The First Skyrider

My 11 year old said this was better than the first book, so I read it to see if I agreed. I agree! I loved the descriptions, the story line, the characters, everything. The depiction of the King has great spiritual lessons too. Another great read, now, where's book 3?!

Despite this being the author's second novel, I am new to Callenlas! Here's what I found:The world-building is not overly original but this does not prevent this from being a cracking little story for young people.The characterisations were strong: a band of outcast friends exploring, rule-breaking and learning together. I liked the development of Cairn’s character and moral compass, though it was a little far-fetched that in a school full of masters with special sight, the friends were only caught sneaking about once in nine months or so.Yet, the morality was nicely balanced and not over-simplistic. There was a recognition that sometimes, following the King does mean disobeying those who claim to represent him. This thoughtfulness will be important to young people who face so many moral challenges every day.The moments with King Elior were really lovely. Whilst the plot-line itself is not allegorical, everything about Elior reflects Jesus. He is beautifully portrayed and his words are as powerful as his presence. The way he dealt with each character individually was so Christ-like. I particularly enjoyed a line at the end, as Cairn bows before King Elior:‘His heart ached with longing, even while the longing of his heart was being fulfilled, and the mystery of it brought tears to his eyes.’This sentiment so nicely portrays the continued longing that we feel for Jesus the more we get to know him.There are many positive lessons to be learnt from this story, which makes me keen to pass it on to my older children.

Brilliant, I was drawn in from page one and taken on a vivid adventure. If you enjoy fantasy, you'll love this. The first book, The Dark Star was beautifully written and this is even better. Both can be read as stand alone stories but interlink in a satisfying way too.