Dragon Seed by Marty Machowski

The book unfolds through two parallel narratives. One follows a rebellious teenager named Nick, who is grappling with anger and resentment after losing his father to cancer. The other traces a heavenly rebellion, where angels rise up against God, leading to the spread of evil across the earth. From the outset, the author makes it clear that the work is an allegory, allowing for creative interpretation in the retelling of these events.

Nick’s mother gives him a special book that tells the story of the dragon seed. It introduces Lord Dragon and the other dragons who rebel against the King, are cast down to Earth, and go on to tempt Adam and Eve in the garden. The narrative then tracks Lord Dragon and his followers as they spread deception and temptation throughout human history. Eventually, the promised prince is born, and the dragons attempt to destroy him in various ways. A demon-possessed man named Demas and a woman at the well named Shoshanna encounter the prince, and their lives are permanently transformed. The dragons believe they have won when the prince dies, but then Demas and Shoshanna meet him alive again.

As Nick reads this story, he begins to recognize his own attitudes and choices, and he asks for forgiveness from God and works to repair his relationship with his mother.

The book also includes a twelve-lesson Bible study at the end.

Reading Level: Ages 10-18 (Although probably best suited for teens)
Read-aloud Age: 10+

Dragon Seed deals with themes that may feel dark and weighty for younger readers. It explores ideas such as sin, shame, pride, and death, ultimately pointing toward the gospel message of sacrifice, love, and hope as its conclusion. It has a similar approach to The Screwtape Letters adapted for a younger audience, making the spiritual realm more visible in a personal way.

I appreciated that the dragons were shown as powerful but limited. They don’t know everything and can only be in one place at a time. The King will always come out triumphant. Readers are encouraged to live their lives more aware of the spiritual warfare happening around them and to engage in honest self-reflection.

While reading this book, there were a couple of things I found tricky. All the different characters share their viewpoint and thoughts throughout the story, which I sometimes found distracting to follow. It is also more of a teaching resource than a novel, and sometimes I questioned who this book was for, as I couldn’t see it being accepted by a rebellious teen.

However, as a teaching resource it does a beautiful job of bringing different sins such as self-righteousness and rebellion to light, with Jesus as the only solution for true freedom. The Bible study section at the back features a verse or passage, followed by teaching content and reflective questions. Topics such as pride, humility, obedience to God and authority, and why we can believe the bible are explored in Marty’s engaging and doctrinally rich style.

Language:
Dumb, I hate you, creep. Also, violent language from the dragons about killing children, stoning, throwing off a cliff, impaling on a tree, curse the King, curse him.

Questionable Behaviors:
Anger at mom, mom shouting back, negative peer pressure, lies, deception, eavesdropping, eye rolling, favoritism, sneaking out of the house, desire for revenge, friends rude about the mom, hidden phones, stealing, getting drunk. The poor behavior is always shown in a negative light, highlighting the evil dragon seed at work in each of the characters.

Sexual Content:
Nick texting a girl he is interested in, planning to go to a party together. There is a romantic interest in the biblical scenes, with Demas taking Shoshanna in his arms, they embrace for a moment, then later on marry and have a son. That is all the details given.

Other Things to Know:
There is a violent heavenly battle between angels and demons. Death of a father/husband, dealing with fear and loss. Scary stories and demon possession. Biblically based story: The allegorical story has many extra embellishments, and it would be worth reading the biblical accounts afterwards. However, the themes and ideas brought out were all biblically accurate, full of grace and truth. It highlights the reality of the spiritual
realm, our sinfulness and God’s great love.

This review was written by Good Book Mom contributor, Sarita. To find out more about Sarita, click HERE.

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