Crew Review: Foundlings, The Peleg Chronicles

Foundlings, The Peleg Chronicles

By: Matthew Christian Harding

Price: 11.95

Age range: (as listed on the book) 10 years and up

*one note on the age range- there are dragons and talk of human sacrifice adjust the age as you see fit with regards to those issues*

Foundlings is the first in a growing series of books. The foundational principles of these books are No Magic, No Evolution, No Humanism. Don’t let that fool you though there is still plenty of action, adventure, a quest, and an epic good versus evil plot. While keeping to his strong christian, young earth principles the author, Mr Harding, was able to create an intriguing book.

This book is set in the time after Noah when man was moving out across the world and into the wilds. I love the idea he is working with. I found the characters interesting and emotionally bonded to many of them. The characters were struggling with flaws and facing the pressures of evil all while trying to learn more about ‘the God of Noah’. I was a bit put off that so many of the good characters had serious flaws. At the mid way point in the book that was somewhat explained, it still  bothered me.

One major thing I liked in this book especially for the tween to teen set there were obvious lines between the good characters and the evil characters. No blur, like in many books and movies of today. There were obviously saved characters, and characters that were seeking. Then the bad guys were very bad, not as in scary bad but obviously against God and uncaring for others bad.

I had a hard time with the editing of this book.  The grammar problems constantly pulled me out of the storyline. “The Warrior’s broad hand rested upon the eager shoulder of a boy.”  The shoulder should not be eager but the boy should. The Warrior’s broad hand rested upon the eager boy’s shoulder. Sounds simple but that is the second sentence into the book!

There were other editing errors that should have been fixed such as one of the character’s Thiery is facing a camp full of enemies by himself. The tension builds and the climax of this meeting is near when Thiery launches into long, convoluted speech to the group. Clarity of speech would have taken that scene from confusing to superb. Instead I had to read it several times to my daughter for us to try to follow the long winded speech and the action.  There were several times the speech was so stilted and unnatural that again it was painful to read.

There were continual problems with threads of the scene. Such as a opening scene with a battle against a dragon like beast loses the reader in leaving several details until half way or more through the scene. Then you find yourself rereading to find out what the character is talking about. These editing errors are fatal flaws to me. I do not want my child reading grammar errors and incorporating them into her knowledge. Also as an experienced reader I was never able to truly settle into just reading the book and enjoying it.

I cannot recommend this book. That is a painful statement for me. I liked the author’s world and it interests me. I cannot get over the poor editing. This is more like a good draft of a book with great bones.   I have to admit I am tempted to see if the second book got better but I won’t be buying it without a careful look at a book store.     

To see more reviews on this book please go the TOS Homeschool Crew.

**Note** I received a copy of this book for free to review and give my honest opinion about it.