Book Review

Heroes come in many shapes and sizes. Dragons come in even more. Fantasy fiction is an extremely popular genre among young (and not-so-young) readers today. Parents may be concerned about the value of some of the fantasy literature their kids are reading, but not know how to determine said value. Enter Andrew Boll’s The Hero and the Dragon: Building Christian Character through Fantasy Fiction. Andrew neatly weaves together many of the elements commonly found in fantasy fiction and discusses them in relation to aspects of a Christian’s life. He also demonstrates how the elements may help build upon the foundation of the Gospel or how those same elements, in another author’s hands, can tear that foundation down.
Andrew starts with a chapter that students who have taken his Introduction to Literature class will recognize: “The Hero’s Journey.” Nearly every adventure story or epic quest will feature some, if not all, of the steps outlined in this chapter. While I was reading through this chapter, I found myself thinking of Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings, and many other stories I’ve read in my life. Andrew references a lot of classical literature such as The Odyssey and King Arthur, as well as contemporary works like Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Star Wars. Readers will enjoy remembering a favorite hero or heroine’s journey while reading this chapter.

The rest of the book is devoted to common themes or elements found in fantasy fiction. Are you worried about your child reading stories of “magic” or “wizards” or “vampires?” These chapters will guide you in figuring out if a particular story will be damaging or uplifting.

Of course, since we are all on our own journeys, Andrew points out how goblins, elves, pixies, and zombies exist in our own world, and how to wield the Sword (that is, the Word of God) to defeat our own dragons. You’ll find ways to seek the light, even when the way seems dark.

The Hero and the Dragon: Building Christian Character through Fantasy Fiction by Andrew Boll is available for purchase at Cannon Valley Lutheran High School in Morristown, Minnesota. The print book is $19.95+tax, and the ebook is $9.95. Andrew will donate $2 for each book sold at CVLHS to the school. You may also purchase the book through Andrew’s website and blog, andrewboll.com.