Customer Reviews

The Land of Elyon #3: Tenth City

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love amazon for buying books...The tenth city wasn't suposed to be released until may 1st and I got it in march! I've read it and the book looks shorter than the previous ones but it has greater adventure than the first two books put together! I wish the series didn't have to end but this is a great book to end it with.

"No evil can resist the power of love forever."
- Wise words from Warvold

Alexa, now a gangly 13-year-old adventurer, gets ready to fight the battle of a lifetime as she and her friends sail across the Lonely Sea upon the ship, Warwick Beacon. While they know that they face many dangers, they have little understanding of what all this ultimately will mean to them. Hoping to rescue her dear little friend Yipes and set free Elyon from the fallen Seraph Abaddon and the evil Victor Grindall with his horrible ogres, they move ahead with both courage and fear. One major difference is that Alexa now carries the very last magical Jocasta stone. It is through the Jocasta stone that she is able to talk with her animal friends. And it is the Jocasta stone that can make all the difference in the outcome of the great battle of good and evil ahead.

Again in the company of Murphy, the highly nervous squirrel, her faithful wolf companion Odessa, the soaring hawk Squire, and the gentle giant Armon, they fight all manner of evil together as they are set upon by black swarms (bats) and stinking, robot-like ogres. There is the horror of a traitor among them and their greatest sacrifice yet as their beloved Warvold is thrown to his death by Grindall and the ogres. In a twisted yet brilliant plot, Alexa manages to fool and rid their world of the terrible forces of Abaddon and Grindall --- leading them to their deaths before they destroy Elyon or the Tenth City.

As the final chapters close on this strange but unforgettable little group, many truths are revealed. Alexa learns that the beauty of the mystical Tenth City will always be there for her. She also learns that Elyon is restored to its beauty once more and that she and her friends will have yet more adventures. But most important to this curious, brave young girl is a personal discovery that will help her determine where her love of adventure comes from.

This third and final book in The Land of Elyon trilogy is perhaps the best yet. Again Patrick Carman manages to pull in many important contemporary issues of environment, lust and power. His characters are diverse with both good and bad qualities. For the necessary flow and understanding, this is the kind of series that would be better read from the beginning.

--- Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts (stibbetts@maine207west.k12.il.us)

I have to admit I was disappointed with this one, though I generally enjoyed the previous two. The story was alright, though I didn't feel like it drew me in as much as the first two did (I still think that the first one was actually the best). What disappointed me most, though, was the over-the-top religious allegory employed throughout. I'm a Christian and enjoy the Chronicles of Narnia (which, as C.S. Lewis often pointed out, was not an allegory at all), etc, but when the story only seems to exist to explain the existence and nature of "Elyon" (God), it just gets lame. There's some little 'insights' about Elyon in this book that don't have anything to do the story and it just slows things down. It's like the author just sat there trying to think of ways to make the story fit whatever it was he wanted us to know about God/Elyon.
That being said, I like the characters and the Tenth City/Heaven thing was touching, and I do hope the author does another one about the further adventures, without the need for a Bible study in the middle of it.

My daughter & I just completed the triology and we're sad that Alexa's adventures are over. Imagine being able to converse with animals! The character formation, symbolism, foreshadowing and intricate story line provide a memorable series that is definitely worth reading. In fact, having just finished the final book, my daughter reached for the first book and reread the beginning chapter. Amazingly tight story line. A must read.

The third book in the Land of Elyon series hits you over the head with religious symbolism, and if you've read the excellent Narnia series, you'll easily see that Carman is also a big fan of C.S. Lewis.

In the conclusion to this part of Alexa's story, she and her motley band of friends are on the way back to Bridewell to rescue Yipes, who is being held captive by the evil Victor Grindall, tool of the even more evil Abaddon.

Though not quite as gruesome as book two, the stinky ogres are still on security duty and the rabid bats still swarm to prevent them from their quest, which ultimately leads to the Tenth City. On the way their faith is sorely tested, especially when one of their number betrays them, but the voice of Elyon is never far when he is needed.

In his hurry to get further up and further in, Carman takes some shortcuts along the way, sometimes explaining away significant plot points in a casual sentence or two, sometimes not at all. This is a fitting end to the series, but could have been much better. This one reads like a Narnia wannabe.

Rated 3.5 stars


Amanda Richards, October 12, 2006

I loved the book but it is so obvious that Patrick is trying to convert Elyon to God but in the Hebrew scipture Elyon means the highest one. Oh I'm going to write what happend in the book so if anyone doesn't want me to reuin the surprise don't read my review. Warvold is killed by the Ogres; Alexa, Yipes, Armon, Murphy, and Odessea find the Tenth City and see John Christopher, Warvold, and all other people who were there allies that died, Alexa finds out that Warvold and Catherine are her real parents, Roland is her Uncle,and Nicolas is her brother, Yipes never returns to the forest, and someone close and unexpected betrays them.

Alexa is on the journey of her life. It is up to her to rescue Yipes, defeat Grindall, and most important save the Land of Elyon. People she loves are in grave danger and maybe someone she knows is betraying her. A great last book and full of twists [sure to surprise you] at the end. I am eleven and I love the Land of Elyon books. It makes me sad that this is the last book.

This is book three in the Land of Elyon trilogy and the tenth book by Carman that I have read. It is the 5th set in Elyon. Elyon is the Semetic for God or Most High, and the Tenth City is a city shrouded in mist that none can reach, for it is the home of Elyon and his angels. The power of Carman's creativity is exemplified by the fact that this is the middle book of the 5 set in this land. It is the last I read, and yet nothing was lost by reading it after the others. I am sure something would have been gained by reading them in order but they did not come into my hands in sequence. Carman is a master story teller and this book is an excellent example of that.

Book 3 is the end of the original trilogy of Eloyn by Patrick Carman. In it the Grindall still has Yipes captured and is demanding the return of the last of the magical jocasta stones by Alexa Daley. As usual she is traveling and battling the forces of darkness with a strange mix of companions. The Warlord, Odessa the wolf, Squire the Hawk, Murphy the squirrel, and Armon the Giant are just a few of the characters that return in this adventure. The story focuses around a battle for the hearts and minds of the people. Elyon loves his creatures and wants the best for them; Abaddon is a monster bent on destruction and fire, whose sole driving purpose is to destroy Elyon and the creatures he loves.

The books draw heavily upon religious and Christian imagery. It is told in a masterful way. Yet it all comes down to Alexa. Can she once again save the day? You will have to read the book to find out. But there is a hint in that Carman went on to add two more books set in this world featuring Alexa. To some extent she is central to both. It is a great book in a good series - it will be fun, light summer reading.

(First Published in Imprint 2009-06-12.)

This is book three in the Land of Elyon trilogy and the tenth book by Carman that I have read. It is the 5th set in Elyon. Elyon is the Semetic for God or Most High, and the Tenth City is a city shrouded in mist that none can reach, for it is the home of Elyon and his angels. The power of Carman's creativity is exemplified by the fact that this is the middle book of the 5 set in this land. It is the last I read, and yet nothing was lost by reading it after the others. I am sure something would have been gained by reading them in order but they did not come into my hands in sequence. Carman is a master story teller and this book is an excellent example of that.

Book 3 is the end of the original trilogy of Eloyn by Patrick Carman. In it the Grindall still has Yipes captured and is demanding the return of the last of the magical jocasta stones by Alexa Daley. As usual she is traveling and battling the forces of darkness with a strange mix of companions. The Warlord, Odessa the wolf, Squire the Hawk, Murphy the squirrel, and Armon the Giant are just a few of the characters that return in this adventure. The story focuses around a battle for the hearts and minds of the people. Elyon loves his creatures and wants the best for them; Abaddon is a monster bent on destruction and fire, whose sole driving purpose is to destroy Elyon and the creatures he loves.

The books draw heavily upon religious and Christian imagery. It is told in a masterful way. Yet it all comes down to Alexa. Can she once again save the day? You will have to read the book to find out. But there is a hint in that Carman went on to add two more books set in this world featuring Alexa. To some extent she is central to both. It is a great book in a good series - it will be fun, light summer reading.

(First Published in Imprint 2009-06-12.)

Once again we find ourselves with Alexa and the adventure is great! i recommend it for adults as well as kids. It is a great read for the family. the same woman read all three books and i love all her different voices. Oh the series just ends wonderfully! Read it. If you liked the two previous books then you'll love this final edition!