Fiction Book Review for ‘City of the Rats’ by Emily Rodda reviewed by Heather Adams
About the book:
Leif, Barda and Jasmine-three companions with nothing in common but their hatred of the enemy-are on a perilous quest to recapture the seven lost gems of the magic Belt of Deltora. Only when the Belt is complete can the evil Shadow Lord be overthrown.
They have succeeded in finding the golden topaz and the great ruby. The two gems’ mysterious powers have strengthened them and given them courage to move on in their search for the third stone. But none of them can know the horrors that await them in the forbidden City of the Rats…
My Review:
Four Stars
The whirlwind adventure of the Detora Quest continues in the third book which is a show of Rodda’s creative imagination. Once again she brings to life the fantastic world of Deltora filled with relatable exciting characters traveling through a marvelous landscape.
In the City of the Rats, we leave off with our hero’s as they are leaving their last location. Of course right off the bat Rodda sends them into peril and the dominos keep falling as they move forward in the quest as more dangerous encounters fall in their path. Rodda keeps me interested with all of the events that occur. As a reader I am never bored with the imaginative creativity that this fictional world presents.
As I had formerly read the first two books before I had stated that they are rather predictable. I stay true to the statement that sections of the plot are easy to guess, however, the way in which Rodda presents them at times surprises me. There were moments that I suspected the way a sequence of events was going to play out, then Rodda surprises me with how it does ultimately ending with the same conclusion that I had predicted but exciting me with the suspense of what is to come.
Though Rodda’s books are rather short she packs a lot of adventure into 100 page novelette. Throughout the tale as a reader I grew closer to Lief the primary hero but bonded most with the heroin Jasmine who is still suspicious of the meaning of the Quest. Jasmin is such an interesting character, she is strong and extremely intelligent when it comes to survival. But when it comes to the outside world she is still naïve and still needs to have things explained to her. I love the trio of characters that Rodda has brought to life in this series but as it goes on I am growing most attached to Jasmin I can not wait to see what else Rodda has in store for this trio.
The creativity of this world that Rodda has created is phenomenal and keeps growing. With each new book the world expands bringing in more lands and more trapped people. My heart breaks with each introduced story of deceit and deception, which just proves that the writing has brought this world to life in my imagination. The language is vividly beautiful creating the story before my very eyes, as if I were watching it unfold in person. Of course the language is simple for it is meant to be a children’s book however, due to that in combination with the vivid imagination of the author this series has become a quick read that entices my creative spirit.
Rodda did not disappoint in the third book of her series, Deltora Quest. She intrigued me with the process of events, allowed be to bond with her realistic characters, and picture the setting in vivid detail. Though at times her plot is predictable I am still drawn in by the heart ponding suspenseful events as though I was a member in the quest fighting alongside them.
About the Author:
Emily Rodda grew up with her two younger brothers on Sydney’s North Shore and graduated from the University of Sydney in 1973 with an MA in English Lit. Always an avid reader she moved naturally into a career in publishing, first as a book editor and finally as a publisher at Angus & Robertson. She has written or co-authored well over fifty books for children and as Jennifer Rowe (her real name) she writes popular mystery novels for adults. She is a prestigious award winning author who has won the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year award several times and in 1995 Emily won the prestigious Dromkeen Medal. For more information visit http://www.emilyrodda.com/about/.
About the book:
Leif, Barda and Jasmine-three companions with nothing in common but their hatred of the enemy-are on a perilous quest to recapture the seven lost gems of the magic Belt of Deltora. Only when the Belt is complete can the evil Shadow Lord be overthrown.
They have succeeded in finding the golden topaz and the great ruby. The two gems’ mysterious powers have strengthened them and given them courage to move on in their search for the third stone. But none of them can know the horrors that await them in the forbidden City of the Rats…
My Review:
Four Stars
The whirlwind adventure of the Detora Quest continues in the third book which is a show of Rodda’s creative imagination. Once again she brings to life the fantastic world of Deltora filled with relatable exciting characters traveling through a marvelous landscape.
In the City of the Rats, we leave off with our hero’s as they are leaving their last location. Of course right off the bat Rodda sends them into peril and the dominos keep falling as they move forward in the quest as more dangerous encounters fall in their path. Rodda keeps me interested with all of the events that occur. As a reader I am never bored with the imaginative creativity that this fictional world presents.
As I had formerly read the first two books before I had stated that they are rather predictable. I stay true to the statement that sections of the plot are easy to guess, however, the way in which Rodda presents them at times surprises me. There were moments that I suspected the way a sequence of events was going to play out, then Rodda surprises me with how it does ultimately ending with the same conclusion that I had predicted but exciting me with the suspense of what is to come.
Though Rodda’s books are rather short she packs a lot of adventure into 100 page novelette. Throughout the tale as a reader I grew closer to Lief the primary hero but bonded most with the heroin Jasmine who is still suspicious of the meaning of the Quest. Jasmin is such an interesting character, she is strong and extremely intelligent when it comes to survival. But when it comes to the outside world she is still naïve and still needs to have things explained to her. I love the trio of characters that Rodda has brought to life in this series but as it goes on I am growing most attached to Jasmin I can not wait to see what else Rodda has in store for this trio.
The creativity of this world that Rodda has created is phenomenal and keeps growing. With each new book the world expands bringing in more lands and more trapped people. My heart breaks with each introduced story of deceit and deception, which just proves that the writing has brought this world to life in my imagination. The language is vividly beautiful creating the story before my very eyes, as if I were watching it unfold in person. Of course the language is simple for it is meant to be a children’s book however, due to that in combination with the vivid imagination of the author this series has become a quick read that entices my creative spirit.
Rodda did not disappoint in the third book of her series, Deltora Quest. She intrigued me with the process of events, allowed be to bond with her realistic characters, and picture the setting in vivid detail. Though at times her plot is predictable I am still drawn in by the heart ponding suspenseful events as though I was a member in the quest fighting alongside them.
About the Author:
Emily Rodda grew up with her two younger brothers on Sydney’s North Shore and graduated from the University of Sydney in 1973 with an MA in English Lit. Always an avid reader she moved naturally into a career in publishing, first as a book editor and finally as a publisher at Angus & Robertson. She has written or co-authored well over fifty books for children and as Jennifer Rowe (her real name) she writes popular mystery novels for adults. She is a prestigious award winning author who has won the Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year award several times and in 1995 Emily won the prestigious Dromkeen Medal. For more information visit http://www.emilyrodda.com/about/.
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