Friday, June 14, 2013

The Paladin Prophecy

The Paladin Prophecy
By Mark Frost

The Paladin Prophecy is one of those novels that is the beginning of the series and I found myself very disappointed that the next one won't be published until January of next year. I would consider this book to be a Tween fantasy that I have actually recommended to my eleven year old son. Frost has written other books but is probably best known for his work with the Twin Peaks television series.

Will West has been carefully raised by his parents to not bring attention to himself. They have often moved to new towns and Will has never had any friends. Now in his sophomore year of high school, Will has finally been given permission to join the cross-country team but he holds himself back in every race and practice. This would be no problem if he had not scored so high on a standardized test earlier in the school year. Now he will need to run as fast as possible, using his father's list of 100 rules to stay alive and discover his own legacy.

The Paladin Prophecy could probably be described as a cross between the Legacy and Harry Potter books. Boarding school, family legacies, secret powers and an other-worldly enemy are all highlights of  Frost's writing. Some of the technology seems a bit too far-fetched to believe and the alien-type enemies are hard to imagine at times but the plot really holds together.

The best part of the book is the relationships. Will's parents are still highly influential and his relationship with them is what makes Will who he is rather than an orphan who has no moral guide. Will makes friends, begins a romance and connects with an odd guardian angel. There are also trustworthy adults (surprising for a novel for this age group) who bring wise counsel.

What did this book have to do with my faith? Have you ever thought you had a guardian angel? I have heard people who have been in accidents describe their ability to walk away without injury as being protected by their guardian angel. Sometimes I have had similar thoughts in other situations. Do we really have guardian angels? Or is this some kind of manifestation of the Holy Spirit? Or wishful thinking? I want to think that an angel is looking out for me but that also make me seem pretty special in God's eyes. Does everyone have a guardian angel? Is it possible to apply for this job when we get to heaven? What about those who don't make it out of accidents? Was their guardian angel not up to the task or unable to help? Were they not worthy enough? How does having a guardian angel impact our own free will? More questions than answers today!

I recommend this book.

Happy reading!

Amelia


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