When Ending a Golden Age Was Good: An Epic Christian Fairy Tale

By Anthony Grant

This tale was inspired to counter the current culture of evil plaguing our society, nation, and world. Throughout its pages, it points to Christ and faith as the only cure to these ills.

The first story takes the reader back to ancient Scandinavia, around 700 AD, during an era of dragons and other evil creatures. It is a critical juncture in time for Christianity in Europe as pagans were converting to the saving faith. The primary clan or family is the O Grants and their kingdom, and it chronicles faith being handed down from one generation to the next. For historical intrigue, it also has the O Grants allied with real kingdoms and clans of that era, united in a common faith in their fight against common enemies. Real geographic destinations, including mountains, bring the story to life, and a special weapon is given to this clan that will intrigue young minds reading it. Even some survival tips are offered as our heroes face extreme elements.

Parents will be reassured in knowing that Christ Jesus is mentioned over and over unapologetically as a rich source of comfort and hope and a reminder that He never lets us down when we put our faith in Him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512776102

Anthony Grant

Anthony has spent over two decades organizing and leading various children’s ministries including stateside mission trips; summer VBS camps; leading small boys groups akin to scouts; heading up Sunday School ministry as Superintedent; and earned a certificate in Congegational Assistance from Martin Luther College through their Capstone course. As a father of five, and somone who deeply cares for those children entrusted to his care, he was inspired to write these tales of faith in Christ Jesus to help children and their parents have something safe and inspiring to read and rekindle hope in these dark times. He and his family currently call Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, home but having lived in both Midwestern cities and quaint towns, he prays this will touch the hearts and minds of children from every background and nation.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-7611-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7612-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-7610-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017902576

WestBow Press rev. date: 03/01/2017

CONTENTS

Preface and Address to Parents

Chapter 1 A Celebration Spoiled

Chapter 2 Call to Arms

Chapter 3 History of a Wise King

Chapter 4 Origins of the Arrow

Chapter 5 The First Feat of the Arrow

Chapter 6 New and Rekindled Alliances

Chapter 7 Evil Put on Hold

Chapter 8 Embattled Journey

Chapter 9 Breath of Evil

Chapter 10 A Golden Era Ended

PREFACE AND ADDRESS TO PARENTS

If a parable used by Jesus Christ was an earthly story to explain a heavenly meaning, then I strive with this book and its sequels to achieve such means. I am an unapologetic Christian praying in earnest that this country wakes from its spiritual slumber.

These books are written in the hope that you as parents will have a useful tool and ally in raising your children while navigating the treacherous waters of this increasingly dark and evil world.

In my youth and as a young adult, I looked to two authors as spiritual heroes, and these men were extremely influential in my spiritual journey and maturity. C. S. Lewis and Martin Luther both are giants in Christian apologetics and wrote many influential works, but both of these men also saw it as essential to teach spiritual truths and values to children, the next generation of believers.

It should come as no surprise that their works dedicated to children are their most widely read and the ones we are most familiar with. They understood that if they did not hand off the spiritual baton to the next generation, the race would be over and generations would be lost to spiritual death.

It is for this reason that I am so inspired to write Christian stories for this generation of children. I don’t pretend to be the equivalent of Lewis and recreate Narnia or have the ability to capture doctrinal truths like Luther’s Small Catechism, but I am a father who wants nothing more than to leave my children a legacy of faith and of Christian values and principles.

I don’t have a doctorate in theology. As Lewis put it, I am only an "ordinary layman¹." I am a fisherman among highly educated Pharisees and Sadducees. But fishermen who are led by and filled with the Holy Spirit can do great things, last I checked. If you are an unbeliever reading the aforementioned, you may be rolling your eyes, but you don’t understand the power of God’s Word to transform lives and redirect entire countries and kingdoms to a peaceful and loving society. Our country is tragically spiraling away from this as America walks away from Christ and Christian values.

This Christian fairy tale series takes place around AD 700 in an era of little preserved literature in Northern Europe. It is a story that follows a Christian kingdom nestled in Scandinavia.

It teaches young boys the values of becoming young men who are full of courage; who are vigilant in defending their faith, country, and families; and who honor their parents and reintroduce the forgotten art of chivalry. Yes, it’s okay for men to open doors for ladies and offer to pull up a chair at a table. These stories celebrate women cherishing their feminine qualities and enjoying being ladies of the house. It will strive to counter our current culture that states we are all the same save minor biological differences and that we, as a nation, are facing a gender identity crisis.

What a ridiculous assertion—and one we need to fight. God created us male and female and it is our vast differences that make us whole and stronger when united in marriage. It is a beautiful design that God intended as a partnership and one where we complement one another in love. To assert otherwise unravels the very fabric of the family and, in quick order, society as well. And we are seeing that occur right in front of our eyes.

Many of these Christian fairy tales have a dragon as the central adversary and embodiment of evil. The dragon represents two enemies of the Christian faith. The obvious is Satan, but the dragons also represent his faithful ally—world governments, specifically the large ones that are hostile to believers and God’s Word. Historically these are communist and Sharia forms of government but recently Western forms of government as well.

It should be noted that I do not mince words when it comes to properly defining evil and evil entities in these novels. A dragon is evil; a witch is evil; sorcery is evil; and yes, any religion that leads people away from believing in Christ as Lord and Savior and away from eternal life in Christ’s kingdom is evil too. These are not my words; read the Bible. (Ref. Luke 17:1, 2; John 14:6; and John 3:16 for Jesus’ own words.) We attain heaven no other way then