Book Club: Book Review of Britfield & the Rise of the Lion

 

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We have been eagerly awaiting the release of Britfield & the Rise of the Lion by C.R. Stewart as we really enjoyed the first book in the series. From the concise recap in the prologue to the exciting ending, I could not put the book down. In Britfield & the Rise of the Lion, we join up with Tom and Sarah as they have washed up on the shores of France after the end of the first book. 

The Plot 

Where to begin? There are so many wonderful details in the 471-page paperback book, as well as a few key twists and turns that I hardly know where to start. Should I start with the amazing locations, the characters that come to life, or the exciting plot points? At the heart of the story are Tom and Sarah, who escaped from Weatherly Orphanage in the first book, so let's look at the characters. 

Characters of Book II 

• Tom – A "scrappy little orphan" with a "brash attitude and obnoxious behavior" (quoting Sarah) who is probably the most important figure in the Britfield series 
• Sarah – A young orphan from Scotland who helps support Tom and inspires him to keep going 
• Professor Hainsworth – While he was a key figure in the first book, we only spend a few pages with the professor as we follow his journey back to health in France. 
• Detective Gowerstone – A former member of a secret British military/police organization and Scotland Yard who has spent the last ten years looking for the lost child of the Britfields 
• UK Prime Minister – A man that was once a trusted friend to Gowerstone who is sadly involved on the wrong side.
• Detective Fontaine – A member of Interpol who was contacted by Gowerstone to look after Tom and Sarah in France 
• Detective Gustave – Fontaine's partner who continues to work at Interpol for a brief time in the novel. 
• Allistair – A key member of an organization that helps keep Tom safe in France. 
• Oliver Horningbrook – The son of the UK Prime Minister who helped Tom and Sarah in Book I and will play a key role in Book II. 
• Sir Henry Horningbrook – The uncle of Oliver and brother to the UK Prime Minister. Henry also holds an important role and position in keeping Tom safe. 
• Strauss – An imposing member of the secret organization that is trying to find and capture Tom. 

Locations of Book II 

While Book I took readers across the countryside of England to Oxford, Canterbury, and London, Book II is set in France. Once again, homeschoolers could spend time researching the locations and learning more about the places as they exist in real life. 

• Monastery at Mont-Saint-Michel 
• Notre Dame 
• Eiffel Tower 
• Louvre 
• Chateaux Chambord 
• Lyons 

Main Plot Points 

Without giving away too many of the twists and turns, I want to share a few of the main plot points with you. All of these actions within Britfield & the Rise of the Lion are well-developed and give readers the impression that you are right beside the characters. 

• Tom and Sarah getting to Paris. 
• Tom and Sarah escaping the clutches of Marcel and the others who are attempting to kidnap or eliminate them for the Committee. 
• The fight of good versus evil and how organizations across the world are involved in it.
• The rescue of the kidnapped. 
• The attempt to get to Italy and thus leave France. 

My Thoughts 

I feel like this book was published at exactly the right time. Woven into the tale of Tom and Sarah is a dark story of secret organizations that are really controlling the governments of the world. This secret Committee is behind the problems Tom - and possibly - Sarah faced from the moment they were orphaned. The Committee would do anything with their limitless resources of weapon power to remain in control and get Tom. 

We see a struggle between good and evil as Detective Gowerstone tries to protect Tom and Sarah. Sir Henry Horningbrook takes his years of research and uses it to bring light to the evil of the Committee. As a world, we need to see good triumphing over evil. Our children need well-written stories that can inspire them to follow God and do good in the world. 

What Should You Know as a Parent? 

Britfield & the Rise of the Lion is a story where your children will read about the forces of good and evil. There are chase scenes across the streets of Paris and through the levels of the Eiffel Tower. Gun battles take place in several locations across France, and there is a kidnapping as the sinister group that operates clandestinely tries to remain in control of the world. The action moves quickly in this novel, which has a lot of history sprinkled throughout. While there are accidents and deaths, none of the violence is gory or drawn out. Many preteens and teens who would enjoy this book will have already experienced similar violence in video games or popular television shows or movies. 

I would recommend parents read at least a selection of Britfield & the Rise of the Lion, if you aren't going to read the entire book before giving it to your preteen or teen. Our oldest, who does not enjoy reading, thoroughly enjoyed reading Britfield & the Lost Crown and picked up that copy several times to see when the next book was scheduled to be released. Now that I am finished reading Book II, I will be passing it along to him to read. 

I think many will enjoy this novel and I can't wait for the next book!