Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart (The Knights of Arrethtrae) [Paperback]

Chuck Black (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Knights of Arrethtrae | Publication Date: May 5, 2009

Sir Dalton, a knight in training, seems to have everything going for him. Young, well-liked, and a natural leader, he has earned the respect and admiration of his fellow knights, and especially the beautiful Lady Brynn.

But something is amiss at the training camp. Their new trainer is popular but lacks the passion to inspire them to true service to the King and the Prince. Besides this, the knights are too busy enjoying a season of good times to be concerned with a disturbing report that many of their fellow Knights have mysteriously vanished.

When Sir Dalton is sent on a mission, he encounters strange attacks, especially when he is alone. As his commitment wanes, the attacks grow in intensity until he is captured by Lord Drox, a massive Shadow Warrior. Bruised and beaten, Dalton refuses to submit to evil and initiates a daring escape with only one of two outcomes–life or death. But what will become of the hundreds of knights he’ll leave behind? In a kingdom of peril, Dalton thinks he is on his own, but two faithful friends have not abandoned him, and neither has a strange old hermit who seems to know much about the Prince. But can Dalton face the evil Shadow Warrior again and survive?

Editorial Reviews

Review

“With sanctified imagination, Chuck Black transports readers back to the days of chivalry and valor, clashing steel, and noble conflict–but ultimately he transports readers to the eternal triumph of the King who reigns!”
– Douglas Bond, author of HOLD FAST In a Broken World, and Guns of the Lion

“Chuck Black is a word crafter who is able to weave Kingdom principles into the fabric of one’s moral imagination. The characters he has created and the passions they exude, will motivate readers to follow their examples, which have now been etched into their awakened conscience.”
– Mark Hamby, Founder and President of Cornerstone Family Ministries and Lamplighter Publishing

“Chuck Black is the John Bunyan for our times! Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione is a reminder of the origins of the spiritual warfare we are to fight daily.”
–Iaci Flanders, inductive Bible study teacher and homeschool mom

“Not since C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia have any fictional books boosted my faith so much. They make me cry with joy for what the King and the Prince do. They let me see our world through new eyes. I can’t wait to read the Knights of Arrethtrae series and experience more. The King reigns–and His Son!”
–Sophia, an avid reader

“I was so caught up in the books I would not do anything but read them. They were amazing…full of action, a little romance, and most of all, a love for the King and His Son. They made me feel as though I was truly traveling with the main character on his noble quest to spread the word of the King and His Son and standing in the middle of the Great Kingdom Across the Sea. I plan on reading the books over and over again. I loved the series so much!”
–Ethan, an avid reader

About the Author

Chuck Black traveled with the Air Force as a communications engineer and F-16 fighter pilot before beginning a career as a product design engineer. Chuck and his wife, Andrea, homeschool their six children and have a family music ministry that travels regionally. He is the author of nine novels, has been published in The Old Schoolhouse e-zine, and has received praise from parents across the country for his unique approach to telling stories with biblical truths. Chuck and his family live in Williston, North Dakota.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books; 1 edition (May 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601421265
• ISBN-13: 978-1601421265
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.4 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #343,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Arthurian
  • #53 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Fiction > Medieval

More About the Author

Chuck Black is the author of nine novels including the popular Kingdom Series and The Knights of Arrethtrae series. He spent eight years in the Air Force traveling the world as a communications engineer and an F-16 fighter pilot. Today, Chuck is a product design engineer and has invented or coinvented eleven patented construction products now being sold internationally. His passion in life is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and to love his wife, Andrea, and their six children. The Blacks take their family music ministry on the road, singing Christian gospel, contemporary, and traditional songs. Chuck and his family live in North Dakota.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars engaging parable, May 23, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart (The Knights of Arrethtrae) (Paperback)

In the Kingdom across the sea, Lucius and one third of the warriors loyal to him rebelled and were tossed out of their homes. These beings are Shadow Warriors, who tempt mortals away from the Prince and King. Lucius and his minion travel to Arrethtree to gain loyal followers while the Knights of Arrethtree counter by spreading the Word of the King and Prince.

Sir Dalton is a knight of Arrethtree in training, but lacks the heart and passion of his peers. When the Shadow Warrior Sir Prox captures Sir Dalton, he locks him away in a prison no one escapes from. He plans to break Sir Dalton into disavowing the Word, the Prince and the King and when he succeeds he will have another loyal member added to his shadowy minion. Sir Dalton does the impossible as he breaks out. He meets Master Sejus who explains to him about the Code, the King and the Prince until the young knight in training feels the passion in his heart and becomes one of their most loyal supporters. He knows he must challenge Sir Prox in order to liberate the prisoners as he now believes hecan win with the Prince in his soul.

This allegory of good vs. evil is a strong tale that young adult readers and many of us older in the audience will appreciate and understand the symbolic religious significance. Sir Dalton is a doubting Thomas until his escape from the demonic shadow warrior and encounter with a true believer. He finally accepts on faith the Word and is willing to test his belief in battle. Though somewhat similar in tone to the sagas of Sir Bentley and Sir Holbrook, fans will enjoy this engaging parable.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Story..., May 11, 2010

By 

MCGOODIE (Mesquite, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart (The Knights of Arrethtrae) (Audio CD)

Since I'm a big fan of all the Chuck Black - Kingdom Series and the Knights of Arrethtrea Series; I found this one to be quite enjoyable as well. It has a good amount
of internal conflict for the main character and serves as a great bridge for the next
one in the series... "Lady Carliss"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Stunning, But Good Allegory, September 27, 2009

By 

Rael (West Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart (The Knights of Arrethtrae) (Paperback)

Four or five years ago, I borrowed and read the first three books of Chuck Black's Kingdom series. While the writing was not great, the storytelling swept me away, and the pictures of Biblical truths had me eagerly rereading Scripture to savor the source of the echoes. Each book ended with the piano music to a haunting (but not too difficult) song, which I simply loved.

Chuck Black has been off my radar for a few years, but recently I discovered he's still writing books set in the world of Arrethtrae, and I suddenly found the third of his second series in my hands. I usually refuse to start in the middle of a series, but I couldn't find copies of the first two in time and had to just jump in. And in The Knights of Arrethtrae series, each book focuses on different characters, making them more episodic than epic. There's an epic level, of course, but it's explained in the first few pages.

Sir Dalton's story was a decent kids' adventure, an allegory full of medieval motifs like swords and knights and battle. The main character learned some important things about being a Knight of the King, and there were some great pictures of spiritual principles about doubt, faith, friendship, and freedom.

Most of the time I felt it was a bit too heavy-handed on the allegory to get let readers fully immerse themselves in the story, but when I did get lost in it, it was wonderful. While allegory is not my favorite form of story, I don't think it's evil. Sometimes formulas and direct correlations are helpful, sometimes they are just dry and distracting.

For a fairly short, kid-friendly book, Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart was a thoughtful look at doubt in the life of Christians and how to combat it by knowing Christ and His Word well. For timeless, better-written (but more challenging) allegory, find Pilgrim's Regress or The Faerie Queene.