Tag: chivalry

Book Briefs: “The Heretic” by Henry Vyner-Brooks

~ Bob Hayton

The Heretic by Henry Vyner-BrooksThe year is 1536 and Henry the VII has just proclaimed himself head of the Church of England. The centuries-old way of life is changing with the arrival of new ideas and the winds of Reformation. Monks, nuns and their houses are in jeopardy, bishops must swear allegiance to the king’s authority over the church, but things are even harder for Anabaptists who eschew both Rome and Canterbury.

This is the setting of a fast-paced, engrossing tale spun by Henry Vyner-Brooks. The Heretic follows the interwoven tales of an odd cast of misfit-heroes. An Anabaptist’s orphan children, a leper, an eel-catcher and a prostitute — oh, and the monk whose past name is known throughout the land — these characters are richly developed as they weave in and out of a plot that includes stolen relics, ghastly murders, and enough chivalry and romance to picque the interest of a wide range of readers.

The book’s Christian message lurks beneath the surface for most of the story. The struggle of faith and doubt, and the dangers of reading a heretic Bible are presented in a realistic manner that doesn’t come off as wooden or forced. As a Protestant who has a positive view of the Reformation, the story’s stress on the negative impact of closing the monasteries and ignoring the poor, as well as the political undercurrents behind such changes all conspired to complicate the clean history we prefer to remember. In this and other ways the tale is a challenge to all of us to come to grips with our faith and be willing to stand for what we believe.

One irksome blunder is the mention of Calvinism and Geneva. Calvin only came to Geneva in 1536, when this story commences. And while he may have been known, he certainly hadn’t earned his reputation to the degree the book assumes.

At times, the story includes implausible elements, but on the whole, the story is rewarding and keeps you guessing. The end result is a medieval tale of suspense, mystery and a hint of romance that will make for pleasant and enriching reading. I highly recommend it.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, ChristianBook.com, or direct from Kregel (Lion’s distributer in the US).

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Lion Fiction through Kregel Pulbications. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.

“The Gift: A Novel (Chiveis Trilogy, book 2)” by Bryan M. Litfin

~ Bob Hayton

Step forward several hundred years into a post-nuclear apocalypse future. Earth has lost most of her technology and a new feudal age is in full swing. In this world, the Christiani are hunted down and nearly exterminated, and even the very message of the New Testament has been lost and nearly forgotten.

This is the story that Bryan M. Litfin crafts for us in his “Chiveis Trilogy”. The Gift: A Novel, the second book in the series, follows Captain Teofil and Anastasia as they journey through new lands in search of the lost New Testament. Along the way, their adventures are many as they narrowly escape imprisonment, torture and death at every turn. The physical dangers aren’t the only obstacles in their quest, they battle temptation to fit in to the spirit of the world they inhabit, too.

The book comes off feeling a bit like a fantasy work, yet there are no fantastic characters. It’s actually more similar to a tale from a long lost medieval age, with the twist of people trying to search out the true meaning of Christianity. The character development is excellent even if the plot at times seems too good to be true. The quest to find the true nature of Christianity and to uncover the lost New Testament makes for a great story line, however. And the book moves along at a quick pace.

Without having read the first book, I was still able to enter the story easily: enough of the backstory was retold that I didn’t feel lost. This book also comes with 15 study questions in the back which would allow it to serve as a class assignment for a study of literature, or equally well as a discussion guide for talking over the story and the moral dilemmas which faced its characters with your teen-age children.

This story was both unique and well-written. And what is vital for a fictional tale, it was ultimately satisfying. Yet the book offered even more, it was a work about our Christian faith and the struggle to live it out faithfully in whatever age we find ourselves in. I recommend the book highly. It would make for great summer reading. I’ll be keeping my eye out for the conclusion of Litfin’s Chiveis Trilogy, too.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Crossway Books for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

You can pick up a copy of this book from any of these fine retailers: Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, or direct from Crossway Books.