Trust, selflessness, and honor are three important themes in Carla Laureano’s Beneath the Forsaken City. Beneath the Forsaken Series is the second book in the Song of Seare series. Conor and Aine are married, but their newlywed bliss is short-lived. Tragically separated at the beginning, they spend most of the book trying to reunite.

Trust

While Conor and Aine remain central characters in this story, Eoghan is the one that really shines. He’s such a noble man, who struggles with what he perceives as an injustice. His character arc pulls you in as you watch him grow and come to the realization there are areas where he needs to trust God for his own personal good. Isn’t this something many of us struggle with? We believe God cares, can do anything, and we always believe He will work for the good of everyone else. But, we fail to believe He’s working for our good, too.

If you like action, you’ll find plenty here, and the battle scene where the forces of darkness attack Ard Dhaimhin is just creepy enough to send tingles down your spine. It’s during the battle, the plot takes an unexpected turn, and Eoghan discovers something he believes about himself isn’t true. Eoghan’s story is beautiful.

Selflessness

Both Conor and Eoghan are such selfless characters in their quest to overcome the darkness, you can’t help but want everything to turn out well for them. There are multiple examples where they could choose a path that would bring them glory, but they always weigh the glory against what God would expect from them.

Honor

Aine shines most when she discovers a power, she didn’t know she had, and while she could use it to her advantage, she doesn’t. In a way, I’d say she is a good example for us all to be very careful how we use our influence. We may not have any evil intentions, but if we influence people, even for good, against their will, we are not being the kind of Christian’s God expects us to be.

Final Thoughts

The series takes place in medieval times, but it seems almost post-apocalyptic to me. And there is something a bit frightening as you experience the growing darkness in the book. I see my world growing darker and darker, where evil appears to be winning. If something cataclysmic happened, I can see our society plunging into another Dark Age.

The good news, shown brilliantly in Beneath the Forsaken City, is God is in control and in the end good overcomes evil. We, like the characters in the book, can take heart. We’re promised the light still shines in the darkness because Jesus has overcome the world.

Do you like medieval stories? If so, what intrigues you most?

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