Customer Reviews

The Sword: A Novel (Chiveis Trilogy)

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I just finished this book last night and have had thoughts for a review since about page 4. I should probably do this under three heads; Storytelling, Writing, and Theology.

Storytelling

Litfin is a theology professor and this is his first foray into fiction. That said, the story is fairly well done. I never felt like the storyline got stuck though I did begin to wonder at one place if Litfin had forgotten one of the important subplots. No, he hadn't and that was the point. The story line was good but not great. Don't expect CS Lewis here (Litfin never pretends to be Lewis either!) While not compelling it was entertaining. I have found myself entering the world of Chiveis in my head and imagining other adventures. I even spent some time on Google Maps and found the location he describes including the cathedral on the cover. I'm such a nerd.

Writing

In the videos on the website, Litfin says that he did research for the book. That included how to write fiction and the writing reflects it. It isn't bad but it isn't great either. His writing is sufficient. He knows how to keep the episodes moving so that each time I put the book down I wanted to pick it back up. However, his dialogue was stilted and awkward at times. One of the things I remember hearing about fiction writing was "Show it, don't say it." In a few places, Litfin does both. I wasn't so bothered by his writing there but I did wonder which editor let that go out like that.

Despite a few relatively minor irritations like that I thought the writing was capable. His characters were mostly people you felt like you knew. The world he describes is one you believe (mostly). Once again, it isn't stellar writing but it is good, light, pop Christian fiction. Just the target he was aiming at.

Theology

There may be some spoilers here so beware! Litfin teaches theology at Moody Bible Institute so I expected Dispensationalism. It isn't there. This isn't another version of Late Great Planet Earth or Left Behind. There is no theological ax to grind, at least not in this installment. Instead what Litfin explores is essentially this history of the Church. Early on the lead characters have no knowledge of God, only the false gods of Chiveis whom they're not fond of. There is a nagging sense that there is a good God out there, if they only knew him. While those around them seem fine with these ugly gods, Teo and Ana want more. When they find the Bible the last two thirds of it is rotted and unreadable. Litfin here is exploring what it was like for the Church before the New Testament. What did they know about God? How did they approach God? I'm assuming that in future installments we'll see them discover the New Testament and be blown away by Jesus coming and fulfilling all of what they knew. But that will be in a future volume. :)

I appreciated how God is present in the story. He isn't a theory or idea but an "actor". That is, he acts, he is active. But from a Christian perspective, how does Hebrews 1:1-3 apply in a world which has largely forgotten Christianity and has only recovered the Old Testament? Asked another way, will God reveal himself apart from Jesus Christ after the Incarnation? I knew what I thought and I was glad to see that Litfin seems to agree with me.

What is great is that he did his theology without long-winded debates and discussions. The characters explore their new faith and grow in it. At the same time, they seems to too quickly become "Christians" without Jesus. There is an animal sacrifice to atone for sin but there is much more discussion of God's mercy for those who repent. That they got this from a few chapters of Genesis, Ruth and a couple of Psalms seems a bit of a stretch to me. And then the "house community" that formed seemed to be a church small group with a pastor (Maurice) seemed a bit too convenient for me. Add to this the "church split" and I felt like I was in a small, American, Protestant church!

Litfin also explored the issue of hermenutics. I think that is a very good idea but I didn't feel the way Valant came to his opinion of how to read the Bible was "organic". He was a Gnostic out of nowhere basically. How did he get to that place? I didn't feel like we went along on his ride. Also, the prevailing method of reading texts and mythology in Chiveis should have come in to play here. We always read and interpret texts according to our culture. I think Litfin was trying to tip his hat to Medieval Church struggles but this didn't work well for me.

What was beautifully displayed again and again was grace and holiness. I appreciated that. Characters love and forgive because of Deu. Teo and Ana are repeatedly put into situations where, if this was a Hollywood movie or a TV show they'd have been naked in a minute. Our hero and heroine are attracted to each other but both are noble and and behave honorably to each other. I liked that. And yet sex is present elsewhere in the story. But it is misused as a godless world is apt to do. Somehow they maintain their purity because God is an actor here.

The Sword by Bryan M. Litfin is the first book in the Chiveis Trilogy. 400 years after the world has fallen apart due to plague and nuclear war, small pockets of humanity are reestablishing civilization, but it's more similar to the Middle Ages than the 20th century. In mountain kingdom of Chiveis, the people work the land and serve three gods under the leading of the major god Astrebril. Teofil is the renowned leader of the Fifth Regiment of the kingdom of Chiveis, well respected for his fighting ability. Anastasia is from Edgeton, a city on the edge of the kingdom, who is well known for her beauty, singing, and skill with a bow. The two are thrown together and the sparks quickly fly, but they are distracted by learning about the god Deu who was worshiped by the Ancients and used the cross as his symbol. Denounced as evil by the High Priestess of Astebril, Deu has long been forgotten until a book of his sacred writings is discovered, and everyone who comes into contact with it finds their lives completely changed. I'm not normally a fan of fantasy, which The Sword has hints of, but the unusual premise had me hooked from the first page of history which convincingly describe the fall of civilization. While many of the characters are stock characters from fantasy series, the story is compelling and very fresh. It's fascinating imagining what it would be like for people who had never heard any stories from the Bible to encounter them the first time. How would they react? Would they see the same things readers do today? I also commend Litfin for refusing to give in to cliches. The small story of Rosetta's horse and foal shatters the illusion that Litfin is writing about some make believe version of God. This story has the potential of becoming an epic within the Christian fiction community. I look forward to reading the next story.

"The Sword" was an entertaining Christian fantasy set in our future after modern civilization has fallen. The target audience appeared to be Christian adults (both women and men), but some teens might like it.

The characters were varied, complex, and interesting, and I was curious about what would happen to them. The story was fast-paced and exciting, with the action rarely slowing. The suspense was created by the physical danger to the characters and the attraction between the two main characters even though they were divided in their beliefs. (And I thought the resolution of this difference was handled in a nice and convincing manner.)

The story was frequently unrealistic and inconsistent, and the characters acted in illogical ways. For example, two characters have a letter they desperately need to get to the prince and they know they can't get to him, yet they don't give it to a character that can and will see the prince. In the prologue, the author has a super-virus that--following his parameters and taking into account only the mail system--would have killed everyone in the world who received mail in less than four weeks, but he has it last for decades. And then he adds in a worldwide, nuclear war. Yet the world, several hundred years later, looks remarkably like a pagan medieval Europe with healthy humans and every pre-war plant and animal.

Also, taking into consideration the only religions they knew, it seemed like the characters were a little quick to follow this new god and trust that he was good. While the reader can see God working behind the scenes, the characters had very little evidence that he even existed. And their knowledge of him was based solely on the first few chapters of Genesis, some Psalms, and Ruth. When they asked God to do a miracle at a critical moment and he didn't, I find it hard to believe that any of the followers were willing to remain faithful in the face of immediate death. Granted, most of the followers did publicly deny their new god, but they still intended to secretly follow him.

The characters frequently prayed, sang hymns, and read Scripture, and this was done primarily in a "they prayed" way. There was no bad language. There were several seduction scenes, but the sex was implied rather than explicit. There were a couple explicit torture scenes, but they weren't gory, just violent. Overall, I'd still recommend this novel as entertaining, clean reading.

I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.

Reviewed by Debbie from Genre Reviews

"The Sword", by Brian Litfin. I found this book at the library a couple weeks ago, scanned the jacket description, checked it out, and read it. I will start by saying that it both is and is not what you'd expect. Let me explain. Our setting is the Kingdom of Chiveis, a lone outpost of civilization amidst the ruins of Europe five hundred years after disease and nuclear war laid waste to civilization. Chiveis is surrounded on all sides by wastelands populated by vicious barbarians. Into our view come two main characters, Teo and Ana.

Teo is tall, dark, and handsome. He is the best soldiers in Chiveis and is able to fight adeptly with sword, axe, bow and arrow, special spring-loaded axe that shoots bullets, and several other weapons. He is also able to pull off tricks such as leaping onto somebody else's horse when his own gets shot. Somehow while becoming perfect in every military operation, Teo also found time to become the best scholar in Chiveis, and can decipher ancient texts, teach classes, and do whatever other intellectual tasks are put before him.

And Ana? Well, surprisingly enough, she smashingly beautiful, with long, blonde hair. And she is unfailingly polite, modest, humble, and loaded with every other desirable quantity. And she knows how to use a bow and arrow as well, not to mention useful tricks such making a tourniquet with a strip from her own dress and save someone's life.

Now at the start of the story, we learn that the evil arch-villainess is plotting with the barbarians to have Ana kidnapped as some sort of sacrifice. And that in a series of coincidences, Teo and Ana are thrown together just in time for Teo to foil one kidnapping attempt. Do you suppose it's possible that the pair will fall in love, but struggle to express their affections? And do you suppose it's possible that at just the wrong time, the barbarians will successfully kidnap Ana and drag her far off into the wilderness? And do you suppose it's possible that Teo will risk everything on a one-man rescue operation, even though everyone tells him that it's hopeless? And do you suppose it's possible that mere moments before the barbarian chieftain has his way with poor Ana, Teo will arrive and pull off a dramatic rescue, single-handedly defeating numerous bad guys in the process? Well, if you think any of these things are possible, you're probably familiar with formula fantasy-adventure writing, and the author is as well.

Yet, despite the dreadful parade of clichés at the beginning, Litfin does actually pull things together for a decent second half. Without giving away plot details, I'll say that the book takes a somewhat different turn from what you'd expect. The characters grow deeper and certain elements are brought in that actually drive the story and make it genuinely exciting. I wouldn't mind recommending this novel, but I have to give fair warning about the start and a few other irksome details. For one, Chiveis is one of those locations where every single woman is smashingly beautiful, and where hair color codes for personality. (Blonde = sweet and innocent, red = feisty, black = evil nymphomaniac) Also, much of the plot requires that the main characters miss the obvious cues, and not figure things out until just after when they should have, at which point it's too late. The reader, however, has always unraveled the mystery a few pages earlier and can only watch in embarrassed silence as the characters fall into the trap.

With that said, at least in the second half, "The Sword" is a tightly constructed adventure story that most people would probably get some enjoyment out of. I look forward to reading the next volume from this author, in hopes that after getting some more experience with fiction writing, he can erase the more obvious flaws and produce something truly great.

I absolutely loved this book! It has everything a great story needs, adventure, romance, comedy and spiritual discovery. It's a classic battle of good vs. evil. I especially loved the characters. They were complex, yet easy to relate to. I found myself rooting for Teo and Ana at every turn. The plot of a discovery of the Bible years after the world has come to an end is fascinating. In addition, the merging of the future becoming like the past was a great twist. The world reverting back to a medieval setting was so intriguing. My favorite part of the book was when Ana echos the words of the 3rd century martyr Perpetua when she declares just like a water jug can only be a water jug, she can only be what she is, a Christian. So powerful! Dr. Litfin does an amazing job in his first adventure into fiction and I can't wait to see where he takes the story next!

When I started reading "The Sword" by Bryan Litfin, I didn't realize that this would be a trilogy. (Alas...I guess I have two more books I'll be reading! I always do this to myself - case in point...Hunger Games, Blackout...)

Overall I found the novel to be an enjoyable read. The characters are fantastic and the kingdom and land described create for an epic setting. I found myself trying to determine where in the world the story is unfolding as there are small clues left throughout the book. The villain of the book is larger than life - she is truly one scary woman! I kept envisioning a Angelia Jolie-type actress every time I read a scene with the High Priestess of Astrebril in it.

The story has adventure, revenge, romance, grief, hope, evil, friendship, etc. Nearly everything you'd expect in an epic-like book. My only criticism is that it probably could have been about fifty pages shorter. There were a few scenes that slowed things down a bit, but nothing that would prevent me from recommending the book or reading the next installments.

One of the huge takeaways I have from reading "The Sword" is an admiration for the sheer amount of faith the two main characters - Ana and Teo - have to not back down and deny their faith in "Deu" (God as we know him in Judeo-Christian circles.) I found it inspiring that a future people could feel so drawn to an unknown God simply by the words found in Holy scripture. Really convicting for me to keep up with my daily reading in scripture.

The day this book arrived was the same day that another book arrived, which I felt more obliged to read and review first. I opened the other book, and before I started reading it I had put it down and opened this one. I regret nothing.

The cover is a traditional fantasy style (two people on horses in the foregound with landscape behind). And although this may change in future editions it drew me in rather quickly. It was either that or the fact that the author told me I probably won't like it. I'm glad to say that he was wrong.

The basic premise of the story is a post nuclear apocalypse world has returned to mediaeval lifestyles, with ruins of our world dotted here and there. They worship certain gods, who the main characters come to despise, and later find to be false. Then (handily) they find a copy of the old testament which gives them a god they can believe in, and they try to bring him to the kingdom of Chiveis.

The book is simply written, with few of the deep or complex sentences commonly associated with the genre, and to avid fantasy readers it could seem inferior in that respect. But this should not be allowed to put you off reading this book. Once you get past the writing style, which I must stress is not bad, just different, the story is interesting and unique.

When the author told me that If I wasn't religous (I'm an Agnostic Atheist) I probably wouldn't enjoy the book, I was expecting christian propaganda telling me to worship god in a new format. But the story is entirely self contained, the characters never break the fourth wall, there are no notes to the reader etc. Instead the author seems to analyse the religion, considering it bit by bit from different points of view. Although the first in this series hasn't converted me, and I wouldn't want it to, It has helped me understand the christian religion more than I used to.

In addition, it is an analysis of human character and choices. With some characters believing, others not. And all in different ways. Without reading the conclusion of the trilogy we cannot know if this will continue throughout, but the world Litfin writes in seems to be both a reflection and critique of our own.

From an entertainment viewpoint, the book is filled with action, conspiracies, secret meetings, betrayals and false magics. There is some romance, which given the general idea of the book almost surprised me, and although there are no sexually explicit scenes, the subject is mentioned, and doesn't seem to be a revolting idea which is again not what I expected. The area is not the author's strongpoint however, and the story flows much better in action and political scenes. There are two major problems I found however, which continue to niggle me. The first is the main character, Teo, saying that his muscle is his religion. It seemed too out of character, and didn't work well. The second was the name of the princess Habiloho. Both of these broke the flow of the narrative, bringing me out of the almost trance-like state that one must be in to fully enjoy a book. For such a book however, these are fairly unimportant, and should not hinder the decision to buy and read the book.

It was undeniably entertaining, and it is for this reason that I would recommened, or even insist that others read it. I almost feel bad for getting this copy free, and I certaintly look forwards to the next in the trilogy. I won't say that it is one of my favourite books, but it is one of those that should be read by every fantasy lover, from christian to hindu or otherwise, For both the entertainment it brings, but also the cultural understanding it has the potential to help develop.

Similar in theme to the first novel, The Paradise War, in a trilogy by Stephen Lawhead titled The Song of Albion trilogy, The Sword by Bryan M. Litfin was incredibly addictive reading. It has been years since I pushed through a 400+ page novel until I finished because I didn't want to stop reading.

Part fantasy, and part medieval setting, The Sword transported me to another realm where it was the future, yet the story read like an Arthurian tale, only better. It felt more like historical fiction than the Planet of the Apes futuristic, because the setting resembled the dark ages with its swords and horses and general mayhem. In this story our modern culture/people were known as the ancients. I found The Sword to be compelling and emotionally gripping. It had non-stop action and intrigue as well.

The spiritual richness and analogies in this tale were powerful, too. It reminded me a lot of the first century church where believers had to deny their faith or be tortured and die. And the most amazing thing of all about this debut novel was that it read like it was written by an experienced, multi-published novelist. The plotting was superb, the setting believable, and the romance compelling. There was nothing weak about this novel. It was creative as well as insightful and theologically deep.

I highly recommend this book. The Sword the kind of story that really makes you think and it's a terrific beginning to a fantastic series. Novels that I can't get out of my head are the types of books I enjoy most (regardless of their genre), so that is one of the reasons it's making my best fiction of 2010 list. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series when it releases next year.

I picked up this book because it sounded like a potentially interesting read, however I ended up disappointed. The characters were not very compelling and the main characters especially suffered from having to be the best and the most beautiful around. The intertwining plot and subplots started off good, but then much of it seemed forgotten about as the main focus of the book came into view--the return of the Bible and Christianity.

I've read other "End of the World" books where Christianity returns, but this one was rather heavy-handed and not very believeable. For one thing, the good-guy characters disliked the gods they were raised with or were skeptical of them, but then generally jumped onto the bandwagon of this new and pretty much unknown god far too quickly (certainly, Ana, the main female character become almost a fanatic about it, seemingly overnight). It seems a clumsy set-up for the later books and for the battle over the return of the one "true" faith.

There were hints in the beginning, when the author wrote about how the world as we know it today came to an end, that Europe had gone back to neo-paganism big time before the destruction...however, the kingdom in the story (set in a future Swiss Alps) had four gods to its name and no goddesses (one would think an earth mother goddess would be important in this peasant farming world) and there is no real clear explanation of why. There is just a single throw-away line about the earth-worshippers being thrown out by the founder of this little kingdom.

Perhaps, more explanation will come in later, but setting up four gods who are obviously a Christian's idea of Satanic pagan gods or demons was rather a clumsy and obvious plot point. It is clear where the author's opinions lie, even though Vulcan and Pan, at least, have nothing to do with Satan. One can only hope that the founder of the kingdom deliberately set up a "Satanic" style kingdom for a particular reason...aside from the author's desire to make this an old-fashioned Good versus Evil story.

Nothing against Christian fantasy, but this author needs some more experience under his belt. I'd read Narnia instead.

Anastasia and Teo live in Chiveis, a pastoral, Alpen-like realm where the people live simple lives - the majority engaged in Medieval-like occupations. There is however a striking difference between this setting and the one we are used to reading. Chiveis - as the novel progresses - reveals itself to be held under the rule of dark spiritual powers working to keep its people in ignorance and bondage.

First, I have to say that Crossway is one of my favorite publishers; they publish some very doctrinally sound, excellent titles for both children and adults. They don't publish much fiction though, so when I saw that they were publishing a post-apocalyptic novel that takes place in a future world (similar to our own) in which the scriptures had been suppressed and lost, I couldn't wait to read it. I absolutely adore dystopian fiction, and post-apocalyptic Christian fiction where the Bible is rediscovered? How good can it get?

Well, I have to say that despite my initial enthusiasm I was disappointed in the quality of this novel. The storyline is interesting and strong, but the execution is only mediocre at best. I hate to say that - really I do, but it's obvious that Litfin has a story to tell but just doesn't have the craft know-how to pull it off well.

The characters are at times inconsistent with the setting and world they are placed in. Anastasia for instance is virtually a paragon of virtue despite being raised in a pagan culture that celebrates debauchery. What ground is her morality built upon when there is no Christian virtues at place in her culture? Her parents also seem to celebrate her purity, and I am at a loss to explain why, as it doesn't seem to be valued in Chiveis.

Another unbelievable point for me is how quickly the small group of believers in search of the newly revealed God Deu (as discovered in the Sacred Writings found by Anastasia and Teo - translated by the later) transforms itself into a type of New Testament church despite having read only fractions of the Old Testament.

Now, after all of that, the story is still interesting, and the series does improve in The Gift - the second novel in The Chiveis Trilogy. I'm just a bit disappointed in the execution of what could have been an incredible novel.

I received an electronic copy of this title in exchange for this review. All opinions are genuine and entirely my own.