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

Title: The Lake of Tears
Author: Emily Rodda
Series: Deltora Quest #2, World of Deltora #2
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: Sometime after midnight, Lief stirred.

Lief, Barda, and Jasmine must outwit the monster-sorceress Thaegan in the second action-packed Deltora Quest adventure.

Lief, Barda, and their unpredictable new companion Jasmine are on an urgent mission to find the seven stones from the magic Belt of Deltora. The golden topaz has already been found. But only when all the stones have been restored to the Belt can their land be freed from the dark power of the evil Shadow Lord.

To find the second stone, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine must travel through territory ruled by the monster-sorceress Thaegan and overcome their biggest challenge yet–the hideous guardian of the enchanted Lake of Tears

The next step in Lief, Barda and Jasmine’s journey is just as good as the first. It’s a perfect sequel to follow up the beginning of their adventure, and begins to show the hand of fate on everything that they’re doing on their epic journey.

The Lake of Tears hints at the emotional aspect of the site of true evil that the trio is forced to face. As Lief and his companions eventually end up on the shores of the lake, they are confronted with the dangers and perils that true evil can create. It is now that the penalties of the Shadow Lords’ rule start to be felt, and the difficulties of the next journey (to the City of Rats) will only increase the feeling of overarching horror at the presence of evil throughout Deltora.

Although the trios final destination is incredibly miserable, and a shadow of what it once was, The Lake of Tears also leads to Lief, Barda and Jasmine finding their first allies. The Ralads are such a sweet folk, and one of the ancient races of Deltora, something that becomes immensely important throughout the remaining series (if I remember correctly).

I can’t wait to travel to the next destination with Lief, Barda and Jasmine.

Image source: Booktopia

Title: The Forests of Silence
Author: Emily Rodda
Series: Deltora Quest #1, World of Deltora #1
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: His voice was casual, but Lief was sure that the question was a test.

The evil Shadow Lord is plotting to invade Deltora and enslave its people. All that stands against him is the magic Belt of Deltora with its seven gems of great and mysterious power. When the gems are stolen and hidden in dark terrible places throughout the kingdom, the Shadow Lord triumphs, and Deltora is lost.

In secrecy, with only a hand-drawn map to guide them, two unlikely companions set out on a perilous quest. Determined to find the lost gems and rid their land of the tyrant, they struggle towards their first goal – the sinister Forests of Silence.

I haven’t read the Deltora Quest books since I was a kid and they were a series that I loved dearly. But, it’s something I’ve been reluctant to return to. After all, sometimes revisiting something that is held dearly in your minds’ eye just isn’t as good when you have had a few more years of experience. Luckily for me, this wasn’t quite the case.

Although this is very much my just before bed, I’m exhausted but can’t quite get my mind to turn off read. It was still really enjoyable and, well, fun. There’s a reason that I loved it so much as a kid. The mistakes of the parents are to be fixed by those of the child. Not only is this the beginning of a coming of age story, but it is also a great tale about the ways in which pride and ignorance can have some incredibly powerful impacts. Not only on ourselves, but also those of the people who rely on us.

The first section of this book powerfully investigates the evils of blind obedience, but it is only when Lief is forced to undertake the quest that his father can no longer face that the true evils become known. The Shadow Lord’s hand is upon the whole of Deltora, and Barda and Lief are forced to overcome obstacle after obstacle to make the first, dangerous step in an epic journey.

Yes, there’s a reason why I loved this so much as a kid.

Image source: Booktopia