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The Dream Traveler's Quest #4
The Final Judgment
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.
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About the author
Ted Dekker
192 books9,959 followersTed 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 23, 2021
I read this series of 4 books with my 10 year old son. Lots of adventure and an amazing message.
July 2, 2021
A+++++ series. LOVED every word. So wonderful and so important to understand. I'm an adult and I needed to hear these truths again. And I need to keep hearing them and living them.
June 4, 2025
Great ending to the series! It’s sad though, I was enjoying these books, and now… ☹️ it was great while it lasted, though. Thank you Dekker for this series! 😁
April 3, 2020
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.
The Final Judgment (Dream Traveler’s Quest #4) wraps up the series by directing Theo to seals four and five. Unlike the other books, there’s no delay here. Asher, the school bully, has taken the Book of History and entered Other Earth. It’s up to Theo, Annelee, and Danny to crossover and stop whatever nefarious scheme the Shataiki have planned for him.
Up to this point, I’ve not talked about the illustrations. They’re serviceable. Not graphic novel quality, but okay for a children’s book. But on page 11, we get the sentence
“There, on the bed, with the book wide open, lay Asher, seemingly dead to the world…Theo squinted and focused on the open pages of the book…”
And then we have an illustration—of the book pages downward, resting against Asher’s chest. What is said and what is shown don’t match. It’s a rather good illustration of some of the internal inconsistencies that drove me crazy in this series.
With the Book of History out of the picture, Kara and Ted Dekker introduce a new mechanic for crossing between worlds: water from the Green Lakes. What does this mean? Is it different from the Red Lakes? Who knows? It’s not explained. Just a convenient plot device to move the story forward that creates an inconsistency in the Dekker lore.
The final two seals carry the theme of there not being any fear in love. This is what the series has been building toward. Theo needs to learn to love his enemy and his enemy as Elyon sees him. He needs to see Asher as a child of God.
The find Asher rather quickly, astride a Shataiki, seemingly well-acquainted and acclimated to the world. He throws some dust in Danny’s eyes—Danny who is blind in Real Earth and can only see in Other Earth. The dust blinds him, and then there’s the terrifying follow-up:
“If you don’t find the cure in twenty-four hours, he won’t have eyes at all back home. They’ll burn out and take some of your brain, too.”
Umm…yikes. Up to this point, Asher has been a bully—hitting, pushing, calling names—but suddenly he’s the worst villain in this series, eclipsing even Ba’al. It’s a shocking turn that doesn’t quite fit the tone of the books up to this point. Asher also kidnaps Annelee and leaves Theo to decide which of his friends he will save.
Things happen. Then Theo is learning the fourth seal from Elyon the boy himself. There’s a scene where Elyon puts him and Theo in a hot air balloon weighed down with sandbags. The sandbags represent fear and, with each fear Theo gives over to Elyon, he cuts a bag off and the balloon soars.
It’s a powerful metaphor that’s evocative of Peter says “Cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you” or John Bunyan’s Christian having his burden relieved at the foot of the cross. It’s a beautiful, simple story that gets its point across quite well.
It ends as it was always going to: Theo discovers the fifth seal by loving his enemy, the Shataiki are defeated, and the group return to their Earth where they live HAPPILY EVER AFTER THE END.
The plot struggles with pacing—dealing with two seals instead of one—and determining when and how to hold on to a character. Asher’s transformation never feels earned because he’s not a character that we’ve ever cared about. Even the revelation about why he might be a bully just isn’t compelling.
While the book has some powerful scenes—okay, a powerful scene—it really squanders Asher’s redemptive arc by not focusing on his character development in the first three books and trying to rush it all here in book four. So the major turn of the book, and of the series, just falls flat and leaves The Dream Traveler’s Quest to just sort of sputter to an ignoble end.
While this was good in concept, the execution was lacking. With some added time in development and plotting, these really good have been great. Instead we get glorified Dekker fan-fiction. (But then again, that’s how I think of Green as well.)
The Final Judgment (Dream Traveler’s Quest #4) wraps up the series by directing Theo to seals four and five. Unlike the other books, there’s no delay here. Asher, the school bully, has taken the Book of History and entered Other Earth. It’s up to Theo, Annelee, and Danny to crossover and stop whatever nefarious scheme the Shataiki have planned for him.
Up to this point, I’ve not talked about the illustrations. They’re serviceable. Not graphic novel quality, but okay for a children’s book. But on page 11, we get the sentence
“There, on the bed, with the book wide open, lay Asher, seemingly dead to the world…Theo squinted and focused on the open pages of the book…”
And then we have an illustration—of the book pages downward, resting against Asher’s chest. What is said and what is shown don’t match. It’s a rather good illustration of some of the internal inconsistencies that drove me crazy in this series.
With the Book of History out of the picture, Kara and Ted Dekker introduce a new mechanic for crossing between worlds: water from the Green Lakes. What does this mean? Is it different from the Red Lakes? Who knows? It’s not explained. Just a convenient plot device to move the story forward that creates an inconsistency in the Dekker lore.
The final two seals carry the theme of there not being any fear in love. This is what the series has been building toward. Theo needs to learn to love his enemy and his enemy as Elyon sees him. He needs to see Asher as a child of God.
The find Asher rather quickly, astride a Shataiki, seemingly well-acquainted and acclimated to the world. He throws some dust in Danny’s eyes—Danny who is blind in Real Earth and can only see in Other Earth. The dust blinds him, and then there’s the terrifying follow-up:
“If you don’t find the cure in twenty-four hours, he won’t have eyes at all back home. They’ll burn out and take some of your brain, too.”
Umm…yikes. Up to this point, Asher has been a bully—hitting, pushing, calling names—but suddenly he’s the worst villain in this series, eclipsing even Ba’al. It’s a shocking turn that doesn’t quite fit the tone of the books up to this point. Asher also kidnaps Annelee and leaves Theo to decide which of his friends he will save.
Things happen. Then Theo is learning the fourth seal from Elyon the boy himself. There’s a scene where Elyon puts him and Theo in a hot air balloon weighed down with sandbags. The sandbags represent fear and, with each fear Theo gives over to Elyon, he cuts a bag off and the balloon soars.
It’s a powerful metaphor that’s evocative of Peter says “Cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you” or John Bunyan’s Christian having his burden relieved at the foot of the cross. It’s a beautiful, simple story that gets its point across quite well.
It ends as it was always going to: Theo discovers the fifth seal by loving his enemy, the Shataiki are defeated, and the group return to their Earth where they live HAPPILY EVER AFTER THE END.
The plot struggles with pacing—dealing with two seals instead of one—and determining when and how to hold on to a character. Asher’s transformation never feels earned because he’s not a character that we’ve ever cared about. Even the revelation about why he might be a bully just isn’t compelling.
While the book has some powerful scenes—okay, a powerful scene—it really squanders Asher’s redemptive arc by not focusing on his character development in the first three books and trying to rush it all here in book four. So the major turn of the book, and of the series, just falls flat and leaves The Dream Traveler’s Quest to just sort of sputter to an ignoble end.
While this was good in concept, the execution was lacking. With some added time in development and plotting, these really good have been great. Instead we get glorified Dekker fan-fiction. (But then again, that’s how I think of Green as well.)
September 9, 2023
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. Unfortunately they cannot be read out of serial order nor as a standalone since each book relies on the seal(s) and events from the previous books to move forward
The Final Judgment feels like it should have been split into two books instead of all thrown together as one. As a result the book feels rushed, it doesn't have the same level of realism as one would think and in a sense overpowers the reader. And for one who has read older Christian series the events in this one were rather simple to predict and reminds me of events both in King's The Stand and especially The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe.
We meet once more all the children characters while the majority of the Roush are delegated to other duties thus leaving an appearance to help stir up some conflict but not enough to really throw the book for a nail-biter. There is a strange intermission for once which makes for a much heavier philosophical dump on children that may or may not confuse them even more.
But what really bugs me about this book is the indifference to the characters' lives, which just triggered me with things that I have been through in my own life and which I know will make younger readers in similar scenarios question the whole book as well as the lesson that God is love - the unwanted as well as disabled child in the foster system who doesn't get a permanent loving home and leaving an abused child to suffer at the hands of a parent who doesn't know what love is while telling them that it will be their job to embrace that love as well as share the message with others. There are no answers provided to young readers how to deal with these scenarios or be able to correctly hold on to faith when there seems to be no reason to do so.
Like the other books it 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.
The Final Judgment feels like it should have been split into two books instead of all thrown together as one. As a result the book feels rushed, it doesn't have the same level of realism as one would think and in a sense overpowers the reader. And for one who has read older Christian series the events in this one were rather simple to predict and reminds me of events both in King's The Stand and especially The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe.
We meet once more all the children characters while the majority of the Roush are delegated to other duties thus leaving an appearance to help stir up some conflict but not enough to really throw the book for a nail-biter. There is a strange intermission for once which makes for a much heavier philosophical dump on children that may or may not confuse them even more.
But what really bugs me about this book is the indifference to the characters' lives, which just triggered me with things that I have been through in my own life and which I know will make younger readers in similar scenarios question the whole book as well as the lesson that God is love - the unwanted as well as disabled child in the foster system who doesn't get a permanent loving home and leaving an abused child to suffer at the hands of a parent who doesn't know what love is while telling them that it will be their job to embrace that love as well as share the message with others. There are no answers provided to young readers how to deal with these scenarios or be able to correctly hold on to faith when there seems to be no reason to do so.
Like the other books it 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.
January 9, 2023
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.
I did think this last book of the series was the least satisfying of the whole lot. Everything felt overly predictable and easy to figure out. There wasn't any explanation of the lessons learned by Theo and his friends - it didn't go as deep as it had the opportunity to, and I felt that was a mistake. They basically kept repeating each lesson like a mantra rather than unpacking the concepts further to make sure the younger readers understood what Theo and the other characters had learned about themselves and about God.
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.
I did think this last book of the series was the least satisfying of the whole lot. Everything felt overly predictable and easy to figure out. There wasn't any explanation of the lessons learned by Theo and his friends - it didn't go as deep as it had the opportunity to, and I felt that was a mistake. They basically kept repeating each lesson like a mantra rather than unpacking the concepts further to make sure the younger readers understood what Theo and the other characters had learned about themselves and about God.
February 25, 2022
The Dream Traveler's Quest series is a series written by Ted Dekker and his family. His family helped with a different book in the series. The main characters of all series are Annelee, Danny, Asher, Ted, The Roush, Elyon, Shadow Man, and the librarian. Ted, Annelee, Danny, and Asher all go to school together. They all have their greatest fear that they face in another world. They learn great lessons along the way and become a united team. All of the fears that they overcome, they remember how they overcame them in their real life and apply all the messages/lessons. I loved this series and look forward to reading more of Ted Dekker's books! I give this book a 5 out of 5-star rating because it was my favorite series that I have ever read! It includes unexpected plot twists, adventure, teamwork, and faith. The theme of this book is to stand up for what you believe in even if you stand alone, this is a moral that Ted and his friends learned throughout all 4 books in the series. If you like adventure, unexpected twists, faith-based, and friendship, you will love this series and I highly recommend it, it is a great read.
January 21, 2022
The final book in the series wraps things up nicely and gives readers a great finish to a fun series!
Theo and the gang must work harder than ever to defeat the evil around them in this world and “Other Earth,” before time run outs. All that they have worked for comes down to this and the lessons they learned about life, love and what it all means.
Fans of Ted Dekker will love this series and how it all concludes. Theo and his friends are great characters for young readers to follow and root for as they battle the forces of good and evil and learn about life and so many other great lessons. I gave this series to my son for Christmas a few years ago and just now got around to reading them all myself. I have been a Dekker fan for many years and love how things connect back to his other books. I can’t wait for my son to read the rest of his collection and tie it all together. I recommend this series for young readers that are looking for great books that will keep them excited about reading and learning.
Theo and the gang must work harder than ever to defeat the evil around them in this world and “Other Earth,” before time run outs. All that they have worked for comes down to this and the lessons they learned about life, love and what it all means.
Fans of Ted Dekker will love this series and how it all concludes. Theo and his friends are great characters for young readers to follow and root for as they battle the forces of good and evil and learn about life and so many other great lessons. I gave this series to my son for Christmas a few years ago and just now got around to reading them all myself. I have been a Dekker fan for many years and love how things connect back to his other books. I can’t wait for my son to read the rest of his collection and tie it all together. I recommend this series for young readers that are looking for great books that will keep them excited about reading and learning.
June 1, 2023
The final book in this series where Theo and his friends are on a quest to find the Five Seals of Truth.
I do think there was a lot of repetition from the previous books but then again, this is a middle school story so the message / lesson needs to be reinforced.
If you are a Christian this is a wonderful series to read to or with your kids. The characters are well thought out. Even the names given to the characters are reflective of the bible. For example, Michal and Gabil (in my opinion) are the Rouch fluffy white bats who protect Theo and his friends on their journey. The two main archangels in the bible are Michael and Gabriel. Elyon is the God Most High. The references are beautifully done.
There is so much to say about each character and what they bring to the story and what lesson they needed to learn, I would definitely need more time.
This series will stick with me for a long time. And if you haven't read the Red, White, Green, and Black series by Ted Dekker, you should pick it up. It's an adult version of this story.
I do think there was a lot of repetition from the previous books but then again, this is a middle school story so the message / lesson needs to be reinforced.
If you are a Christian this is a wonderful series to read to or with your kids. The characters are well thought out. Even the names given to the characters are reflective of the bible. For example, Michal and Gabil (in my opinion) are the Rouch fluffy white bats who protect Theo and his friends on their journey. The two main archangels in the bible are Michael and Gabriel. Elyon is the God Most High. The references are beautifully done.
There is so much to say about each character and what they bring to the story and what lesson they needed to learn, I would definitely need more time.
This series will stick with me for a long time. And if you haven't read the Red, White, Green, and Black series by Ted Dekker, you should pick it up. It's an adult version of this story.
January 17, 2025
I read this book only to finish the series. I was not a fan of this series. This kid gained all these seals to help him get over his fear, yet every time something evil came his way, he had forgotten everything and was afraid. On the flip side of this, I see how that is an allegory for the Jorge of a maturing Christian. Still. It was hard to get through, but maybe for a kid it would be different. Overall, the lessons learned about Good were solid and gained a few nuggets of wisdom to aid me in my own journey of spiritual growth.
May 31, 2023
I preview read this before giving it to my children. The story is follows a familiar plot, but is made simple for a younger audience. This book is enjoyable for me as an adult and I know my kids will love it as well. The story is reminiscent of Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, combined with Harry Potter.
March 2, 2020
Really loved this book and the whole series. I thought it was beautiful how the author tied Christian beliefs into an epic quest that will capture the hearts of readers (of all ages). It was beautifully written, easy to understand, and wonderfully descriptive.
April 14, 2022
We enjoyed this series. This was probably one of my least favorite of the 4 but still a good finish to it all. Some content was dark but it is a book between good and evil. Love the truths it was engraining in my son.
November 29, 2025
This is a clean Middle Grade fantasy series, about a boy discovering who he was meant to be through a book that takes him to another world.
See my full review at "https://cooperhite.com/book-reviews/"
See my full review at "https://cooperhite.com/book-reviews/"
May 9, 2020
This whole series spurred great conversations about faith and the gospel. This was a wonderful ending.
May 17, 2020
Great series to understand five truths on who God is, who we are, seeing tru God’s eyes, surrendering our fears, and showing love. I just wished they did some application questions after each book.
February 8, 2021
8yo: amazing!
5yo: more than amazing!
5yo: more than amazing!
February 19, 2021
A great series. Simple books with a powerful message.
April 19, 2021
One of my favorite children's series I've read to my son to date. So good. I cant wait for him to get older and read it on his own.
March 17, 2022
You cannot be in the light and hold another in darkness.
June 24, 2023
early chapter book
July 15, 2023
Excellent ending to the series!
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August 11, 2023great series.. Highly recommend.
August 13, 2024
This book is great! The Christian values explained are obviously Christian values and fit perfectly into the story. Excellent symbolism as well.
February 24, 2025
These books don't rub me the wrong way like his adult books do
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August 6, 2025Such good, fun stories for kiddos that help teach God’s love, loving like God, and being a light in the world! Loved them!
November 16, 2019
The final installment for the series wraps the whole story up well. Here in the last book we can see the whole picture of the five seals and why they all work together.
I think this may have been my favorite of the lot. It might be partly that I don’t remember the feelings of being a teenager, or a preteen, very well any more. That being said, I thought Dekker demonstrates the five seals well for the age group. It’s hard to teach someone about the reality of God when they haven’t met God. This series is a great depiction of how God isn’t about behavior, but He transforms our behavior.
I think this may have been my favorite of the lot. It might be partly that I don’t remember the feelings of being a teenager, or a preteen, very well any more. That being said, I thought Dekker demonstrates the five seals well for the age group. It’s hard to teach someone about the reality of God when they haven’t met God. This series is a great depiction of how God isn’t about behavior, but He transforms our behavior.
May 4, 2019
I have mixed feelings about this book. Ted and Kara gave a wonderful illustration on how people need to surrender their fears. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending. I won’t spoil it but what happened to the antagonist I just don’t believe. I think it would’ve been much better if his transformation happened in baby steps. That’s all I’ll say about that. Overall a fun series for junior high kids.
February 8, 2019
This finished the series of 4, but the authors has left the door open if they want to continue to add to the story. I love the white, green, black, red, white symbolism. This follows along with the adult books.
May 7, 2019
I hope that there will be more books about Theo and his friends. A great series for young readers as well as older ones.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews