Imagine a world that is untouched by evil, where pain, greed and crime don’t even have words to describe them. Imagine a world where everyone is honest and pure; a world where Adam and Eve never sinned, and mankind was never cast into a lonely world to be confronted with our own mortality. This is Dionia, the world where Luik, son of Lair, lives and grew up in.
But the world is changing, and a once defeated evil is beginning to stir again. Even as rumours of Morgui’s rise begin to circulate, people are already disappearing, and strange weathers of cold, snow and rain are beginning to besiege a people that have known only the warmth of summer. It is in these dark days that Luik is summoned from his carefree life as the son of a great king, to join the elite ranks of the legendary Dibor. His training is brutal, moulding him from a laughing boy to a wise warrior just in time to help resist Morgui’s host of Dairne-Reih as they advance on Dionia’s capital city of Adriel.
The Good
The world Christopher Hopper has created for The White Lion Chronicles is rich, being full of history and complex cultures. This adds some much needed credibility to his story, making it believable enough that I could actually imagine it happening in a real place somewhere! In addition to this, the whole concept of the Rise of the Dibor (based on a world without sin) is rather unique, which, along with his vivid prose and superb character development, makes the whole book very enjoyable to read.
The world Christopher Hopper has created for The White Lion Chronicles is rich, being full of history and complex cultures. This adds some much needed credibility to his story, making it believable enough that I could actually imagine it happening in a real place somewhere! In addition to this, the whole concept of the Rise of the Dibor (based on a world without sin) is rather unique, which, along with his vivid prose and superb character development, makes the whole book very enjoyable to read.
The Bad
One of the main issues that I had with the Rise of the Dibor however, is in Hopper’s concept of wound healing. Essentially, because the people in his book live in a constant union with God, any wounds or injuries that they sustain heal instantaneously. So far, this is believable within the realms of fantasy and Hopper makes a big point of this early on. Later in the book however, once the fighting has begun, this idea kind of gets thrown out the window and Hopper’s characters quickly begin to acquire injuries. Although Hopper does offer an explanation for this (so he is clearly aware of the issue), I felt that his explanation was rather shaky and did little to set the matter to rest in my mind. Due to this, I feel that he would have been better off just leaving the idea out of the book altogether.
One of the main issues that I had with the Rise of the Dibor however, is in Hopper’s concept of wound healing. Essentially, because the people in his book live in a constant union with God, any wounds or injuries that they sustain heal instantaneously. So far, this is believable within the realms of fantasy and Hopper makes a big point of this early on. Later in the book however, once the fighting has begun, this idea kind of gets thrown out the window and Hopper’s characters quickly begin to acquire injuries. Although Hopper does offer an explanation for this (so he is clearly aware of the issue), I felt that his explanation was rather shaky and did little to set the matter to rest in my mind. Due to this, I feel that he would have been better off just leaving the idea out of the book altogether.
Another qualm that I had with the book was Hopper’s continuous appraisal of God. Despite not being deeply religious myself, I have no problem with faith and people glorifying God if that’s their belief and way. I just felt that the extent of Hopper’s appraisal in the book was too much. For example, he could mention it five or six times on some pages, which took my attention away from the plot and almost made the book read as religious propaganda rather than a fictitious story.
My Thoughts
Despite the issues that I have mentioned above, I thought that the Rise of the Dibor was a very well written book that I greatly enjoyed reading. It is very unique, at least in my reading experience, and I definitely recommend that you give it a go and explore Dionia in The White Lion Chronicles - I know I will be, continuing the series with its next instalment, The Lion Vrie, pretty soon!
Despite the issues that I have mentioned above, I thought that the Rise of the Dibor was a very well written book that I greatly enjoyed reading. It is very unique, at least in my reading experience, and I definitely recommend that you give it a go and explore Dionia in The White Lion Chronicles - I know I will be, continuing the series with its next instalment, The Lion Vrie, pretty soon!
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