The Dark Star by H R Hess

"Runa decided now was the time to slip away. She grabbed her bag and cloak, intending to run for the trees."

In Callenlas, dragons carry riders on adventures, and stars are rumoured to live among human beings. Caught up in a war that threatens everything they have ever known, a downtrodden apprentice and a discontented princess find themselves drawn closer and closer to the great King Elior.

Will he prove to be Zaphreth's greatest enemy, or the hero of Runa's legends?

Selected Commendations:

"Beautifully crafted, compellingly told and full of Bible truth that threads through a truly brilliant adventure. I loved it!"

Felicity Carswell, co-host of the Two Sisters & a Cup of Tea podcast

"H.R. Hess exhibits a care with words that is too rarely seen—her writing is simply beautiful.The Dark Star is for every boy who feels the pull to be something more, and for every girl who longs to choose a life of adventure and meaning."

Tama Fortner, ECPA award-winning and bestselling author

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Read other fiction from a biblical worldview by Reformation Lightning

Ages 12-16 | Themes of forgiveness and searching for significance

Title

The Dark Star
Author(s)

H R Hess
Series

Callenlas Chronicles
ISBN

9781838188368
Publisher

Reformation Lightning
Age Range

12-14s, 15-18s
Audience

Youth
Pages

320
Published

01/3/2022

Download a sample

Overall rating

4.4 based on 10 reviews

Betrayal & loyalty

I’d recommend you read this book if you like magic and adventure! The main themes are betrayal and loyalty. Reuben (age 8)

lynda

Need to read more

Overall this was a good book. Not everything made 100% sense...perhaps because it's part of a series. The plot was good. James, 10

Nikki

A Daring Story!

‘The Dark Star’ is a daring story of a girl called Runa who runs away and ends up a skyrider. I enjoyed it as there are lots of skyriders in this book! It was great to read it alongside The First Skyrider. I read both in a few days!! (Reuben, age 10)

Joanne

A Great Read

This book was amazing. I really liked how the character's had multiple levels and the story was well crafted. I especially enjoyed the mystery theme. I would recommend to 12+ year olds

Joshua Blomfield

Beautifully crafted

I love the Dark Star as it is a beautifully crafted story while also mixing two polar options and outlooks on life together. It shows the unexpected ups and downs of the characters’ lives, things you might not have thought of before and helps you understand to be happy with what you have. It makes you question yourself and whether you are actually on the right path. It teaches some amazing life morals. Elizabeth (age 12)

Mhairi

Fantasy novel

Although some parts were quite gloomy the ending was very satisfactory and portrayed a positive Christian image. George (aged 12)

Anna

One of the best adventure stories I've read

Many authors can sketch us a distant snow-flecked moutain range, or show us the feathers twitching on an eagle's wing. It is a far rarer writer who can type three sentences of dialogue that leave us with wet cheeks or pumping our fist in the air. These writers make their characters' lives matter so much to us that we miss our bus stop or the call to dinner. H. R. Hess is one of these. The Dark Star is her remarkable novel. Buy it for all your young people, both girls and boys. They will love the dragons, the mind reading, the intrigues and the growing relationship between the girl and boy protagnonists. But most importantly, they will emerge from the last page feeling like they have woken from a glorious dream.

Ross

Exciting Dragon Adventure - Lucy (8)

The Dark Star was brilliant. I liked it so much. It's full of adventure, shipwrecks and dragons. The boy Zaphreth finds out later in the story that Lur is on the bad side. I'd recommend this to kids aged 8+ (if you're a good reader or your parents can read to you). Lucy (aged 8)

Timothy

The Dark Star

This book is an adventure book for age 10+. The dark star is fictional, but comes to life in your head. Princess Runa has always dreamed of being a Skyrider and her dream came true when she rode her first ever dragon. She had always found her lessons boring, and wanted to be like her brothers- Skyriders. When an army created war with another army, God helps the good side to win the battle, like Jesus did in the Bible. Zaphreth, a character who chose the wrong side, felt guilty when his master made war, and he regretted every second of making a promise with Lur. When he and Runa find each other, Zaphreth uses “the gift” which is mind powers, to break the door of the shed open and run free from the flesh traders. The two different sides showed good and evil, God and sin. The dark star was an amazing book which took my breath away, thinking what would happen next.

Isabel

If you like The Chronicles of Narnia, you might like this one too!

The Dark Star is a fiction book in a fantasy setting with dragons and adventure, and two nations which are intended to be pictures of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. The themes are pretty light throughout the first two thirds of the book as it sets the scene, and gets more explicit in terms of being a picture of the gospel towards the end and will have you in awe as you think about what God is like.

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The Dark Star

H R Hess

The Dark Star

H R Hess

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H R Hess