“Guns of Thunder” – A Review

A few months ago when we received our Vision Forum catalog, my sisters and I were excited to find that Douglas Bond, author of the Crown and Covenant Series that my sisters and I so enjoyed, has written the first two books of a new series called the Faith and Freedom Trilogy. I bought the books in our next order and the day after our “U. S. Meal”, I started reading “Guns of Thunder” by Douglas Bond, out loud to my three sisters. (Joshua is usually there too but I think the only thing he pays attention to is the rhythm of my voice and the idea that if he catches me off guard, he just might be able to snatch the book out of my hand! :)

Douglass Bond is a contemporary author living in Washington State. He lives with his wife and six children. He is a teacher of English and history and his books are the product of extensive research. Besides the Faith and Freedom Series, he is also the author of the Crown and Covenant Series which includes, “Duncan’s War“, “King’s Arrow” and “Rebel’s Keep”.

“Guns of Thunder” was published by P & R Publishing in 2007. The book contains 42 chapters and 255 pages. Besides the story, the book also contains a timeline in the back, that marks the significant events in history at this time. “Guns of Thunder” is part one of the Faith and Freedom Trilogy. Part two is entitled “Guns of the Lion”. Part three, I think and hope, is to be published this year.

“Guns of Thunder” opens in the year 1740. The setting is Wallop, Connecticut. “Gun’s of Thunder” is actually a sequel series to the Crown and Covenant Series. The main character, thirteen year old Ian M’Kethe, is the great-grandson of Duncan, one of the main characters from the first series. In the colonies, rumors of war, between the English and the French, is becoming more prevalent. The rumors say that the French will have American Indians for allies… what will that mean for the colonists? Will the Indians be brutal towards them? When King George’s War is declared, all seems to stay quiet and calm for a season, then the Indians start massacring innocent colonists. The war is coming closer. By the time Ian is eighteen, battles have been fought and blood spilled. Ian’s cousin, Roland is a prisoner of the French in Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. Ian decides it is time he went to war, so with the blessing of his grandfather, mother, sister and brother, he goes but… will he be of any use… will he survive… and above all, will he be able to find and rescue Roland…?

My sisters and I really enjoyed “Guns of Thunder”. It is not as intense as the Crown and Covenant Series but it is well written and immensely interesting. Through it all is woven the story of Ian coming to a real relationship with Christ and accepting His covenant for himself, not just living off of his Grandfather’s faith. As with the other series, this book has historical characters such as, Jonathan Edwards, skillfully woven into the story.

I would highly recommend this book!

To the KING be all the glory!