13 parts Complete The Return of the King is based on stories of initiation. 'Initiation' literally means 'to go within.' In our time the need for contact with the inner world becomes increasingly evident. Without a connection between daily life and the soul, our life becomes empty. Many men seem lost in our society, in search of what it means to be a man: no macho or softie, but a man who is both in touch with his feelings, as well as being grounded in a healthy masculinity. Many men have become solitary fighters who do everything on their own. They lack contact with their fathers, their first example of masculinity. They prefer to discuss their emotional matters with women, but they lack the security and strength that stems from the contact with other men. The king, symbol for the heart, is absent. The transition from boyhood to manhood has become a forgotten stage and there are very few initiators - old wise men - who can help other men to get in touch with their own essence.
This book describes the process of initiation of becoming a man; going down into the dark realms of the soul, of despair and loneliness, to come out again and be reborn into who you truly are. A man who is not controlled by his mind or his emotions, but who knows his own heart. This is the archetypal and ancient theme of 'The Return of the King.'