A Hero Rises: Moroni & the Battle for Manti

by Jason Mow

The first book in The War Chapters Series, "A Hero Moroni and the Battle for Manti", introduces readers to Captain Moroni, and how at an early age he came to command a large army in a time of extreme national danger. We follow Moroni though tragedy and triumph, helping all readers to gain a deeper understanding of why Mormon said of him “...if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever...” (Alma 48:17, Book of Mormon).

Genres: Historical, Adventure

353 pages, Paperback

Published November 24, 2021

Reviews

[Jeffery Moulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consider my rating a high 3.5 (when will Goodreads allow for half-point ratings?). This book is a bit of a mixed bag with some amazing sequences and some obvious flaws.

The battle scenes in this book are fantastic. There is so much detail on tactics and what executing a war like the ones described in the Book of Mormon could have been like. It is clear that Mow has a firm grasp and experience with combat, and that plays heavily into his favor in this book.

Second, the production values of the book itself are off the charts. Book design beyond the cover page is rarely a selling point for books. It is for this one. All I can say is "Wow!" Other authors and even big-time publishing houses could learn a thing or two from this book.

Third, the artwork is amazing. I won't go into any more details other than to say it is worth checking out all on its own.

Fourth, some of the relationships and the interpretations of classic Book of Mormon characters is strikingly well done. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of Teancum as, essentially, a special ops soldier, as well as the relationship between the old veteran, Lehi, and a very young General Moroni.

All that say, there are some flaws in the book, some of them quite glaring. There are significant issues with POV, cartoonish villains, and the historical setting from a modern research perspective (e.g. cavalry isn't mentioned in the Book of Mormon and no research suggests that anything of the sort was used by ancient Americans). However, while these flaws do distract from the story at large, none are so big as to take away the impact of the story, which is in understanding and feeling the weight of war and seeing these historic figures as more than comic book heroes.

In the end, I felt that this book did far more right than wrong. Even with the flaws, its heart is solidly in the right place. Whether they are historically accurate or not, the battle sequences are breathtaking in scope and leave you with an appreciation for the cost of warfare both ancient and modern.

I wish Mow the very best on his future endeavors.

[Eddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but I had really tough time with several pieces. I think I might contrast a little with one of the other reviewers in that the flaws, to me, took too much away. Here's what I though good and bad take it with a grain of salt, as they say "your mileage may vary":

Good:
-Good perspective on what war might be like.
-This is a good part of the Book of Mormon to write about, it is action packed with good stories and great role models.
-Told from the POV of a combat veteran who understands fighting and tactics.
-I do like the idea of Teancum and his "special ops" battalion.

Bad:
-Terrible editing, the writing felt very amateurish and made it tough to not be distracted by the writing itself. The message sometimes lost in the writing. The hulking muscles that keep getting reference about every paragraph gets old really quickly and really, the wordsmithing just wasn't high caliber.
-POV. MANY things seem like they would be way more modern that I give credit for the time. Cavalry (as mentioned in someone else's review). Long bows. Shield walls. I don't think some of these existed in these wars. Additionally, some of the terms and language seems much more modern that I expect for the era. It really felt like there wasn't much research about historically accurate warfare, the author just used his personal experience from modern day.
-Character portrayal. This to me was one of the big ones. I didn't love the way some of the characters were portrayed. It just didn't sit well for me. I don't see Alma as a reclusive monk prophet, I have a hard time with the bouncing back and forth with "I hope they save us some of the fun of killing" with "I don't revel in killing". And yes, the villains were kind of cartoonish.

I was excited before I started the book for the series, but I don't think I enjoyed this one enough to pick up any of the others. I think the author has a bigger picture in mind for the series than just entertaining, namely inspiring our youth, I just didn't find this one compelling enough personally to pursue further installments.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the perspective given of Moroni, Teancum, and Lehi. However, the actual war scenes involved a little too much detail. But then I don’t handle blood and gore well. 😏 This book was a good read, though.