Between Two Kingdoms

In Joe Boyd's fairy tale, Between Two Kingdoms, everyone in the Upper Kingdom is eternally seven years old. Those in the Lower Kingdom age. The two Kingdoms are divided by the Gate of Separation, and both are filled with tree houses. The Great King and Good Prince preside over the Upper Kingdom, while the Lower Kingdom is ruled by the Dark Prince. When Tommy is asked to go to the Lower Kingdom, he is speechless. Why would he leave the Upper Kingdom? Why would he leave his friends again? But, because the Good Prince asked him too, he obeys.

Tommy is first sent into the Lower Kingdom to find a friend of his that he met when he was there before. After finding him, with the Good Prince by his side, He is able to persuade his friend, Bobby, to come back to the Upper Kingdom with him. The two go back, and Bobby turns into a seven year old again. But, something went wrong while he was in the Lower Kingdom. He wasn't sent alone, but with two other companions: Luke and Amanda. While Amanda was playing with two girls, trying to get them to go to the Upper Kingdom with her, Luke goes off on his own and is captured by the Dark Prince. Luckily, the Good Prince rescues him and takes him back to His Father.

Tommy is reunited with his friend, Mary, and Bobby joins them. All is well, until the Good Prince tells Tommy he must go back to the Lower Kingdom for a while, because of the plot the Dark Prince has against Him and His Father. The Good Prince tells Tommy it was what he was born to do.

After securing the trust of two of his closest friends, Mary and Bobby, the three are sent to the Lower Kingdom with Pops, one of the Good Prince's friends, to build a tree house. The Good Prince gives them each a gift that will come in handy in the Lower Kingdom. Tommy receives a jacket of humility, Mary a necklace of hope, and Bobby a ring of vision. Once in the Lower Kingdom, they meet Pop's friend, Roger, and Luke is also there. Pops fills the three in on the Dark Night that the Dark Prince is plotting. His plan will make the Lower Kingdom darker than night until all of its inhabitants are blind. The four must go to the tree houses and warn the people to go to the River. The River will take them to the Upper Kingdom once the Dark Night is over.

But, not everyone goes to the River. There are Phantoms roaming around, destroying the tree houses and capturing people to work in the Furnace Room of the Dark Prince's palace. Will Tommy, Mary, Bobby, Pops, and those whom the Good Prince has sent to help be able to stop the Dark Night?

In this action-filled, analytical story of the Kingdom of Heaven and of Darkness, author Joe Boyd spins a plot that is engaging and that makes the reader not want to put the book down. He uses the power of the story to bring hope and to lead others to Christ. Boyd did a wonderful job developing the characters and making them seem real. His dialogue was well written and the story was, again, very engaging. The book was also a fast read, even with 191 pages.

I would recommend this book to preteens, since it is more of a fairy tale. I enjoyed it, and I'm sure anyone would enjoy it, but specifically preteens. It would make a great book to read and then discuss in a youth or small group setting.