But the King is at work delivering the city and rescuing the poor and needy and bringing them to the Great Park. Under the influence of the evil Enchanter, the people of the Enchanted City prefer darkness to the light, and so sleep during the day and work at night. The main returning character is Scarboy, an orphan boy who escapes from the Enchanted City with his brother, Little Child, and becomes Hero in the service of the King.Īlthough the stories have distinctive allegorical qualities, they are more like religious fables or fairy tales, drawing on the imagery of the kingdom that Jesus Christ Himself taught in His ministry. The stories are all separate events often involving different characters, but are bound together as part of a larger story as the Enchanted City is rescued by the exiled King and becomes the Bright City, leading to a joyous conclusion as the people of Great Park and Bright City begin the Great Celebration at the conclusion of the Restoration. Each volume consists of twelve fantasy short stories, set in a city ruled by an evil Enchanter who has usurped the throne from the true King.
First published in hardcover in 1983, 1986 & 1996 with delightful illustrations by Jack Stockman, these three books have been reissued in softcover in 2000, but now with a limited number of black-and-white illustrations by Linda Wells which don't do much to enhance the text.
All children (and adults), Christian or not, can enjoy these tales of the kingdom.ĭavid & Karen Mains' Kingdom Tales consist of three volumes: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. Most Christians will recognize the virtues and allegories that are woven into these tales, but the book is not preachy. From silly knights and a girl named Dirty to a prideful baker and a princess and a dragon, the tales are vivid and delightful. But interspersed with his story are tales of other inhabitants of the park. The story of Hero and how he comes to understand who he is and what his place in Great Park is is the main theme of most of the tales in the book. One starts off reading of a boy, Hero, and his younger brother who manage to escape from the oppressive Enchanted City where people are only allowed to be awake at night to the pleasant Great Park. Tales of the Kingdom manages to have both fantastic allegorical stories and stories that are good as just stories.
It is rare that one finds a book of Christian allegories that is really good. Nevertheless, the stories are still worth reading and I highly recommend them. I do realize that most of those pictures scream "1980's", but they really added something to the book. As a child, I would sit and stare at the bright, intricate pictures for long periods of time as I read through the stories. But then I discovered that this new printing had left out all of the pictures which had been one of my favorite parts of the books.
#KINGDOM TALES BY DAVID AND KAREN MAINS SERIES#
When I first saw that this series had been reprinted, I was quite happy.
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