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Reviews Defenders of Barracrail has been receiving a number of excellent reviews some of which are listed below.
"this is classical fantasy in the ultimate of the genre - read and be enthralled. Elgin is set to be a character who will inspire the dreams of children desperate for a good read." Review by Phil Groom Aug 2007 "Elgin. It's a tough life as a sentinel, watching, waiting, wondering... lonely, too, when you're the only one who knows the truth, when the people you're sworn to protect have given up hope. Daniel. It's a tough life as a teenager who's lost his father... lonely, too, when your people believe your father was a failure or, worse, a traitor. When Daniel's and Elgin's paths cross, the world has to change. A new vision emerges, a fire of hope is kindled: welcome to the world of Barracrail — a new legend has begun. This is the first volume of a promising fantasy trilogy from a new Christian author and it's a fascinating storyline: plenty of surprising (but several fairly predictable) twists and turns. Adventures at sea, encounters with dragons, flawed characters struggling against their own weaknesses as well as their enemies: the story has all the classic fantasy ingredients. Pike describes it as "an allegory of the Christian Gospel" and readers familiar with the Bible will soon notice the underlying Christian themes and biblical allusions. Pike writes much more smoothly than G.P Taylor, for instance (who happens to be a Director of Grosvenor House, Pike's publisher), but even so — to this reader, at least — the writing feels awkward in places, the dialogue forced: the book would have benefited from a professional editor's touch. It's a pity, then, that Pike took Grosvenor House's self-publishing route for his work: this is a story that deserves the sort of exposure and treatment that a mainstream publishing house could have given it. If you enjoy fantasy, Pike is certainly an author to watch and this is a series you won't want to miss. Heartily recommended: I look forward to seeing the second volume." Review by Lamorna Cove "If you like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings you'll love this book. It has everything from pirates, dragons and mythical beings to epic battles. I was hooked from beginning end and I can't wait for the next book in the trilogy to find out what happens next in the saga." "the book for me was pacy, with a very relative plot/story which any person will have no problem identifying with the characters. it managed to be exciting and inspirational yet still challenged the reader to examine and take a look at themselves.
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