Chivalrous (Valiant Hearts)

Gwen did not know whether to growl like Mischief or melt into a puddle of tears. But Rosalind did not deserve her temper, and if she started crying, she might never stop. Instead she pulled Angel into her arms once again.

“Plus.” Rosalind held up a finger. “There is a tournament involved. Won’t that be fun?”

“A tournament, to watch idly, from the stands, stuffed into a silken gown.” Grew shook her head in disgust. “I do not wish to watch a tournament. I wish to fight in one.”

As the words poured from her mouth, an idea sparked to life in her head and took hold of her. Before succumbing to a life of drudgery, she would enjoy one glorious hour of triumph!

Book: Chivalrous by Dina L. Sleiman, Bethany House Publishers, 2015

Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Romance

Target Audience: Girls and Boys 13+

Subjects: Faith in God, Pride, Trust in God rather than self, Abuse, Abortion, Immorality

Summary: Marriage. Every young woman’s dream. Except Gwen’s. Not only does she not have any interest in marriage, her father’s idea of marriage is to get her under control by finding a strong man who will not allow her to do any of the things she enjoys, a man who will keep her very tightly under his control. All Gwen wants to do is spend her days jousting, horse riding and climbing trees – the very things her father finds completely unacceptable for a woman to do. Suddenly though, the simple act of attending the Duke’s tournament sets into motion a chain of events Gwen could never have dreamed of – including the meeting of the one man who actually stirs her interest.

Allen, still hurting a bit from a proposal rejection is simply looking for a place in the world where he can fight for the right reasons under the right leadership. Rumors says that Edendale is exactly that. It’s where the legends of King Arthur are lived out in the kingdom. The tournament sets of a whirlwind of events for him as well. He finds himself a pawn in a movement much bigger than himself.

Both must rethink exactly what it means for one to be chivalrous.

Notes: Chivalrous is second in the Valiant Hearts series. This series focuses on showing strong, independent women and the strong men who love them. The author is encouraging young girls to be bold and strong and follow where God leads them and then if/when God brings a knight in shining armor into the picture, to join together in following God.

Chivalrous focuses on a woman who is wrestling with her desire for things viewed unladylike by society and an independence from a controlling, abusive father. Due to her father’s character and yet willingness to claim to be religious, she has no faith of her own and an incorrect view of God Himself. Allan opens her eyes to the truth of how God views people, especially women and the love God has for her. Allan wrestles a lot with pride. He starts off humble, but when he finds himself thrust into a position of power, he starts to believe it’s owed to him, that God is just obviously rewarding him for being such an extremely good person. A word from a priest recalled at just the right time knocks him back down, showing him that he is allowing his pride to lead him places he was never supposed to go.

Overall, the book clearly shows the spiritual struggle of the characters from the very beginning and continues the theme consistently through the book.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Enjoyment Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 103:6-14 – The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

Thank you to the author/publisher for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I greatly enjoyed it!