4 1/12 Stars
A smith is ordered to make an amazing blade for a king. But when the sword is delivered, the king slays the smith and attempts to kill his son too. The boy flees, and is saved only by the intervention of the angelic servants of Mah’Eladra. Generations later, one of the smith’s descendants is the best smith in Immerland. He’ll make just about anything out of steel, except something designed to hurt another human.
King Sandihar has a dilemma. Immerland is in trouble, and he believes that a sword from this smith will save them all. When the smith refuses, he is thrown in jail, but the king has unwittingly jailed a prophet. Before going, the smith extracts a promise from his son: do not make the sword.
Princess Vrengia begs the smith’s son Paca to convince his father to make the sword. Paca isn’t even allowed to see his father, but Vrengia’s distress convinces him to try to make the sword himself. What follows is a hope-filled but cautionary tale filled with epic fantasy, fireborn poetry, and songs from the depth of the soul. Secrets abound, and the characters are filled to the brim with life and personality.
This is unquestionably Christian fantasy. There are clear parallels for God, angels, the soul, and many other spiritual concepts. Spiritual themes are woven throughout the story, but not in a way that overshadows it, in the tradition of C.S. Lewis. There is no magic other than divine actions. Two of the things I loved the most about this were the epic spiritual poetry, inspired by the divine and sung in an ancient tongue, and the focus on the destructive nature of fear. The allegories to God and other divine concepts/beings seemed to be biblically accurate as far as I could tell. The author also happens to be a real smith as a hobby, and the forge scenes ring true as a result.
Also like C.S. Lewis, the tension and violence in this story are moderate, making it the best fit for middle grade and young YA readers. Though the main characters are college aged, I tested it on a middle grade reader and he loved it. The themes of developing values and finding your identity are perfect for this age group. Older readers who expect more tension and battle scenes might find it a little slow. The book ended with a well wrapped up ending but clear threads into the next book, but there were a few scenes that I wish we had seen portrayed, instead of having to be told about. One other group who might really enjoy this is those who enjoy literary style Christian fantasy. If Ursula K. LeGuin wrote Christian fantasy, it might look a little like A Sword For the Immerland King.
This book and its sequels, Lonama’s Map and Tveeling, were published quite a few years ago. The author recently took the original versions down and put up a revised anniversary version instead, including an author-narrated audiobook. Lonama’s Map soon followed, and Tveeling (now called Mankar’s Bane, I hear) will follow in a short time. The great news for Immerland fans is that not only did these books get an update, but there are two new sequels waiting in the wings! Readers who want to know more about the release dates should sign up for the author’s newsletter. This review is of the second edition published this year.
Disclaimer: The smith, I mean, the author, has been a good friend of mine for several years, and I have sought spiritual advice from him more than once. He provided me with a free e-copy of the revised book, and some copies of the older versions that were taking up space in his basement.
Where to buy this book: Amazon
Audiobook: Audible
Celestial (Hannah Mae)
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