As The Sword, the Ring, & the Parchment begins, we meet young Josiah, enslaved to the blacksmith Argamor, who fashions shackles and chains of iniquity and weights of guilt for citizens to wear.  He’s kept in line by Argamor’s henchmen, Evilheart and Lawofsin.  Desperate to escape the Dungeon of Condemnation in which he’s kept at night, Josiah finds that the keys of religion, penance, and sincerity will not get him far.  What he really needs is freedom, found only with the King – and he finds it, when the King comes seeking him.

Thus the reader is introduced to the land of Terrestria in the first of The Terrestria Chronicles.  (There are seven in the series.)  As you probably noticed, the allegory in these texts is overt.  I find it reminiscent of A Pilgrim’s Progress.  The stories are much more compelling, though, and very understandable for young people.

The stories are set in a medieval-style fantasy world, and their purpose is to teach important spiritual truths, beginning with the importance of living as a child of the King.  They are a wonderfully effective, fun way to reinforce great truths.  (The same way Jesus did – using stories!)

There is even a study guide available, to help parents or teachers discuss these truths more deeply with older children (or each other).

If you like The Terrestria Chronicles, you will be interested to know that the author, Ed Dunlop, has written a number of other children’s books, as well.  There is another Terrestria series (non-sequential), called Tales from Terrestria.  There are a few detective stories, and a handful of “miscellaneous” titles.

$8.99 each or $47.20 for the set
study guide $5.99
hardcover set $73.99 (not available individually)

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Disclosure: The author provided me with four of the seven books to facilitate this review.  All opinions are entirely my own.