Title: Return to Del
Author: Emily Rodda
Series: Deltora Quest #7, World of Deltora #7
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2000
5th sentence, 74th page: Not surprisingly, no-one dared do that.

DELTORA IS A LAND OF MONSTERS AND MAGIC…

The seven lost gems have been restored to the Belt of Deltora. Now Lief, Barda and Jasmine must find the heir to the kingdom’s throne. They know that only the true heir can use the Belt’s magic to overthrow the evil Shadow Lord.

But the heir has been in deepest hiding from birth and only the Belt can reveal the hiding place. Shock follows shock as the Deltora quest rushes to its thundering climax and the fury and power of the Shadow Lord himself threaten to destroy its three heroes and everything they love.

This is a fantastic conclusion to the first of the Deltora Quests. The gems have all been restored, but the trio still have to find out where the heir to the crown has been hiding. The path to finding the unknown child is filled with tricks and treachery from the Shadow Lord. Every step feels as thought Lief, Barda and Jasmine have taken one further step into the web of deception that has been spun.

I love the fact that the truth of the heir is under the trio’s noses the entire time. The best place to hide something is in plain sight, and Endon and Sharn made sure that they did this. The surprise heir and ending finishes off the quest for Deltora. But, it makes you feel like there is more to tell. The trio and their friends may have caused the Shadow Lord to flee from Deltora, but he is by no means done with the country.

Image source: Booktopia

Title: The Valley of the Lost
Author: Emily Rodda
Series: Deltora Quest #7, World of Deltora #7
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2000
5th sentence, 74th page: Barda pushed at the door with his shoulder, but it did not move.

DELTORA IS A LAND OF MONSTERS AND MAGIC…

Lief, Barda and Jasmine, searching for the seven lost gems of the magic Belt of Deltora have almost reached their goal. Six gems now gleam in the Belt, but the last must be found before Deltora can be freed from the tyranny of the evil Shadow Lord.

The companions have faced many terrors with strength and courage. Now they are about to meet dark mysteries that strength and courage alone cannot defeat. If they fail, their quest will be lost, and they will remain forever trapped in the swirling mists of the Valley of the Lost.

This might be the last gem for the belt of Deltora, but it is definitely not the last step on the journey. The gems may all get restored to the belt, but they still need the heir, and Lief is so very aware of this as they travel towards the Valley of the Lost. But, like the rest of the gems, it is not just a simple means of finding where the gem is hidden – they have to battle the guardian to win it. Just, in this case, the battle is one of wits that the trio can’t afford to lose.

Del’s sister city, Tora is first mentioned in The Maze of the Beast, but it isn’t until the trio travel to the Valley that they truly discover what happened to its people. The scars that the Shadow Lord’s take over have left on the countryside are shown, and the negligence of the royals over generations have huge impacts. Lief, Barda and Jasmine may have begun to heal some of the scars of the past, but there is still a lot of work to do.

The Shadow Lord may have many plots and plans, and the trio manage to uncover yet another deceptive manipulation in their journey to the valley. It makes you wonder and fear for what will be in store in the future – what manipulations are still left in place, and the ways in which the Shadow Lord will prevent the three from finding the heir and saving Deltora.

Image source: Fishpond

Title: The Maze of the Beast
Author: Emily Rodda
Series: Deltora Quest #6, World of Deltora #6
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2000
5th sentence, 74th page: Would I not look beautiful in these?

DELTORA IS A LAND OF MONSTERS AND MAGIC…

The evil Shadow Lord has become aware that Lief, Barda and Jasmine are searching for the seven lost gems of the magic Belt of Deltora. He knows that if the gems can be restored to the Belt its power will threaten his tyranny.

Five gems have already been found. The next stone lies hidden in the underwater lair of the hideous and ferocious Glus. Already exhausted, pursued by the servants of the Shadow Lord, the three companions will need all their strength and courage to face the Maze of the Beast.

The next step on Lief, Barda and Jasmine’s journey is filled with even more danger, yet again. Not only does it feel like the stakes have been raised, but the enemy’s awareness of their actions have also increased. Not only do the trio constantly face the dangers of recognition, but they similarly need to face the dangers of the maze of the beast. Not only do they not know where the maze is, but they also have no idea how to get there and avoid the dangers of the Ols and constant interaction with more people.

There might be an increased danger of being recognised and caught, but the trio fortunately crosses paths with old faces. Dain and Doom are both shrouded in mystery, and although they have both saved the heroes at one point or another, there is still a sense of mistrust there. Yet, they are important to the journey and, possibly, at finally overthrowing the evil Shadow Lord’s tyranny.

I love that although every gem throughout this series is very much stumbled upon, it is the one in the Maze of the Beast which is almost tripped over. They are literally thrown at it, and the understanding of fate and their place in the saving of the realm of Deltora is highlighted.

Image source: Booktopia

Title: Dread Mountain
Author: Emily Rodda
Series: Deltora Quest #5, World of Deltora #5
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2000
5th sentence, 74th page: But -.

Lief, Barda and Jasmine are on a perilous quest to find the seven lost gems of the magic Belt of Deltora. Only when all gems have been restored to the Belt can Deltora be freed from the tyranny of the evil Shadow Lord.

Four gems have been found. Now, though grave news reaches Lief fro home and he longs to return, the quest must continue. To find the fifth stone the heroes must venture almost to the border of the Shadowlands, and plunge into the darkness and terror of the realm of the monstrous toad Gellick – Dread Mountain.

This was a great next step on Lief’s journey around Deltora. As the group continues onwards and their success increases, so does the danger that they find themselves in. This time, they find themselves meeting mysterious legends, finding the true story of Doom’s past and solving the mystery of the Grey Guards’ blister balls.

I loved the Kin – they’re a gorgeous kangaroo-type creature that is believed extinct, and help Lief, Barda and Jasmine on their journey in a fantastic manner. As with everything on this journey, there is a sense of destiny and fate in the path that they take. Not only are they able to uncover the fifth gem, but they also dismantle another one of the Shadowlords plans and schemes. This journey is no longer just about finding the seven gems of the belt, but also showing the extent of the Shadowlords dark tyranny.

I loved the ease with which this book could be read. Yes, I know that it is aimed at a younger generation, but it is the perfect book for late at night when I can’t sleep, but still want to read. It’s easy, fun and has just enough mystery that you still have to think while turning from page to page.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: The Shifting Sands
Author: Emily Rodda
Series: Deltora Quest #4, World of Deltora #4
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2000
5th sentence, 74th page: The passage from the cellar was long, low and dark and smelled sickeningly of cider.

When the seven gems of the magic Belt of Deltora were stolen, the evil Shadow Lord invaded the kingdom and enslaved its people. Determined to rid their land of the tyrant, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine are on a dangerous quest to find the lost gems, which are hidden in fearsome places throughout the kingdom.The time has come to seek the fourth gem, kept jealously by an unknown guardian in a barren wasteland. Separation, confusion, and strange, terrible enemies await the three heroes in the harsh landscape of the Shifting Sands.

Step four in the Deltora Quest series is a little less thrilling than the first three (for me), but it is still a great journey. Lief, Barda and Jasmine again run into the mysterious rebellion leader, Doom, they are forced to battle in a gladiator-style contest, and, as always, they finally triumph over a completely unknown foe. Yet, it just doesn’t quite have the fast pace of the first three books, and not as many riddles throughout the story. And, after all, the reason I’ve always loved this series is the little riddles that are peppered throughout.

Having said all that, I did really like the foe that Lief comes up against in The Shifting Sands, it was completely unexpected. It doesn’t matter what Rodda writes, there is always an unforeseen surprise at the end of the story, and a message of inner strength in the character’s makeup. Or at least, that’s how I feel about the ending of The Shifting Sands.

Yet, my favourite thing about The Shifting Sands isn’t Lief’s triumph, or Doom’s mysterious appearance, it is how Jasmine goes in the competition. Her temper and her morals are seriously tested, and it’s not entirely clear as to whether she passed the tests or not.

Image Source: Goodreads

Title: City of Rats
Author: Emily Rodda
Series: Deltora Quest #3, World of Deltora #3
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2000
5th sentence, 74th page: And almost at the same moment, without warning, Reece’s body began to writhe and twist.

Lief, Barda, and Jasmine must venture into the terrifying City of the Rats in the third action-packed Deltora adventure.

Lief, Barda, and Jasmine–three companions with nothing in common but their hatred of the enemy–are on a perilous quest to recapture the seven lost gems of the magic Belt of Deltora. Only when the Belt is complete can the evil Shadow Lord be overthrown.

They have succeeded in finding the golden topaz and the great ruby. The two gems’ mysterious powers have strengthened them and given them courage to move on in their search for the third stone. But none of them can know the horrors that await them in the forbidden City of the Rats.

I’ll admit – I’m a total neat freak. Just to sit down and read this book, write this review, I had to vacuum the lounge (where I’m nesting for the day), and put away the dry washing. To be fair though, my living room floor was also covered in chewed up dog toys. But I digress… the point is that I am a neat freak, but this is also tempered by the knowledge that there is such a thing as too neat. Which, is exactly what happens in City of Rats.

Lief, Barda and Jasmine begin their journey to the next destination on the map, get turned around and then, finally, eventually arrive at a very creepy, abandoned city. Yet, it is the secrets of Noradz that really give us a hint as to what happens when we go a little overboard with our cleanliness. And how the routines that we unwillingly get into can ultimately lead to foolishness and just genuine evil.

Rodda’s stories, especially the journey of Deltora Quest are riddled with puzzles. City of Rats has one of the greatest puzzles yet – what happened to the people of the city? How did Reeha overtake them? Lief, as usual is able to find the source of these problems, but only in those last final moments. And only with the help of the belt and his companions. This mystery not only helps the trio to move forward in their quest, but shows Jasmine that not everyone is as brilliantly headstrong and independent as her.

It is at this point in the journey that Lief, Barda and Jasmine are not only coming into their own pace and understanding of one another. But they are also beginning to recognise the ways in which they can all be as difficult as one another.

Image source: Faraway Nearby Books