Customer Reviews

The Shadow Within (Legends of the Guardian-King, Book 2)

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3 star:		(1)
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This is only Karen Hancock's third published novel, but she's already my favorite writer of both Christian fiction and fantasy; a few more books as incredible as The Shadow Within, and she may just become my favorite writer period. I don't really want you to think of this book as Christian fiction, though; certainly, the foundation of the story is built upon Christian allegory, but you don't have to be a Christian in order to enjoy this rich, action-packed, emotionally poignant story. This is fantasy at its best, with extraordinarily compelling characters populating a vibrant, amazingly realistic environment - and Hancock is a remarkably talented storyteller.

In The Light of Eidon, the first book in the Legends of the Guardian-King series, readers were transported to a mediaeval fantasy world marked by religious and political conflict. There we met Abramm Kalladorne, the fifth son of the king of Kiriath, a seemingly weak branch on a noble family tree of warrior kings. To the shame of his family, he had pursued a life of service to the god Eidon; then, just as he was set to rise from novitiate to full member of the Mataion order, his whole world came completely unraveled. He discovered that his spiritual mentor of eight years was using him as a means to secure power for himself, and then his own brother sold him into slavery among barbarians in the southern kingdom of Esurh. The weak and passive young man developed into a gladiator of great renown, saved a kingdom by defeating a great source of evil in the land, and eventually found a new purpose in life by accepting the "heretical" Terstan faith.

In this, book two of the series, Abramm returns to Kiriath to claim the throne that should, by all rights, be his. The action starts out hot and heavy, with Abramm attempting to kill the kraggin, a gigantic sea monster terrorizing the bay outside the capital. This helps him win over a number of men to his side, and he does the improbable by successfully displacing his inferior older brother on the throne. Having become king, Abramm now faces an even bigger challenge - holding on to the throne. His brother Gillard is determined to seize power back into his own hands; many important lords are suspicious of Abramm's motives, fearing he will allow the Mataio to begin a purge of heretics and nonbelievers in the land; hired assassins lie in wait to end his reign quickly; and his old enemy among the holy Guardians of the Red Flame vows to destroy the new king by whatever means necessary. Abramm's greatest struggle is with himself, however. He wants nothing more than to reveal the golden shield upon his chest that marks him as a Terstan, but he has to hide his religious beliefs for fear that he would be branded a heretic and stripped of everything he holds dear. As one crisis after another arises, he struggles to understand Eidon's plans for him, seeking his god's guidance in doing the right thing for his friends and subjects. His faith in Eidon is put to the ultimate test, pitting him against his own brother as well as a supernatural creature made for the sole purpose of destroying him, and this makes for a shockingly impressive ending.

Hancock's skills at characterization are virtually unsurpassed. Abramm himself is a man of profound depth and feeling. Even as he struggles to put all of his trust in Eidon, though, his sister Carissa, who spent two years trying to rescue him from slavery and then turned her back on him when he accepted the Terstan faith, finds herself compelled to come to terms with the Shadow of religious doubt that has alienated her from her family, her friends, and her God. Her journey toward truth offers a great counter-point to Abramm's struggle to give himself over completely to Eidon's strength and protection. Even minor characters come completely to life in Hancock's able hands. The uncle whom Abramm must somehow win over to his cause serves to focus the power of the increasingly suspenseful action, but it is Lady Madeleine, the second daughter of a neighboring king, that increasingly steals the show. Plain of face, bold, and intrusive, she drives Abramm crazy at times, even as she is completely captivating the reader. She makes for an exhilarating addition to this fantastically rich fantasy world of Hancock's creation.

I fear I have hardly done this novel justice with this review. If you care anything at all about fantasy, you really must experience Karen Hancock for yourself. Don't let the Christian fiction tag scare you away, as Hancock blows apart every misconception there is about the genre. The Legends of the Guardian-King series proves that sword and sorcery with no shortage of violent action can indeed work as a vehicle of Christian allegory. Some have compared Hancock to Tolkien and C.S. Lewis; I'm not sure I would make such a comparison, as her writing is unique, but the Christian story is definitely in these pages and capable of inspiring and warming the hearts of those readers who want to embrace it.

THE SHADOW WITHIN
By Karen Hancock

Karen Hancock has become one of my favorite authors. I knew I'd found a treasure when I read her debut novel THE ARENA. Then I was trilled to find she had begun a series called LEGENDS OF THE GUARDIAN KING.

This medieval epic is both excitingly new with its introduction of an unfamiliar world and all its unique characters and, at the same time, warmly familiar with its Arthurian similarities.

The pictures she creates, with her marvelous writing skill, almost make me feel like I am sitting back watching a movie, unaware that I am turning the pages. My surroundings fade and I am immersed in the scenery laid out before me.

The story is about Abramm Kalladorne as he returns to his home, Kiriathan, after 4 years of banishment. Most thought him long dead. They are very surprised at the transformation he has undergone as he makes his rightful claim for the throne. Many oppose him, especially his younger brother, Gillard, who assumed he would become King in Abramm's absence.

Abramm finds he must continually prove himself worthy of the crown and knows he is in constant peril from Gillard and those who are loyal to him. He must also beware of the Mataian's plans to use him as they had been preparing to do before he escaped being possessed by their demon god years ago.

His greatest battle comes from within. He must keep his faith in Eidon and trust that Eidon will accomplish His will through Abramm as long as Abramm doesn't give in to the dark side of his nature. The Shadow within is easily manipulated by the power of the Mataian god when it is allowed to direct his thinking and never ceases its attempt to control his will.

The author clearly demonstrates the supernatural battle between good and evil, the deceptiveness of prejudices that prevent us from seeing the truth, and the distortions of that truth that fool us and ultimately ensnare us.

This second book is a wonderful and exciting new chapter in the life of Abramm following the transformation he underwent in the first of the series, THE LIGHT OF EIDON. Several issues are left unresolved to lead you into the 3rd book. The ending is very satisfying but you can't help but long to get your hands on the next installment.

After renouncing the Holy Brotherhood of the Matis, Abramm the Prince of Kiraith was sold into slavery by his brother Gillard who wanted the throne for himself. At Abramm's lowest point, he reached out to the god Eidon who accepted him as one of his own. He proudly wears the shield that every true believer of Eidon has. It has been six long years since he has been to Kiraith but he returns to take the crown he never wanted because Gillard is leading his country to ruin. His return is a dramatic one as he kills a spawn in a ferocious sea battle with the help of the Light of Eidon.

He openly challenges the council for the throne, not showing them he wears the shield of Eidon. The members of the council are so impressed by the man he has become that he becomes the ruler of Kiraith leaving Gillard as only the heir-apparent. He knows war is coming from many kingdoms who think Kiraith is weak and open for a takeover but before he can deal with that problem, he must come to terms with his younger brother Gillard who would rather plunge the country into civil war than see his brother rule. Abramm must battle religious fanatics, creatures of the shadow and the duplicity of man if he wants to keep the kingship. He must have faith in Eildon's plans for him and acknowledge his faith if he is to become the man he is meant to be.

In Abramm's world, his god is close to his followers, speaking to them and if their faith is strong enough, obeying his instructions. This is the second installment in the LEGENDS OF THE GUARDIAN KING and it is every bit as good as the prequel (LIGHT OF EIDON). Evil takes many forms in this story and one must believe in the light to see the darkness. Karen Hancock is a great world builder who has created a fantasy series that is reminiscent of the Arthurian mythos.

Harriet Klausner

Karen Hancock has continued her excellent "Legends of the Guardian-King" series with this 2nd book in the series. Her characters are fully formed. They have real problems, real joys, real misgivings about why things happen. Through out the book we see the main character dealing with the "how" and "why" questions about the events in his life. Is God there? Does He really care? Is life just a meaningless journey to death? Ms. Hancock handles all of these questions in a manner that will give encouragement and new hope to those who experience similar issues in our 'real' world. Each book is a treasure, so open one and become wealthy!

In The Shadow Within, Abramm comes home to Kiriath to claim his crown after the death of his last older brother. His arrival is heralded by a sea-monster hunt of epic proportions, which leaves Abramm open to accusations of sorcery and deceit. Abramm must contend with various family members and nobles, unaware of his fame as a professional fighter and skeptical of his ability to reign, and with trouble on the borders and neighboring countries. Complicating matters is a Chesedhan princess who insists on digging up his past and composing heroic songs of his exploits. But the greatest threat to Abramm and the realm is a creature born of sorcery and malice, blood-bonded to Abramm himself, created to destroy him and open the way for dark forces to control the throne of Kiriath through his younger brother.

At this point, especially after re-reading the story, I've lost all objectivity about Karen Hancock's writing, or her stories, and have become a total fangirl. Though many other CBA authors have been compared to J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, none others have come so close to matching the scope and wonder of these two classic, beloved authors. I was thoroughly drawn into this segment of the tale and found my affections unexpectedly engaged not only by Abramm himself, all over again, but various secondary characters-Uncle Simon, Lady Madeleine, and the boy servant, Jared. More depth is given to Abramm's twin sister Carissa, as she must face her lingering rancor over Abramm's spiritual decisions. And the crowning point of the book is a marvel of love, faith, and the power of true fellowship.

It's no surprise that The Shadow Within won the author her third Christy award for the third year in a row. Along with other dedicated Hancock fans, I wait with bated breath for Shadow Over Kiriath, the next installment of the four-part Legends of the Guardian King, due out November 2005.

Hey, didja know that Karen Hancock won the Christy Award (for Excellence in Christian Fiction given at the annual CBA convention) in 2003 for "Arena," again in 2004 for "Light of Eidon," AND just this past July 7th, won for the third time for "Shadow Within!" Wow, talk about an excellent batting average!! (I'm a librarian at a Florida public library and I keep up with these kinds of things--as well as being a long-time reader of just about anything, especially science fiction and fantasy)

I've looked at the other reviewers and pretty much agree with all they've said; just wanted to share that her work IS being appreciated/recognized by her writing peers as well as by her readers. Book 3 ("Shadow Over Kiriath") comes out this fall and (from her email newsletter) the editor's deadline for her 4th one-"Light Out of Shadow"-is June 2006. In her newsletter she commented that she'd only planned 3 books but the characters had sort-of 'taken over' and she had more to write. I really hope that Trap Meridon gets more time in the upcoming ones because I really liked the interaction between them in Light of Eidon.

This book is a breath of fresh, fantastical air. I echo the sentiments of the previous reviewers.

Karen Hancock has a way of dropping new fantasy elements, such as new lands, creatures, and powers (good and bad) into the story, yet they flow seamlessly, and are integrated into the mythos effortlessly. They add deeper and deeper richness and history to her world, resulting in an epic feel.

Despite having many characters, Mrs. Hancock somehow breathes a unique personality and life into each one within a short amount of time. From the boy Jared, to the intrusive, but endearing, Lady Madeleine -- all come alive from the pages. The evil creatures and characters do the same from the dark end of the spectrum. I fear that a certain warlock from the north will pose a serious threat in book three.

In summation, The Light of Eidon and now The Shadow Within are two of the best Christian allegorical fantasies on the market. Don't miss out. Get them now!

I must say, that I have difficulty finding books that suffice, but my goodness! This book, as well as The Light of Eidon are stupendous and no one, I think, can say otherwise!

Such imagery! Such beauty! I love this series so much, and as much as I loved the first book, The Shadow Within is a fair amount better than the first one! Seriously, it is magnificent!

And the characters are so vivid and real that I almost feel like I stand right along side them.

Meridon Trap is one of my absolute favorites! He is hillarious, in a dry sort of way! Oh and the devotion he gives to Abramm is wondrous! I love books on friendship and I think this may be one of my favorite pieces on it.

(SPOILERS)

And the way Abramm comes to terms at the end with Eidon! It's amazing!!!! I just can't wait to see what is going to happen in the third book!!!!!! Seriously!!! I want to email Karren and shout at her to hurry up!!!!

(Spoilers over)

So yes, this story is a must!!!!!

God bless,
Firniswin

I am so happy that I have had this second book in the series to be able to read straight after finishing the first book. What an incredible mind the author has and how fortunate are we that she has graced it by sharing it with us! Wonderful story, a journey to travel on, I woulnd't want to miss out on the next issue so I already have it now to continue the journey! A great epic tale!

Overall, this book is MUCH better then the first in the series. The Author still has a tendancy to make me speed read through long winded descriptions but most of the time the story held my interest. I actually started to like the chara's more in this story.

A new female chara is both good and bad. Madeleine is not a perfect Goddess but described as plain a number of times. PLAIN. I think God is proud of that. I have yet to read a novel (faith based or otherwise) where the main female chara is NOT descibed as beautiful. Although we do stray into stereotypical waters...I half expected a new girl to show up in this book or the next that might win Abramms heart. It seemed very Brother/sister to me. No actual chemistry was described until the last second, being rather predictable. I think I am just high maintence though, when it comes to love in stories. *sweatdrop*

The only other drawback is the ending. It feels as though it should have lasted longer.

Other qualities make up for the faults greatly. I was anxious through most of the the book to find out how Gillard would react to his return, along with every one else. After that, its the ball that makes you anxious, and then the monster, ect. We dont really get any relaxing time which is nice. It kept me reading!