The Peleg Chronicles - Book Review

Author: Matthew Christian Harding

First Published: September 2009

Genre: Biblical Fiction (though it feels a little like Fantasy without any magic)

For Ages: 12 +

Mature Content: Violence and fighting (nothing too disturbing or particularly for mature audiences), mentions a father sacrificing his children to other gods, worship of false gods,

Questionable Language: nothing worth noting; I don’t think this even counts, but two rotten thieves call each other things like “barmy maggot brain”

God-glorifyingness: 9/10

Ease of Reading: 7/10 for book 1, 8 ½/10 for books 2 and 3

Plot: 8 ½/10 (7 ½/10 for book 1)

Overall Rating: 8 ½/10

As I write, I have just today finished Loresmen, the last book in the series, The Peleg Chronicles. How would I describe my experience?

Marvelous! Gripping, encouraging, suspenseful; I finished the last two books in two days. I probably am a little more enthusiastic from only just having finished it; the dialogue and wonderful clever characters are still fresh in my mind and hot in my heart. So forgive me if I gush a bit! *smiles*

Foundlings, Paladins and Loresmen follow the perils and chivalry of a cast of expressive characters, during the time just after the flood – the time of Peleg “ for in his days was the earth divided”. (The said Peleg curiously has nothing to do with the story, beyond providing an interesting title and timeframe.) These characters were godly, well-developed, and lovable (even serious Fergus!); I was desperately rooting for their survival against the odds.

If you read it (and I hope you do!), you’ll meet; Lord McDougal “The Dead”, a fearless hero who’s childlike and loving trust in his Maker shines through even in his awkward moments. Fergus Leatherhead, faithful shield-bearer who searches for true bravery. Lunace, the Cahna-Baal, and Ogre and Goblin, cruel giants. Thiery, 13 year old ranger who’s skill in the wild is only exceeded by his faith in the God of Noah. Diego Dandolo, the assistant, the impeccable, the quick-witted, the everywhere at once. The Lady Mercy, godfearing and pure niece to King Strongbow who, weakened in his mind, commits her to the vestry of the false Queen of Heaven.

And that is only just a few of the heroes of Hradcanny! Seriously, I was surprised by how many fascinating people Matthew Christian Harding managed to fit into the series. But the great thing was, none of the individual character arcs were compromised by this; and I still felt that, by the end of Loresmen, I knew the MCs really well. No-one felt “perfect” or bland; *laughs*, actually it was quite the opposite!

Another reason why I loved these books was the godliness; both in the characters and the writing. They were constantly seeking God’s protection and encouraging each other in Him, and they fearlessly stood up for truth even in the most dangerous moments. I closed the book feeling inspired and wanting to be more winsome like Lady Mercy and brave for the truth like Fergus.

The only downside to the books was that, at times, the plot became a little complicated and hard to understand. On the whole, the plot ran more than smoothly and I was enthralled by the exciting twists and turns; but very occasionally I had to backtrack in order to understand properly what was going on.

Also, the first book started out like it's hero, McDougal; a tiny bit awkwardly. I still seriously loved it and was compelled to read the next two, but I don't think Foundlings was quite as good as it's sequels. It was well written and really interesting, but there were times when the characters were a bit exaggerated. I am being really quite critical though - the series was simply amazing and sets the bar so high, that any minor thing is more noticeable! So, if you read it, the second two are where the plot reaches it's best.

To be fair, I haven't read oodles of books in the last 6 months, but still, The Peleg Chronicles would have to be the best books I have read in 2020!

Blessings,

~ Jemima