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| Beyond the Summerland (The Binding of the Blade, Book 1) | 
 enlarge | List Price: $16.99
Buy New: $9.71
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 46 reviews)
Sales Rank: 181112
Category: Book
Author: L. B. Graham
Publisher: P & R Press
Studio: P & R Press
Manufacturer: P & R Press
Label: P & R Press
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 593
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 1.3
ISBN: 0875527205
EAN: 9780875527208
ASIN: 0875527205
Publication Date: June 1, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 41 more reviews...
 A Christian who loves Tolkien November 18, 2008
After reading the 1st book of this series, I decided to read the rest of the series before writing a review since it is the series that we judge over just a single book of that series.
I decided to write this review for fans of fantasy novels since that is the main target audience for this series. First, let me point out the positive aspects of this series:
1. It is written from a strong Christian perspective. Of all of the positives, I consider this its strongest. It is truly an allegorical story, and one can see aspects of this as one reads through each of the books.
2. The characters are multi-faceted and therefore complex. This is certainly true of those who are both "good" and "evil".
3. The author is very detail-driven in some respects. This shows itself in different ways and eventually becomes a significant drawback of this series as I'll describe below.
Negative aspects of this series:
1. The author goes into excruciating detail in the conversation sequences. I've read many, many books in my life and have read many authors whether in the arena of fantasy literature or outside of it, and I have never encountered an author who spends so many pages on conversation between the characters within the book. In fact, this has gotten to the point where the books of this series feel artificially bulked up due to the conversation sequences that often have some semblence of connection to the main storyline but at times are completely superfluous to the story. I can't stress enough for a potential reader of this series to consider whether they like this type of writing or not. I happen to find this distracting when it gets tedious and even annoying when it appears to lead the reader off on tangents and delays moving the storyline along.
2. I love Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. I consider that the quintessential fantasy series. Although I have read many fantasy authors (both Christian and secular over the years since I wasn't always a Christian) and judge them on their own merits, I still rank Tolkien's series as highest and compare other authors in some ways to Tolkien. My comparison of Graham with Tolkien occurs along the lines of story "content". All 5 of the Binding of the Blade series books' content would probably be equivalent to the 1st book of the Tolkien series...perhaps just a bit more. The rest of the space is taken up in conversations between the characters that seem to endlessly drone on in places.
3. Perhaps my favorite Christian fantasy author is Stephen Lawhead who has some tremendously unique storylines that paint inspiring & complex pictures for the reader. I don't at this point feel compelled to read any more of Graham's future books after reading this series (I wanted to read to the final conclusion, at least). I had hoped that the books would show increased story-telling skill as I continued on through the series (I read Lawhead's inaugural series and did see that), but I have been disappointed in that respect. I do still have half of the last book to read, but I have been able to predict almost all of plot twists (with the exception of 1st book's ending) and so feel confident of how this will all turn out...outside of the often-stated prophecy references throughout this series. My biggest disappointment actually has turned out to be the surprise ending of the 1st book. I can't go into detail on that without revealing this, so I'll leave it at a general disappointment.
Summary: If you are looking first and forement for a Christian-themed fantasy storyline, you will find this series certainly acceptable. If you are looking first for a strong storyline, you will likely be disappointed with this series. I like both, so I rate this 3 stars.
 Blown Away October 16, 2008
(MY HUSBAND IS WRITING REVIEW) I was expecting a mediocre book based on the cover and some of the bad reviews. But I have to admit I was blown away at the world Graham has created. It is a pretty fast paced adventure that kept me turning the pages. I am a 23 year male firefighter who enjoys a good adventure fantasy book. I am halfway through and already ordered the next book in the series. Give Graham a chance, we need to support more good Christian authors.
You should read this book! September 23, 2008
This is a great book... A great start to my second favorite series. I was so surprised and amazed by what happened at the end!!!
Awesome series, first book not as good September 8, 2008
First of all, let me say, I absolutely love this series. It has depth and originality. It is one of my favorite fantasy series. Unfortunately, I feel that this, the first book, is not as well-written as the rest.
One of the biggest problems with Beyond the Summerland is the lack of good character development. In my opinion, Joraiem is a fairly shallow, slightly annoying character. On the other hand, I know many people love Joraiem. This being said, one of my favorite things about the rest of this series is the amazing character development. It gets superb in the later books.
I also felt that the book dragged on in some parts, and I took a long time to finish reading it, as it just didn't grab me. If you are looking for a high action adventure story, this series is not for you. However, if you want an interesting, well-crafted fantasy world with history and depth, then you may enjoy this book.
To conclude, PLEASE DON"T LET MY REVIEW SCARE YOU AWAY FROM THIS BOOK! I love this series, and don't like to criticize it. The author has a good story, so I don't mind some flaws in the way it is told. Please try the first book. I recommend it for teens and adults.
Great Christian Fantasy August 15, 2008
This book starts off as a rather normal fantasy, complete with the standard average-young-man-who-discovers-he's-got-a-destiny main character. But the author skillfully builds the story into a gripping fantasy with a touch of romance. Joraiem's struggles are believable and relatable for fantasy fans of both genders. Tense battle scenes are balanced with emotional struggles.
The only problem for first time readers is the shocking plot twist at the end. Those who preserve through the entire series will come to understand it, even if they never are satisfied with the ending. My only other recommendation is to check the entire series out at one go. Once you read the first one, you won't be able to sleep until everything is resolved in the fifth book.
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