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Such was the fate of Owen Reeder, for as he took his last step of what could be called a normal life, something caught him at his waist. His feet and arms flew forward along with his head; then he snapped back. Owen was suspended in midair.
That’s when he heard the whisper. . . .
“Courage, Owen.”
Nothing special is the best way to describe Owen Reeder—at least that’s what he’s been told all his life. When a stranger visits his father’s bookstore, Owen’s ordinary life spirals out of control and right into a world he didn’t even know existed.
Owen believes the only gift he possesses is his ability to devour books, but he is about to be forced into a battle that will affect two worlds: his and the unknown world of the Lowlands.
Begin the adventure.
Before the series began, Jenkins had carved out a career writing other people's autobiographies -- he ghostwrote or co-wrote those of Billy Graham, Orel Herschiser, Hank Aaron, and Nolan Ryan, among others -- as well as writing novels and a few inspirational books on marriage and parenting. Tim LaHaye also wrote books on marriage and faith, served as the pastor for a ministry in California, and co-founded The Pre-Trib Research Center, a Bible scholarship group dedicated to the study of end-times prophecy. LaHaye spent several years searching for a coauthor who could take his vision of the earth's last days -- including that intriguing image of passengers vanishing from an airplane -- and spin it into fiction. Finally, LaHaye and Jenkins were introduced by their mutual literary agent at Alive Communications, and Jenkins began writing the story of airline captain Rayford Steele, whose wife and son vanish along with millions of other true believers. Those "left behind" on Earth have a last chance to choose sides in the ensuing battle between good and evil.
The books became a blockbuster hit. Sales of the Left Behind series soared with each successive volume, and by 2001, ABC News reported, 50 million had been sold. "The formula combines Tom Clancy-like suspense with touches of romance, high-tech flash and Biblical references," The New York Times wrote, explaining how its authors pulled off "an unparalleled achievement for an evangelical novel." LaHaye and Jenkins were stunned by their own success: "I've been writing for 40 years, with 12 million books in print, but I've never seen anything like this," said LaHaye.
The series has spawned a slew of spinoffs: comic books, calendars, a young adults' series, dramatized audio recordings and a movie based on the first book. It has also generated controversy, both within and without the Christian community, for issues ranging from politics (the U.N. figures into the story as a tool of the Antichrist) to Scriptural interpretation (many New Testament scholars reject LaHaye's belief, first popularized by John Nelson Darby in the 1830s, in a seven-year tribulation period following the Rapture).
But LaHaye and Jenkins are convinced that their message is getting through to their readers. They estimate that more than 2,000 people have converted as a result of reading the Left Behind books. "And needless to say, for us that's more important than bestsellers, or money, or anything else," says Jenkins.
To tell the story of Owen Reeder-the whole story and not just the parts that tickle the mind and make you laugh from the belly like one who has had too much to drink-we have to go into much unpleasantness.
So if you are faint of heart and can't stand bloody battles and cloaked figures in the darkness and invisible creatures (or visible ones who don't have much of a sense of humor), and if you don't like to cry over a story when someone you love is taken, then perhaps our tale is not for you. But if you'd like to read about a young man with seemingly no future but dreams he can barely hold in his head and about a war between opponents as far apart as east is from west-one side that loves evil and seeks to kill and destroy the hearts of good people and another that wants desperately to free those good people from tyranny and injustice-and about the deepest love the heart can imagine, then we welcome you.
Since this story concerns a young man named Owen and it occurs today in our time, you might think we would begin on some basketball court or in some school hallway, and I suppose we could have begun there, for Owen certainly found himself on many courtsand in many hallways.
But we begin in a world far away, in a castle lit by candles, in darkened stone hallways that echo sadly with memories of a baby's cry and a mother's tender kiss. A man stands on a parapet, which is not two pets but a low stone wall on a balcony meant to keep those foolish enough to stand out there from falling to their deaths. The man is regal, which is to say he has good posture and wears embroidered robes and a crown, so anyone with half a brain can guess who he is. He looks out at his kingdom shrouded in darkness and shudders. Perhaps it is the chill wind coming across the water or the moonless night. Or perhaps he has a cold.
But as the man turns and walks into the inner chamber, there seems to be more wrong than the weather or his health. He silently slips into the hall, alerting guards standing at attention on either side.
"Anything wrong, sire?" one whispers.
"No, I simply have a request." The man speaks quietly, not wishing to wake his wife or any of the nobles in the castle. He imagines their making the discovery in the morning, but for now he focuses on the task and gives simple instructions.
When he is finished, the man steps back inside the chamber and gazes at his sleeping wife. His face contorts, and it appears his heart will burst from some long-held emotion. He leans over the canopied bed and gently kisses the woman. She has an anxious look, even in sleep. The man slips something she will read in the morning under her pillow.
If you were to inch closer in the flickering candlelight, you would see a tear escape the man and fall silently to the bed. The man's gaze sweeps the room, as if this is the last time he will see it, as if he is saying good-bye to the lampstands and the velvet curtains and the map of a huge kingdom mounted in a massive wooden frame.
He walks to a baby's crib in the corner and runs a hand along its dusty coverlet. The man appears to have lost some- thing valuable, to have spent years searching every nook and cranny of his kingdom. He seems to be longing for something from his past.
But what?
If your eyes were to linger on that crib, on the fine wood inlaid with exquisite detail, you would miss the man's instant exit, not through the main door past the two guards but through another passageway, secret and cloaked from view.
The man pads down narrow stone stairs, feeling his way in the dark, reaching for support from the cool walls on either side. You might be scared that a rat would scurry past, but the man walks resolutely, hurrying.
We will not tell you how many levels he descends, but when the air changes to a musty dankness and he feels water on the walls and mud under his feet, his gait slows and he reaches a chamber that looks and feels rarely visited.
He pulls around him a dark curtain fastened to the wall, hiding himself from view. We see no other living being, and the room is totally, blindingly dark, yet it appears the man is hiding. Let us be clear. He is in the bowels of the castle, behind a thick curtain, in total darkness. We hear scurrying and the flap of heavy clothing falling to the earthen floor. Then grunting and something heavy being pulled or pushed from its rightful place and the fluttering of the curtain as a soft breeze enters.
One more sound-a click and the opening of some compartment. Something is removed and placed heavily on a stone, and fabric is tied. We hear more struggling-as if someone is trying to squeeze through a small space-then stone upon stone again.
Inside is still, save for a trickle of water down the wall and the soft whirring of insects inside the stone cracks. But if you were to put your ear to one of those cracks, or if you, like an insect, were to crawl between the stones and reach the chill of the night air, you would hear the soft lapping of water against a shore and the even softer sound of oars rowing away in the darkness.
This man, now in tattered clothes with a heavy blanket over his shoulders, does not look as if he deserves to live in a castle. When he reaches the shore on the other side-and it has been no small feat to row to this distance against the wind-he steers into a small inlet and covers the boat with branches and dead limbs that appear to have been gathered in anticipation of this very trip. The man slings a wrapped pouch over his back and quickly walks away, the food stuffed in his pockets telling us he does not plan to be back for breakfast.
You may ask, if this is such a cloudy, moonless night, how is the man able to navigate the soaked earth and craggy rocks without falling off the sheer cliffs only yards to his left? Has he walked this route in his mind, planning it from the parapet of the castle?
By the time the sun casts crimson shadows, he is at the wood and into the thick trees. A fox scurries to its den with a twitching rabbit hanging from its mouth.
When the sun peeks over the horizon, the man is deep in shadows, adjusting his pack as he glides through white-barked trees as thick as clover. He reaches an ivy-covered wall on the other side of the grove, out of place in the wood. He scans the mountain, taking in its majesty, then reaches to move the ivy to reveal a circular crest bearing the image of a beast, a dragon. To some this would appear to be an entrance, but it is not. It is a barrier, a rock so thick that the man could work a lifetime and not move or dislodge it.
The man places his pack on the ground, unties it, and pulls out a book, the edges of its pages golden, the thick leather cover creaking as he opens it. He runs a hand over a page and the letters carefully inscribed there.
He turns as if he has heard something behind him, then pulls the blanket closer to his face and turns back to the book. As he begins to speak, the words come to life and something magical-and wonderful-happens.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from THE WORMLING BOOK I: The Book of the King by JERRY B. JENKINS CHRIS FABRY Copyright © 2007 by Jerry B. Jenkins. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Anonymous
Posted February 22, 2008
The Book of the King, by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, is non-stop adventure for all ages! I got 'The Book of the King' for Christmas, and I made the mistake of not reading it right away. My brother got it, and and almost strangled me telling me that I need to read it. So, I decided it wouldn't hurt, and I gave it a shot. 'The Book of the King' is the of the best books I've ever read! And I'm not the type who gives books five stars easily, but this series has me gripped 'till the end! It's AMAZING!
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 12, 2012
This is an awesome book. I read the whole seires. Its a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Its an amazing book. Five stars!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 27, 2008
This book is so good, I couldn't stop reading it!! I enjoyed it so much!! Owen Reeder finds so much about his unknown life, and about his father's. With help from The Book of the King, and Mucker, Owen finds his way into the Lowlands. An adventure begins when he meets Watcher and Bardig. But a mysterious invasion from the Dragon happen when Owen is in the Lowlands. Read this great book!!!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 28, 2012
This book is one of my favorites. It is about a boy who believes he is nothing special. But one a strange man shows up at his fathers bookstore containing a strange book that captivates owen. Finally when owen gets his hands on this book he realizes that he is worth way more than what he once thought. This is very well written. It is written as a narrator telling this story. This book is meant to be read as a series. I really enjoyed reading these. I believe i have read each of these books ar least five times. I dont normally read jerry b jenkins but these books were supberb. I will not pressure you to read them as some people would. But if you havent read these you are missing a lot. Also i might add that these books added a great deal of characterto my life ( i am thirteen years old female) godd for ages 11+ ( even i could have read them at age 6)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 10, 2013
Sigh.....At one point it was free but only my siblings had Nooks not me.And now6.70
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 6, 2013
This book is amazing! It really captivates u, and i like how its in 3rd person. Get it! Its totaly worth it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 21, 2013
Kk?
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 10, 2013
Really enjoyed every page!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 12, 2012
The book is in 3rd person. Narrated by an all knowing power. There are many sidebars by the narrator that are destracting. The story is a fun fast read. All action is quick and with little detail. The are many wonderful passages from "the book" that if read alone give you great paise for though. At the end you are left caring for the characters enough that you want to read more.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 24, 2012
A-w-e-s-o-m-e AWEOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 19, 2013
This book is really good i read the whole book series if you like this read left behind the kids
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Posted April 18, 2013
Boring and not intresting at all i read it 18 times its just so boring i would never reccomend this its confusing dont read it thats my opinion thank you:-)
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Posted April 3, 2013
Great book and got it for free. There is no better combo than that.
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Posted March 24, 2013
I love this book with all my heart! I got it on mu nook just to see what it was and when i started reading it before i went to bed one night, i couldnt put it down, and finished it. Words cannot express the feelings i now have for this book. Recommend it for any and everyone who loves to read!!! :)
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Posted March 22, 2013
If your're the kind of person who gets excited over books with alot of chapters, this is for you! 171 pages! This is an exciting christian book that i couldn't put down.
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Posted March 18, 2013
To jumpy
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Posted December 12, 2012
He is! Love this series. I'm in the middle of The Changeling.
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Posted June 22, 2012
Very good book. Interesting story. Ending leaves little to desire as the story abruptly ends leaving the reader questioning what happen.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.christinereed
Posted June 6, 2012
This story starts out strong with a captivating mystery surrounding a boy who grew up over a bookstore, run by his father. He encounters more and more fantastic creatures and has to fight for his life, while clinging to a book given to him by a brave man.
Owen loves books, but this book draws him like no other. Eventually, he is drawn into another world and the beginnings of a search for the missing son of a king.
While the characters and story are interesting, there is not much resolution in this book. It is obviously meant to be read as part of a series. So, very few of the mysteries surrounding Owen have any answers at the end of the book.
It's a good read, though, and enough to keep you interested in Owen's life and what's going to happen to him.
Anonymous
Posted May 21, 2012
Amazing,can't wait to read the next book!!!!!!!!!!!
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Overview
Such was the fate of Owen Reeder, for as he took his last step of what could be called a normal life, something caught him at his waist. His feet and arms flew forward along with his head; then he snapped back. Owen was suspended in midair.
That’s when he heard the whisper. . . .
“Courage, Owen.”
Nothing special is the best way to describe Owen Reeder—at least that’s what ...