Noted Review: A Christian Fiction Trilogy Concluded

 

Litfin, Bryan M. The Kingdom (Chiveis Trilogy Book 3). Wheaton: Crossway, 2012. 447 Pages. Paper. $15.99. www.crossway.org (LHPN) Trilogies are curious literary animals. I did not succeed in my first attempt to read through The Lord of the Rings. Some planned trilogies never get past book One (or Two) and frustrate the readers who invested time in a story arc that will never find gold at the end of the rainbow. The Chiveis Triology comes to its end with The Kingdom.    Book Three in the Chiveis Trilogy War and disease have destroyed the modern world. Centuries later, feudal societies have arisen across Europe. No one can remember the ancient religion of Christianity—until an army captain and a farmer's daughter discover the Sacred Writing of the one true God. As Teo and Ana encounter the forgotten words of the holy book, they realize its message is just what their kingdom needs. Though exiled from their homeland, they join their hearts in a quest to return. But now an ancient pact has united the enemies of the Christian faith into a dark alliance that threatens to consume the known world. Racing to stay one step ahead of their enemies, Teo and Ana must battle heinous villains, stormy seas, and the powers of the underworld itself. As armies begin to mass for a final battle, the odds favor the forces of evil. Can Teo and Ana bring divine truth to Chiveis—or will the Word of God fade from the earth forever? BRYAN M. LITFIN (PhD, University of Virginia) is Professor of Theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. He is the author of the Chiveis Trilogy as well as Getting To Know the Church Fathers. Bryan and his wife, Carolyn, have two children. The Kingdom is longer than its prececessors. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up. Author Bryan Litfin also shares the background of the Chiveis world, explaning how its origins are in the downfall of our own. An Appendix answers speculation about where the trilogy takes place. I appreciated the author's successful attempt to show the development of language in this future world. The core of the novel for me was the composition of a Twelve-word Creed (323, passim). Christ is central. The Sacraments of Christ are presented in a way that will challenge some Evangelical and Protestant readers I had wondered while reading Volume Two if this trilogy could be the same post-apocolyptic world as that of The Hunger Games. At least the saints of Chiveis would have a missionary heart for the lost (in more ways than one) New World of Panem. Litfin's Chiveis stands on its own as a literary accomplishment, yet is an edifying alternative to Suzanne Collins' godless dystopian future. Our QBR reviewers have reviewed the two previous volumes in the trilogy. http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2012/07/noted-review-christian-fiction.html http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2011/02/noted-review-christian-fiction.html The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Yellowstone Circuit Visitor (LCMS Wyoming District), a member of the Board of Directors of The Consortium for Classical and Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR.

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