TOS Crew Review -- Terrestria Chronicles

After recently finishing Pilgrim's Progress and appreciating the allegorical lessons interwoven in the plot, we started into the Terrestria Chronicles. These books have grabbed the interest of my kids and they have enjoyed this new addition to our afternoon read aloud time.

We received books four and five of the series, and although we kind of feel like we have jumped in mid stream, we have not been confused or needed explanation to enjoy the story and the lessons contained between the covers of these books.



"The Castle of Faith is in an uproar when the priceless Crown of Kuros is stolen in broad daylight from the castle keep. All evidence points to Morphina who is in league with Argamor. Prince Josiah, Prince Selwyn, and the other knights of the castle engage in a quest to find the crown before it falls into the hands of Argamor. But Josiah alone can recover the crown, and to do so he must engage in an impossible battle."



And the next book:

"When Princess Gilda and Prince Selwyn refuse the offer of a gift forbidden by King Emmanuel, Prince Josiah accepts, not realizing that his actions will impact the Castle of Faith. For a time, the young prince is able to conceal his act of treachery, and it seems that all is well. But when a Cararian Greatwing—the fiercest of dragons—begins terrorizing the kingdom, Josiah learns too late that he is powerless to control the beast that he has unleashed upon Terrestria."

Product: Terrestria Chronicles
Details: (from their website) The Terrestria Chronicles allegory series was written with a three-fold purpose: to honor Jesus Christ as King, to challenge young readers to love and serve Him, and to teach them to guard their hearts for Him. The focus of the series is always on the King. Biblical doctrines and character principles are taught in such a compelling, fascinating way that they will stay with the reader for a lifetime. Written for ages ten and up.
- We received books 4 (The Crown of Kuros - 185 pages)and 5 (The Dragon’s Egg - 199 pages)
Price: $7.99 each book or $39.99 for all seven books. A spiral bound study guide is also available for $5.99



What we loved . . .

• Magical without the magic. These books hold the reader's attention and draw them into a world of knights, valor, and adventure. They do not glorify magic or wizardry. They do contain an allegorical world that challenges kids to think about their own choices and the need to choose to do what is right.
  
• Character lessons. Clearly good receives a place of honor in these books. Evil is not confused, but is judged as wrong. Standards and values are important to the lead characters.
  
• Engaging story. Each of my kids enjoyed hearing these stories and eagerly looked forward to the next day's readings. Lots of action and intriguing characters kept us wanting more.
  
• Well written. The stories themselves are also well written and a joy to read.
  

Some considerations . . .

• You might get hooked. Of course, if you read one, you just might have to read them all. While the stories are somewhat self-contained, they do also build on each other, and you might as well plan on getting the whole series.
  
• Written for 10 and up. I think that most younger kids would enjoy these books as well, but 10 year olds would likely be able to read them on their own. I have not come across anything that I felt needed editing or softening for the younger ears in my living room.
  

I would definitely recommend these books as additions to your home library. Whether your kids read them on their own, or you read them aloud as a family they provide more than just entertaining reading.


For more TOS Crew reviews on this product, check out the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: These books were provided to me free of charge through Dunlop Ministries as part of my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I received no additional compensation and the opinions expressed here come from my personal experiences and sincere thoughts.