Note to all of my virtual friends: I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the generosity and authenticity of your comments lately! Thank you so much. I look forward to interacting more intently as soon as our new and improved TheHighCalling.org is almost under wraps—later this week!
Over the next few days, the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog tour is featuring Karen Hancock.Â
Return of the Guardian-King, the fourth book in a series, is a fine example of high fantasy. That is to say, Karen Hancock creates a self-contained world, a sweeping Tolkein-esque epic of politics and war and love and the followers of “Eidon, Lord of Light, Creator of All, Defender of Man. Soon may he come, and swift be his judgment.”
Hancock follows a story-telling pattern laid out by C. S. Lewis in his science fiction series and later in Narnia. God appears and redeems other worlds under other names.
Of course, the imagery used to describe Eidon and “Moroq, the Adversary” makes it clear that these new names are thin veils describing Christian concepts. Which is not to say that Hancock presents a mere allegory. Instead, she uses fantasy to renew the wonders of redemption. As you read the book, her imagination reminds you that God’s epic is every bit as exciting as the one you are holding in your hand.
From the flap of the first book in the series, The Light of Eidon, Bethany House sets up these epic expectations: “Set in a world of swords and cloaks, of glittering palaces and mystical temples, of galley ships and ancient mist-bound cities, The Light of Eidon is the first volume of an epic series, Legends of the Guardian-King.” It is quite a credit to Karen Hancock that she is able to live up to such promises.
That said, book four, is definitely a book four kind of experience. Read the sample from Christianbook.com and you’ll know what I mean. Lots of character names tossed around in the space of just a few pages—far too many for readers new to the series not to feel jolted by this sudden recap of the cast. These pages follow nearly the same formula as the one minute review, viewers have come to expect from 24 or Lost: “Previously on 24…”
I don’t watch it anymore.
But I do love a good fairy tale. And I don’t mean the candy houses of Brother’s Grimm—though I love those too.
I’m talking about what Tolkein describes in his essay “On Fairy-Stories.” (I have to thank Emilie Griffin and her husband, Bill Griffin, for guiding me to this wonderful resource. Look for them online soon at a High Calling Blog network near you…) Anyway, Tolkein writes:
The consolation of fairy stories… the joy of the happy ending… is a sudden and miraculous grace: never to be counted on to recur. It does not deny the existence… of sorrow and failure… the possibility of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance; it denies… universal final defeat and in so far is evangelium… giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief.
In Emilie Griffin’s essay “The Joyous Turn: Glimpsing Truth in Stories,” she elaborates on this idea, writing:
We treasure the happy endings, especially when they convince us. For we know that (on this side of the boundary, at least) happy endings are not guaranteed. For love to be precious, it must be precarious.Â
Certainly, the world of the Guardian-King is precarious. Whether it has a happy ending… you’ll just have to find out for yourself.
In the meantime, here are a few helpful links:
- Karen Hancock’s website
- Karen Hancock’s blog
- an excerpt from The Light of Eidon (book 1)
- an excerpt from The Shadow Within (book 2)
- an excerpt from Shadow Over Kiriath (book 3)
- an excerpt from Return of the Guardian-King (book 4)
- the entire series on Christianbook.com
Then, of course, here are the list of other folks on the blog tour. I’ve starred some of my favorite bloggers in the list. (No offense intended to the rest of you. I just don’t know you as well.)
Nissa Annakindt
*Wayne Thomas Batson
Jim Black
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Frank Creed
*CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
*Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
April Erwin
Kameron M. Franklin
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
*Rebecca Grabill
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Jill Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
*Sharon Hinck
Christopher Hopper
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Karen
Dawn King
*Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Kevin Lucia and The Bookshelf Reviews 2.0 - The Compendium
Rachel Marks
*Rebecca LuElla Miller
*Shannon McNear
Caleb Newell
Nicole
*Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
Robin Parrish
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Tsaba House Authors
Steve Trower
*Speculative Faith
Daniel I. Weaver
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