Best Villains of 2016

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Anaerfell, Calamity, Into the Shadow Wood, Les Miserables, Siren's Song, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Magician's Nephew, The Prince Warriors, The Warded Man, Top Ten List, Unfinished Tales, Villains

Welcome to the third installment in my Top 10 of 2016. Be sure to check out my previous posts if you missed them, and check back in the coming days for the remainder of the series. Today I cover the best villains from books I read in 2016, so read on to find out who made the cut!

December 26: Best Books I’ve Read in 2016
December 27: Best Book Covers of 2016
December 28: Best Villains of 2016
December 29: Best Boyfriends/Girlfriends of 2016
December 30: Top 10 Books I’m Looking Forward to in 2017

10. Poneros from The Prince Warriors by Priscilla Shirer

The unseen evil force responsible for the never-ending war going on in Ahoratos, and the fictional stand-in for the forces of evil in our own world. His behind-the-scenes presence is strong enough to earn him a spot on the list.

9. Braeden from Into the Shadow Wood by Allison D. Reid

Granted, he never actively appears during the novella, but his fingerprints are all over the things descending upon Einar and his companions. The sinister overtone to this book grants Braeden a spot on this list.

8. Jadis from The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

She snaps Uncle Andrew into complete subservience. She attempts to tempt Digory into using an apple for his own selfish wants, which would have twisted its power to make him and his mother miserable instead. And she will become the White Witch now that she has been unleashed upon Narnia.

7. Tyran and Drast’s father from Anaerfell by Joshua Robertson and J.C. Boyd

There is a lot of evidence throughout that Drast and Tyran have been molded into who they are by their father, who is abusive and power-hungry, which leaves the reader questioning whether the actions of the two brothers are their own fault or if the blame should fall squarely on the shoulders of their father.

6. Glaurung from Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien

He manipulates Turin Turambar and his family into a tragedy that leaves them all dead. Glaurung is a sinister dragon that puts Smaug to shame, and is a part of one of the most heart-wrenching and memorable tales that Tolkien ever wrote.

5. Prof from Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

An unexpected shift, placing one of the primary heroes and the mentor of the series into the role of a super villain for the final book in the series. Things are intense as David and company try to defeat their old leader who has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.

4. Fernand Mondego, Danglars, and Villefort from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

They betrayed Edmund Dantes for various reasons, each one remaining silent as the man wrongly suffers for years of imprisonment. You cannot help but cheer Dantes on as he exacts his plots for revenge over the course of the book.

3. Inspector Javert from Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The dogged persistence shown by Javert as he pursues Jean Valjean time and again makes him a memorable villain. His struggles with the morality of the situations, as the book winds down to its end, elevated him to become an even more interesting character.

2. The Rock Demon from The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

This thing is massive. It loses an arm and spends a lot of the book chasing after the main character, who was responsible for the dismemberment. This demon is the thing of nightmares, as are many of the things that made appearances in the first book of this series.

1. Draewulf from Siren’s Song by Mary Weber

Ancient, wolf-formed shapeshifter whose armies are sweeping throughout the land, conquering kingdoms and dispatching rulers. Draewulf is exactly the villain I both love and hate, and the fact that his power continues to grow stronger makes him a looming threat.

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Book Review: The Prince Warriors and the Unseen Invasion by Priscilla Shirer and Gina Detwiler

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Armor of God, B&H Kids, Book Review, Christian Fantasy, Ephesians 6:10-18, Gina Detwiler, Middle Grade, Priscilla Shirer, The Prince Warriors, Unseen Invasion

I’m celebrating my chance to review a second book off the list I posted two months ago about books I was excited for still in 2016. The first book, Kingdom Prayer by Tony Evans, delivered. How did this book, the second book in a series that I had already enjoyed, turn out? Check out below!

 

Title: The Prince Warriors and the Unseen Invasion

Book Two in the Prince Warriors Series

Authors: Priscilla Shirer and Gina Detwiler

Published by: B&H Kids (October 15, 2016)

288 Pages (Hardcover)

Blurb: In this second book in The Prince Warriors trilogy, the Prince Warriors face new challenges on earth and in the unseen realm of Ahoratos. The enemy, angry about his last defeat, is targeting them with weapons and tactics they had never imagined, including the flaming Olethron. The kids must turn to Ruwach and the Source, who can give them more pieces of armor to help them stand strong against this deadly threat.

My Take: Wow, what a trip this second book turned out to be. The feel of this book was very different from the first in the series, and in a good way. Internal conflicts take the center stage for almost all of the main Prince and Princess Warriors. There are some new warriors introduced over the course of the book, some of them being a welcome surprise.

Perhaps the iconic scene in this book was the early encounter with the Olethrons. It was great to see which of the warriors stepped up, how others followed that lead once the bold decision was made. The different personalities of the warriors provide for extremely unique circumstances that they are being placed in. Some have struggles early in the book, whereas others run into problems later in the book due to their own actions, or in some cases their inactions. I loved the dynamics that each person, and situation, provided as they worked through similar, yet distinctly unique, situations that came up over the course of the book.

It was awesome, of course, to see them gain two new pieces of the Armor of God in this book. The shield, in particular, was executed in an interesting and unique manner. Like Evan, I cannot wait until the Swords come out (I assume in Book 3) but they always have exactly what they need. These warriors are a strong core team, and I am confident that children (and adults) reading this book will find at least one boy or girl in the book that they identify with more than the others. It is a diverse cast that I will be sad to leave behind after the third book because, I believe, that is the final planned book in the series.

The unseen invasion is the last thing I wanted to mention, if only briefly, because it demonstrates the idea that the spiritual war is being waged in our physical world. Most of the people in the world at the time of that unseen invasion were oblivious to what was happening around them, and even were confused by the orders, and actions, of those who could see that invasion. When living out our spiritual walks today, there are often decisions and actions that we will be called to make that will make no sense to those who are living in the world. They might question our choices, perhaps even mock or scorn us for them, yet we are to still engage in that spiritual warfare using the complete Armor of God. It was a nice touch, and something that would lead into some great discussions with the children reading the book.

Like the first book, I highly encourage children and adults to read this. It is engaging for audiences of all ages, from middle grade readers on up. It contains so much scriptural truth in there that are bound to lead into some wonderful discussions and discipleship moments in the home. This series should be on everyone’s radar, and with the final book coming out next year this will be a trilogy that deserves a place in every family’s bookshelf.

**Note: I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Prince Warriors by Priscilla Shirer

Tags

Armor of God, Book Review, Christian Fantasy, Ephesians 6:10-18, Gina Detwiler, Middle Grade, Priscilla Shirer, The Prince Warriors

Title: The Prince Warriors (Book One in The Prince Warriors Series)

Authors: Priscilla Shirer and Gina Detwiler

Published by: B&H Kids on April 27, 2016

288 Pages (Hardcover)

Blurb: The battle is real.

As brothers, Xavier and Evan are used to battling each other. But now they’re discovering that there is a much bigger battle going on all around them. And it’s their turn to fight. Based on Ephesians 6:10–18, The Prince Warriors is the first book in Priscilla Shirer’s epic new series that brings to life the invisible struggle ensuing in the spiritual realm. Xavier, Evan, and their friends have typical lives until they enter a mysterious land called Ahoratos. There they meet their guide, Ruwach, who offers wisdom and direction as the kids’ initial adventure begins—an adventure filled with armor and danger and a very real enemy.

Written by New York Times Best-Selling author Priscilla Shirer, The Prince Warriors series was created for middle-grade readers and will include the fiction trilogy as well as Unseen: The 365 Prince Warriors Devotional and the Unseen app.

My Take: Do not let the ages of the protagonists of this book fool you, this is not just a book for kids. While it is certainly a Middle Grade fantasy fiction book, it excels at being something that people of all ages should be able to read and enjoy. This book’s premise is centered firmly around Ephesians 6:10-18, the Armor of God, but it contains so much spiritual and scriptural depth within these pages that even an experienced Christian could absorb some great insight and practical application from this book.

I absolutely love a good Middle Grade book, and this one rates right up among the highest. The group of protagonists are all easy to identify with, and all of them have both their flaws and their strengths. Not only will a reader be able to identify with at least one of these main characters in the book, it is geared as well to allow an inward reflection and invites you to personally consider yourself within the scope of the world as a Prince Warrior or a Princess Warrior.

If it isn’t clear, there is a lot of love for this book and I cannot wait to dive into the second book, which recently came out, and the companion devotional for the series. There is a lot of promise being built up, and certainly room for character growth as the main characters only possess half of the items listed in Ephesians 6:10-18. Yet, as Ruwach often tells them, they have exactly what they need for the times and trials that come their way (which often leads to some interesting and unique things happening).

The final verdict is this: buy the book. Don’t just buy it for your children, or children of your friends, but buy it for yourself first. Buy it, read it, and then pass it along. This would make a great book to read and discuss with your children, as it is an engaging book for all ages and contains a wealth of talking points where you can demonstrate application in their own lives. I imagine that the devotional accomplishes this to some extent, and hopefully that will be a review for another day soon.

I received a free eBook copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.