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Legends of Karac Tor #2
Corus the Champion
** A NEW VERSION HAS ARRIVED! THIS EDITION IS NO LONGER IN PRINT. Out-of-print volumes are often listed at an unusually high prices by resellers. Readers should search D. Barkley Briggs books for the " 10TH ANNIV. SPECIAL EDITION " of The Legends of Karac Tor with new content, covers and
#1 -- The Nameless
#2 -- The Champion
#3 -- The Unmaking
#4 -- The Ravaging
#5 -- The War of Swords
_________________________________________
He was once the greatest champion in the land.
Then he disappeared.
With Nemesia's defeat, the Barlows have helped turn the tide in the Hidden Lands. But the victory is short-lived. An even greater evil stirs in the north with a fierce new army bent on destruction. As the twins, Gabe and Garret, discover their own special powers and chase down long forgotten mysteries hidden in time, a thin thread of hope a fabled king was once rescued from death on our world and hidden on Karac Tor. But who is he?
Each brother has their part to play. Hadyn must travel north to warn the land barons, while Ewan and Sorge set out to rescue Corus from the clutches of Hel. As ancient destinies rise from the ash heap of history, Ewan is left with a bitter choice. Will he sacrifice what is most precious to discover whether Corus lives? Even more important, if Corus is alive, can he wake the Sleeping King of legend...before it's too late?
#1 -- The Nameless
#2 -- The Champion
#3 -- The Unmaking
#4 -- The Ravaging
#5 -- The War of Swords
_________________________________________
He was once the greatest champion in the land.
Then he disappeared.
With Nemesia's defeat, the Barlows have helped turn the tide in the Hidden Lands. But the victory is short-lived. An even greater evil stirs in the north with a fierce new army bent on destruction. As the twins, Gabe and Garret, discover their own special powers and chase down long forgotten mysteries hidden in time, a thin thread of hope a fabled king was once rescued from death on our world and hidden on Karac Tor. But who is he?
Each brother has their part to play. Hadyn must travel north to warn the land barons, while Ewan and Sorge set out to rescue Corus from the clutches of Hel. As ancient destinies rise from the ash heap of history, Ewan is left with a bitter choice. Will he sacrifice what is most precious to discover whether Corus lives? Even more important, if Corus is alive, can he wake the Sleeping King of legend...before it's too late?
432 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2009
4 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
D. Barkley Briggs
19 books38 followersDean "D. Barkley" Briggs is happily married to Jeanie, the proud father of eight grown children and two grandchildren. A New Covenant storyteller, Dean loves the magical power of words. He dreams, prophecies and prays across the world, speaking and preaching on the great story of God. His novels include two medical thrillers, The God Spot, and The Most Important Little Boy in the World, and the acclaimed, 5-part YA fantasy series, The Legends of Karac Tor. He also has number of non-fiction works, including Ekklesia Rising and The Jesus Fast, co-authored with Lou Engle. A new novel, The Withering Tree, is soon to be released.
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DeanBriggs.com |
Facebook/Twitter @ DBarkleyBriggs
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DeanBriggs.com |
Facebook/Twitter @ DBarkleyBriggs
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 28, 2019
My favourite stories are the ones where characters and their motivations drive the plot and elicit emotion. Corus the Champion lives up to the legacy founded by The Book of Names, broadening its focus from Barlow brothers Hadyn and Ewan to several other POV characters: Garret, Gabe, Sorge and Corus. This is a great book in an equally great series.
September 22, 2020
Is it good? Yes. Would I recommend it? Probably not.
I mean it in the nicest way possible when I say I don't know what it is about this series that makes it so difficult to get through. High fantasy is right up my alley as much now as it was when I was gifted these books years ago, and yet it took three separate tries and five years for me to get through Corus the Champion.
Don't get me wrong, it's well written. Mostly. It's the kind of book I'd like to like. It really is. The characters are engaging. The adventure is there, the action, the journey throughout dangerous lands fighting the elements and the enemy. It's Terry Brooks for younger audiences. But something about it throws me off and I haven't put my finger on what yet.
Typos*:
"The odor clung to the walls, nearly causing Hadyn to wretch." (pg. 261) -- Wrong version of retch.
"... like opening the door to a symphony hall and being blasted by the noise of trumpets and kettle Also I am told Poplar Springs Baptist Church still needs drums." (pg. 309) -- Someone forgot to take their Note To Self out of their manuscript. Did Poplar Springs Baptist Church ever get their drums?
*Please note that these are typos I found in my copy of the book and they may not be repeated in newer editions.
I mean it in the nicest way possible when I say I don't know what it is about this series that makes it so difficult to get through. High fantasy is right up my alley as much now as it was when I was gifted these books years ago, and yet it took three separate tries and five years for me to get through Corus the Champion.
Don't get me wrong, it's well written. Mostly. It's the kind of book I'd like to like. It really is. The characters are engaging. The adventure is there, the action, the journey throughout dangerous lands fighting the elements and the enemy. It's Terry Brooks for younger audiences. But something about it throws me off and I haven't put my finger on what yet.
Typos*:
"The odor clung to the walls, nearly causing Hadyn to wretch." (pg. 261) -- Wrong version of retch.
"... like opening the door to a symphony hall and being blasted by the noise of trumpets and kettle Also I am told Poplar Springs Baptist Church still needs drums." (pg. 309) -- Someone forgot to take their Note To Self out of their manuscript. Did Poplar Springs Baptist Church ever get their drums?
*Please note that these are typos I found in my copy of the book and they may not be repeated in newer editions.
September 23, 2017
Just as cool as the first. I would definitely recommend these...very well written, a good plot, and strong Christian elements mixed with fantasy.
December 6, 2011
I have had the delightful opportunity to be a part of the Legends of Karac Tor when I reviewed book three in the series, The Song of Unmaking. Now I get to further my reading pleasure in taking my readers back a bit to book two in the series, Corus the Champion by Dean Barkley Briggs.
First a bit of history on Mr. Briggs, who wrote the series for his children who were dealing with their own personal tragedy of losing their mother. In a twist of divine providence, Mr. Briggs soon met another woman who was also grieving the loss of her husband and was raising her children alone. God stepped in and a new family was born when the two met and later married.
In the first book in the series, The Book of Names, the brothers from our world enter a world of myth and legend to find the courage to answer the call, you see in the Hidden Lands of Karac Tor, names are being stolen and darkness is spreading. This book begins the series that picks up again in the second book, Corus the Champion.
The Barlow boys, from book one, have helped turn the tide in the Hidden Lands with the defeat of Nemesia. Yet as all great books have in store, their victory is not secured as a new enemy emerges from the North with a new army now bent on destruction. Just as Gabe and Garret, the twins are discovering their special powers that are only available in this new land. Gabe has the ability to speak to birds while Garret is like a young Arthur if you will, learning new abilities from a Merlin like character Tal Yssen. The boys now learn about a fabled king that was rescued from death in our world and is now hidden in Karac Tor. Will the boys be able to find and rescue this king from their own world or will they have to make sacrifices to save their friends?
To find out, you'll have to read this series of great adventure books from Dean Barkley Briggs. My recommendation would be to start at the beginning like any great series and work your way through them one at a time. This one to start with may be a bit confusing as a stand alone, but with persistence is truly a great story to immerse yourself and your children in.
I received this book compliments of Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy book tours for my honest opinion and now having read the first three, will be going back and rereading them from the beginning. It's like reading The Chronicles of Narnia in the middle of the series, you can figure it out but its more enjoyable to read it from the beginning. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and definitely captures a child's love of fantasy and adventure in this one.
First a bit of history on Mr. Briggs, who wrote the series for his children who were dealing with their own personal tragedy of losing their mother. In a twist of divine providence, Mr. Briggs soon met another woman who was also grieving the loss of her husband and was raising her children alone. God stepped in and a new family was born when the two met and later married.
In the first book in the series, The Book of Names, the brothers from our world enter a world of myth and legend to find the courage to answer the call, you see in the Hidden Lands of Karac Tor, names are being stolen and darkness is spreading. This book begins the series that picks up again in the second book, Corus the Champion.
The Barlow boys, from book one, have helped turn the tide in the Hidden Lands with the defeat of Nemesia. Yet as all great books have in store, their victory is not secured as a new enemy emerges from the North with a new army now bent on destruction. Just as Gabe and Garret, the twins are discovering their special powers that are only available in this new land. Gabe has the ability to speak to birds while Garret is like a young Arthur if you will, learning new abilities from a Merlin like character Tal Yssen. The boys now learn about a fabled king that was rescued from death in our world and is now hidden in Karac Tor. Will the boys be able to find and rescue this king from their own world or will they have to make sacrifices to save their friends?
To find out, you'll have to read this series of great adventure books from Dean Barkley Briggs. My recommendation would be to start at the beginning like any great series and work your way through them one at a time. This one to start with may be a bit confusing as a stand alone, but with persistence is truly a great story to immerse yourself and your children in.
I received this book compliments of Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy book tours for my honest opinion and now having read the first three, will be going back and rereading them from the beginning. It's like reading The Chronicles of Narnia in the middle of the series, you can figure it out but its more enjoyable to read it from the beginning. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and definitely captures a child's love of fantasy and adventure in this one.
December 5, 2011
The poem at the beginning of Corus the Champion, Legends of Korac Tor beguiled me with it’s beauty. I was intrigued by the story and the cover of the book, but you can’t judge a book by it’s cover (as the old saying goes).
The writer beautifully describes the land and it’s people. There’s no doubt that the author has the gift of writing and story telling. However, I did not care for the book. Normally, I can get into any book, even if I have never read the other books, like Andrew Peterson’s “The Monster in the Hollows.” Peterson told the story in such a way that by itself I could understand and follow along. The book even piqued my interest to read the whole series. Corus The Champion unfortunately lost me as I got deeper into the story, and I did a lot of skimming.
I don’t like reading books where the writer assumes the reader has read the first book. Outlines were offered of the first book so we can understand what is going on in the second book. I chose not to read those outlines as I believe a book should stand on it’s own. It felt like the writer took us from one place to another until I didn’t know why we were in that town or place and I still didn’t understand the goal of the heroes.
Because the prose is excellent and the character depictions were good, I gave this book three and a half stars. In order to understand what is going on a reader will be required to buy the first book to understand the second book.
In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
The writer beautifully describes the land and it’s people. There’s no doubt that the author has the gift of writing and story telling. However, I did not care for the book. Normally, I can get into any book, even if I have never read the other books, like Andrew Peterson’s “The Monster in the Hollows.” Peterson told the story in such a way that by itself I could understand and follow along. The book even piqued my interest to read the whole series. Corus The Champion unfortunately lost me as I got deeper into the story, and I did a lot of skimming.
I don’t like reading books where the writer assumes the reader has read the first book. Outlines were offered of the first book so we can understand what is going on in the second book. I chose not to read those outlines as I believe a book should stand on it’s own. It felt like the writer took us from one place to another until I didn’t know why we were in that town or place and I still didn’t understand the goal of the heroes.
Because the prose is excellent and the character depictions were good, I gave this book three and a half stars. In order to understand what is going on a reader will be required to buy the first book to understand the second book.
In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
February 9, 2012
Mr Briggs has succeeded in not only carrying along the momentum begun in the first installment of this series, but elevating it. The first book established the characters, the setting, and the atmosphere while setting the stage for the plot to come. This book develops everything satisfyingly, but doesn't stop there. There are layers here, a depth that was hinted at in the first book, but is now unfolding little by little.
The prose is still excellent: "Here, strewn among verdurous fields with gushing rivers and groves of olive trees, in the shadow of the towering, majestic cliffs - here was the splendor of the Hidden Lands..." "His prisoner had limp hair and a long, ragged beard, laced with gray and knotted with frozen water like pearls on a necklace... The two were alone in a chamber of blue cold, a hole in a mountain of snow and ice." But it remains grounded, and the dialogue between the brothers feels genuine and natural, as do their relationships.
In this book is a character who experiences a lostness, a searching for place and meaning; another who undergoes a heart-wrenching loss, and another who must endure unimaginable suffering and torture. There are impossible tasks undertaken by those who feel unprepared. There is a near hopelessness in the face of overwhelming odds. But through it all is a hope and a loyal love shown by the Barlows and their companions. I can't wait to see what happens to them!
The prose is still excellent: "Here, strewn among verdurous fields with gushing rivers and groves of olive trees, in the shadow of the towering, majestic cliffs - here was the splendor of the Hidden Lands..." "His prisoner had limp hair and a long, ragged beard, laced with gray and knotted with frozen water like pearls on a necklace... The two were alone in a chamber of blue cold, a hole in a mountain of snow and ice." But it remains grounded, and the dialogue between the brothers feels genuine and natural, as do their relationships.
In this book is a character who experiences a lostness, a searching for place and meaning; another who undergoes a heart-wrenching loss, and another who must endure unimaginable suffering and torture. There are impossible tasks undertaken by those who feel unprepared. There is a near hopelessness in the face of overwhelming odds. But through it all is a hope and a loyal love shown by the Barlows and their companions. I can't wait to see what happens to them!
September 6, 2011
I could not put this book down! This is one of those rare reads that keeps you so engaged in the actions that important tasks such as sleeping and eating are tourture to perform if it means leaving the story. I case you were wondering it only took me twelve hours to read.
The action picks up where the first book "The Book of Names" ended. and continues the adventures of the four Barlow boys who have been called to the Hidden Lands by the mysterious Christ like figure of Aion. This story, like many middle books is really about breaking up the team of adveturers so that they can spend the rest of the book trying to find each other again. It is very exciting for a cliche though.
Can't wait to read the next book!
The action picks up where the first book "The Book of Names" ended. and continues the adventures of the four Barlow boys who have been called to the Hidden Lands by the mysterious Christ like figure of Aion. This story, like many middle books is really about breaking up the team of adveturers so that they can spend the rest of the book trying to find each other again. It is very exciting for a cliche though.
Can't wait to read the next book!
January 19, 2019
This was a solid follow-up to The Book of Names. However, I had some difficulty keeping up with Gabe and Garret and telling them apart. I loved the addition of the Arthurian legends to the mix. A solid 4.5/5 stars for more mature Christian Fantasy fans. This tale is a little on the darker side, so I would recommend it for teens and up.
(Like Christian sci-fi and fantasy? Check out thebookhoundchristianspecfic.blogspot.com)
(Like Christian sci-fi and fantasy? Check out thebookhoundchristianspecfic.blogspot.com)
February 2, 2018
For a second book in a series it held its own.
June 19, 2013
Good fantasy book.Loved his writing style
May 20, 2014
It was a nice entertaining read, and a nice 2nd book in the series.
Read
October 8, 2013Better than first, and stoked about getting into the third book!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews