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1.0 out of 5 stars
Enormous Disappointment!, October 14, 2010
This review is from: Secrets Of Deltora (Hardcover)
My son and I read TALES of Deltora together. We both hung on every word, thought the storyline creative and crafty, and the illustrations terrific. So, having had such a wonderful experience with TALES of Deltora, I purchased SCERETS of Deltora. That book, at least the part we were able to read, was an enormous disappointment. Hard to believe it was by the same author.
Although Tales of Deltora has a terrific plot, Secrets of Deltora is like a very boring reference journal with parts that do not even interrelate well. Out of deference to Tales of Deltora, my son and I forced ourselves to slog though the first five chapters of Secrets of Deltora. We then threw Secrets of Deltora in the trash, but have Tales of Deltora on the bookshelf in my son's room.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Secrets of Deltora book, January 10, 2011
This review is from: Secrets Of Deltora (Hardcover)
Every reader of the Deltora Quest books should have this alongside while reading the rest of the books! What a fun addition to a great series!!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
For those who know nothing about Deltora, December 20, 2009
This review is from: Secrets Of Deltora (Hardcover)
I honestly had no knowledge that the Deltora series even existed until I saw this book on the shelf at a local book fair. The first thing that caught by attention was the 3D holographic dragon picture on the immaculately designed front cover (I love dragons). Upon opening the front cover, I was greeted by a beautifully colored, folded map. I then flipped through the pages to find even *more* gorgeous, full-color illustrations.
And then I started reading it.
From what I've gathered so far, this book is a travel-journal of sorts written by "Deltora's greatest explorer". These types of "travel guide" or "textbook" (if you will) fantasy books have always interested me, so I continued reading. I skipped around a little, and, in a note in the back of the book, I read about the secret message that lay hidden within the different chapters. A small, upside-down clue is given at the end of the note on how to find the secret message. To be honest, had I not read that note, I probably wouldn't have figured it out (or, at least not without a great deal of effort). And even with the hint, finding the secret message proved to be a fun challenge.
I also think it's worth noting that the sides of the pages that are closest to the spine are illustrated to make it look like it's the inside binding of a very old book (since this book is supposed to be very old within the context of the story). There are also various "stains" on many (if not most) of the pages to show wear-and-tear accumulated through the travel this book was supposed to have gone through. These details are what draw me completely into the book, making it seem more "real" and less like a work of fiction.
For me, someone who still knows practically nothing about the world of Deltora, this is an absolute gem. I am very seriously considering getting a copy of it for my dragon-obsessed friend (who, as far as I know, doesn't know about Deltora, either). I bow to the sheer brilliance of the artists who worked on this, and to the author for including an element as utterly awesome as a non-obvious hidden message. Bravo!
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