My rating: 4/5
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods (Psalm 95:3)
Phenomenally written, Resistance by Jaye L. Knight, is a gripping and exhilarating story that encompasses themes of truth, faith, courage, and redemption to highlight God’s love, power, and redemption amid chaos, apostacy, and violence.
Resistance is a Christian fantasy novel, that depicts the journey of main characters Jace and Kyrin, as they each experience life changing circumstances that takes place in the fictional land of Ilyon, where majority of the citizens have long ago abandoned the truths and principals of King Elom, an allegorical name representing the Lord God. The current governmental leadership under the rule of emperor Daican, has made belief of Elom extremely dangerous, since he forbade the worship of Elom through his declaration that anyone who refuses to worship the idols of Aertus and Vilai, will be severely punished and publicly executed. Although many agreed to the idolatrous worship, there remained a remnant of those who believed in Elom and refused to worship the idols.
“We will stand for what is right, and good, and true. We will protect and aid each other and all those Elom brings into our path. We will remain faithful to Him, even when it may cost us our lives, and we will stand firm against the evil that will soon surround us. We will not back down. Each of us, right here, right now-we are the resistance” (Trask, Resistance).
The protagonists of the story are Jace and Kyrin. Jace is a half ryrik, whose bloodline is unfavored, due to the ryriks being seen as cunning, quick tempered, and brutally violent. Unfortunately, Jace is considered a monster and lives most of his life hated, abused, and untrusted. As a mistreated slave, he is suddenly rescued by Rayad, a man on the run for his belief in Elom, who helps him heal from the emotional and mental scars from his brutal past. However, an unexpected tragic event occurs that forces Jace and Rayad into a campsite that serves as a secret safe haven for fellow believers of Elom. The tragic event depletes Jace of the hope and faith he acquired since Rayad rescued him, and he is left in deep despair.
Kyrin is a young woman who was removed from her home as a young child and forced to attend Tarvin Hall, a place for extremely talented and gifted youth, who are trained to serve emperor Daican. Kyrin is gifted with a keen memory and the ability to insightfully read people. She and her twin brother, Kaden have lived in Tarvin Hall for ten years and are treated as outsiders. They despise the school and emperor Daican’s idols, as they secretly are believers of Elom. Kyrin receives a surprising promotion that lands her in the emperor’s palace, however she is confronted with either worshipping the idols, or face death. Her tumultuous journey leads her to the campsite, where she meets a spiritually broken Jace. An unlikely friendship develops amidst chaos and the threat of capture and execution.
This is the first work of Christian fantasy that I have read, and I was immensely pleased. Author Jaye L. Knight masterfully created an enthralling story that consists of elements of fantasy including heroic adventures and hierarchies, while upholding the major theme of Christianity within the prose. There were no magical or mythical elements, and no dark supernatural creatures. The setting takes place in the primary world as we know it, with fictional locations, and includes heroic characters who stand on their faith in the face of torture and death. The characterization is masterfully done. As the reader, you become effortlessly invested in the characters. The story is so well written with descriptive prose, that during certain scenes in the book, I could feel the sheer strength, despair, and agony that the characters experience in the story. The plot is well paced, which makes for a page turning read. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series, and I highly encourage others to read this book as well. You will not be disappointed.
Purchase it on Amazon! #CommissionsEarned
