Beneath the Cloak

Title: Beneath the Cloak
Author: Chautona Havig
Series: Annals of Wynnewood, book 3
Major Themes: England, Fantasy, Middle Ages
Synopsis: When Philip was kidnapped while attending the University of Oxford, Dove traveled across England to rescue him—but can Lord Morgan move fast enough to rescue both of them?

I think all of us who read aloud together have been enjoying the Annals of Wynnewood. We are all a little bit sad to see the series come to an end with Beneath the Cloak. At the same time, it is quite satisfying to know all about Dove. This book, the longest of the trilogy, contains a lot of adventure.

As Lord Morgan’s protege, Philip has begun his many years of study at Oxford. He is excited about the chance to learn, but knows it will be hard to be away from his family for seven years. Life in the university town turns out to be very difficult, and suddenly Philip finds himself kidnapped and nearly killed.

Dove can hardly handle the loss of her only friend, Philip, and is working on building herself a life independent of everyone else. Then, the Maete tell her she must hurry to Oxford to save Philip, and she sets off on a dangerous mission across England to rescue her friend. Suddenly, Lord Morgan learns that he needs to save both of his young friends. Can he rescue them in time?

Meanwhile, Dove is also wrestling with thoughts of faith. Phillip’s stories of I AM still seem like fairy tales. How can she possibly have faith in someone she can’t see, when she can’t even trust people she can see? 

Chautona Havig has woven a brilliant story in this trilogy. Annals of Wynnewood, I’m sure, will be one of our family’s favorite read-alouds for this year. We even enjoyed the headings of the two epilogues in Beneath the Cloak: one for serious readers and one for “connoisseurs of mush.” So fun! These are stories that can be read on a number of different levels. Children enjoy the dwarves and dragons and unicorns, and the adventure, while older people can get a lot out of the discussions Philip and Dove have about the Bible and I AM. Some of Dove’s questions and observations about Bible stories are quite thought-provoking. She has a unique perspective.

WARNING: Chapter 10: Philip punches someone in the nose. Chapter 16: One of Philip’s friends is knocked unconscious by ruffians. Chapter 28: some criminals are hung.

——————
Related posts:

Shadows & Secrets Cloaked in Secrets The Beggar’s Bible The Revolt