Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court - The Knights of Arrethtrae Book 2
Author: Chuck Black
Publisher: Multnomah
ISBN-13: 978-1-60142-125-8
Release Date: March 2009
Genre/Sub-genre: Young Adult Inspirational Fantasy
Publisher’s Age/Grade Recommendation: 10-16
OUAR’s Age/Grade Recommendation: 10-16
Year/Setting: Holbrook area on Arrethtrae, where Knights are still found
Overall rating: 4.25
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: None
Violent Content Rating: Mild
Chuck Black's Website: www.perfect-praise.com
Sir Bentley is an honorable young knight. His father is also a highly respected knight who has instilled in Sir Bentley the desire to know the truth. Sir Bentley is a truthful man and he takes his pledge as a Noble Knight seriously. However, he becomes confused in what the truth really is as the Noble Knights continue to search out and destroy the Followers (those who follow after the Stranger). Although the Stranger was killed, these Followers will not abandon him and his teachings.
When Sir Bentley defies the order of another Noble Knight and lets some Followers escape with their lives, he knows he must leave and never return. He wants to learn more about the Stranger and his teachings. He wants to find out what the truth really is.
From that moment of disobedience, everything changes for Sir Bentley. He must abandon everything he has and all he has ever known in order to escape with his life. Other Followers help him escape town and send him across the country to a far away land where he will hopefully remain safe and learn the truth about the Stranger.
What an amazing journey we go on in this book! It gets even more exciting as Bentley learns more and more of the truth. He soon learns we are all in a battle and his quest is to keep the people of Holbrook from destruction. Will greed forever ruin their lives or can a new way of living be found? Then as Bentley helps the people of Holbrook, he gets to meet the "Maiden of Mercy", a pig farmer’s daughter. She brings aid to the poorest of Holbrook.
Bentley has to face a lot of hard facts when he becomes poor and lives amongst them. I loved his strength of character to continue doing the right thing—even when it wasn’t easy. He is a real hero and has the character traits I look for in role models. I think Chuck Black really hit his stride in this book. It was easier to follow from the beginning—even if you haven’t read the first book of the series. I also found this book to be written in a way that will certainly engage boys as well as girls. I knew the first book would appeal to some girls, but this one give much more depth of character and puts in details that I find girls prefer to have in a book. These additions do nothing to distract the boys from the plot and the action that happens.
I found this book to be more enjoyable than the first book. I was pleased that the writing was even better and the storyline was fresh. It’s a second book that delivers a tale as great as any first story would.
Robyn
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