TPL Teens

Review by Nain, member of the Cedarbrae Youth Advisory Group

The Deltora Quest Series was first published in the 2000’s and is written by Australian author Emily Rodda. Although this book may not be the most recent, it is an amazing and exciting read that will take you through an unforgettable journey. The series is made up of three sub-series. “Deltora Quest (Eight books), Deltora Shadowlands (Three books), and Dragons of Deltora (Four books). The books as a whole have sold over 15 million copies worldwide. The first and second sub-series can be found as a collective piece with the whole first and second series in two books!

Check out some Deltora books and other material here

The series follows the journeys of three companions, Lief, Barda and Jasmine, as they roam the magical land of Deltora and try to thwart the plans of the Shadow Lord, an immortal villain who wishes to control the land of Deltora.

The first series follows the three companions as they try to restore the Belt of Deltora, by hunting down the seven gems that have been scattered across the land. The belt is an ancient artifact that has the power to repel the Shadow Lord so long as it is being worn by Deltora’s true king.  

The second series depicts a journey to the Shadow Lord’s territory, The Shadowlands, so that Lief, Barda, and Jasmine can save the Deltorans who were enslaved during the Shadow lord’s reign. To journey to his territory safely however, they would need to use the Pirran Pipe, another artifact that has the ability to stay the Shadow Lord’s hand on his home ground.

The third and last series once again follows the story of the three companions, but this time they must rid Deltora of the Sisters of the South. The Sisters are four creatures made from the hatred and sorcery of the Shadow lord. The Sisters sing a song so poisonous, that all the crops and food in Deltora is slowly dying, which would leave the land’s inhabitants to starve. To rid the land of these creatures, the three companions would need the help of Deltora’s most ancient creatures; the dragons.

I really enjoyed the Deltora series as it is a series filled with adventure and a well-thought-out plotline. I also enjoyed Deltora because of the wonderful character development. Such as Lief starting out as a rash, immature, risk-taker, and slowly becoming more cautious and mature as the story gets deeper. I also loved the small riddles that can be found throughout the book that test your thinking in a variety of ways. However, my favorite aspect of the series are the plot twists and surprises. The books always seem to catch you off guard in some sort of way.

In Conclusion, the Deltora Series is a book filled with magic, mystery, adventure, surprises, and in general is a very good time. The book earned a 5 out of 5 from me. I would highly recommend this series to everyone and it is worth picking up.