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The White Lion Chronicles #1
Rise of the Dibor
What if Adam and Eve never sinned? Would Satan be back? A perfect world untouched by evil and ignorant of death is secretly invaded by an ancient enemy that threatens to destroy their way of life f
472 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2006
25 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Hopper
63 books217 followersChristopher Hopper is an American novelist, creator and co-author of the best-selling mil-scifi series Ruins of the Galaxy with J.N. Chaney.
His other series include Resonant Sun, The Sky Riders, The White Lion Chronicles, and The Berinfell Prophecies.
Christopher lives with his wife and four children in the 1000 Islands of northern New York. He loves flying FPV race wings and RC planes, performing music with his wife, and traveling to distant lands—physical and fictional.
He's had breakfast with Winnie Mandella, canoed with dolphins in Southern California, kite-surfed in Hawaii, scuba-dived on 19th-century shipwrecks in the 1000 Islands, sailed a yacht in St. Martin, posed with white rhinos in the wilds of South Africa, spoken on national television in Mexico City, performed a concert on a Dutch beach, and climbed the Great Wall of China.
For more on Christopher, visit his blog at christopherhopper.com.
His other series include Resonant Sun, The Sky Riders, The White Lion Chronicles, and The Berinfell Prophecies.
Christopher lives with his wife and four children in the 1000 Islands of northern New York. He loves flying FPV race wings and RC planes, performing music with his wife, and traveling to distant lands—physical and fictional.
He's had breakfast with Winnie Mandella, canoed with dolphins in Southern California, kite-surfed in Hawaii, scuba-dived on 19th-century shipwrecks in the 1000 Islands, sailed a yacht in St. Martin, posed with white rhinos in the wilds of South Africa, spoken on national television in Mexico City, performed a concert on a Dutch beach, and climbed the Great Wall of China.
For more on Christopher, visit his blog at christopherhopper.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 22, 2015
Rise of the Dibor was truly unique and thought-provoking. It takes us to a world much like our earth... only, the first people, Ad and Eva, didn't fall into the trap the Enemy set for them. But will their world now stay perfect forever? Or does the Evil One have another plan for mankind's destruction? Christopher Hopper poses wild and largely unthought-of questions, which provides for a poignant and fascinating tale... After reading the last page, on which there is a huge cliff-hanger... I am eager to pick up the next book to the White Lion Chronicles.
The Christian allegory is quite evident in Rise of the Dibor (just with a big twist as I mentioned above), and there are so many pictures of Christianity and the struggles we face that just touched my heart.
Violence and gruesomeness rise to a height in this book, but I've learned to expect that more with men authors, :). Nothing too bad. I was quite startled as the end of the book was coming about, and right and left, everyone was... But never mind, you'll have to read Rise of the Dibor for yourself!
From what I've heard, I believe Rise of the Dibor is independently-published. (I did notice a few grammar/spelling errors, but that hardly effects the greatness of a story!) Truly different and fascinating tale. Though it was slower-paced at some parts, the action parts had a lot of action, and so made up for it! :) I am mystified and excited to find out what happens next, in the second book, Lion Vrie!
The Christian allegory is quite evident in Rise of the Dibor (just with a big twist as I mentioned above), and there are so many pictures of Christianity and the struggles we face that just touched my heart.
Violence and gruesomeness rise to a height in this book, but I've learned to expect that more with men authors, :). Nothing too bad. I was quite startled as the end of the book was coming about, and right and left, everyone was... But never mind, you'll have to read Rise of the Dibor for yourself!
From what I've heard, I believe Rise of the Dibor is independently-published. (I did notice a few grammar/spelling errors, but that hardly effects the greatness of a story!) Truly different and fascinating tale. Though it was slower-paced at some parts, the action parts had a lot of action, and so made up for it! :) I am mystified and excited to find out what happens next, in the second book, Lion Vrie!
January 28, 2024
This was my second time reading The Rise of the Dibor and I loved it once again. The first part of this book is so peaceful and loving. It gives you the sense of God’s presence.
This is sort of like a retelling of how Adam and Eve sinned except…they didn’t. In this world, a world parallel to what is our world, their “Adam and Eve” did not fall into Satan’s temptation. There is no evil that lurks around the people of this world because the had defeated Satan during “the First Battle”. However, defeated does not mean destroyed.
Satan and his army of demons have been waiting to strike the living once again, and will not stop until all of God’s creations have been destroyed or “taken”. The “taken” are humans who have fallen from God, relying on the Devil and his sin. They are remnants of the people they were before, having no more faith in their creator.
A select few, 18 in total (of royal decent), are chosen. Chosen for what? To overtake this evil that disrupts their once peaceful world. They start from a young age, being brought far from where their homes are, to an island that is protected. There, they train to become warriors for God’s use in order to defeat Satan and rid his ugly power from their land.
This is an amazing “retelling” of the fall of Adam and Eve. I love this book and the other two in the trilogy. If you are looking for a story that focuses a little more on God but has a good amount of fantasy to it, this is for you. If you don’t want that, you should still read it anyway.
This is sort of like a retelling of how Adam and Eve sinned except…they didn’t. In this world, a world parallel to what is our world, their “Adam and Eve” did not fall into Satan’s temptation. There is no evil that lurks around the people of this world because the had defeated Satan during “the First Battle”. However, defeated does not mean destroyed.
Satan and his army of demons have been waiting to strike the living once again, and will not stop until all of God’s creations have been destroyed or “taken”. The “taken” are humans who have fallen from God, relying on the Devil and his sin. They are remnants of the people they were before, having no more faith in their creator.
A select few, 18 in total (of royal decent), are chosen. Chosen for what? To overtake this evil that disrupts their once peaceful world. They start from a young age, being brought far from where their homes are, to an island that is protected. There, they train to become warriors for God’s use in order to defeat Satan and rid his ugly power from their land.
This is an amazing “retelling” of the fall of Adam and Eve. I love this book and the other two in the trilogy. If you are looking for a story that focuses a little more on God but has a good amount of fantasy to it, this is for you. If you don’t want that, you should still read it anyway.
December 8, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars Expertly Original, December 7, 2009
By Petriekidn - See all my reviews
A world of innoceance: a perfect world, perfect leaders, perfect love, and a perfect relationship with the Great God. A world still within the bounds of Athera [Heaven:] without any knowledge of the sin that has corrupted Earth and the other worlds. This world is called Dionia, and is crafted by the expert pen
of Christopher Hopper.
Luik is the son of a king, just hitting his teenage years, and is thrown into a world of chaos, tempting fears, and evil. He willingly enters all of this, stepping out into a select group of warriors, defenders, brothers,
known as the Dibor [DIE-bor:]. After making this decision to serve the Most High God as one of the Dibor, Luik is sent hurtling through battles (physical and spiritual), training, and the destruction of all he holds dear.
There is so much in this story to sum up in only one review. Dionia is truely a complete world. This is not some trivial fantasy, not even close, Dionia is the most real fantasy world I've ever seen written second only to
Middle-Earth. Though Dionia may always win my heart. The language of the people is beautiful, their innoceance and faith riveting...how does one describe a reality? Dionia is not fiction. Mr. Hopper has convinced me of its reality.
Rise of the Dibor is an excellently penned story of love, loyalty, courage, good versus evil, and mankind's ability (or lack thereof) to resist temptation. ROTD teaches that with faith all things are possible, even should the hordes of Hell assail you. Wretchedly twisted villians, truthfully honorable and fearless heroes--this is the story of a lifetime.
Step into Dionia and be forever changed, I have changed after reading this--and for the better.
April 20, 2013
Rise of the Dibor, Christopher Hopper
Imagine a world that is untouched by evil, where pain, greed and crime don’t even have words to describe them. Imagine a world where everyone is honest and pure; a world where Adam and Eve never sinned, and mankind was never cast into a lonely world to be confronted with our own mortality. This is Dionia, the world where Luik, son of Lair, lives and grew up in.
But the world is changing, and a once defeated evil is beginning to stir again. Even as rumours of Morgui’s rise begin to circulate, people are already disappearing, and strange weathers of cold, snow and rain are beginning to besiege a people that have known only the warmth of summer. It is in these dark days that Luik is summoned from his carefree life as the son of a great king, to join the elite ranks of the legendary Dibor. His training is brutal, moulding him from a laughing boy to a wise warrior just in time to help resist Morgui’s host of Dairne-Reih as they advance on Dionia’s capital city of Adriel.
The Good
The world Christopher Hopper has created for The White Lion Chronicles is rich, being full of history and complex cultures. This adds some much needed credibility to his story, making it believable enough that I could actually imagine it happening in a real place somewhere! In addition to this, the whole concept of the Rise of the Dibor (based on a world without sin) is rather unique, which, along with his vivid prose and superb character development, makes the whole book very enjoyable to read.
The Bad
One of the main issues that I had with the Rise of the Dibor however, is in Hopper’s concept of wound healing. Essentially, because the people in his book live in a constant union with God, any wounds or injuries that they sustain heal instantaneously. So far, this is believable within the realms of fantasy and Hopper makes a big point of this early on. Later in the book however, once the fighting has begun, this idea kind of gets thrown out the window and Hopper’s characters quickly begin to acquire injuries. Although Hopper does offer an explanation for this (so he is clearly aware of the issue), I felt that his explanation was rather shaky and did little to set the matter to rest in my mind. Due to this, I feel that he would have been better off just leaving the idea out of the book altogether.
Another qualm that I had with the book was Hopper’s continuous appraisal of God. Despite not being deeply religious myself, I have no problem with faith and people glorifying God if that’s their belief and way. I just felt that the extent of Hopper’s appraisal in the book was too much. For example, he could mention it five or six times on some pages, which took my attention away from the plot and almost made the book read as religious propaganda rather than a fictitious story.
My Thoughts
Despite the issues that I have mentioned above, I thought that the Rise of the Dibor was a very well written book that I greatly enjoyed reading. It is very unique, at least in my reading experience, and I definitely recommend that you give it a go and explore Dionia in The White Lion Chronicles - I know I will be, continuing the series with its next instalment, The Lion Vrie, pretty soon!
Imagine a world that is untouched by evil, where pain, greed and crime don’t even have words to describe them. Imagine a world where everyone is honest and pure; a world where Adam and Eve never sinned, and mankind was never cast into a lonely world to be confronted with our own mortality. This is Dionia, the world where Luik, son of Lair, lives and grew up in.
But the world is changing, and a once defeated evil is beginning to stir again. Even as rumours of Morgui’s rise begin to circulate, people are already disappearing, and strange weathers of cold, snow and rain are beginning to besiege a people that have known only the warmth of summer. It is in these dark days that Luik is summoned from his carefree life as the son of a great king, to join the elite ranks of the legendary Dibor. His training is brutal, moulding him from a laughing boy to a wise warrior just in time to help resist Morgui’s host of Dairne-Reih as they advance on Dionia’s capital city of Adriel.
The Good
The world Christopher Hopper has created for The White Lion Chronicles is rich, being full of history and complex cultures. This adds some much needed credibility to his story, making it believable enough that I could actually imagine it happening in a real place somewhere! In addition to this, the whole concept of the Rise of the Dibor (based on a world without sin) is rather unique, which, along with his vivid prose and superb character development, makes the whole book very enjoyable to read.
The Bad
One of the main issues that I had with the Rise of the Dibor however, is in Hopper’s concept of wound healing. Essentially, because the people in his book live in a constant union with God, any wounds or injuries that they sustain heal instantaneously. So far, this is believable within the realms of fantasy and Hopper makes a big point of this early on. Later in the book however, once the fighting has begun, this idea kind of gets thrown out the window and Hopper’s characters quickly begin to acquire injuries. Although Hopper does offer an explanation for this (so he is clearly aware of the issue), I felt that his explanation was rather shaky and did little to set the matter to rest in my mind. Due to this, I feel that he would have been better off just leaving the idea out of the book altogether.
Another qualm that I had with the book was Hopper’s continuous appraisal of God. Despite not being deeply religious myself, I have no problem with faith and people glorifying God if that’s their belief and way. I just felt that the extent of Hopper’s appraisal in the book was too much. For example, he could mention it five or six times on some pages, which took my attention away from the plot and almost made the book read as religious propaganda rather than a fictitious story.
My Thoughts
Despite the issues that I have mentioned above, I thought that the Rise of the Dibor was a very well written book that I greatly enjoyed reading. It is very unique, at least in my reading experience, and I definitely recommend that you give it a go and explore Dionia in The White Lion Chronicles - I know I will be, continuing the series with its next instalment, The Lion Vrie, pretty soon!
December 30, 2013
Christian fantasy and science fiction is starting to make a niche for itself. Powerful bestsellers are rising fast since the Left Behind Series made its appearance. With the movie version of C.S. Lewis’ immortal The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, more Christian based books are beginning to surface.
Add into the mix a small publishing house and a bright new author by the name of Christopher Hopper you get the feel more Christian allegory is on the way.
The premise of Hopper’s first book, The Rise of the Dibor, ask a simple, yet thought provoking question, “What if Adam and Eve had never sinned? What if mankind knew no wrong? Would we still have an enemy?” Hopper answers that question with an emphatic yes!
There is an ancient evil out there bent on destroying all that is good. It will stop at nothing to see that paradise is turned into sinful chaos. As in all good and evil storylines, good has a champion, or in this case champions. Luik, son of Lair, along with his friends are given a commission by the King of Dionia to stop this evil. With the guidance of a skilled master warrior, Luik and his friends are molded into strong and well versed fighting men. Dark days are approaching and many have to rally to save their world.
Rise of the Dibor is a hard book to get into. Though the Dionian language may prove difficult (the use of footnotes helped) it has some flavor of Tolkienese.
One wonders what happened to the editors on this first edition? Did this get passed over on a lunch break or something? One may expect some editorial mishaps from a small press, but this was very poorly edited. Reliance on the spell-checker is not good enough. The human touch and eye were needed on this. Most of the errors were homophones, the meaning could be deduced by the context, but one would hope that these mistakes will be corrected in later editions. The book layout is very nice and effective. However, a more dramatic cover might have been implored to lure readers to buy.
The writing seemed very weak at the beginning. However, by the middle of the story, it had improved enough to carry the remaining of the book. Several of the characters introduced in the beginning simply fail to show by the end of the book. Anorra is one such character that had a hopeful beginning and became a phantom by the final page. Despite all this, Christopher Hopper weaves a story filled with grand characters and stunning scenes with threads dealing with spiritual warfare, discipleship, and the inevitable need for a savior, all standard elements in popular Christian fiction.
Beyond the weak beginning, this is a good tale and Christopher Hopper has created a world filled with believable and likable characters. Hopefully the next book in the series will be better edited and have a much stronger beginning.
Add into the mix a small publishing house and a bright new author by the name of Christopher Hopper you get the feel more Christian allegory is on the way.
The premise of Hopper’s first book, The Rise of the Dibor, ask a simple, yet thought provoking question, “What if Adam and Eve had never sinned? What if mankind knew no wrong? Would we still have an enemy?” Hopper answers that question with an emphatic yes!
There is an ancient evil out there bent on destroying all that is good. It will stop at nothing to see that paradise is turned into sinful chaos. As in all good and evil storylines, good has a champion, or in this case champions. Luik, son of Lair, along with his friends are given a commission by the King of Dionia to stop this evil. With the guidance of a skilled master warrior, Luik and his friends are molded into strong and well versed fighting men. Dark days are approaching and many have to rally to save their world.
Rise of the Dibor is a hard book to get into. Though the Dionian language may prove difficult (the use of footnotes helped) it has some flavor of Tolkienese.
One wonders what happened to the editors on this first edition? Did this get passed over on a lunch break or something? One may expect some editorial mishaps from a small press, but this was very poorly edited. Reliance on the spell-checker is not good enough. The human touch and eye were needed on this. Most of the errors were homophones, the meaning could be deduced by the context, but one would hope that these mistakes will be corrected in later editions. The book layout is very nice and effective. However, a more dramatic cover might have been implored to lure readers to buy.
The writing seemed very weak at the beginning. However, by the middle of the story, it had improved enough to carry the remaining of the book. Several of the characters introduced in the beginning simply fail to show by the end of the book. Anorra is one such character that had a hopeful beginning and became a phantom by the final page. Despite all this, Christopher Hopper weaves a story filled with grand characters and stunning scenes with threads dealing with spiritual warfare, discipleship, and the inevitable need for a savior, all standard elements in popular Christian fiction.
Beyond the weak beginning, this is a good tale and Christopher Hopper has created a world filled with believable and likable characters. Hopefully the next book in the series will be better edited and have a much stronger beginning.
September 14, 2013
My review will not contradict other positive reviews on Amazon up until now. Overall this book is a good read. It's almost as reading the Bible, but looking from a different angle. The idea that stands behind the book is a dream of author's mother. In that dream people on another planet do know about Jesus, but not as their Savoir, since Adam and Eve had not sinned there.
So in this book evil comes in a visible way and tries to attack people that don't know what lie, fear and evil is, except for those still remaining from the first battle with Morgui. Readers that like epic battles between good and evil will surly like this book.
What I don't quite like in the book is what I call heavy multithreading read. Reader is almost tossed back and forth between several different places and have to keep track of all unfinished situations. It's normal to switch scenes, but here it's more than usual.
Another problem is as it looks like a chapter or two are missing. When I finished the book, I still wondered what happened with the stranger and horseman in the first chapter. Who is Tadellis? He never appears or is mentioned again. His horse Fedowah appears again in the middle of the book. Some characters just disappear as Hadrian and his father. Anorra is almost a shadow in the second half. We see only her saving arrows from time to time. However, this could be easily excused, when we learn that author has lost almost the entire book after HDD crashes and small flood in his bedroom and that he wrote the book for three times except chapter 28. My advise to the author is, always backup, but even if you don't, in no case throw your HDD. There are specialists that could save your valuable work even on a failed HDD.
I read the Kindle edition. ASIN: B007D44TB2
So in this book evil comes in a visible way and tries to attack people that don't know what lie, fear and evil is, except for those still remaining from the first battle with Morgui. Readers that like epic battles between good and evil will surly like this book.
What I don't quite like in the book is what I call heavy multithreading read. Reader is almost tossed back and forth between several different places and have to keep track of all unfinished situations. It's normal to switch scenes, but here it's more than usual.
Another problem is as it looks like a chapter or two are missing. When I finished the book, I still wondered what happened with the stranger and horseman in the first chapter. Who is Tadellis? He never appears or is mentioned again. His horse Fedowah appears again in the middle of the book. Some characters just disappear as Hadrian and his father. Anorra is almost a shadow in the second half. We see only her saving arrows from time to time. However, this could be easily excused, when we learn that author has lost almost the entire book after HDD crashes and small flood in his bedroom and that he wrote the book for three times except chapter 28. My advise to the author is, always backup, but even if you don't, in no case throw your HDD. There are specialists that could save your valuable work even on a failed HDD.
I read the Kindle edition. ASIN: B007D44TB2
November 28, 2009
Rise of the Dibor, by Christopher Hopper is an allegorical christian fantasy in which many moral themes are present. The plot line in a couple sentences would be, “What if Adam and Eve had never sinned? What if mankind knew no wrong? Would we still have an enemy?" The answer is a very strong yes!
Luik, son of king Lair, has been selected along with others to be trained by a seasoned fighter for special combat against the evil being Morgui, who is bent on destroying all that is good. This group, the Dibor, has been chosen to defend Dionia, and it’s people.
Rise of the Dibor is a long and slow book at first. There are many words in the Dionian language, and footnotes must repeatedly be sought each time one is repeated. The editing is also poor, as the spell-checker was relied on a bit heavily, as most of the typos were homophones. The cover could have been a little more interesting, in the sense of drawing in the reader, but the layout of the book was effective. The writing was weak near the beginning, but improved enough near the middle; some characters were not followed through very well also.
Despite the criticism, most of the characters were well developed, his scenes were great, and there was great focus on spiritual warfare, and how we need, and cannot do anything without, Jesus Christ.
Luik, son of king Lair, has been selected along with others to be trained by a seasoned fighter for special combat against the evil being Morgui, who is bent on destroying all that is good. This group, the Dibor, has been chosen to defend Dionia, and it’s people.
Rise of the Dibor is a long and slow book at first. There are many words in the Dionian language, and footnotes must repeatedly be sought each time one is repeated. The editing is also poor, as the spell-checker was relied on a bit heavily, as most of the typos were homophones. The cover could have been a little more interesting, in the sense of drawing in the reader, but the layout of the book was effective. The writing was weak near the beginning, but improved enough near the middle; some characters were not followed through very well also.
Despite the criticism, most of the characters were well developed, his scenes were great, and there was great focus on spiritual warfare, and how we need, and cannot do anything without, Jesus Christ.
September 11, 2010
Imagine, a land with no death, always summer, and you never feel pain. Would you be happy with that? Or would you want more? Something like power...
Christopher Hopper is a great author who creates a land so in-depth that you need footnotes to understand some of the words.
The story starts out in the land of Atheria, in this land there is no real death, no pain, no heartache. But strange things are happening...
Luik the main character is just a boy living in this ideal world. He has friends, Luik, Anorra, and Hadrian.
Join them on an adventure where they will learn why their home is changing.
This is a good book, but I didn't really care for it. I'll re-read it once maybe twice but not over and over likes some books.
The thing is it wasn't that action pack, even during the battle, I was waiting for it to get better.
The land is so in-depth that even with the footnotes it was a little over whelming. It reminded me of "The Lord Of the Rings" just more history, more new words and this is all in the first book.
As far as creativity, it is original but it was still predictable for me.
Now you might be wondering what do you like? Well it was just an ok book. But I did like the fact that it is so evident that Christopher Hopper put months (years) worth of work and care into the book.
Over all I will have to give it 3.5 stars.
Christopher Hopper is a great author who creates a land so in-depth that you need footnotes to understand some of the words.
The story starts out in the land of Atheria, in this land there is no real death, no pain, no heartache. But strange things are happening...
Luik the main character is just a boy living in this ideal world. He has friends, Luik, Anorra, and Hadrian.
Join them on an adventure where they will learn why their home is changing.
This is a good book, but I didn't really care for it. I'll re-read it once maybe twice but not over and over likes some books.
The thing is it wasn't that action pack, even during the battle, I was waiting for it to get better.
The land is so in-depth that even with the footnotes it was a little over whelming. It reminded me of "The Lord Of the Rings" just more history, more new words and this is all in the first book.
As far as creativity, it is original but it was still predictable for me.
Now you might be wondering what do you like? Well it was just an ok book. But I did like the fact that it is so evident that Christopher Hopper put months (years) worth of work and care into the book.
Over all I will have to give it 3.5 stars.
June 19, 2013
First of all, I love the concept of this book. "What would life be like if mankind had never sinned?" is what this story asks.
The Christian aspect of this book is, unlike many other Christian fiction, very well done. It's really the main point rather than a side note, which is nice to see.
Unfortunately, as a whole, I didn't love this book as much as I was hoping to. Several missing commas and a misspelled word here and there are not enough to kill a book, but it obviously could have benefitted from another edit.
I don't go rating books at three stars purely because of a few missing commas, though. My main problem in really getting sucked in to this book was that I didn't really connect with any of the characters. There's 18 of the Dibor, the main group that this story follows, and I couldn't keep track of who was who. Besides that, there are more characters than just the Dibor, meaning more names that you have to remember. The number of characters and names being tossed around kind of reminded me of when I was reading War & Peace and had to make notes of characters as I went along.
Anyway, all of that aside, the ending of this book was incredibly well done, with a more than a few truly great lines and moments. I'll definitely be picking up the next book in this series, in hopes that I'll enjoy it more.
The Christian aspect of this book is, unlike many other Christian fiction, very well done. It's really the main point rather than a side note, which is nice to see.
Unfortunately, as a whole, I didn't love this book as much as I was hoping to. Several missing commas and a misspelled word here and there are not enough to kill a book, but it obviously could have benefitted from another edit.
I don't go rating books at three stars purely because of a few missing commas, though. My main problem in really getting sucked in to this book was that I didn't really connect with any of the characters. There's 18 of the Dibor, the main group that this story follows, and I couldn't keep track of who was who. Besides that, there are more characters than just the Dibor, meaning more names that you have to remember. The number of characters and names being tossed around kind of reminded me of when I was reading War & Peace and had to make notes of characters as I went along.
Anyway, all of that aside, the ending of this book was incredibly well done, with a more than a few truly great lines and moments. I'll definitely be picking up the next book in this series, in hopes that I'll enjoy it more.
February 4, 2010
In The Rise of The Dibor by Christopher Hopper, you are placed in the fantastical realm of Dionia. There, it would be the exact same as earth, but for the fact that Adam and Eve (here called Ad and Eva) never sinned. In Rise of The Dibor, the serpent (Mordui) is back with a vengeance. The dwarves who also live in Dionia know this, one dwarf taking the seven kings’ sons (one of whom is the main character, Luik) and training them to become The Dibor, a band of warrior princes dedicated to wiping out the Dairn-Reih (hoards of demons) another dwarf training Luik’s friend as a wizard of sorts, a third dwarf taking Luik’s love and chum, a princess from a different kingdom. All trained by dwarves are taught from their belief in God. The Dairn-Raih, with Mordui at their head, conquers parts of Dionia with The Dibor the princess and the wizard all must free Dionia, joined by hoards of men. However, the men are easily tempted to join the Fallen, sinners and traitors to the race of men…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2010
This is a unique book that took a while to draw me in but had an epic ending.
Hopper seemed to have much potential for a good style. There were frequent well-constructed phrases and clever metaphors, but the story was bogged down with many, many typographical errors and frequent confusing sentences.
Plot-wise, there were pros and cons. As I stated before, it took me a long time to get drawn into the book; it was nearly the end before I was truly enjoying it. In many ways the plot or characters were annoyingly predictable, but there were a few unique, dramatic moments, moods, and ideas. The ending was unexpected, clever, and emotional. I didn't care much for this book but shall still read the sequel.
Hopper seemed to have much potential for a good style. There were frequent well-constructed phrases and clever metaphors, but the story was bogged down with many, many typographical errors and frequent confusing sentences.
Plot-wise, there were pros and cons. As I stated before, it took me a long time to get drawn into the book; it was nearly the end before I was truly enjoying it. In many ways the plot or characters were annoyingly predictable, but there were a few unique, dramatic moments, moods, and ideas. The ending was unexpected, clever, and emotional. I didn't care much for this book but shall still read the sequel.
March 7, 2010
Christopher Hopper writes the story as if it were a song, penning descriptive words into his paragraphs. I found it to be a very unique way of writing.
The pure realm of Dionia is threatened by an ancient evil and eighteen young men are chosen to be trained to combat the terrible enemy. This book follows one of those young men, Luik, on his journey from an innocent child to a strong warrior. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually, the chosen men, the Dibor, are tried as they fight for the freedom of Dionia and the freedom of their own spirits. They face a crafty opponent; all odds are against them. Can they save the kingdom?
This book will not end as you expect.
An original and thought-provoking fantasy. Definitely not your typical allegory.
The pure realm of Dionia is threatened by an ancient evil and eighteen young men are chosen to be trained to combat the terrible enemy. This book follows one of those young men, Luik, on his journey from an innocent child to a strong warrior. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually, the chosen men, the Dibor, are tried as they fight for the freedom of Dionia and the freedom of their own spirits. They face a crafty opponent; all odds are against them. Can they save the kingdom?
This book will not end as you expect.
An original and thought-provoking fantasy. Definitely not your typical allegory.
September 14, 2021
The Rise of the Dibor is an epic story of good versus evil...God against Satan. Imagine another world created by God and given the same choice as Adam and Eve. Only in this world, Ad and Eva resist temptation and enjoy unhindered fellowship with their creator. Not imagine Satan, a.k.a. Morgui, coming back to destroy the very world who resisted him from the beginning.
That is where this book begins. But soon things are taking a turn for the worse. So the high king creates a team of boys who will be trained to defend their land and people. They are the Dibor and their task is nothing less than to vanquish evil from Dionia.
Great book and I look forward to reading the second and third installment.
That is where this book begins. But soon things are taking a turn for the worse. So the high king creates a team of boys who will be trained to defend their land and people. They are the Dibor and their task is nothing less than to vanquish evil from Dionia.
Great book and I look forward to reading the second and third installment.
January 15, 2016
This was a great book and very thought provoking book.
This book is about this world where Adam and Eve did not sin and what the world would be like...would we still have the enemy? It is about Luik who, with a group of the other kings sons, have to train to be the Dibor and save the world from the evil that is starting to overtake their world. As their training comes to an end they have to fight for the lives to protect the lives of the ones that they love.
This book was awesome and really fun to read. The characters were great. I connected with them and cared for them and worried about them as they went about their adventure. The world was so imaginative and very thought provoking.
I cant wait to see what happens in the next books in the series because I really enjoyed this book.
This book is about this world where Adam and Eve did not sin and what the world would be like...would we still have the enemy? It is about Luik who, with a group of the other kings sons, have to train to be the Dibor and save the world from the evil that is starting to overtake their world. As their training comes to an end they have to fight for the lives to protect the lives of the ones that they love.
This book was awesome and really fun to read. The characters were great. I connected with them and cared for them and worried about them as they went about their adventure. The world was so imaginative and very thought provoking.
I cant wait to see what happens in the next books in the series because I really enjoyed this book.
January 9, 2010
This book is seriously one of the most astounding books of our time. I was reading it, and couldn’t put it down! Sometimes, I would realize I was holding my breath, or had my mouth hanging open! lol. And, sometimes, I even gasped (really loud) in reaction to what I was reading. So, definitely, and engaging read. And the plot is great too! Sometimes, the names get confusing, but that’s OK. And the writing style is great too. Very engaging!
November 23, 2010
Luik, a young boy in a pure world, has never seen evil. That is about to change, for strange things are happening, and more and more are leaving the Creator’s presence…
Rise of the Dibor was a very heartfelt and thrilling book. I loved how the characters walked with the Creator, as if he was right beside them, and it set an example for me. I highly recommend this book to all of you, whether you’re eight or eighty.
--Vrenith
Rise of the Dibor was a very heartfelt and thrilling book. I loved how the characters walked with the Creator, as if he was right beside them, and it set an example for me. I highly recommend this book to all of you, whether you’re eight or eighty.
--Vrenith
May 31, 2010
The Rise of the Dibor is a skillfully written novel that will delight readers of any age. It contains a wonderful vocabulary and is very appropriate! Fans of Donita K. Paul, JR. Tolkien, Wayne Thomas Batson and C.S. Lewis will love this book The Rise of The Dibor is aimed for teens but this book will be loved by young and old alike
August 7, 2010
In Dionia, a world that knew no sin, an ancient evil arises to turn everything that they know upside down. Christopher Hopper creates a world unlike any other, completely original. The story is about 18 young princes who are called to be trained to become a band of warriors. The Dibor. But are 18 men enough, even when well equipped and highly trained, to take down an army of demons?
March 19, 2015
This book was very different from my preferred readings with its form of writing and I suggest it for those looking more for a deep story rather than characters. Normally I prefer a story that focuses on characters and couldn't care less what was happening with the plot, but it was story and development of the world as a whole that I found fascinating here. Not a light read though very good!
February 24, 2010
The Rise of the Dibor is a great book! Christopher Hopper has done an excellent job creating a tale deep with meaning and he leaves you wanting more. I recommend it for anyone who loves a story that has great depth and a greater meaning tucked within the pages.
December 13, 2010
What if Adam had never sinned? this is the main premise of The Rise of the Dibor. Christopher Hopper takes us on a tour of a world where mankind rejected the temptation offered by Satan, but will he just accept defeat? Find out in The White Lion Chronicles, Rise of the Dibor!
September 22, 2012
This books was... horrible. I tried three different times to read it, but never could finish it. It just dragged and dragged. Very boring. The concept was an interesting idea but the author just didn't pull it off for me.
August 7, 2014
I loved the plot and characters, the author wrote a great story for sure. My main complaint is how preach-y it is, where some books disguise God in other names, this one is a little strait forward for me.
June 30, 2017
A very interesting book. The synopsis lead me to believe it would be about something different, but the change wasn't that terrible. The first half of the book is a bit slow, but I enjoyed it overall.
July 29, 2008
Although I am typically not a fan of the fantasy genre, this particular book captured my imagination, and I highly recommend it.
May 16, 2009
Great book. Love it so much I couldn't put it done until I read the whole thing!
January 18, 2010
This book by Christopher Hopper kept me enthralled for the time i read it! It has a wonderful plot and it is simply awesome
August 11, 2012
it was an excellent book from beginning to end -fast pace and well written...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
December 16, 2012DAD
September 12, 2015
It took me a chapter or two to get into this book, to be honest. However, bit by bit, it slowly drew me into the world within its pages, and... I need to read the second book.
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