Friday Fiction Fix: "The Book of the King"

I'm finally back! Here's a book review to get things started again. Thanks for your patience over the past few weeks.  

The Short:

The Book of the King

The Wormling Series, Book 1

By: Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry

5/5 Stars

What: A young man discovers a hidden realm through the words of a book.

Recommended to those who like: Christian, Allegory, Fantasy, Middle-grade

The Long:

It’s been quite a while since I read this series for the first time, but I’m finding that I still enjoy it, even though I’m much older than I was when I first read it.

Owen Reeder is a rather unremarkable young man. The only child of a widowed bookstore owner, he finds most of his solace in books and imaginary realms. But when his father reveals a terrible secret and a mysterious man shows up carrying a fascinating, magical book, he finds that the world is much bigger than he ever could have imagined.

The voice used to tell this story is unique and has a very narrator-like tone to it. It lends the story a sort of fairy-tale quality that it might otherwise lack.

The Christian message is strong (it is an allegory, after all), but doesn’t overwhelm the story or become too preachy.

This story can likely be enjoyed by anyone, but it is geared more toward middle grade readers and can be classified as a coming-of-age story.

The Bottom Line: A solid allegory told in a unique voice, this fantasy novel can be enjoyed by young and old alike.