Black Horses for the King

Black Horses for the King, by Anne McCaffrey

Started 11.29.21 • Finished 12.10.21

"Galwyn gets a gold ring and buys a cloak, a pony, and leggings. Romans have left Britain so it is up to the Saxons to protect them. Canyd wants sandals for the horses so that their hooves will not get pierced. Horse sandals are difficult to make because they are not like normal sandals and you have to use a special kind of nail for them. Britons attempt to beat the Saxons in battle. Saxons win and Britain stays independent."

Neph, age 11

Flame Over Tara

Flame Over Tara, by Madeleine Polland

Started 11.04.21 • Finished 11.19.21

"The main character, Macha, encounters a Christian priest. He desires to preach the gospel in the whole of Ireland. He even wants to preach in the land of Erin, where vicious Druids live. He preaches for a while and goes on his way. He is killed by the Druids, who kill or seriously injure trespassers, but he squirmed out of attempted poisoning, freezing his wine cup. The poison didn't freeze. He lived a good life, even though he had a lot of enemies."

Neph, age 10

Beyond the Desert Gate

Beyond the Desert Gate, by Mary Ray

31/25 | Started 10.18.21 • Finished 11.12.21

"Apollodorus finds a man that was pegged in the desert and brings him home. Philo, the main character, calls him Xenos. Xenos can't remember anything and is disfigured. Xenos suddenly remembers that he was leading wounded men, children, and women somewhere. Apollodorus dies, and Philo is a servant, Conan, a stone mason, and Nicanor runs away. Xenos is Hylas. He's now a secretary. Nicanor becomes a Jew. Hylas wants to learn Aramaic. Hylas thinks that God won't rescue Jerusalem because the Jews prefer pain to a curbing of their will. Philo abandons camp because he doesn't like what they are doing to Gallianus and he wants to see Hylas."

Neph, age 10