Review – Truth
Makilien can’t take it anymore: there must be more to life than the monotony of the town she grew up in. Something is missing. The arrival of a stranger gives Makilien the push she needs to actually leave and discover what is out there. Strangers become friends and open her eyes to the evil she’s been blind to for years. Her warrior heart aroused, Makilien joins the fight against Zirtan’s forces. All the while searching for what’s always been missing from her life.
Truth is the tale of a girl’s search for God, though she doesn’t realize He is what’s missing. Molly Evangeline leads us in a journey across Dolennar to discover what the truth is and where it can be found. Along the way we meet a cast of characters who willingly accept Makilien and are ready and willing to show her the way.
There’s one thing that has stood out to me since I read Truth. Over the past year I’ve been passively considering the meaning and portrayal of chivalry. In Truth there were a few things that contradicted my idea of chivalry. If you’ll pardon me a few spoilers…
[SPOILERS]
No one has any real objections to Makilien traveling to Minarald even though all of them are figuring the final battle will happen there. Wouldn’t men like Halandor, Torick and the elves want to keep Makilien somewhere safe? (i.e. the elvish capital that Halandor claims is one of the safest places in Dolennar) I can understand that Minarald is a well defended city, but there is doubt that victory will be achieved over Zirtan’s forces.
Later Makilien requests to join the group that will be seeking aid from two neighboring countries. One of these countries is an ally to Minarald, but the other is not. Makilien is still allowed to go. I was seriously concerned at this point. What? She’s accompanying a group of men into foreign countries where she may or may not be exposed to capture? What are these guys thinking? Okay, yes, they’re only going to the allied country, but what if something unexpected happens?
Lastly, and I’m skipping a bit here, Makilien is allowed to join the army in the final fight against Zirtan’s army. No one puts up a fuss or questions the idea of her safety. I know the king is hard pressed for soldiers, but he’s that open to teenaged girl joining his ranks? (I don’t recall the appearance of any other female soldiers to explain his openness). Serious questions of chivalry arising here.
[/SPOILERS]
In a sort of summery, I felt that Makilien was allowed to do some things simply because she was the MC and the story followed her. I have been questioning the role of women in my own stories and wondering if things go a certain way for them just because I chose to make them the MC. This is something quite important to me when considering stories and characters.
However, these are my personal opinions. What Evangeline offers with this book is a good, clean, Christian fantasy story. Though more Christian and clean fantasy is popping up these days, they are still on the outer edges of mainstream fantasy.