Get ready to travel back in time… travel back to the time of knights, chivalry, quests, dragons. But wait, this isn’t your run of the mill knights and dragons series. This series holds a deeper meaning. It’s an allegory written to honor our Lord as King, to bring children closer to God and serving Him, and to teach children to guard their hearts.
The truth is that even though The Terrestria Chronicles series is written for kids 10 and up, I believe it would be great for both young and old. We could all learn something from the characters and lessons in this book series.
Munchkin and I started reading this series together, but due to my illness, I was unable to keep reading out loud to her. She didn’t want to wait until I got better in order to continue reading. I decided that we would both read the books separately and then discuss what we were reading. The study guide was wonderful for this purpose, and it helped us think more deeply into what we were reading.
Munchkin thoroughly enjoyed these books. She didn’t want to put them down which lead to me having a difficult time keeping up with her reading. Each night, she would beg Daddy to allow her to stay up and read “just a little more”. Daddy would grin and say okay as she told him yet another story from the book. She got a kick out of some of the names in the book, so she would have to tell Daddy about those characters as well.
As I read the series, I kept thinking that these books really need to be put in the hands of as many families as possible. While many of the books today may spark kids imaginations, they do not uplift the kids or teach good values and morals. The Terrestria Chronicles will capture the kids attention, spark their imagination, and teach them about our Lord and King. They have the strong potential to bring our kids closer to the Lord instead of leading them astray.
Please note: this series does need to be read in order.
Book One: The Sword, The Ring, The Parchment
In book one, readers are introduced to the Kingdom of Terrestria and its inhabitants, meet Argamor, an evil blacksmith, and Josiah, his slave, and follow Josiah as he is freed from slavery and becomes Prince Josiah, son of King Emmanuel. Readers will be drawn into the Kingdom of Terrestria and into young Josiah’s quest to truly understand what it means to be a child of the King. Book one includes a glossary, a castle facts guide, and an ABC guide to salvation.
Book Two: The Quest for Seven Castles
Book two begins one year after Josiah was freed from slavery by King Emmanuel. Josiah has grown considerably during his time at the Castle of Faith. King Emmanuel has decided that it is time for Prince Josiah to go on a quest. His quest will take him to seven different castles: The Castle of Virtue, The Castle of Knowledge, The Castle of Temperance, The Castle of Patience, The Castle of Godliness, The Castle of Brotherly Kindness, and The Castle of Charity. Along the way, Josiah faces many dangers and trials. King Emmanuel has provided everything Josiah needs for the journey. Josiah only needs to use the tools that have been given him…
Book Three: The Search for Everyman
In book three, we join Prince Josiah and his new friends Prince Selwyn and Princess Gilda as they are given a mission. They must find Everyman to deliver a pardon before Argamor has him executed. Everyman is being held in an undisclosed location, and they have only 3 weeks to find him and deliver the pardon. Argamor’s spies are everywhere, and they’ll do whatever it takes to stop the young princes and princess from achieving their mission…
Book Four: The Crown of Kuros
In book four, Josiah, in his impatience to get to the archery tournament, fails to lock the vault that contains the Crown of Kuros. Morphina, an evil enchantress, takes advantage of this opportunity and steals the Crown while disguised as Sir Faithful. When they learn of the Crowns disappearance, Prince Josiah and the other men of the Castle of Faith set out to find Morphina before she is able to give the Crown of Kuros to Argamor. While on the quest to find the crown, Prince Josiah must decide if he is going to give his heart fully and surrender his will completely to the King…
Book Five: The Dragon’s Egg
In book five, Prince Josiah, Prince Selwyn, and Princess Gilda rescue a peasant couple from their burning house. The peasants offer the young princes and princess a special gift to thank them for rescuing them, but all is not what it seems. When they realize that the gift is actually a dragon’s egg, a possession that is strictly forbidden by King Emmanuel, they decide to leave without the egg. Unfortunately, that isn’t the end of it for Prince Josiah as he finds himself mysteriously drawn back to the egg…
Book Six: The Golden Lamps
In book six, readers are introduced to new characters in the city of Hazah (meaning “to sleep”). The city, filled with young children, has come under attack by the knights of Argamor. The people of the city decide to petition King Emmanuel for a castle to protect them from Argamor’s attacks. They soon realize that building a castle takes a great deal of time, dedication, and sacrifice. When golden lamps are unearthed during the construction of the castle, strange things start to happen…
Book Seven: The Great War
In book seven, readers once again join up with Prince Josiah, Prince Selwyn, and Princess Gilda. Prince Josiah has now been a child of the King for 11 years. He and Princess Gilda are married and have a son. Prince Josiah continues to joyfully serve his King as the battle for Terrestria wages on. Josiah soon finds himself face-to-face with the most difficult battle yet…
Visits to Terrestria
This study guide includes questions for each of the seven books. It helps young readers and their parents get a better grasp of what is going on in the story, and how it applies to their lives. The thought provoking questions can lead to great discussions. The study guide would be a great way to incorporate these books into your family’s devotional time or to use these books in a group book discussion setting. An answer key is available as a free download on the website.
The Terrestria Chronicles series is available for purchase for $47.99. Dunlop Ministries is offering a Christmas special — when you purchase the entire series, you will received free shipping and a free study guide.
If you prefer, you can also purchase each book individually for $7.99. The spiral bound study guide is available for $5.99. (I highly recommend the study guide.)
If your littles need something to do while you are reading, you can print out some free coloring pages.
For more information about the companion series, Tales from Terrestria, you can read my review for the first book in the series.
This review is part of the MamaBuzz Blog Tour. I received a copy of The Terrestria Chronicles books and study guide from Ed Dunlop Ministries for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own.
I *want* these books. I am hoping to fit them into our budget by end of the month. But with 3 birthdays and Christmas in 4 weeks time, our homeschooling budget is on hold. 😉
How old is Munchkin? I’m trying to determine what age I would want to let my son try and dive into these. I looked at your about page and on your sidebar, but I’m not seeing anything. What age would you recommend this for?
Munchkin is 10. For younger kids, you could read it to them and talk about the different things in the story. Depending on your child, they could read it for themselves at a younger age.