The Secret of the Swamp King (Wilderking Trilogy) [Hardcover]

Jonathan Rogers (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Wilderking Trilogy

As book two opens, Aidan is living in the court of King Darrow. He has become best friends with Darrow's son Steren, and he enjoys great favor among the courtiers. But King Darrow's suspicion is growing and his insecurity causes him to hate the young man who saved his kingdom. Concerned about his king's spiral into ever-darker moods, Aidan asks what he can do to help. Darrow sends him on an imposible adventure to the recesses of Feechiefen Swamp, thinking he is sending Aidan to his death. Afterall, no Corenwalder has ever returned from Feechiefen alive. But Aidan's fate is not sealed yet for Aidan has allies among the feechiefolk who know him as the hero Pantherbane.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–In this fantasy based very loosely on the biblical story of King David, teenaged Aidan has become the triumphant, giant-slaying hero of the court of King Darrow of Corenwald. He is also the best friend of the king's son, Prince Steren. The lords of the court praise Aidan–a little too much–in the king's presence. Darrow, increasingly paranoid and depressed, sends Aidan on an impossible quest to retrieve the mysterious frog orchid, whose essence is the cure for melancholia. He must travel to the depths of the Feechiefen Swamp–a journey from which no Corenwalder has ever returned. He is hopeful that his friendship with the secretive, elflike feechiefolk will aid in the search, but his optimism is shattered when a tribe of renegade feechies, led by the mysterious Wilderking, takes him prisoner and threatens to kill him. This sequel to The Bark of the Bog Owl (Broadman & Holman, 2004) is obviously a Christian fantasy, with talk of the power of One God, but the religious message is subtle. With its fast-moving story and humorous and passionate dialogue, it is an engaging read for young fantasy fans.–Walter Minkel, New York Public Library
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About the Author

Jonathan Rogers holds a Ph.D. in seventeenth-century British literature from Vanderbilt University where he also taught English for five years. He lives with his wife and their six children in Nashville, Tennessee.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: B&H Fiction (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805431322
• ISBN-13: 978-0805431322
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars he done it agin!, July 6, 2005

By 

Sally Apokedak (Marietta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Secret of the Swamp King (Wilderking Trilogy) (Hardcover)

Once again Jonathan Rogers has given us a lively romp--a "please-one-more-chapter-even-though-it's-two-o'clock-in-the-morning" romp. My husband even had to turn off the TV and come listen to the story when he heard the feechiefolk talking. We all love those he-feechies, she-feechies, and wee-feechies. (They can't help it that they stink. You'd stink, too, if'n you lived in a swamp.)

I can't agree with those who have posted ahead of me, saying the second book is better than the first. The joy of our first meeting with good and loyal Aidan and the . . . um . . . surprising and endearing Dobro would be pretty hard to top. The second book is surely no let down, though. It is simply the continuing story of two kids we came to adore in the last book. They are still as loveable as ever. Still loyal and good and true. Still getting into and out of scrapes in hilarious ways, and all the while reminding us, by how they live, that God is merciful and serving him is a reward unto itself.

This book had the same laugh-out-loud moments as the first but this one, I think, had more sad moments than The Bark of the Bog Owl. Aidan is growing up and facing the world as it is and not as he hoped it would be. It is heartbreaking at times and yet there is beauty in Aidan's strength and in his resolve to do the right thing . . . for the feechies, for his father, and for his king. He is truly a hero.

Masterful work, Mr. Rogers, hurry with the next one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Please, sir ... We Want MORE!!!, February 21, 2006

By 

Warren Kelly (Southern Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Secret of the Swamp King (Wilderking Trilogy) (Hardcover)

Book two of the Wilderking Trilogy opens with Aiden Errolson serving in the court of King Darrow of Corenwald. Actually, it opens with Aiden and Darrow's son Steren hunting a wild boar, but Aiden is, in fact, at court. Aiden is loved by everyone at court -- everyone except Darrow.

Darrow is tired of hearing about how heroic Aiden is. About how he defeated the giant Golia -- I mean Greidawl, and helped drive the Pyrthan invaders out of Corenwald. He's threatened -- he thinks Aiden is after the throne.

So he sends Aiden on a quest, to prove his loyalty. Aiden is sent to retrieve a legendary flower that is said to have the ability to cure the King's depression. But the flower is located in the heart of the Feechiefen Swamp -- and nobody who has ever entered the swamp has come out again.

Aiden isn't worried -- he has the friendship of the feechies, and the mark to prove it. But as he progresses, he grows more and more worried. There's something wrong in the Feechiefen Swamp -- there are feechies who pay no attention to the feechie laws, and who use metal weapons. And there's a new king in the swamps.

The Wilderking.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first one. For one thing, it's less derivative than the first book, even though the close friendship between Aiden and Steren was predictable, as was Darrow's depression and hatred of Aiden. But the focus of this book is on the feechies -- which should please Rogers' fans.

The feechies really make this series. Their simplicity, their sense of honor, and their commitment to their values illustrate everything that is wrong with civilizer society. And they're really funny to read -- especially out loud.

This series is high on my must-read list. I've got to make sure I get a copy of Book 3 (Amazon says it should be out in May of this year) so I can find out how this ends.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!!!, May 19, 2005

By 

Eowyn of Rohan (Lee's Summit, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Secret of the Swamp King (Wilderking Trilogy) (Hardcover)

"The Secret of the Swamp King," Jonathan Rogers' second installment in his Wilderking Trilogy, is definitely a landmark in Christian children's fiction. Captivating, easy to read, and written in a style that is neither choppy nor lame, this book is a must read for the young fantasy reader...and anyone who wants an exciting read.

While the story follows the basic life of the biblical character David, the world and many of the characters are, without a doubt, Rogers' own. Corenwald is bound to sound like home to the native Georgian and pour memories into the minds of those of us who've visited that beautiful state--whispers of the author's native state flood the story, making Corenwald wild yet not forbidding, unknown yet familiar, and undoubtedly American. Rogers has spun a beautiful tapestry of many colorful threads.

While the first book in this series, "The Bark of the Bog Owl," was also a good read, this was even better. Fans of the first book will be more than satisfied--they'll be delighted!