Title: The Sword Bearer
Author: John White
Pub: Inter Varsity press
ISBN: 0-87784-590-5

Review:
To begin with this is a Prequel. I'm not all that impressed with prequels. But after purchasing the book and getting into it I found it did answer some of the questions left hanging in the first two books. It also created other rather daunting questions as well.

This is a dark book in comparison to the other books. It has completely gritty feel about it that was not part of the original lighter aspects of the first two books.

The books as they are published are listed as;

The books in chronological order are listed as:

I plan to continue to read the series. Though in sequence of chronological order. So as to enjoy some sense of continuity to the story line. Which although has turned somewhat dark and brooding is still full of sound doctrinal theology. Well worthy of sharing with younger readers.

If there were a negative with this particular book it would be the way in which the protagonist 'John' related to his Grandmother. Personally I grew up with my Grandmother. Who although was never easy to understand, was always there for me. So when much later in my life she passed away I was deeply sad and upset at the loss.

So I found the selfish lack of emotion or feelings of loss by John to be unsettling. He was portrayed as being more upset that he would never know the truth of his parents and the locket that he seemed to casually cling to. Even when he was given back a Father he never knew at the end of the story, he was still not deeply troubled at not being there for his Grandmothers funeral. Just a random thought that he never found out who packed his clothes for the trip.

M J Flack