SIR KENDRICK & THE CASTLE OF BEL LIONE: The Knights of Arrethtrae, Book 1
Chuck Black
Multnomah Publishers
Fiction
ISBN: 9781601421241
208 pages

Sir Kendrick, a brave and loyal Knight of the Prince, finds his patience tried when Sir Duncan, an overly confident, impetuous young knight, is put into his care for training. In SIR KENDRICK & THE CASTLE OF BEL LIONE, the first book in Chuck Black’s Knights of Arrethtrae series, Duncan and Kendrick’s friendship will be tested.

The two men are Knights of the Prince, a unique order of knights loyal to the King and the Prince, the source of all good in the Kingdom of Arrethtrae. As Duncan and Kendrick make their way to the Council of Knights in Chessington, Duncan suggests that he and his mentor get some real practice by participating in an upcoming tournament. Kendrick squashes his ambitions by claiming that the tournaments are shallow displays of vanity with nothing but empty personal glory as a prize. However, Duncan is enthused to learn at the Council that he and Kendrick will be going to the tournament anyway, to find the identity of a Vincero Knight, a servant of the evil order of the Kings counterforce. As the tournament begins, it is revealed that Kendrick himself was once a champion fighter, and his excellent skills put him in combat with the dark Sir Casimir, whom Duncan and Kendrick have many suspicions about.

Their quest to find Sir Casimir’s real identity is just the beginning of Duncan and Kendrick’s long journey, which eventually takes them to the city of Bel Lione. There is a large castle there, which they find out is dominated by the powerful Lord Ra. The more they hear about Lord Ra, the more unsettled Kendrick and Duncan become. They learn that he is the host to many “festivals,” in which he invites young people into his castle for a night of eating, drinking, dancing and violent games. While many of the townspeople encourage their children to enjoy their youth and attend, others are devastated when their kids never return.

When a young friend of Kendrick and Duncan sneaks off to attend a festival, Duncan impulsively follows him, which leads to his own entrapment in the castle. Thus, Kendrick must attempt what he is told is impossible --- go into the heavily guarded Castle of Bel Lione and save Duncan. However, it is soon clear that there is a much larger battle to be fought, and the castle will be its staging ground.

SIR KENDRICK & THE CASTLE OF BEL LIONE takes you off into a vivid world of knights, jousting and castles, rich in imagery and detail. The book is a not-so-subtle Biblical metaphor, and if Black should receive one criticism, it is that he is often too obvious in this metaphor and underestimates the intuitive ability of the reader. Nonetheless, this novel is perfect for the often under-tapped market of the young male reader, and Black gets kudos for featuring strong female knights in his story. This first installment also contains an extended question and answer guide, making it perfect for group study.

        --- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

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