, they knew their creation was going to be a foray from ordinary fiction. In the many fantasy novels that have been churned out, readers have grown accustomed to repetitive themes, such as magic. Currently, modern-day literature aficionados are being force-fed a steady diet of vampire novels. Many such novels also feature a prototypical protagonist: facing adversity, vulnerability, and/or coming-of-age. In The Chronicles of Cambralon
, the reader will be introduced to a dying king, whose sole goal is to instill the seeds of God’s truth into his grandchildren; his hope is that they will grow up to protect his kingdom. Interestingly, the king’s male heir, Frasard, has lost his way into the dark side—he is the epitome of jealousy and cruelty.Instead of the traditional “like father, like son” cliché, readers will find “like grandfather, like grandson” more suitable in this narrative. Perhaps inspired by C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, the book revolves around the unbreakable bond between a grandfather, King Jathan, and those destined to bear the burden of Cambralon’s uncertain future after him, his five grandchildren: Meziak, Ansuri, Kadra, Zakar, and Siroka.
Every summer, King Jathan’s grandchildren arrive to Cambralon, eager to hear the ancient tales of valor and glory. This, however, was going to be their final summer with the king. Thus, the king had a purpose for each story he told his blossoming grandchildren: “Like the seed within the fruit, each account contained a truth that would grow inside the heart of each child until the very character of the Earthmaker Himself was formed in them.” As is the case in today’s culture, children will often imitate popular characters in their favorite stories. King Jathan and the hopes of Cambralon rest on the shoulders of these children as they aspire to follow in the footsteps of their legendary ancestors.
My Take on the BookAs a fan of both C.S. Lewis and Tolkein, I was excited to get into this book. I have gotten most of the way through and will share that this book was great and I would have to say that in many cases lives up to the writing style of both of the previously mentioned authors.
The plot and storyline of the book were sound and live up to the standard that I look for in a fantasy novel. You do get good versus evil as well as adventure, suspense and even some mystery.
The authors have provided a vivid world for the readers to explore with characters that were fun and engaging and not easy to forget.
Though the book may look long when you first see it (514 pages) you will soon find that in fact it is a very quick read, not only because of the content, but also because of the formatting of the book itself. It was definitely an easy read. I also have to mention that the added resources at the end of the book were great. Not only can you refer to the back for descriptions of the characters, but there are also some great questions to guide conversations about the book too.
A great read and one in which I look forward to the second book in the series.
All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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