Armor of God Book Review

 My son and I were happy to receive a complimentary copy of the series, Armor of God by Theresa Linden.  This is a six book series.

 

We absolutely loved this series. It is marketed as being great for kids getting ready to receive the Sacraments (which I agree with). We found that it's great for older kids and adults to read with them. This series is well written and teaches moral values (referring to the Catechism and the Bible) without seeming to force it. The stories are told naturally and are engaging. They bring you in and make you feel like you are with the characters. 

 

I also really appreciate how the characters are real. They make mistakes and they learn from their experiences. I hope this author will continue writing and maybe do some more series like this. The series takes place in a time that could be recognized as the middle ages (Knights and Dames, no TV's or iphones), but it also has strong female characters and doesn't seem to be pushing history, as it also has dragons, so it's a fantasy world that is relatable to today. This book is great for Catholics, but I think it also would be great for non-Catholic Christians as well, or anyone trying to teach their children virtues and morality.  

 

The series is well organized and each book has a theme based off of Ephesians 6:13-17.  “Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.  So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace.  In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

 

The final book, in particular, includes many biblical verses.  The only thing I would say that could be improved is it refers to a one-armed knight having “hands”.  A funny conversation with my son ensued how you can have hands with only one arm.  As that is the only editing error we found in 6 books, I think that’s reasonable.  I also loved that the author made a point of letting the readers know, even though the characters had earned their pieces of armor, they had to continue to earn and retain it through practicing the virtues throughout their life.  It isn’t a one-time deal.  What a great reminder for all of us.