Rise of the Dibor (The White Lion Chronicles) [Kindle Edition]

Christopher Hopper (Author), Sue Kenney (Editor), Allan Miller (Illustrator), Christopher Miller (Illustrator), Hillary Hopper (Illustrator), Jason Clement (Illustrator), Jennifer Hopper (Photographer)

Book Description

Read the story that turned children into warriors, and warriors into legends.

The Dairne-Reih haven’t been seen in Dionia for generations—their kind and their king, Morgui, banished long ago from haunting paradise. But when creation shows signs of deterioration, the kings of the seven realms converge in the sacred Gvindollion gathering to arrive at one inexplicable conclusion: Morgui has returned.

In the hopes of entrusting Dionia’s brave history and perilous future to a generation that has never known war, the kings decide to raise up their young sons as an elite group of warriors, known only as the Dibor.

Gorn, legendary hero of the First Battle, is commissioned to teach the Dibor the art of war, leading them on a four-year adventure on the Isle of Kirstell. It is Luik, son of Lair, who soon emerges as the warband’s spirited front man. But he is not the only one of his peers to grow in power; his dear friend Fane discovers hidden abilities among the Mosfar under the mentorship of Li-Saide of Ot, while Princess Anorra finds that her lifelong tutor knows as much about combat as he does about etiquette.

There is little time for the Dibor to enjoy the satisfaction of graduation, however, as a sinister plot is discovered to dethrone Dionia’s kings and flatten the capital city of Adriel. The Dibor are summoned to war, along with the rest of Dionia’s fighting men. It is before the gates of Adriel Palace that Luik and his army face Morgui's prince, Valdenil, as well as the unending ranks of the Dairne-Reih.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Graham Taylor; Author of NYT Best Sellers: "Shadowmancer" and "Wormwood"
Scott Ross; Television Host for CBN's The 700 Club and Author of "Scott Free"
Paul Walker; The Book of Hope International, Director of Affect Destiny Teams
Rev. Kirk Gilchrist; Senior Pastor, New Life Christian Church and Author of "A Portrait of Heaven's Love" and "I Plead For Your Children"
Rev. Harold Chamberlain; International Evangelist; The Dream Center, Phoenix, Arizone; New Day Ministries; and Co-Host for TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network)

About the Author

Christopher Hopper is a true modern-day renaissance man. A published author and co-author of numerous novels, he is also a recording artist, pastor, visual designer, and restaurateur. His prolific writings in both book and blog form have captured the imaginations of loyal readers around the world. He is a founding member of Spearhead Books, and lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their four children in the 1,000 Islands Region of northern New York. Find out more at www.christopherhopper.com facebook.com/christopherhopper and follow him on Twitter: @find_ch www.spearheadbooks.com

Product Details

• File Size: 719 KB
• Print Length: 472 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Spearhead Books (February 23, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007D44TB2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #206,991 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Shadowing CS Lewis August 6, 2006

By Yellow30SciFiReview

Format:Paperback

Christian fantasy and science fiction is starting to make a niche for itself. Powerful bestsellers are rising fast since the Left Behind Series made its appearance. With the movie version of C.S. Lewis' immortal The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, more Christian based books are beginning to surface.

Add into the mix a small publishing house and a bright new author by the name of Christopher Hopper you get the feel more Christian allegory is on the way.

The premise of Hopper's first book, The Rise of the Dibor, ask a simple, yet thought provoking question, "What if Adam and Eve had never sinned? What if mankind knew no wrong? Would we still have an enemy?" Hopper answers that question with an emphatic yes!

There is an ancient evil out there bent on destroying all that is good. It will stop at nothing to see that paradise is turned into sinful chaos. As in all good and evil storylines, good has a champion, or in this case champions. Luik, son of Lair, along with his friends are given a commission by the King of Dionia to stop this evil. With the guidance of a skilled master warrior, Luik and his friends are molded into strong and well versed fighting men. Dark days are approaching and many have to rally to save their world.

Rise of the Dibor is a hard book to get into. Though the Dionian language may prove difficult (the use of footnotes helped) it has some flavor of Tolkienese.

One wonders what happened to the editors on this first edition? Did this get passed over on a lunch break or something? One may expect some editorial mishaps from a small press, but this was very poorly edited. Reliance on the spell-checker is not good enough. The human touch and eye were needed on this.... Most of the errors were homophones, the meaning could be deduced by the context, but one would hope that these mistakes will be corrected in later editions. The book layout is very nice and effective. However, a more dramatic cover might have been implored to lure readers to buy.

The writing seemed very weak at the beginning. However, by the middle of the story, it had improved enough to carry the remaining of the book. Several of the characters introduced in the beginning simply fail to show by the end of the book. Anorra is one such character that had a hopeful beginning and became a phantom by the final page. Despite all this, Christopher Hopper weaves a story filled with grand characters and stunning scenes with threads dealing with spiritual warfare, discipleship, and the inevitable need for a savior, all standard elements in popular Christian fiction.

Beyond the weak beginning, this is a good tale and Christopher Hopper has created a world filled with believable and likable characters. Hopefully the next book in the series will be better edited and have a much stronger beginning. Read more ›

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book July 2, 2006

By Armchair Interviews

Format:Paperback

"What if Adam and Eve had never sinned? What if mankind knew no wrong? Would we still have an enemy?"

With this premise firmly in hand, Christopher Hopper spins a yarn guaranteed to captivate the armchair adventurer.

Luik, son of Lair, and his band of friends and acquaintances must grow strong, wise, and cunning in order to deal with an ancient evil that threatens destruction and ruin of epic proportions. Along the way friendships are strengthened, alliances are forged, and love blossoms.

Rise of the Dibor, book one in The White Lion Chronicles, was difficult to get into. There is a definite learning curve as one is introduced to the language of Dionia, but the accompanying footnotes smoothed the way.

This first edition was poorly edited, with what appears to have been too much reliance on the spell-checker. But as most of the errors were homophones, the meaning could be deduced by the context.

By the middle of the story, I was thoroughly engrossed. And while the story can be read by adventure lovers of about ten-years-old and up, as an epic adventure, Christopher Hopper takes mature readers to a deeper level, handling such subjects as the origin of evil, spiritual warfare, discipleship, and the inevitable need for a savior, with a clarity that springs from familiarity with his subject.

An added bonus for the computer savvy reader is a dedicated website complete with story background, story trailer (QuickTime is required) and author's biography.

Although initially skeptical (another reviewer compared Rise of the Dibor with both King Arthur and The Lord of the Rings), Christopher Hopper has won me over with a saga that is both more fantastic and more believable than either Middle Earth or Camelot....

Armchair Interviews says: Look forward to this and the next book in this series. Read more ›

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Matured and lengthened. November 7, 2011

By Noah Arsenault

Format:Paperback

After having read the original edition, which could have been improved in several ways, this new edition is fantastic! Hopper's writing has matured; the plot has thickened, as it were, and the series is all the better for it. Featuring new cover art, a personal note from the author about the publishing ordeal, and more, this isn't a book you ought to miss. If you own the first edition, or even if you don't, this one is definitely worth buying.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Fairly Interesting February 3, 2010

By Brennan Gash

Format:Paperback

This is a unique book that took a while to draw me in but had an epic ending.

Hopper seemed to have much potential for a good style. There were frequent well-constructed phrases and clever metaphors, but the story was bogged down with many, many typographical errors and frequent confusing sentences.

Plot-wise, there were pros and cons. As I stated before, it took me a long time to get drawn into the book; it was nearly the end before I was truly enjoying it. In many ways the plot or characters were annoyingly predictable, but there were a few unique, dramatic moments, moods, and ideas. The ending was unexpected, clever, and emotional. I didn't care much for this book but shall still read the sequel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Epic Fantasy I've Read September 23, 2008

By Cson

Format:Paperback

In a completely sin-free and innocent world, Luik is a happy kid with a great family and friends. He's the star rokla player, and his dad is one the seven kings. What more could you want?

But, of course, that doesn't last.

Evil comes to his perfect world. And soon he's off to Kirstell to be one of the 18 elite warriors called the Dibor. Trained physically, mentally and spiritually to the extreme, they're basically Dionia's version of the Navy Seals.

To put it simply, you won't want to put it down. It's fast-paced, incredibly deep and the writing is amazing for a first time author.

But be careful. The cliffhanger ending is the best of any epic fantasy I've read. You'll want the next book, The Lion Vrie, right away.

More About the Author

Christopher Hopper is a true modern-day renaissance man. A published author and co-author of numerous novels, he is also a recording artist, pastor, visual designer, and restaurateur. His prolific writings in both book and blog form have captured the imaginations of loyal readers around the world. He is a founding member of Spearhead Books, and lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their four children in the 1000 Islands Region of northern New York.