Rachel Starr Thomson

The Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute is a literal monument to science, creativity, and the ability of man to rise above his limitations: a black glass ziggurat in the Arizona desert, labs and conference rooms interspersed with rainforest atriums, coffee bars, and incredible views. True, the Institute’s director, the globe-trotting, womanizing Parker Swain, once fell out of favour with the world for his daring experiments — but that only makes his hard-fought triumphs more admirable.

Working at Kendall-Jakes means prestige, the chance to work on the cutting edge of genetics, funding, community.

Or at least, it’s supposed to. For Lacey McHenry, newly arrived with a Masters, more debt than she can handle, and a gut-level need to transcend the disappointments of life thus far, Kendall-Jakes has meant three weeks of tending frog tanks, cleaning up after absent-minded geneticist Cameron Reinhardt, and foregoing sleep.

Stressed and unhappy, Lacey is unprepared to encounter a stinking, musclebound young thug in the animal lab, a violent and deranged intruder who has somehow slipped past KJ’s infamous security. Saved by the arrival of Reinhardt, Lacey is even more unprepared to be labeled a case for the psych ward, to have her story turned into a “hallucination” and the deep cut on her arm turned overnight into a scar. Nothing at KJ is what it seems, not even her own life.

Cameron Reinhardt is similarly unprepared for the encounter, one that triggers his struggles with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and threatens to unearth memories he’s spent years burying. A devout Christian, Cam is appalled at the Institute’s treatment of Lacey and is forced to admit that his dream of research and freedom at Kendall-Jakes is a nightmare he’s not sure he can escape.

For the Institute’s secrets are ancient, everywhere underfoot, deadly — and determined to ensnare Cam and Lacey completely.

The Enclave is a scientific thriller along the lines of Michael Crichton, a throat-grabbing story that spans centuries and chronicles man’s efforts to become God even while trying to escape Him. Its characters, from the megalomaniac Swain, whose dreams are nonetheless poignant, to the convincingly torn Cameron Reinhardt, are entirely human. Plot twists and mysteries aside, I read this book to find out what would happen to the characters. They mattered. Their struggles with faith and integrity and hope resounded with me.

Even God, who reaches into the lives of several characters and interacts with them, is portrayed faithfully — when He speaks, the dialogue uses the words of scripture; when He acts, it’s in ways consistent with the God revealed in the Bible. The role of the Bible itself was especially moving, as the author shows its power to illuminate and give us hope.

The Enclave is well-written, intelligent, intriguing. Violence and sexuality make it a PG-13 read. For discerning readers who enjoy thrills, speculation, and stories about people living by real faith, I recommend this one.

Tomorrow, revisit this blog for a chance to win a brand-new copy of The Enclave .

Sometimes keeping a writer’s blog and having connections means you get perks, like when Home School Enrichment editor Jonathan Lewis (who moonlights as a Saxon infidel in epic homeschool films) pulled some strings and won me both a screening copy of Pendragon: Sword of His Father and an interview with Marilyn Burns, who did WAY more for this film than most actresses do, except perhaps if they’re Emma Thompson.

If you don’t already know about Pendragon , allow me to introduce it by quoting a letter from Aaron Burns, who stars as Artos the Pendragon — a reimagining of Britain’s legendary King Arthur.

“For the past four years, our family’s goal has been to inspire Christians to embrace God’s purpose for their lives — to take up the world-changing task that God has for them. To that end, we are leveraging one of the most heart-penetrating forces of our time — film.

“The Pendragon Team started as a group of two homeschooling families  — nine cousins and their parents — with a big idea. As the “Pendragon Project” expanded, God answered our prayers by sending over 500 volunteers to join our team.

“Most of the shooting was done in sets constructed in our backyard. The costumes were sewn in our living room, and the soundtrack was composed in our basement. As we saw Pendragon through to completion, we watched God provide in amazing ways.”

Ok, so by now you’re probably forming ideas. It’s a Christian film — probably hokey. Filmed in the backyard? Small, boxed-in, badly lighted, and marred by errant telephone wires somebody forgot to edit out of the 5th century landscape. You may be thinking “small,” “cheesy,” and “poor.” You’re probably NOT thinking “groundbreaking,” “beautiful,” “exciting,” or “truly epic” — which is too bad, because in this case, you should be.

Pendragon: Sword of His Father is the story of Artos, son of a British chieftain. Rome has withdrawn from the British Isles, leaving the Britons to defend themselves against the marauding Saxons. Justinian the Pendragon is a visionary warrior who dreams of seeing Britain unite to drive the invaders into the sea, and he teaches his son to believe in the Christ and follow God’s plans.

But tragedy, as it so often does, strikes. A Saxon attack destroys Artos’s home and family and leaves him in slavery, where his faith is nearly destroyed by grief and the cruelty of his captors. But while his faith is battered, his spirit is not: Artos lashes out against the Saxons and soon finds himself on the run. He is rescued by his old priest, who is now living Robin-Hood style in the forest, and who reminds him that “The one who gave the vision still calls.”

Vision. That is the driving force of Pendragon , as Artos reclaims his father’s vision and sets out to follow it. He journeys into the Welsh mountains to the city of Arfon, where the British king Ambrosius is gathering an army. Artos’s renewed faith, determination, and integrity lift him high in Ambrosius’s esteem, along with that of the king’s daughter, Wenneveria. But no vision worth having is ever easy to attain, and Artos must face treachery, betrayal, and the battle of his life if he is to answer the call of both his fathers — the earthly father who raised him and the heavenly Father who holds him up.

Pendragon: Sword of His Father is an epic story, and its creators do it justice. The sets and costumes are elaborate, detailed, and often gorgeous. The soundtrack swells and quiets itself, adding emotion in all the right moments. The action scenes are exciting and sometimes surprising; one twist near the end had me just about cheering. The filming itself impressed me most: days after watching Pendragon for the first time, I was still seeing images. This movie is filmed not just passably, but beautifully.

That doesn’t mean that Pendragon is without flaws. This is the first feature-film made by young people who are still learning to be filmmakers, and the tell-tale signs are there. The acting is not Hollywood quality, and the plot, while supported by a well-written script, could stand to be tighter and better developed. One scene in particular seemed to come out of nowhere.

For all that, this is a film worth seeing — and a studio worth keeping an eye on. I’m excited to see more from Burns Family Studios in the future as they continue to fill up the Christian industry void for films of this type and scope.

(Note: I originally posted a version of this review which was, in my opinion, better. A reader informed me this morning that half of it was gone. It seems the Internet ate it. If anyone knows how I can get my original back, let me know!)

A few months ago, I was contacted by a nun in Ireland. She was trying to self-publish a book and wondered if I could give her any advice on formatting.

I already knew her through an online community and had enjoyed her writing very much, so since I had a few weeks of vacation ahead of me, I offered to format the book for her. She sent me the manuscript soon thereafter: Tales from an Irish Hermitage.

This little collection of stories from a tiny hermitage brought me more joy than I anticipated. The author’s style is poetic and flowing, meant to be read aloud. Her tales center around the rag-tag animals who come to the hermitage, including an aging ewe named Oonagh, an affectionate gander called Gozzle, and the otherwordly star of “Seal Magic.” The stories bring together the poignancy of life, the beauty of Ireland, and the understated humour of a unique servant of God.

This is a book for those who love simple, old-fashioned tales. I am privileged to own the first copy that ever came off the presses, for the Sisters asked me to approve the print work before the book was officially released. It has an honoured place on my shelf, where I will reach for it when my heart wants to be soothed or uplifted.

I encourage you to purchase a copy as well. All of the proceeds from this book go to help care for homeless children in Sri Lanka, where the Sisters are working in the aftermath of tsunami devastation.

We like March, his shoes are purple,
He is new and high;
Makes he mud for dog and peddler,
Makes he forest dry;
Knows the adder’s tongue his coming,
And begets her spot.
Stands the sun so close and mighty
That our minds are hot.
News is he of all the others;
Bold it were to die
With the blue-birds buccaneering
On his British sky.

I bought a book I didn’t know I’d enjoy. I’m so glad I did. Everyone should read Emily Dickinson.