Paladins, the second book of the Peleg Chronicles, finds us back in the company of Lord McDougal and Fergus Leatherhead as the Death Hunt begins. But the outcome is not what one would expect.Can they escape?Will they find the foundlings before the Dragon Priests do?Our noble heroes must put all their hope in the Lord's mercies, while they journey forward by faith. They are the Paladins, the courageous protectors of the weak, and a light to those that would seek their demise.
In Paladins, book two of Matthew Christian Harding’s Peleg Chronicles, we return to the post-Flood world of the Quixotic Lord McDougal, his faithful squire Fergus Leatherhead and the young and intrepid ranger Thiery.
All of the characters we were so happily acquainted with in Foundlings return, though some for not so long as we would have liked. Still, one of the only problems with the first novel was that the story followed two strong protagonists whose storylines intermingled but never quite met. Harding overcomes this deficit in this book, concentrating first on one protagonist and their entourage at length, then another, rather than skipping back and forth each chapter as he did in the first.
It’s a most enjoyable read, beginning with a resolution to the cliffhanger Foundlings ended on. It contains a twist and a red herring or two to confound and intrigue us, more of the high chivalry and reverence for the God of Noah that drew our hearts in the first and, of course, plenty of misadventures to keep us turning the pages. Paladins also ends on a cliffhanger, but gives us such a set up for the third book, Loresmen, that I can scarcely wait to begin it!
The first book included an appendix, the Gospel itself. Paladins includes two appendices, one on dragons/dinosaurs and the Bible and the other on Biblical support for giants.
As with Foundlings, I happily recommend Paladins especially for young boys and teen readers with a taste for adventure.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Once again, Matthew Christian Harding has immersed us in a world of fantasy with no enchantments or wizardry, no evolution or humanistic theory but jam packed with adventure, intrigue and, in nearly every word, God’s love and grace. With astounding perception and detail, Harding carries the reader through a world that’s as full of fantasy as it is reality. With beautiful dialogue, characters and plot twists reminiscent of the best tales of C.S. Lewis, as I was reading I was envious of Harding’s talent for writing. The story he has crafted – the world he has created – is so enjoyable it’s hard to believe that it wasn’t something fully experienced and recorded for posterity.
Again, I find myself wanting to shout from the rooftops that these books are perfect for any family and are a reading adventure that should not be missed. If you love fantasy, adventure, historicals, intrigue or just brilliant storytelling, you should give this series a try. If you homeschool, reading these books together with your children is a fantastic literature or Bible addition to your curriculum. And if you don’t homeschool, reading them together is a wonderful evening activity for the whole family.
While marketing professionals may have recommended a trilogy, the Peleg Chronicles is just one story, with some rather arbitrary cliff hangers between books. The first edition lacked luster and I'm not sure the second will sell as well anyway. In addition, the somewhat slow start of the first book would be mitigated by a single binding, although I have to concede, it makes it easier to carry!
I couldn't say at the end of Book 1 that I really CARED about the characters, but I found myself warming to them and their world in Paladins. There were times when I picked the book up not because I wanted to read and this is my current project, but because I wanted to know what happened next. These sparks were encouraging, though not enough to light a fire and I find myself dragging my feet on starting Book 3.
Adequate to pass the time, this is not classic literature. It is appropriate for young people and would be a good option for a voracious reader.
I know most of the potential readers of this book will have read the first book Foundlings already. I just want to convince you that this was a fantastic second installment to the trilogy. The author did an awesome job of building on the excitement and adventure of the first book using the same quality of beautiful wisdom and scriptural truths. So read it! You will be glad you did.
I can't praise this series enough. The second book was just as incredible as the first one. I'm reading this trilogy out loud to my family, and they all love it. We are going to start the third one right away!
This book is amazing! This one is much better than the first one in my opinion, and the plot is quite exciting. If you have read the first one, you definitely need to read this one. If you haven't read the first one then it is worth reading, at least so you can get to this one .
Oh my! Did you think the first one ended on a cliffhanger? This one’s worse!! But *laughs* this is an amazing book. I love the story and the Scripture he weaves through the book. It seems like every chapter has at least some reference to one Scripture or another. It’s beautiful! I love this series!
Super! All the 'fantasy' you could want, dragons, an evil witch, knights, etc etc. Great character development and plot. Best of all Bible verses weaved in with application.
I liked it better than the first book. Perhaps that is because there were some new characters, and the ones from book 1 were more developed. The author has a good imagination. Again, he weaves Scripture in nicely. I think young boys will enjoy it.
I read this aloud to my children. I had to read the first 30 pages of the third book because of the cliffhanger ending. I think most of the characters are well developed.