Black - Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione

Praise for
Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione

Chuck Black is a master storyteller. The fourteenth-century feel of his books is wholly captivating. Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione is no exception. Yet the principle anchors of the storyfaithfulness, friendship, loyalty, redemption, and forgivenessare what make it fully worthwhile. Expect to see very little of your young knight after he gets ahold of this book. He will more than likely emerge from the pages with an intensified determination to fight the battles in his own life as a faithful Knight of the Prince.

J ENEFER I GARASHI , freelance writer, homeschool-resource
reviewer, and mother of an eleven-year-old Kingdom
Series fanatic

Chuck Black has once again transported his readers to the time of knights, castles, and damsels in distress. The Kingdom Series was such an enjoyable read that I was surprised to find Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione even more delightful I was drawn into the tale and cared almost immediately for the characters. I rejoiced in each victory, wept with each failing and loss. Chuck is clearly maturing in his skills, and I look forward with great anticipation to his forthcoming works.

G AIL B IBY , publications editor for the North Dakota
Home School Association and author of North Dakota
Guide to Home School High School

Chuck Black is the John Bunyan for our times! Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione is a reminder of the origins of the spiritual warfare we are to fight daily.

I ACI F LANDERS , inductive Bible study teacher and
homeschool mom

Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione was exciting and kept us on the edges of our seats! The book was so realistic and action-packed that we felt we were a part of it!

H ANNAH , age 17, and Caleb, age 14

This is the best book I have ever experienced except for the Kingdom Series and the Bible. It made me sad to be reminded how rare repentance isin the book and in real life.

C EDRIC , age 10

A gripping medieval tale told with the same engaging adventure as the Kingdom Series, yet its a tale all its own. It presented me with two of the greatest challenges Christ has called us to: the rescue of the helpless and forgiveness for those who have committed the unforgivable.

A TTICUS , age 12

The Kingdom Series is a wonderful reading choice for kids of all ages. Its a thrilling adventure you wont want to miss!

J AKE , age 11

Another great book by Chuck Black that blends the thrill of excitement and fear of the Lord with biblical truth.

J UDSON , age 10

S IR K ENDRICK AND THE C ASTLE OF B EL L IONE
P UBLISHED BY M ULTNOMAH B OOKS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921
A division of Random House Inc.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version. Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.

Copyright 2008 by Chuck Black
Call to Courage music and lyrics copyright 2007 by Emily Elizabeth Black
Illustrations by Marcella Johnson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of The Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

M ULTNOMAH is a trademark of Multnomah Books and is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The colophon is a trademark of Multnomah Books.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Black, Chuck.
Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione / Chuck Black; [illustrations by Marcella Johnson].1st ed.
p. cm.(The knights of Arrethtrae; bk. 1)
Summary: Accompanied by the young and inexperienced Sir Duncan, whom he is mentoring, Sir Kendrick reluctantly sets off to the tournament at Attenbury on an important mission that holds the future of the kingdom in balance.
eISBN: 978-1-60142-228-6
[1. Good and evilFiction. 2. Knights and knighthoodFiction. 3. Christian lifeFiction. 4. Allegories.] I. Johnson, Marcella, ill. II. Title.
PZ7.B528676Si 2008
[Fic]dc22

2008005162

v3.1

To my amazing wife, Andrea, and to my wonderful children:
Brittney, Reese, Ian, Emily, Abigail, and Keenan. Thank you
for the encouragement, advice, and patience, but most of all
for your love. May your passion for the Lord consume you!

A LSO BY C HUCK B LACK

T HE K INGDOM S ERIES
Kingdoms Dawn (Book One)
Kingdoms Hope (Book Two)
Kingdoms Edge (Book Three)
Kingdoms Call (Book Four)
Kingdoms Quest (Book Five)
Kingdoms Reign (Book Six)

An Introduction to the Knights of Arrethtrae

Like raindrops on a still summers eve, the words of a story can oft fall grayly upon the ears of a disinterested soul. I am Cedric of Chessington, humble servant of the Prince, and should my inadequate telling of the tales of these brave knights eer sound as such, know that it is I who have failed and not the gallant hearts of those of whom I write, for their journeys into darkened lands to save the lives of hopeless people deserve a legacy I could never aspire to pen with appropriate skill. These men and women of princely mettle risked their very lives and endured the pounding of countless battles to deliver the message of hope and life to the far reaches of the kingdom of Arrethtrae even to those regions over which Lucius, the Dark Knight, had gained complete dominion through the strongholds of his Shadow Warriors.

What is this hope they bring? To tell it requires another story, much of it chronicled upon previous parchments, yet worthy of much retelling.

Listen then, to the tale of a great King who ruled the Kingdom Across the Sea, along with His Son and their gallant and mighty force of Silent Warriors. A ruler of great power, justice, and mercy, this King sought to establish His rule in the land of Arrethtrae. To this end He chose a pure young man named Peyton and his wife, Dinan, to govern the land.

All was well in Arrethtrae until the rebellion for there came a time when the Kings first and most powerful Silent Warrior, Lucius by name, drew a third of the warriors with him in an attempt to overthrow the Kingdom Across the Sea. A great battle raged in the kingdom until finally the Kings forces prevailed. Cast out of the kingdomand consumed with hatred and revengeLucius, known also as the Dark Knight, now brought his rebellion to the land of Arrethtrae, overthrowing Peyton and Dinan and bringing great turmoil to the land.