By Colorado Kids Advisory Board member Lisa Truong

Title: Deltora Quest: The Forests of Silence & Deltora Quest: The Lake of Tears
Author: Emily Rodda
Illustrator: Marc McBride
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Number of Pages: 131 and 129


Deltora Quest is a series of books about the city of Deltora. It's a place of magical, enchanting secrets and treacherous monsters. When the evil Shadow Lord takes over, all of the town's power is lost. Though there is still a slight piece of hope. A chain known as the Belt of Deltora is their last chance. It contains seven gems and is extremely powerful. This belt holds all the power in Deltora.

Before the Shadow Lord took his throne, he stole the gems and laid them each in a different spot. These places are deeply dangerous and forbidden. All that he leaves behind is an empty, silver-chain belt. Now, a boy named Lief and a man named Barda are teaming up to seek out the lost gems. They have the stone-less belt along with them, plus home to replace all seven gems. Will they survive? Or will Deltora be lost to the Shadow Lord forever? To find out, you must read the Deltora Quest series.

What I enjoyed most about these books were how unpredictable they were. There was always a surprise in store as I kept on reading. The only thing that I didn't like was how the author didn't talk much about their battle with the enemy. Only a quarter of the book was written for that. The rest was on how they arrive to their destination. Otherwise, The Forests of Silence, and The Lake of Tears are exceptional books.

I'd definitely recommend the series because it has adventure, mystery, and even a few true facts about castles. Kids ages 9-14 will find these books interesting, but, anyone who loves Harry Potter will also love Deltora Quest. They're not nearly as long, but are still awesome stories.

Venture out now, and start reading Deltora Quest: The Forests of Silence and Deltora Quest: The Lake of Tears. (July, 2001)