Sir Quinlan and The Swords of Valor: A Book Review

Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor was one of the two books in the Knights of Arrethtrae series that had a drastic impact on my life. The first was Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart which I’m not writing a review for, but Sir Quinlan’s story had an equally meaningful effect. It opened my eyes to the meaningless pleasures I was wasting my time on. It revealed one of Satan’s most effective methods of tempting people to forsake Jesus. And it was also just a really, really good book! The themes of spiritual blindness and distractions taking over our lives subtly, along with the sword fighting and gripping writing style, create a story that’s sure to capture the imaginations of everyone who reads it.

The story begins with two young men, Tav and Twitch, who are followers of the King and on different paths in life. Tav is handsome, popular, good with people, strong, athletic, and skilled with sword fighting. Twitch is, well, not. He’s awkward, shy, and has a twitch that shows up when he’s under pressure.

Enter the pathyas. The cute, furry little creatures are suddenly the most popular pet in town! Everyone seems to have one, including Twitch. The pathyas are fun to have around, but they’re beginning to become quite the distraction for the young knights at the local Haven. Sword fighting isn’t as fun as playing with one’s pet pathya. Twitch is totally taken in by his new companion, but all of that changes when Tav gets a mysterious invitation from his uncle, Sir Baylor.

Tav, not really interested in his crazy uncle’s conspiracy theories, doesn’t respond well to the invitation, but for Twitch it awakens the yearning inside him to something more. For years he’s wondered if there’s more to life than living easy and having fun, but now he knows for sure. In a single moment, he says yes to the Prince and is pulled into the terrifying world of the ultimate battle. Shadow Warriors versus Silent Warriors, dark versus light, evil versus good- and in some cases, evil versus evil. His comfortable world is ripped away and he finds himself not only fighting for his own life, but the life of the entire kingdom. He is no longer Twitch, the country boy with his world all in order, but Quinlan, Knight of the King and soldier for the people.

Throughout his journey he meets the Swords of Valor, a secret group that works under cover of darkness to fight the good fight. He makes drastic mistakes that spiral everything out of control. He is faced with his own fears, and secrets begin to be discovered that show him things are not all what they seem. The cute and innocent little pathyas, for example, might just be part of a plot for the downfall of the kingdom.

Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor is a thought-provoking adventure about true faith and what it means to serve God with your entire life. Once you read it, you can’t walk away unaffected. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a book that goes beyond mere entertainment. For anyone who is looking for a book that inspires, thrills, and teaches solid Biblical truths, Sir Quinlan’s story is definitely what you are looking for.

Until next time!

-Serena Stellington