Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest

 Some books have a reputation. Actually reading them may not even be necessary to know whether they are actually worth the time to read them or not. I had heard about Chuck Black's books, and entered them into the library where I worked. I read high recommendations about them as well - and the reviews were not unfounded.

Sir Rowan's story begins with him as a stable boy with quite a knack for swords. He is discovered and trained by one of the Prince's knights and quickly becomes a top tournament knight. However, his pride in his achievements becomes his downfall, and after a brush with death, he realizes how far he has come from the Prince's desires. The rest of the book chronicles his path to achieving the goal that the Prince truly has for his life.

I don't want to give away anything in the story. This book is an excellent read; I was gripped by the story. It is quite an adventure! Mr. Black is an excellent storyteller, and he weaves truths from the Scripture seamlessly into the unfolding drama. The books are marked as being for a Teen/Young Adult audience. I do agree with that, although I think that children in their preteens would enjoy it as well - as long as they aren't too sensitive. (The flesh-eating caterpillars might disturb very young audiences!) :) I loved the discussion questions in the back. They (and the answers following) really helped clear up any confusion I had in what different characters/items in the book represented. I think it would be an excellent book to read and discuss as a family - perhaps even in family devotional time.

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This book was provided for free in exchange for an honest review from Blogging for Books.
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