Into the Book of Light

The Dream Traveler's Quest #1

by Ted Dekker, Kara Dekker

Millions have taken the journey into the Dekker universe. Now that universe opens its doors to young readers.

What if you could find a way to enter another reality full of wild and life changing adventure? And what if every time you fell asleep you woke up in that other reality? Welcome to the world of Theo Dunnery, a twelve year-old boy who feels alone and full of fear when he stumbles on an ancient book that draws him into another world.

In that world, he learns he must complete a quest to find the Five Seals of Truth if he is to conquer his fears. Facing great odds and many enemies, Theo sets off on the adventure of a lifetime to discover who he really is as the son of Elyon, and overcome the darkness that has haunted him for so long.

Join Theo on The Dream Traveler's Quest, one story told in four chapter books. Read all four and discover the truth for yourself.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Christian, Christian Fiction, Chapter Books

128 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

About the author

Ted Dekker is known for novels that combine adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists, unforgettable characters, and incredible confrontations between good and evil. Ted lives in Austin with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.

Reviews

[Barbara M. Britton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book to send to my nephews. I don't feel I can send it without some "teaching" moments. The opening incident in the book has to do with bullying. The main character, Theo, is being bullied by an older boy--Asher--and his goons. Theo is held in place by said goons in the school cafeteria, and punched in the face by Asher. Blood is drawn. The adults at the school do nothing except hand him a tissue. I was aghast. In a school setting, teachers and staff would have stepped up. This is assault. This incident has Theo fleeing to the library where the librarian places him in a room full of books. It is through a book that Theo takes a journey to gain courage.
The journey is cute with creative characters. Although, the Shataiki could be scary. They bind Theo and leave marks on his skin even when he leaves the "book" world.
This is a book about a battle between dark and light, good and evil, and theoretically, God and Satan.
I really wanted to like this story--and I did--but it needs some teachings moments to make it shine.

[R.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge Ted Dekker fan, I about jumped out of my chair when I received the first email promoting his new children’s series! And yes, I was one of the crazies that pre-ordered the entire series.

That being said, as I read Into the Book of Light, I couldn’t help but feel a strong similarity to the Narnia series. It is a unique world with unique trials and quests. There are friendly creatures, and there are creatures that try to make Theo believe lies, but the ultimate quest is to figure out who he is. It is very bold in introducing Elyon as God in the first book, I thought that perhaps that nugget of information would have been a great series ending reveal, but perhaps Dekker has something even better planned for the end of the series *shrug*. Of course I liked that revelation regardless of when it was introduced 🙂

This book is geared for young readers, I’d say 8-12 years, so it is quick moving and simple to read. It’s clean, there is no cursing and no detail in the action scenes, and absolutely no sexual content at all. The illustrations really help the reader visualize the story and I thought they were incredibly well done.

Overall, I enjoyed this beginning of Theo’s adventure and look forward to continuing his journey. And I also know that my younger siblings will enjoy this series! I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

This is a LiteratureApproved.com Review.

[Sommer✧⁠*⁠。♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 It's the nostalgia

[Josh Olds · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dream Traveler’s Quest is a four-book series written by Kara and Ted Dekker that pairs with Ted Dekker’s Beyond the Circle duology that released around the same time. Written for ages 7-12, The Dream Traveler’s Quest follows Theo Dunnery, who stumbles upon an ancient Book of History that sucks him into another world. Here, Theo learns to overcome his loneliness and fear through the Five Seals: five statements of truth that Ted Dekker developed in his non-fiction work, The Way of Love. But the journey won’t be easy, evil bats and school bullies will conspire to stop Theo from discovering his identity as the son of Elyon.

Into the Book of Light is our introduction to Theo (Taay-o) Dunnery, but it’s hardly an introduction to the world of Other Earth. Ever since Dekker released The Circle Trilogy in 2004, he has been expanding on this world and storyline. The Books of History Chronicles—novels directly or indirectly tied to the Circle Trilogy and Other Earth—number over a dozen and span a multitude of publishers.

Theo’s introduction to Other Earth comes as the librarian, Mrs. Friend, hides Theo from the school bully (and principal’s son), Asher. While in a special room in the library, Theo uncovers a Book of History, blood from his nose hits the page, and he find himself transported to the other realm.

I’ve a bit of an issue with how he gets transported. In the Circle, individuals cross over when they have an awareness of the other reality and are connected with the blood of Thomas Hunter. The Lost Books introduces use of Books to cross between realms, but it takes three books and is a physical crossing, not a “dream” crossing. The Dream Traveler’s Quest sort of plays fast and loose with the established rules—something that it continues to do as the series plays out.

On the other side, he meets some familiar characters and learns that Talya (see Beyond the Circle) is sending Theo on a quest to discover the Five Seals. Seal One: Elyon is infinite and cannot be threatened by anything, ever. As it introduces Theo to Other Earth and Elyon, Into the Book of Light is easily the strongest of the series.

Theo’s journey to discover Elyon—and the Shataiki’s attempts to stop him—are genuinely entertaining and encouraging. Young readers are going to be a bit shocked, I think, at seeing Elyon portrayed as a young boy. God, particularly to little ones, is seen as a father/authoritarian figure. Not untrue, but not who God is in his totality. Seeing God as a playful child, God as a friend, God who looks like me, helps children reverse that and understand themselves as creations made in the image of God.

Theo overcoming Shataiki through the power of Elyon plays out perfectly for helping Theo deal with his Real Earth bullies—and they’ll help your child as well. Into the Book of Light is a strong start to this series. If you’ve read my overview, you’ll know my issues with it, but those are almost entirely absent in book one. This is a fun read and shows that a children’s Circle-themed series has potential.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series I believe that I picked up from a free library while surprisingly having all the books in my grasp that I know of.

Into the Book of Light is a story about a boy who made a mistake in the school cafeteria one day and as a result is meant to face down the school bully whose father just happens to be the school principal. With a non-confrontational parent who thinks that all his son needs to do is stay invisible and not make a scene it is no wonder that Theo is a coward of the ninth power squared.

The characters are mostly well done although they do seem a bit on the formulaic side in their presentation while the Roush were interesting yet rather childish to me thus I don't feel like they provided the right companions for Theo. And as if it doesn't make it a bit more confusing the enemy basically look like the Roush with the exception of a few physical changes (since of the symbolism of the story I do understand why the similarities are kept to).

I wish there had been a bit more of a background development for this world that we don't know about sounds amazing. We only get a brief description of where Theo and his friends are but no actually graphic details describing these places, no place names at all and the story ended up moving very quick between our world and theirs, which take away from the pleasure of being able to really submerge ourselves in the story.

And the book does have some basic sketch illustrations occasionally spread throughout although the most fascinating illustrations to me were the Roush holding onto the chapter numbers of each chapter start.

All in all it was rather an okay read but one that I probably would have enjoyed much more as a child if I hadn't already read series like The Chronicles of Narnia or other books like The Pilgrim's Progress instead.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great allegory for young readers! Especially loved the portrayal of Theo being blinded by the fog of darkness and lies until he experiences the dazzling light of Elyon for the first time, and the reminder that, “The hyenas can only bother you when you forget who Elyon is and who you are as his son.”

[Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to avoid obvious allegory, kind of rolling my eyes at the blatant way the author doesn’t even try to hide what he’s doing. We received this series for Christmas, and I must admit it hooked me quickly. I know I will enjoy reading them with the kids. Good reminder for me that God’s eternal nature means He is bigger than all the darkness and evil of this world.

[Caedyn Hooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good and I enjoyed reading it! It was a ways below my reading level but it was a quick read and it had lots of details! I would recommend it to younger readers because it is more their level.

[Andrew kutz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate doing this because it’s a children’s book but it needed a lot of work hopefully the rest of the series will be better, but this one kind of reminded me of black in the circle trilogy, and I hated that book.

[Elya McKinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok book. Writing style was choppy. My kids enjoyed it though!

[Elizabeth Newton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Theo is a middle-grade student who is bullied at school and because of this, carries fear alongside him everywhere he goes. He’s even carefully crafted a plan of how to avoid bumping into his dreaded nemesis in the corridors in between periods. But the plan fails and he finds himself running to hide in the library. It is in a hidden room in the Library, where he finds a mysterious ancient book that pulls him into another world. It’s not long until he finds that he must embark on a quest to find the Five Seals of Truth. Theo faces many dangerous enemies but also has many allies guiding and helping him and giving him the strength he needs to overcome terrible darkness with the first truth he must learn. An important truth he will need to take back into his own world in order to face his fears.

I am enjoying The Dream Traveller’s Quest series. It is clearly very closely inspired by C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series. Elyon, the omniscient being in the other world, parallels to God and there are other characters that we might liken to angels. When Theo finally meets the mysterious Elyon, he is called His son, that He is light, and nothing can threaten Him or Theo. When faced with adversity, Theo must choose who he believes, and have the courage to stand firm when darkness creeps in all around him. Will he stand confidently on the word of Elyon and discover the first Seal, or will he listen to deviously crafted lies and crumple in fear and be stuck forever in blindness?

This is a story of good versus evil. Light versus darkness. Of a young boy learning to face his fears and be confident in who he is, or more accurately, whose he is. The story is simple, chapters are short, and there are some very lovable characters and scary, believable villains. There are some black and white sketched illustrations throughout that aid in the telling of the story and there was enough of a teaser left at the end for me to be curious enough to keep reading through the series. Great for kids who have started reading novels and perhaps can relate to that day-to-day struggle of being bullied and picked on at school.

[Normajean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book, but I wish Theo would have told his dad he had gotten punched.

[Cary · Rating 3 out of 5]

“When you stand in the face of fear, you’ll really know my power.”

Rating: 3-star story for me, 4-star tale for ages 8-11

Middle-schooler Theo Dunnery escapes the darkness of bullies and dangerous creatures who wish to control him and finds freedom by pursuing the light that extends beyond the world he knows. His mission? Find the Five Seals of Truth.

Characters: 7 (out of 10)
—The main character/protagonist Theo, a 6th-grader, should be relatable to many in that age group. Struggling with everyday fears and 8th-grade bullies, he eventually overcomes his trials with the assistance of friends and faith.
—The Roush, white bat-like creatures, serve as his protective companions. They seem an odd choice, but their names are well chosen to reflect their roles: Michal, Gabil, and Stokes
—Antagonists Asher (in the real world) and the evil Shataiki, also bat-like but dark, serve their roles efficiently but without surprise.
—Theo’s father and Mrs. Friend are supportive, but it seems like they could do more to help Theo, especially the dad who knows about the bullying. Surely, his son’s welfare means more to him than his job.
—Judah the Lion, the mystic Talya, and Elyon, provide wisdom and inspiration for Theo’s mission.
—The characters’ names deserve recognition for their origins/meanings. Yes, I am the type to research such things.

Atmosphere/Setting: 3
—My biggest disappointment is the statement by Michal upon Theo’s arrival in the other world: “I won’t bore you with the names” of the desert, the home of the Roush, the lake, the forest, etc. Mount Veritas is the exception. This missed opportunity deflated the fun of potential world building.
—Additionally, the private Christian school setting struck me as odd. Possible? Yes, bullying can occur at any school, but violence that leads to bloodshed would be punished even if the bully is the principal’s son.

Writing Style: 5
—Appropriate close 3rd-person point of view and tones to fit the scenes, but lacks details to spark the imagination like the Chronicles of Narnia, the Wingfeather Saga, The Hobbit, the Chronicles of Prydain, Harry Potter, etc.

Plot: 7
—The start clearly but repeatedly communicates Theo’s fears. The pace picks up when he goes on his mission and continues through the end.

Intrigue: 6
—The overall story arc is predictable, but there are suspenseful moments with the Shataiki and when Theo meets Elyon.

Logic/Relationships: 6
—The Book of Light isn’t illogical as much as incomplete. How did the book end up in the school library? Why are the Roush the ones to aid Theo? What is the reason for the timing of the dreaming that transports him?
—As this is the first book in the Dream Traveler’s Quest four-book series, perhaps answers are provided in later books.

Enjoyment and Theme: 8
—In spite of perceived flaws, the message resonates with the reader as Elyon advises Theo, “When you stand in the face of fear, you’ll really know my power.” Friends are encouraging and helpful, but it takes individual faith in God to achieve true victory.
—Non-Christians may find the story’s resolution off putting, but the possible questions raised about life’s purpose and relationships could be thought provoking.

Total: 42 out of 70

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kids enjoyed it, but I struggled to read through it. First, the criticism: The story is seeks originality, but feels too much like a watered down Narnia or Harry Potter. The vauge notion of spiritual truth (something akin to “God is all powerful so I don’t have to be afraid) comes off too self-consciously on the nose, and lacks metaphorical or symbolic depth. The prose reads simply to the point of being simplistic, perhaps in an attempt to target younger readers. (This is disappointing because simplicity doesn’t need to sacrifice beauty.)

The main character, Theo, read fairly one-dimensionally (as do all the others, even the “god” character), with his main feature being that he is terrified of most things for some reason (likely his mother’s death and his father’s over-bearing nature, which is alluded to pretty heavy-handedly in the first couple chapters and then not mentioned again). The character arc is basically that Theo meets the world’s equivalent of Aslan, I mean “God,” and suddenly has the propensity to overcome his fear. This is frustrating because it wastes a teaching opportunity to reflect real experience and provide kids with real psychologically and spiritually robust tools to deal with their fear. Unfortunately, the pop theology of instant answer to prayer functions as the plot’s deus ex machina for a paltry climax and a nice, happy ending.

I normally wouldn’t mention the artwork, but it was distracting enough, and juvenile to the point that it actually diminishes one’s imagination in visualizing the characters and setting. It feels like the product of a young person, which if the case, is fine. But the overall effect is amateur and cheap.

Now the positive view: Ironically, what doesn’t work for me didn’t register as much for my kids, which says something. Despite my admittedly harsh critiques, my children (1, 5 & 7) are too young to fully detect these differences from other stories we’ve read that they enjoyed like The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first two HP books, or other classical early readers.

What this book seemingly does well is present a basic scenario that allows the child listener/reader to relate to the main character and visualize themselves as going on that adventure (which is something my 7 y/o liked). In this way, it was a successful read aloud for young children.

[Jessica Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in The Dream Traveler’s Quest sets up the world any fan of Dekker’s work will know and love. A great series for young readers.

Young Theo Dunnery tries to follow his dad’s advice about staying invisible to avoid the bullies as much as he can. As he is trying to avoid Asher, the one boy out to get him, he hides in the library and stumbles upon a book that takes him to another world. In this new world, he must complete a quest to find the Five Seals of Truth to conquer his fears. He is helped along the way to discover he is the true son of Elyon.

The first book in this new series for kids will be very familiar for anyone who has read The Circle Series by Ted Dekker. I have come to the conclusion that if there is a way for him to write a book and tie it back to the Circle Series in some form, he is going to do it. This was a fun story with lots of action and adventure to keep the attention of young readers. I liked the length of the books, just right for young readers to read and not be overwhelmed by a large book with a lot of content they aren’t ready for yet. Tackling the issues of bullying in school can be a difficult subject and using Theo’s bullying coupled with the other world he escapes into as a way to overcome the obstacles is a good story for kids but one to keep in mind that it is fiction. This isn’t going to work for dealing with bullies in real life. Some of the lessons in the book were not handled the way I, as a parent, would handle them but they did move well with the story and kids will enjoy the action and adventure. I recommend this to young readers that are starting out looking for some adventure but not a story that is too difficult for them.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended book for Christian children who love to read and what to learn life lessons and how to be more like Jesus. These books should be read in order and have to read all 4 books. The books are short (approximately 100 pages) and I read each one in under a few hours. Reading these books with your children are highly recommended.

Theo Dunnery is a 12 year old who lives with his dad, a school teacher. His mom died a few years ago. Theo is being bullied by Asher, the Principal's son and really has no one to turn to. His dad just tells him to ignore it and pretend to be invisible (not a great lesson to teach his son).

One day, Theo runs away from Asher and hides in the library. A book falls on him and as he touches the empty page he is transported to another Earth. (If you read the Red, Green, White, Black series, Theo ends up the same place where Thomas landed when he fell asleep). Theo is greeted by Rouch, which are cute furry little white bats. Gabil, Michal and Stokes are his guides through this series.

The quest for Theo is to find the 5 Seals of Truth, each book takes him through each seal (the last book covers two seals). Along his quest, Theo runs into the bad bats, Shataki, who smell of rotten eggs and are evil.

Theo is alone on this journey but helped by the Rouch, Talya (a messenger) and Elyon (Jesus). It is a heartwarming story of how Theo learns how he is the Light and nothing can threaten him.

See how this ties into Theo's personal challenge with the bully and how he deals with boys like Asher. Touches your heart!

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a middle school boy that was getting bullied and was scared of everything. He felt like he would always stand out and couldn't get away from his fears. He was getting bullied for no reason and was warned not to come to school that day but his dad made him. He was beaten up and hid in the library. He saw a book fall down right in front of him it opened and beamed with light. His blood still dripping from his face he fell right into the book. He woke up and was in a completely new world and saw white bats flying at him. He learned that these were good bats and the black bats were bad known as the Shataiki. He was sent there to overcome his fears. He was faced with new situations and needed to meet Elyon who is the god in the new world. He needed to find the first seal which is his first fear. He overcomed his fear and met Elyon. Elyon gave him a stick and reminded him that he was always with him no matter what happened. He called himself Infinite. Soon he realized that he was not afraid anymore and can do anything.


I gave this book a 4 star because it was fun to read. I wanted to keep reading it and it always left on a new part so you would want to keep reading. This book was a exciting book to read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes action. This book was not big on action like in the movies but it did have some. Overall this book was good to read.

[Tay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Christian Propaganda.

This book presented itself as something entirely different from what it turned out to be. At first, I was excited about the prospect of a thrilling story where a child ventures into another dimension during his dreams. However, it wasn't until page 105 that the author introduced parallels to the concept of God. While I appreciate exploring spiritual themes, I found it disheartening to have this introduced so late in the narrative, especially when I was reading the book aloud to my 9-year-old.

Throughout the story, there were no indications of religious elements until the very end, where the character Elyon is revealed to represent God, promising to always be with us. It felt as though the author cleverly integrated Christianity into a children's book without considering that not all children come from religious backgrounds. This raises the question of whether it is appropriate to sneakily promote one's beliefs in literature for young readers.

As a reader, I felt somewhat deceived by the way these ideas were woven into the story. What does it say about your belief system when the ideas are so unpalatable that you must invent clever ways to trick others into thinking about them? Is God on board with this strategy? I thought the Devil was the trickster.

In the end, I'm grateful that we only borrowed this book from the library and didn't invest any money in it.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book on the recommendation of a student at school, who received it for her birthday. She brought in her copy to share with me.
I didn't know that Dekker is a Christian author - which is fine, it just changes my expectations of the book. The intention is not an adventure or fantasy story, per se, but one in which the main character discovers God, His infinite nature, and realizes he can use His light/love to counter evil. In this case, evil is presented as real-world bullies who beat the tar out of Theo with zero intervention from any grown-ups including Theo's dad or the bully's dad, who is also the school principal. (Theo's dad's advice is to "stay out of the way." What?!) Theo has to go on a magical quest by falling into the Book of Light in a secret room in the library to find 5 seals, the first of which (courage) is found in this book. I assume the other books in the series are journeys to find the other seals. While he first falls into a book to find this other world, later when he simply falls asleep he is transported back to the other world.
This book is very straightforward in both writing and messaging, and is good for a specific demographic looking for that messaging.

[Michele Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this series to my children as a read aloud for our homeschool. This book is definitely geared to younger ages, and so the story is simple and predictable for adults. However, I liked the imaginative qualities of the story, and the way he utilized an Old Testament name for God ("El Elyon" - the Most High God) as the name for God in the story.

My biggest criticism of the entire series is the books are overwrought with typos! Grammar, spelling - you name it, and it occurs. I abhor that. If I am giving my children something to read that will foster their intellectual and spiritual growth, can it at least be written well? Where was the editor of this atrocity? Additionally, the predictability of the story made it hard for me to enjoy (even as a read aloud for children). I've read other reviews where readers defend Dekker's typos/errors by cheering the sheer number of books he churns out in a year, but my position is if you can't write it well, perhaps you should slow down and invest in an editor who can help you produce quality books that are well-written.

That said, my children enjoyed the characters, creatures, and journey they went on in this series. I especially enjoyed the conversations and questions that came about as a result of the content of the books.

[Brandon De Horta · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids loved this book, it’s about a boy Theo, who struggles with all sorts of fears. He eventually gets transported to a new world where he is sent on a quest to find 5 seals each learning of himself. The god of this new world that helps

Theo on his quest is elyion, who goes by god in the real world. When he appears to Theo he uses the form of a little boy, which I know lots of people were bothered by this as their portrayal of god is more of a father figure. But watching my kids as I read to them Theo’s interaction with the boy Elyion (God), I believed it portrayed a powerful characteristic of god, to be able to relate.

My children really loved this book, and can’t wait for me to start the next book. Great lessons and biblical principles taught through story telling like Most of Ted Dekkers book. His daughter did a great job, and has much potential. Looking forward to her future as well.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

dream travelers quest book 1 review-warning there are a tiny bit of spoilers so be careful reading!-

My favorite character is Theo because he's brave and awesome!
I love seeing him problem solve and conquer his fears once and for all
And I just love the story behind this book too! You should definitely try reading it sometime! You wont regret it!

My favorite part is when he goes to dream island and defeats his fears!
I like how Ted Dekker designed the world and the message for young men and women in this book! Like I was saying, I love the journey he takes to conquer his fears!

No, I wouldn't change the ending. I think it's awesome as usual!
Him conquering most of his fears. I like how its different from other fantasy stories instead of defeating a dragon,trolls, or other fantasy creatures or villains.but i definitely recommend to read it sometime.

[Elizabeth Emricson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dream Traveler’s is a book by Ted Dekker and Kara Dekker. The main characters are Theo, Asher, The Stokes, and The Shataiki. This book is about a kid named Theo who gets to meet bats in his dreams and makes new friends through a different world. Although that was a dream or 2 they were very real and there is evidence in his actual world that those dreams were in fact true. He gains courage, more confidence to do things in his day-to-day life and lets go of some of his fears. This book is filled with excitement, terror, and plot twists. I give this book a 4 out of 5 because it was a great book and things happened that caught me by surprise and I didn’t see coming. The theme of this book is if you believe anything can happen. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a little bit of religion and mystery, this would be the book for you!!

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the nuggets of truth the authors sprinkle in this book. Should we, as Christians, be afraid? That is the big question dealt with in this book. The answer is that of course we should not fear because God is with us. But I love how it is made plain that we will forget the truths we know. We will lose our clarity that we experienced in our mountain top moments.

My only complaint was that the bully was given free reign at the school and all the other teachers literally did nothing to stop it. I actually dropped the book down a whole star for that. I felt like it gave the wrong message that you can’t count on the trusted adults in your life. Considering this is for kids in maybe 4th-6th grade I didn’t like that portrayal.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started reading to preview for my 8yo and quickly lost my interest. I read half and didn't finish.
I loved Ted Dekker when I was a teen and my daughter received these books for Christmas. He wrote this 4-part self published series with his young daughter and the quality reflects that.
Reading level is easily 1-3 grade but the main character is in middle school so it feels too simplified for the intended age group. It borrows a basic premise of fantasy from the likes of Narnia without having the same quality and ageless appeal. It didn't draw me in or hold my interest. My younger kids may like them but they're not going on my list of recommendations.

[Rachael Ritchey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're familiar with Ted Dekker's Circle series you'll recognize favorite characters here in this series written by his daughter, Kara Dekker, as young Theo embarks on adventures reminiscent of The Imagination Station but in the cross-over world Dekker created years ago. These books are imaginative, action packed, and full of sweet lessons for kids to learn. In this first one, Theo is sent spiraling on a quest to discover who Elyon is and find his courage. I'd recommend this series for kids 5th - 7th grade and their families to enjoy together!

[crashqueen73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this aloud to my class and it was well received. Not too long either and has other books in the series which is good as a lead in for students to continue on their own.

Was I riveted by the story- not overly. Has a sting Christian perspective which was no problem at all. I just didn’t think the writing was overly strong. Sorted lacked in the tension. I never really felt strongly for the main character and the scenes didn’t evoke strong emotion.

But the story line was decent and the kids seemed to like it enough.

3.5 stars

[Tessa Backhaus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read aloud book for my girls. I have always been a Ted Dekker fan and was excited to introduce my two kiddos to this author. The circle trilogy was a series I liked when I was younger and I was pleasantly surprised when I met some familiar characters. Hoping to continue into this series and get a little more depth in this world. There were some definite cool moments in this story, but I was hoping for a little bit more than this book had to offer, so I'm hoping I find that "more" in the next book.

[Hope Elias · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite thing was the amount of page time Gabil and Michal had. I’ve read all the other Circle books from Ted and it’e always fun to return to the world of the Circle. Although this definitely wasn’t my favorite in comparison to Ted’s other Circle books and even his other kid’s books. I don’t know how to explain it exactly. Maybe I just liked how the Circle Mystic books were able to take more time explaining concepts and storylines. Not sure. But I’m sure the next three books will still be enjoyable ☺️

[Chesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. Allegorical fantasy. Was super curious to see what Dekker can deliver for middle grade readers. I’m a little unsure how to rate it. I liked it well enough to keep it because it has some of the true-to-form-beautiful-moments I’ve come to expect of Dekker, but it also seems pretty rushed in story development. Also, I’m familiar with the same world in the YA/adult Circle series and wonder if readers would feel lost without knowing those references. Also wondering what an actual kid would think of it!

Note there are some harsh bullying and fighting elements.