Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione
by Chuck Black
Published by Multnomah Books
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Reviewed by Laura V. Hilton
(The Knights of Arrethtrae, Book 1)
A dangerous new order threatens the mission of the Knights of Arrethtrae. Only loyalty to the King can bring victory! (from the back cover)
While waiting for their Prince to return to Arrethtrae, Sir Kendrick and Sir Duncan are sent on a mission to learn about a secretive new order known as the Conquistero Knights. Sir Kendrick and Sir Duncan need to travel to Bel Lione. There they discover that Lord Ra has been enticing Arrethtrae’s young people to join his festivities, and many of the young are deciding not to return home, choosing instead to stay in Lord Ra’s kingdom.
When Sir Duncan disappears, Sir Kendrick learns that he must find and enlist the help of a warrior, but time is running out! Will Sir Kendrick be able to save Sir Duncan?
Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione is a fantastical allegory, strongly mirroring certain aspects of the Christian religion. The writing is impeccable, and the story is sure to hold the interest of any who love to read fantasy.
The characterization is strong, each character has a distinctive voice, and the author’s voice is fresh and original. Even though the author has written previous books, Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione is the first book I’ve read by him.
Neither fantasy or allegory are things I like to read, so I did struggle a bit to get started in this book. However, once I understood exactly what was going on, I read the remaining pages with interest, hoping that things would work out for Sir Kendrick and his mission.
I think that Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione would appeal to tweener boys (ages 8 to 12) very well.
Armchair Interviews agrees.