Wednesday, October 24, 2007

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jonathan Rogers is the author of The
Wilderking Trilogy of fantasy-adventure novels for young readers. He received his undergraduate degree from Furman
University in South Carolina and holds a Ph.D. in seventeenth-century literature from Vanderbilt University. He lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife and six children.

Visit Jonathan's website at:
www.wilderking.com



ABOUT THE BOOK:

A shepherd boy heeds the call of the wild and finds it's a call to save his country

The prophet Bayard arrives at Longleaf Manor, estate of Lord Errol with an unanticipated announcement: Aidan
Errolson, Lord Errol's youngest son, is the Wilderking. But the weight and glory of this pronouncement is yet to be shouldered.

In the meanwhile, Lord Errol and his sons attend a Treaty Feast celebrating a pact signed between Corenwald and the Pyrthen Empire. But Corenwald is double crossed by the Pyrthens and they go to war.

The story unfolds as Aidan begins to walk the way of his destiny through the
feechiefolk and a showdown with the
Pyrthen champion Greidawl ending with an epic battle to save the kingdom of
Corenwald.

This first book in the Wilderking Trilogy is sure to capture the hearts of young and old alike, in the fashion of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia tales.


REVIEW:

"Twelve-year-old Aidan, the youngest son of Lord Errol of Longleaf Manor, is sure he is meant for greater things than keeping sheep. After all, he survived a tangle with a feechiefolk boy named Dobro Turtlebane and together they killed a rampaging panther. The prophet Bayard agrees, proclaiming him the future Wilderking, despite the jeers of his older brothers and the concern of his father, who is loyal to the Corenwald king. This is forgotten when the clan is invited to a treaty feast, celebrating a pact between their kingdom and their long-time enemy, the idol-worshiping Pyrthen Empire. It quickly becomes apparent that the treaty is little more than a scheme to conquer Corenwald, and Aidan's brothers head off to war. After a series of wild adventures with the feechiefolk, Aidan joins his siblings, battles a giant, and leads a covert operation to blow up the Pyrthens' secret weapon. At the same time, mention of the "One God" goes into overdrive, the battle between the giant and Aidan begins to sound a lot like the story of David and Goliath, and the Biblical overtones can no longer be ignored. Yes, this is Christian fantasy, but the emphasis is definitely on the fantasy. Roger's writing is terrifically appealing. Aidan is a treat, and secondary characters are (except for the king) believable. The adventure and the humor are first rate. Fans of "Narnia" will find this just to their taste, and will look forward to future installments.
-- Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library


Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers is NOW available in hardcover.
To purchase,, just click HERE!