|

The Dream Keeper Saga: A Review

ByAshley Anthony

One sunny afternoon, my oldest daughter paced around the picnic table, narrating The Hobbit in detail. She’d recently finished the book, and I’d wondered if she could recount what she’d read. As she walked around the table and retold The Hobbit with vigor, I couldn’t help but smile. It was evident that she did, indeed, remember what she’d read. I’m pretty sure I’ve never loved Tolkien’s story more than that afternoon, when my daughter rehearsed it for me. 

We love the things our children love. And while I’ve trained hard to love baseball games and the color orange, The Dream Keeper Saga by Kathryn Butler has been an easier love. Published by Crossway, The Dream Keeper Saga is a five-part fantasy series that exudes the magic and symbolism of Lewis and Tolkien. 

The series begins with The Dragon and the Stone (book one), in which twelve-year-old Lily enters the Realm, a world where animals talk and dragons fly. Prince Pax, an allegorical figure representing Christ, guides Lily in the Realm, where she learns courage and fights for what is good. Throughout the series, Lily receives heroic quests: she must uncover her father’s secrets, defeat a spreading sickness, share Pax’s message of hope, and (no big deal) save the world.

While Tolkien and Lewis both balked at the “allegory” label often affixed to their fantasy writings, Butler gladly embraces it. She follows in the footsteps of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, which directly parallels the Christian’s life journey. In an interview with Crossway, she explains, “Allegory waves throughout the stories, pointing kids to the promise of redemption through Christ.” The beauty of Butler’s use of allegory is apparent. The directness of Christian themes allows middle-grade readers and their parents to clearly see the gospel message in her writing. 

We see allegory’s clarity in The Prince and the Blight (book two), when Lily is summoned back to the Realm, where sickness devastates the land and population. Pax hasn’t been seen in ages, and the fate of the Realm seems to depend on Lily. Soon, it becomes apparent that the question isn’t who will discover the remedy for the sickness, but who will bear the devastation of the sickness? The Realm needs a savior who will lay down his life to provide life to the dying. Butler provides the clarity children need to experience Christ’s sacrifice with fresh hearts and fresh eyes.  

In the next book in this series, Lost in the Caverns (book three), Lily faces the evil Eymah. When all seems lost, Lily whispers the Christ figure’s name, Pax. She clings to his name and remembers his words, “My words chase away the darkest of fears.” This brings her the strength she needs to face evil, and she fights with a “power beyond herself.” In the final novel, The Last Keeper (book five and my daughter’s favorite), Lily overlooks a frozen Realm, once again in need of saving. She begins to despair, but instead clings to Pax’s words: “Remember that I love you, no matter what storms assail you. I am with you always.”

In fiction, biblical teachings that feel elusive become incredibly practical. Middle-grade readers may wonder, Why does Christ’s resurrection matter to me, as I attend school, practice soccer, and play with my friends? Nerves on the first day of school, sadness over a lost game, and hurt due to a harsh word all become opportunities to remember Jesus’ words and presence. Middle-grade readers can whisper alongside Lily, “Christ is with me always, even now.” 

We love fantasy stories and fairy tales because they show us that good can and will overcome evil in the end. But Christian stories bring greater clarity and meaning to this message. Butler explains, “The right balance, I think, is to acknowledge the fallenness of the world without celebrating it, and to always offer a counterpoint of light—namely, the gospel—to chase away the shadows.”

Our kids aren’t strangers to our world’s fallenness. But Butler’s series helps them to know that this fallenness is not determinative or absolute. The underlying message is that it’s not our own strength or goodness that defeats evil once and for all—it’s our God’s. And as our kids face evil alongside Lily and her friends, standing in the shadow of Pax and armed with the gospel, this strength to face the fallenness of this world steps right off the pages. This strength provides hope. And this is the type of hope that all of us need to hear again and again.  

This series is no longer only my daughter’s love—it’s mine, too. I’m thankful that Kathryn Butler wrote this series so that my family could devour the gospel—alongside dragons, quests, heroes, and heroines. 

Ashley Anthony
Latest posts by Ashley Anthony (see all)

Leave a Reply

Favorite Posts