About the Book
Book: Demolishing the Stronghold
Author: Allen Brokken
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Release Date: November 4, 2023
Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan finally found respite for their whole family in the grove surrounding the Wellspring of Life. However, the threat of the Dark One’s forces still looms over the Heathlands, and lighting the tower of Light in Blooming Glen is their only hope of cleansing their land of The Darkness once and for all. While the family plans a surprise attack on the stronghold at Blooming Glen, the Bishop calls forth the Calamitous Drake, a monster forged from the essence of The Darkness in the corrupted heart of the Iron Mountain. In the midst of the battle, the monster scatters the family, leaving Mother, Uncle, and Tye in the hands of Lord Refi’Cul and the evil giant Skull Crusher who aims to make Tye his wife and become the Master of the Heath Wardens
The children must take to the skies to forge a weapon capable of defeating the Calamitous Drake. Will Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan’s faith give them the strength to Demolish the Stronghold?
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About the Author
Allen Brokken is a teacher at heart, a husband, and a father most of all. He’s a joyful writer by the abundant grace of God. He began writing the Towers of Light series for his own children to help him illustrate the deep truths of the Bible in an engaging and age-appropriate way. He’s dedicated 18 years to volunteer roles in children’s ministry and youth development. Now that his children are off to college, he’s telling stories and sharing clean humor on social media.
More from Allen
As I worked to close out the Towers of Light series, I had to work hard to develop something new and different that still fit the 1800s frontier setting. I had a lot of pressure from my readers to bring a dragon to the prairie. On multiple occasions, I had to remind my biggest fans that there aren’t any dragons on the prairie. But they were insistent that dragons make an appearance.
So, as I put the final touches on the previous book, Wellspring of Life, I thought that the censors spreading evil could bring evil things into the world to corrupt the prairie. So, the concept of a dragon formed from the censor’s smoke made a lot of sense. But what would a “Smoke Dragon” be like? I shared the idea with my Realm Makers critique group, and they helped form something that early feedback says works well. The dragon’s name, The Calamitous Drake, is also an homage to a line from “The Hobbit” that refers to Smaug as a great calamity.
With a dragon flying about, I also had to devise a way for the kids to engage it in the air. This took significant research as I didn’t want to introduce giant eagles or something else that didn’t exist on the frontier. As I investigated different options, I discovered that hot air balloons were more common in the 1800’s than I thought. It turned out they served in minor roles during the Civil War and used a technology they called a gasifier to fill them up. I took some artistic liberty with that, and Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan now had a way to get off the ground to meet the dragon in the air.
This story was so much fun to write, and early reviews from my biggest fans say it was the perfect end to the series.
My Review
“If God was for them even the dragon would not stand against them.”
Book six in Allen Brokken’s Towers of Light series, Demolishing the Stronghold picks up where Wellspring of Life left off and draws readers into another thrilling adventure, this time to bring the story to its conclusion. Indeed, my only disappointment is that it’s ending! This is exactly the type of book that I would have feasted on as a child, with its perfect blend of action and adventure as well as Christian values and good old-fashioned imagination. These qualities make the Towers of Light series timeless, not restricted to a particular time period. Furthermore, as Brokken explains, he uses titles rather than names for the adults in the story to preserve the flow of the tale when reading aloud, and to make them more relatable to young readers. This series needs to be read in order, and at the beginning of each book in the Towers of Light series there is a summary of each previous book, as well as details about the factions, cast of characters, and world of Zoura.
Being the final book in the series, Demolishing the Stronghold focuses on the theme of victory, but as with any battle between light and darkness, success does not come easily, nor without cost. Brokken skillfully demonstrates the fact that consequences are not always inescapable, and that sacrifices must often be made during the battle. As Lauren, Aiden, Ethan, and their friends learn, doing the right thing is often difficult, requiring a conscious choice that might go against what they would prefer to do, but listening to the still, small voice inside them will always result in the best outcome. In addition, they realize how important it is to work together to accomplish their goals; just as in real life, they cannot do what needs to be done on their own. It takes each person’s skill set and gifts working together to succeed. Given all of this, Demolishing the Stronghold, and the entire Towers of Light series, make for both entertaining and enlightening reading for children, especially, as the situations and dangers that the characters face are akin to parables for the current struggles that kids face, from bullying to betrayal to separation from loved ones.
In Demolishing the Stronghold, the non-stop action is coupled with winsome characters who reflect the qualities of light and darkness while also showing the complexities of human nature. And this pertains to the non-human characters, as well! Brokken is as imaginative in his character building as he is in his world building, adding extra depth and heart to each book in the series, which culminates in this sixth installment. He captures the emotions of the children realistically and believably, and unlike many children’s authors, he neither elevates nor denigrates the adults in the story. They, too, make mistakes and are imperfect, and they do not always have all the answers. In Demolishing the Stronghold, Lauren receives recognition for her leadership by the adults and is given additional responsibility in decision-making, which parallels the increased responsibility and privilege accorded to kids in contemporary society. Also, Brokken does a wonderful job of providing various perspectives of the characters from all sides of the conflict, be it light, darkness, or neutrality, and in so doing offers insight into each, which is important to understand. For these reasons alone, Demolishing the Stronghold deserves a place at the top of your reading list, especially in today’s world.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.
Blog Stops
Artistic Nobody, November 11 (Author Interview)
Fiction Book Lover, November 12 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 12
Texas Book-aholic, November 13
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 14
Guild Master, November 15 (Author Interview)
Lots of Helpers, November 15
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 16
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, November 17 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, November 18
Blossoms and Blessings, November 19 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, November 20
A Reader’s Brain, November 21 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, November 22
Lights in a Dark World, November 23
Beauty in the Binding, November 24 (Author Interview)
Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Allen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
For the Love of Literature 