The Sword of Truth

Wakefield Dynasty #1

by Gilbert Morris

Series premiere special price!
Two families--the Wakefields of nobility and the lower-class Morgans--are the focus of this sweeping generational saga, joined by intriguing personalities such as Elizabeth I, William Tyndale, and John Bunyan. Linking the people and events through the ages is the struggle of men and women who sought God as the answer to their difficulties.

#1: The Sword of Truth

Myles Morgan's discovery of his noble heritage introduces him to a fascinating new life in the English court and to the political conflict surrounding the translation of the Bible into English.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Historical, Romance, Adult

409 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 1994

About the author

also published under the name Gilbert L. Morris

Gilbert Morris was one of today's best-known Christian novelists. He lived in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with his wife, Johnnie. He is the father to Lynn Morris and Alan Morris

Series:
* Adventures of Kerrigan Kids
* American Century
* Appomattox Saga
* Barney Buck
* Bonnets and Bugles
* Cheney Duvall, M.D. (with Lynn Morris)
* Cheney and Shiloh: The Inheritance (with Lynn Morris)
* Chronicles of the Golden Frontier
* The Creole (with Lynn Morris)
* Danielle Ross Mystery
* Daystar Voyages
* Dixie Morris Animal Adventures
* Far Fields (with Robert Funderburk)
* House of Winslow
* Jacques and Cleo: Cat Detectives
* Katy Steele Adventures (with Alan Morris)
* Lady Trent Mystery
* Liberty Bell
* Lions of Judah
* Lone Star Legacy
* Omega (with Lynn Morris and Alan Morris)
* The Price of Liberty (with Robert Funderburk)
* Reno Western Saga
* Seven Sleepers
* Seven Sleepers: The Lost Chronicles
* Singing River
* Spirit of Appalachia (with Aaron McCarver)
* Too Smart Jones
*

Reviews

[Lovely Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

More of a slow-moving story, but as a whole, it is such a good book!

Without giving too many spoilers, because although it is a slower paced story, a LOT really happens….Myles lives a small, quiet life with only his mother, never knowing who his father was. His life is upended, however, when his mother dies and sends him to his father’s home; a nobleman’s home.

A whole host of storylines branch out from here involving King Henry Vlll, political spies, a love interest, the fugitive William Tyndale, persecution, smuggling and more!

I absolutely loved the faith written in this story and cannot wait to get into book 2!

[cyd⭐️]

i now own the first 3 in this series!! so excited to start reading, but i think im going to wait until around thanksgiving to start it though (it just feels right)
i love all of these cover arts sm😔

[Nadine Keels · Rating 2 out of 5]

The life of a serf, Myles Morgan, is forever changed when he becomes the heir of an English lord. But the path of Myles's destiny will be anything but carefree, what with the hazards of Henry VIII's court and the dangerous mission of a religious scholar Myles respects, William Tyndale, in The Sword of Truth by author Gilbert Morris.

Without question, it was the bold, excellent cover artwork and the strong, epic sound of the book titles that drew me to The Wakefield Dynasty historical ChristFic series.

As for this first novel, I found the writing style to be overdramatic, lacking subtlety, with the narrator and characters exclaiming (!) far too much. Instead of "showing," the author "tells" everything, using an overabundance and frequent repetition of "-ly" adverbs on almost every page: "suddenly," "instantly," "quickly," etc., over and over again.

Because the characters come off as unnatural, predictable caricatures, and the rudimentary emotional development lacks finesse, I wound up feeling rather indifferent to most of the characters—except for Myles, and not in the best way, as his high level of naïveté becomes unbelievable as the years pass.

However, what bothers me more than that is the way this novel portrays two of the devout Christian women when the men they love make confessions about the men's other romantic pursuits or affairs. The story depicts a fantasy of sweet, holy femininity having no anger, feeling no sense of devastation for being two-timed or strung along, no sense of betrayal over her partner's infidelity. Displaying meek acceptance of their men's faults, the ladies are just all too happy to be with their men now, it's God's doing, and the men suffer no romantic consequences in their relationships with their oh-so-understanding women of faith.

I'm not at all okay with that.

Now, the diehard historical fiction fan in me enjoyed the history and related intrigue in the novel, even with its apparent biases (concerning "the great Columbus," for one). And as for the novel's stylistic issues, I know you can't always judge an entire series by its first book, especially for series that are published over the course of years.

So, the diehard historical fiction fan in me will be checking out at least a little more of this dynasty.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUMMARY: Two families--the Wakefields of nobility and the lower-class Morgans--are the focus of this sweeping generational saga, joined by intriguing personalities such as Elizabeth I, William Tyndale, and John Bunyan. Linking the people and events through the ages is the struggle of men and women who sought God as the answer to their difficulties.

#1: The Sword of Truth

Myles Morgan's discovery of his noble heritage introduces him to a fascinating new life in the English court and to the political conflict surrounding the translation of the Bible into English.

REVIEW: It has been a long time since I have read a Gilbert Morris series. I had forgotten how powerful his writing is and what great historical detail he captures in his books. The first of the Wakefield Dynasty series contains an immensely detailed storyline and characters with great depth and emotion. Taking place during the reign of Henry VIII, I I got a more interesting look at the man who was king than was ever presented in my history books. The relationship between Myles, Isabella, and Hannah with all its twists, turns and complications, the connection to William Tyndale, the changes in Myle's life, as well as the quickly changing church in England due to Henry VIIII's unfulfilled desire for a son, kept me turning page after page and looking forward to the next book in the series The Winds of God. I am definitely anxious to find out what happens next in the lives of Myles and Hannah and their son William. I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes to read about this time period.

FAVORITE QUOTES: "Learn the Bible, my son. It contains the truth we need to get us to heaven and to keep us free from error on earth."

"...we cannot go up to heaven, bang on God's door, and demand that he give us what we want."

"Nothing is ever done on earth until something is done in heaven....We are simply waiting until whatever God decides in heaven will be done here on earth."

"No matter how dark it gets in this England of ours--or in the world--there'll always be the light of God's world"

[Brooklyn Esh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much🫶🏻🫶🏻

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like vulgar language, sex, violence, wokeness ...this book is not for you. Move along. If you like books of virtue, Godliness, history and a great story, read on. Very very few books I read get the coveted 5 star rating. Why this one? I am quite tired of reading books with LANguage, sex and the like. This book had an excellent story. Set in the mid 1500's...As I sit everyday and read my bible, that is so easily and readily available, I fail to realize those who gave their lives to put it in my language and in my hands. Some of this book centered around William Tyndale, and his translation of the Bible and his defiance of the Church of England. And his support of Luther. And his going against the almighty Pope. Tyndale's goal in life was to get the Bible in the hands of all plowmen. Everyday people. The church was against that, because, heaven forbid, we read the Bible and perhaps question it. Like, purgatory? Limbo? Show me a bible verse that speaks of that. Dare one question the clergy. You have enough money? You can buy a divorce, or, fill in the blank. Dare I say buy your way into heaven. I digress....this book was about Tyndale, but so.much.more. A GREAT historical read about Henry VIII (I mean, what a WEIRdo, but really, isn't all the "royal" family). And it centered around one boy/man/family in particular in that of the Wakefields. My husband read it first and suggested I read it. I read it in one day, staying up til the wee hours of the morning to finish. Seldom do books keep me awake enough to do that. And now we see it is a series of books, which I promptly ordered all the rest as our library for some reason, only had the first of the series. Yep. That's all I got.

[Katrina Van Grouw · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m rereading this series after absolutely loving it when I was 14. I didn’t remember much so it was nice to reread it and be surprised again. Nothing in this book is mind blowing, but it has a good plot and includes a lot of history, which I like. We follow a young serf turned nobleman and his efforts to help William Tyndale smuggle Bibles into England. I read this so quickly and it was a lovely break from the heavier books I’ve been reading. I look forward to continuing this series, and it’s a great clean, Christian romance with value: and it actually includes many mentions of God and the character’s relationship to Him, which many “Christian” romances gloss over. A lot of the plot is not super realistic, but enjoyable nonetheless.

[Katy Vendetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a re-read for me. This is a series from my childhood, and I felt like reading something nostalgic this summer. I was really into historical fiction at the time, particularly from this era, so I was interested to see if I would still enjoy it.

The teen Christian novel is set in the 1500s during the reign of King Henry VIII. It follows the fictional family, the Wakefields, who are wealthy Protestant landowners. Because of their position, they are able to interact with some notable historical figures, including William Tyndale, King Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragorn, Anne Boleyn, and Thomas Cromwell. It highlights the evolution of the Protestant movement in England, as well as mentioning other key historical events in the world. The author interweaves the Wakefields into these events very well.

There were two criticisms I had about the book. The writing is a little over the top with the present perfect and past perfect verb tenses. "I had written" "He had gone". It was just enough to pull me out of the story a few times. Also, while the author does include some of the darker sides of that time period, it's very muted. Infidelity, promiscuity, greed, and dishonesty are all part of the plot but they are alluded to or implied. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I felt like it affected the character transformations, particularly of Myles. For example, without spoiling anything, his relationship with the court in London was downplayed, so when he had a choice to leave it, I couldn't understand why that choice was hard.

There isn't any profanity. As I mentioned above, the sexual and violent content is muted or alluded to. I didn't feel like there were any graphic or detailed scenes at all. There is an almost sexual assault in the first chapter, and another in the middle of the story, but both are not explicit at all. There is mention of beheadings and heads on posts as they entered London, but, again, nothing graphic.

The story, itself, is actually really good despite the above criticisms. I really liked the way the author includes the characters in major events without affecting the history of those events. I didn't remember everything that happened in the story, so it was nice to re-read and follow the adventure again. I would recommend this book to a younger teen, possibly preteen. This was a fun, nostalgic read for me, and I plan to continue the series!

[Bethany Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed starting a new(to me) series by Gilbert Morris. Set in the 1500’s, the story explores the Tudor era and the court of King Henry the eighth.

Young Miles Morgan is vaulted from life as a poor serf to a member of the gentry when he discovers the identity of his father. As his life takes a drastic turn, he explores his future, what he wants in life, his faith, and romance. William Tyndall and the rise of the Protestant Church are also featured in the story.

I enjoyed reading more about this time period. I learned a lot! The details about William Tyndall were interesting, as well as learning more about the Tudor era.

Gilbert Morris has SO many books and eventually, I’d like to read all of them—-but it will probably take me a LONG time. Some of his books are a bit dry and the dialogue seems cliche. I do enjoy the historic details though. This isn’t a favorite, but I did learn a lot and I plan to continue the series.

[Shantelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Sword of Truth told a fine story of serfs and courtiers, spies and heretics, and the strangely unexpectedness of true love during the days of King Henry VIII, it just failed to really pull me in as I love a book to do.

I did like Myles, and was happy to see his story come to a lovely, solid, happy "settle-down". Hannah was also a sweet character. The story had its surprising parts, its interesting parts, its beautiful parts. William Tyndale and the journey of getting the Bible into common folk's hands were also entwined throughout this story. All in all, it was a nice tale set in the days of England's kings and queens of old. It was interesting too to read of Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, and Anne Boyelyn. Also angering. Some kings were just so pompous and entirely selfish!!

Anyway, maybe I would have liked it more if it would have been from Hannah's perspective too. Though some parts here and there thrilled me, Sword of Truth didn't capture my attention wholly.

Still a good book. Just didn't exactly have all the elements to draw me in. I do hope to finish the series at some point though. Perhaps there will be more of the girl characters in the next books. But then... it is a man who writes them!

[Sasha (bahareads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Note: This is a re-read
"No matter how dark it gets in this England of ours--or in the world--there'll always be the light of God's world"

This was a very comfortable read, I'm always up for some historical, christian fiction. I loved the story from rags to riches. It was very interesting to see William Tyndale's journey to get the Bible into the hands of every man. The romance in this book very comfortable. It was interesting to see Anne Boyelyn from the eyes of Miles & Robert Wakefield, as she was portrayed in a good light which I don't usually see.

I found the majority of the characters to be too one dimensional eg. King Henry VIII, Isabella etc. None of the main characters are sinful for very long all to God and live 'happy lives'. I just want one character that still struggles with some sin or one that never comes to God.

Overall: a great good book, typical christian fiction.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fictional story set in England during the time of the early reign of Henry XIII and William Tyndale. Follows the story of a young man who discovers he is the son of a wealthy landowner. He is introduced to a family who supports Tyndale's efforts to translate the Bible into English, an activity that is considered treasonous. The author weaves intrigue, romance and history together into a fast-moving story. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

[LEXI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gott wird uns Wakefields niemals verlassen. Nicht, solange wir ihm vertrauen.

Sir Robert Wakefield ist seiner Frau von Herzen zugetan, einzig die Tatsache, dass aus der Ehe keine Nachkommen hervorgingen, bekümmert den gutaussehenden Edelmann. Durch eine schicksalhafte Fügung erfährt er voller Staunen und Freude von der Existenz eines unehelichen Sohnes. Der junge Mann ist das Ebenbild seines Vaters, zudem intelligent, tapfer und von aufrechter Gesinnung. Seine tief gläubige Mutter vermittelte ihm bereits in frühen Jahren den christlichen Glauben, der auch für Sir Roberts Ehefrau Jane von größter Bedeutung ist. Myles Wakefield erfährt liebevolle Annahme und große Wertschätzung und wird in allen wichtigen Dingen unterwiesen, die für den zukünftigen Herren auf Wakefield wichtig sind. Das Leben auf dem Hofe König Heinrich VIII, eine Intrige eines neidischen Verwandten und eine unerfüllte Liebe beschäftigen den jungen Mann. Als er darüber hinaus den Priester und Gelehrten William Tyndale und dessen Leidenschaft für die Übersetzung der Bibel ins Englische kennenlernt, unterstützt er die Vision dieses außergewöhnlichen Mannes. Doch das Leben unter der Herrschaft eines überheblichen und von sich selbst eingenommenen Königs birgt unzählige Gefahren, und letztendlich müssen Myles Wakefield und seine Angehörigen um ihr Leben bangen…

Der Einstieg in die Buchreihe des Autors Gilbert Morris in Form dieser bildgewaltigen und mit faszinierenden historischen Daten gespickten Geschichte war ein grandioses Leseerlebnis. Der einnehmende Schreibstil, die hervorragend gezeichneten Charaktere und die hohe Authentizität dieses Romans besaßen eine unwiderstehliche Anziehungskraft. Der vorliegende erste Band thematisiert den Zeitraum zwischen 1513 und 1534 und beginnt mit der Lebensgeschichte einer Dienstmagd, die mit ihrem sechsjährigen Sohn vor den Übergriffen ihres Dienstgebers flieht. Die Lebensumstände der Bevölkerung dieser Zeit, aber auch das ausschweifende und lasterhafte Leben am königlichen Hof wurden eindrucksvoll beschrieben. Heinrichs Bestreben zur Annullierung seiner Ehe mit Katharina von Aragon, seine Sehnsucht nach einem männlichen Erben sowie die Beziehung zu seiner Mätresse und späteren Ehefrau Anne Boleyn sind Themen dieses ersten Buches. Anschaulich berichtet der Autor über die großen Veränderungen unter der Herrschaft Heinrich VIII., welcher England letztendlich in die Reformation führte und auch für die Inhaftierung und Hinrichtung William Tyndales verantwortlich zeichnete. Die Lebensgeschichte dieses tief gläubigen Gelehrten, dem die Übersetzung und breite Verteilung der Bibel in englischer Sprache zu verdanken ist, wird auf beeindruckende Art und Weise vermittelt.

Myles Morgan fungiert zwar als Protagonist dieses Buches, seiner Familie und seinem Umfeld wird jedoch ebenfalls große Aufmerksamkeit zuteil. Dem Autor ist es gelungen, die Figuren seines Romans mit hoher Authentizität auszustatten, die Charaktere sind facettenreich beschrieben, den Gedanken und Emotionen der handelnden Personen wurde überzeugend Ausdruck verliehen. Mit der grazilen Schönheit und Herzensbrecherin Isabella Bourneville sowie der sanftmütigen und hübschen Hannah Kemp treten zwei ganz höchst konträre Frauen in Myles‘ Leben. Während sich Myles Familie in Gestalt seiner leiblichen Mutter Margred, seinem Vater Sir Robert sowie der sanftmütigen Stiefmutter Lady Jane als liebevolle und gläubige Menschen entpuppen, macht ein entfernter Verwandter dem Protagonisten das Leben schwer. Seine Bitterkeit, seine abgrundtiefe Verachtung und sein Hass dem Erben von Wakefield gegenüber bringen zusammen mit Myles‘ Freundschaft zu William Tyndale Spannung und Gefahr ins Buch. Heinrich VIII und sein Hofstaat stehen auf der Sonnenseite des Lebens, seine Frauen und engsten Ratgeber bewegen sich aufgrund der Launenhaftigkeit und des Hochmuts des Königs jedoch stets am Rande des Abgrunds.

Abschließend möchte ich auf die gefällige optische Aufmachung dieses Buches, auf die übersichtliche Gliederung der vier Buchteile unter exakter Anführung der Zeit der Handlung sowie den geschichtlichen Überblick im Anhang hinweisen, der auch eine Aufstellung der Wakefield-Dynastie und des Königshauses beinhaltet.

Fazit: Mit „Das Schwert der Wahrheit“ als erster Band der neu aufgelegten Wakefield-Saga hat der SCM-Verlag mir allergrößtes Lesevergnügen bereitet. Jeder, der historischen Romanen zugetan ist und sich für das Leben in England zur Zeit Heinrich VIII. interessiert, wird von diesem Buch fasziniert sein. Die starke Gewichtung auf den christlichen Glauben und die Tatsache, dass Gilbert Morris sich hervorragend gezeichneter Charaktere bedient, machen diesen akribisch recherchierten Roman zu einem regelrechten Lesehighlight. Völlig begeisterte fünf Sterne und eine ganz klare Leseempfehlung für dieses Buch, auf dessen Nachfolger ich mich sehr freue!

[C.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fact: I read Mr. Morris' space series as a 12-year-old and loved it. Four years later, I picked up this book without realizing it was by the same author!

Overall, I enjoyed the plot and the historical tie-ins. It covers a period of time in England that I've seldom seen other Christian authors write about. The Scriptural themes are great, too!

That said, there was a scene in the beginning that creeped me out, as a teen. There is also a love triangle present. I felt like the triangle was very forced...the choice for Myles was OBVIOUS to me...so it drove me CRAZY much of the book! Thus my rating of 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

If you love historical, Christian novels, romance, intrigue, and courtly politics, I recommend it. It was good, but not my favorite.

[Gaby Janssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I did enjoy this book but I feel like there wasn't really that much going on. Reading about Myles' life and the changes in it was enjoyable and I loved that he meets all these important people in the history of England. There just wasn't much excitement and I kept waiting for something to happen. I recommend you read it if you enjoy history but if not you may want to skip this series.

[Anna F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd time reading through this and I love it even more the 2nd time! Such great characters, morals, and it’s rich in historical fiction (which I love!). One of my favorite quotes from the book is “God does not call us without going with us “ .

This book is definitely for an older audience. Because it speaks of some immorality that was happening in the kings court at the time (which was historically true) . But again, it is labeled Adult Fiction so I might not have to even put this disclaimer.

[Rachel Hubbard · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book because many of its plot point were similar if not identical to another book ( honor in the dust) by the same author. I know they take place in the same time period but surely there was enough happening for some originality.

[Sara-Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this years ago when I was a teenager. At the time I felt it was a gripping story full of history. But I remember feeling uncomfortable with his portrayal of the Catholic church. Very one sided. Otherwise, from what I remember, well written.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second favourite book I’ve ever read. This book was amazing. Tied in history with a compelling story line and Christianity. Wow. I cannot express how I would recommend this book to anyone. 11/10 if I could!!

[Betty W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it extremely interesting because of the history. The characters came alive and I was taken in my mind to what life might have been several centuries ago. I felt as if it was real instead of fiction. Great read!!

[Jazlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gilbert has a way of bringing history into his romance and it is so good. He makes you want to research to see if there is any truth into his books. His stories are soooo good that he will have you wanting to read them again and again.

[Rebecca Delaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read if you like historical fiction. Descriptive and rivoting, this book is an epic beginning that draws the reader in to a family dynasty series!

[Carol Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one through my Church's book club. Loved it and want to read the other six!! Great History review of Henry the eighth and the christen movement of the bible to England

[Kyle Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely well written, but NOT family friendly.

[Chelsea Pike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brought me back into reading. I really enjoyed this book.

[CorkyNSam92 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first book in the series is my favorite. At least of the ones i have read.

[Kw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner! English history, romance, intrigue, Bible study and more. So thankful this series is available in our church library.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A re-read from my young adulthood. It suffers a bit due to all the main characters being beautiful people.

[Mary Turney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical Christian fiction.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent historical fiction totally got drawn in and lived in this book