Christian News Northwest, Vol. 5, No. 7, December, 1998.

     The humble son of a forest beekeeper finds himself in the middle of a battle of good and evil in the novel The King of the Trees, by William D. Burt (WinePress Publishing.)

     After a scuffle in the village marketplace, young Rolin is chased through the woods by odd men in green cloaks. As he looks for a place to hide, a mysterious stranger beckons him to climb a special tree. When Rolin descends the tree, he discovers he has been transported to another world , Lucambra, the Land of Light. Here Rolin learns he is the long-lost heir to the throne of the green-cloaked people, who live in giant trees and battle the dangerous batwolves.

     To fulfill an old prophecy, Rolin must save Lucambra from evil with the help of friendly griffins and the great Tree of Life. Through the sacrifice of the Tree, Rolin and his people find hope, strength and the courage to fight and reclaim their land. While this allegorical fantasy follows in the tradition of C.S. Lewis, it seems to be written to an older audience. The vocabulary is advanced at times and thick with fantasy words, which can be referenced in the book's glossary.

     The novel is also quite lengthy, though avid Christian fiction readers will zoom through to the climax.
With The King of the Trees, Burt has begun what promises to be a series of fiction for children at heart. Readers will likely look forward to sampling his next work. Sybil Johnson