Summary
Lily McKinley, a caring, artistic 12-year-old girl, wishes her life could return to the way it was before she lost her father. But when she’s whisked away to a new realm―guided by a talking dragon named Cedric and her dad’s magical, glowing soothstone―she learns she has the power to create dreams that can save her broken world.
Mixing fantasy with Christian themes, the Dream Keeper Saga takes middle-grade readers on an adventure steeped in magic, mystery, and glimmers of hope. In these 5 thrilling stories, Lily and her schoolmates Adam and Keisha travel through a dreamlike landscape of castles, caverns, and forests. With the help of enchanted friends, they battle evil rulers to overcome darkness until the real hero, Prince Pax, comes to make all things new.(Summary taken from publisher.)
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Read Aloud Age: 7+
Mom Thoughts
The Dream Keeper Saga is a Christian fantasy that harkens to classics like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. If you are comfortable with the level of magic in Narnia, chances are good you will also be with Dream Keeper, although they might be slightly heavier in the Dream Keeper.
The text is very plot-driven, which is great for the reader who loves a page-turner, but I did wish for more character development- especially in book two. The characters that have been created are enchanting and lovable, which is why I would have liked to know more about them. These books are rather intense, so if you have a child who is sensitive to extreme peril in books, this might not be the series for them. That said, if you have a child that loves a thrilling, sometimes heart-stopping adventure, look no further! Here is a writing sample from the first chapter of book one:
“Her eyes darted from the dragon’s fistfuls of claws, to the window, to the sink, to the counters. What should I do? she asked, wringing her shirtsleeve as she fretted. What can I do? All the details she’d read about dragons-the first breathing, the treasure hoarding, the maiden swiping- rushed through her mind in a frightening tangle. Surely, she was no match for this beast. yet, what alternative did she have? If she stood idly by, she might be swiped herself. Or worse, barbecued.”
The allegory that runs through these books is thoughtfully done and beautifully executed, while still managing to be fresh. I definitely teared up at the end of book two! While these books have a fantastically interesting storyline, the undercurrent that we cannot save ourselves, but only Christ can, is my absolute favorite part. These could be a huge hit with a fantasy-loving reader!
Language:
Used as insults: worm, Silly Lilly, midget, freak, maggot, stupid, terrible person
Questionable Behaviors:
Taking someone’s lunch and smashing it.
Mocking Lily for her father’s death.
Lily punches and fights with a boy at school after the above statement.
A dragon complains that because his wife has three heads, she has three times the belly-aching.
Lily remembers seeing a show where, “an unidentifiable mammal…glued its tongue to the toilet.”
Other Things to Know:
There are a few scenes that are a little creepy, like a teddy bear whose face is half-eaten coming out of the sand, as if “rising from the grave.” More creepy creatures tear at a human character’s clothes and claw his face. There is another scene that is meant to be a bit scary that uses coffins and turning characters to stone.
There is a wizard called Merlin who only briefly appears in both books, although he never performs any sorcery. There is also a short scene in the first book where a dream-born woman has the power to read Lily’s mind by placing the palm of her hand on Lily’s forehead. Magical objects, powers, and occurrences are par for the course in this series (apothecaries, sages, unicorns, dragons, sea serpents). The author is using magic as a literary device, not as promoting actual occult practices.
The Dragon and the Stone (#1)
The Prince and the Blight (#2)