"The Realms Thereunder" by Ross Lawhead

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Ross Lawhead. The Realms Thereunder (An Ancient Earth). Thomas Nelson, 2011. 400 pgs. 

Beneath Great Britian lies a sleeping army ready and waiting for the great battle between good and evil. Daniel Tully and Freya Reynolds are normal school children. Until they accidentally discover, and awaken, two of the sleeping knights in that army. Thus begins their adventures in the realms thereunder. Knights, immortal and ancient wise men, trolls, gnomes, dragons, and an evil wizard seem to be in only the beginning in this enjoyable series. 

Reading The Realms Thereunder felt like a return to an older style of fantasy novel. It comes from a time when confused youths with swords could become heroes, a time when fantasy still had an element of the fairy tale, and it is well done. While maintaining the ambiguity of the human soul, the deceitful shadows of evil, and the reality of our confusing and often sorrowful life on earth Lawhead manages to pull the reader into a different world. If you can't tell, let me say it plainly: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. What you have here is a good, old-fashioned, yarn. You won't be disappointed. Of course you may not like this if you don't like fantasy. And if you are stuck on only reading fantasy which follows the likes of Martin then you also may have issues. After all, we apparently live in a time when gritty fantasy is the way to go. But if you are open to some classic fantasy, look no further. 

Conclusion: 4.5 Stars. Recommended. Great book, super fun. 

Comments

markn12 said…
I second your recommendation. Ross Lawhead has shown that he has the capacity, even in a first book, to engage the reader and pull them into the world he has created. Link: http://dld.bz/aqJtg
2:39 PM
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