The Merchant of Death (Pendragon, #1) By D.J. MacHale

Stephen

Not even something as terrifyingly cuddly as a trio of skydiving "ninja" cats could have won me over to this story.

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However, fans of this book/series can keep their dander down as this is not going to turn rant as I have no reason or desire to bash this tale. My angries were not provoked. The writing is fine, the main character is fairly engaging, there’s a decent back-story and nicely drawn diabolical villain.

My less than lofty rating is more a recognition that this sub-genre of light, YA, coming-of-age high fantasy is not, and hasn’t been for some time, my cup-a-happy. I keep coming back to them occasionally because they’re easy, snack-like readings that make a nice palate cleansing sorbet from the more focus-required books I read. Plus, I occasionally find some real gems that make these excursions more than worth it (The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix and His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman).

So, after finishing
The Price of Spring and
Faust, this one seemed like a nice diversion...plus I've owned the audiobook for a few years and needed to get it off my on deck circle.

My mistake. It's not the book's fault. Everything about it was dandy. It was just too “not what I wanted” for me be able to say that I “liked it.” It just sorta bored me.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Bobby Pendragon is a 14 year old who learns from his mysterious uncle that our world is simply one of an infinite number of parallel dimensions known as “territories and that Bobby, like his uncle, is a “traveler” (i.e., someone who can move between these different realms through special portals).

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So Bobby gets swept away into an alternative dimension called Denduron and must find a away to save the people from the destructive schemes of an evil, shape-changing, traveler known as Saint Dane, whose goal is to spread chaos throughout the territories.

Cue infodump on fantasy cultures and people, see exotic animals, learn of subjugated people and need for savior, through in a badass female warrior (this was a nice touch) and some nasty monsters and supporting villains.

Shake...stir...pour...consume.

THOUGHTS:

My thoughts….basically…
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…about sums it up.

For what it is, this is a pretty good example of sub-genre. It just left me unenthused and feeling “been there, done that.” There was nothing novel or unique about and no unexpected “wow” factor that was able to red bull my interest back into the narrative once my attention began to peter out. I ended up “wingless” and limping toward the climax and was thankful that it was over.

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A solid book that works for what it is, but didn’t do enough for me. Thus, the best I can do for it is…

2.0 to 2.5 stars.

Tina ➹ lives in Fandoms

Complete 5 Golden Stars
to infinity of the stars & beyond!

Wonderful!
Hilarious!
Awesome!

the gateway to Halla,
everything that has been, is & will ever be,
the harmony,
10 territories,
first station,
the adventure has just begun.

"first, general view to the whole series & fangiriling"

one of the BEST series I've ever read. I re-read & re-read them again & again.... I was very lucky my friend recommended it to me.
I'll always be grateful that I was a 90's kid so I could be in the generation who knows Bobby Pendragon. (& also I was in the generation that grown up with Harry Potter, but that's totally irrelevant to this review)

Nostalgia, I still love it as an adult (everyone loves their Nostalgia, even when they're a grown-up) so, not gonna lie, my opinion is a little biased, from a fanatical fangirl. because this series was one of those that I reread many times over years, making good memories, relieving tensions, laughing, crying, jumping out of my seats, like Harry Potter. you can't blame me, this is part of who I am *shrugs* everyone has Nostalgic loves.
I'm just showing my love & gratitude toward the book I love & somehow making a record of my feelings, in the middle, trying to explain factors without spoilers or excessive blind love (which it's kind of impossible, when you love a book with all your heart & being, you can't just ignore the affection & you want people to know how awesome the book is & enjoy it as much as you did.)

so if my review can help somebody find their next favourite book/series, I'll be very happy.
this series is so underrated that it broke my heart, it deserves so much more love!

maybe categorized as a Middle Grade, but regardless of Age. something like Percy Jackson, starts as a Middle Grade, because of the MC age, but slowly turns to Young Adult, the characters growing older, the problems growing darker.
the Plot is captivating, the World building is unique & interesting, & it is light, because it is Fun, but the characters facing serious real-life problems & moralities, life-&-death matters & the choices between worse & worst, they mature during the series & nothing happens because coincidence, nothing is easily earned or passed, in other words, not annoyingly childish or lucky. always engaging reader's mind what would happen, because everything is connected, also teaching many life lessons.
I guess many readers can enjoy it.
but if you're more than 30 & you've just discovered it for the first time, maybe you'll find it childish & hilarious, maybe not. that totally depends on you. ask yourself:
do you have an active inner child?
do you enjoy middle grade? reading about Teens & their problems in an adventurous serious setting?
Do you like the Protagonist making jokes to relieve the tension & in general, being sassy so the book is full of hilarious moments?

this series is actually one of my High Standards.

probably the only TOP favourite series, that its first book earned the place between my ultimate favourites of the series with Complete 5 Golden stars.
because it introduced me to this amazing world! because it's so much FUN! because it's amazing!
& If I've ever fallen in love a book with the first sentence, that would be it.

Now enough of fangirling & into the book, I'm trying:

Bobby Pendragon was a normal boy, going to school, playing basketball, doing homework, reading comics. until by his uncle's help, he entered a path that led him to a primitive village & found himself in the middle of impending tribal war.
he should save the world & that's not a choice.
he found people just like himself, dragging out of their ordinary life to join this battle, & soon they find out this problem is a lot bigger than they had thought, something in cosmic proportions.

sci-fi, traveling through time & space, high fantasy (different worlds) which also happening in our world sometimes (low fantasy)
-
Characters: ★★★★★/5

Bobby Pendragon was my second bookish crush.
(Bobby: 14
me: 15 (when I started the series) yes! yes! yes!)

to be honest my first favourite character was Uncle Press, my first & probably last mentor I fell in love. He was cool, sassy, smart, composed & fit. but through the whole series (or even this book), my love for Bobby reached to the next level, he is also cool, funny, Daring, sometimes smart, a resourceful planner, a leader. so after a while, he became my top favourite character. He was Hilarious, even when he acted like a weenie (Honestly, can you blame him? he was a boy with an ordinary life until he dropped into a medieval world & their rebellion, this is Scary! plus I respected his honesty. also lots of fun because of that.)
his comebacks, his descriptions, his emotions, his words. I laughed a lot.
& as I said, he had a great character development.
& lots of inspirational sentences that were so relatable, hopeful & constructive

"it’s okay to be wrong, as long as you can admit it and are willing to listen to those who may know better.

Alder, Loor, Mark, Courtney & Osa, all of them great characters.
& of course there is my all time favourite cunning clever sassy villain with his layered plans & plans inside plans.
When a series (with awesome concept & exciting plot) has many lovable, believable, realistic characters, it's gonna be my ultimate favourite series.
-
Plot: ★★★★★/5
the plot was exciting, perfect & funny! hair-raising, breathtaking, heart-racing, surprising. I was at the edge of my seat in many of my rereads.
-
Written Style: ★★★★★/5
I usually don't like first person view, unless it's in past tenses, journal-like, full of fun & of a sassy character.
& this is one of my favourites. (I always felt I want to skip the 3rd person chapters to reach Bobby's again. I never did it though; the 3rd person chapters are interesting & important too.)
the Humour here is hilarious.
never gets old.
it is the first book & it is one of the FUNNIEST book in the series (& I've ever read!)
many Pop cultural references; movies, books, celebrities, sports & comics.
I really enjoyed it. that's my way of forgetting about real life problems for a while, diving into Bobby's journals, saving Halla & laughing at his stupid jokes.
-
World building: ★★★★★/5
the world setting of the series is absolutely wonderful.
something between low fantasy & high fantasy I guess.
brewing perfectly, revealing more aspects slowly through the series. it's understandable & felt so realistic that I just wanted to find a Flume, jump into it & go across the universe, travel through time & space.
the world in this book in particular, is primitive but very funny when it spiced up with Bobby's narration.
-
Idea: ★★★★★/5
Parallel universe in fantasy, with galactic problems & also Traveling through Time & Space? I'm sure I'm dreaming.

Mike

This was one of my very favorite books in elementary school, so I thought I'd go back and re-read it to see how it holds up. And... well, it's not as good as I remembered. I can't pretend I didn't enjoy it, but a big portion of that enjoyment came from the nostalgia value. There isn't all that much to recommend the book apart from that. I have lots and lots of thoughts on this book, and I don't feel like fleshing out a proper review, so here's a pro and con list.

Pros:

- The characterization is mostly solid. Bobby was a good protagonist. I appreciated that he reacted basically the way an unprepared fourteen year-old would upon being taken to a fantasy world and told that he has to save everyone there - he screws up again and again, he spends a lot of time cowering and hiding, and he mostly only thinks of getting away. His character arc was a little obvious, but for an MG book, it works. The side characters are pretty good as well (except for Alder, who I wish we'd spent more time with).

- The pacing is pretty good. The biggest thing about this series that captured my imagination as a kid were the memorable and imaginative fight scenes, and those actually turned out to be almost as good as I remembered them. The pacing is fast enough to hold a kid's attention without being too rushed or relentless.

- The exposition is well-executed. There's a lot to introduce here, but MacHale does a good job of spreading out the exposition and weaving it naturally into the story. There are very few infodumps, and when they do happen, they feel necessary and well-placed.

- I was surprised by the presence of a strong allegory. The way that one tribe oppresses the other in this fantasy world was surprisingly relevant to real-world oppression, and it makes the book a lot more thoughtful than I expected it to be. It's a nice experience to go back to an old book and realize that actual effort and depth was put into it.

Cons:

- The writing is terrible. MacHale tries to imitate how teenagers talk, and it doesn't work at all. I feel like this was probably cheesy in 1999 when this book came out, and almost 20 years later, it's completely unbearable. It stopped being as distracting once I got used to it, but the book feels dated as hell, and I doubt it'll find much of an audience with kids today because of it.

- The plot and worldbuilding are pretty cliched. It starts, of course, with an ordinary guy discovering that he's special and being whisked off to a fantasy world. The cliche doesn't even work here like it does in Harry Potter or Percy Jackson because here, it doesn't work as an escapist fantasy. Harry and Percy both had miserable lives, and it was a relief to be taken away. Here, Bobby had a pretty good life, and he spends most of his time on Denduron being scared and unpleasant. So not only is the setup cliched, it's also pointless. The world itself is pretty cliched as well - it's a pretty generic, vaguely medieval world, and it lacks most of the fantasy elements that would make that kind of thing interesting.

- A black character dies first. She did play a somewhat important role in the story before her death, but still, her death essentially serves as a warning that things are dangerous, which is usually how black characters' deaths are used.

- There is some very clunky foreshadowing. In particular, there's one scene that makes absolutely no sense if you haven't already read the book. It comes out of nowhere, the event is nonsensical, and it's never brought up again. There's a lot of stuff like that - most of the foreshadowing is either very obvious, or completely nonsensical unless you already know what it means.

- The tone is inconsistent. This is largely a function of the silly writing, but MacHale also makes a lot of ill-timed jokes. The story is actually fairly dark - as I mentioned before, the worldbuilding is an allegory for real-world style oppression, and this is a book that features lots of death, starvation, torture, and even slavery. And yet, even though we're clearly supposed to read this as being dark, Bobby keeps making dumb jokes. The biggest scene where this is a problem is a scene where several characters have been captured, and are about to be killed. This should be a tense scene, but MacHale uses it to introduce a very unfunny comedy villain, and both the drama and the comedy fall flat.

- The resolution of the novel felt cheap to me. This was partially because it leaned on some plotholes, but mostly, it was just too easy. The allegory in this novel is about oppression, and ending oppression takes time and hard work. The implication here was that it all went away overnight, and that just... doesn't ring true to me.

- Mark and Courtney's story, which was intertwined with Bobby's, felt tacked on. Having read the entire series, I know that this is a persistent problem with the series (I used to skip their parts of each book when I first read the series), and they don't really become necessary to the plot until book 8.

- The stakes are very unclear. It's never explained in any detail what happens if a Territory falls into chaos, nor what it would look like if Halla fell. That makes it more difficult to get invested in the conflict - neither the characters nor the audience seem to quite know what they're fighting for.

- Saint Dane is a really, really boring villain. He has an interesting place within the allegory, but the actual interactions with him are dull as hell.

I didn't want to dislike this book, because it really did mean a lot to me in elementary school. But... well, there's a lot about it that doesn't work. It wasn't horrible, but it was kind of mediocre, and I don't have much interest in continuing with the series.

Ahmad Sharabiani

The Merchant of Death (Pendragon #1), D.J. MacHale
The Merchant of Death is the first book in the Pendragon series by D. J. MacHale. It follows the adventures of Bobby Pendragon as he travels to Denduron. The story starts with Bobby Pendragon, a normal fourteen-year-old boy, preparing to leave his home to play in the state basketball semi-finals, but before he leaves, Courtney Chetwynde, a popular girl at his school, comes to his house and admits her feelings toward him. While they are kissing Bobby's Uncle Press arrives and tells Bobby some people need their help and to come with him. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال 2008 میلادی
عنوان: پندراگن: کتاب اول: تاجر مرگ؛ روزنگاشت سفری در زمان و مکان؛ نویسنده: دی.جی. مک هیل؛ مترجم: ویدا اسلامیه؛ تهران، تندیس، کتاب نخست تاجر مرگ 1387 چاپ پنجم تاجر مرگ 1393، کتاب دوم فار شهر گمشده 1388؛ کتاب سوم دنسای بدون جنگ 1389، و ...؛
دنیای فانتزی دنیای دیگریست، گاه جهنم است و گاه سرودی از بهشت؛ بابی پندراگن به ظاهر پسری عادی ست. خانه و خانواده و حتی سگ محبوبی به نام مارلی دارد. ولی خصوصیات بسیار ویژه ای نیز دارد. قرار است که او دنیا را نجات دهد ... ا. شربیانی

Ariana Deralte

I wanted to enjoy this book because then I'd have several more good books to read after this one, but I was ultimately disappointed. I found the first person, diary pov grating and impossible to get into. The writing also came off as either uninspired or overly wordy when MacHale realized he needed a bit more exposition. Though actually, it was a lot of exposition since everything kept being repeated several times. On top of that, a lot of things happened in the plot just for the sake of the plot happening (which is why Bobby is so dumb in the first place methinks). Some of the characters are competently characterized, but ultimately dull. This was especially true of the 'evil' villain who mostly gave the impression that he spent his evenings on the sofa watching tv. I think this is, perhaps, a problem of the pov because it was hard to think a man who mostly spent his time chatting with a queen and barely remembers to threaten to kill people or destroy the world, is the great evil villain of the books.

It's a technically competent book and was well plotted. Unfortunately, there was nothing new in it. Maybe if I were younger and hadn't read more than a few adventure/fantasy novels, I'd have thought this story was interesting, but as it was, it seemed rather rote. In the end, I'm left not caring at all what happens to Bobby et al. and will drop this series without regret.

Lauren

Somehow, I missed any amount of hype surrounding Pendragon all my years growing up and I have never been more upset. I didn’t know what to think when I picked the book up because I’d heard very very little about the actual storyline aside from little bits and pieces from my boyfriend.

This series is one of my boyfriend’s absolute favorites and he’s been wanting me to read it for a while, so he handed it to me last week and told me to read it. My reading time has been awful lately so when I finally sat down to read it, I flew through it.

This book was amazing. I don’t know how else to say it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in the book, Pendragon was such an awesome main character- I loved that he actually had a brain and used it. I loved his friends back home as well. Uncle Press was absolutely amazing. Then you threw in a couple badass female warriors and it really didn’t get much better than that. Even the villain was amazing and I love that he has a real (albeit evil) goal behind everything he does.

I loved that even the little details that most people probably file away as useless ended up coming back as something major.

I loved the world building and the amazing concepts behind the different “territories”. My boyfriend laughed because when I finished the book (after reading nearly 200 pages in one day), I just kept sighing in exasperation. I immediately went to grab the second book from his shelf and I CANNOT wait to start reading it. Thank you to my amazing boyfriend for getting me to read this.

Jemmuel

The beginning book that hooked me on its fast paced, plot twisting, and at times adrenaline pumping series.

This book really cannot be denied. D.J. MacHale, who has created many other favorites for Y.A. has now beautifully written a creative and entertaining book. The story is of youbg Bobby Pendragon, a life of a normal 14 year old, which takes a dramatic turn as he is introduced to a universe that is all so unreal; yet completely in danger. His Uncle Press, who interrupts his great life at the time, appears to swoop Bobby on the fantastic journey through time and space.

Every moment, especially for young adults, no matter how fantastic the journey, Bobby relates to most situations in life, and his emotional and mental struggle to get a hold of what's really going on in Halla, and most importantly, himself.

Being a young reader, i give this book a definite 5/5 for its creativity and the ability to be able to understand both perspectives of child and adult, which is not very common in authors. A great read for all.

Jessye

The Pendragon Series is my favorite book series of all time, probably because it's one of the first book series I've read, it's extremely long which I love in books, and also I've read it over a couple of years. I started reading in 6th grade and finally finished the last book in 9th grade. I FREAKING LOVE THIS SERIES! I recommend it to everyone! The characters are so lovable and you become really attachted to them. The relationships made between them are wonderful and the action and suspense just leave you wanting more. The plot is well thought out (except the last book to be honest)and the writing style is awesome. The concept of the series may not be the most original but the execution definately is.
The first book starts out slow but once you keep reading you will get hooked and STAY hooked and pretty much devour each book one after another!
I have to say my favorite book of the series was Book 9 Raven Rise. HOLY CRAP I have never read that much suspense in a book before that. So many things are revealed where it was just mindblowing and the cliffhangar at the end...omg. I do have to say the worst book was the last book. It was EXTREMELY and PAINFULLY slow and some of the explanations were just stupid. Besides most of the last book sucking terribly, the ending was well worth it.
All in all, Pendragon is a seriously awesome and amazing series. A great read for anyone who loves suspense, thriller, mystery, sci-fi and time travel, and a long well thought out plot. READ IT NOW.

Maryam

*درحال پاک کردن اشک
بی نظیر بود
*درحال پاک کردن اشک
هیچ وقت از کتاب علمی تخیلی خوشم نمیومد ، ولی پندراگن....
*در حال پاک کردن اشک
اصلا دلیل اینکه الان کتاب علمی تخیلی میخونم همین پندراگن ، نمیدونم چطوری بگم عاااااااالی بود
شخصیت پردازیش ، فضا سازیش ، اصلا همه چی از قبل چیده شده بود.
نمیتونستی چیزی حدس بزنی ، من تا میومدم حدس بزنم چند صفحه بعد معلوم می شد اون چیزی که من حدس زدم غلط بوده ، بعد دوباره یه ماجرا پیش میومد که تا حدس میزدی آخرش باید دوباره به خودت نهیب میزدی حدس نزن دیگه ، تو که نمیتونی درست بگی
خیلی نفس گیر و هیجانی بود.
اون جاهایی که مثلا فکر میکردی اه چقدر مسخره ، اصلا گریه نکرد برای اینکه یکی از عزیزانش رو از دست داد.
اون لحظه هایی که میخوای بگی چقدر مسخره و غیر منطقی بود ، فقط نشست کنارش و مثلا رو سرش دست کشید ، باید بگم اصللااااا یه همچین فکرایی رو راه ندین ، اصلا نرین استقبالشون، بعدش یه اتفاقایی میفته که هنگ میکنین.
کل کتاب اینجوریه ، وقتی تمومش کنی کتابو آروم میاری پایین به روبه روت خیره میشی ، باید بگم مغزم توان و تحمل اون همه اتفاقای غیر منتظره رو نداشت ، فکر میکردم همه چی همونجوری پیش میره که حدس زده بودم ، برای همینم تقریبا هضم کردم کتابو.
ولی وقتی بازم حدسم غلط از آب در اومد ، تا چند روز همرنگ افق بودم
احساساتشون کاملا در‌ک می شد ، مخصوصا احساس بابی پندراگن.
*در حال پاک کردن اشک
اصلا تو خوندنش شک نکنین ، ای کاش که فقط ۱۰ جلد نبود ، ااااای کاش.
بعد ۱۰ جلد دیگه پندراگنی نیست بخونیم.
این خیلی درد آور بید.
*درحال پاک کردن اشک
اگه دنبال یه کتاب علمی تخیلی غیر پیش بینی ، پر از فراز و نشیب و همراه *اشک میگردین ، پندارگن عزیزم به شدددتتتتتت پیشنهاد میشه.
*درحال پاک کردن اشک😭🤧

Mike (the Paladin)

Bobby Pendragon is a traveler. Frankly I think if I had a name like "Pendragon" by the time I was a young teen I'd have looked it up and said...wow cool. But apparently being a typical 21st century "youth" our hero doesn't really care about much outside of school sports of course.

I give this a 3 star rating as it has moments of..."humm, that was interesting". It's a pretty good idea though executed with some odd logic holes and for a very young audience.

I've noted before that "YA" books can be more "Y" than "A" sort of "Ya" or it can be more "A" than "Y", "yA"...occasionally there's a balance I suppose. This book is "Ya".

There's a bit of adventure a little romance set-up. The story isn't really anything new, but it's a fairly fast adventure with a few slow-downs when we drop back to "Earth 2" to read the journals.

So, not too bad. A low 3 stars with some decent action and continuing plot set up with a continuing arch-villain. I think younger readers will enjoy this more than older, especially more "experienced" readers. If you've been reading a while there will be lots of "been there done that" moments where you'll pretty much see what's coming before it gets there.

I don't know if I'll read any more of these, maybe if I need a break and something very light (I got this in audio and often put it on when I was just tired, LOL). So be aware that we have some death, we have some violence so I'd advise parents and guardians check it out first and then decide if their youths are ready for the book.

Halley Hopson

Reread 2016

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One of my favorite series from middle school/early high school! Still loving it just as much as I did the first time. Press is still my favorite.

I just love the premise of this series so much. The idea of there being ten territories that exist in Halla throughout different points in both time and space that you can travel to through Flumes, ugh yes, sign me up.

Saint Dane is such a fantastic villain as well. I can't wait to get to last couple of books seeing as I only read the last three once each as they came out and don't remember a whole lot of how it wrapped up.

سحر

این چیزی که دارم می نویسم مروریه بر کلّ مجموعۀ پندراگن. کتاب الکترونیک خوندن تجربۀ عجیب غریبیه. ساعت دوی بعد از نصف شب جلد یک رو تموم می کنی و خب...آدم مگه می تونه تا فردا منتظر بمونه؟ همان دوی نصف شب جلد دوم رو می خری و بیداری تا صبح. این جوری بود که تا جلد پنجم یک نفس خوندم. فکر کنم شش روز طول کشید.اوّلش برام سوال بود که تا وقتی پندراگن هست اصلاً هری پاتر برای چی این قدر معروف شده؟ بعد که به خودم مرخصی دادم و کمی فاصله گرفتم از کتاب، تازه فهمیدم که ایراد کار از کجاست.
یک: کتاب من رو برای دوباره خوندنش ترغیب نمی کنه. ظرافت های پنهان و هنر داستان پردازی به قدری نیست که بعد از فهمیدن آخر ماجرا دوباره بخوای برگردی.
دو: قهرمانهای داستان خیلی «بچه آمریکایی» هستند.
سه: بچه امریکایی بودن به کنار، خیلی خاص هستند. یا خوشگل یا قوی یا باهوش، که این همذات پنداری رو کم می کنه.
چهار: ساختار کلی داستانها تکراریه و توصیفات گاهی طولانی هستند و مدتی طول می کشه تا داستان واقعا شروع شه.

Pranta Dastider

Fantastico! Excellento! Awesomeo!

Gald to discover this one finally.

Sam

I read this whole series as a young adult as it was released. I just finished rereading it as an adult and was impressed that it held up in many ways. It definitely was a nostalgic read for me and I probably enjoyed it more because of that. However I do feel like it is a strong story with likeable characters and an interesting plot. It is written for a younger audience but does a pretty good job of tackling some heavier issues (class conflict, death, the morality of using powerful/nuclear weapons, etc). I definitely enjoyed my reread and would recommend this book.

Janhavi

I remember reading this series in my middle and high school years and thoroughly enjoying them. I still liked this introduction and it definitely holds up! I remember loving the villain and the very creative way the story was told. Mark and Courtney were the Ron and Hermione for Bobby. This was not the best of the series, however the story does get more complex and interesting. Some of the later books were amazing, although I don't think I loved the ending too much. But re-reading it might change my mind. It brought back some good memories, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the books!

Kim

I really wanted to like this book. I am a big fan of young adult fantasy fiction and I was looking forward to a new series to get lost in... In an effort to connect with the "kids" of today, the dialogue is wordy, cheesy and too focused on surface observations. It needs a filter. The story had some interesting components but I couldn't get past the back and forth style between the journal entries of the main character, Bobby Pendragon, and the reactions of his friends, Mark and Courtney. Repetitive and slow moving. I will be interested to speak with my students who have read the book and see how it compares in their eyes with works of Garth Nix, JK Rowling or John Flanagan.

Asia Campbell

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Such a good book, everyone should read it.

Mohi Hajihoseini

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Kathleen Villanueva

Pendragon: The Merchant of Death by D.J. Mchale is an adventurous fantasy book filled with hilarious modern, real-life references. This book contains many lovable characters but the main character is Bobby Pendragon, a fourteen-year-old boy who is also a Traveler. As a Traveler, his duty in life is to save territories from the destruction of their existence. In this book, he is in the territory of Denduron, which is on the verge of a destructive civil war. With his Uncle Press, his partner Loor, and his friend Alder, they embark through many dangers in Denduron. I find the characters in this book as very interesting, lovable, and relatable characters because D.J. Mchale, somehow, chooses the same personality for the characters as the personality of my friends. Some of them are like Loor, some of them are like Alder, and some of them are like Uncle Press and Bobby. The writing style is also unique because some chapters are written in Bobby’s perspective, which is written in first person, while some chapters were written in his friends’ perspective, which is written in third person. I really relate to Bobby because he uses a lot of jokes or references inside his head (but expresses it in writing them), and his character is somewhat like me. Overall, this book makes me not want to put the book down because it is a page-turner. With the author’s descriptive setting, I can picture myself being in the adventure with Bobby and his friends. I recommend this book to any pre-teen or teenagers who are interested in fantasy, adventure, and/or comedy.

Charissa Pacheco

The book was already just "ok" to begin with but when we got to the "bad guys," the author was lazy and used fat to make them unsympathetic. Other than the warriors, they were all fat because they are lazy and eat all the time. And the queen, OMG, she is SO hideously FAT. She's ALWAYS eating and has sausage toes and a doughy face and is a big, FAT crybaby. She's too FAT and stupid to realize how horrible she is. Did I mention she is disgustingly FAT? Seriously, he goes on and on about how fat she is and calls her names based on her weight. Yeah, that's a GREAT message to send to kids: be like the cool athlete who is saving the world and not the gross FAT people.

Autumn

Well, this book was an interesting enough read that I finished it, but I doubt I'll be checking out any more in the series. Not a bad story, but parts of it felt very cliched and I was a little annoyed by the tone - it seemed to be trying too hard to be cool and current (for teens). Other than that there wasn't really anything wrong with it, it just wasn't as compelling as some of the other great young adult fantasy series that are out there.

Timelord Iain

Too predictable on re-read to truly enjoy the nostalgia...

Beth

I wish I remembered how many books in this series had already been published when I started reading; I can only recall waiting for the release of the later titles. (The pub dates listed on Goodreads are a little unusual, actually.) This series is distinctive to me for two reasons: because it was one of the first series I read together with friends, before I’d ever heard of formal book clubs - and because of book seven, The Quillan Games. More on the latter when I get there.

This is an intro novel. It’s a decent one, too, but expect the usual exposition dumps. It’s also very much aimed at boys. It’s almost nails-on-a-chalkboard, part of the voice: it tries much too hard to tick off the “these are things boys will find cool” checklist. (The rookie cards for Bernie, Jeter, and Rivera are a nice touch, though.)

Other things that make this book feel dated: it’s pre-internet. An entire family and their home can disappear, and the only people who notice are two friends and the chief of police, and all the police chief does is express concern. Friends are upset Bobby bailed on the big game, but they barely comment when he doesn’t show up at school. No teachers or neighbors seem surprised or confused. Google Maps alone would make this book impossible today.

There’s a riveting quality to this nevertheless: Bobby is a believable teenager thrust into an entirely new universe. He doesn’t want to be a hero - he wants to run home - he fumbles through situations - he isn’t prepared. His victories, when they come, aren’t complete. There are a lot of questions and not a lot of answers. He’s aware of his own vulnerability and insufficiency.

(Note: the villain’s name is Saint Dane. Weirdly reminiscent of a dog breed, especially juxtaposed with the form the quigs take.)

I’m not totally sure what to expect from this reread. Mostly, I’m wondering if the few memories I have will hold up.

آیلار

داستانهاى تخيلى بايد جورى نوشته بشن كه آدم باورشون كنه. نويسنده بايد تمام تلاششو بكنه داستان رو طورى براى خواننده تعريف كنه كه همه سوالاش پاسخ داده بشه و كاملاً بتونه خودشو تو موقعيت تصور كنه؛ حتى اگه موقعيت غيرممكنى باشه.
اين كتاب اينطورى نبود. معلوم بود كه داستان تخيليه و اين تو ذوق ميزد. پر از حفره داستانى بود و شايد تو جلداى بعد اين حفره ها پر شده باشن ولى من ترغيب نشدم جلد بعدو بخونم. شايد قسمتيش بخاطر ترجمه بد بود ولى كلاً كششى برام نداشت و پشيمونم كه سه جلد اول رو يه جا خريدم.

Annie

This series. Just...this series.

I don't even know what I can say to do justice to my feelings for it. I first read The Merchant of Death in fifth grade. I can't quantify the impact it, and the other nine books, have had on me since then. It's an absolute masterpiece of character development and complex plotting. It shows the good guys losing to the bad guys. It shows kids growing up to become adults in a believable way. It shows that everyone, even the best protagonist and evilest villain, is composed of shades of gray. Even five years after the release of
the final installment in the series, it still stands as one of the best things I've ever read. And, as you know, I read a lot of things.

Still, I was nervous to reread this. My fifth-grade self had different standards and tastes than I do now. I know more about what makes good writing and good storytelling. What if Pendragon no longer met this standard? Then again, I had this same worry with
Eragon, and it proved needless.

Yes, I did find issues with The Merchant of Death that I didn't in fifth grade. The narration is awkward and simplistic at times. Action sequences still take place in block paragraphs. A few slang terms slip out that sound odd coming from a 14-year-old. The beginning is cliche and overused--normal suburban kid gets whisked off on some grand adventure and is chosen to save everyone.

It's not perfect. But who am I kidding? I love it. I had so much fun rereading this. I forgot how completely inept Bobby is at the very beginning. I forgot Loor's incredible sass. The implied Press/Osa ship. Don't tell me that's not a thing.

So many things I didn't forget just made me incredibly happy upon rereading them. The twistiness of a certain reveal (reread=look for foreshadowing!). The fabulousness of Osa. Mark Dimond's endearing awkwardness. Courtney Chetwynde, a somewhat "masculine" female character whose personality runs far deeper than just "can beat boys at sports".

Like I mentioned before, Bobby Pendragon starts out as a useless protagonist. For much of the book, every time he tries to help, he messes up. Big time. Let's face it--if many of us were pulled out of our normal lives into this type of adventure, we'd probably mess everything up, too. And yet, Bobby just keeps going. He keeps trying. It's believable, it's real, and it's also a lot of fun. More than anything else, that was my reaction to this book: it's just a ridiculous amount of fun to reread.

It's worth noting that I have the advantage of knowing how the series progresses from here. Without this, I would be far less excited about The Merchant of Death itself. I know how much more complex it gets, though. I've read through the next nine books of character development and writing improvement. I've gone with Bobby and the others as they change and mature. More than anything else, though, I have the ability to see the series as a whole and appreciate the immense planning that must have gone into it. Everything builds on everything else, and all foundations are laid early on, setting the series up for increasingly bigger, better things. It just gets cooler from here. Darker, yes, but also more awesome. I'm excited to reread the rest of the series.

Similar Books: It has a teenage-kid-has-to-save-the-world fantasy plot with crossover YA and MG appeal, like the
Percy Jackson series or
Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. It's worth noting that I was really into
Artemis Fowl when I first read The Merchant of Death (if nothing else, the sass levels are pretty comparable).

Title	:	The Merchant of Death (Pendragon, #1)
Author	:	D.J. MacHale
Rating	:
ISBN	:	0743437314
ISBN-10	:	9780743437318
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Paperback
Number of Pages	:	375
Publication	:	First published September 23, 2002

The Merchant of Death (Pendragon, #1) by D.J. MacHale

The Merchant of Death (Pendragon, #1) Reviews

The Merchant of Death (Pendragon, #1) Reviews

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