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    Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor
    Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor
    Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor
    Audiobook5 hours

    Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor

    Written by Chuck Black

    Narrated by Andy Turvey and Dawn Marshall

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Two friends face the Dark Knight's deadliest scheme, but only one knight has the courage to overcome. Sir Quinlan leaves his boyhood friend to serve the Prince, fighting a battle darker and more intense than any he's ever known. The mysterious Sir Baylor recruits him into the ranks of an elite unit of knights known as the Swords of Valor, but when tragedy strikes and everyone blames Quinlan, the Swords of Valor disband, ending a legacy of heroic deeds. Alone and despairing, Quinlan wanders the kingdom, fleeing his past. His providential encounter with Taras, a mysterious Silent Warrior and former trainer of Valor Knights, offers Quinlan a chance to redeem himself and learn the ways of the secret warriors. The training is grueling, and just when Quinlan seems to have left his failures behind, he receives an impossible challenge from the Prince-one that will force him to face his past…and the mighty men who blame him for the tragedy that ruined them. Can Quinlan reunite the Valor Knights in time to save the people from the Dark Knight's evil plot to rule the Kingdom of Arrethtrae, or will the Valor Knights lose the most important battle of all?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOasis Audio
    Release dateNov 1, 2010
    ISBN9781608147809
    Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor
    Author

    Chuck Black

    Chuck Black graduated from North Dakota State University with a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. After traveling the world as a tactical combat communications engineer for the United States Air Force, he was accepted into pilot training and served the nation as an F-16 fighter pilot. He is the author of twenty-two novels, including the popular Kingdom Series, The Knights of Arrethtrae series, the Wars of the Realm series, The Starlore Legacy series, and Call to Arms: The Guts and Glory of Courageous Fatherhood. Kingdom's Dawn was on CBA's top ten best sellers list twice in 2008 for all Christian Youth Literature. Chuck is also an entrepreneur with sixteen patents and is currently the president and general manager for FlowCore Systems, a chemical injection automation company in the oil and gas industry located in Williston, North Dakota.Chuck is a believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and in the Holy-Spirit-inspired, infallible Word of God. He is devoted to his wife, Andrea, their six children and spouses, and numerous grandchildren. It is his desire to inspire people of all ages to follow the Lord with zeal and to equip parents, pastors, and youth leaders to accomplish the same through his allegorical and Scripture-based novels, seminars, podcast, and published articles.

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    Reviews for Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      I loved the unique spin on the bible this is my favorite book in the series so far ?
    • 5/5
      I loved it! It was very cool and exciting! One of the best in the knights of Arrethtrae series.
    • 1/5
      I received this book as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewer program and promised that I would write a review for it. It's taken me a year or so to finally get around to reviewing it partly because I kind of detested the book and I wanted to make sure that I was reviewing it for its qualities, rather than my initial distaste for it.Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor is thinly veiled allegory masquerading as fantasy. I am not a religious person, and so I am probably not the best audience for this book - and I realize that - but intended audience aside there just isn't a ton of craftsmanship here. The writing is decent at best, the character development shallow. There aren't really any enjoyable characters or any reason to feel sympathy for any of the characters unless you enjoy weak-willed characters who struggle to understand even the most basic concepts that the author is presenting them with. And the names - oh the names. The creatures called "paytha" that create apathy? The United Cities of Cameria? If you like word jumbles, maybe this is awesome, but to me this just smacks of a lack of creativity. It's like low brow Piers Anthony/Xanth stuff, and just not a very compelling read.What really struck me the most, though, was how blatant the allegory was. This is not parable, or even moderately good allegory. The only reason this book isn't filled with "Jesus" and "God" is because somebody did a quick search-and-replace pre-publishing. You want good allegorical fantasy? Ready C.S. Lewis, read Orson Scott Card, read Phillip Pullman. Don't waste your time here.
    • 4/5
      Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor is actually the fifth book in the Knights of Arrethrae series. I didn’t think to check to see what the sequence was in the series so when I first received it I was a little concerned about jumping in so late, but it wasn’t hard. Each book in the series is about different characters and stories, as the titles show. Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione, Sir Bentley and the Holbrook Court, Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart, and Lady Carliss and the Waters of Moorue are the books before in this series.The allegory in this book was excellent! The different groups of Silent Warriors and Shadow Warriors embodied the war between angels and demons very well. Chuck Black’s symbolic story of the King and the Prince is a creative retelling of the story of Christ’s quest to save all of mankind. I liked the other examples of symbolism in the book, like the paytha and the penthomoth, as well as the discussion questions in the back of the book. They make very good discussion material!Overall, I really enjoyed this light read! I gave it four stars and recommend it to middle school age kids. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for my honest review.
    • 3/5
      Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor is part of a larger series, but was not difficult to read on its own. It's a fictionalized medieval world, that takes place in an alternate history. In most ways, it's actually a biblical allegory. I'm a Christian, and fully expected to enjoy this novel. But I just found the allegory lacked even the pretense of subtlety. The villain Lucius=Lucifer. The King from across the sea=God. The Prince=Jesus. Silent Warriors=Angels. You get the picture. It's not an allegory in the vein of Chronicles for Narnia that can give you new insights into your faith, yet also be enjoyed on its own merit. I just ended up feeling like I was reading a fictional version (and a less interesting version) of Biblical characters. We don't need that, we already have it in its purest form. These characters are back story. The novel itself centers on Quinlan and other characters that I didn't see a direct allegory for. Still, that initial back story hovered in my mind the whole time I was reading the novel. Black is a very good writer, and a lot of readers will enjoy this book. If you are a heavy reader of Christian fiction and can enjoy fiction set in other universes, you will like this book. And there's no denying coming to the series midway hurt the novel for me. But I feel a more casual reader of Christian fiction may find the novel too heavy handed.
    • 2/5
      Story summaryThis story is possibly set in a medieval setting. It is hard to tell, really, as some descriptions are inaccurate. A young man by the nickname of Twitch and his best friend and foster brother, Tav, are training to be knights. The knights are trained to serve in the prince's army. Twitch makes a vow to serve the prince, and suddenly the world mystical veil parts and he is shown a glimpse of a war that is raging between the prince's army and Lord Lucius's dark knights. It is a rather schizophrenic view, really, as supposedly no one else can see these agents of evil lurking and looming about the world until they attack. But, pledge yourself to the prince's will, and you can see it. Supposedly the world of the prince's, which is possibly not the same world as reality, is both glorious and dangerous. However, the author only ever describes it as terrible and dangerous, which really makes me wonder why he tossed the word glorious in in the first place. Perhaps he thinks that a world of war is a glorious one? That is a depressing thought. CharactersThe characters are rather flat all in all. The main character Twitch/Quinlan is the only one to show any dynamic change, and it is very, very subtle. The rest of the characters seemed scripted and forced. I just couldn't get into it much because of the character, and the near lack of dynamic relationships between the characters. The characters are really vessels for a series of Christian messages, not for a tale worth reading for the general populace. ThoughtsThere were several things I didn't like about this book, but on the other hand, it was fairly action packed and had somewhat engaging battle scenes. If there weren't battles, the story felt far more forced than it could have been. As this was a book written for the youth/teen Christian group, I think it hit that mark. Many youths will enjoy this book. Teens? I don't know. I taught at a middle school, and the 13-year olds read far more advanced stuff than this. Then again, this was at a public school, and I don't know how interests and reading levels vary. Maybe youths to preteens would be the best group for this book, but definitely not 15 and up. For those that are interesting in having this book for a reading discussion, there are several questions in the back of the book to help direct it. All of the questions pertain to parts of the bible that were illustrated in various parts of the book. **Disclaimer**I received this book from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. I am under no obligation to write a positive review, just an honest one.
    • 5/5
      I received the fifth book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series and finished reading it in 2 days. The young fiction, action packed novel written in allegory (conveying meaning other than literal) will hold your interest to the very end. Starting with a cool map of the Kingdom of Arrethtrae, including 24 chapters and 176 pages, plus discussion questions towards the back of the book and concluding with a great music score, "Ride of the Valiant" by Emily Elizabeth Black, you are holding in your hands a great adventure story filled with detailed battle scenes that are woven with Biblical truths, themes of morality and virtue and courage to follow truth. This is a great visual symbolic representation.The story begins with the main character, Twitch (his given name is Quinlan) named for the twitch in his cheek when his nerves took over. When his parents died, he went to live with Tav (his very best friend) and his relatives. It seems the young lad was loved a great deal but never really respected much so he just followed along with Tav.One day when Tav's uncle, Sir Baylor, comes to visit with important information about a mission for the Prince, Twitch feels a deep pull, perhaps a calling deep in his soul. He knows that he does not need to spend his life in the same place doing the same things all the time on a regular basis. He chooses to follow Sir Baylor. This is an unreasonable decision according to Tav and his relatives, so it’s with much difficulty that Twitch leaves them behind. When he does, he leaves behind the name Twitch and takes on his given name, Quinlan. On the road with Sir Baylor, Quinlan becomes a member of Baylor’s elite group of soldiers though he’s untried in battle and not very trained well enough for everyone’s tastes. When Baylor dies while on a mission, Quinlan accepts the man’s dying words, a trinket from him, and full responsibility for the death of his leader. This guilt weighs him down and drags at him from every angle until he’s unable to run away from it anymore.A seemingly chance encounter with a amazing soldier named Taras leads Quinlan in a direction they never expected. He trains with Taras until one day, he takes over the leadership of the very team of soldiers from which he’d been running.Whether tween or adult, you will want to read this exciting book and purchase the set for gift giving as well because Black's word crafting is over the top. You will be inspired and renewed with purpose and direction. In fact, Black says that he wrote his first book “to inspire his own children to read the Bible with renewed zeal”.
    • 4/5
      Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor is a very well written and entertaining young adult novel with a Christian message. I am not a church-goer myself and I would like to commend the author for crafting a novel along themes found in the bible without the novel being too pushy in preaching religion to the reader. Yes, the central idea of the book is obviously to convey a religious message, but the story is told in such a way that this doesn't get tiresome or feel like religion is being shoved down the reader's throat. The story is exciting and fast-paced and the characters are well crafted and have a fair amount of depth. I would also like to point out that even though this is book 5 of the series, one does not have to read the entire series to be able to follow along with events of the story. I would venture to say, without reading the rest of the series, that this particular series feels like a collection of stand alone stories that flesh out the world of the author's other series.As a side note, I thought that the discussion questions and answers at the end were a nice addition for accomplishing the author's goal of providing a religious message in his novel and have suggested this book (and others by Chuck Black) to my grandson's church Youth Group.
    • 5/5
      "Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor" is book 5 in The Knights of Arrethrae series by author Chuck Black. Sir Quinlan, more commonly known as Twitch by his friends, responds to the call given by Sir Baylor to join him and the knights known as the Swords of Valor in their fight for the Prince and His kingdom. Twitch mistakenly believes that the true call was for his friend, Tav, who is everything that Twitch wishes he could be in order to be a true Knight of the Prince. However, as is often the case, the call is not to the one who seems to be the most qualified, but rather, to the one who is most willing to serve. Tav, who enjoys the status, position, and comforts of being a Knight of the Prince, not to mention the attention of the ladies, declines the call to follow his uncle, Sir Baylor, choosing rather to stay at home and live a life of ease. The writer takes us on a journey, a journey that requires the Knights 0f Valor to battle the evil forces of the Dark Knight, Lucius, and his minions. When Sir Baylor is killed in battle, Sir Quinlan blames himself and mistakenly believes the death also signifies the demise of the Swords of Valor and returns to his childhood home and friends. Dissatisfied with his former life, he roams about the kingdom, seeking redemption. Events transpire that enable Quinlan to encounter the Silent Warrior who offers Quinlan a chance to redeem himself. Quinlan then undergoes extremely rigorous and grueling training in order to prepare himself to better serve the Prince. Then comes the day that Sir Quinlan is given a mission by the Prince Himself and he must reunite the Swords of Valor in order to succeed.I was afraid that, by not beginning with book 1 of the series, I would not be able to follow the storyline. Happily, this was not the case. Each book is about a different knight of the Prince and, as such, their stories can easily stand alone. The allegory is an obvious one. The parallels between the Prince and the Dark Knight are very apparent. The stories are outstanding and I can't say enough good things about them. The books are packed full of action and suspense and closely align with the battle that Christians are fighting on a daily basis. The violence is rampant and the clashing of swords quite vividly portrays the battle that is ongoing between good and evil. The books are written for youth but are so well-written and engaging that they will appeal to readers of all ages. I highly recommend this series. On a personal level, it is my intent to procure all previous and future books in this series and make them available to young people who desperately need to see the Battle portrayed in such a convincing manner. This is a Battle in which every one of us is a soldier. The question is, on which side are we fighting?I received "Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor" for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I am under no obligation to write a positive review and opinions expressed are my true and honest sentiments. I receive no compensation, whether monetary or otherwise, for any reviews written by me.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know it was a Christian book, but soon saw the analogies used by the author. The plot of the story kept you reading and interested from the beginning to the end. I would really enjoy reading the other books in this series!
    • 3/5
      This is the fifth book in the Knights of Arrethtrae series. There is a little intro so that new readers will have some idea of the world of the knights going into the story. Not having read any of the other books I found it helpful because it gave me some context for the story I was about to read but this book can certainly stand alone and you do not have to have read the others first. There is no mistaking that this story is a biblical allegory. There is nothing subtle about the message here. And sometimes, especially when Quinlan is speaking to his trainer, Taras, it can get a bit preachy but that is forgivable as that is much of the point of the book and it is an important part of Quinlan’s training and his entire journey. The book does a good job of making the fight of good versus evil a real battle that we all have to be aware of and the dangers if we ignore it. It also brings up some important biblical issues. Quinlan must make some hard choices, leave behind what he has known, face struggles, failures and his own self-doubt, make decisions based on faith alone and often must act when it would be easier to just go home. It also explores the fact that God often chooses the unexpected people, how even those who have the outward appearance of being a follower are not always so, that there will still be tragedy and heartache, and many other biblical truths that our heroes and those around them face. It doesn’t shy away from the harder aspects to try and make a happier story. Although it is an allegory and is meant to teach a lesson it is still an exciting adventure story with action, suspense and a little mystery and magic. In the back that are a lot of discussion questions (and answers) that will get readers thinking more deeply about the story and will help readers understand concepts that they might not have gotten from just reading the book. I like that the questions encourage the reader to look to the Bible for the answers. It is a story about knights and there are sword fights and danger and adventure but the message is always at the forefront. It is a strong, forceful message. I don’t think that is a bad thing but it might turn some people off and might be better suited to children who are already interested and trying to learn more instead of a story to spark the first interest.