The Darkened Land: Finding the light and defeating the darkness, a Christian Allegory

by Larry Paris

The stones of light brought a beauty into Lachlaniel’s world he’d never seen, but will the evil one’s pursuers catch him before he can reach the safety of the Godwin River and obtain a stone.

Seven Towers Seven cities of might

Seven towers of light

In the land of was

And will be

Lachlaniel’s world is filled with darkness, but across the Godwin River there are stones of light. When he sees the light for the first time and beholds the wonder of the stones, Lachlaniel sets out in search of the light, accompanied by Ewald, the woodsman. But creatures of darkness, who hate the lighted stones, pursue them. Lead by Kesniel, a friendly guide and mentor, and protected by Velius, a powerful warrior, they reach the Godwin River and the Great City Agapay. The stones lie just beyond, but the quest has aroused The Great Evil. Nameless and powerful he bends his might to crush the city and put an end to the light in his dominion. The city is now in peril.



“Remember your city. Remember those you love. Remember your families. Remember your King, and fight with might and main this day. Remember also ‘the horse is prepared for battle, but the victory is the King’s’.” He stepped down and moved towards the massive doors. “Arm yourselves!” The doors swung open at his touch. “For King and country!!” he shouted and moved through the doors.



“The Darkened Land is epic fantasy at its very best...If you love Tolkien, you won't want to miss this premier novel by Larry Paris”-- T.E. Bradford, Author of the Divide Series

Genres: Christian Fiction

309 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2019

About the author

I'm Larry Paris. Born in Dallas and raised in Cedar Hill, Texas, I've been writing since my early college days. I write science fiction and fantasy.

Being a Christian, there is no sex or language in my books. They can be intense at times so they are not necessarily for the young, but my purpose is to glorify God in all my works. They may be allgorical or be morality tales. They teach, but they're also good stories.

I like heroic heros. Heros come in many different forms. Some are just your average joe who's faced with a situation that calls them to heroic action. Some have excelled in some field. Some are young. Some are old. Men, women, and sometimes children can be heros. Sometimes they have flaws they must overcome to be a hero. Sometimes they've already overcome obstacles and their past is the platform that enables them to do great, heroic things. If you like heros then you'll like the stories I tell.

So sit back. Make yourself comfortable. Join the adventure. New worlds await you. There are arduous tasks to accomplish. Discoveries to make. Work to be done. Enemies to face. Battles to be won. Wars to be fought. People to help. Fun to be had.

I sincerely hope you enjoy my stories.

Reviews

[C.S. Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start to a series. With allegorical connections to Christianity, The Darkened Land is a fun adventure tale of a man and a quest for the stones of light. Along with his friends, Lachlaniel goes across the Godwin to find his stone and meet with the king. In their world, eyes are not able to do anything, unless they can see using the light carried in stones. There are plenty of suspenseful moments of attacks and trials along the trails.

I enjoyed a lot of the discussions about the nature of need and the purpose of seeking out the light, and the quest to find the king. The philosophical and theology points are well done.

I'm eager to see where book 2 will go.

[Sarah Ashwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would rate this a four star fantasy. If you are familiar with Christian themes and language, you'll pick up on the fact that this is meant to be an allegory, with some pretty clever parallels. If you're not, and Christian fantasy isn't your favorite, don't worry. It's still subtle enough that you'll simply enjoy a solid high fantasy adventure. Either way, it's a recommended read.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It was really easy to read - intriguing concept, likeable characters, relatable reactions to events, and all the features of a good fantasy: supernatural elements, adventure, courage, deaths and destruction, a whole world to explore, honour and love (but nothing inappropriate).

Is a clean read, and as a Christian i found this thought provoking and a bit challenging in a good way.

I want to read it again in a couple of years and will try and source a hardcopy for our library.

[Georges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pilgrim's Progress with modern fantasy twist

Anyone calling this book fantasy is going to bring more confusion than guidance, like offering a can of ginger ale and then realizing that it's really apple juice after the first sip. This is allegory. The pacing and world building is totally different. If you want to learn to walk by faith not by sight, this cleverly written narrative repackages wholesome Gospel teaching into a fantasy context like a spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down. This is Pilgrim's Progress recast for a modern audience. The author shows a deep relish for Jesus' teachings and works them into the story in a way that makes it easier to incorporate into daily life for those of us who don't know a lot about tending sheep or vineyards. The big difference is that the names of characters are taken from Hebrew, Greek, and a few other languages so that you have to do a bit of research to comprehend every angle. Overall I am very impressed by the sincerity and the lively imagery that come across through these pages as they teach us to follow Christ ever more fully.

[James Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was impressed with this effort. The premise for this is difficult to pull off, but the book is done well. The allegorical elements add some interesting wrinkles into the story. Some of them have some serious sticking power, which is what any allegory author hopes to achieve.

It has a lot of action. It tries to show the truth in action rather than simply talking about it.

[Reggi Broach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. The action and emotion were riveting. It had ups, downs, personal failures and victories, secrets and subtle romance. I can't wait for the next books.