Resistance

“Don’t you know? Animals like you have no soul.”

Book: Resistance (Ilyon Chronicles, Book One)

Author: Jaye L. Knight

Publisher: Living Sword Publishing

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 523 pages

About:

“Don’t you know? Animals like you have no soul.”

Could God ever love a half-blood all of society looks upon with such fear and disdain? Jace once believed so, but when a tragic loss shatters the only peace he’s ever known, his faith crumbles as the nagging doubts he’s tried to put behind him descend on his grieving heart. With them come the haunting memories of the bloodstained past he longs to forget, but can never escape.

Taken from home at a young age and raised to serve the emperor, Kyrin Altair lives every day under a dangerous pretense of loyalty. After her unique observation skills and perfect memory place her into direct service to the emperor, Kyrin finds herself in further jeopardy as it becomes increasingly difficult to hide her belief in Elôm, the one true God.

Following the emperor’s declaration to enforce the worship of false gods under the penalty of death, many lives are endangered. But there are those willing to risk everything to take a stand and offer aid to the persecuted. With their lives traveling paths they never could have imagined, Jace and Kyrin must fight to overcome their own fears and conflicts with society as they become part of the resistance.

Faith/Religious/Spiritual Elements:

Faith in Elom is ruminated on; characters pray; a revolt against God is mentioned; false gods are described and worshiped; it is questioned in a character has a soul; Elom’s faithfulness is discussed; characters talk about when they were saved.

Violence:

Gladiatorial fights are described; characters are beaten; beheadings are witnessed; characters get into fights; the brutality of a character’s past is alluded to; characters are murdered, attacked and injured, executed, and tortured.

Other:

Rape and abortion are alluded to; characters kiss.

Rating:

5 Stars

Conclusion:

For most of the books I review, it’s fairly easy to remember I’m taking notes for the review. Not so with Resistance. Though I’ve read it multiple times, I kept finding myself having to go back and reread so I could jot down the needed information. It’s not often I’m completely swept away in a book, but every time I read Resistance I am thoroughly entrenched in the world of Ilyon.

Every aspect of this book is masterful.

First, the faith and religious elements. Christian faith is weaved into this book’s very core. The characters’ faith is real – they’re strong in their faith, but humanity is shown when they worry and question. Pro-life undertones are also weaved in, both against abortion and in the message that no one is beyond redemption and God’s faithfulness. The false religion and it’s gods are also well-developed in their origins, how they affect society, how they’re worshiped, and even what they look like.

Second, the characters. I’ve read many contemptible villains, but those in Resistance have to be some of the best. They have depth, aren’t just awful “for the fun of it”, and are despicable in every way. There are many nasties in this book, and all are different with different goals and personalities. The protagonists are equally well-developed. I especially like how there is a noticeable difference in the faith between those who are “younger” believers and those more mature. That lends authenticity few fantasy authors are able to incorporate.

The relationship between Kyrin and Kaden is one everyone with a sibling can identify with. Even though I think Kyrin is a delightful character, between the two, Kaden is my favorite. Rayad and Jace and their touching father-son relationship; Trask and Anne and Trask’s relationship with his father; and the multi-faceted relationship between the Altair twins and their respective family members combine to create real, sympathetic characters.

Third, the plot. In fantasy, rebellion and resistance are common. Many are well-written. This series exceeds most, landing itself on the top tier. With the ancient Rome/rustic forest combination, the story of resistance against tyranny finds its beginnings. Multiple characters and secondary plots combine in an eventful way that keeps the story alive. I’ve read what’s released of the entire series thus far, so it’s hard not to give spoilers, but Resistance does so well in setting up the rest of the series.

________

There are few series I’ve recommended more than Ilyon Chronicles, and Resistance in particular. While the book is powerful no matter when you pick the book up, the message of resisting evil and standing for truth especially hits home when you read it right now. The pen (or keyboard, in this case) truly is powerful, and Jaye uses that power and an incredible ability to weave words to remind the reader no matter what they face, no matter their past, no matter how the world deviates from God and truth, and no matter how much opposition we face, we can always stand for what’s right.

If you haven’t read Resistance, you need to.

reading suggestions

*The comments for this post have been turned off due to the amount of spam I was receiving. If you have a question about any of the listed books, please feel free to contact me.

No matter the age, wholesome books are hard to come by, and Christian books are even harder to find. Below is a list of books for each age category beginning at elementary age. Every book on this list is either Christian or a wholesome classic.

Parents of younger readers, you know your child best. Keep in mind that, while the age determined suitable for each book is listed, there are more tender readers whom may not be ready for some of the books.

Elementary:

The Double Dabble Surprise (Cul-de-Sac Kids Book #1) by [Lewis, Beverly] — *The Double Dabble Surprise,* Book One in *The Cul-de-sac Kids*

1. The Cul-de-sac Kids by Beverly Lewis – fun books filled with mysteries and lessons about faith, friendship, and forgiveness.

2. The Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope – a classic series about two sets of twins who solve mysteries around the U.S.

3. The Boxcar Kids by Gertrude Chandler Warner – another classic series about siblings solving mysteries around the U.S.

4. The Astrokids Series by Robert Elmer – a Christian series about kids in space.

5. Bible Kidventures by multiple authors – adventures in Bible times from kids’ point of views. Best for the older elementary ages.

6. Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder – a classic series based on the life of perhaps one of the most well-known pioneers of all times.

7. Knight of Arrethtrae Series by Chuck Black – allegorical stories about knights in the King’s service who embark on courageous quests and learn about faith, sacrifice, and hope. Readers beginning at the fifth grade level can read this series, which can be enjoyed by older readers of all ages.

*Kingdom’s Dawn*, Book One in *The Kingdom Series*

8. The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black – another allegorical series, this time featuring on the life of Christ, the End Times, and the Rapture. Suitable for readers fifth grade and up due to some of the intense scenes. There is nothing graphic, but evil is well-portrayed and may scare younger readers. Can also be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

9. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis – an allegorical tale about Christ’s sacrifice. Suitable for readers fifth grade and up.

10. Adventures in Odyssey Passages by Paul McCusker – allegorical stories from the Bible. Suitable for readers fifth grade and up.

11. Hank the Cowdog Series by John R. Erickson – a cowdog and his less-than-astute fellow ranch dog find themselves in hilarious action-packed adventures. Suitable for third grade and up.

Jr. High:

1. The League and the Lantern (Book One) and The League and the Legend (Book Two) by Brian Wells – adventure meets middle-school aged kids with a knack of getting in trouble. Fun and filled with history. These books are still two of my high school-aged sister’s favorites.

2. The Young Underground Series by Robert Elmer – a series about World War II. Filled with history, faith, action, and adventure.

3. Mysteries of Middlefield by Kathleen Fuller – kids who are Amish detectives learn the importance of truth and honesty as they investigate mysteries around their community. This series is primarily written for girls.

4. Adventures Down Under by Robert Elmer – a series about a family’s adventures in Australia. Filled with history, faith, action, and adventure.

5. Hunter Brown Series by Christopher Miller – an allegorical trilogy best suited for seventh grade and up due to some of the spiritual warfare.

The Book of the King (The Wormling 1) by [Jenkins, Jerry B., Fabry, Chris] — *The Book of the King*, Book One in *The Wormling Series*

6. The Wormling Series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry – an allegorical series that readers sixth grade and up will enjoy.

7. Books by Grace Livingston Hill – clean, Christian romances written for girls that are light on romance and heavy on faith.

8. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien – perhaps the most well-known epic fantasy tale of all time. Can be read by itself, but for easier understanding of the complex world-building and history, read The Silmarillion and The Hobbit before LOTR.

9. Dragon Keepers Chronicles by Donita K Paul – a series about dragons, adventure, and faith with a bit of romance mixed in.

10. The Door Within Trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson – yet another series that can be enjoyed by readers older than the junior high category. After all, who doesn’t enjoy epic tales of faith, adventure, awesome swords with cool names, dragons, sacrifice, and a fierce battle between good and evil?

High School and Older:

*Resistance,* Book One in the *Ilyon Chronicles*

1. The Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L Knight – an intense and raw series with faith, action, hope, sacrifice, courage, and dragons. This series is technically written for new adults (ages 18 and up), but readers in high school can read it as well.

2. The Songkeeper Chronicles by Gillian Bronte Adams – takes place in a world where music can change the tide of war and characters ride griffins and lions. Few authors can weave words together the way this author does. Readers in upper junior high can read this series, but since it does feature some raw moments (not graphic but still intense), this series lands in the high school category.

3. The Ravenwood Saga by Morgan L. Busse – unique, action-packed, and filled with faith, but it does contain dark elements as one of the characters does, in a sense, engage in spiritual warfare.

4. Keeper of Shadows by Bridgett Powers – a cursed assassin finds himself helping his target, but at what price? This book is filled with faith and can also be read by those in junior high, but there are some intense scenes that feature evil and spiritual warfare.

5. Oath of the Outcast by C.M. Banschbach – another intense read that is the beginning of a promising series. Do keep in mind that characters do go through torture, though nothing is explicitly described. This book also deals heavily with good verses evil.

6. The Chronicles of Sarco by Joshua A. Johnston – a science fiction series with an intriguing plot.

7. The Weaver Trilogy by Lindsay A. Franklin – this is for YA readers, but older readers will also enjoy the witty characters and clever plot.

8. Beast by Chawna Schroeder – technically, this book could be in the junior high category, but older readers will better understand it’s incredible allegorical plot that takes the reader from despair and confusion to finally realizing their worth in Christ.

9. Wars of the Realm Series by Chuck Black – this is one of those series that completely blows you away. Focusing primarily on spiritual warfare and redemption, this is one of those read-again series that will keep you coming back to it no matter how large your TBR pile is.

10.The Staff and the Sword Series by Patrick W. Carr – perhaps one of the most well-written characters to ever grace the pages of a fantasy book is featured in this series full of action, romance, deception, and danger.