Book Review: King of the Trees

 Summary: What do an old wooden box, a jeweled pendant and some mysterious, green-garbed strangers share in common? When Rolin son of Gannon sets out to solve this riddle, his adventures take him worlds beyond the walls of his little log cabin in the mountains. With the help of some grumpy griffins and a long-lost prophecy, Rolin and his friends battle a fiendish foe and his underworld army; deadly snake-trees; a dragon, and other mythological creatures. On their perilous quest for the fabled Isle of Luralin and the Tree of Life, they must trust the King with their very lives. In the end, they learn that "The greatest help oft comes in harm's disguise to those with trusting hearts and open eyes."

Thoughts:  First off, sorry for being absent for so long. I honestly meant to get this post out three weeks ago but life got in the way. So anyways, here we are! 
 I've actually reread this book this year, it's a bit of a Superbowl tradition for me. I don't understand the first thing about football so I enjoy the snacks and the hype and read this book every year. I'm still trying to see if I can read it all in one day. In the three years I've been doing this i have gotten close but never succeeded.
 This is a great story that was one of the first few Indie Christian books I had ever read. The plot kept me entertained, the characters had me falling in love and the writing had me in awe. It's not spectacular or anything, in fact, half it's charm are in some of it's cheesier moments. But it's a great read, full of all the elements I've ever loved about fantasy all wrapped up in a Christian story. 
 Now, on a side note, I have to say I don't recommend the rest of the series. Something of a downward spiral takes place after this first book and the cheesiness grows unbearable until the last book which was just plain bad. I don't plan on doing full reviews of the rest of the series at any point in the near future so I'll let this suffice that this is the best of the bunch, it's the first and it wraps up wonderfully so it's not absolutely necessary to keep reading. Of course, I won't stop you if you do. My warning is there to beheaded or ignored at your own discretion.

Content: A bit of violence but otherwise a clean read for all ages and highly recommended!