The Lion Vrie: A Review

War still rages in the once pristine land of Dionia. Morgui’s forces of Dairne-Reih have overwhelmed the few who withstood them. Luik and his fellow Dibor are fleeing for their lives, gathering what survivors they can find as they search for refuge. But a new threat has emerged. Now the Dibor and faithful Dionians must fight not only the demonic Dairne-Reih but also men—their once brothers who have chosen to side with the enemy. All seems bleak. But hope is not lost. An ancient sect of warriors, the Lion Vrie, return from the dust of history to help the weakened resistance. Hidden fortresses open their doors to the tattered bands of survivors. The Dibor regroup and prepare to face the enemy again.

The stakes are higher in this sequel to Rise of the Dibor. The effects of the enemy’s presence are seen more fully in poisoned lands and poisoned minds. Faith seems useless—but appearances can be deceiving. The Lion Vrie is a heart-wrenching story of perseverance amidst doubt, of struggles to understand how and why a loving God would allow such horror and pain to descend upon those He claimed to uphold. The answer is not simple nor is it complete—it cannot be for we are only in the second act and have yet to see the conclusion of the story—yet it still offers hope for the hopeless.

Christopher Hopper’s writing improves in this second installment of the White Lion Chronicles. While he still struggles with some homonym errors, they are rare and not as jarring as in the first book. More of the intricate world of Dionia is revealed and we are allowed to revel in its beauty despite the destruction that lurks in the shadows.

My absolute favorite part of The Lion Vrie comes when Luik explains to his fiancée why he would have her not fight in the coming battles despite her own warrior training. Hopper manages to get to the heart of the matter and I admire him for it. Once again, I would recommend this book to older teens and adults who enjoy fantasy with a solid Biblical worldview. But be warned—this story leaves one hanging and longing for the final installment.

By: Christopher Hopper

Rise of the Dibor: A Review

In a world where the first man and woman never disobeyed God and refused the serpent’s cunning, everything is perfect. The relationship between Creator and created is unmarred, beautiful in its simplicity and seen in every action. Treachery is unknown as are pain and suffering—and death. Luik, son of Lair has lived an idyllic life, never wanting, always joyful. But an ancient evil that has lain in wait since the beginning of the world and has at last found a chance to strike. The peace of Dionia is shattered. War ravages the land. Luik and eleven other young men, sons of kings, are gathered together and sheltered on a secret island. Trained as warriors, the twelve return to their homelands to find destruction and evil everywhere. And so they throw themselves into the fray, trusting to the Most High to guard their backs and hold them close when all hope seems lost.

Christopher Hopper weaves and interesting supposal of a tale in Rise of the Dibor. What would it be like in a land where sin was unknown? What would happen if evil did invade? Nobility and honor abound among Luik and his companions—a stark contrast to the treachery and selfishness of the enemy. Though long, the battle sequences are intense and intricate and one is frequently left wondering how the heroes could possibly survive the mess they’ve gotten themselves into.

Rise of the Dibor does suffer from some grammatical errors such as homonym substitution (hear vs. here) and poor punctuation (daggers weight vs. dagger’s weight) that can jolt the reader out of the story. However, Hopper quickly draws you back in with the intricacy of his tale. I would recommend this book to older teens and adults who are not “Grammar Nazis” and enjoy fantasy with a solid Biblical worldview.

By: Christopher Hopper

Curse of the Spider King: A Review

Allyra is lost. 800 years ago, the Spider King’s forces swept in and destroyed the seven Elven Lords and their children. Driven into hiding, the elves have all but given up hope that they will ever be able to regain their homeland. Without the Elven Lords, what can they do? But then, there are stirrings in a distant land. Hints that perhaps the heirs of the lords yet live come from another world—Earth. Sentinels and Dreadnaughts—elite warriors of the elves—set out to find their lost lords before the enemy can.

Meanwhile, on Earth, only thirteen years have passed for the unknowing heirs of the Allyrian thrones. As far as the seven teens know, they are perfectly ordinary humans. Until dark creatures begin to stalk their footsteps and strange powers manifest themselves in startling ways and everything they know is turned upside down. Then, they must band together with their elven guardians in a desperate race to return to the homeland they never knew.

In this intriguing tale that turns portal fantasy inside out, Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper manage to weave their different writing styles together into a smooth tapestry of story. There are a few knots in the weaving—minor grammatical errors or not-quite-explained plot points—but they do little to detract from the whole picture. Since I have read all of both Batson and Hopper’s books, I was curious to see how they managed to mesh their writing. I was pleasantly surprised. The weakness of one writer was effectively balanced by the strength of the others. Batson seems to lean toward exaggerated characters in his writing while Hopper’s characters tend to be understated to the extent that it is difficult to tell them apart. Combined, we have an excellent cast, each with their own quirks and foibles but distinct without being exaggerated.

As for the story itself—I found it a bit slow to get started in some ways though the tension was set from the beginning. The two characters that the book stayed with the most, I found least appealing though still interesting. Because of the large cast, we often leave a character for long stretches of the book and can almost forget about their existence—almost. That said, I found this book an enjoyable, if light, read and look forward to finding out what happens next in the sequel Venom and Song. A second reading makes one realize how much foreshadowing the authors wove into the early chapters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys lighthearted fantasy with deeper themes but especially to those of Junior High age.

Death to Spiders!

By: Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper

Isle of Fire: A Review

"Isle of Fire" picks up shortly after the conclusion of its predecessor, Isle of Swords. Cat is staying with the Brethren Monks, training with them while trying to regain his memories of his past life. But he isn't all that certain that his past is something he wants to remember.

Meanwhile, Captain Declan Ross and his daughter Anne sail the sea recruiting pirates for his "Wolf Pack," a group of former pirates paid by the British Government and the Brethren to hunt down other pirates. Villains, new and old, make their appearance quickly as well. Some are brutal and heartless, consumed by their desire for revenge; others are more subtle, content to wait until the proper moment to strike.

Wayne Thomas Batson paints a broad, sweeping tale that spans the Atlantic Ocean in this tale of treachery, truth, and tempests. Things are not always what they seem--even chapter titles can be deceiving. One rarely sees the newest--and cruelest--villain, The Merchant, but his influence is felt nonetheless.

As in Batson's other books, some of the secondary characters are so much "larger than life" as to feel almost caricatures of reality and yet they seem perfectly real at the same time. However, the main characters internal dilemmas are as clear and real as their external ones.

Overall, I preferred Isle of Fire to Isle of Swords. There were fewer extreme characters--or perhaps I just knew the characters better and so they felt more real--and the story is less obvious. One knows the good guys have to win, but how is very much uncertain. Also, I liked the fact that Declan, Anne, Cat, and the others, aren't searching for treasure but rather truth. And they all find Truth and therefore, true treasure.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys adventures on the high seas. But make sure you read "Isle of Swords" first!

By: Wayne Thomas Batson

Isle of Swords: A Review

Bloodthirsty pirates. Buried treasure. Mysterious monks. Hidden islands. Daring escapes. Perilous searches. All these things and more are found in Isle of Swords. As Captain Declan Ross tries to discover a way to leave piracy behind, his daughter tries to persuade him to let her join the crew and his newest deckhand tries to recover his memory. A strange monk offers Captain Ross his chance to escape piracy if he will grant him passage to an island no one has seen. But the ruthless Captain Bartholomew Thorne also wants the treasure and will do anything to get his hands on the map now in Captain Ross' possession.

I had a little trouble at first with the manner in which Batson constantly shifts the point-of-view from which the story is being told. Hearing from half a dozen different characters who I barely knew was a bit confusing and frustrating. However, as the story progressed, I quickly lost sight of the point-of-view changes and lost myself in the story.

Isle of Swords is first and foremost an action and adventure story populated with memorably quirky characters. Secondly, it is a tale of what is really important in life--not the adventure, but those family and friends who share it with us. The message is smoothly interwoven into the story with the same skill Batson has shown in his Door Within trilogy. Nearly every reader should be enthralled by this fast-paced story set on the high seas.

By: Wayne Thomas Batson

The Final Storm: A Review

Imprisoned in the fortress of Paragor, Antoinette Reed still tries desperately to convince Kearn that Paragor's promises are empty. Meanwhile, Aidan loans the Scrolls to Robby in hopes that they will convince him that The Realm is real and that King Eliam is the one to follow. But Robby is not easy to convince. In The Realm, Kaliam readies Alleble for the assault by Paragor's forces that is sure to come, bringing all of those loyal to King Eliam under the protection of the city's walls. But with the ancient Wyrm Lord and the Seven Sleepers on Paragor's side, will the walls of Alleble be enough to with stand the storm?

The Final Storm brings together the best characters from the two previous books and introduces us to still more. Each of the three travelers from the Mirror Realm--Robby, Antoinette, and Aidan--have their own strengths and weaknesses keeping them from becoming copies of each other. The Glimpses too are clearly defined. While the characters retain their boisterous natures from previous books, the looming war tempers them making this my favorite of the trilogy. Amid the darkness of war, there is hope.

Beneath the shadows of ruin, there is life. These concepts and more are a foundation to this story of Alleble's great stand against the evil of Paragor. I love the way Batson illustrates the fact that though evil times will come, there is only one place to put our trust--In the King of kings. He will see to it that the evil will be used for good, no matter how bleak things may be. The Final Storm reminds us all that the end is only the beginning. Readers will love this gripping conclusion to the Door Within trilogy.

By: Wayne Thomas Batson

The Rise of the Wyrm Lord: A Review

Uniting familiar characters with delightful new ones, "The Rise of the Wyrm Lord" chronicles the further adventures of Aidan Thomas as he readjusts to life in our world, the Mirror Realm, as well as detailing the journeys of headstrong Antoinette Reed. When the teenagers meet at school, they quickly discover a mutual love for King Eliam and his ways. Convinced that Antoinette is being called to the Realm, Aidan secures her promise to search for Robby's Glimpse and persuade him to join them while he tries to persuade him in their own world. Never dreaming of the trouble it would cause, Antoinette gives her word and soon her adventures in the Realm begin.

Like "The Door Within," "The Rise of the Wyrm Lord" works with a broad cast of twelve knights, each with different strengths. This book introduces my favorite character, the herbmaster and pyromaniac knight Sir Oswyn. Batson manages to keep his main characters--both the Glimpses from each other and Antoinette from Aidan--very distinct so that we do not lose track of characters for the number of them.

Teenagers who enjoy fantasy will love this second book in the Door Within trilogy. Woven within the fast-paced tale is a lesson of trust and obedience--and the consequences of ignoring wise counsel. The only problem with the book is that it is the middle of the sequence. The ending leaves one wanting more! And that is hardly a true problem.

By: Wayne Thomas Batson