Rating: My bookshelf

Reading Level: Mid-Elementary , Late Elementary, Middle School

The devil enters into a human skin and reeks havoc on the warriors and the world. The children have varrying degrees of awareness of the enemy’s presence. Definitely start with Book 1, and Book 2, which I also liked.

Possible Concerns:

  • Fantasy. Magic, dragons, evil and deceptive creatures.
  • Body Humor. One warrior comments about a smell resembling “fish butt.” This comment seems age appropriate to me.
  • Parent who has walked away from the faith. A boys dad is a stubborn unbeliever and has manipulated the Bible book. The boy pleads with his dad not to open a pod which is part of the enemy’s schemes, but the dad refuses.
  • The lie that the Gospel is make-believe. The boys father tells him the Bible book is the material of fairy tales. Might be worth a conversation with your kid about why the true Bible is not.
  • Crushes. The girls initially crush on the boy who is Satan disguised.

Things I like:

  • Excellent relationship with adults. This is really hard to find, but the author does a fantastic job weaving in healthy adult leaders but still allowing the kids to have adventures as well.
  • Black heroes. The book includes main character heroes with dark skin.
  • Identity as princes and princesses. The children are called by these titles of honor and at the end are christened as ambassadors.
  • Clearly illustrating principles of Christianity and spiritual warfare. The warriors have a belt of truth, boots of peace, etc. Paraphrases of scripture guide their journey. There is a clear enemy whose story reflects that of Satan. There is an unseen battle and a crafty enemy.

Although perhaps not as well-written as Wingfeather Saga or Narnia (and it’s hard to pinpoint why), it is still an asset to my bookshelf, with peril appropriate for my tender 9-year-old.