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Adventures In Odyssey: Passages #4-6
The Marus Manuscripts
Glennall's In Depression-era Odyssey, James Curtis runs away from home and joins a mysterious group of gypsies. Along the way, he is kidnapped and sold into slavery, where he meets a young man named Glennall. Together, James and Glennall journey to the capital in Marus and discover that there is a higher purpose to the random events of their lives. Based on the biblical story of Joseph, "Glennall's Betrayal" models for the reader what it means to trust God in every circumstance and to forgive those who have wronged us. Any fan of Tolkien will appreciate this fantasy story, and with a new cover and interior graphics, it's better than ever! Draven's While running through an old railroad tunnel, Scott Graham bumps his head, and suddenly finds himself in another world where time has stopped and he is expected to fulfill a purpose he knows nothing about--set for him by the Unseen One. In a wartime period resembling Nazi Germany, Scott must learn from a daring prophet and take a stand that will affect an entire nation--and his very life. Based on the biblical story of Elijah, "Draven's Defiance" retells the story from a kid's perspective, helping kids understand the themes and principles in God's Word. Fendar's Danny, Michelle, and Wayne jump into a river and come out of the water to find themselves in a fountain in another land. When these three young travelers unexpectedly journey from Odyssey to Marus, two of them join forces with an exiled prince to free an oppressed people, while the other is enticed by the kingdom's riches. Will the epic struggle lead to a terrible parting? Based on the biblical story of Moses, and written from a kid's perspective, "Fendar's Legacy" teaches about the freedom found in following God's plan.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2013
4 people are currently reading
58 people want to read
About the author
Paul McCusker
181 books229 followersPaul McCusker is a writer of many different kinds of things. You may know him from Adventures In Odyssey and Focus On The Family Radio Theatre. Or the Father Gilbert Mysteries. Or the Augustine Institute audio dramas Brother Francis: The Barefoot Saint of Assisi and The Trials of Saint Patrick. Or plays like The First Church of Pete's Garage and Catacombs. Or C.S. Lewis projects like The Chronicles of Narnia audio dramas or The Annotated Screwtape Letters. Or the film Beyond The Mask. Or lots of other dramas, novels, scripts and lyrics. He simply can't make up his mind what he likes to write.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 22, 2025
This is a wonderful allegory of the scriptures. Even as adult I was instantly drawn into the world of Marus. The world is fantastical yet it is very believable at the same time. These two Biblical stories of Moses and Joseph are told in a simple way that kids can understand the Christian truths yet told in a refreshing and new way. I love this story and will read it again and again.
March 10, 2021
I have LOVED this series and this book didn’t disappoint. I love the creative aspects used to tell classic Bible stories in a new light and in a new way.
May 27, 2024
Three wonderful journeys into the land of Marus. Well done.
October 10, 2013
Definitely one of my favorites. This was just as good as the first volume. I love allegory!
June 13, 2018
3.5 stars
This is the second and last volume of the Passages series, containing books 4, 5, and 6. I felt very similar about these books as I did about the first volume. It was fun reading about kids transported to another world, and it was fun looking for the biblical parallels. But I also felt that on the whole, the land of Marus wasn't "fantasy-like" enough. That's just my opinion, however, and I'm still glad I read this series.
Book 4: Glennall's Betrayal - 2.5 stars
James ends up in Marus and finds himself sold into slavery with a young man named Glennall, who is set on getting revenge on his brothers. He gets a chance when he rises in power, but has to learn about forgiveness. This is a retelling of Joseph from the book of Genesis. This was also my least favorite of the series. The whole story focused on revenge until literally the last page, and I thought Glennall (Joseph) was portrayed in a very negative light, more so than I see in Scripture.
Book 5: Draven's Defiance - 3.5 stars
Scott gets sent to Marus to become the apprentice of the prophet Draven, who is in the middle of a power struggle with a weak king and evil queen. This is the story of Elijah and King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, and the showdown on Mount Carmel. I thought the ending was a little rushed, but I liked this one quite a bit.
Book 6: Fendar's Legacy - 4 stars
Danny, Wayne, and Michelle wind up in Marus, only to find themselves separated and each playing a crucial role in freeing an entire people group from slavery. This tells the story of Moses and the plagues, leading up to the Exodus and crossing the Red Sea. I loved this last story, and thought it did a great job of showing God's power on behalf of His people.
So, even though I had mixed feelings about some aspects of these books, I did enjoy reading them. And if you are an Adventures in Odyssey fan, or if you like middle grade allegorical fantasy, then this is a great series for you!
This is the second and last volume of the Passages series, containing books 4, 5, and 6. I felt very similar about these books as I did about the first volume. It was fun reading about kids transported to another world, and it was fun looking for the biblical parallels. But I also felt that on the whole, the land of Marus wasn't "fantasy-like" enough. That's just my opinion, however, and I'm still glad I read this series.
Book 4: Glennall's Betrayal - 2.5 stars
James ends up in Marus and finds himself sold into slavery with a young man named Glennall, who is set on getting revenge on his brothers. He gets a chance when he rises in power, but has to learn about forgiveness. This is a retelling of Joseph from the book of Genesis. This was also my least favorite of the series. The whole story focused on revenge until literally the last page, and I thought Glennall (Joseph) was portrayed in a very negative light, more so than I see in Scripture.
Book 5: Draven's Defiance - 3.5 stars
Scott gets sent to Marus to become the apprentice of the prophet Draven, who is in the middle of a power struggle with a weak king and evil queen. This is the story of Elijah and King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, and the showdown on Mount Carmel. I thought the ending was a little rushed, but I liked this one quite a bit.
Book 6: Fendar's Legacy - 4 stars
Danny, Wayne, and Michelle wind up in Marus, only to find themselves separated and each playing a crucial role in freeing an entire people group from slavery. This tells the story of Moses and the plagues, leading up to the Exodus and crossing the Red Sea. I loved this last story, and thought it did a great job of showing God's power on behalf of His people.
So, even though I had mixed feelings about some aspects of these books, I did enjoy reading them. And if you are an Adventures in Odyssey fan, or if you like middle grade allegorical fantasy, then this is a great series for you!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews