'The Sword of Teneraz' by Elizabeth Marie Kauffman

Recently, I picked up a book that a friend of mine has written, entitled 'The Sword of Teneraz'. My friend, Elizabeth Kauffman, published it last year, and I had been wanting to read it for some time, but with one thing and another, I didn't get around to cracking it open until last week. And I'm so glad I did! It's over 350 pages of pure adventure (insert blissful sigh here). I was in dire need of some wholesome distraction (I've been sick for the past week and half), so I picked it up and started reading...

At first, I thought it might be a little weird reading a book written by someone I know personally, I've never had that experience before! But after the first few pages, I stopped imagining her writing the book :-), and got lost in the story. Yay!

Without giving too much away, I will tell you that the story is a bit of an allegory that takes place in another world and another time (I love those kinds of stories!). It follows the adventures of three new-found friends as they escape from the clutches of an evil king, and travel the length of the country to find help and sanctuary with those who oppose him.

The book is full of battles and swordfights (woohoo!), fantastical creatures and suspenseful escapes. It's an intriguingly imaginitive world, complete with its own languages. One of the things I love best about it, though, is the spiritual depth. It shows people for who they are - weak, doubting, hurting, prideful, fearful, kind, courageous - and shares that the faults can be overcome, and the good builded upon and grown.

Another thing I appreciated about 'The Sword of Teneraz' is something that's rarely touched upon in books or movies, and that is a respect for life. We get so used to seeing and reading about people dying and being killed in battle, it kind of becomes old hat. We don't think about the fact that a unique life has just ended. A person. Even those on 'the other side', the 'bad guys', are lovingly created human beings. And taking the life of another person, even rightfully in war or self-defense, changes you. There's no going back. And it's not something to be proud of, not something to gloat over. It's a very serious thing.

In all of this, the characters are directed back to the fact that there is Someone bigger than they are. Someone in control of the world who cares for their well-being. Though they may not understand why they're being asked to do what they have been, they can trust that it will work out for good. And that is what the story is truly about.
The battle between good and evil is a great part of the story, but ultimately, it's about learning to trust the King. And that makes it well worth the read, in my book.

Below, you'll find a link to Elizabeth's book on Lulu.com:

And this is a link to Elizabeth's blog, where she posts updates on her books, among other interesting things. :-)

Oh, and guess what? "The Sword of Teneraz' is just the first book in a series! Yay! Elizabeth is currently writing the second book in The Chronicles of the Sword of the Kings, which will be called 'The Wolves of Langoor'. So stay tuned!