Trials of the Mighty

Chronicles of Stephen #2

by Kenyon T. Henry

Stephen is a young man with extraordinary talents. Having both learned that he is a descendant of one of King David’s mighty men and chosen to fight on the side of the Almighty against Fallen in a battle for humanity, Stephen joined the Mighty at their underground base—Enclave. He was joined by his friend, Vincent, and girlfriend, Patty.
As the search continues for Stephen’s oldest friend, Bernard—now turned Fallen, stakes are raised. Not only does Stephen feel pressured to meet expectations and save humanity, but a turn of events reveals that he is now in the crosshairs of the enemy. In addition, Vincent’s mom is kidnapped in order for Fallen to get even closer to his friend, Stephen. With both their lives now on the line, his friends—old and new—rally to his aid, putting their own needs aside for the good of all.
But, will someone from the past resurface to claim Stephen’s life? Or, will Stephen’s training be enough to overcome a prophecy foretelling his death?

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2018

About the author

I live in Northwest Georgia with my wife and kids.

Aside from writing, I enjoy the outdoors. Hiking is a favorite and one of the things I'd like to do more of. I also enjoy riding my bike (motorcycle) when I can.

You can check me out on my other social media at the below.

http://www.instagram.com/kenyon_t

http://www.facebook.com/kenyonthenry

http://www.twitter.com/kenyonthenry

Reviews

[J.F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trials of the Mighty by Kenyon T. Henry is a book about the Mighty, people chosen by God, many of which with special powers. They are in conflict with the Fallen and their primary goal is to delay the tribulation thereby allowing time for more lost to find God and be saved.

I wish I had read the first book in this series, Choice of the Mighty, first. Although the author summed up the first book fairly well, I felt bombarded with too much information all at once. It would have been better to have the story slowly unfold. The characters would have likely been more memorable. As it was, without having read the first book, the many characters tended to confuse me. There are many relationships and I struggled to remember who was related to who, who was dating who, who was fallen, and who was mighty. So, my first recommendation…read the first book first.

The concept of this book was good. I appreciated the nuggets of truth and the very real struggle of what it means to follow God and trust Him…particularly if you have abilities. I do wish there was a bit more scene development to help me envision each setting. And I was a bit disappointed when the ending, the epilogue, ended on a note of doubting God. I understand why the author chose to do that. I believe he was setting up the next book. But it’s unfortunate to potentially leave readers with doubts. I’d rather have seen the story end on a positive note. And, although the story itself for the main characters was upbeat, it wasn’t because of some major resolution to their problem. I was a bit disappointed by that as well. I didn’t feel there was a major accomplishment in this story. It seems it was more of a bridge between the story I missed and the next one I assume is to come.

That said, the story was intriguing. It was fairly well polished with few editing issues and the main characters were real and likeable. So, if you enjoy good vs. evil stories, I recommend this series. But start at the beginning.

[C.S. Wachter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stephen’s story continues in the second book of The Chronicles of Stephen, Trials of the Mighty. The story is engaging, and the writing is mostly clean of technical errors. We follow Steven as he settles in at Enclave, makes discoveries about his increasing gifts, trains, and continues learning what it means to be Mighty. He meets some new friends and continues strengthening relationships with old friends from the first book. I like the way Patty becomes a part of the ‘family’ at Enclave and the way Stephen’s and Patty’s romance grows. (Along with Vincent’s new romance. I won’t say anything more on that here.)

Though I enjoyed the book in general, I had one problem. Several times while reading, I got excited as the tension built toward an important confrontation, only to have the narrative move so abruptly through and past the action, that the important, story-altering scene seemed to be thrown away in a brief, sometimes shocking, manner. I stopped reading and asked myself, “What just happened? Is that it?” To my mind, the book would have been more satisfying if the rise of tensions led to more substantial episodes. Instead, the balloon of anticipation was burst with just a few lines. This was especially confusing when a substantial change in the story occurred.

All in all, an enjoyable read, but not as satisfying as it could have been.

[J.M. Hackman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Trials of the Mighty. It read a bit like Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness with more of a suspense feel. The reader sees the main character grow throughout the story and the other characters are given personality quirks and unique gifts (The manifestation of these gifts was really cool.) Because this was the second book, there is a bit of an info-dump at the very beginning which I didn't care for. I think the author was trying to bring the reader up to speed or add information that was necessary to the tale, but I think there are other ways of getting the information to the reader. There was also a feeling of missing stuff because I didn't read book one first, but this was still a good story that pulled me in. If you're interested in TOTM, read book one first -- you'll enjoy it more.
The action moved the storyline along, (no dreaded "sagging middle"), and there were plenty of supernatural events that created the feeling of awe and wonder, which is what you want in fantasy. Despite the happy ending (which I prefer), there is room for these characters to grow and continue the adventure, so I'm guessing there's a third book in the works. :-)

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

More twists, more surprises

Wow, is my first reaction in finishing Trials of the Mighty by Kenyon T. Henry. Being the second in the Chronicles of Stephen, it did not disappoint. I would highly recommend reading Choice of the Mighty, the first book in this series before reading Trials of the Mighty. There is some catch up conversation to help the reader to come up to speed, but the first book allows the reader to become invested in the characters from the beginning and it was a great read as this one is. Personally, I would've felt cheated had I not read The Choice of the Mighty, first.
The Chronicles of Stephen is set in present day United States, in various urban areas. Henry adds more characters in this novel while continuing to develop the protagonist as well as the other main characters (even one that has passed on), allowing them to struggle with their flaws in order to navigate through trials. The adventures, the developing relationships and growth of individual characters as well as the twist and turns of good versus evil, kept me from putting this book down until I finished the epilogue, which sets us up for another thriller I'm sure. As in the novel, I emphasis that this is a work of fiction and the whole premise of super powers given to certain bloodlines of King David's mighty men is fictional. Henry uses his premise to convey a few spiritual truths, such as the importance of community and our individual walk with God.

I hate to say too much more because I don't want to spoil the ride for anyone else. In summary, this novel is fast moving with well rounded characters that have made me care for their outcomes and it has a good message about our dependence on God and each other. The only criticism I have is that the novel appears to put put evil and good as equals, and although this world may appear as though evil wins more than good, the truth is good always wins and will utimately triumph over evil. However, I understand that to have sufficient tension, the equality of good and evil is necessary. I definitely recommend this series for anyone who enjoys a good adventure.

[Erik Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good sequel to Choice of the Mighty. The story progresses well, with an exception I’ll get to soon, as Stephen trains with the Mighty and sees action outside of confines of the Enclave. All main characters are given the opportunity to develop in a natural way throughout the book.
The one thing I have to point out as a difficulty with the book is the constant rehashing of EVERYTHING that happened before. Almost every chapter has a review of all the plot points of books 1 and 2. It got monotonous very quickly.
I look forward to the next book in this series.

[Melinda M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trials of the Mighty by Kenyon T. Henry is book 2 of Chronicles of Stephen. Trails of the Mighty explain where Stephen learns what being the Mighty is all about. It is a fast paced novel that keeps your interest. Kenyon T. Henry shows our dependence on God and each other. You can read this without reading book q but it will improve the story if you do.


I received a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Clipinchick]

I received this book for free from the author/publisher in response for an honest review of the book. I have not had the opportunity to read this book at this time. I will add my
review of this book once I have read the book. Thank k you for allowing me the optometrist review your work. I look forward to reading this book.

[Erik Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good sequel

Trails of the Mighty is written in a very similar fashion to Choice of the Mighty. It’s very easy to read and to understand.
The downside is there are several typos in this book. The first seemed to be better edited. There’s misplaced names, dropped words, that sort of thing.
If you enjoyed the first, you’ll enjoy the second..

[Ruth Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book we get to see more of the Mighty and the culture they've developed as well as seeing Stephen grow in his faith and learn how important it is to work on his relationship with God, not just training his abilities. A well-paced story that skims over mundane details to focus on the more important moments, while making it clear how much time passes.

[Earl Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Increased my own hope!

It's not often I read a story that moves me as much as the Chronicles of Stephen. I purchased book 2 as soon as I finished book 1. Great writing that fills the reader with wonder and joy.

[Becky Van Daniker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS! Seriously can be the next Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. Highly recommended. I need the next book ASAP. Lol. Full review coming soon.

[R. E. Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing book! In my opinion, so much better than the first! I can't wait for part 3 :)

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sequel to "Choice of the Mighty" which I really enjoyed. I like the concept of the Mighty people of God, Christian superheros, holding evil at bay for human-kind. The start was a little slow and it could have used a little more backstory referencing the importance of the characters in the first book. I kind of got lost on who people were since it had been a while since I read the first one. The team is pulled together and the action picks up. Stephen's importance to the Mighty starts to unfold, he learns some very hard lessons, but saves some of the fallen from the puppet master. Things esclate opening a segway to the next book.

[Mary H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is better than the first book. I don't see how, because the first book is great! READ IT!