Written for older elementary and middle school age, The Book of the King opens in fantasy, forges on into what we call reality, and then combines the two in a riveting story. This is just the beginning of what promises to be an exciting new Christian fantasy series, The Wormling. Gifted, lonely, shy, and a rather unlikely hero, young Owen Reeder lives his life within the pages of the books in his fathers used book store. From the onset of this story, the audience discovers that names are importantly symbolic, along with objects, actions, and nuances. Just a few pages into this book, Owen collides with a desperate king, a gang of criminally-mean high school bullies, a father who is barely like a father, evil dragons and their man-eating relatives, unstoppable villains, untrustworthy and trustworthy girls, and a supremely essential book and the creature which inhabits it. In the midst of all this, Owen is running for his life on a quest which leads through danger into the unknown of another world.
Author Jerry Jenkinsnoted for the Left Behind series, his work with Moody magazine, and the creator of the Gil Thorpe sports comic stripcollaborates with Chris Fabry, writer, broadcaster, and radio playwright. They enthrall their audience with graphic detail; an intimate, secret-sharing style; grand, widely scoped adventures happening in convincing, other-worldly ways; intrigue; and a taste for various unusual animals.
Many Christian themes appear in The Book of the King that flow naturally throughout the story, growing in compass as the characters grow in personality. In a chatty, clarify-the-situation style, the authors now and then point out a moral. These themes include: evil in mankind; treachery from friends; lies vs. truth; various kinds of courage from forthright to knowing when to run; as well as recognizing both the dangerous and the helpful. Savvy mentors will find that discussion flows easily from these ideas. Further themes are only beginning to be seen in this first story, and they surely will gain form in future books.
The Book of the King closes on a fascinating note, but does not end. Readers are left saying, Hurry up with the next installment! Although a wholly-modern tale with fear, danger, and imminent violence abounding, the writing style is reminiscent of the nineteenth-century Christian classic author Charles Kingsley (most noted for Water Babies). The reader needs only a slight twist of imagination to inwardly hear the authors Jenkins and Fabry narrating this tale. This facility makes The Book of the King a splendid read out-loud volume for families and other groups. Donna Eggett, Christian Book Previews.com
