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Chiveis Trilogy #2
The Gift
Book two in the Chiveis Trilogy Hundreds of years in the future, war and disease have destroyed civilization as we know it. Modern technology has vanished and history is largely forgotten. A struggling society of survivors has just begun to rebuild, creating kingdoms of a feudal order. Exiled from their beloved home of Chiveis, Teo and Ana journey into foreign lands in search of the second half of Deu’s sacred writings. But finding an ancient manuscript is far from easy, especially when the pair is tempted, tried, and separated along the way. On a quest fraught with unforeseen perils, murderous villains, and the prejudices of elite societies, the bond between Teo and Ana is put to the ultimate test. Though the New Testament might be found in distant Roma, will the price of its discovery be too high to pay?
416 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 2011
29 people are currently reading
530 people want to read
About the author
Bryan M. Litfin
29 books174 followersBryan Litfin received his PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia and a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. His undergraduate work was at the University of Tennessee in the field of Communications.
Bryan now works as Head of Strategy and Advancement at Clapham School, after serving for 16 years as Professor of Theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and 3 years as an editor and writer at Moody Publishers. He is the author of The Conqueror (Revell, 2020), Every Knee Shall Bow (Revell 2021), the Chiveis Trilogy (Crossway, 2010, 2011, 2012), Early Christian Martyr Stories (Baker, 2014), After Acts (Moody, 2015), and Getting To Know the Church Fathers (Brazos, 2007, 2nd ed. 2016), as well as numerous scholarly articles and essays. In early 2022, he will release Wisdom from the Ancients (Harvest House).
Bryan is married to Carolyn, and they have two adult children. He enjoys writing, traveling, teaching, reading, spending time with family, and being involved in his local church.
Bryan now works as Head of Strategy and Advancement at Clapham School, after serving for 16 years as Professor of Theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and 3 years as an editor and writer at Moody Publishers. He is the author of The Conqueror (Revell, 2020), Every Knee Shall Bow (Revell 2021), the Chiveis Trilogy (Crossway, 2010, 2011, 2012), Early Christian Martyr Stories (Baker, 2014), After Acts (Moody, 2015), and Getting To Know the Church Fathers (Brazos, 2007, 2nd ed. 2016), as well as numerous scholarly articles and essays. In early 2022, he will release Wisdom from the Ancients (Harvest House).
Bryan is married to Carolyn, and they have two adult children. He enjoys writing, traveling, teaching, reading, spending time with family, and being involved in his local church.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
January 16, 2011
The Gift is a powerfully written story about forgiveness and a desire to know the truth, no matter the cost. The author has a gift for making situations impossible and seemingly hopeless, then finding hope in every situation. I lost track of the number of times I held my breath expecting the worst, which often happened. As the story progressed I saw how even the worst circumstances were used by God for a greater purpose. There were so many spiritual truths and lessons in this novel. I couldn't imagine living in a world knowing most of the truth, but then missing the greatest portion of that truth, the person of Jesus Christ, who ties the Old Testament to the New. This story moved me to tears on numerous occasions and gave me an even greater appreciation for the scriptures. It also contained a powerful romance that was compelling because it showed the power of true love and the beauty of committing to loving one person for life, the person God intended for you. Teo and Ana exemplified sacrificial love, which always draws the unsaved to faith in Jesus Christ, Who is the model for us all. It's impossible to read The Gift and not be moved in some way. I cannot wait to read the next book in this incredible series.
August 9, 2022
I was really disappointed in this book. It was pretty boring (until the last 100ish pages), and the events overall were very predictable. The only thing that kept me interested was the characters, specifically Ana and Teo.
The villains in this book we so cliché, and while I get that the author is trying to make it clear how evil they are, many of the villain scenes were just downright disgusting. There was also a lot of problematic subject matter in this book.
While I’m interested to see where this trilogy will end, after this book, and the events it set up for the final book, I don’t have high hopes. Which is really disappointing because the first book was actually pretty good!
The villains in this book we so cliché, and while I get that the author is trying to make it clear how evil they are, many of the villain scenes were just downright disgusting. There was also a lot of problematic subject matter in this book.
While I’m interested to see where this trilogy will end, after this book, and the events it set up for the final book, I don’t have high hopes. Which is really disappointing because the first book was actually pretty good!
June 7, 2011
Step forward several hundred years into a post-nuclear apocalypse future. Earth has lost most of her technology and a new feudal age is in full swing. In this world, the Christiani are hunted down and nearly exterminated, and even the very message of the New Testament has been lost and nearly forgotten.
This is the story that Bryan M. Litfin crafts for us in his Chiveis Trilogy. "The Gift: A Novel", the second book in the series, follows Captain Teofil and Anastasia as they journey through new lands in search of the lost New Testament. Along the way, their adventures are many as they narrowly escape imprisonment, torture and death at every turn. The physical dangers aren’t the only obstacles in their quest, they battle temptation to fit in to the spirit of the world they inhabit, too.
The book comes off feeling a bit like a fantasy work, yet there are no fantastic characters. It’s actually more similar to a tale from a long lost medieval age, with the twist of people trying to search out the true meaning of Christianity. The character development is excellent even if the plot at times seems too good to be true. The quest to find the true nature of Christianity and to uncover the lost New Testament makes for a great story line, however. And the book moves along at a quick pace.
Without having read the first book, I was still able to enter the story easily: enough of the backstory was retold that I didn’t feel lost. This book also comes with 15 study questions in the back which would allow it to serve as a class assignment for a study of literature, or equally well as a discussion guide for talking over the story and the moral dilemmas which faced its characters with your teen-age children.
This story was both unique and well-written. And what is vital for a fictional tale, it was ultimately satisfying. Yet the book offered even more, it was a work about our Christian faith and the struggle to live it out faithfully in whatever age we find ourselves in. I recommend the book highly. It would make for great summer reading. I’ll be keeping my eye out for the conclusion of Litfin’s Chiveis Trilogy, too.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by Crossway Books for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
This is the story that Bryan M. Litfin crafts for us in his Chiveis Trilogy. "The Gift: A Novel", the second book in the series, follows Captain Teofil and Anastasia as they journey through new lands in search of the lost New Testament. Along the way, their adventures are many as they narrowly escape imprisonment, torture and death at every turn. The physical dangers aren’t the only obstacles in their quest, they battle temptation to fit in to the spirit of the world they inhabit, too.
The book comes off feeling a bit like a fantasy work, yet there are no fantastic characters. It’s actually more similar to a tale from a long lost medieval age, with the twist of people trying to search out the true meaning of Christianity. The character development is excellent even if the plot at times seems too good to be true. The quest to find the true nature of Christianity and to uncover the lost New Testament makes for a great story line, however. And the book moves along at a quick pace.
Without having read the first book, I was still able to enter the story easily: enough of the backstory was retold that I didn’t feel lost. This book also comes with 15 study questions in the back which would allow it to serve as a class assignment for a study of literature, or equally well as a discussion guide for talking over the story and the moral dilemmas which faced its characters with your teen-age children.
This story was both unique and well-written. And what is vital for a fictional tale, it was ultimately satisfying. Yet the book offered even more, it was a work about our Christian faith and the struggle to live it out faithfully in whatever age we find ourselves in. I recommend the book highly. It would make for great summer reading. I’ll be keeping my eye out for the conclusion of Litfin’s Chiveis Trilogy, too.
Disclaimer: This book was provided by Crossway Books for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
May 10, 2013
If you like action, adventure, fantasy, chivalry, piracy, betrayal, romance, love, peril, or plot twists, then you will like The Gift, book two in the Chiveis Trilogy, by Bryan M. Litfin.
The author wields pleasant vocabulary usage, wrests a solid plot pace, waves a nice story arc, waxes plentiful descriptions without leaving you feeling ransacked with too many details, and writes winsome plus wicked characters.
I typically enjoy action and adventure. And The Gift's metal clanging sword fights and fiery explosions do not disappoint. But to my surprise and delight, just as in this trilogy's first book, I found myself more drawn to the relationship of the two primary protagonists!
Watching their relationship develop was satisfying. But you also see their unfolding love for someone greater than themselves, creating a dynamic atmosphere.
In comparison, The Gift, the second book in the Chiveis trilogy, is an improvement upon the first book (The Sword). The story was less linear, having more forks in the road and also a greater cast of characters. The writing itself also seemed improved with practice.
The Gift has a strong Christian foundation and message, yet the story would not be rated 'G'. It is realistic in its depictions of violence and immodesty at points, but it is done so in a delicately balanced way; honestly and discreetly.
The icing on the cake actually arrives after the final showdown in the epilogue, but it's only icing if you have first read The Sword. Considerately trying to avoid spoilers, let me say it like this: Take the greatest antagonist from a story you have read, a villain so vile and despised that you eagerly anticipate justice to win, then double that, add more anticipation...then enjoy eating the icing on the cake!
What are you waiting for? Do yourself a favor and start reading this trilogy! It is possible to read The Gift on its own, but it is enriched by the backstory laid out in the first book, The Sword. Don't pass it up.
I look forward to reading the third segment of the Chiveis Trilogy, The Kingdom. There are still questions to be answered and adventures to be had!
The author wields pleasant vocabulary usage, wrests a solid plot pace, waves a nice story arc, waxes plentiful descriptions without leaving you feeling ransacked with too many details, and writes winsome plus wicked characters.
I typically enjoy action and adventure. And The Gift's metal clanging sword fights and fiery explosions do not disappoint. But to my surprise and delight, just as in this trilogy's first book, I found myself more drawn to the relationship of the two primary protagonists!
Watching their relationship develop was satisfying. But you also see their unfolding love for someone greater than themselves, creating a dynamic atmosphere.
In comparison, The Gift, the second book in the Chiveis trilogy, is an improvement upon the first book (The Sword). The story was less linear, having more forks in the road and also a greater cast of characters. The writing itself also seemed improved with practice.
The Gift has a strong Christian foundation and message, yet the story would not be rated 'G'. It is realistic in its depictions of violence and immodesty at points, but it is done so in a delicately balanced way; honestly and discreetly.
The icing on the cake actually arrives after the final showdown in the epilogue, but it's only icing if you have first read The Sword. Considerately trying to avoid spoilers, let me say it like this: Take the greatest antagonist from a story you have read, a villain so vile and despised that you eagerly anticipate justice to win, then double that, add more anticipation...then enjoy eating the icing on the cake!
What are you waiting for? Do yourself a favor and start reading this trilogy! It is possible to read The Gift on its own, but it is enriched by the backstory laid out in the first book, The Sword. Don't pass it up.
I look forward to reading the third segment of the Chiveis Trilogy, The Kingdom. There are still questions to be answered and adventures to be had!
September 17, 2019
Wasn't quite sure I liked it through a fair bit, but the end has me eagerly anticipating Book Three!
September 4, 2020
Very good second book in the series. I'm thoroughly enjoying this introduction to Bryan Litfin's writing.
June 27, 2012
It had been over a year since I read, The Sword, the first book in the Chiveis Trilogy. So there is a chance that had a little something to do with how disconnected I was at the start of this one, but, I still think the first half of this novel has some issues.
What did I struggle with in this second book? I'm not sure if I struggled more with the plot or with the characters. Teo and Ana are exiled from their country, but, are soon welcomed into a new country. Ana is accepted into the social elite (I'm not sure if this was just because she was so beautiful, or, if they assumed she was a fine lady in the other country and deserved the same special treatment there), but, Teo is not. He manages to stay very, very, very loosely connected with Ana by claiming the role of her tutor. But almost everyone assumes that he's merely her love slave. Ana glories in her new lifestyle, she loves her new rich friends, loves all the parties, loves the clothes, loves the attention and flattery. The more materialistic Ana becomes, the less prone she is to listen to Teo who warns her not to forget the most important thing. But does Ana listen? Oh, no, she does not. Does she drink? Does she party? Does she start sunbathing in the nude in public? Yes, yes, yes. She stops listening to Teo, stops listening to God, and then starts questioning and doubting things she knows to be true. Teo is a man who is torn in his duties. On the one hand, he knows that finding the New Testament is the MOST important, most essential thing he could do. He knows that finding the New Testament, translating it into a language that can be understood, getting the full truth of God's message to men is the MOST IMPORTANT thing he could do. It's worth living and dying for. He knows he must attempt it no matter the risk. But, at the same time, he's torn because he wants to save Ana from herself, and from outside dangers as well. He knows that she's not safe, he knows she's being really stupid, he knows that her faith is endangering her life, he knows that she has enemies--as he knows that he has enemies. So part of him wants to stay in the background just watching and waiting and watching and waiting and watching and waiting...to see what happens next in Ana's life. Does Ana even know that Teo is around? No, not really. She assumes that he's moved on, moved away, accepted their new places in society. Because she has pushed him out of her thoughts--essentially--she doesn't really appreciate the sacrifices he's making for her. So essentially, the first half of the novel could be summed up as: watch Ana be stupid. The second half of the novel is different, however, for Ana realizes that she's walked away from God, and she's made some big mistakes. She turns towards God, finds forgiveness, becomes selfless, humbles herself, etc. Teo does not change in the second half, he remains the hero he's been since page one, book one.
The plot. What can I say? There's a dark side to these books, a dark side that delights in torture, torture, and more torture. Readers are forced to "overhear" evil, evil plots that endanger the characters we care about, or are supposed to care about. In a way, I suppose, the dark side adds tension, contrast, suspense to the novel. But there's only so much torture a person can take without becoming sick of it.
The second half of the novel does become intense, but I'm not sure it's a good enough intense. Part of me got frustrated even with the second half of this one because it was Teo's turn to be stupid, I suppose. In a couple of crucial moments, moments where he had to choose between his mission to serve God, to find the New Testament, to find out the truth, the whole truth of God's message, to restore Christianity, he chose saving the girl.
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
So in this one scene, the scene when they discover the last remaining copy of the New Testament, the only copy supposedly still in existence on the whole planet, and the bad guys show up and he has to choose between saving the girl's life (supposedly, they have her in their grasp) and handing the copy over knowing that it's just a matter of time--perhaps minutes, perhaps hours, perhaps days--before it is destroyed....and he chooses the girl. Never mind that a whole secret community is counting on him, never mind that there is no one left on the planet who knows who Jesus Christ is, why he came to Earth, why he died, the fact that he rose again, the fact that he saves us from our sins, delivers us from our sins, restores and redeems us, adopts us. Etc. This body of believers--men, women who believe in the one true Creator God--who knows nothing at all about the New Testament, any event, any promise, any doctrine, etc. And he chooses the girl. And the New Testament is burned. Part of me was like, how is saving Ana going to bring salvation to the world? Do you even realize what you just threw away? I mean, sure, this proves that he *loves* her in that way, something she was in doubt about for the first half of the novel because he hadn't spent every moment of every hour of every day flattering her, complimenting her, and trying to kiss her, etc. But I was a little frustrated with Teo here.
What did I struggle with in this second book? I'm not sure if I struggled more with the plot or with the characters. Teo and Ana are exiled from their country, but, are soon welcomed into a new country. Ana is accepted into the social elite (I'm not sure if this was just because she was so beautiful, or, if they assumed she was a fine lady in the other country and deserved the same special treatment there), but, Teo is not. He manages to stay very, very, very loosely connected with Ana by claiming the role of her tutor. But almost everyone assumes that he's merely her love slave. Ana glories in her new lifestyle, she loves her new rich friends, loves all the parties, loves the clothes, loves the attention and flattery. The more materialistic Ana becomes, the less prone she is to listen to Teo who warns her not to forget the most important thing. But does Ana listen? Oh, no, she does not. Does she drink? Does she party? Does she start sunbathing in the nude in public? Yes, yes, yes. She stops listening to Teo, stops listening to God, and then starts questioning and doubting things she knows to be true. Teo is a man who is torn in his duties. On the one hand, he knows that finding the New Testament is the MOST important, most essential thing he could do. He knows that finding the New Testament, translating it into a language that can be understood, getting the full truth of God's message to men is the MOST IMPORTANT thing he could do. It's worth living and dying for. He knows he must attempt it no matter the risk. But, at the same time, he's torn because he wants to save Ana from herself, and from outside dangers as well. He knows that she's not safe, he knows she's being really stupid, he knows that her faith is endangering her life, he knows that she has enemies--as he knows that he has enemies. So part of him wants to stay in the background just watching and waiting and watching and waiting and watching and waiting...to see what happens next in Ana's life. Does Ana even know that Teo is around? No, not really. She assumes that he's moved on, moved away, accepted their new places in society. Because she has pushed him out of her thoughts--essentially--she doesn't really appreciate the sacrifices he's making for her. So essentially, the first half of the novel could be summed up as: watch Ana be stupid. The second half of the novel is different, however, for Ana realizes that she's walked away from God, and she's made some big mistakes. She turns towards God, finds forgiveness, becomes selfless, humbles herself, etc. Teo does not change in the second half, he remains the hero he's been since page one, book one.
The plot. What can I say? There's a dark side to these books, a dark side that delights in torture, torture, and more torture. Readers are forced to "overhear" evil, evil plots that endanger the characters we care about, or are supposed to care about. In a way, I suppose, the dark side adds tension, contrast, suspense to the novel. But there's only so much torture a person can take without becoming sick of it.
The second half of the novel does become intense, but I'm not sure it's a good enough intense. Part of me got frustrated even with the second half of this one because it was Teo's turn to be stupid, I suppose. In a couple of crucial moments, moments where he had to choose between his mission to serve God, to find the New Testament, to find out the truth, the whole truth of God's message, to restore Christianity, he chose saving the girl.
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
So in this one scene, the scene when they discover the last remaining copy of the New Testament, the only copy supposedly still in existence on the whole planet, and the bad guys show up and he has to choose between saving the girl's life (supposedly, they have her in their grasp) and handing the copy over knowing that it's just a matter of time--perhaps minutes, perhaps hours, perhaps days--before it is destroyed....and he chooses the girl. Never mind that a whole secret community is counting on him, never mind that there is no one left on the planet who knows who Jesus Christ is, why he came to Earth, why he died, the fact that he rose again, the fact that he saves us from our sins, delivers us from our sins, restores and redeems us, adopts us. Etc. This body of believers--men, women who believe in the one true Creator God--who knows nothing at all about the New Testament, any event, any promise, any doctrine, etc. And he chooses the girl. And the New Testament is burned. Part of me was like, how is saving Ana going to bring salvation to the world? Do you even realize what you just threw away? I mean, sure, this proves that he *loves* her in that way, something she was in doubt about for the first half of the novel because he hadn't spent every moment of every hour of every day flattering her, complimenting her, and trying to kiss her, etc. But I was a little frustrated with Teo here.
March 5, 2023
Better story and better writing than book 1, I think.
October 5, 2014
I read this a of couple years ago, but not all the way through, so I forgot most of it.
First, how I felt: There were times when I couldn't put the book down, and others where it was a burden to read. Also, the romance between Teo and Ana was annoying. Not that I didn't like the idea, but it could have been done better. Also, some of the descriptions of death in the book provided gave too much information, making it a little strange. Finally, the plot. Without giving anything away, some of the things that happened, I felt, were a little unrealistic and too good to be true. It's okay for bad things to happen!
The message is powerful and amazing if you take the time to think about it. The book focuses on Christ and has a lot of parallels in the plot, and some of the unrealistic elements do add to the parallels. I'd recomend you watch some of the videos on the author's website before reading it, so you can catch them all. If nothing else, Bryan Litfin does this extremely well. Just for that I'd recommend reading it.
Last, I just want to mention some of the theological implications. For a Christian book, at times it seemed like the characters acted and talked like the false gods were real and had some power, even though at other times they talked about "Deu" being the one, true God. It probably wasn't intentional. Also, some other reviewers mentioned, this but the Universal Communion seemed a lot like the Catholic church. Catholic actually means all-encompassing/universal. The characters also referred to the "Papa" as "Holy Father."
That said, the writing itself could have been better, but the storyline and message is great and makes for a amazing story. Even if you're not a Christian, you might like it too. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes speculative fiction and possibly just Christian fiction. Give it a try!
First, how I felt: There were times when I couldn't put the book down, and others where it was a burden to read. Also, the romance between Teo and Ana was annoying. Not that I didn't like the idea, but it could have been done better. Also, some of the descriptions of death in the book provided gave too much information, making it a little strange. Finally, the plot. Without giving anything away, some of the things that happened, I felt, were a little unrealistic and too good to be true. It's okay for bad things to happen!
The message is powerful and amazing if you take the time to think about it. The book focuses on Christ and has a lot of parallels in the plot, and some of the unrealistic elements do add to the parallels. I'd recomend you watch some of the videos on the author's website before reading it, so you can catch them all. If nothing else, Bryan Litfin does this extremely well. Just for that I'd recommend reading it.
Last, I just want to mention some of the theological implications. For a Christian book, at times it seemed like the characters acted and talked like the false gods were real and had some power, even though at other times they talked about "Deu" being the one, true God. It probably wasn't intentional. Also, some other reviewers mentioned, this but the Universal Communion seemed a lot like the Catholic church. Catholic actually means all-encompassing/universal. The characters also referred to the "Papa" as "Holy Father."
That said, the writing itself could have been better, but the storyline and message is great and makes for a amazing story. Even if you're not a Christian, you might like it too. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes speculative fiction and possibly just Christian fiction. Give it a try!
March 31, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. I received The Sword as an ARC from LibraryThing about a year ago and was excited when I discovered I had won the second book in the series as well.
The Gift continues where The Sword left off, Teo and Ana have chosen exile in order to learn more about Deu and spread his word. They go to Italy across the mountains, and begin to learn the Talyano language. Eventually they end up in Roma meeting the Christiani "Papa," a man who survived the purges as a young boy and knows the most about Deu.
They go through many trials and hardships, make some new friends and discover some new enemies. Through it all their love and bond from their experiences unites them even when their relationship is strained. They realize just how much they don't know about Deu, but decide that their limited knowledge is enough to trust Him. They only have access to the Old Testament, and have many questions about the promised messiah and the suffering servant. At the end of the book they discover the New Testament, from an unlikely source, and begin to learn the rest of the Biblical story.
Great story line with good character development. Both Ana and Teo have spiritual struggles and grow through suffering. At the end of the book the Christiani seem to triumph, but the enemies from Chiveis and Roma unite against Ana and Teo. I can't wait for the next book to come out. I want to know what happens next to Ana, Teo, and their friends.
The Gift continues where The Sword left off, Teo and Ana have chosen exile in order to learn more about Deu and spread his word. They go to Italy across the mountains, and begin to learn the Talyano language. Eventually they end up in Roma meeting the Christiani "Papa," a man who survived the purges as a young boy and knows the most about Deu.
They go through many trials and hardships, make some new friends and discover some new enemies. Through it all their love and bond from their experiences unites them even when their relationship is strained. They realize just how much they don't know about Deu, but decide that their limited knowledge is enough to trust Him. They only have access to the Old Testament, and have many questions about the promised messiah and the suffering servant. At the end of the book they discover the New Testament, from an unlikely source, and begin to learn the rest of the Biblical story.
Great story line with good character development. Both Ana and Teo have spiritual struggles and grow through suffering. At the end of the book the Christiani seem to triumph, but the enemies from Chiveis and Roma unite against Ana and Teo. I can't wait for the next book to come out. I want to know what happens next to Ana, Teo, and their friends.
October 14, 2020
Book 2 of Chiveis trilogy. Another exciting read. The lead female protagonist (Ana) has survived much adversity but, in prosperity, has slowly compromised her faith.
The quest for the missing New Testament continues. It leads us to some surprising places. The story makes me appreciate the ready availability of our Bible.
Great book with loss of adversity and narrow escapes. I'm really enjoying this series.
The quest for the missing New Testament continues. It leads us to some surprising places. The story makes me appreciate the ready availability of our Bible.
Great book with loss of adversity and narrow escapes. I'm really enjoying this series.
July 7, 2017
a wonderful Fantasy adventure that takes place in the distant post-apocalyptic future, when Christianity is but a dim memory and humanity is struggling to rebuild itself and rediscover its roots. I didn't read the first book but didn't need to; I caught up nicely.
Read
December 12, 2018I listened to the audiobook read by Ray Porter. Wow. He is an amaaaaaaazing narrator. The amount of different voices he came up with for every character (big and small. And there are A LOT) is astounding.
September 17, 2019
AMAZING!!! You need to read this book if you like TONS of action!!!
July 6, 2020
Really good book. Really looking forward to the third in the series.
December 31, 2020
Good follow up to the sword. Wish Ana wasn't as helpless sometimes
September 20, 2019
The Gift is the second book in a series by Christian author Bryan M. Litfin. I received the book for free as a part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program on the condition that I review the book after reading it.[return][return]As with the first book, I was not super impressed. The plot and concepts of the story itself are actually fairly good, but unfortunately the author does not really do a great job in presenting that story. The characters feel a little forced and over-dramatic in dialogue and reactions. Modern concepts and ideas also seem to creep in to what is supposed to be a post-apocalyptic society hundreds of years in our future. It's just not particularly convincing. That's actually too bad, because it feels like the idea could have been masterfully pulled off by a more skilled writer.
I will also say that the book is unashamedly Christian, even going as far as to include study questions in the back for strengthening your faith. Non-believers are likely to be turned off by the overt spiritual under and overtones. For believers though, this book (and this series) may be worth giving a try.
I will also say that the book is unashamedly Christian, even going as far as to include study questions in the back for strengthening your faith. Non-believers are likely to be turned off by the overt spiritual under and overtones. For believers though, this book (and this series) may be worth giving a try.
July 16, 2022
Wow, maybe I don't remember well, but this felt SO much better than book 1! Teo and Ana make it safe to another country and are welcomed, Ana especially for being beautiful. Because she was treated to the luxuries of life, she began to lose her way and treated Teo pretty awful (the main reason I deducted a star). Teo on the other hand was doing his beat both to protect Ana and learn more about Deu (God), he eventually attracted both the good and bad type of attention.
Other followers led Teo to a new goal and journey, but he was torn between God's will and staying close to Ana.
It took a sentence of execution to make Ana realize the comfortable life she had chosen was all an illusion, but by the time she turned back to God and Teo, it seemed too late.
I love how this book portrayed hope and shows how Christans learn at different paces and at their own time with the knowledge they gain throughout their personal spiritual journey. Also loved the point made that God does love his peaple, defected or not and that end battle was beautifully brilliant, with a twist!
I'm not sure where book 3 will go, but now I'm looking forward to it!
Other followers led Teo to a new goal and journey, but he was torn between God's will and staying close to Ana.
It took a sentence of execution to make Ana realize the comfortable life she had chosen was all an illusion, but by the time she turned back to God and Teo, it seemed too late.
I love how this book portrayed hope and shows how Christans learn at different paces and at their own time with the knowledge they gain throughout their personal spiritual journey. Also loved the point made that God does love his peaple, defected or not and that end battle was beautifully brilliant, with a twist!
I'm not sure where book 3 will go, but now I'm looking forward to it!
March 3, 2025
Not as good as the first book but still kept me coming back for more and eager for the third book. The new setting made sense, but it also required that the author spend time world building again. And it happened several times in this book, so it took more time than I wanted.
I enjoyed seeing how the characters were learning to follow God while not having a full understanding of him, trying to understand how the cross and God's power connect when they desperately want more power in their own setting. I think some characters end up grasping that better than others. And I'm not quite sure the ending fully realizes its own message, but it's still an entertaining read.
In the first book, I was impressed with how the "romance" between Theo and Ana existed but was subtle enough that leaving them in almost the same place they started didn't bother me. However, it was overt enough and so impacted their choices in this one that I was not happy with the lack of resolution.
I enjoyed seeing how the characters were learning to follow God while not having a full understanding of him, trying to understand how the cross and God's power connect when they desperately want more power in their own setting. I think some characters end up grasping that better than others. And I'm not quite sure the ending fully realizes its own message, but it's still an entertaining read.
In the first book, I was impressed with how the "romance" between Theo and Ana existed but was subtle enough that leaving them in almost the same place they started didn't bother me. However, it was overt enough and so impacted their choices in this one that I was not happy with the lack of resolution.
December 14, 2020
Exiled from Chiveis, Teo and Ana set out into their next adventure, fully trusting in a God they only know through the Old Testament, and in search of the New. This series is mounting up to be considered my favorite series of all time. Seeing the realistic failures and redemptions of people who are striving to stay faithful to God in a world where Christianity has been lost was refreshing and encouraging. Here's to hoping Bryan Litfin can complete the trilogy with yet another masterfully written novel and we can find out Chiveis turns to the religion of the Ancients.
August 20, 2025
This is book entertaining and I will finish the trilogy but I find the antagonists way over the top and I got tired of the numerous torture situations. I also find it hard to believe that only a couple copies of the Bible would exist in this 25th century world considering that millions (actually it could be billions if you look at the stats) of copies of the Bible were sold in the 20th and early 21st centuries. It doesn't add up for me.
Still, I am invested and look forward to listening to the final book.
Still, I am invested and look forward to listening to the final book.
December 3, 2017
The storyline and premise are interesting and intriguing. I found character development was pretty good and the overall message of the book was decent.
I would not recommend this book for younger readers because there is a substantial amount of adult content. There were a few lewd comments (which, to be fair, were never portrayed in a glorifying manner but as a part of evil actions. Even so, the creepy necrophile was not terribly welcome, in my opinion).
Overall a pretty good read.
I would not recommend this book for younger readers because there is a substantial amount of adult content. There were a few lewd comments (which, to be fair, were never portrayed in a glorifying manner but as a part of evil actions. Even so, the creepy necrophile was not terribly welcome, in my opinion).
Overall a pretty good read.
November 28, 2022
While I loved the first book, the second book was essentially a repeat of the first book - getting out of danger by the skin of their teeth, searching for the last half of the Bible, and finding others who were with them in their quest to know Deu. Not to mention the endless threats of danger and very unrealistic heroes and escapades.
Like I said, I loved the first book, but the second book was disappointing.
Like I said, I loved the first book, but the second book was disappointing.
May 1, 2025
An exciting continuation of the Chiveis trilogy. I loved the adventure and character development of both Teo and Ana. Several elements were fairly predictable but I’m hooked for book three nonetheless.
August 2, 2022
Much better than the first. There is only one destination that these new folks can logically find. But I’ll hope that book 3 follows through.
September 12, 2022
My fave out of the series. A lot happens. Like it's a wild ride but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 30, 2011
Last year, Crossway released Bryan Litfin’s first novel in the Chiveis Trilogy, The Sword. That book introduced readers to Teofil, a noble army guardsman, and Anastasia, a beautiful peasant woman 400 years into our future. Civilization was destroyed by a nuclear holocaust, and many things from our culture were lost, including the Bible and Christianity, for the most part. In The Sword, though, Teo and Ana find an ancient copy of the Old Testament and come to believe in the Creator God described in its pages, a God known to them as Deu. The Sword ended with the main characters forced from their homeland and into exile because of their faith.
In the second installment, The Gift, Litfin picks the story up right where he left off, and we join Teo and Ana on their search for the missing New Testament, which they know will fill in many of the gaps they see in the Old Testament. Of course, there are powers at work that will do anything to keep this from happening, including the Exterminati (I know, subtle), an organization of shamans who oppose the Christiani and who rid the “civilized” world of “defectives,” those who they deem less than perfect due to mental or physical handicap.
(Side note: Litfin clearly wanted to communicate ideas about certain issues within this story, such as the value of all humans, including the disabled. There’s also a subtle discussion of homosexuality and how Christians respond to that. Occasionally these things feel forced into the plot and can be pretty abrupt.)
The most fascinating part of this book to me was watching the characters think through what the New Testament might say. With their only knowledge of Deu coming from the Old Testament, their knowledge is incomplete and simply wrong some times. They know that Iesus Christus, the “pierced one” from the cross, was likely the suffering servant talked about in the prophets, but they don’t know how his death helped the Promised King. They know much about the character of God and have a sincere and real faith in Him, but they agonize over not knowing the whole story about the King. This drives their search for the New Testament.
This provides a great context to consider what it looked like for people before Christ who were waiting for him, but weren’t really sure what they were waiting to see. Many had no idea that the Suffering Servant and the Promised King were one and the same. There are very interesting thoughts to consider at times in The Gift.
Despite the interesting premise, as a novel, the book does lack at times. The dialogue feels a little stilted at times, and Litfin clearly wants to communicate a worldview that comes with a vocabulary that feels unnatural in the book’s setting. The action sequences are quite good, however, and as with The Sword, the attention to the detail of the real-life settings is spectacular. I just couldn’t get passed some of the dialogue that jolted me out of the story occasionally.
Overall, though, I would recommend the first two books of this trilogy. Solid Christian fiction that seeks to portray a biblical worldview within fiction is pretty lacking in the marketplace (unless you happen to enjoy stories about the Amish). Although these books suffer from some of the same problems that plague Christian movies (forced plots and dialogue, lack of subtlety and nuance at times), it’s still very nice to see talented authors attempting to imbed biblical truths in a fictional story that will draw readers who might not sit down with a systematic theology, but might be positively influenced in their views of God by a solid epic story.
In the second installment, The Gift, Litfin picks the story up right where he left off, and we join Teo and Ana on their search for the missing New Testament, which they know will fill in many of the gaps they see in the Old Testament. Of course, there are powers at work that will do anything to keep this from happening, including the Exterminati (I know, subtle), an organization of shamans who oppose the Christiani and who rid the “civilized” world of “defectives,” those who they deem less than perfect due to mental or physical handicap.
(Side note: Litfin clearly wanted to communicate ideas about certain issues within this story, such as the value of all humans, including the disabled. There’s also a subtle discussion of homosexuality and how Christians respond to that. Occasionally these things feel forced into the plot and can be pretty abrupt.)
The most fascinating part of this book to me was watching the characters think through what the New Testament might say. With their only knowledge of Deu coming from the Old Testament, their knowledge is incomplete and simply wrong some times. They know that Iesus Christus, the “pierced one” from the cross, was likely the suffering servant talked about in the prophets, but they don’t know how his death helped the Promised King. They know much about the character of God and have a sincere and real faith in Him, but they agonize over not knowing the whole story about the King. This drives their search for the New Testament.
This provides a great context to consider what it looked like for people before Christ who were waiting for him, but weren’t really sure what they were waiting to see. Many had no idea that the Suffering Servant and the Promised King were one and the same. There are very interesting thoughts to consider at times in The Gift.
Despite the interesting premise, as a novel, the book does lack at times. The dialogue feels a little stilted at times, and Litfin clearly wants to communicate a worldview that comes with a vocabulary that feels unnatural in the book’s setting. The action sequences are quite good, however, and as with The Sword, the attention to the detail of the real-life settings is spectacular. I just couldn’t get passed some of the dialogue that jolted me out of the story occasionally.
Overall, though, I would recommend the first two books of this trilogy. Solid Christian fiction that seeks to portray a biblical worldview within fiction is pretty lacking in the marketplace (unless you happen to enjoy stories about the Amish). Although these books suffer from some of the same problems that plague Christian movies (forced plots and dialogue, lack of subtlety and nuance at times), it’s still very nice to see talented authors attempting to imbed biblical truths in a fictional story that will draw readers who might not sit down with a systematic theology, but might be positively influenced in their views of God by a solid epic story.
January 23, 2013
The Gift is the second book in Chiveis Trilogy. Crossway sent me a prepublication copy to review. It may be helpful to take a look at my review of The Sword, the first book in the trilogy. In this review, I’ll try to avoid any spoilers.
By way of introduction, Bryan Litfin teaches theology at Moody Bible Institute. This trilogy is his first foray into writing fiction. This trilogy has romance, action and Christian theology nicely put together in the story.
In The Gift I found that Litfin has gotten better at this type of writing. There were a few places in The Sword where I cringed a bit. There was none of that in The Gift. What I hope he grows in in the third installment is in character construction. Though Ana and Teo are no longer in their home kingdom, some of the characters were familiar. Teo’s mentor in The Gift felt very much like his mentor in The Sword. Ana’s flighty girlfriend is very like her flighty girlfriend in the first installment. Their malevolent foe in Ulmbartia seems a lot like the one they left behind in Chiveis. This didn’t ruin the story but it did give it a somewhat familiar feel. Also, as happened in The Sword, strangers trust our hero and heroine too quickly and easily.
None of this is to say that the story was a repeat. It certainly wasn’t. Often the second book in a trilogy can be a bit flat as it is bridging the beginning of the story with its resolution. Litfin never let The Gift fall into that trap. The story moves along briskly and always had me wanting to find out what happens next. Pacing has proven to be something Litfin understands. Just when I was beginning to getting tried of the right person showing up just in the nick of time, Litfin changed it up. He fought against making The Gift predictable and mostly succeeded. He also showed finesse in the way he rehashed the first book for those who didn’t read it. He carefully retold the story in a manner that felt like it belonged. I don’t think anyone would be lost reading The Gift if they didn’t read The Sword.
What I found somewhat brave about The Gift was how Litfin introduced evangelical hot button issues: sex, homosexuality, alcohol, nudity. Litfin didn’t omit the ugly side of a kingdom that has forgotten Christianity. Had he chosen to make the Ulbartian culture “acceptably depraved” by avoiding those issues, it could have made the story “safe for the whole family” and at the same time made it lifeless and boring. Litfin includes these things and he doesn’t do it in a tawdry or approving fashion. He simply presents them as what they are. Wisely, he leaves us to recognize them as wrong. We don’t have a character acting as Litfin’s moral mouthpiece. To my mind, that’s good writing; it invites us into the story not to passively consume but to feel and react.
In the end, I found The Gift an improvement on The Sword in most respects. It will prove to be fun summer reading and could provide some interesting points of discussion on how the world would look after a plague and small scale nuclear war but also on engaging theological questions as well. Crossway even included study questions at the end to facilitate it.
By way of introduction, Bryan Litfin teaches theology at Moody Bible Institute. This trilogy is his first foray into writing fiction. This trilogy has romance, action and Christian theology nicely put together in the story.
In The Gift I found that Litfin has gotten better at this type of writing. There were a few places in The Sword where I cringed a bit. There was none of that in The Gift. What I hope he grows in in the third installment is in character construction. Though Ana and Teo are no longer in their home kingdom, some of the characters were familiar. Teo’s mentor in The Gift felt very much like his mentor in The Sword. Ana’s flighty girlfriend is very like her flighty girlfriend in the first installment. Their malevolent foe in Ulmbartia seems a lot like the one they left behind in Chiveis. This didn’t ruin the story but it did give it a somewhat familiar feel. Also, as happened in The Sword, strangers trust our hero and heroine too quickly and easily.
None of this is to say that the story was a repeat. It certainly wasn’t. Often the second book in a trilogy can be a bit flat as it is bridging the beginning of the story with its resolution. Litfin never let The Gift fall into that trap. The story moves along briskly and always had me wanting to find out what happens next. Pacing has proven to be something Litfin understands. Just when I was beginning to getting tried of the right person showing up just in the nick of time, Litfin changed it up. He fought against making The Gift predictable and mostly succeeded. He also showed finesse in the way he rehashed the first book for those who didn’t read it. He carefully retold the story in a manner that felt like it belonged. I don’t think anyone would be lost reading The Gift if they didn’t read The Sword.
What I found somewhat brave about The Gift was how Litfin introduced evangelical hot button issues: sex, homosexuality, alcohol, nudity. Litfin didn’t omit the ugly side of a kingdom that has forgotten Christianity. Had he chosen to make the Ulbartian culture “acceptably depraved” by avoiding those issues, it could have made the story “safe for the whole family” and at the same time made it lifeless and boring. Litfin includes these things and he doesn’t do it in a tawdry or approving fashion. He simply presents them as what they are. Wisely, he leaves us to recognize them as wrong. We don’t have a character acting as Litfin’s moral mouthpiece. To my mind, that’s good writing; it invites us into the story not to passively consume but to feel and react.
In the end, I found The Gift an improvement on The Sword in most respects. It will prove to be fun summer reading and could provide some interesting points of discussion on how the world would look after a plague and small scale nuclear war but also on engaging theological questions as well. Crossway even included study questions at the end to facilitate it.
February 24, 2017
I was debating whether to give this 1 or 2 stars. I really liked The Sword, so was very disappointed with The Gift.
First the pros: the plot is as good as the first in the Chiveis Trilogy with ample actions and unexpected twists that kept my interest going. There were a lot of amusing new characters and the author developed them well. The author makes you really hate the villains and really love the good guys (except for one, see below). I love how good wins in unexpected ways! Unfortunately, these pros were not big enough to overcome the cons mentioned below.
Now the cons: the most glaring negative aspect of the book is its roman Catholic references throughout. One example is the character of Papa Papa's character is even unnecessary as the Overseer seems like a good spiritual leader already with great leader qualities. The author could've introduced this part of the story by way of a manuscript or book.
Another con is the ongoing sexual tension between Ana and Teo. Enough already! This was frustrating in the first book and I got even more tired of it here. It was too distracting in the flow of the story.
I also want to note that there were instances when it would have served Ana and Teo better if they had spoken in their native Chiveisan tongue to communicate so they wouldn't be understood by others. Of course, it all worked out in the end, but still it didn't seem believable for Ana and Teo to communicate in a foreign tongue when talking with each other.
In light of my disappointment with The Gift, I am ambivalent about reading the third in the Chivesian trilogy. I was really hoping these books would turn out great and undoubtedly represent the Christian worldview in current publications. But they don't. At least, The Gift cannot with its elevation of the Pope and the false religion he represents. I think the plot was ok, but with the Roman Catholic distraction, I cannot recommend this book.
First the pros: the plot is as good as the first in the Chiveis Trilogy with ample actions and unexpected twists that kept my interest going. There were a lot of amusing new characters and the author developed them well. The author makes you really hate the villains and really love the good guys (except for one, see below). I love how good wins in unexpected ways! Unfortunately, these pros were not big enough to overcome the cons mentioned below.
Now the cons: the most glaring negative aspect of the book is its roman Catholic references throughout. One example is the character of Papa Papa's character is even unnecessary as the Overseer seems like a good spiritual leader already with great leader qualities. The author could've introduced this part of the story by way of a manuscript or book.
Another con is the ongoing sexual tension between Ana and Teo. Enough already! This was frustrating in the first book and I got even more tired of it here. It was too distracting in the flow of the story.
I also want to note that there were instances when it would have served Ana and Teo better if they had spoken in their native Chiveisan tongue to communicate so they wouldn't be understood by others. Of course, it all worked out in the end, but still it didn't seem believable for Ana and Teo to communicate in a foreign tongue when talking with each other.
In light of my disappointment with The Gift, I am ambivalent about reading the third in the Chivesian trilogy. I was really hoping these books would turn out great and undoubtedly represent the Christian worldview in current publications. But they don't. At least, The Gift cannot with its elevation of the Pope and the false religion he represents. I think the plot was ok, but with the Roman Catholic distraction, I cannot recommend this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2017
Loved it!!
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