The Short:
The Sword
(Book 1 of the Chiveis
Trilogy)
By: Bryan M. Liftin
5/5 Stars
What: After the world has been virtually destroyed,
Christianity has disappeared—until a Bible is found.
Recommended to those who like: Fantasy, sword fights,
post-apocalyptic, unique world-building, Christian
Not recommended for those who dislike: Moderate to strong love element,
some darker themes
The Long:
Miraculously, I actually found a book in a brick and mortar
store this time. I was pleasantly surprised by The Sword. It had good action, a believable love element that
didn’t consume the story, and a very unique world.
The known world was destroyed by a combination of acts of
terrorism and disease. Now, it has reverted to a system of government and
technology that resembles the medieval period—nobility, feudal kingdoms,
swords, archery, etc. Outside of these kingdoms, in the Beyond, the remnants of
twenty-first century civilization can be seen.
Throughout the story, we follow Captain Teofil, a soldier
who teaches when he’s not patrolling the borders of the kingdom of Chiveis; and
Anastasia, a young peasant woman who has become weary of the gods of her
kingdom.
When they are stranded together in the wilderness, they
discover a mysterious book. Will they be able to bring the Good News to
Chiveis, or will the High Priestess stop them?
Note to readers: the book does deal with the nature of
sexual temptation, though it is handled tactfully and in a Christian manner.
Witchcraft/ demon worship is also mentioned as an aspect of worship of the gods
of Chiveis. Again, this is handled well and actually adds depth to the story.
These elements do make the book better suited to mature young adults and adults
rather than younger audiences.
The book captured my attention from page one. While there is
a love element to the story, it’s reasonable and doesn’t wipe out the action or
other parts of the world building. The characters were flawed, but heroic,
loveable and relatable. I look forward to getting the next book soon.
If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts
below. Please remember to be respectful of Mr. Liftin and his work, as well as
other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see
included in the reviews. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude
remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!
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Feel free to share your thoughts below. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!