Kingdom’s Reign

Title: Kingdom’s Reign
Author: Chuck Black
Series: Kingdom, book 6
Major Themes: Allegories, Fantasy
Synopsis: The Prince has finally come to claim his people! What will happen to the kingdom now, and how will He bring true peace to all those under His rule?

I loved Kingdom’s Reign for several reasons back when I first read it, but this read through was especially interesting in the fact that I hadn’t realized before how many fascinating stories there are in the Bible regarding the end times. Yes, it is all up to private interpretation to some extent, but at the same time there is much that we can apply to our lives now.

Just as a quick example, we might not be able to relate to the battle of Armageddon very well, but in examining the Biblical narrative, it’s easy to see that as Christians we need to be faithful—obvious foe or no—and, in that, stay on guard even when there seems to be no need to fight.

Beginning with the rapture, Chuck Black quickly builds his narration of the final days. Cedric is roused from a deep sleep, and thus begins a silent exodus of the King’s people. Soon after, Cedric and those he is with realize that Arrethrae is completely overrun with evil. For a time, he and the other knights of the Prince rest in the lovely kingdom across the sea while they wait for the dark days of evil to run their course. Then comes the long expected news: It is time to return and reclaim the land for the Prince, and reestablish His rule over the land and hearts of His people. However, they have foes on every side, and the beloved city of Chessington is on the verge of decimation by Lucius’ great army. How can they stand? How will the Prince win the fight?

I hadn’t realized, before reading this book, how fascinating the different prophecies are in the Bible. For example, Chuck Black describes the final battle between Jesus and the devil, showing the judgment of God conning in the form of fire. That scene came directly from a verse in Revelations, and I enjoyed comparing the verse with the allegory—the accounts are very similar.

In all, Kingdom’s Reign did a great job following the Biblical narrative. I don’t agree with all the views expressed in the story (pre-trib rapture, etc.) but judging from the fact that it’s an allegory and the events are really up to anyone’s speculation since they haven’t happened yet, it’s very well done. And actually, if I had written the story, I might have used the same doctrine out of convenience’s sake. Overall, great story.

WARNING: Some parts of the story might be scary for younger readers—for the age group it is intended for (teenagers) it is fine. There are a few pretty awful animals mentioned, and the extent of evil in the last days is shown a little.