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The Wilderking Trilogy #2
The Secret of the Swamp King
As book two opens, Aidan is living in the court of King Darrow. He has become best friends with Darrow's son Steren, and he enjoys great favor among the courtiers. But King Darrow's suspicion is growing and his insecurity causes him to hate the young man who saved his kingdom. Concerned about his king's spiral into ever-darker moods, Aidan asks what he can do to help. Darrow sends him on an imposible adventure to the recesses of Feechiefen Swamp, thinking he is sending Aidan to his death. Afterall, no Corenwalder has ever returned from Feechiefen alive. But Aidan's fate is not sealed yet for Aidan has allies among the feechiefolk who know him as the hero Pantherbane.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2005
About the author
Jonathan Rogers
38 books269 followersJonathan Rogers grew up in Georgia, where he spent many happy hours in the swamps and riverbottoms on which the wild places of The Wilderking are based. He received his undergraduate degree from Furman University in South Carolina and holds a Ph.D. in seventeenth-century English literature from Vanderbilt University. The Bark of the Bog Owl has already found a receptive audience among Jonathan’s own six children. The Rogers clan lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where Jonathan makes a living as a freelance writer. The Bark of the Bog Owl is his first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
June 7, 2017
((No Spoilers))
In The Wilderking trilogy, Rogers takes the story of King David and tells it anew. Without changing the spirit of David’s miraculous story, Rogers re-contextualizes it. He changes the location to something that looks a lot like Southern Georgia. He changes the time to something that resembles the Middle Ages. He changes the story of the Israelites to something that echoes the story of Colonial America. And, he changes the cast of characters to include an almost mythical race of people who live entirely in the swamps. Without being slapstick, without feeling forced, and without diminishing the way that God works His will in the human story, Rogers tells an entirely new story that feels deliciously familiar. Also, he tells it in such a way that he helps his readers to imagine the Bible as being relevant for all ages and in all places. The storytelling is nothing short of inspired. To boot, Rogers has a Ph. D. in seventeenth century literature from Vanderbilt University, which is kenspeckle in the beauty of his writing.
In this second book, The Secret of the Swamp King, we have a classic middle book. Many folks dislike “middle books” because they advance the plot and deepen the characters without giving us the excitement of a first book nor the resolve we crave from a third book. I contest that Rogers did something special in this middle book to alleviate some of the “middleness.” Instead of just advancing the plot, Rogers removes Aidan from the court of Corenwald and focuses the entire second book on the Feechie culture and swamp living. In this book we see a new side to Aidan. I think my family enjoyed it the most of the three books. This journey into the depths of Feechie life was magical. For my two sons in particular, the swamp life fed their imagination with a new, primal, and earthy way of life to contemplate. It gave all of us a new respect for simple honest living.
Without spoiling the second book, I will say that my favorite scene from all three books comes in the last third of this middle book. When a false Wilderking emerges and organizes some “bad” Feechies into a brood, Aidan must deal with the imposter. With the clash of war on all sides, Aidan stands erect and walks with purpose and intensity into the middle of the mess. Almost like a slow motion hero moment in big-budget movie, Aidan walks through the violent brawl without any thought of his own safety. As he walks, he yells out his challenge to his enemy and the crowd begins to turn its focus on this pivotal scene. I won’t spoil what happens, or why, but in that scene, the boy Aidan is replaced with an epic hero worthy of propelling the story forward. Through this intense show of strength, Aidan shows the greatest kind of strength. Again, no spoilers, just know that it is biblical strength that this Wilderking commands.
I think the genius of the Wilderking books is that they allows us to bring our knowledge of the Bible into a different setting. Instead of miraculous events which took place thousands of years ago in a foreign desert, they feel much more familiar. They feel like they could have been a part of our American story. This story is not a true allegory. Not everything represents something. It is, however, an exciting and relatable reimagining of one of God’s greatest stories. This reimagining, which is informed by the Bible, but grown out of Rogers own creativity, enhances a delightful boy adventure story. This excellent story is elevated by the biblical truths it incorporates.
In The Wilderking trilogy, Rogers takes the story of King David and tells it anew. Without changing the spirit of David’s miraculous story, Rogers re-contextualizes it. He changes the location to something that looks a lot like Southern Georgia. He changes the time to something that resembles the Middle Ages. He changes the story of the Israelites to something that echoes the story of Colonial America. And, he changes the cast of characters to include an almost mythical race of people who live entirely in the swamps. Without being slapstick, without feeling forced, and without diminishing the way that God works His will in the human story, Rogers tells an entirely new story that feels deliciously familiar. Also, he tells it in such a way that he helps his readers to imagine the Bible as being relevant for all ages and in all places. The storytelling is nothing short of inspired. To boot, Rogers has a Ph. D. in seventeenth century literature from Vanderbilt University, which is kenspeckle in the beauty of his writing.
In this second book, The Secret of the Swamp King, we have a classic middle book. Many folks dislike “middle books” because they advance the plot and deepen the characters without giving us the excitement of a first book nor the resolve we crave from a third book. I contest that Rogers did something special in this middle book to alleviate some of the “middleness.” Instead of just advancing the plot, Rogers removes Aidan from the court of Corenwald and focuses the entire second book on the Feechie culture and swamp living. In this book we see a new side to Aidan. I think my family enjoyed it the most of the three books. This journey into the depths of Feechie life was magical. For my two sons in particular, the swamp life fed their imagination with a new, primal, and earthy way of life to contemplate. It gave all of us a new respect for simple honest living.
Without spoiling the second book, I will say that my favorite scene from all three books comes in the last third of this middle book. When a false Wilderking emerges and organizes some “bad” Feechies into a brood, Aidan must deal with the imposter. With the clash of war on all sides, Aidan stands erect and walks with purpose and intensity into the middle of the mess. Almost like a slow motion hero moment in big-budget movie, Aidan walks through the violent brawl without any thought of his own safety. As he walks, he yells out his challenge to his enemy and the crowd begins to turn its focus on this pivotal scene. I won’t spoil what happens, or why, but in that scene, the boy Aidan is replaced with an epic hero worthy of propelling the story forward. Through this intense show of strength, Aidan shows the greatest kind of strength. Again, no spoilers, just know that it is biblical strength that this Wilderking commands.
I think the genius of the Wilderking books is that they allows us to bring our knowledge of the Bible into a different setting. Instead of miraculous events which took place thousands of years ago in a foreign desert, they feel much more familiar. They feel like they could have been a part of our American story. This story is not a true allegory. Not everything represents something. It is, however, an exciting and relatable reimagining of one of God’s greatest stories. This reimagining, which is informed by the Bible, but grown out of Rogers own creativity, enhances a delightful boy adventure story. This excellent story is elevated by the biblical truths it incorporates.
November 25, 2021
Great fun for the family. Better than book 1, though book 1 is needed to really understand the whole story.
August 18, 2021
Much better than the first one. It had a more original story. The author’s southern accent makes the audio book more interesting.
Fichi folk will always be a saying in our family now 😂
Fichi folk will always be a saying in our family now 😂
August 18, 2021
3.5 ⭐️ but I'll round up to 4. Much better story than the first book. Still some overwriting but you can definitely see the author growing.
June 24, 2020
Such a fun book! I laugh-cried! It is such a unique way of telling a Bible story, but not in a way that makes it feel cheesy.
March 23, 2018
I didn't realize that this is a sequel to The Bark of the Bog Owl when I picked it up. Very well done classic epic fantasy (the main character is often referred to as the "young hero") for children. Rogers does one thing most fantasy ignores: he creates a natural setting that is well described, interesting, and plays an important part of the book. It seems like in most fantasy the characters tromp around through a generic plain, village, and spooky forest. In this book, it is clear the author knows and loves cypress swamp and recreates it effectively. Good read for young lovers of fantasy.
July 4, 2019
Roughly based on the stories of David in the Old Testament, this trilogy is the delightful saga of the adventures of Aidan, youngest son, shepherd, slayer of panthers and alligators, friend of the Feechie people (fictionalized American hillbillies, my favourite characters in the books), loyal to King Darrow even when he does not deserve it, faithful to the one True God, and you want them on your shelves. They ought to become American classics. They could not have been written anywhere else.
August 24, 2013
A decent trilogy, but not as good as the Wingfeather Saga.
January 7, 2019
Hm well...
This was better than the first one. It didn't read like it was directly out of 1st Samuel... but of course it was a middle grade retelling of the 200 foreskins story so yeah something had to change. There were a few genuinely humorous moments, and the freechie culture developed from quirky to interesting as the story progressed.
That's two stars worth of good stuff.
Beyond that, there wasn't much here. Aidan (the main character) is reminiscent of Henty's heroes, boys with no moral flaws, and enough brains to put the best doctoral candidates at Harvard to shame. Aidan has a solution to every political dilemma in Tambluff, and is better prepared for the wilderness than the people who live in it. He's brave, tough, smart, adaptable, loveable, etc etc etc... In a word, he's unrelatable. And that's his only flaw.
Also, the book had one big plot twist that didn't come from the Bible, and I figured it out about fifty pages before it hit. (Not because I'm some kind of genius, but because I've seen the family member disappears/evil lord rises from no where trope before.)
Full disclosure: if I had read this while I was actually the age it was targeting, it might get a pass as a childhood classic like Chuck Black's Kingdom Series, but alas I am old now.
This was better than the first one. It didn't read like it was directly out of 1st Samuel... but of course it was a middle grade retelling of the 200 foreskins story so yeah something had to change. There were a few genuinely humorous moments, and the freechie culture developed from quirky to interesting as the story progressed.
That's two stars worth of good stuff.
Beyond that, there wasn't much here. Aidan (the main character) is reminiscent of Henty's heroes, boys with no moral flaws, and enough brains to put the best doctoral candidates at Harvard to shame. Aidan has a solution to every political dilemma in Tambluff, and is better prepared for the wilderness than the people who live in it. He's brave, tough, smart, adaptable, loveable, etc etc etc... In a word, he's unrelatable. And that's his only flaw.
Also, the book had one big plot twist that didn't come from the Bible, and I figured it out about fifty pages before it hit. (Not because I'm some kind of genius, but because I've seen the family member disappears/evil lord rises from no where trope before.)
Full disclosure: if I had read this while I was actually the age it was targeting, it might get a pass as a childhood classic like Chuck Black's Kingdom Series, but alas I am old now.
September 17, 2007
This book is SOOOO good! I actually like it better than the first in the series. Aiden and Dobro are such awesome friends, that it makes you wish you could be one of them. I like it how they stick together and stand up for one another! I especially like the part where Aiden's in the cage and Dobro tells him "I'm gonna get you out of there!", but of course he can't cause it has a metal lock. Later on, in battle, Dobro gets thrown against the cage by an enemy and it breaks the cage. Dobro looks at Aiden and says, "I told you I'd get you out." It's so adorable. I positively LOVE this book! I HIGHLY recommend it!
March 10, 2012
My daddy read this out loud with me. I gave this book 5 stars because Aidan was on a quest to the Feechiefen for the frog orchid. My favorite part was when Dobro said: "See Aidan! I told you I'd get you out of here!" You will have to read it yourself to find out why that's so funny.
September 22, 2018
Johnathan Rodgers takes his writing to the next level in the second book of this series. This novel takes you deeper into the lives of the Feechie folk with their whimsical ways and witty ballads. I love the themes of nature woven into the story and the idea of being good stewards of God’s creation. This book is action packed and suspenseful, contains jaw dropping moments and will also have you laughing hysterically!
September 21, 2018
I think I like this one better than the first one!!!! It was so good (and a little predictable)!!🐊
November 14, 2024
Such a fantastic sequel to the first book! I read it aloud to the boys and they ALL loved it. I love Aidan's loyalty to the king, his family, the land, the feechies, and his country. And the crazy antics of the feechies had us laughing out loud.
October 15, 2008
in this book Aidan has been hiding out with his Feechi friends for several years and he gets a suprise visitor who helps start his next adventure. I'd say more but that would be telling. you'll just have to read it yourself. ^.-
April 27, 2011
This is book two of The Wilderking Trilogy. There are still parallels to the biblical story of David, but again, the story has a life of its own. The book also has a lot of action and more of those Feechies we met in the first book. This was a fun family read-aloud.
July 7, 2008
Great read aloud, especially for young boys. Our whole family enjoyed this entire series.
December 26, 2017
A well written, enjoyable book. I read it aloud to my kids and we all liked it.
May 5, 2018
This book is bonkers good. I haven’t read many middle-grade book that compare, particularly re: the loveliness of the prose and the richness of the world.
Read
April 3, 2020I feel badly about this half-way abandoned book. I didn't rate it, because the problems we had were not the book's fault. I began reading it to my grandkids about five months ago. Normally I have an hour to read aloud once a week.
But life! It erected barricades. Colds, a new baby, health complications for their Mama, lambing, sniffles, and now Covid-19.
As the time between reading stretched out, we lost momentum. We lost altitude. To force a finish on the other side of quarantine wouldn't be wise. Without consulting the kids, I broke covenant (a strict agreement that I not read ahead) and finished the book myself. It had a dramatic ending.
Maybe later we'll revive this series. Maybe when baby is old enough for chapter books we will come back. Or. Maybe they'll read it to their grandchildren one day.
But life! It erected barricades. Colds, a new baby, health complications for their Mama, lambing, sniffles, and now Covid-19.
As the time between reading stretched out, we lost momentum. We lost altitude. To force a finish on the other side of quarantine wouldn't be wise. Without consulting the kids, I broke covenant (a strict agreement that I not read ahead) and finished the book myself. It had a dramatic ending.
Maybe later we'll revive this series. Maybe when baby is old enough for chapter books we will come back. Or. Maybe they'll read it to their grandchildren one day.
May 5, 2024
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
An intriguing story that continues a very loose retelling of the biblical account of David before he becomes king.
A few parts of this second book felt a bit too slow for me. Eventually, things do get moving again and I enjoyed how the major conflicts were written.
I still think my sons would have enjoyed this series immensely had we found them when they were younger. My teenager (almost man-child) may still enjoy the storytelling even though he’s a bit older than the intended middle grade audience.
Boys especially will enjoy this series, but girls who like adventure stories will find it a worthwhile read as well.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
As I said for the first book: if you like The Wingfeather Saga, you might like this one too!
An intriguing story that continues a very loose retelling of the biblical account of David before he becomes king.
A few parts of this second book felt a bit too slow for me. Eventually, things do get moving again and I enjoyed how the major conflicts were written.
I still think my sons would have enjoyed this series immensely had we found them when they were younger. My teenager (almost man-child) may still enjoy the storytelling even though he’s a bit older than the intended middle grade audience.
Boys especially will enjoy this series, but girls who like adventure stories will find it a worthwhile read as well.
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
As I said for the first book: if you like The Wingfeather Saga, you might like this one too!
October 7, 2021
Love it. A perfect addition to the previous one in the series. As book two of The Wilderking Trilogy opens, Aidan is living in the court of King Darrow. He has become best friends with Darrow's son Steren, and he enjoys great favor among the courtiers. But King Darrow's suspicion is growing, and his insecurity causes him to hate the young man who saved his kingdom. Concerned about his king's spiral into ever-darker moods, Aidan asks what he can do to help. Darrow sends him on an impossible adventure to the recesses of Feechiefen Swamp, thinking he is sending Aidan to his death. After all, no Corenwalder has ever returned from Feechiefen alive. But Aidan's fate is not sealed yet, for Aidan has allies among the feechiefolk who know him as the hero, Pantherbane. For ages 10-15.
March 20, 2022
This was our spring break travels read-aloud. My family loved this book even more than the first one (and we really enjoyed The Bark of the Bog Owl)! The action and suspense was fun, and my boys kept asking for just one more chapter! Thoroughly entertaining for all ages! I highly recommend this one.
January 15, 2023
I really liked it espessily the ending like OHHHHHHHMYYYYYYYGOOOOOOODNESSSSS so exciting loved it but I won't go into detail lol! Now that I'm finished this I am going to read Thorn because if I don't my Cousin (Sydney) is going to kill me so yeah! but anyway I really loved this book you just can't get enough of Aiden and Dobro lol so yeah thats all I can't think of anything else to say so bye!!
January 17, 2024
I read this book to 7 of my kids. It was a little slower than the first book in the trilogy and I almost lost interest in the middle of the story. But the ending was amazing! I am very excited to read the last book in this series!
April 27, 2024
Swampy and delightful: the sequel. I want to live in Feechiefen and see the frog orchid for myself. I appreciate the hints of the biblical David’s story that peek through, the familiar story but without head butting the reader with the similarities.
November 19, 2019
Suspenseful and hilarious and even though we figured out the ending, it was still a fun surprise.
October 16, 2021
My son and I thoroughly enjoyed this second book in the series, which is loosely based on King David's life. We loved learning more about the feechie folk and watching the main character, Aiden, grow and develop as a young man and leader.
October 16, 2023
Lovely evocative storytelling, the feechies are magnificent and you can just feel the swamp around you...
July 19, 2018
We are loving this series. I am reading it aloud to my 6 and 4 year old boys. The chapters are short and always end with a cliffhanger so my boys always want me to keep reading. They have a strong Christian message for boys especially about loyalty and bravery.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews