Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine. It is the third book in “The Knights of Arrethtrae” series.
Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine. It is the third book in “The Knights of Arrethtrae” series.
Young Sir Dalton has recently joined the Knights of the Prince. He is training at a local haven with Sir Dornan. Sir Dornan doesn’t seem interested in disciplining the trainees, which rubs Koen (male) and Carliss (female), who are siblings, the wrong way. The rest of the trainees believe Koen and Carliss are strange, but Dalton doesn’t have time to decide what he thinks about them. He is sent on a short mission and is captured by a ruthless Shadow Warrior named Lord Drox. Bruised and battered, he finds himself in a cave-like prison where the cells have no doors. The prisoners’ own fears keep them from leaving. Summoning the courage to escape, Dalton is found unconscious by an old hermit, Master Sejus, and brought back to health. Master Sejus trains him in swordsmanship.
Dalton returns to his haven to find that no one will believe his story about the prison, except Koen and Carliss. Knowing he must do something about the prisoners, Dalton travels back to free them. Koen and Carliss follow to help. After a furious battle, during which Dalton defeats Drox, some of the prisoners still refuse to leave. Carliss, who has developed romantic feelings for Dalton, detours to Verlaken on the way home to assist in the rehabilitation of some wounded knights. Days later, Koen, whose father is ill, informs Dalton that Carliss has disappeared. The book ends as Dalton sets out at once to find her.
In this Christian allegory, a haven represents a church, and the knights in training are like young Christians who are discipled by older, more mature Christians. Lord Drox and his Shadow Warriors represent Satan’s minions. They seek to sow seeds of doubt and attempt to destroy the faith of Followers and Knights of the Prince. The battles in which the Knights of the Prince engage represent the spiritual warfare that believers face.
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Sir Dornan is a trainer who doesn’t take his role, or his teachings, seriously. He is eventually relieved of his duties. Sir Orland is a trainer who takes his responsibilities very seriously. Master Sejus is a Jesus-type figure. When Dalton first meets him, Sejus is a crippled, old man, but as Dalton’s eyes are opened to who Sejus really is, his perception changes, and the mentor transforms into a strong warrior. Lord Drox is malicious and represents evil.
Many battle scenes, primarily sword fights, occur throughout the book. Lord Drox plunges a blade through Dalton. A marauder strikes an innocent woman. An enemy lands two hard blows into Dalton’s chest and helmet. Dalton knocks a man off his horse and cuts through the dazed man with his sword. Dalton is stabbed in his shoulder by a sword. Dalton’s arm is broken when he’s hit by a sword. Dalton slams into a tree with his head. Dalton is attacked by a vicious dog in prison.
One of Dalton’s fellow prisoners, Si Kon, is attacked by dogs, and he bleeds profusely. Dalton and Drox fight with swords. Ravens attack Dalton, and Carliss kills some with bow and arrow. With his sword, Dalton kills more ravens, and the blood of one splatters Drox. Dalton kills an attacking dog by plunging his sword into it. Dalton plunges his sword through Drox’s chest, killing him.
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