Good and evil clash. Leinad and Cedric are determined to not only survive, but claim hope and victory! In Kingdom’s Dawn , Leinad and Tess, along with all the king’s people, must escape slavery by the powerful Lord Fairos. Kingdom’s Hope finds them free and arriving in the Chessington Valley . But when they forget the king, will Kergon and the Kessons capture them for good? After many years, Kingdom’s Edge finds Cedric living a hopeless life until a stranger appears with powerful words of a new kingdom and a grand army. Finally, Kingdom’s Reign marches you through the danger of earth’s last days as the evil dark knight threatens to defeat the prince once and for all. Swords, knights, and battles define these captivating tales that parallel biblical events from Genesis to Revelation!
Fierce castle lords hold the kingdom hostage.
But a champion is coming…
Fairos thought he had sentenced Leinad to death in the Banteen desert. But he was wrong. Leinad survived. Now, trained by the King himself, Leinad returns—a true Knight of the King. His skill with the sword is unmatched this side of the Great Sea ; his resolve is unshakeable. He is determined to fulfill the mission given him by the King and to free the people from their bondage to Lord Fairos.
Leinad’s quest takes him from the chains of slavery, near the jaws of dragons, and close to the arms of love. And when the rest of the kingdom turns away from the King and the Code, Leinad turns to his most faithful ally, Tess. With her help, Leinad struggles to conquer his own doubt. But he must do so soon, for the King’s archenemy, the Dark Knight, is about to unleash his entire evil force, and only Leinad can stop them…
Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil; where the future of the kingdom is at the threshold of either victory or defeat—and one man holds the key.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDED
Story Behind the Book
“When my six kids’ eyes glossed over during a reading from the Bible, I paused to explain the significance of redemption to a sin-sick soul. I was rewarded with patronizing elephant nods and more blank stares. Shortly thereafter, I awoke in the middle of the night with a medieval story enveloping my mind. I wrote it down and later read it to my children. Their waning attention transformed into complete anticipation. I was amazed and disappointed. Why did it take a fictional story, not a Bible passage, to get that response? Then I realized—that is how Jesus taught! Parables are powerful! I penned the Kingdom series to help young people get excited about the supremely significant story of Jesus Christ and His mission to save mankind.” —Chuck Black
Chuck Black first wrote Kingdom’s Edge to inspire his children to read the Bible with renewed zeal. This captivating expanded parable led him to write the Old Testament allegories, Kingdom’s Dawn, Kingdom’s Hope, Kingdom’s Call, and Kingdom’s Quest. Chuck's currents works include the Knights of Arrethtrae series, Call to Arms, and his series in progress, Wars of the Realm.
Chuck is a former F-16 fighter pilot and currently works as an engineer for a firm designing plastic consumer products and has coinvented eleven patented construction products now being sold internationally. He has a degree in electrical and electronic engineering and served eight years in the United States Air Force. Chuck and his wife have six children and live in North Dakota.
It is Chuck’s desire to serve the Lord through his work and to inspire people of all ages to study the scriptures in order to discover the hope and love of a truly majestic King and His Son.
Woohoo still loving this. Except one thing... who else is annoyed with the constant mention of names in the dialogue? “Something something something, Leinad.” “Something something something, Tess.” Like, who actually uses names that much when they talk? One thing, guys. That’s all though. xD
I am really enjoying this series and the plot it is following. Even though it is based from a bible story i really don't feel like I'm reading a bible story as I'm not religious at all. I'm here for the fantasy story it is given. I really like Leinad as a main character and that he knows what the aim of the journey is. I also like bond with Tess and how it was slowly growing to more. I love how chuck describes the battles as he goes in so much depth and it was a joy to listen to on audio. The book kind of had a magical feel to it too with some of the warriors turning up in the middle of nowhere when they are needed. I gave this book 4 stars and am looking forward to carrying on with the series.
I love this series! The books move at a good pace, and each chapter has something interesting that keeps the plot moving. I also love that the chapter titles often highlight that interesting tidbit so you know what to look forward to!
Characters: This story follows Leinad and, in turn, Tess and Audric... I love Leinad and his determination to do right. His doubts of his worthiness just make him so real! Tess is so loyal and brave... I aspire to be like that. Audric has such a true heart, and he is just so cool!
Themes: Staying true to God and remembering that He never turns His back on us, we are the ones who turn our back on Him. He is always there for us!
Romance: A little bit, and it's so bittersweet... it hurts.
Language: N/A
Overall: I live this series! This book has some cool scenes... like the Dragamoths and Leinad refusing to leave anyone behind in that one part... and just...ack! So good! The audio of this series is epic, too! Just so everyone knows.
It was awesome!!! Everything we've come to expect from a Chuck Black book!!! Kept us on the edge of our seats!!! Aww, just such a great book in such a great series!!!!
❀ I've seen sooo much hype for this series and to be honest, I didn't really feel it personally, but I can see definitely see it for others. But, it could be that this is the first book I've read in the series as the person who loaned me the series had misplaced the first book.
✿ However, whatever the reason, I still do think it's a pretty cool book. The very idea of a closely followed allegorical series set in somewhat medieval -type setting is pretty cool. I also LOVED the discussion questions at the end of the book, and I thought it would've been cool if underneath the chapter titles it said the Bible passages they were based upon.
❀ I think the biggest thing that bugged me was the writing. I'm not really sure what age the series is geared towards (I assume 8-12 year olds) but I guess I've just gotten used to reading strong YA-Adult books. For the first two thirds of the book's writing fell flat to me and didn't grasp me (but again I think I'm not exactly the age range lol). Although, for the last one third of the book the writing did finally grasp me and I really felt the emotional toll of one of the scenes.
✿ It's incredibly unfortunate that I don't have the first book because I think it would've explained a lot of my confusion and perhaps I'd understand why our main character was constantly calling Tess 'Sunshine'
❀ Overall, it's a cool book and I'll definitely be checking out the other books. I'm curious if my rating would've been higher if I was closer to the age range, as I think Elementary to Middle School kiddos would really eat this book up. I also think it would make a really cool Bible Study if you read this book with the chapters in the Bible it parallels. Absolutely no hate at all to this series. To wrap up my final thoughts, I liked how the author included both a female & male main[ish] character so kiddos can see how Godly Women and Men should act in the face of the physical and spiritual battles of life.
Content: Slightly descriptive animal deaths, slightly described battles and battle injuries Age Recommendation: 8+
I am astonished!❤️🥺 This book guys! I love this book! I almost had a heart attack the last 20 pages. And when Leinad said “I love you.” to Tess I literally screamed. And when Tess almost DiEd I was like *insert screaming/crying here* I did NOT want her to die. And then Tess died anyway of an illness and Leinad didn’t have very much time with Tess. And they finally admitted their feelings for each other. And now she’s GONE!🥺❤️ *eternal tears* I’m sad🥺🥺 ughhhhh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Books in Series: The Kingdom Series has a sequel series, The Knights of Arrethtrae. Because these two go together, it is recommended that after you have read the fifth book of the Kingdom Series, you read The Knights of Arrethtrae series, and then after finishing Sir Rowan And The Camerian Conquest, the final book in The Knights of Arrethtrae, you read book six of The Kingdom Series: * Kingdom’s Dawn (2006) * Kingdom’s Hope (2006) * Kingdom’s Edge (2006) * Kingdom’s Call (2007) * Kingdom’s Quest (2007) * Kingdom’s Reign (2007)
Summary: Leinad’s life had always been peaceful, until the day his father was murdered. Faced with the cold reality of his father’s past, as well as his own, sixteen-year-old Leinad runs to the wilderness of Arrethtrae, accompanied only by his adopted sister. But when they are both captured and enslaved, Leinad must learn the truth behind the lies before the Dark Knight and his Shadow Warriors overtake all of Arrethtrae.
Notes from The Radical Reader:
Noble Characters: Leinad and Tess are orphans with the distant memory of their father fading as their lives slip away in either slavery or hiding. When the call of the King comes, they accept his guidance and fight for the kingdom of Arrethtrae.
Captivating Plots: These allegorical stories will bring the Bible to life in an entirely new way for young readers. Heroic knights and ladies, each tasked with spreading the hope of the King and the Prince to the distant reaches of the kingdom, are worthy heroes to be admired and emulated. Chuck Black’s story and plot mix truth with fiction and seek to teach Biblical truths to young readers in an engaging way.
Elaborate Worlds: Young readers will recognize names and places as direct allegorical stories from Scripture, fueling their excitement to read the fiction stories and be empowered by the true tales. The Kingdom Series is a powerful tool and will strengthen readers for years to come.
No graphic violence, sexual tension, or profanity.
Well, this book may be a bit better than the 3 I'm giving it here. I got the audio book from Audible and it's done..."DRAMATICALLY".
I'm not big on audio books with a cast of multiple readers, mood music throughout, sound effects and so on. A good book and a good narrator make a good read. For me the rest is simply annoying.
This is an overtly "allegorical" book, though not in the sense that say Pilgrims Progress Gift Bk is. That is a picture of the Christian journey through life told within a symbolic story. Here we tell the story in the Bible starting with the picture of human rebellion and how the angelic rebellion of Satan led into the rebellion of humanity.
It's usually quite easy to see who the "adapted" characters are. Not so much for the primary character as he fills several roles.
I like the book and have no problem with the way the story is told. It seems a bit "spare" or sketched out and I think could use more depth. As noted I'm not thrilled with the audio version I bought from Audible. I will probably keep it as it's only around a $6 purchase (and it's only a 3 hour read). I don't know if I'll follow it up or not. We'll see.
So a very middle of the road 3 stars. Readable and a good story, could use more development as a novel.
Just flipped through this again to look at the fight scenes on a friend's recommendation. Same as the first: It could have been really good if he'd taken the time and space to develop it properly. If I remember right, Leinad and Tess's relationship seemed out of place when I first read it, but (could just be that I skipped over most of it) it seemed more realistic to me this time. Walls of caution that were finally broken down, realization that she was just waiting on him, and all. That happens sometimes. And is Black a fan of LOTR? Because crossing the Great Sea sounds suspiciously like going into the West. I may finish the series at some point. I hear they get better after the next book.
Lienad and Tess are two amazing characters. I loved reading how they stand beside the King, no matter who is against them, and never waver in their trust for them. This is my second time through, but each adventure was just as good as the first time.
Love this medieval/fantasy retelling of the Bible!
Black’s “Kingdom Series” is a type of fantasy retelling of the storyline of Scripture, set in a medieval time period. I completed the first three books. When it comes to this specific genre, they just aren’t quite my cup of tea.
The first two books, “Kingdom’s Dawn” and “Kingdom’s Hope” cover most of the Old Testament and careen through it all at a wild pace. Most of the Old Testament heroes got packed into one main character’s life story, so as you can imagine, it’s quite an adventuresome tale. It also makes him feel unattainably virtuous. A rather odd romance randomly emerges. I say “odd” because it felt a little forced and stoic.
I listened to the audiobooks, and all the dramatic music and sound effects felt rather repetitive and cheesy to me.
Overall, these first three books are creative and full of action, but they seemed to lack some emotional depth that could have made the characters more relatable.
The 2nd instalment of 6 in the Kingdom series; picking up where volume 1 left off. The establishment of the people in Chessington and the delivery of the sword of hope. We see the tale of Leinad come to its conclusion with an appearance by Lucius and his evil forces. The Silent Warriors help to save Chessington, but the enemy is only in retreat; not defeated. That is yet to come.
Love the analogy of this book to the narrative of Scripture. You love the people who are faithful to the King, and I love how the author revered the king - you can’t help but want to be there, serving the King!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I remember listening to these books in the car when I was younger, back when we had to listen to it on a CD: the ones you borrowed from the library and crossed your fingers that it wasn’t scratched. Many years later here I am listening to them again, this time on a little device. I still love it.
I won't lie - I love Leinad and Tess so much. Listening to this story again makes me highly aware of the loose plot but what a killer Old Testament allegory. Probably 3.5 stars but I wouldn't hesitate to listen again and again as I have since childhood.
After days of fighting, a losing Farios has finally had enough and releases them. Leinad leads them away until they get to the red Canyon and all hope of escape is lost. I love how Chuck Black shows the character of Leinad and his loyalty to the people. They finally reach home, Chessington, and settle into a beautiful life there until Lord Quinn takes a wife and she does not serve and honor the King, nor do her guards. Lord Quinn is then killed and the people of Chessington are taken away. For Leinad it's a time of remorse, and reflection. He begins to realize that Tess is more than just a friend, but he stuffs his emotions away. After many weeks of captivity, they are freed and go back to Chessington, but it will never be as it once was. They work hard to rebuild their life there and everything seems back to normal and then an army of Shadow Warriors come. (Basically the warriors who work for The Dark Knight or Satan) They finally defeat them…or so it seems. One comes running back, trying to kill Leinad…in that a moment, a sacrifice is made. Instead of Leinad, Tess is stabbed in a fatal spot. To make her stay with Leinad would be wrong. She must go to the Kingdom on across the Great Sea. In the moment of treachery and anguish, Leinad realizes that she was more then just a counselor and friend. She was his love. She says that she will not go to the Kingdom across the Great Sea, cannot go there. There is no wrong or detailed romance in the book. She stays with Leinad a few years longer, until there is no other choice, and Leinad must wait to see her until he is also called home.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I still haven't warmed to this series. The problem is that I really like a cogent coherent plot, not just things happening. The big failing of allegory is that the plot is always subservient to the moral of the story.
Leinad has morphed again and now is, by turns, a Moses figure, then a Samuel, Elijah, Daniel and finally a Nehemiah.
And much as I dislike saying it, I find the 'God figure' here - the King of Arrenthtrae - to have fallen victim to one of the oldest issues of an allegorical/fantasy mix: he appears absent and impotent. The mystery of his strange appearances in the nick of time are never addressed; if he can be there in dire danger, why can't he be there all the time?
By portraying the king as basically human - or rather, by not exercising due diligence in pointing out he's an analogy for a spirit - his actions seem inconsistent and aloof.
I was told the series was a superb one - but I've yet to be convinced.
The story starts with Lianad riding towards a battle. A lot of the time when this happens, the book doesn't quite pull it off. This one did. And it did it well. As I said before, the action in this book is great. Mr. Black captures the heat of battle and forms it into words greatly. I've always been a fan of a good sword (or lightsaber) battle. Kingdom's Hope has many of them.
If anything, this book expands the characters of the first book even more. There are new characters that make big impacts on the story. Again, Mr. Black converts people and places from the bible to a great fantasy story.
This book definitely broke the "show don't tell" rule. Also, I'm not ok with everyone repackaging the Bible into some kind of fantasy/sci-fi book instead of finding their own plot.
But the MC is not only Seth, but Nehemiah, Moses, and another prophet in this book (can't remember the third one grr) so it reads like some AU OoC fanfic. And I'm strangely ok with that.
(If you get my reference above I will consider you my Goodreads bff :) )
This book was (I think) waayyyy better then the first. "Kingdoms Dawn" (but that one I did like and it was good!), I really liked this one! (to bad it's not on my book shelf instead of my sisters :( ) the ending ah so, bittersweet. that is all I shall say about it for now:)
“Be merciful, loyal, courageous, faithful, and noble, but above all, be humble before the King and before men
About the Book This book picks up right where Kingdom’s Dawn left off — at Fairos’s castle — and follows a broad sweep of biblical history, from Exodus all the way to Ezra.
Thematically, it covers the journey through the wilderness, Moses’ arc, the giving of the law (represented here as the Codes), Israel’s desire for a king, their unfaithfulness, the confrontation with Jezebel and Elijah, the invasion by Babylon (called “Dadylon” in the book), Leinad’s role as a voice of Jeremiah and Ezra, the mourning over Israel’s spiritual failure, Daniel and the faithful remnant — and the journey continues.
Things I Enjoyed About the Book The book really takes off and brings these themes to life through some memorable antagonists — Lord Fairos, for example, is an excellent allegory for Pharaoh. His character is handled well, and the parallels (like the plague of the firstborn) are striking, even if reimagined creatively.
You have to give Chuck Black credit for packing so much biblical narrative into this short allegory. It’s genuinely impressive how smoothly he weaves together stories from Exodus, Kings, Samuel, Jeremiah, and Ezra — all within a single arc featuring Leinad.
I was genuinely amazed at how he transitioned between these major events of the Old Testament, with Leinad symbolizing multiple biblical figures at different moments. The narrative breadth is ambitious and admirable.
Things That Made the Reading Experience Tough While I appreciate the effort to cover so much biblical ground allegorically, I was disappointed with the way the characters were written — and, at times, the plot.
The characters felt extremely one-dimensional, with little development or emotional depth. The plot also became quite predictable and thin as the book progressed. Especially toward the end, when there’s suddenly a major battle and bloodshed, I found myself feeling disconnected from the story.
And though I appreciated the message, I couldn’t help but feel let down by the flatness of the dialogue, especially between Leinad and Tess. There were a few moments where I saw what was coming and honestly cringed at how it was written.
Overall I have to acknowledge Chuck Black for the sheer effort of condensing so many Old Testament themes into just 12 chapters. He really does succeed at summarizing major biblical narratives in a way that can spark great conversation — especially if you're reading alongside children. It’s a strong tool for introducing biblical concepts and characters through story.
That said, I expected more from a book in terms of engagement. The characters could definitely have been written with more nuance and complexity — it would’ve made the story feel deeper and more immersive.
Still, I respect the economy of words that Chuck Black uses. It’s no small feat to communicate such weighty themes in so short a format.
3 Stars from me.
So cheers, and I’ll catch you guys later — I’m off to dive back into Sanderson. I’m parched for a good story, and Sanderson's Wind and Truth might have just the kind of rich character work and depth I’ve been craving!
4.8 Wow. Again could have gone with a little more detail, but still fantastic! This one was very fast paced which was nice.
OVERVIEW "Fairos thought he had sentenced Leinad to death in the Banteen desert. But he was wrong. Leinad survived. Now, trained by the King himself, Leinad returns—a true Knight of the King. His skill with the sword is unmatched this side of the Great Sea ; his resolve is unshakeable. He is determined to fulfill the mission given him by the King and to free the people from their bondage to Lord Fairos. Leinad’s quest takes him from the chains of slavery, near the jaws of dragons, and close to the arms of love. And when the rest of the kingdom turns away from the King and the Code, Leinad turns to his most faithful ally, Tess. With her help, Leinad struggles to conquer his own doubt. But he must do so soon, for the King’s archenemy, the Dark Knight, is about to unleash his entire evil force, and only Leinad can stop them… Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil; where the future of the kingdom is at the threshold of either victory or defeat—and one man holds the key."
POSITIVE ELEMENTS Again, Leinad stands firm in his beliefs even when faced with awful consequences. Tess and Audric stand beside him.
VIOLENCE Lots of sword fights and mentions of a war. Leinad has to fight and tries not to kill unnecessarily. Mentions of being near death and in pain. A boy is accidentally killed by his father. Mentions of feeling vengeful.
SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS Many, many, many biblical parallels and truths are shared in this story. Each character represents some one from the Bible in each chapter. "The King reigns" is a common phrase. Mentions of those who oppose the King.
SEXUAL CONTENT Leinad falls on love with Tess. Mentions of her beauty and his feelings. He kisses her hand and forehead. It is later said that they got married.
LANGUAGE Nothing. One man says "curse you all" when the King's people complain after they were just saved.
OTHER NOTES ***SPOILER***at one point, Leinad, Tess and Audric refuse to bow before a man and are thrown to a creature called a dragonmouth. They are rescued by the Prince (similar story to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego)***END SPOILER***
This book and series are very charming and fun, although I must complain about the allegorical 10 Commandments mentioned. I love Christian allegories in general, but this allegorical book created the "Code" to represent the 10 Commandments, but it has only a couple commands that are similar to the originals in the Bible. I am perfectly fine with authors slightly rewording Scripture in order to make it work within an allegorical world, but the Code is completely different from the 10 Commandments. And the author specifically states in his discussion Q & A at the end of the book that the Code represents the 10 Commandments, so I am not imagining the symbolic nature of the Code. The Code does not teach bad things; it teaches good things, many of which are referenced elsewhere in the Bible, but that does not excuse the completely inaccurate symbol. Furthermore, the Code commands people to be "compassionate," "merciful," "courageous," "noble," and "humble." Again, these are good traits that the Bible does talk about, however, the 10 Commandments are laws and rules about things to "do" or "not do". They were not about character traits, but about actions. It is Jesus who switches the focus from outward acts to inward traits, but He has not yet arrived in this allegorical world to change the way we think. The 10 Commandments' purpose was to show to the people that they are impossible to follow perfectly without first being changed within: only Jesus had the ability to live according to them his entire life. We had to first understand problems of only thinking according to unbreakable, inflexible "yes" or "no" laws before we could understand why we needed Jesus and why we needed to change on the inside rather than just outwardly. We had to try to live by only changing our outward actions and fail before being able to understand the necessity of changing our inward character traits in order to produce the righteous acts described in the 10 Commandments.
The second book in Chuck Blacks Kingdom series continues an excellent story. If you like the first book, you'll it definitely enjoy the second.
What I like so much about Chuck blacks books is the reminder of why we are here. If you're Christian, you believe that God created us and gave us a mission. We are to take dominion and increase. That mission was added to by the Son Of God, Jesus, when he commanded us to tell people about himself. We're to love one another and spread the gospel, the good news. But sometimes we get lost in our quest and end up filling our lives with work and play. The daily 9 to 5 demands more extracurricular activities including sports, clubs, organizations, and even church. Those diversions steal our time and cause us to forget what life is all about. Kingdoms Hope reminds us that we are here for a reason. We are here to follow the calling given to us by God. Through thick and thin, God is always there, and He's waiting for us to successfully complete our mission.
I must say that I was a bit disappointed by part of the ending. Leinad lost something very valuable and important. It happened as a bit of a shock. It's one of those moments in a book that makes you wonder how much one person can take. It was lost gracefully, so it maybe it wasn't so bad once it was over, but I still wish Leinad didn't have to go through so much!
It's looking like book 3 will change the direction of the series' story. We will be hearing the tail from another character, not Leinad.
I encourage you to read Chuck Black's Kingdom series! Kingdoms hope is a good book and its only part 2 in the 6 book series!