Customer Reviews

The Forests of Silence (Deltora Quest, 1)

5 star:		(67)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was looking for some books that my son would enjoy, to help him see that reading is FUN and often better than watching TV! I picked the first book up at the school book fair, and hit the jackpot! Not only did he not want to put it down between chapters, he pleaded with me to go to the store immediately and get the rest of the series. (And he wasn't the only one enjoying the book - so was I!) To our dismay, we could only get Book 2, and have been waiting anxiously for the next ones!!!! The author has great imagination!

What's so wonderful about the books is that they are full of action and suspense, and keep the reader hanging on every page. They are wonderful books to read together - I've enjoyed the storyline every bit as much as my son! (So much so, that I've kept reading after he's gone to bed because I didn't want to wait another day to find out what happens.)

As a child growing up at the palace, Jarred was servant, companion, and only friend to the young prince, Endon. And as a teenager, Jarred was the only one who suspected the truth behind the sudden deaths of the king and queen. But Endon, now king, ignored Jarred's warnings, and allowed his advisors to banish Jarred. Several years later, Jarred discovers his worst fears were all true - Endon's closest advisor was a traitor, orchestrating behind the king's back the takeover by the evil Shadow Lord of the kingdom of Deltora. With Jarred's help, Endon and his wife, who is pregnant with the heir to the throne, flee, with Jarred vowing to someday return them to their rightful throne. Years later, on his sixteenth birthday, Jarred's son Lief learns the task to free Deltora from the Shadow Lord's power has fallen into his hands. Now it's up to one young boy to save an entire world. Is Lief strong enough for the enormous task that lies ahead? This book was the thrilling beginning to an eight-part fantasy saga. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series.

~
This is a particularly good series for bright kids who are not born bookworms (although bookworms will probably love it too). The plots are intricate, but the prose is very simple and clear. There's lots of action and dreadful monsters to be fought: but there are also little puzzles, riddles sprinkled throughout the book, and many trick names which are significant if you pay attention to their sound rather than their spelling, or are anagrams, or have sinister double meanings. The adventurers find signs and symbols (illustrated in the book) that they have to puzzle out. All this appeals immensely to mathematically- or visually-inclined kids.

The moral world of Deltora is, of course, black-and-white, as befits the genre. Most of the bad guys are bad through and through, and most of the good guys are good through and through. But that doesn't mean that the books encourage a simplistic judgmental viewpoint. There are also people who seem bad but turn out to be good, and seem good but turn out to be bad. Many of the worst villains are shown to have been acting under various kinds of duress, disappointment, or obsession: some are rehabilitated. Also, although there's enough derring-do and fighting for the most dedicated comic book reader, there are also a surprising number of sticky situations that the heroes get out of by using their wits, sensitivities, and compassion. And each of the three has a slightly different moral "take" on the world, born of their varying experiences of it.

The series is mercifully un-sexist. The character of Jasmine, a wild girl who grew up alone in the forest, and can speak to trees, is as intrepid, skilled in fighting, and resourceful as her two male comrades, and she is often shrewder and more sensible. Monsters, wondrous creatures, heroes, villains, and faint-hearts, all generally come in two genders, with no fuss being made of it.

These books probably don't quite qualify as "classic fantasy," but they are among the very best of the second rank. I was very happy to find them, and my kids love them. If yours like these, go for the "Rowan of Rin" series by the same author, which is aimed at a slightly older, more thoughtful audience, and which I like even better.

In the Ancient Past of Deltora, the seven tribes were united under the leadership of Adin and he crafted a belt to hold the seven talismans of the seven tribes. When the final talisman was added to the belt, the tribes were able to defeat the Enemy from the Shadowlands. Centuries later the Royal Family has weakened and then the Enemy from the Shadowlands takes control of Deltora. In a time of darkness and fear, the unlikely heroes - Lief and Barda - join forces to find the hidden talismans and to reunite the people of Deltora to throw out the evil invaders.

This series of eight books is brilliant for readers of all ages. I have noticed that this series of books is always out in the childrens section of the library that I work at - and that parents are just as keen to read these books as their children. I started reading the first book to get an idea of what the writing was like and then read the rest the books as soon as they came out.

Emily Rodda is a brilliant writer who combines action, adventure and magic into a world that is very real. This book will appeal to boys and girls, and if you like fantasy then you have got to read this book! (no matter ow old you are) I have just gotten hold of the first book in the trilogy that follows this series and can't wait to see how it compares.

If there is just one book you want to try this month then it has to be the first book in this series - I garuntee that you will be looking for the rest of the series by the time you reach the end of this one. If I could give this book six stars then I would.

Jarred and Endon, the prince of Deltora, have been friends for as long as they can remember. So when Jarred suspects that the Shadowlord, an evil that was defeated hundreds of years ago, has started to rise again, he insists that Endon, who has been made king after his parents mysterious deaths, to do something. He wants Endon to start wearing the Belt of Deltora, a belt that has seven powerful gems on it and is the only thing powerful enough to stop the Shadowlord, but the king is only allowed to wear it at his coronation. Endor's advisor convinces him that Jarred is a traitor and Jarred is forced to leave the palace grounds. But years later it turned out that Jarred was right and Endon calls for his help. Once Jarred returns to the castle they go to look for the belt and discover that the gems have been removed and scattered in the seven most terrifying places in Deltora. Endon and his wife are forced to go into hiding to protect their unborn child, who is also the only one who will be able to wear the belt. Sixteen years later, Jarred's son, Leif, has accepted the task of finding the gems and saving his land. And the first stop on his list is the Forests of Silence, a place so feared that even saying the name would invoke terror into all who know of it. But Lief has help, a man named Barda who used to be a palace guard before the Shadowlord came. But will the both of them be strong enough to finish their task? This book was a great start to a new eight-book saga that will be filled with adventure.

My 8 yo daughter started reading the series on a recommendation from a friend and nagged me to read them also. I am glad she did.

Emily Rodda packs a lot of action in each book, and each book explores a different landscapes with new challenges. While borrowing a bit from Lord of the Rings the books demonstrate an amazing imagination at work.

The books describe troubled times in the land of Deltora, so there is some violence in each book. To her credit, the author does not dwell on gruesome details. Most of the story concentrates on the friendship and trust that forms between the main players, and this is the overriding theme. For those with daughters: the book's main female character is very strong, independent and intelligent.

I THINK THESE BOOKS ARE THE GREATEST BOOKS OF ALL TIME! Even my sister can't stop reading them and she's 28! I can't put these books down. A kid could stay up all night reading these books. It's the most exciting, action-packed, thrilling Medieval/future series I have ever read.

May I just start off by saying that th Forest of Silence is a winner for both sexes and all ages! This book is the beginning of a famous fantasy series. If you want to become a fan of fantasy, this is a book to start with. This captivating book centres around a group of travelling people trying to save the world from the grip of the feared Shadowlord who is terrorising the world. Even though it is not such a hard or serious read, you will instantly be reminded of Sauron and the Lord of the Rings. The suffering world has one last hope... the gems of the belt, which is in possession of Lief, the main character. So as you can imagine, while Lief travels the world in this series, he must uncover the gems to stand a chance against the Shadowlord! Then he has to face the Shadowlands...
If you've never considered reading as a fun thing, or are in desperate need of an easy novel with the thrilling contents of a normal-sized novel, or really need an introduction to novels, or love dark, exciting fantasy books...The Deltora Quest series will enthrall you, I promise.

this book is really good. It is one of the few you just hate to put down (unless you've read it). It has 2 parts. Before the takeover and after. Both have their good and bad points (like meeting Jasmine, who i think is the heir to the belt and like escaping the castle). In all categoreys I'd give it an A+++++!

The first book in the Deltora Quest series, The Forests of Silence, was the most spirited and exciting book I've ever read. Emily Rodda is a true mistress of adventure and excitment in children's liurature, and dances in the steps of JK Rowling. Hey, and I have to add, the illustrations leave no room to complain. I was hooked to the series as soon as I read the first book. It is an excellent mix of plot, fantasy, and, yes, a little violence and it really stimulated my imagination. I've gone on to read the next three and will read the 5th, as soon as I can get my expextant hands on a copy. If Ms. Rodda reads this, I beg you to continue spinning these spirited tales. I love them!