Past Watchful Dragons: Biblical Stories Retold

Allison Auth reviews a new book of Bible stories retold as fairy tales, published by Word On Fire.

Past Watchful Dragons: Biblical Stories Retold

By Rose John Sheffler

Published by Word On Fire

The dragon’s eye on the cover was the first thing to catch my eye when I glanced at an ad for Past Watchful Dragons by Rose John Sheffler, the latest book in Word on Fire’s Votive series for kids. I knew my son, who loves fantasy and dragons, would want to read it and I was right. 

Fairy Tales Get an Upgrade

In this book, fairy tales just got an upgrade with legends of magic, treachery, sacrifice, and mystery. The whole book is a series of stories that take place in the imaginary land of Erith. While each chapter could stand alone as its own story, there is a narrative that runs in the background of “Loremen” who sing the songs of the stars and tell stories that have long been forgotten.  The theme of song is a delightful refrain that reminds me of the ways God is always trying to speak to us and pour grace out upon us. 

Past Watchful Dragons is unique in that each chapter is based on a biblical story, some easier to pick out than others. At the end of the book, there is a handy list of which biblical passage each chapter is inspired by. As an added bonus, most are told in the style of various cultures around the world — Japanese, German, Welsh, Israeli — and there is a lovely colored illustration for each story.  

The story of the Magician King’s son and daughter who are tempted to disobey by a dragon was clearly connected to the fall of Adam and Eve. But the way it is written with clay children who are torn up by magic they were not ready for, a benevolent King whose heart was broken by their actions and who bound up their clay with His own blood, really helps you to see the biblical story with new eyes. 

The Dragon’s Queen was easily associated with Queen Esther, but many of the other stories were harder to spot their biblical counterparts. Tales of people turning into animals, animals taking over castles, kings searching for queens, and magical plants all show something of the battle of good and evil and the adventure that lies in the journey. 

My favorite was probably the mountain boy who was actually the King of Seawood’s son, and had to prove it by finding his father’s lost crown and beheading the serpent. But I also enjoyed the last story of Wistan and Carreen, which parallels Jesus’ descent to Earth (and Hell) to save His beloved. When Wistan goes to the depths of the Undersea to rescue Carreen, who died there, we read: 

Her body was grey and empty, chained to the ocean floor. A misty darkness, like dust, gathered around her. Wistan knelt and tore the chains from Carreen’s wrists and ankles. They melted into the dust, hissing. Wistan put the black pearl in her hand, leaned down, and said to her, “Remember me.”  

A single tear fell on her face as he kissed her. 

Best for Ages 8 and Up

The language style is simple yet descriptive, and I think this book is best suited for ages 8 and up. I had a hard time following some of the storylines at first because they are so wrapped up in this fantasy world, but my 10-year-old son was able to get into it right away and really enjoyed it. There is very little about dragons after the first two chapters, which was a bit disappointing. Based on the cover and title, we thought there would be more battles with dragons in the rest of the book. The dragons and serpents are always the enemies, though, so it is easy to separate virtue from vice. 

Although the stories themselves are completely magical and contain no direct references to the Bible, they re-tell biblical stories with a fresh perspective that can bring new light to our ancient faith. Even adults like me can open their imaginations to the world of mysterious and magical encounters through this book and sense the power of our unseen world. Overall, if you have kids that love fantasy, fairy tales, and folk tales, they will thoroughly enjoy the storytelling and illustrations in Past Watchful Dragons by Rose John Sheffler. 

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Copyright 2025 Allison Auth
Images: Word On Fire