Karen Hancock Reviews

Added November 12, 2004

Legend of the Guardian King Book 1: The Light of Eidon

Author: Karen Hancock
Publisher: Bethany House
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: July 2003
Genre: Fiction: Christian/Fantasy
Format: Trade Paperback
Price: $12.99
ISBN: 0-7642-2794-7
Reviewer: Phillip Tomasso III

Back in 2002 I read Arena, by Karen Hancock. This was about one year before I became a Christian. The book did more than hold my interest. It made me think. So I was excited to learn that Hancock planned to continue writing.

The Light of Eidon is the first in the fantasy based, Legend of the Guardian King series. In it Prince Abramm Kalladorne makes a tough decision at a young age. Though he has older brothers, he renounces any right to the throne and takes of, instead, to join a powerful religious order.

Returning home to take his vows, Abramm finds everything around him in chaos-the kingdom appears on the verge of a revolution. Kidnapped by his brother and members of his holy order, Abramm is forced into slavery. Trained to fight, the young holy man becomes an unstoppable gladiator. Soon, he is infamous for his strength and skill.

Abramm struggles with his faith, and his place in the greater plan by an all-powerful spiritual being (clearly Christianity and God). Like his home kingdom battling good v. evil, Abramm must decide to choose a side inside himself and pray he emerges victoriously.

Great beasts, fight scenes and suspense. Though different from Arena, some of the same aspects make it an engrossing read. Hancock knows how to create a host of characters so that they seem as real as people. She knows how to create and manage tension and suspense so that it continually builds, so that a reader is almost forced to keep turning pages. And lastly she knows how to write in a way that makes readers care about what happens next ... Unfortunately, there is no real conclusion to this book...and I care about what happens next. So, please look for my soon-to-come review of the second in the series, The Shadow Within.

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