| Title | : | The Rivers of Zadaa (Pendragon, #6) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0689869126 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780689869129 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 405 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2005 |
THE STRUGGLE OF GOOD VERSUS EVIL continues as Bobby Pendragon follows Saint Dane to the territory of Zadaa. Saint Dane's influence has fueled the fire of discontent between two warring tribes: the Rokador and the Batu. This is also the territory where the Traveler Loor lives as a member of the Batu. Together she and Bobby must work to thwart Saint Dane's efforts to destroy Zadaa.
But as Bobby pursues Saint Dane, he begins to notice changes in himself. He is no longer a flip kid looking for excitement. He is a young man beginning to see this quest as more than a series of adventures. He is also learning that as a Traveler, he has powers no normal human should have.
Cover illustration by Victor Lee
The Rivers of Zadaa (Pendragon, #6) Reviews
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4.5 Golden Stars
Zadaa, the kingdom of sands & heat
the territory of desert tribes
finally the battle around Halla came to Zadaa, where the struggle between the two most-civilized tribes gone to its edge.
in this hot dry sands, the problem is water.
one underground sandworm (a story-referenced metaphor, not really worms!, since after book 5, anything might be possible!) advanced water engineers versus an upperground warriors
I always admire MacHale for building 10 different worlds with 10 different cultures & languages. it's amazing & they're intertwined integrally in this setting. from primitive tribes to advanced civilizations, dystopias, high tech-territories & many others.
& the amazing strong female warrior, Loor, is back! f course! it's her territory now!
Pendragon, clever & witty & always trying to solve the problems in a diplomatic way. but sometimes it's not the answer, so this decision is critical, because it's gonna be used in later books too, he's changing & I love it, funny & exciting - also don't you love when he's jealous? It's hilarious!
Bokka, I just noticed (in 4th reread!) I really like him.
& Teek, brave little guy!
Saangi, hothead & moody, but sweet & caring.
& I always liked Courtney, admired her strong & competitive personality but right now, I found out I relate a lot to her. (well, no, I'm not a sporty girl, but her problems were kind of relative to my current situation.)
I also liked the Romance(s) going on this book (which wasn't much, but it was cute!)
I think I ship every canon couples in this series.
complicated plot, like always, with fights & betrayals & shocks, in one hot setting & fun
with emotional spices
the writing style was fun, graceful & Contemplative.
& in the middle, what's happening in the Second Earth... the truth be revealed... which was under our noses all the time.
despite all the Fun & those teaching lessons & the exciting revelations & one of the best Bobbys on the covers (he looks exactly like my imagination here;
The Rivers of Zadaa. my pretty boy.), "the Rivers of Zadaa" is my least favourite in the series, I don't know, maybe because it's the gladiator-like society & the dry lands, maybe because of the simplicity & nearly-primitive tribes, or because of the Climax (or should I call it the impending battle in the end (the moments before the literal ending)) was not as exciting as I expected. maybe too much engineering stuff going on, maybe lack of sunlight, maybe I just don't like this territory, but I truly loved most of it
& that endingS.... just... WOOF! *mind blown*
Just comparing to others in this series, it's not as fabulous, but it is great & gracefully written & it's surly better than Many books I've read recently, It deserve 5 stars, but if I don't keep the rating inside the series, but I would go insane comparing all books, all genres, I've ever read at once, even though it would be unfair toward my favorite bbys. (& tbh, I'm a little uncomfortable giving my least favourite full stars. oops!)
so note that (or not? I put it here for the record, anyway!) it's one of my least favourite here. same reason like
Never War -
The Rivers of Zadaa (Pendragon, #6), D.J. MacHale
The Rivers of Zadaa is the sixth novel in the Pendragon series by D. J. MacHale. As in the other Pendragon books, this book covers Bobby's adventures and those of Mark and Courtney, his friends on Second Earth.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز بیستم ماه سپتامبر سال 2012 میلادی
عنوان: پندراگن: کتاب ششم: رودهای زادا؛ نویسنده: دی.جی. مک هیل؛ مترجم: ویدا اسلامیه؛ مشخصات نشر: تهران، تندیس، 1390، در 560 ص، شابک: 9786001820540؛ موضوع: داستانهای ماجراجویانه از نویسندگان امریکایی - سده 21 م
نقل از آغاز متن: همه چیز با یک مبارزه آغاز شد. آن هم از نوع بی‌رحمانه اش. اما مگر مبارزه ی مهرآمیز هم وجود دارد؟ به گمانم این یکی به طرز خاصی وحشیانه تر به نظر می‌رسید؛ چرا که بر سر چیز پیش پا افتاده ای بود. دست کم من در آن زمان چنین می‌پنداشتم. دعوا سر چند گالن آب بود. جدی می‌گویم. همان آب معمولی همیشگی. کسی انتظار ندارد که گروهی از جنگجویان حرفه ای تا پای جان برای چنین چیزی بجنگند، اما اینجا در قلمرو «زادا»، اوضاع طور دیگری است. در اینجا آب از غذا ارزشمندتر است. از هر گنجی نیز ارزشمندتر است. شاید حتی از جان هم عزیزتر باشد. من کسانی را دیده ام که جانشان را برای چند قطره ی ارزشمند آب فدا کرده اند. میبینید اوضاع چه قدر شیر تو شیر است؟ مارک، کورتنی، برای این که مدتی طولانی برایتان چیزی ننوشته ام از شما عذرخواهی میکنم. به گمانم وقتی برایتان بگویم که از زمان نوشتن آخرین روزنگاشتم تا به امروز چه اتفاقهایی پیش آمده است، خودتان به علتش پی میبرید. از زمانی که پایم را در «زادا» گذاشتم، حتی فرصت کافی برای فکر کردن نداشتم، چه برسد به این که بخواهم بنشینم و چیزی بنویسم. اگر الان دارم برایتان مینویسم برای این است که قرار شده فردا وارد ماجرایی بشوم که از مدتها پیش مرا به سوی خود میطلبید. خیلی کوشیدم از آن، دوری کنم ولی اکنون چاره ی دیگری ندارم. از فردا، زندگیم به کلی دگرگون خواهد شد. حس میکنم اولین فصل از کتاب زندگیم در مقام یک مسافر را به پایان میرسانم و فصل جدیدی را آغاز میکنم که فوق العاده خطرناکتر است. میدانم که به نظر نمیرسد از این خطرناکتر هم ممکن باشد ولی هست. پیش از آن که درباره ی این موضوع برایتان بگویم، لازم است بدانید از زمانیکه به «زادا» برگشتم، چه اتفاقیهایی افتاده است. باید همه چیز را بشنوید تا بفهمید چرا به راهی میروم که برگزیده ام. شاید به کمک نوشتن آن، خودم هم کمی بهتر آن را درک کنم. پایان نقل. ا. شربیانی -
Bobby goes to Zadaa, Loor's home territory. She is a member of the Batu. For years the Batu have protected the Rokador, and the Rokador have provided them with water. But now the Rokador have stopped the flow of water through the cities. Now Bobby and Loor have to find out why. Bobby train to be a fighter,and soon after his training, one of Loor's friends give them a map of the Rokador tunnels(they live underground). They attend a festival in which the prince Pelle a Zinj is killed. Bobby and Loor then find there way through the tunnels to the city of the Rokador, where they learn that a virus killed most of the Rokador and when the Batu plan to attack the city, the Rokador will flood the city and drown the Batu. Bobby and Loor, along with Alder, the Traveler from Denduron, and Saangi, Loor's acolyte, accidentally flood the city. Suprisingly, the two tribes work together to save themselves from the flood, and as they escape, geysers cause a new river to run through Zadaa. Bobby and Loor head back to the flume, where they are attacked by Saint Dane. Loor dies and Saint Dane disappears, but Bobby brings her back to life. I like this book, and recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy and adventure books.
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I have been completely engrossed in all the books in this series, but this one had been literally sitting on the edge of my seat with my mouth open on more than one occasion. I spent the last third of the book worrying about Courtney. I would be doing laundry or cooking dinner and fretting about whether or not she was going to make it. I have literally lost sleep over this volume. Seriously, these books are taking over my life. And the very last page? There was a huge, "No way!" On numerous occasions during this series I've hollered, "Don't be stupid!! He's a shape shifter!!" (Yes, I tend to get into my books a bit too much at times.) And yet I still did not see this one coming. I should be reading the book club book (especially since I'm leading the discussion), but that is so not going to happen until I get to the end of this series and find out what happens!
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Damn, I forgot that happened in the end! I’m so confused still as to why they have these “powers.” Lol
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I don't even know if I have words for the amount of plot twists that happened in this book. It helped that I didn't really remember very much about the events in Zadaa from back when I originally read this series.
This book was wild from start to finish. So much new information is revealed, Saint Dane losing control of his temper is terrifying, and let's just say I am terrified for what the rest of this series holds.
The couple I began to ship in the last book; oh man that's still a thing. They would be so good together. And the one thing I did happen to remember about this book in particular didn't happen until the very last page but it was a big 'ole plot twist that is going to cause huge issues from here on out. -
This one was amazing. I loved learning more about where Loor came from and actually seeing how the society there functioned. One of my favorite things about the series is seeing all the different worlds and the societies that exist in each one.
Bobby grows so much in this book, from his humbling experience towards the beginning to him training to be more physically capable.
The last probably 50 or so pages were the biggest mind-fuck ever. So much happened and so much was set up for the next book and I am so freaking excited to see what happens next. Gahhh
Thank you to my amazing boyfriend, yet again, for having me start this series. -
Bobby Pendragon's pursuit of the evil Saint Dane leads him into the dangerous territory of Zadaa, which is locked in a civil war between two rival tribes.
This story takes place mainly on a territory called Zadaa. There will be two main tribes here: The Rokador and the Batu. The Rokador live in tunnels underground and are fair-skinned, while the Batu are dark-skinned and live in a sunbathed city called Xhaxhu in the desert. For years, the Rokador have relied on the Batu to protect them from other savage tribes on Zadaa, and the Batu have relied on the Rokador to provide them with water. But the Rokador seem to be holding back the water, causing all the Batu to starve.
The struggle of good versus evil continues as Bobby Pendragon follows Saint Dane to the territory of Zadaa. Saint Dane's influence has fueled the fire of discontent between two warring tribes: the Rokador and the Batu. This is also the territory where the Traveler Loor lives as a member of the Batu. Together she and Bobby must work to defeat Saint Dane's efforts to destroy Zadaa.
When they find that the water is being held by the Rokador, they try and not let the Batu die. They were planning on trying to floor the city of the Batu. They escape, Bobby loves Loor. They go Loors house in the city of the Batu. They stopped the war. The next day, Loor takes Bobby to the Flume, and outanowhere, Saint Dane comes through the Flume. He strikes Loor and kills her. Then Bobby and Saint Dane battle. Saint Dane has a very long sword, Bobby only has a wooden stick. Saint Dance knocks the stick out of Bobby's hand. Saint Dane charges at Bobby. What does bobby do next?
I really loves this book, i think it was the best out of the 5 others i have read.
This book truly deserved 4/5. There could of been a bit more action but it was still a great book! -
Character growth is supposed to be a staple of fantasy and fiction writing, right? Then why doesn't anyone do it properly? I don't mean that you start off a book with some wimpy guy and he ends up a slightly more mature guy with +5 endurance and +3 magic. That's not character growth, that's something like character crawl. What I want in growth is what happens in real life: a person's goals change over time, their very motivations change and they as a person are entirely redefined as a result. I was never satisfied with fictional character growth, true growth, until reading "The Rivers of Zadaa." Bobby Pendragon has, for five entire books, been all wit and luck. For the first time in the series, Bobby takes control in this book. He decides to learn to defend himself, to stop taking things as they are, surviving off luck and the combat skills of his partners and friends. This is character growth, a change in a fundamental part of the character that really makes the reader feel like the character has grown, has matured rather than just gotten smarter or faster or stronger.
Bobby's goals are and always will be protecting the Travelers, saving Halla, and searching for his lost family. And in "The Rivers of Zadaa," he takes a huge step towards becoming the man that will reach all of those goals. I wish the same could be said of countless other novels; instead they run with a character that marginally improves and learns some fundamental life lesson, but emerges unchanged. As a writer, I've learned to implement the REAL character growth into my own work as much as possible, to help create characters that are more dynamic and interesting. -
Bobby goes to Zadaa in this story the home of his close friend Loor as her home is on the verge of crumbling to dust...literally. The Batu & Rokador are stretched thin as water has run out and tensions are running high, violence has been chosen as no other option as Bobby’s life is placed on the line and he has to choose to either fight or die trying.
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So, I could see many of the surprises far far before the were presented. It's a good story of course, but not among the best. I guess, I have enough knowledge to predict the antagonist at this point. Hoping for something different in the next one.
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Paperback.
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How is it possible that every single book in this series is so amazing?! I adore every page!
In this book, Bobby is on Loor's home territory of Zadaa, and there is a war looming between two tribes, the surface warriors of the Batu and the underground city of the Rokador. A terrible drought threatens both their civilizations, but the Batu think the Rokador are controlling the underground river sources and holding all the water for themselves.
Bobby and Loor are caught in the middle of espionage and small skirmishes between the tribes, trying with all their Traveler ingenuity to stop the war from starting. And of course, the horrible Saint Dane is lurking around causing trouble.
The plot twists! I still can barely wrap my head around the stuff that goes on in this story. Non-stop action, and things happening everywhere!
Bobby gets into some serious trouble in this one, and he makes some very bad mistakes; but somehow his mistakes turn out for the better, and his friends are always there to bail him out just seconds before he gets killed. The suspense really leaves you hanging until the last possible second though! The best part is that the danger feels real. You really don't know if they're all going to make it or not.
I have always loved Loor's character! She's so strong and confident. She doesn't beat around the bush, or play nice. She's incredibly straight-forward and honest, but also kind and compassionate. She tells it like it is, whether it's negative or positive. She sees things in black and white and has more common sense than any of the others. I just adore this woman!
Seeing Bobby and Loor become closer friends was simply wonderful, and seeing Loor on her home territory really opened up her character's personality and past. Brilliant writing!
I can't wait to read the next book! -
After reading Loor’s story in the Before the War prequel books, I was pretty excited to get to this installment of the series. It takes place in Loor’s home territory of Zadaa and gives her a lot of screentime. While she’s been around on and off since the very first book, it’s nice to see a lot more of her.
Though as an adult who’s seen Lawrence of Arabia and read Dune, the whole thing feels different than it must have when I was a kid. The conflict on Zadaa revolves around water. Zadaa, at least the portion that Pendragon visits, is a desert filled with hostile wildlife and cannibal tribes. The Batu and Rokador people stand together as the one oasis of civilization in the Territory - or at least they did when the water was flowing. Now there’s a drought and it’s brought tensions high, as the Batu accuse the Rokador of hiding supplies of water and prepare to go to war.
Which isn’t a great situation for Bobby to step into, because the Batu are dark skinned while the Rokador are pale - something that leads many to mistrust him when he isn’t wearing heavy clothing as a disguise. This book marks a turning point as Bobby’s experiences lead him to realize that for all that he’s mostly pulled off victories in the past, Saint Dane is becoming more brutal, and standing up to him will require becoming a warrior. I found it interesting that the warrior training occurs on Zadaa rather than trying to take Bobby to another territory in hope of no time passing on Zadaa. Perhaps I’ve watched The Matrix too much, but I feel like taking him to Veelox to learn kung fu would’ve been a good option. Then again, the training leads to a surprise reappearance by Alder, the Traveller from Denduron, which was fun.
Courtney and Mark also get an interesting plot. Last book, their trip through the flumes seemed necessary but ended up not going quite as well as they hoped. Mark is able to hold up okay afterwards, but the pressure of everything else she’s gone through causes Courtney to break down and experience a pretty bad depression. In fact when we first see Second Earth, Mark is reading one of Bobby’s journals alone for the first time, not wanting to make Courtney’s mental health worse by telling her what’s going on on Zadaa.
This is probably for the best, as early on Bobby realizes something - he has feelings for Loor. This is something I’d vaguely remembered from when I first read these books as a kid, but I didn’t actually recall too much of the details. I like how it’s handled, with Bobby discussing how yes he had a crush on Courtney for years, and if he had spent the past two years on Second Earth they would likely be together, but he’s a much different person now in vastly different circumstances. I also enjoyed that Bobby and Loor actually discuss their feelings and while it’s clear there’s something there, Loor feels she’s seen too many loved ones die and she doesn’t want to act on her feelings while the war with Saint Dane is still happening. Honestly, it makes a lot of sense - Bobby’s life is dangerous and Saint Dane would love to have another way to pull his strings. I appreciate that Bobby understands where Loor is coming from, and I’m curious to see how this plays out in the rest of the series.
Courtney is also starting to move on from Bobby, as she decides to go to summer school to try to get herself back to normal. There she meets a charming young man and begins to become involved with him. Mark doesn’t waste his summer either, and begins striking up a friendship with Andy, who had been his school bully in earlier books. Last book it was revealed that Andy has a lot of skill with science and math, and now it seems like he and Mark may put their heads together. But of course not everything is as it seems, and there’s a surprising amount of action and danger to be had in the Second Earth plot this time around.
Just as there is back on Zadaa, of course. Any hope for peace between the Batu and Rokador breaks down when the crown prince of the Batu is assassinated. Fortunately a childhood friend of Loor was able to give her a map to the Rokador capital city - though it cost him his life. Bobby and Loor head underground and travel through treacherous caverns and booby traps to find the city - and discover there’s more than just rivers on Zadaa.
So all in all I had a pretty fun time with this one. The action and excitement held up fairly well throughout, and while there were a few things I could predict, the fact that I barely remembered this book definitely helped me enjoy it more. I couldn’t even remember if it would be a victory or a defeat for the heroes, which was good because it got me more invested. And I remember even less about the next book, which may or may not be a good sign but at least means I’ll be able to come to it almost as if reading it for the first time. Though I admit I’m not as excited for Quillan Games as I was for this, hopefully it’ll at least be an enjoyable time. -
This series is getting deeper and darker all the time, but it still has my full attention. Still incredibly awesome.
Bobby finally gets to flume to Zadaa, the much-talked-about home territory of Loor, whose been through quite a lot with Bobby. Once again, two tribes are pitted against one another amidst the backdrop of a paralyzing drought.
Twists and turns involving returning Travelers, brand new technology and concepts, Bobby's emerging feelings for Loor, and Saint Dane's evil and multilayered plans kept me guessing the whole way through. And now it appears he's fighting a two-front war; Courtney, who seperated herself from Mark in order to get her head together, is plagued by strange occurances at summer school, and Mark is forced to seek help from an enemy.
And of course, the book ends with multiple stunning twists and cliffhangers, leaving you furious that the next book is not sitting right there beside you. -
In the this book of pendragon bobby and loor have to fight on zadaa and loor has to train bobby to be a warrior to help fight Saint Dane and protect him self from the evils on zadaa. I really like this book and the whole series of pendragon. It's the best book I have read in a very long time.
The whole series of it makes them run thro space and time to stop a evil demon who I'm guessing in the end dies from Bobbies thoughts (my prediction I don't know if true). Before Bobbies uncle dies he tells him that saint Dane is hard to kill and that a simple sword would not kill him. Saint Dane and all the travelers have a hidden unknown power of coming back to life and being persuasive of none travelers that has saved everyone multiple times.
In the end this is why I recommend the book to anyone of any ages. It has some action and some nerve wracking moments when they are in danger. It's a good book that anyone should read.
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This could be a more enjoyable series if I didn't find the main character so completely annoying! Any success he has mostly comes by luck, definitely not by skill, and he "shouts" everything he says (admittedly a writing problem). He's always wondering why he was chosen to be a "traveler" and much of the time I'm wondering the same thing! I'm intrigued by the premise behind the series, though. :-)
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This is the best book of the series. Did I write that before? The characters and plot deepen with each new book. MacHale keeps the plot fresh by adding in new subplots and clues to the overarching plot of the series. I like how Pendragon struggles with growing romantic feelings. I also like how the battle scenes are handled, i.e. not gratuitous violence. I like this series as much as the Eragon series.
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I think this is my favorite one so far...and something is revealed at the end of the book that I was suspecting for quite some time. Just when I think these books are getting too juvenile for me something surprises me and I'm hooked again. Only 4 more to go!
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GET IN MY HANDS I LOVE MY WIFE
post read
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3.5/4* IM CONFLICTED WITH MY RATINGS. I REALLY LIKED THIS ONE ESPECIALLY FOR ALL THE OTHER PAST BOOKS IVE READ IN THE SERIES ARE.....EH. GOD I LOVE BOBBY AND COURTNEY AND LOOR AND ANDY AAAAAAND ALDER!!!! I NEED MORE OF MY KIDS. WHAT A FUN RIDE 🤩 -
Better. I liked the action stuff they brought up in this. The day by day stuff was excellent. The other stuff... wasn't. Otherwise a good book. Read the prequels, though.
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The sixth book in D.J. MacHale’s Pendragon series called Pendragon: The Rivers of Zadaa is a great book because of all of its twists and turns, and how the story is told through the different characters’ points of view. In this story, Bobby travels to Loor’s home territory to stop Saint Dane from causing chaos once again. Back home, Bobby’s friends Mark and Courtney have to deal with their own trauma from their last adventure to the territory Eelong. Saint Dane has always been able to shape-shift, but it is now more difficult than ever to trust anyone. Anyone and everyone could be Saint Dane. Seems impossible, right? Well, Bobby and his friends find that anything is possible, and anything could happen. As you read this book, you will come to expect the unexpected, and you won’t want to quit reading because each chapter brings you deeper into the lives of the characters.
Throughout the whole Pendragon series so far, it has been a rollercoaster ride with countless twists and turns. The Rivers of Zadaa does not disappoint in this category. Many times in Bobby;s journals, he writes the phrase “and so we go.” He uses this phrase when a new challenge is thrown at him and he has to overcome it. In Mark and Courtney’s world back on Second Earth, they both will soon find out that the people they trusted the most aren’t who they say they are. Mark and Courtney end up going their separate ways for the summer, and they are forced to make new friends. These new friends of theirs continue to get closer to them, but they end up not being who they say they are. This really interested me and gave me a little sneak peak into the next book and I cannot wait to read more. The
Another great attention grabbing strategy that D.J. MacHale uses is switching the point of view throughout the story. Since Bobby is a Traveler, he has to write journals back to his friends, Mark and Courtney on Second Earth. So far, Bobby has written 22 journals, and as readers we get to experience what it’s like to read his journals. They describe Bobby’s journey as he travels through time and space; in this book it’s the territory of Zadaa. I really like the detail it goes into and it makes me feel immersed in the action. Back on Second Earth, Mark and Courtney have to face their own battles, and the reader gets to experience that as well. Readers get the privilege to feel like they’re involved in the entire story, which makes reading very enjoyable.
Pendragon: The Rivers of Zadaa is a great book for many reasons. Above all, the constantly changing plot and the point of view changes are what makes it great in my opinion. From picturing the warriors battle each other on Zadaa, to reading about Mark battle with his mechanical robot on Second Earth, this book is a great attention grabber. If you love action packed books full of twists and turns, the Pendragon series by D.J. MacHale is definitely worth a read! -
Oh my god I can't believe it a Pendragon book with a four stars rating aaaaahhh
Ok so I might be even less unbiased as before because, well.... this book did something to me. I don't know how or why, but it gave me motivation. I'm a master procrastinator and this just... gave me a kick. I can't say it'll work for everyone, hell, maybe it's just me, but I needed that, and for that I'm giving it one more star.
So! THIS SERIES IS IMPROVING VERY BEAUTIFULLY. Nothing I'm mad at. Everything is good. Good book. Good review. Good bye.
Seriously tho I don't have much to say. Bobby's getting more interesting, especially in the second third. His chemistry with Saint Dane is just great! He's starting to sound less like a cartoon villain, thank the sea. The plot moved nicely, there wasn't much I was bored by except some of Mark's chapters because all they do is talk about Bobby's journals that I'VE JUST READ like I can think for myself thank you. But the Second Earth subplot was finally something good??? Like what's happening with Courtney is ten times more interesting that whatever was going on in the second book.
Loor is my girl. I like her. She's strong, she's cool, she's down to earth, she's great. I'm happy she's such an important character and how Bobby and her develop??? is just awesome.
Like, it's SO. GOOD. that this book talks about the 'thing' Bobby and Courtney maybe had??? Like they had crushes on each other forever and kissed ONCE. I'm glad this isn't treated as a real long-distance relationship and the fact that you don't know if they're a couple or not (I'm not sure they know themselves) really makes it look more real. GG author.
And Andy's getting depth!!!! I was hopeful at first when reading the first book as I said in my Faar review, his bullying, while still bullying, is more realistic than anything else I've read. But then in Faar he just became this insane dumbass without salvation??? so I was disappointed. But now he's shinning more and while I'm not a big fan of his character, the symbol of Mark and his relationship is very neat. You don't see that a lot.
And sure, the second earth part are slower, but as I said, Courtney's arc is relaxing and refreshing. But like she's kind of a dumbass because even after being almost ran over with a witness, she's still 'Oh, don't bother calling the police' like dude if some other girl had died the next day it would be on your head. LIKE KASHA HAHAHAHHA try healing THAT. Yeah, it didn't seem like it would fit her new change.
So yes. Good book. I still like the fifth one better for... reasons, but SHIT'S GETTING REAL WHO-OO MY CHILDHOOD IS BACK -
There isn’t much I can say about this book that I can’t say about the previous 5 books. It’s great. It’s exciting. It’s engaging. It’s well written.
But I can say this - up to this point in the series, it is the height of the story, and a perfect, conclusive finish to Bobby’s development up until this time. Of course the adventure isn’t over, but this book acts like an update to contrast The Merchant or Death. The author’s strongest skill in this episode, besides storytelling, is demonstrating our hero’s growth. He has clearly learned a lesson from each of his previous journeys and he shows it - he’s paranoid about Saint Dane’s disguises, and he exercises caution when making decisions. Overall, our protagonist shows the wisdom that we’d hope he would and it’s both relieving and exciting.
Bobby’s warrior training in this book was always one of my favorite parts in the series. It’s so necessary and such a perfect “finish” to this stage of his development. Now that he, Loor, and Alder are together again, they are seasoned Travelers - not those kids on Denduron. The training has humor- I laughed out loud more in this book than any of the others. Additionally, the author doesn’t shy away from how similar this book’s plot is to the first one’s. It ends up being totally acceptable because of the world’s novel and elements but also because the story is a good one.
Finally, the 2nd Earth drama gets great in this one. MacHale demonstrates the effect that the acolytes’ decisions have on them. They caused catastrophe, and they should feel bad. They do. Courtney’s life is appropriate. And since I read this already, years ago, I knew about Saint Dane’s identity reveal on 2nd Earth...but I forgot how bad ass the reveal was!
