structure in the book is very interesting, with good points and some great discussion topics. (view spoiler)...more Christian fantasy tends to have one major flaw, the main character is so pious and holy that you generally have a hard time tolerating them and they usually come off as simpletons or jerks (coughthelastfourbooksofBeyondtheSummerlandcough). Hats off to Ms. Hancock, as she does not have that issue here, and in fact the whole religous structure in the book is very interesting, with good points and some great discussion topics. (view spoiler)

So in general story, fifth in line for the throne prince abdicates to join a priesthood, but not all is as it seems. When things go from worse to very, very bad he finds himself questioning Eidon's plan/reality/goodness/very exhistance, while finding an un-likely ally in a man of a religion he's always been trained to fear. At the same time, the prince's twin sister is searching for him, determined to un-do some of his wrongful treatment and if possible return him to safety.

Overall, the prince (I'm calling him that because he goes through several names in the book and it's a slight spoiler to know which one he ends up with) is a highly empathetic character. He makes mostly reasonable choices, he has strong convictions and he's a "good" guy (though far from a perfect one!); in general he has very understable failings and though making me sad for him, I never yelled at him. His sister on the other hand... I lost track of the number of times I was telling her off for walking into a balatent trap because she was trying to "prove" herself, or was doing it just to spite someone else (she certainly proved herself to be a fool!). At one point, I almost didn't finish this book, just because of her and only continued to learn the end of the overall storyline. Yes, shockingly, the plot, secondary characters and intriguing cultural/religious developements are the real reason to read this book, not so much the main characters.

Suitability wise, the Prince does end up in several battles between men and creatures, none of which are overal descriptive, but violent. He also ends up in an Middle Eastern type culture where women are not well treated, particularly women slaves. Minimal sexual content. (Worse than what teenagers see on tv? No, but still would hold off until senior year of high school at least.) (view spoiler)

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Sep 15, 2012 Whittney Mahle rated it 2 of 5 stars

I never knew there was such a thing as evangelical fantasy. The christian allegory was pretty obvious, but I think that tends to be the point with the intended audience. Not a bad read.

A young prince with no knack for battle joins a religious order since he's unlikely to ever see the throne. Years pass, and just before he takes his final vows he discovers that the order has been killing off the line of succession and expects him to be their puppet king. He escapes, but is then betrayed by his f...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Kristina Brownell rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

It was actually better than I had expected. It was pretty slow in the beginning and I almost put it down after 80 pages or so. I ended up liking the story, but I really loved the religious overtones. The author found a way to stick basic christianity into a fantasy novel...and I liked it! That's surprising mostly because I HATE reading churchy stuff when I'm not expecting it. I know that sounds stupid, but it's true. I can't tell you how many times I've been blind-sided by born again Ch...more

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Jun 24, 2011 BookMarc rated it 2 of 5 stars

'Light of Eidon' is a fantasy novel filled with magic, mystery and suspense. It also happens to be a Christian novel which I didn't know when I started reading it and I'll get more into that in a few.
The story centers around Abramm Kalladorne who is banished from his country by his brother, the king, and ends up sold into slavery. From there he becomes a gladiator known as the White Pretender and ultimately ends up battling the ultimate evil. As his life unfolds his faith, and what he believes i...more 'Light of Eidon' is a fantasy novel filled with magic, mystery and suspense. It also happens to be a Christian novel which I didn't know when I started reading it and I'll get more into that in a few.
The story centers around Abramm Kalladorne who is banished from his country by his brother, the king, and ends up sold into slavery. From there he becomes a gladiator known as the White Pretender and ultimately ends up battling the ultimate evil. As his life unfolds his faith, and what he believes in, is turned upside down and he finds himself evolving as a man and spiritually.
Although Eidon can be read as a straight up fantasy novel there are a few major points in the story where the characters engage in philosophical debate about Eidon (who, I do believe, represents Jesus) and as a non believer it did pull me out of the book. I actually went to Catholic schools from the ages of 4 through 18 and then spent another three years as a born again Christian so I know all about Christianity and nowadays actually detest it (BA Christians usually end up leaving me alone as I can argue scripture with the best of them and I love quoting verses that I know are just out and out fantasy - there's one where Jesus says that any two or more people gathered who pray to him and ask anything in his name will receive it and so if ever stopped by more than one Christian I challenge them to pray for 100 Bibles to appear letting them know I will happily hand them out to non believers with them...thus glorifying their God they want me to believe in. They either ignore my request completely or try and talk their way around that particular verse altogether because they know it isn't happening even though their scripture says it will.).
Sorry, this is supposed to be a book review and not a debate on Christianity but the book pulls you into those type of debates in how it incorporates the author's beliefs into the storyline. Anyhow, setting Christianity aside it is actually a well written story with strong characters. Due to the type of novel it is it does pull its punches at times and doesn't get too graphic in its descriptions of sex and violence (which is ironic considering the Bible is full of occurrences where God himself orders mass slaughters, slavery and rape) although the violence at times does push the envelope a little albeit in a fantasy way.
I found the style of Hancock's writing to slow the story down. Usually I can pick up the pace of a book and start devouring it. I found I couldn't do that with Eidon and it took me nearly four weeks to read. Now, not all that length of time can be blamed on the writing but it certainly didn't help and even during the exciting moments I still found the pace to be slow. I never found it boring though, Christian elements aside, and so please don't take the slow pace as meaning it was dull.
The ending of the story did let it down from a neutral perspective as it becomes all about the main character's faith, allegorical to faith in Jesus, and it made me feel like I was cheated out of a proper ending. It's due to that ending I find myself not recommending this to those of a non Christian persuasion. However, if you're all for the Jesus juice and have a love of fantasy novels then I'm sure this one will be a winner for you.
As for me I liked and disliked it equally as much and so I'm going to have to endure splinters in my arse on this novel as I'm sitting on the fence in terms of a rating.(less)

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Aug 04, 2011 Steve Curll rated it 2 of 5 stars

I Can't say no one will enjoy this book, but I found it boring, too long, with too many long descriptive passages(5 or 6 pages) describing things like a kiss. The attempt to make this romantic seems misplaced. The story line was lost to me, and I often read for half an hour and knew no more of the story than I did before. I really labored through this one, and finished it with sheer determination and nothing else. The idea that one goes through a crisis of faith could have made a good novel. How...more

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Aug 31, 2010 CJ Bowen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 24, 2011 Kiersten added it

Not really what I'd expected—I give this book props for originality and unpredictability—but actually a lovely opening to a series. The way it leaps into the story was kind of startling. Most of the characters are rather enigmatic, which was a little bit frustrating and interest-grabbing at the same time, but all are wonderfully convincing (my favorite was definitely Meridon). My only complaint is that the plot dragged considerably throughout the first part of the book; however, once it began to...more

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May 20, 2012 K.M. Weiland rated it 4 of 5 stars

I honestly didn't go into this book with high expectations. I basically quit reading "faith-based" fiction years ago because I always ended up being disappointed. This one surprised me though. After a slow and occasionally rambling start, it presents a magnificent fantasy world, decent characters, and one of the best conversion scenes I've ever read. Hancock dips and darts around in her lengthy timeline, smoothly sailing over bobbles that would have tripped up most authors. I have to commend her...more

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Mar 09, 2012 Hillary Spratt rated it 1 of 5 stars

Allegory so thick that it makes The Chronicles of Narnia look subtle. The general brand of religion "Light" pushes is highly distasteful to me, and I managed to get through a few of the "Left Behind" books without getting too upset. If the book wasn't so busy trying to convert its readers and constructing a suitably religious main character (who I ended up detesting largely due to his eternal whining and self hatred) then the story and world would be a lot of fun. I think that was possibly my bi...more

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Dec 23, 2011 Dana Rongione rated it 3 of 5 stars

Abramm has dedicated the last eight years of his life to becoming worthy to touch and tend the Sacred Flames of Eidon, and he expects to be blessed for his devotion and sacrifice. But on the eve of taking the vows that will irrevocably separate him from the life he was born to—as Abramm Kalladorne, fifth son of the king of Kiriath, he is betrayed by his spiritual mentor and sold into slavery by his own family.

Swept along by the winds of a new destiny, Abramm is forced to compete as a gladiator....more Abramm has dedicated the last eight years of his life to becoming worthy to touch and tend the Sacred Flames of Eidon, and he expects to be blessed for his devotion and sacrifice. But on the eve of taking the vows that will irrevocably separate him from the life he was born to—as Abramm Kalladorne, fifth son of the king of Kiriath, he is betrayed by his spiritual mentor and sold into slavery by his own family.

Swept along by the winds of a new destiny, Abramm is forced to compete as a gladiator. When the oppressed masses rally around his success, he discovers his suffering has molded him into something greater than he ever thought possible—to serve a purpose he never imagined.

I really wasn't sure if I would like this book or not when I picked it to review. The premise sounded interesting, so I figured I would give it a try. To be honest, after reading it, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. The premise and plot of the story were very good. The story is set up as an allegory with Eidon being the representation of God. The theme that seemed to run through the entire story was Abramm's unbelief that salvation could really be as simple as just accepting the offer. He believed he had to make himself holy and prove himself worthy. The symbolism was excellent and powerful.

That being said, I don't think I've ever spent so long trying to get through a book. The book itself was very long (432 pages), and many times, the story was bogged down with too much detail and description. By the time I finally reached the end of the story, I no longer remembered the characters who were re-introduced in the final chapters. As intriguing as the plot was, I was just glad to finally be finished with the book.

Overall, I feel that the author wove an excellent story, but the story could have been told in fewer words. The entire tale was drawn out, and to me, the story lost most of its appeal. I believe this would be one of the few books for which I would enjoy the abridged version much more. Less fluff; more meat.

This book was given to me as part of the review program for Waterbrook Multnomah. The opinions expressed herein are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.(less)

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Apr 30, 2011 Gary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first ordered my Kindle, I scrolled through Amazon's free offerings, and came across this find.
I've found it to be enjoyable, thus far, and am nearly three-quarters of the way through it. So enjoyable, in fact, that it bumped the WW2 novel I had started previously.
It's the first book in a a series by the author, and unless my enjoyment drastically changes, I imagine I'll pony up for the remaining three books.

Added after completing:

Yes, I will most assuredly finish the series, once I work...more

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Mar 26, 2011 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

My father-in-law recommended this series to me.
Wow. Intense read. I had a hard time putting it down.
Parts of this book reminded me of the TV show "24" because there was so much action (although not in 24 hours) and it was hard to tell who the good guys & bad guys were! Completely different genre though. The genre is Christian Fantasy. There's a God "Eidon" and a Savior "Tersius" that parallel Christian beliefs. This book is about Prince Abramm's search for Eidon and how he comes to recogniz...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Mercedes-Benz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mercedes-Benz by: Amazon

My Thoughts

I remember I was fourteen when I first saw this book but at the time I hadn’t gotten around to reading it and honestly I’m glad I waited.

The beginning of the novel had me confused. I was confused for the first four chapters. I knew what was going on but could make no sense of it all. The terms and religious sects were difficult to comprehend without an explanation of who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. Truth was hard to separate from the lies and I felt extremely lost. I...more My Thoughts

I remember I was fourteen when I first saw this book but at the time I hadn’t gotten around to reading it and honestly I’m glad I waited.

The beginning of the novel had me confused. I was confused for the first four chapters. I knew what was going on but could make no sense of it all. The terms and religious sects were difficult to comprehend without an explanation of who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. Truth was hard to separate from the lies and I felt extremely lost. In many ways I felt more confused than Abramm as he struggled to understand what was happening around him I felt like I was working overtime to catch up with what he knew. Thankfully after the fourth chapter the narrative fog began to lift and I was beginning to understand the story world.

With that said, I loved how Mrs. Hancock drew us into the Order of the Holy Flames (the Mataio) and how it seemed in almost every way to be holy until Abramm discovers the truth. This reminded me of how things of darkness can be masqueraded as light and if we are not careful then we too can be deceived. This revelation about the Order of the Flames served as a great battle for Abramm throughout the novel. In his heart Abramm’s only desire was to truly know the Lord and to know His truth, but when Abramm discovered the truth about the Mataio it threw everything that he thought he knew into question – he even doubted if God was real. But through it all – even though Abramm was deceived and fell into sin the Lord’s grace was constant with him. This was realistic journey of faith for me because of the fact that Abramm didn’t just say, Okay I believe but there was a real struggle because he didn’t know what truth was anymore and it took him a while to trust again – while dealing with other issues in his flesh. His struggle felt very real.

lso this story did contain a bit of sexual innuendo. Abramm was put into some sexual situations that were very slightly surprising to find in a Christian novel but not so surprising looking at the type of situation he was in after becoming a gladiator as a slave. He did sleep with one of his master’s slave girls in this story as well and though Mrs. Hancock did not describe the scene the act in detail but merely glossed over the emotions, it still felt very awkward to read. I wasn’t terribly upset at this scene because I do realize that people sin – thus is why Jesus died. I also understand that they writer sought to show her character as a real person who went through trails and ran away from the Lord and she did that very well but this was a daring write for the Christian publishing industry.

Overall I will say that this story is not for younger readers. But I also think that people shouldn’t misunderstand this great piece of fiction. Abramm, like anyone of us messed up and ran from the Lord but yet God still had mercy on him. This is this story’s message and its a wonderful one at that.(less)

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