Book of Earth (Diadem Series) [Paperback]

John Peel (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Diadem Series

Score is a young street kid from New York city. Helaine is a fierce girl-warrior from the medieval planet of Ordin. And Pixel's a virtual reality junkie from Calomir. These seemingly ordinary kids have no idea of their magical talents until an unknown force takes them far, far away from their homelands. Their magical journeys take them to strange planets all over the Diadem universe. Danger awaits them at every turn as they battle sea monsters, cunning sorcerers, trolls, giant insects, fearsome carnivorous plants, and skeleton armies. They also make a few friends along the way: Oracle the guide who speaks in rhyme, a handsome unicorn called Darkstar, Shanara the wizard and her sleepy red panda, and another magic user named Jenna. Score, Helaine, and Pixel become fierce magical warriors as they learn to use their powerful magical abilities. But the quarrelsome trio don't always get along. Banding together is their key to survival and discovering who brought them here. Can they find their way to friendship before the ultimate battle with the evil Diadem rulers?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Peel was born in 1954 in Nottingham, England. He attended Nottingham University and began his writing career as the editorial assistant for England's Apparel Production and Marketing. He later worked as a comic-strip writer for Marvel Comics in London, and was until recently the overseas television critic for England's Starburst magazine. Since immigrating to the U.S.A. in 1981, John Peel has worked as a contributing writer and editor for numerous media-based magazines. He now writes novels full-time from his home on Long Island, where he resides with his wife, Nan, their wirehair fox terrier, Dashiell, their orange, spotted tabby, Amika, and their miniature pinschers, Loki (aptly named after the Norse god of mischief and destruction), Bartleby, Shadow, Reggie, Tievel, Rocky, Anubis Princess and Lady Penelope.

He has just sold his first film script, Haunting Adrian, which is expected to commence shooting in the near future.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"He must come to Earth," Toshiro said, looking down at the girl in the wheelchair. "Everything has been set in motion. The trap has been laid." The young girl nodded. It seemed almost to exhaust her. "Score is my only hope," she said softly. "My only chance to be freed from this prison. But will all three of them come? The amulet can only compel Score." The Japanese man moved to stare out the window. "We have used what meager powers we have," he replied. "I have managed to see something of what has happened on other worlds. We know Score has bonded with two friends, Helaine and Pixel. I do not think it likely that they will abandon their friend. Quite the contrary, I am almost certain that they will insist on accompanying him to Earth." "And then?" the girl prompted. She sounded hopeful at last. "Then our . . . business associate, Mr. Caruso, will find them for us," Toshiro replied. The girl shifted uncomfortably. "We seem to be placing a great deal of reliance on this man," she observed softly. She gestured at a computer on the desk beside her. "I have done some checking up on him. He is generally known as 'Bad Tony' and was in jail until a few days ago. Can he be trusted?" "No," Toshiro answered honestly. "He has admitted that he has a reason of his own for wanting Score. He is, after all, the boy's father. But while he cannot be trusted, he is predictable. He will not betray us, because we have the power to return him to the custody of the police. He barely escaped from the jail that held him the first time. A second attempt is not likely to be successful. He has a great fear of confinement, and this makes him controllable. Knowing the weakness of an enemy gives you power over him; knowing the weakness of an ally makes him unlikely to desert you." Toshiro lowered his head slightly. "Mr. Caruso can be managed, I am certain, and his men will capture the trio when they return to Earth. Very shortly, they will be in my hands." He turned back to the girl. "And then Score will have to help free you from your current state." The girl slapped her hands down on her unfeeling legs. "He must help me!" she cried. "I cannot endure much more of this waiting!" "He will help you," promised Toshiro. "I will see to it. Score will help you-or else face my wrath."

When Score awoke, it was to an imme-diate surge of pain. He gasped and struggled to sit upright. "Take it easy," Helaine said to him. The concern in her voice surprised Score. "You've had a rough experience." "You're telling me?" Score asked. His chest ached. "I feel like someone tried to rip my heart out." He looked around the small bedroom in the castle the three had adopted for themselves. Pixel and Oracle were also there. Both looked as worried as Helaine sounded. "What happened to me?" "You collapsed in pain," Pixel said. "We brought you here so you could recover." He glanced at the black-clad man beside him. "Uh, Oracle has some bad news." Score tried to recover some of his normal humor. "When has he ever brought us good news?" he asked. Then he looked at the messenger. He wasn't actually real, not in the normal sense of the word. He was a projection of some kind who had once served the Triad. Now he was free, and he had decided to help the three of them. Whenever he showed up, though, it always spelled trouble. "So what's the bad news this time? I'll never be able to play the violin again?" "It's worse than that, I'm afraid," Oracle replied. "You are not likely to get better in the immediate future. Quite the contrary, in fact. You are in serious trouble." This would have depressed Score, except he could hardly get more depressed than he was right now. He could remember fainting because of the agony that had torn through his body. The idea that it could get worse made him sick. "So what's wrong with me? A bad heart or something? Incurable cancer?" Oracle shook his head. "No, it is nothing medical. It is a magical attack, and it is just beginning." Score sighed and lay back on his bed. "Oy. Another mad magician?" "No," Oracle replied. "This is actually low-level magic. Very primitive. And, unfortunately, very effective." Helaine glared at him. "Can you stop being cryptic for a minute and actually explain what you're talking about?" she demanded. "I'll try. I'm sure you recall that when you went up against Sarman, he used dolls to control you. To animate those dolls, he needed your true name, form, and substance. Once he had those, you were forced to do whatever he commanded." Pixel caught on. "So you're saying that someone, somewhere has made a doll of Score and is using it against him." "Not a doll, no," Oracle answered. "This is very primitive magic. What they're doing is using something very personal that belonged to Score, and they've put a wasting spell on it. This spell will attack him through the object they have, causing cumulative harm. It will attack progressively until it kills Score." "Two questions," Score broke in, before his friends could start. "First, what does this person have of mine? Second, how do I stop them?" Oracle shrugged. "What they have, I cannot say, only that it isn't something simple, like your old clothes. It must be something intimately connected with you. Something that means a lot to you." Score snorted. "There's very little that's important to me," he stated. "So what about question two?" "That's easier and...(Continues)

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (January 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738706132
• ISBN-13: 978-0738706139
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,161,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DiaDem is the Best!, March 21, 1998

By 

Katherine Carman "DigiPinky" (DigiWorld) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Book of Earth (Diadem: A Fantasy Mystery, No. 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

Dear Mr. John Peel,

I love your books! I think it's interesting having a new fantasy book series that incorporates some of the less widely used characters, like the centaurs, the sphinx, and the ice dragon, to the unicorns, wizards, and kids with magical power. It always interests me to view how writers portray the opposite sex in characters, and I approve of Hellaine. They are all believable, lovable, human characters, and that is perhaps your major selling point. I also like how all the book covers mold together to form one design! However, the suspense is killing us! Keep writing, Publish those books faster! We'll be waiting at the bookstore.

Kids who are reading this, if you like this, you'll probably be interested in another book series I've read. Patricia C. Wrede's "Dealing With Dragons". It's about a teanage girl who is a very improper princess, who like Hellaine, is bored with her royal duties of curtseying and needlepoint, so she voluntarily becomes a dragon's princess, and aids the dragons in their battle against the evil magic-stealing wizards.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish he'd write more!!, April 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Book of Earth (Diadem: A Fantasy Mystery, No. 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

John Peel is one of the best authors in the world! This is my favorite book out of the diadem series, and it was really hard to pick a favorite. If you know that he's going to be writting more books, please E-mail me. And take my word for it, after you read one of the books, your hooked!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite character is Score., November 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Book of Earth (Diadem: A Fantasy Mystery, No. 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

Score and his two friends are on their way to earth. Score is sick. His father, Tony, is after him. He's looking for a way to cure Score. Destiny is trying to get off earth, because she is a magician. She needs Score and his friends to take her off the planet.