Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court by Chuck Black
When I first picked up Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court, the second book in the series, I was afraid I might be lost not having read the first. That wasn’t the case. The book had a couple of pages of introduction to the Knights of Arrethtrae, which became very clear that the first book was a retelling of Christ with knights and kings as the background.
Knowing that it was an analogy of sorts, it was easy to understand who they were talking about, and having read other such books, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this one as much, but I did! Soon the analogy got lost in the story and it turned out to be a very fast, worthwhile read. My 14 year old is reading the first book in the series and I’ll have to swipe it after him, but I can see an advanced 8 year old reader enjoying this tale which will appeal to boys with all the sword fights and knights.
The story begins as Sir Bentley struggles with finding the truth about the Prince, son of the King, whom the Noble Knights have killed. But he soon realizes that the Strangers (followers of the Prince) are no enemy and in his quest to find the truth about the Prince, leaves home, never to return. Throwing off his knightly clothes, he becomes a peasant and servant to the Prince. Living among the peasants he feels their suffering and along with the Mercy Maiden, he wants to bring relief to the suffering. But he’s up against a greedy Lord Kingsley and the Ashen Knight who tries to kill the Mercy Maiden. Sir Bentley stays on the course, doing the bidding of the Prince as he shares tales of the Prince who is no longer dead, but is alive.
Chuck Black is the father of six children, all homeschooled through high school. His passion is to equip young Christians to serve the Lord. He wants kids to know that avoiding sin during their youth is critical. “What may seem harmless to a young person,” he says, “actually can create a stronghold for sin that lasts long into adult life.” Sir Bentley is the second book in Chuck’s Knights of Arrethtrae series. Each installment portrays a virtue and a vice. Readers of Sir Bentley will be encouraged to embrace the virtues of compassion and courage and warned against the vice of greed. Knight duals, a hideous beast to be slain, and a mysterious maiden of mercy will keep parents and kids alike begging for one more chapter.
