My greatest fear was that they would find us and make of us a sacrifice beneath a full moon. Now you, Thomas, must help us destroy the circle of evil.
The last words of a dying woman would change the life of young Thomas. Raised behind monastery walls, he knows nothing of his mysterious past or imminent destiny. But now, in the heart of medieval England, a darkness threatens to strangle truth. An ancient order tightens their ghostly grip on power, creating fear and exiling those who would oppose them. Thomas is determined fulfill his calling and bring light into the mysterious world of the Druids and leaves the monastery on an important quest.
Thomas quickly finds himself in unfamiliar territory, as he must put his faith in unusual companions—a cryptic knight, a child thief, and the beautiful, silent woman whom may not be all she seems. From the solitary life of an orphan, Thomas now finds himself tangled in the roots of both comradery and suspicion.
Can he trust those who would join his battle…or will his fears force him to go on alone?
My review:
I didn't realize when I requested this book that it was young adult, but I do review juvenile fiction occasionally, so I had no problem with that. This is not necessarily Christian fiction either. It is fantasy, and although God isn't really mentioned in the book, it is a book of good versus evil. And though it is classified as young adult, most adults would enjoy the book.
The book is very well written, with a great cast of characters and a lot of action. There are some things left unexplained that I assume will be explained in other books that follow this one, though the book did come to a great conclusion.
I of course didn't live at the time this book is set in, but Brouwer paints a great and realistic picture of what it might have been like at that time, and deals a little with Knights of the Templar, which has always been a fascinating subject to me. Even though there isn't much Christian about the book, it is an excellent read and I'd recommend it to the audience it is intended for.
Sigmund Brouwer is the author of eighteen novels with nearly three million copies in print. His recent novel The Last Disciple was featured in Time magazine and on ABC's Good Morning America. Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan, and they and their two daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Nashville, Tennessee.
The Orphan King is available from Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishing.
Thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomaha for the review copy.
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