Dark Quetzal (Echorium Sequence) [Hardcover]

Katherine Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Echorium Sequence

The breathtaking conclusion to the successful and spellbinding ECHORIUM TRILOGY by Katherine Roberts.

Frazhin, the evil sorcerer, begins his revenge on the song-makers of the Isle of the Echoes. His plan is to obliterate the Echorium from time itself, replacing it with his own dynasty. Frazhin's pirates abduct Rialle, the heroine of SONG QUEST, and carry her back to Frazhin's fortress. But during the journey, the pirate leader's brave daughter, Jillian, decides to rebel against the evildoers, with the help of Shaiala, the heroine of CRYSTAL MASK, and Kyarra, Rialle's willful daughter. And their most powerful ally is the Dark Quetzal, an amazing boy-bird who will help lead the women to freedom.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Taking place 11 years after the events described in Crystal Mask (Scholastic, 2002), this novel opens with Singer Rialle being kidnapped from her cave home by Frazhin, the mad ex-priest who has spent the last 30 years trying to get revenge against the Singers. Now called the Starmaker, Frazhin has managed to brainwash several different groups of Half Creatures, including the merlee, naga, and quetzal, into helping him. They have no idea that he was responsible for the mutilation and death of hundreds of their kind. Only Night Plume, a rare black Quetzal, is immune to the brainwashing, and he agrees to help Rialle warn the Singers. Meanwhile, Frazhin's daughter Kyarra, raised as a Singer on the Isle of Echoes, has just discovered that she's got a mystery in her past. No sooner does she find out that her mother still lives, albeit in a zombielike state, than the two of them are kidnapped by pirates. Other new characters include Kyarra's friend Caell, the only novice who can communicate with Half Creatures, and a young pirate named Jilian. Like the first two books in the series, Dark Quetzal is a complicated tale, filled with adventure, magic, and mystery. Those who make their way through the entire sequence (and it does need to be read in order) will be rewarded by an intricate and intriguing world, memorable characters, and a satisfying conclusion.
Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"There are so many deft, exciting and original touches...I raced through it" Jacqueline Wilson; "A powerful new writer" David Almond; "The kind of book where the more you read, the more you feel involved" The Financial Times; "For the child who keeps asking for the next Harry Potter". The Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: The Chicken House; First Edition edition (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439456975
• ISBN-13: 978-0439456975
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,624,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Katherine Roberts (1962 - ) was born in Torbay and lives in the UK. She trained as a mathematician at the University of Bath and worked with racehorses for ten years, before becoming a professional author in 1999 with the publication of "Song Quest", which won the inaugural Branford Boase Award for children's fiction. She is a champion of the fantasy/sf genre and has a unicorn for a muse who blogs at reclusivemuse.blogspot.com.

Katherine's website with competitions and more details about her books can be found at www.katherineroberts.co.uk.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Quetzal's review, April 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Dark Quetzal (Echorium Sequence) (Hardcover)

This book was graet. I even reread it four times. If you have read the first two books in this series( Song Quest & The Crystal Mask) This book will be another exciting adventure to enjoy over and over again.