SOLVED. Children/ YA Fantasy series from maybe ‘90s - Main character has slave brand, Christian themes. [s]

[Deborah]

I read some of a book in this fantasy series (probably the first book) at a friend’s house before 2010, but I don’t think the books were new, possibly published in the 90s or before. There were at least 3 books in the series and I’m pretty sure the one I started had a campfire on the cover with a ring of children dancing around it. In my fuzzy memory, the cover art style was similar to John White’s Anthropos books.

I don’t remember much of the plot, just that the main character was a young boy (I think) who was/had been a slave and still had a slave brand, maybe on his hand? Other children (maybe ex-slaves or orphans or just homeless - I can’t remember) had their brands healed by a Jesus-analogue character, but the main character resisted.

Pretty sure this series was written by a Christian author, as the themes in it were heavily Christian. I know none of this is much to go on but I’ve been wondering what series this was for years and years. And I can’t contact the friend who owned them for any answers.

[Deborah]

Bump, as I'm still looking for this book. I'd really love to find it.

[Rainbowheart]

Tales of the Kingdom

[Deborah]

Rainbowheart wrote: "Tales of the Kingdom"

This one sounds almost perfect! I would need to get my hands on a copy and properly read it to know if it's the one I'm remembering from my childhood, but so far all the details line up.

The only thing not matching is I remember there being much more than 3 books in the series but it's quite possible that this trilogy was shelved alongside some other fiction series that had a similar look, and young me thought they all belonged together.

[Rainbowheart]

I'm pretty positive! Here's the part about the branding....

"What is that on your face? Why were you not outcast from the city?"

The boy squirmed. He wanted to scream for fear. He wanted to kick and run. The man's touch was hot. He struggled to keep calm. "It—it is not a disease, sire. Nor was I born with defect. An accident—an accident at branding."

It was the truth. Long ago, as was the custom when a child was five, Burners had taken all the children of Enchanted City who were his age to brand their hands with a hot poker.

"You are signed with the mark of the Enchanter,” the men had cried. "Never forget you belong to the Keep of the Great Burner!"

The boy had screamed, bitten, and kicked. In the struggle, the cruel brand had fallen, either by accident or by purpose, on his cheek. He would bear the scar the rest of his life.

[Deborah]

Thanks so much for finding this! That "meant to be hand but actually face" brand sounds spot on.

Also, these pictures from the first book seal it for me I think. They're uncannily familiar, like I know I've seen them before.

https://kingdomtales.com/book/tales-o...

I didn't expect it to be a series of short stories or to have modern cars in them, but as everything else fits it must be those books. Do I edit the title of this thread to say "Solved" now?

[Kris]

Glad you found your book series, Deborah. I marked your request as Solved by clicking the small "edit" link after the topic header. This only works on the full Desktop Website and the Mobile Website (not the App).

Tales of the Kingdom series by David R. Mains - Rainbowheart's find.

[Rainbowheart]

Awesome, glad to help out!