Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest (The Knights of Arrethtrae)
Sir Rowan is the most decorated tournament knight in Cameria, but when he is attacked and left for dead, his world collapses. Betrayed and lingering at death’s door, only a bizarre vision of his Prince and the help of a woman dedicated to the King keeps him alive. As Rowan heals, he finds new purpose in life through service to his King.
But his beloved land of Cameria has fallen victim to the tyranny of the Dark Knight.
Rowan’s countrymen need his help taking their cities back from the enemy, but all is not as it appears. The mysterious Sir Lijah insists Rowan’s purpose lies elsewhere—far away from Cameria, in an ancient city and for an ancient cause.
Rowan’s destiny is greater than he ever imagined. The final battle with the Dark Knight approaches, and he must choose where he will fight. Will he discover his true identity and purpose as a Knight of the Prince, or will the Dark Knight claim victory for eternity?
Reviews (65)
Five Stars
Excellent series!!
Amazing book.
It is one of the best books I've ever read! I love the way Chuck combines biblical principles and excitement in the same book! My favorite book next to Sir Kendrick!
Amazing! Loved it!! :)
This book is awesome! I love the allegory, and how it is so applicable to life! :) Loved it!! :)
Great book!
Fun book for the whole family. It has a great message that reflects biblical values. I recommend the whole series.
Five Stars
great
The book was in great condition.
Thank you. The book was in great condition.
Cameria the Beautiful
Allegory can be a powerful literary tool. John Bunyan and C.S. Lewis (to name just two) have written allegories that are now indispensable classics of Christian literature. Yet allegory is not easy. It takes a special gift to make the story come alive, while at the same time remaining true to the larger truth one is seeking to allegorize. In Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest (Multnomah, paperback, 182 pages) author Chuck Black sometimes succeeds in making the story of the wayward Sir Rowan soar above the allegory. For the most part, however, the storyline sticks like Velcro (tm) to the biblical narrative it is trying to illustrate. Not that there is anything wrong per se with the message being transmitted. In the story a young Sir Rowan, having become a Knight of the King, is sidetracked by the glory of the professional arena. Unbeknown to him, his beloved land of Cameria is being destroyed around him. After being captured by bandits and left for dead Sir Rowan realizes that his mission is much more than jousting. At first he joins a desperate attempt to save Cameria. Failing at that, he joins with a mysterious knight in a bold attempt to confront the invaders of the nearby kingdom of Chessington. Part of the "fun" of allegory is the using of the imagination to see the truth behind the story. In Sir Rowan no imagination is necessary. Chessington is very obviously Israel, and Cameria is...well...just put the beginning "c" after the "i". The land of Cameria even has cities like Kroywen and Eltteas (hint: read them backwards). And when the names aren't thinly-veiled references to actual places, they are simply random. No attempt is made at a consistent linguistic pattern for this fantasy kingdom. One knight even has a horse named "Algonquin". How a horse in a fantasy kingdom came to share a name with a North American Indian tribe is left unexplained. Not that Sir Rowan was devoid of any redeeming qualities. Mr. Black does a fine job of narrating fight scenes, battles, and other adventurous sequences. These alone would make the story rollicking fun for young readers. I feel, however, that because not enough attention was paid to the story, the theology behind it suffers. Sadly obligatory legal gobbledygook: I received this book as part of the Multnomah Press Blogging for Books program. I am under no obligation, nor do I receive any recompense for, a positive review.
Good Action story but needed more character development
I wish I had read some of the other books in the Knights of Arrethtrae series, but Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest by Chuck Black is the sixth book the series. It is a rags to riches story of a poor stable boy named Rowan with an amazing natural ability to wield a sword. He is eventually helped and trained by a Knight named Sir Aldwyn in not only swordplay but also they ways of the Prince and the Code. Unfortunately a massive time laps happens and suddenly Sir Rowan is an amazing tournament knight bound for riches and glory. Because the author skipped all of his training and mentorship, you don't really resonate with the fact that he is straying from his true purpose in life or the things that he was taught. Fame and pride end up going to his head until he has an unfortunate event along the road to the final tournament. Meanwhile, the land of Cameria is being taken over by the Dark Knight and Rowan must remember what he was taught and learn to use his talent for something greater than himself if Cameria is to be saved. I found myself not really caring about The Prince or the Code because neither played much of a role in this particular book. (I hope they do in the other ones) Because of that, the story is mainly an action story, and the somewhat weak character development left me underwhelmed in the end. This is a Biblical allegory, but it felt like Chuck Black's story simply paralleled the Bible almost exactly, which I think tied the storyline down and hurt the characters. With that all said, this book is probably a great read for a younger audience who wants mostly an action story. I was entertained by the storyline and there are definitely some great messages in the book warning against pride, and encouraging people to use their talents for God and not just their own success. The Dark Knight boasted that his distracting tournaments were the perfect weapon against the Prince because they "captured the time and money of Camerians everywhere. But best of all, it captured their passion and put them to sleep." (P. 111) What a great reminder to everyone to remember that our lives should be about more than just our own gain or entertainment. In exchange for my review, I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah and the Blogging for Books Program.
Adventure for Young Knights
Some books have a reputation. Actually reading them may not even be necessary to know whether they are actually worth the time to read them or not. I had heard about Chuck Black's books, and entered them into the library where I worked. I read high recommendations about them as well - and the reviews were not unfounded. Sir Rowan's story begins with him as a stable boy with quite a knack for swords. He is discovered and trained by one of the Prince's knights and quickly becomes a top tournament knight. However, his pride in his achievements becomes his downfall, and after a brush with death, he realizes how far he has come from the Prince's desires. The rest of the book chronicles his path to achieving the goal that the Prince truly has for his life. I don't want to give away anything in the story. This book is an excellent read; I was gripped by the story. It is quite an adventure! Mr. Black is an excellent storyteller, and he weaves truths from the Scripture seamlessly into the unfolding drama. The books are marked as being for a Teen/Young Adult audience. I do agree with that, although I think that children in their preteens would enjoy it as well - as long as they aren't too sensitive. (The flesh-eating caterpillars might disturb very young audiences!) :) I loved the discussion questions in the back. They (and the answers following) really helped clear up any confusion I had in what different characters/items in the book represented. I think it would be an excellent book to read and discuss as a family - perhaps even in family devotional time. (This book was provided through the Blogging for Books program - all opinions are my own.)
An Allegorical Masterpiece!
Sir Rowan And The Camerian Conquest by Chuck Black Recommendation: Highly Recommended Author Chuck Black once again delivers an allegorical masterpiece! In Sir Rowan and the Camerian Conquest we live the tale of a young knight's rise to prestige, power and wealth and his subsequent downfall as pride overtakes him. Through the difficult lessons he must learn and the consequences he must face, he surrenders his life the King and to His Son, the Prince. In what the author calls "one very loose interpretation" of the end times, Sir Rowan and his brother, Sir Lijah, are the two witnesses spoken of in Revelation 11. They speak boldly for the King and in the end receive their reward. Positives: The story is filled with Biblical allegory on every page it seems. The storyline is imaginative and captivating. There are also discussion questions (and answers) for each chapter at the end of the book. These are great for helping your child unlock the allegories and see the Scriptural truths for themselves. I also appreciated the author's commentary at the end which unfolded his purposes for writing the book. Negatives: None Talking Points: The discussion questions offer many Scripture references as they help you understand much of the allegory in the story. The passage that kept coming to my mind was I John 2:15-17. As Sir Rowan sought the applause of men, ask your children, what in this world do they love? What captures their heart, what do they spend their time doing? Where has pride crept into their hearts? Proverbs 6:16-19 speaks of God's hatred of pride. God desires a humble servants heart as spoken of in passages like Psalm 51:17 and Is. 66:1-2. Age Level: 10 years old and up I received this book for free fromWaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
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