Landon Snow and the Shadows of Malus Quidam (Book 2) by R.K. Mortenson

Rating: My bookshelf

Reading Level: Mid Elementary, Late Elementary

Landon and his little sister learn about sin, the fall, pride, the power of scriptures, and trusting in God’s plan.

Possible Concerns:

• Lying. Landon lies to his teacher. His sister reasons, “Everyone lies to their teacher sometimes.”
• Romance. Landon has a crush on a character from his adventures. His sister teases him about girls, giving Valentine’s, and Landon often blushes, and he often wants to say things to her but doesn’t find the words. It seems age appropriate to me.
• Use of the term, “bugger,” which I know in some cultures is a hard swear word.
• Fantasy. This book had magical creatures in a fantastic land, but I felt the fantasy was less crazy than book 1.
• Mild Peril. There are a few scary moments (e.g., arrows flying, hypnotism, and demonic shadow creatures manipulating). I expect everything is appropriate for a typical mid-elementary audience.

I liked this one much more than Book 1. I found the plot a bit easier to follow, and the spiritual parallels were great. There were strong, beautiful themes of pride, the power of scriptures, and trusting in God’s plan.

Discussion Questions

1. The Bible says God works all thing for the good of His plan. How did Landon realize this? What difficulties were part of the author’s plan? (Possible answers: Holly being captured helped her know where the tools were, Landon’s dreams helped them realize their job to do…)
2. Ludo tempted Landon, calling him second to none. Later, Landon hears Holly being called that. What does this tell us about when the devil tempts our pride? (Possible answers: we are not valuable to the devil; we are replaceable to him; he plays to our pride; what he offers will not last.)