A while back, quite a while, unfortunately, Landel Bilbrey graciously sent me a copy of his book, “Sentinel: City of Destiny” to review on my blog.
With apologies to Mr. Bilbrey, it took me far to long to write this review.
Sentinel: City of Destiny is a fiction story written for boys ages 8 and up. Its purpose is to illustrate to them “foundational character traits that God wants to see in a mature man.”
The Four Keys of Mettle (Manhood) are Vision (Proverbs 29:18), Courage (Joshua 1:9), Integrity (1 Chronicles 29:17), and Service (Luke 10:27).
Throughout the book, there are paraphrased scripture references, which are worked into the story under the fictional name “Logos.” The Logos reference can be decoded to locate the supporting scripture verses quite simply.
I thought it would be interesting to find out what a boy in the intended age range thought about the book. After all, that is who will be reading it.
So, I asked my 11-year-old son, The D, to read the book. Then, I sat down with him and asked him to share this thoughts about it.
What was Sentinel about?
It was about a quest for seeking Sentinel and the temptations will try to pull you away.What did you like about it?
It was a good action book with lots of cool things in it.Was it obvious to you that Sentinel was a metaphor for something?
Yes.What do you think it was a metaphor for?
Seeking God.Did you learn anything from this book?
That there are lots of temptations that will try to pull you away from seeking God.Didn’t you already know that?
I did not know there were that many.Did you decode any of the Logos passages?
Yes.What did you think about that?
It was cool. It’s cool that he came up with that.Would you recommend this book to other boys your age?
Yes.What about boys that are not Christians?
I think they would enjoy it, too.Is there anything else you want to add?
No.
To be honest, I was rather shocked to find out that he did not realize that there are so many temptations that stand in the way of seeking God.
I think that is an example of why books like this are good.
My husband and I try to instill biblical principles, as does our church, but it really does take other influences as well. We can never be sure exactly what will take root in their minds and hearts.
Not only does Sentinel provide a “good action book” with a great message, but it also includes resources in the back of the book for further discussion and reflection.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book.
I have not finished reading it, but when I do, I will also post any further thoughts I have.
For more information, visit the Bridgemaker Book homepage, where you can read the first 6 chapters in PDF.
