This a powerful, attention-grabbing story. I found it hard to put down. It makes you more aware of the battle taking place between holy and evil forces, and what we must do to resist the evil one.

My intention was to read this aloud to my 15 and 17 year old sons, but the schedule never cooperated. I will be urging them to read it for themselves, though. I may even share a copy with some of the teens at church.

At the end of the book is The Antidote: the secret to uprooting the seed of the dragon, a twelve-day prescription. Twelve daily devotionals, basically. I find this very useful.

I certainly would recommend anyone involved in children's ministry to check this out, and add it to your church's resource library. ( )

Title: Dragon Seed Book Review (Study Guide included)
Author: Marty Machowski
Pages: 160
Year: 2017
Publisher: New Growth Press
Rating: 4 stars out of 5.
This is a story about a young teenager named Nick who is going through a rough time as his father passed away from cancer. Since the funeral, he has become a rebellious son toward his mother. He argues with her, is disrespectful to her, goes out to parties late at night, claims to be his own boss and doesn’t submit to his mother’s authority. He does not realize that he is listening to lies from a hidden enemy. This enemy is bent on sowing dragon seeds of pride into his heart, hardening it to keep him from seeing the truth that spiritual warfare is going on in the world and he is powerless to fight it without help. Out of desperation, his mother hands him a book that contains his family’s dark secret. Nick reluctantly agrees to read the book and is soon drawn to the story. He quickly discovers the family secret and learns about the real enemy in the world: Lord Dragon.
I would recommend this book to others because it deals with sin and how sin affects us, but also that there is a plan of redemption. It takes Genesis, the Gospels, and other bits of the Bible and relates them in a stylish and entertaining way. It touches on how people tend to deal with grief; they’re either looking for someone to blame or they bury themselves in something entertaining or educational. They don’t think to look to God, whom they sometimes blame as well, or to family members for comfort; they just push people away. While being alone might be a good way not to get hurt emotionally, it’s not an entirely good solution. We all need guidance, counseling, and healing for our brokenness. We also need forgiveness and to forgive others. Nothing pleases the enemy, Satan, more than to see us stumble, fall and turn away from God. While we cannot fight the enemy alone, God is always there to give us strength and security. We must submit ourselves to God’s authority. We must be humble before Him and not let the “Dragon Seeds” of pride enter our hearts. With humility and vigilance, we can keep the enemy from corrupting our hearts and interfering with our relationship with our creator.
I would also recommend this book for its imaginative and entertaining storytelling, for its little plot twists and surprise ending. After the story, there is a 12-day devotional on how we can humble ourselves and not let pride enter our hearts. It provides examples of how pride is shown and Bible verses to remind people of its dangers and how to counteract the influence of pride in kids. I wouldn’t say this book is for adults, but it’s definitely a book for kids and young adults who can learn something from the story and the devotional. Please enjoy the book. It looks like there’s an opening for a sequel.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” ( )