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Celestial Kingdom #1
Avalon
You've never read Pilgrim's Progress like this...
A slave since childhood, Mara awaits the death penalty.
When the Prince she betrayed arrives at the prison, promising freedom in exchange for allegiance to him in marriage, Mara agrees to his terms.
But her hasty decision is soon tested.
The journey to the palace is riddled with difficulty, but Mara has nowhere else to turn. In the midst of fierce wolves, violent storms, and the threat of being captured by the rebel army she deserted, the unlikely princess must press on. Can she learn to trust her lifelong enemy to deliver her to safety?
An allegory depicting salvation, Avalon is the first book in Valerie Howard's Celestial Kingdom series, and is perfect for fans of faith-strengthening Christian allegories like Pilgrim's Progress and Hinds' Feet on High Places.
Books in the Celestial Kingdom series can be read in any order, and are great for anyone ages 12 to adult.
A slave since childhood, Mara awaits the death penalty.
When the Prince she betrayed arrives at the prison, promising freedom in exchange for allegiance to him in marriage, Mara agrees to his terms.
But her hasty decision is soon tested.
The journey to the palace is riddled with difficulty, but Mara has nowhere else to turn. In the midst of fierce wolves, violent storms, and the threat of being captured by the rebel army she deserted, the unlikely princess must press on. Can she learn to trust her lifelong enemy to deliver her to safety?
An allegory depicting salvation, Avalon is the first book in Valerie Howard's Celestial Kingdom series, and is perfect for fans of faith-strengthening Christian allegories like Pilgrim's Progress and Hinds' Feet on High Places.
Books in the Celestial Kingdom series can be read in any order, and are great for anyone ages 12 to adult.
Kindle Edition
First published October 29, 2013
18 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Howard
45 books131 followersValerie Howard
Contemporary Women's Christian Fiction
"Real women. Tough issues. Powerful God."
Valerie's goal in writing is to bring people closer to Jesus one chapter at a time.
Valerie has been writing stories since she was in second grade when she wrote "The Mystery of the Missing Crayon." She gave up writing mysteries soon after and now concentrates on real-life stories that tackle tough issues such as homelessness, unplanned pregnancy, family tragedy, childhood trauma, foster care, poverty, and terminal cancer. All of her books are filled with the hope and love of Christ and are uplifting and feel-good with happy, though sometimes tearful, endings as her characters overcome their obstacles with God at their side. She also writes biblical non-fiction, indie author non-fiction, children's books, allegorical fiction, and small church Christmas plays. (She's a little obsessed with writing.)
Valerie is a fan of summer, warmth, and flip-flips, so she often wonders why she lives in Maine where she is frozen for the better half of the year. But her amazing husband and adorable sons live there with her, so it's not all bad. She graduated from Bible College with a degree in Bible and Missions a long, long time ago in a state far, far away.
Contemporary Women's Christian Fiction
"Real women. Tough issues. Powerful God."
Valerie's goal in writing is to bring people closer to Jesus one chapter at a time.
Valerie has been writing stories since she was in second grade when she wrote "The Mystery of the Missing Crayon." She gave up writing mysteries soon after and now concentrates on real-life stories that tackle tough issues such as homelessness, unplanned pregnancy, family tragedy, childhood trauma, foster care, poverty, and terminal cancer. All of her books are filled with the hope and love of Christ and are uplifting and feel-good with happy, though sometimes tearful, endings as her characters overcome their obstacles with God at their side. She also writes biblical non-fiction, indie author non-fiction, children's books, allegorical fiction, and small church Christmas plays. (She's a little obsessed with writing.)
Valerie is a fan of summer, warmth, and flip-flips, so she often wonders why she lives in Maine where she is frozen for the better half of the year. But her amazing husband and adorable sons live there with her, so it's not all bad. She graduated from Bible College with a degree in Bible and Missions a long, long time ago in a state far, far away.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 25, 2014
How does one describe or review a book like "Avalon"? The description didn't really tell me much about the story, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect. What I read was completely unexpected.
Valerie Howard wrote a fantastic allegory/parable/story picture of Christ's love and care for His Bride. It was written in such careful detail, that I could almost feel, touch, taste, and think the same things that Mara did.
Writing Style:
Though the book is in what I believe to be the fantasy genre, the writing style, speaking, and setting seems very medieval-like. The style is almost poetic at times and very well done. I read this book in two or three sittings and would have read it in one if I hadn't had other, more urgent things to do.
Rating: 5/5
General Writing:
The writing in general was very good. There only a very few typos that I noticed and the sentence structure was well done. There were a few times when the writing got a little confusing and I wasn't exactly sure what had just been described, but nothing that pulled me away from the story.
Rating: 4/5
Morality/Religious views:
This book described Christ's free gift of salvation in a very unique and captivating way. The allegorical imagery makes the Bible seem more alive and vivid than it ever had before.
Rating: 5/5
Overall rating: 5/5
Valerie Howard wrote a fantastic allegory/parable/story picture of Christ's love and care for His Bride. It was written in such careful detail, that I could almost feel, touch, taste, and think the same things that Mara did.
Writing Style:
Though the book is in what I believe to be the fantasy genre, the writing style, speaking, and setting seems very medieval-like. The style is almost poetic at times and very well done. I read this book in two or three sittings and would have read it in one if I hadn't had other, more urgent things to do.
Rating: 5/5
General Writing:
The writing in general was very good. There only a very few typos that I noticed and the sentence structure was well done. There were a few times when the writing got a little confusing and I wasn't exactly sure what had just been described, but nothing that pulled me away from the story.
Rating: 4/5
Morality/Religious views:
This book described Christ's free gift of salvation in a very unique and captivating way. The allegorical imagery makes the Bible seem more alive and vivid than it ever had before.
Rating: 5/5
Overall rating: 5/5
July 26, 2017
This was a beautiful allegory of the love of Christ and His redeeming work in our lives. It was a clear allegory, but done well. It didn't feel forced like some allegories do. I highly recommend it.
November 29, 2022
I found myself in so many parts of this story. It's well worth the read, and presents the gospel in a fresh way. I recommend this to teens and adults alike. The audiobook version is great too.
May 19, 2019
Avalon truly is a work of art and even better than I expected it to be.
I had already read some of Valerie's other books
and knew she was a brilliant writer -
this book confirmed that fact,
as it is an exceptionally well done allegory of the love and redemption of Jesus Christ in our lives.
I also very much appreciated Valerie's Epilogue at the end of the book and think it was a nice finishing touch.
Overall -
I highly recommend this book!
I had already read some of Valerie's other books
and knew she was a brilliant writer -
this book confirmed that fact,
as it is an exceptionally well done allegory of the love and redemption of Jesus Christ in our lives.
I also very much appreciated Valerie's Epilogue at the end of the book and think it was a nice finishing touch.
Overall -
I highly recommend this book!
January 11, 2024
This was such a lovely allegory. <3 It was obviously condensed in a very short timeframe, which made the pacing pretty fast, but just about every situation felt so familiar and true. The first few chapters were rough, but then I was nodding along through most of the story--and then the last chapter had me in tears. There is purpose to all the suffering and hardship, and the promise does hold true in the end. Beautiful.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
May 13, 2021
It took me forever to read this book... and only because it hit too close to home every time I opened it.
Such a wonderful allegory and reminder of how truly wonderful and precious our salvation is. I will definitely be rereading this gem.
Such a wonderful allegory and reminder of how truly wonderful and precious our salvation is. I will definitely be rereading this gem.
Read
October 30, 2025Content up to 25% (about 60 pages):
No profanity or sexual content.
Violence: Moderate. There are guards that beat the prisoners and bring them close to death/starve them etc. There are mentions of: losing teeth, spitting blood, being punched, black eyes, breaking fingers (as punishment), chains cutting into flesh, some blood depicted from cuts, etc. Threats are constant and physical abuse rampant. Attempted assisted suicide mentioned.
I decided not to continue this one for the following reasons (in no specific order):
1. I could see the correlation trying to be made between those who find/accept God and those who 'rebel'. Mara was 12 when she rebelled and had no clue that what she'd done was wrong. But she's been a slave for 15 years and the story is set up to totally ignore that she was too young to know better and there was no mercy for her at all for all that time.
2. The setup didn't make sense (yes I know I didn't get far, but I had a feeling it would never be explained satisfactorily) that these rebels were slaves kept in by sadist guards, yet they all believed the King kept them there on purpose. Of course they're going to hate him if they don't have the information available. God doesn't punish those who don't have the information, or the chance to get the knowledge of Him and His plan. I did not like that one bit.
3. I'm not big on allegory, they're hard to pull off, and this one just kept forcing the characters/situations into what would fit the redemption/new life theme. It made it lackluster as a story on its own. I stopped when the Prince very staidly proposes marriage to Mara and changes her name. It was so...unfeeling. Factual. Weird.
This isn't for me.
No profanity or sexual content.
Violence: Moderate. There are guards that beat the prisoners and bring them close to death/starve them etc. There are mentions of: losing teeth, spitting blood, being punched, black eyes, breaking fingers (as punishment), chains cutting into flesh, some blood depicted from cuts, etc. Threats are constant and physical abuse rampant. Attempted assisted suicide mentioned.
I decided not to continue this one for the following reasons (in no specific order):
1. I could see the correlation trying to be made between those who find/accept God and those who 'rebel'. Mara was 12 when she rebelled and had no clue that what she'd done was wrong. But she's been a slave for 15 years and the story is set up to totally ignore that she was too young to know better and there was no mercy for her at all for all that time.
2. The setup didn't make sense (yes I know I didn't get far, but I had a feeling it would never be explained satisfactorily) that these rebels were slaves kept in by sadist guards, yet they all believed the King kept them there on purpose. Of course they're going to hate him if they don't have the information available. God doesn't punish those who don't have the information, or the chance to get the knowledge of Him and His plan. I did not like that one bit.
3. I'm not big on allegory, they're hard to pull off, and this one just kept forcing the characters/situations into what would fit the redemption/new life theme. It made it lackluster as a story on its own. I stopped when the Prince very staidly proposes marriage to Mara and changes her name. It was so...unfeeling. Factual. Weird.
This isn't for me.
March 31, 2023
I appreciate what the author tried to do here. But this story needed fleshed out way more than it was.
You would be told things in this story, just so an allegory could be told. It was so unbelievable that people that have been slaves for a decade would refuse their freedom. It was unbelievable that no one mentioned that the guards were not the kings men, and that the King allowed this prison camp to continue. Most of that story was that way, things that didn’t make sense would happen, just so an allegory could be told.
The romance! Why even have the romance in this story. Right away the prince says I am freeing you because we (him and the king, allegory for Jesus and God) love you. I know that’s why God sent his son Jesus for us. But that makes no sense for the King to do. Why didn’t the prince give Mara this information and choice 15 years ago and 19 teeth ago! It was cringey to see the prince calling Mara darling, and showing romantic love. Mara and the Prince had no real foundation for a romantic relationship. They didn’t know each other at all!!!!! It would have been better to just have a “I love you like a sister in Christ love”, and no romantic relationship between the two.
You would be told things in this story, just so an allegory could be told. It was so unbelievable that people that have been slaves for a decade would refuse their freedom. It was unbelievable that no one mentioned that the guards were not the kings men, and that the King allowed this prison camp to continue. Most of that story was that way, things that didn’t make sense would happen, just so an allegory could be told.
The romance! Why even have the romance in this story. Right away the prince says I am freeing you because we (him and the king, allegory for Jesus and God) love you. I know that’s why God sent his son Jesus for us. But that makes no sense for the King to do. Why didn’t the prince give Mara this information and choice 15 years ago and 19 teeth ago! It was cringey to see the prince calling Mara darling, and showing romantic love. Mara and the Prince had no real foundation for a romantic relationship. They didn’t know each other at all!!!!! It would have been better to just have a “I love you like a sister in Christ love”, and no romantic relationship between the two.
February 2, 2023
I really liked the allegory. It gave me fresh scenes in my imagination. I pictured Princess Adelaide singing some of the worship songs I sing today. Her physical bondage mimics our spiritual bondage and caused me to reassess how I interpret it. My spiritual bondage doesn't show up in scars and broken bones, but I am no less broken. I especially liked the ending, thought it seemed to slide in pretty fast.
January 25, 2016
This was utterly exceptional. I love allegories, and this one was SUPERBLY well done! Seriously, I was amazed. It's just a small book, but so packed, and so well-written. It all flowed so well and the allegory was beautifully clear and heart-touching.
I truly loved it and am so glad I own a print copy of this lovely book!
I truly loved it and am so glad I own a print copy of this lovely book!
December 21, 2018
The cover was what drew me in (the blue one with the crown on the front). And then I saw the raving reviews. This allegory was simple but well-written. It reminded me some of the Kingdom series by Chuck Black. :)
March 31, 2014
Well written, quick read. I love allegory and this is well done.
August 30, 2023
This was a beautiful allegory and I did enjoy reading it, but I do wish the characters were developed a bit deeper.
Overall, it was a good read.
Overall, it was a good read.
April 28, 2024
I loved it!
January 24, 2016
Many---very many---works of fantasy and/or Christian fiction are labeled "allegory." Most are in fact nothing of the sort. So when it became clear that this novel was in fact really an allegory, telling one story (salvation and the Christian life) entirely by means of another story (the rescue, redemption, and romance of a rebel slave woman), I became somewhat excited. Unfortunately, the fact that this really is a true allegory, and the worthiness of its theme, are in my opinion the only real significant points in its favor.
Allegory is a literary form that is challenging for both writer and reader, as the visible story (the life of Mara/Adelaide here, the battles of the Redcrosse Knight et al in The Faerie Queene, Christian's journey in The Pilgrim's Progress) must both faithfully convey the real story (divine redemption here, the triumph of holiness in The Faerie Queene, the Christian life in The Pilgrim's Progress) and make sense and be a compelling story on its own. On this latter point, Avalon failed almost utterly.
Part of the problem, I think, is that when the "real story" is one I know so well, all that remains for the "visible story" to hold my attention as a reader is the suspense as to how the author is going to portray what must be coming next, and throughout most of the novel the author made (what seemed to me to be) obvious and minimally-effective choices. What's worse, the few events that were genuinely surprising seemed contrived.
(One side note: As a staunch Calvinist, I found myself frowning at the implications several times throughout the novel ... but I've resisted the slight urge to let any of that sway my rating.)
If, like some of my friends, you care primarily about the truth of the underlying message and the most basic levels of literary craftsmanship, you may enjoy Avalon. But I find that those are not enough; if you're like me, you may find this is one story you put down and don't care if you never pick it up again.
Allegory is a literary form that is challenging for both writer and reader, as the visible story (the life of Mara/Adelaide here, the battles of the Redcrosse Knight et al in The Faerie Queene, Christian's journey in The Pilgrim's Progress) must both faithfully convey the real story (divine redemption here, the triumph of holiness in The Faerie Queene, the Christian life in The Pilgrim's Progress) and make sense and be a compelling story on its own. On this latter point, Avalon failed almost utterly.
Part of the problem, I think, is that when the "real story" is one I know so well, all that remains for the "visible story" to hold my attention as a reader is the suspense as to how the author is going to portray what must be coming next, and throughout most of the novel the author made (what seemed to me to be) obvious and minimally-effective choices. What's worse, the few events that were genuinely surprising seemed contrived.
(One side note: As a staunch Calvinist, I found myself frowning at the implications several times throughout the novel ... but I've resisted the slight urge to let any of that sway my rating.)
If, like some of my friends, you care primarily about the truth of the underlying message and the most basic levels of literary craftsmanship, you may enjoy Avalon. But I find that those are not enough; if you're like me, you may find this is one story you put down and don't care if you never pick it up again.
July 13, 2020
Avalon is a Christian allegory.
The main character is a young woman. She is imprisoned in a horrible labor camp, and awaiting the day when the King will come to execute her from her crimes. Then the Prince comes and offers her complete forgiveness for her crimes as well as adoption as the King’s daughter and an engagement to the Prince. It seems too good to be true, but she accepts and begins a long, dangerous journey with the Prince to the royal city.
The book was short, but it was rich with depth and meaning. It was most definitely a Christian allegory, showing the deplorable condition of our souls before believing in Christ, the utter amazingness of what Christ’s death and resurrection did for us, and the continuing journey with Christ through life after salvation.
The allegory of this book was well-done. It provided wonderful reminders to me of the sins or struggles I often fall into even though I’m trying to follow Christ — legalism and pride, materialism and distraction, unbelief and fear, and others. Each one was vividly demonstrated in allegorical fashion, and as I said, they were great reminders to me not to fall into those lies but to believe the truth of Christ.
The book was short and sweet. I think it could have benefited from going into a little more depth with the various struggles, but as it was, the book was well-done. I think I will go back and listen to it again sometimes when I need more reminders.
Speaking of which, I listened to it as an audiobook. The voice actor did a good job, and it was an enjoyable listen. I really enjoyed it as an audiobook, even more than if I had read it.
I would recommend it to teens because it was written with easy language, but though it would be readable to preteens, I would caution parents that there are some difficult things dealt with, for example, persecution.
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the author. I received no compensation for posting it and was not obligated to do so. All opinions are my own.
The main character is a young woman. She is imprisoned in a horrible labor camp, and awaiting the day when the King will come to execute her from her crimes. Then the Prince comes and offers her complete forgiveness for her crimes as well as adoption as the King’s daughter and an engagement to the Prince. It seems too good to be true, but she accepts and begins a long, dangerous journey with the Prince to the royal city.
The book was short, but it was rich with depth and meaning. It was most definitely a Christian allegory, showing the deplorable condition of our souls before believing in Christ, the utter amazingness of what Christ’s death and resurrection did for us, and the continuing journey with Christ through life after salvation.
The allegory of this book was well-done. It provided wonderful reminders to me of the sins or struggles I often fall into even though I’m trying to follow Christ — legalism and pride, materialism and distraction, unbelief and fear, and others. Each one was vividly demonstrated in allegorical fashion, and as I said, they were great reminders to me not to fall into those lies but to believe the truth of Christ.
The book was short and sweet. I think it could have benefited from going into a little more depth with the various struggles, but as it was, the book was well-done. I think I will go back and listen to it again sometimes when I need more reminders.
Speaking of which, I listened to it as an audiobook. The voice actor did a good job, and it was an enjoyable listen. I really enjoyed it as an audiobook, even more than if I had read it.
I would recommend it to teens because it was written with easy language, but though it would be readable to preteens, I would caution parents that there are some difficult things dealt with, for example, persecution.
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the author. I received no compensation for posting it and was not obligated to do so. All opinions are my own.
June 24, 2024
5 stars. WOW. This was an amazing read. The allegory was SO well done. I was almost moved to tears by contemplating again how much Jesus suffered for us. And oh, the message of trusting always, no matter what you see or don’t see... I needed that. The only thing that bothered me in this story was one place Justinius removed his shirt. And there was one hug, but otherwise the romance was very pure. And oh my, I can’t get over how good the allegory was! Sometimes we just need to remember how amazing our salvation is. Highly recommend this book.
A Favourite Quote: “‘Let me tend to your wound, Princess. I know this is difficult for you to understand, but I can't tell you why you needed to go through this right now. In time, you'll understand. Trust me with your pain if nothing else. You aren't hurting me by letting your wound fester. You're only hurting yourself.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “So far, the trip to the dark [Death] valley threatened her with nothing but boredom. Perhaps everyone becomes bored to death in the valley. Maybe that's how it got its name.”
A Favourite Quote: “‘Let me tend to your wound, Princess. I know this is difficult for you to understand, but I can't tell you why you needed to go through this right now. In time, you'll understand. Trust me with your pain if nothing else. You aren't hurting me by letting your wound fester. You're only hurting yourself.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “So far, the trip to the dark [Death] valley threatened her with nothing but boredom. Perhaps everyone becomes bored to death in the valley. Maybe that's how it got its name.”
December 13, 2022
I was not sure what I was going to read when I picked up this book. I was looking for a Christian fantasy, something like C.S. Lewis. What I found was surprising, and quite delighting.
Instead of a C.S. Lewis style, or even that of Tolkien's Lord of The Rings, I found an allegory that fell more in the style of Paul Bunyons "Pilgrim's Progress."
Mara, a slave girl awaiting her punishment for rebellion, finds herself set free by the very prince she was rebelling against. The two then travel to the Prince's kingdom, the place he had made for them.
The story is great example of our life. We are but rebellious creatures rebelling against God. However, He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price of our rebellion, and to set us free. We are now on our journey home to be with Him. This journey is not easy, but in the end it will be worth it.
A great read, and I highly recommend it.
Instead of a C.S. Lewis style, or even that of Tolkien's Lord of The Rings, I found an allegory that fell more in the style of Paul Bunyons "Pilgrim's Progress."
Mara, a slave girl awaiting her punishment for rebellion, finds herself set free by the very prince she was rebelling against. The two then travel to the Prince's kingdom, the place he had made for them.
The story is great example of our life. We are but rebellious creatures rebelling against God. However, He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price of our rebellion, and to set us free. We are now on our journey home to be with Him. This journey is not easy, but in the end it will be worth it.
A great read, and I highly recommend it.
Read
October 16, 2019** I am reviewing the audio version of this book**
This was a lovely story, and a great allegory.
Mara’s story illustrated the story of Jesus and how he loved us even when we were sinners.
It showed the love of Jesus, and how anyone can be restored, if only they would put their trust in him..
The narration was very good. I thought the narrator had a nice interesting accent.
I would highly recommend this book.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This was a lovely story, and a great allegory.
Mara’s story illustrated the story of Jesus and how he loved us even when we were sinners.
It showed the love of Jesus, and how anyone can be restored, if only they would put their trust in him..
The narration was very good. I thought the narrator had a nice interesting accent.
I would highly recommend this book.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
March 23, 2025
9/10
I don’t think I’d ever read an allegory until Avalon before, but I thought this one was handled pretty well.
She has a great writing style & you could feel the anguish from a rather bitter character in such a grisly environment.
When Mara accepts the invitation of a lifetime, the rest of the book provides an interesting ride in a simple coach where she begins a trust-building experience like no other.
Very relatable to the everyday walk with Jesus.
I don’t think I’d ever read an allegory until Avalon before, but I thought this one was handled pretty well.
She has a great writing style & you could feel the anguish from a rather bitter character in such a grisly environment.
When Mara accepts the invitation of a lifetime, the rest of the book provides an interesting ride in a simple coach where she begins a trust-building experience like no other.
Very relatable to the everyday walk with Jesus.
September 5, 2020
I’ve had this book on my kindle for years and just decided on a whim tonight to read it. While the allegory was very direct and a bit heavy-handed at times (from a fiction storytelling perspective), it’s well-written, and full of such beautiful truth it had me in tears more than once. I read it straight through in one sitting.
November 5, 2017
Lovely
Truly the greatest story ever told. This is a wonderful rendition of the good news and message of the Bible. Every girl, lady & woman has a chance to be a Princess to the King of Kings.
Truly the greatest story ever told. This is a wonderful rendition of the good news and message of the Bible. Every girl, lady & woman has a chance to be a Princess to the King of Kings.
February 15, 2015
Beautiful picture of what Jesus did for me.
Everyone should read this. It is a powerful picture of redemption and forgiveness from a loving sacrificial God. Oh What A Savior!
Everyone should read this. It is a powerful picture of redemption and forgiveness from a loving sacrificial God. Oh What A Savior!
December 20, 2019
Well done allegory / parable of Christ’s love. The feel the author gave was good taking us to medieval times. Well done and enjoyable
Given ARC audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
Given ARC audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
December 22, 2019
Such a sweet and well written allegory that brings to life God’s love and sacrifice for us!
April 12, 2020
I Found this to be a wonderful allegory of the gospel. Mara represents all of us and how much Christ loves us, even though we are sinners. All we need is to accept that love to become His bride.
December 21, 2022
I adore allegories and Avalon is a beautiful tale. The low star reviews here are very undeserving. This is well written and the symbolism of the Christian journey is spot on.
September 24, 2022
Cute Christian allegory.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews