Beckwood Brae, by Australian Christian author David Webb, is a recent addition to the crowded field of fantasy novels. Clearly influenced by both Tolkein and Lewis this is a well written and engaging offering that stands in its own right as an example of the genre as well as exploring overtly Christian themes along the way.
Beckwood Brae, the first in an intended series, plays out over a series of journeys and battles as the oppressive Corriian Empire seeks to extend its grasp over surrounding lands. Enlisted to reluctantly help are the unassuming men of Herelstrom, especially Tom the Roper and Norri who makes his living collecting and selling nuts. Both will become key figures through the narrative; Tom as he rises to the challenges set before him in leadership and Norri as he unwittingly fulfils a prophecy that is key to the story that unfolds. The story is complex with many memorable characters engaging in at least three concurrent plot lines. The clarity with which this is communicated is testimony to the skill of the writer.
Many themes are woven throughout the narrative but the main interest concerns issues of manhood and particularly the question of what it means to be a man. This theme is played out in the lives of many of the main characters in both wartime and domestic settings. The thought of writers such as Robert Bly, John Eldredge and Larry Crabbe is influential at this point.
David Webb states that he wanted to write a book for young men and it certainly fits that bill. This is not to say that it won't also be enjoyed by female fans of the genre. It is an exciting and fast moving story with memorable heroes and hideous villains, epic deeds, an imagined world that is like but not quite like our own, and all the other conventions of the genre presented. Within the classic framework of the confrontation between good and evil subtle Christian themes are woven with "invisible' forces helping the heroes at various points as well as more overt expressions of faith and prayer being a prominent feature of many of the main characters. Central to both the plot and thematic development is the notion of fatherhood and its importance, a theme which combines the emphasis on what it means to be a man along with some observations about a world that has lost contact with its (F)father(s).
Fantasy novels of this sort are not everyone's cup of tea but for the many young people, especially, who do enjoy this genre Beckwood Brae is an offering that may gently challenge and provoke thought along Christian lines as well as certainly entertain.
Bill Salier is the Vice Principal of Moore Theological College and a lecturer in Ministry and the New Testament
