Book: The King Raven Trilogy (Hood, Scarlet, Tuck)

Author: Stephen R. Lawhead

More info: Amazon listing here*

Plot Overview: The trilogy recounts the “original” Robin Hood story, set in Middle Ages Wales. The first book, Hood, contains the origin story of Rhi Bran (Robin), the outcast king on the run from the invading Ffreinc army. Some of the other traditional Robin Hood characters are introduced as well; Little John, Friar Tuck, and Maid Marian. Because the story is set in Wales the characters’ names are Celtic variants of the familiars ones we all know, which is fun. I enjoyed the storyline in Hood, which included an interesting look into the political and religious setting of the time period, as well as a study of Bran’s character. His trials humble him and the influence of his mentor, a religious “wise-woman,” really changes him from selfish man to a strong leader. His character is believable and multi-dimensional, a nice change from the stock male characters present in so many Christian fiction books.

The second book in the series, Scarlet, was my favorite. It centers on William Scatlocke (better know to us as Will Scarlet), and how he becomes a part of Bran’s Grellon, i.e. the “band of merry men.” The book is written in first-person from Scarlet’s perspective, switching between present and past tense. It took me a few chapters to get used to this, but once I did I found it really enjoyable. Scarlet is mostly an action-adventure story, complete with lots of archery, disguises, and “outlaw” behavior from Bran and his gang. It’s a fun, quick read, and has a nice, subtle romantic element as well.

Tuck was a good end to the series, but was my least favorite book of the three. The narrative switches back to past-tense third person, like Hood, which was fine to read, but not as engaging Scarlet. While Tuck introduced Alan a’Dale and wrapped up the story-arc nicely, it got bogged down in the middle. I think the book would have been much better were it about 100 pages shorter. My other issue was that there were so many characters by this time that all the Welshv names became confusing. The story includes names, words, and sometimes whole conversations in multiple languages (English, Welsh, French, Latin), which I think contributed to the “bogged down” feeling.

Pros: Overall, this is my favorite Robin Hood retelling (and I’ve read quite a few). I enjoyed the Middle-Ages-Wales setting because it was so different than the typical England-during-the-Crusades background. Lawhead clearly did his research and included a lot of great historical elements, like the political atmosphere, the influence (and corruption) of the Church, and the military environment of the day. The books also include some additional material on the historical elements included. It’s amazing how powerful a weapon the Welsh longbow was, and how much foreign armies feared it.

I enjoyed how the story contained all the traditional Robin Hood characters but gave them more depth than in most other tales. Rhi Bran himself was a very believable character; passionate, courageous, but imperfect. It was nice to see his character develop into a true leader, humbly relying on God and seeking advice from those he trusted. However, he never ceased to be a soldier and conducted his war realistically, killing enemies and losing some of his own soldiers as well. So much Christian fiction feminizes male characters and creates unrealistic stories where even soldiers don’t participate in the uglier sides of war. It was nice to have a story which explored mature themes like violence, diplomacy, collateral damage, authority, and nationalism.

The religious tones of the book were also a pleasant surprise. The Christianity presented in the story was woven with Celtic mythology/spiritualism which portrayed a unique view of God. I found it to be a refreshing change from most Christian fiction. However. . .

Cons: Those readers looking for a traditional evangelical portrayal of Christianity will be disappointed. God is real and praised through wonder at his creation, but Jesus is not really mentioned. Some of the characters, Tuck in particular, have a very close personal relationship with God, though several elements of Catholicism, like prayer to saints, are maintained. There are plenty of members of the Roman Catholic Church who are clearly not true believers but are using the might of the Church for their own personal gain. Historically true, perhaps, but still a little depressing to see so much abuse of power.

The book contains many descriptions of war violence, as well as mistreatment of civilians by corrupt authorities. The body count throughout the series is quite high, including a couple very emotional deaths in Tuck. Some of Bran’s military strategies rely on creating fear, including a few creepy displays of animal remains. There is a some adult language, primarily the expletive use of bodily functions and a few harsh insults. The language is not excessive, however, and is used appropriately.

Summary: I really enjoyed this series, despite the last book being too long. There was lots of action, a realistic and flawed protagonist, and exceptionally well-written historical details. I enjoyed learning about the Welsh culture and the intricacies of political and religious power. One of my favorite things was recreating Bran’s character as a freedom fighter instead of a wealth re-distributrionist. It was compelling to see him fight for the rights of his people against a tyrannical and corrupt government.

I would recommend this series to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and looking for something deeper than the typical historical fiction romance. The books require a good amount of attention to detail and willingness to work through the multiple languages used. The Welsh words and names are especially difficult, though there is a pronunciation guide included.

I wouldn’t recommend King Raven for kids younger than 13, mostly because some of the political/religious themes may be too mature to hold a younger reader’s interest. However, I think this series would be an excellent read-aloud for homeschoolers looking to supplement their history textbooks with something more engaging than a list of facts and dates. I’m already planning on using this series with my Little Ones when they are old enough, probably combined with some archery lessons.

I enjoyed King Raven, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Lawhead’s books in the near future.

*I am in no way affiliated with Amazon.com

Wow, my last post here was more than a month ago. Sometimes life just happens, you know? But one of the really exciting things that has been taking up my time is real estate hunting. Yes, Big Man and I are close to choosing a great piece of land to buy so we can start building our home! We are so excited to be moving forward with our dream and amazed by the blessings God has poured out upon us. I’m looking forward to getting back to blogging more often and including posts about the progress of our home-building adventure! But in the meantime, I do have a fantastic chocolate-and-peanut-butter treat to share with you.

When I made this cake I didn’t really intend to post about it; I just wanted an easy recipe that didn’t require lots of ingredients or steps. I figured I’d get a tasty dessert, but it since it wasn’t really creative or beautiful it wouldn’t end up on the blog. But then Big Man and I ate some and agreed that it is possibly that best cake I’ve ever made, so I knew I had to share it here.

This cake is the perfect example of two good things coming together and creating something outstanding. The cake is simple and mixed right in the baking pan, so there is almost no cleanup. I used dark cocoa powder to add a deep chocolate flavor, and the cake’s light texture is a perfect complement to the rich frosting. Speaking of frosting, what happens when you take simple peanut butter frosting and broil it? Magic happens. Pure magic. The flavor takes on great complexity and the top gets a crispy sugar shell reminiscent of creme bruleé. Plus watching the frosting in the oven as it bubbles like sugar-lava is really fun!

If you are a chocolate and peanut butter fan, I hope you’ll try this version of the classic combination. The balance of dark chocolate cake and decadent peanut butter frosting is really spectacular. Plus, this recipe is simple, fast, and full of inexpensive staple ingredients. It’s definitely at the top of our favorite desserts list and I know I’ll be baking this cake again in the very near future.

Dark Chocolate Wacky Cake (adapted from Big Red Kitchen)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9-inch-square pan, whisk together the flour, salt, cocoa powder, sugar, and baking soda. Make three evenly spaced wells. Pour the vinegar into one well, the butter into another, and the vanilla into the third. Pour the milk over the entire pan and stir until everything is well combined and there are no dry spots.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Broiled Peanut Butter Frosting (adapted from Tasty Kitchen)

Combine the ingredients in a stand mixer and mix until extremely smooth (we’re talking no lumps at all). I used the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 3 minutes.

Pour/spread the frosting onto the cooled cake.

Set the oven to broil and place the cake on the middle rack. Broil for 2-4 minutes, or until deep golden brown, watching very closely to prevent burning. I actually stand next the oven and hold to door open a crack so I can watch the whole time. The frosting can go from perfectly broiled to burnt in about 10 seconds.

Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving, otherwise the frosting will be too runny.

Enjoy!

Good Morning and Happy Spring! Grab a cup of coffee or tea and settle in for this week’s roundup of my favorite posts.

Kisses and Kiddos

No Fail Parenting Phrases – From The Confident Mom, this is a good list of clear and concise statements to improve communication with kids of all ages.

Top 10 Tips to Get Kids to do Chores - The Home Sanctuary blog has some wonderful ideas for encouraging (not nagging) kids to do their chores.

A Marital Intimacy Playlist - J from Hot, Holy, and Humorous put together a great list of clean romantic songs from different musical genres.

Yumminess

Bacon Cheddar Waffles - What can I say? It’s a waffle with bacon and cheddar cheese, and that sounds awesome. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe from Shutterbean.

Corned Beef Hash Eggs Benedict - If you are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this weekend, consider making this breakfast spin on the tradition dish. (From spoon fork bacon)

Cinnamon Espresso St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes - And then you can serve these beautiful treats from Bakingdom for dessert.

Just for Fun and Giggles

DIY T-shirt Dress - I have very few sewing skills, but this project from The Kurtz Corner looks so cute I might just have to try it someday when I learn to use a sewing machine.

And then there is this awesome picture of Baby Kraken! I dare you not to smile.

Enjoy your weekend!

My method has several benefits that I find helpful. First, I use my slow cooker to make the stock so I don’t have to worry about having my range or oven turned on for hours. Second, I use a whole chicken (instead of just bones) so I end up with a good amount of meat to shred and freeze for later use in recipes. Finally, even though it takes an extra few hours, I can make the stock fat-free which is really nice.

If you would like to try making your own chicken stock, I hope you find this method useful!

Homemade Chicken Stock (yields approx. 10 cups)

(my own method, adapted from several sources)

1) If necessary, remove the neck and giblets from the chicken. Rinse the chicken inside and out in cold water, pat dry with a paper towel, and place in the slow cooker.

2) Peel the onion and chop into halves or quarters. Chop the carrots and celery into ~3 inch pieces. Add the veggies to the slow cooker, surrounding the chicken. Add the bay leaf and sprinkle in the peppercorns.

3) Add 8 to 10 cups cold water (depending on the size of your slow cooker).  Add a splash of apple cider vinegar (about 1 to 2 tablespoons).

4) Cover and cook on low at least 8 hours. I usually start mine in the evening and let it go all night, about 12 to 14 hours. When the time is up, turn off the cooker and place the whole bunch of parsley in with the stock. Cover again and let cool for an hour or two.

5) Remove the chicken (it will be falling off the bone) and shred the meat. Refrigerate or freeze for later use.

6) Pour the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Discard the veggies, chicken bones, and seasonings.

7) Refrigerate the stock at least 8 hours, or until the fat has separated and congealed at the top. Once this has happened, use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the fat.

8) Refrigerate or freeze your stock or use immediately. I freeze mine in 2-cup portions in plastic freezer bags.

9) Celebrate your DIY success!

Book: Redwall (Redwall, Book One)

Author: Brian Jacques

More info: Amazon listing here*

Plot Overview: This book is the first in the Redwall series, recommended for ages 9-12. The story is set in Mossflower, a fantasy world entirely inhabited by animals. The inhabitants of Redwall Abbey, led by the heroic Matthias the Mouse, must defend their home against the evil Cluny the Scourge and his horde of rats.

Pros: I really enjoyed this book. When I first picked it up wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was hoping for an engaging, Narnia-esque story. While Redwall doesn’t contain any of the allegorical elements of Narnia, it has the same charm of a story about talking animals, a simple life, and the triumph of good over evil. One of my favorite things about the book was the vast array of forest creatures and the differences in their “cultures.” There are unique dialects (the mole-speech is especially fun), personality traits, and methods of government. While the different creatures don’t always get along well, they are willing to work together for the greater good.

The main character, Matthias, is brave and honorable. He is willing to sacrifice himself for his home and loved ones and shows great perseverance. The other inhabitants of the Abbey also display courage, mercy, and selflessness. Most of the animals in Mossflower  place high value on family and tradition, and desire simple things like good food, laughter, and friendship.

Cons: I didn’t find any negative elements per say, though there are a few things that should be approached with caution. There is quite a bit of violence and death; while the descriptions are not gratuitous, the story doesn’t shy away from war and casualties. Quite a few animals are killed by a giant, creepy snake.

The main villain, Cluny the Scourge, is undoubtedly evil and particularly vicious. He behaves callously toward his own “friends” and employs dishonorable methods of war. Fear is Cluny’s main weapon, evident in his appearance and fighting techniques, and his character might be too scary for younger children with vivid imaginations.

Summary: Redwall is a wonderful fantasy novel for older children that adults can enjoy as well. The story is well-written and nicely paced, though not a “thriller” by any means. I found it to be engaging and fun with some creative details and interesting characters. There is a clear delineation between good and evil and and moral values are upheld. I’d definitely recommend it for older children (those able to deal with the war/death themes) and any adult who enjoys fantasy. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and enjoying another adventure in Mossflower.

*I am in no way affiliated with Amazon.com

1. The Little Ones really enjoy playing together now. I love watching them run around, sing, practice the ABC’s, and play on the computer together.

2. Big Man and I enjoyed our Valentine’s dinner out. It was nice to be together, have a relaxing meal, and enjoy a movie that did not include singing Veggies.

3. Little Man looks so cute in his “big boy” crew cut. Plus it is easy and less expensive now that we can cut his hair here at home!

4. Little Lady is talking more and more each day. She knows most of her letters now and is starting to count. Very appropriately, her favorite word is “me.”

5. I’ve had lots of success in my recent kitchen experiments. One of my recent goals has been to include more veggies in our meals and trade pre-processed ingredients for homemade wherever I can. I’ve found some great veggie recipes that even I enjoy and I’ve successfully DIY’ed bagels, jam, flour tortillas, and chicken stock.

Hope y’all are having a great Friday! See you tomorrow for Sample Saturday.

Good Morning! Here’s this week’s Sample Saturday of my favorite posts from the last couple weeks.

Kisses and Kiddos

Love Changes Everything – A beautiful perspective in this Becoming Minimalist post.

On Raising Little Women (or Men) - A great post about the parenting and teaching lessons to be learned from Marmee, of Little Women. (post from Simple Homeschool)

Make a Homekeeping Mission Statement - A really cool idea from Home Sanctuary.  I’m still working on my mission statement, and I’ll be sure to share once it is complete.

Beyond Movie Night – A great list of fun and inexpensive at home dates from Beauty Through Imperfection.

Parenting 001 – I actually said “Amen” out loud when I finished reading this fantastic post at The Gospel Coalition

Yumminess

Espresso-Biscoff Heart Cake - I was all prepared to have a healthy, no dessert weekend until I saw this awesomeness from Sprinkle Bakes and decided I need to make it now.

Crockpot Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas - I like the idea of Mexican flavors in the slow cooker. This dish from the Foodie Bride looks like a great change from the usual pot roast.

French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - I actually made these last week and oh boy, were they good! Big Man loved them too. This Tasty Kitchen post has a nice set of step-by-step photos.

Cinnamon Streusel Chocolate Bread- Streusel and chocolate in the same recipe. Thank you, Bakingdom!

Just for Fun and Giggles

Paperman - This cute Disney short film has been floating around the internet for the last few days, and it is totally worth a look.  Does anyone else think the guy looks like Jim from The Office?

And finally, I found this on Pinterest and just couldn’t stop laughing.

Unless you’re a rhino who wants to be a unicorn. That’s not giving up, that’s refusing to bend to the pressure the media puts on rhinos to be more mythical.

Enjoy your weekend!

Here’s this week’s roundup of my favorite blog posts. Enjoy!

Kisses and Kiddos

You Can Never Ask Too Much - This post from the Desiring God Blog is full of encouragement and hope grounded in Biblical promises.

31 Days to Becoming a Frugalista - The Confident Mom is doing a series this whole month on saving money and running a home on an efficient and frugal budget.  It’s a great series and I’m learning a lot from each new post (the link above is for the kick-off overview post)

Household Organization, Part 2, Part 3 - Another great series is this one from Home Sanctuary.  I’m always looking for ways to run the house better, and I like they way this system is really easy to tailor to individual homes and priorities.

Yumminess

Cookie Butter Cream Cheese NY Style Crumb Cake - This just sounds absolutely amazing. (from the Vanilla Sugar Blog)

Creamy Crock Pot Mac ‘n’ Cheese – I’ve been getting a lot of use out of my slow cooker recently, and I’ll be trying this dish from Pennies on a Platter soon.

Soups to Warm the Soul – It’s soup season and this post from Picky Palate has a whole bunch of soups that look perfectly warm and satisfying.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Nutella, Brown Butter, & Sea Salt - Is it possible to have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes? I think not. (from Annie’s Eats)

Just for Fun and Giggles

And now, a real-life Angry Bird:

via *Very Clean* Funny Pics, Facebook

Enjoy your weekend!

I generally don’t use this blog to “rant” about things. I want it to be a positive place primarily focused on faith, family, and life as a full-time homekeeper. That said, sometimes I just get so bothered that I have to say something. Thus, a rant.

I read a lot of Christian marriage & parenting blogs. And there is a common theme among them that has been growing in popularity: the vilification of video games and those (especially men) who play them. There are the Q&A posts where wives write in complaining that their husbands play video games too much and the comments are filled with ladies women bashing men for enjoying this hobby. There are the advice columns written to Christian women warning them that guys who play video games are not worth their dating time because gaming is a sure sign the guy is still a child. There is the nationally-known pastor who categorizes all men who enjoy video games as immature, useless boys. And so on. The problem with this popular “Christian” stance on video games is that it is deeply flawed and is causing more harm than good.  Most of the articles condemning video games revolve around a few common points. I’d like to provide a counter-argument to these popular talking points in hopes that the Christian culture can move toward a more balanced, Biblical stance on video games.

Please understand that while this post is primarily written in terms of defending men’s right to game, I know there are women gamers out there (I’m one of them) and I think that’s great. But since most Christian anti-gaming posts focus exclusively on men (probably because they don’t want to believe lady gamers exist) my rant is written with that bias in mind.

1.) All video games are created equal. This is perhaps the biggest flaw in the “video games are bad” logic. Every post I’ve read about the evils of video games lumps them all into one category. However, that just isn’t reasonable. MarioKart is vastly different from Grand Theft Auto in terms of content and morality.  Angry Birds can’t be compared to Call of Duty. There are some games out there that are not appropriate for Christians (of any age) to play due to sexual content and other immoral situations. But the vast majority of games fall into that “personal conviction” area of acceptability in terms of content. If there is to be a discussion about the rightness of grown men, and women, playing games there needs to be an understanding that the content of each individual game matters. All games should not be condemned as evil just because there are some out there that truly are immoral.

2.) Addiction to video games is a sin. This is the most popular argument laid against adult gamers. Examples are trotted out of “World of Warcraft (WoW) widows” and men who play to the detriment of every other area of life. And those situations do exist and absolutely are sinful. However, the sin is the addiction, not the video games themselves. Video game addiction is no different from alcohol addiction, shopping addiction, or gluttony in terms of sin. Yet we don’t see many Christians out there arguing that no adult should ever drink a beer or take a second helping of cake. But have a wife write in to a Christian blogger complaining that her hubby games too much for her liking and the only response you’ll see is confirmation of his “failings” as a husband and father and calls for him to “man-up.” Now, if the husband is truly addicted, yes he needs to be confronted and fight the addiction. But the “addiction” card is thrown much too casually, and often just because a wife is unhappy her husband is using his free time for something she doesn’t enjoy.

3.) Video games are marriage killers. Well, no. The correct statement is “video games can be marriage killers.” And that’s true; just like every other hobby. Internet surfing, knitting, working out, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, blogging, watching TV, reading, any of these can kill a marriage if a person overindulges or doesn’t correctly prioritize. Moderation and time management are key. Any hobby should be lower in priority than God, marriage, kids, church, job, and any other necessary responsibilities. But video games in moderation are a perfectly acceptable hobby, and not the bane of marital bliss. Gaming can even be a mutually enjoyable activity. Big Man and I both enjoy gaming, so some nights we’ll spend an hour or so on the couch together while he plays XBox and I play on the laptop. We enjoy each other’s company, relax, and have fun.

4.) Playing video games is a waste of time. Ok, this one is true. Video games are purely entertainment, and in general don’t offer great mental stimulation or lasting benefits. However, this argument is generally just a front for what anti-gamers, particularly women, really mean. When a Christian woman complains that her husband is wasting his time playing video games, what she really means is that she would prefer that he waste time in the same way she does. It’s OK for her to spend a few hours on Pinterest or watching TLC but her husband shouldn’t spend a little time gaming? Talk about a double standard.

Usually at this point the Reading Trump Card (reading is a better use of time) is thrown. I’ll agree to a point. Reading the Bible or a piece of challenging literature is better than gaming. But usually “reading” refers to what Christian women are reading, that is, Christian fiction. And the vast majority of that is no more mentally stimulating than a Call of Duty online match.

5.) Video games are childish, and not an acceptable hobby for grown men (and women). And this right here is my biggest beef with the Christian anti-video-game crowd. The ever-present “boys play video games, but men have better, more mature, and holier hobbies.” Really? Sitting on your couch for hours watching the NFL or UFC or NASCAR is more mature? It’s holier? Puh-lease. Video games are no different from any other entertainment in terms of maturity. Choosing to spend a few hours gaming rather than armchair quarterbacking a sports team doesn’t make a guy less of a man, or too immature to be a husband and dad. I don’t know why the Christian sub-culture has decided sports-fan-dom is socially acceptable while gaming is not, but it is a position that desperately needs to be changed.

I’d like to mention one less-obvious side of this anti-gaming stance and that is the ongoing attempt by the Christian sub-culture to feminize men. The church has worked hard, especially in the last 20 years or so, to uplift women and “tame” men. This is a problem that has resulted in a large percentage of men giving up on church altogether because they are tired of being told they are disappointing husbands, bad fathers, and oversexed animals compared to their wives who are emotionally mature, spiritual angels. Traditionally masculine careers like military service, construction, and law enforcement are discouraged and hobbies like martial arts, hunting, motorcycling, and adventure-type sports are looked down upon. Men can’t even have a poker night with the guys anymore lest they indulge in “gambling” and smoking a cigar or two. And so as the feminized church worked to destroy every shred of masculinity, the men retreated into the only source of adventure and manliness they could find: video games. And the church wants to take that away too. It’s a very sad situation and one that I hope changes before it is too late.

So there it is. My “rant.” I hope this has provided a different viewpoint than the standard Christian anti-gaming post. I’d love to see more support out there for Christian gamers and hopefully work toward removing the stigma attached to an adult who enjoys video games. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this so if you’d like to share your views the comment section is wide open. Thanks for reading!