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The Shining Sword: Book 1
"For the King! Such is the battle cry of the royal army in the service of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as they set out to wage war against the forces of evil in The Shining Sword. Lanus, a new recruit, finds he has much to learn about obedience, about failure, about victory and about the vital importance of putting on the full armor of the King. In this fascinating tale of spiritual warfare, the story of Lanus vividly illustrates the Christian s conflict with Satan. Come along as a new convert trains for battle by skillfully wielding the ultimate weapon of righteousness, the Sword of the Word of God. The Shining Sword is sure to help children grasp the concept of putting on the whole armor of God. Beautifully written, the story pulls the reader in from the first chapter and the new updated pen and ink illustrations add visual drama to the narrative. Children and adults will be able to relate to the experiences of Lanus and the other soldiers of the King. This allegorical presentation of believers lives as knights and soldiers of Christ will captivate anyone s imagination. In some respects, The Shining Sword will remind older readers of the Pilgrim s Progress, but the focus in The Shining Sword is using each piece of the armor of God wisely and correctly. In particular, readers learn along with new knight Lanus how to wield the Word of God (the sword) in various situations. While intended for readers from ages 8-13, it is one of those read-aloud stories that will capture the attention and interest of any reader or listener. Moreover, it is a tale that presents tremendous discussion opportunities on what it means to be a knight of the King in the spiritual warfare that all believers face daily. Whether The Shining Sword is used in family devotions, enjoyed in a read-aloud setting, or is given to lone readers to utilize the armor on their own, it is a story that will leave a lasting impression on all who encounter it. It will challenge all readers to be victorious in Christ by using the armor He has supplied for us."
160 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1988
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83 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 7, 2015
My older sister read this to all of my younger siblings, one at a time. I had to see what made it so worthy.
Wow. This is like The Pilgrim's Progress meets Hinds' Feet on High Places meets The Lord of the Rings, only written for children.
The Shining Sword is one of the best allegories I have ever read. It is full of truths which are easily applied to our every day life, and is a fantastic adventure read at the same time.
Delighted!
Wow. This is like The Pilgrim's Progress meets Hinds' Feet on High Places meets The Lord of the Rings, only written for children.
The Shining Sword is one of the best allegories I have ever read. It is full of truths which are easily applied to our every day life, and is a fantastic adventure read at the same time.
Delighted!
October 22, 2022
A great book that does a very good job of illustrating the events of a Christian’s life. By and through Jesus are Christians victorious in the end.
April 25, 2023
I've read this book a few times. My children asked me to read the whole series to them recently. I enjoyed it, and for sure through their eyes!
February 25, 2025
Fun book series to read with my boys.
July 11, 2025
Inspired me once again to live my life in true, dedicated service to the King.
August 1, 2025
An excellent portrayal of the Christian life and what it means to be a Christian. Highly recommend for homeschooling to read to the kids.
March 17, 2023
Number of pages: 154
Genre: Allegorical Fiction
Series: It has a sequel The Song of the Trumpet
Age recommendation: 12+
Summary: Lanus is a lazy man, living in the Broad Valley. One day, his friend Robin visits him, and tells him of a King who desires Lanus’ devotion. Intrigued, Lanus follows Robin to the top of the mountain, where at the King’s Castle, he can learn more about this mysterious Ruler and His soldiers.
My thoughts: I love this book. It is an allegory about living the Christian faith (and putting on the armour of God), and I find it very interesting how the truths from the Bible are translated into physical battles and actions.
I really liked the parts that show all work for the King is equally important. It is just as good to work in the gardens of the castle as to fight in battles. Both need to be done and different people have different gifts that they can use for the King.
I also liked how it shows our weaknesses and failures can be used for God. It’s not that He wants or needs us to fail to use us or accomplish His purposes but when His follower turns to Him confessing their sin and asking for forgiveness, He can pick them up and turn around their failure for good. No one is too bad or too lost for God to love them and bring them back to Himself if they are sorry for the wrong they’ve done.
If you are a fan of Pilgrim’s Progress – or any allegory book really – you will love this book. (Even my sister who doesn’t love fantasy/allegory liked this book!)
My personal rating: 5/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
Genre: Allegorical Fiction
Series: It has a sequel The Song of the Trumpet
Age recommendation: 12+
Summary: Lanus is a lazy man, living in the Broad Valley. One day, his friend Robin visits him, and tells him of a King who desires Lanus’ devotion. Intrigued, Lanus follows Robin to the top of the mountain, where at the King’s Castle, he can learn more about this mysterious Ruler and His soldiers.
My thoughts: I love this book. It is an allegory about living the Christian faith (and putting on the armour of God), and I find it very interesting how the truths from the Bible are translated into physical battles and actions.
I really liked the parts that show all work for the King is equally important. It is just as good to work in the gardens of the castle as to fight in battles. Both need to be done and different people have different gifts that they can use for the King.
I also liked how it shows our weaknesses and failures can be used for God. It’s not that He wants or needs us to fail to use us or accomplish His purposes but when His follower turns to Him confessing their sin and asking for forgiveness, He can pick them up and turn around their failure for good. No one is too bad or too lost for God to love them and bring them back to Himself if they are sorry for the wrong they’ve done.
If you are a fan of Pilgrim’s Progress – or any allegory book really – you will love this book. (Even my sister who doesn’t love fantasy/allegory liked this book!)
My personal rating: 5/5 stars.
Link to blog: https://karinaschristianreads.wordpre...
February 23, 2012
WARMING: IT IS FOR THE CHILDREN
1. SUMMARY
There is main character named Lanus. He was very lazy guy. One day, while he was taking a nap on the hill, he saw the black shadow is moving from the dark forest. He was nervous, so he take a big breath and waiting for that shadow. However, guess what? it was Robbin who were gone to the another village for one year. Lanus was very exited. Also he heard that Robbin and Lanus were invited to the castle. They were super happy. During heading towards to the ends, they met the giant monsters. They were in danger, but one sword master came and saved us. He was from the castle. As soon as they arrived at the castle, Lanus earn the Magic Armor, Magic Shield, and Magic Helmet, but one thing was missing. The Shining sword. Lanus researched all the book and thing about Shining sword. Finally he found it and came back to the castle. There was a big war happening when he get back, so Lanus used all the weapons he got to fight against them. As results, he became a Hero.
2. Briefly discus the main conflict.
3. Did you like it?
It was fine. As you can see, this book is kind of Childish book, so what I was expecting was that, when I read this book, the story will be very obvious, and not good thoughts. However, the theme of story was good and it was kind of fantasy. I like to read fantasy books, and the story was better than what I expected.
1. SUMMARY
There is main character named Lanus. He was very lazy guy. One day, while he was taking a nap on the hill, he saw the black shadow is moving from the dark forest. He was nervous, so he take a big breath and waiting for that shadow. However, guess what? it was Robbin who were gone to the another village for one year. Lanus was very exited. Also he heard that Robbin and Lanus were invited to the castle. They were super happy. During heading towards to the ends, they met the giant monsters. They were in danger, but one sword master came and saved us. He was from the castle. As soon as they arrived at the castle, Lanus earn the Magic Armor, Magic Shield, and Magic Helmet, but one thing was missing. The Shining sword. Lanus researched all the book and thing about Shining sword. Finally he found it and came back to the castle. There was a big war happening when he get back, so Lanus used all the weapons he got to fight against them. As results, he became a Hero.
2. Briefly discus the main conflict.
3. Did you like it?
It was fine. As you can see, this book is kind of Childish book, so what I was expecting was that, when I read this book, the story will be very obvious, and not good thoughts. However, the theme of story was good and it was kind of fantasy. I like to read fantasy books, and the story was better than what I expected.
September 22, 2025
Really great. My second time through.
As I read through this time, I was constantly reminded of Lewis’s Screwtape Letters, although this book is told from the perspective of a newly converted soldier of the King. Highly recommend, especially to be read with boys (I’ve heard it is also received well by girls, although all the main characters are boys and men) aged somewhere between 6-15, perhaps as an introduction to spiritual warfare. Our war is not against flesh and blood…
As I read through this time, I was constantly reminded of Lewis’s Screwtape Letters, although this book is told from the perspective of a newly converted soldier of the King. Highly recommend, especially to be read with boys (I’ve heard it is also received well by girls, although all the main characters are boys and men) aged somewhere between 6-15, perhaps as an introduction to spiritual warfare. Our war is not against flesh and blood…
February 10, 2015
I read this as a kid and absolutely loved it. It's pretty blatant religious allegory, though, and thus not for everyone.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews