Fiction Addict

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Creation House

Publication Date: May 2009

Reviewed by Kaci Hill

There’s a verse in the Psalm 137 that reads, “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.” For some reason, that was the thought I had as three teenagers anxiously spent their summer longing for Aeliana.

Four hundred and fifty years have passed since the last time Ryann, Liddy, and Terell were in Aeliana. At least, Aeliana time. In Mount Dora, it’s been three months. Summer is ending, and they’ve been scattered abroad, wondering when they’ll next receive their call across time and space. Again, Reinhold doesn’t write precisely what we might expect.

First, the opening chapter or two is spent lying in wait. Waiting for answers, it turns out, isn’t passive, but active, and takes every bit as much strength as receiving them.  Second, it isn’t Ryann who first sees the portal back to Aeliana. This intrigued me because, obviously, Ryann is the main character. He’s the one charged with the three gifts and has a guardian archangel named Gabriel.

Third, the kids are not the only ones who must exhibit faith this time, which leads to my next observation. Their parents must also learn trust and obedience in the God who sends their children. As before, what happens in Mount Dora affects what happens in Aeliana and vice versa—something many stories that involve world-hopping don’t have.

Once back in Aeliana, Ryann and his friends find themselves in the middle of a long-brewing fight. They discover two unicorns and a group of cruel half-dragons (Hugons), and a growing, ominous understanding that they understand prophecies the rest of Aeliana can’t yet. Ryann, Terell, and Liddy have matured over three months, both in their thinking and in their behavior. They have new friends—many of whom don’t get along—and a whole new set of problems to deal with. Faith, it appears, involves so much more than simply jumping off a cliff (though cliff-jumping is included).

The Shield of Faith is different than The King’s Sword in that they do spend more time in Aeliana, understandably. It’s longer, and more complicated.  But as with book one, it’s about much more than the physical, literal shield. If book one is about paradise, then book two is about redemption—who to trust, who to distrust; where loyalties really lie, despite what comes out of the mouth. The shield of faith, then, is found in who you follow.

And once again I can’t say too much more without giving things away. Suffice it to say, Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith was a satisfactory sequel to The King’s Sword, and I’ll be looking forward to book three, Ryann Watters and the Belt of Truth.

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Creation House

Publication Date: May 2008

Reviewed by Kaci Hill

I heard of Eric Reinhold by way of Donita Paul, Bryan Davis, Jonathan Rogers, and several others engaged in a Motiv8 Tour. As a result, I requested both Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword and its sequel at the same time to read and review. Honestly, I didn’t quite know what to expect. For me, the YA genre is simply fun. And a middle-schooler from a Christian home who receives a visit by night from the angel Gabriel giving him a mission from God, well, is fun. The same night, one of said boy’s classmates also receives a night-visitation . . . from a fallen angel. Both boys receive a mission and three gifts. Thus begins a quest for a missing sword.

Most intriguing, though, is that what happens next isn’t what either boy or reader expects. Much of the journey takes place, not in the brilliant paradise of Aeliana, but in the every-day lives of four sixth graders and their families. Part of Ryann’s journey is to learn to use the Word—the Word of God. The use of Scripture in The King’s Sword is natural and thematic—I found myself as moved as the kids. Moreover, having grown up in a Christian home myself, I found Ryann’s life, aside from attending public school (I attended a private Christian school), quite reflective of my own. Their journey is as much spiritual as it is physical, and Reinhold has a unique way of pulling the two together.

As far as the characters go, Ryann and his three friends are busy, active twelve-year-olds, but they’re also well-read and thoughtful. Their maturity shows through (as well as Eric’s non-indulgence in dramatics, which is a plus) in their ability to deal with and get over an issue, so that when one offends another, the situation is either handled in a timely manner or deemed no longer important. Grudges simply don’t have place among friends—something a good deal of contemporary movies and TV shows don’t seem to comprehend. (Likely one reason this struck me is the stark contrast to one such movie, where the characters seem incapable of getting over themselves in stereotypical teenager melodrama.) At any rate, it was simply pleasant to see Ryann remember that his offender is still his best friend.

I could go on about all of them. I found Drake, despite being an antagonist, also somewhat sympathetic. Ekron is dark and cruel; Gabriel is firm and kind. Ryann’s father is a minor character, but fully developed and active in his son’s life.

Alright, I can’t stand spoilers, and possibly have already come too close to a few, so I won’t say much more. Ryann certainly didn’t expect his story to go the way it did; and I didn’t either. Reinhold provided an excellent introduction to Ryann, Mount Dora, and Aeliana—I most definitely am looking forward to Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith.