Deltora Quest 1

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Deltora Quest 1

Author Emily Rodda
Cover artistMark McBride
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Genre Fantasy
Publisher Scholastic
Published2000
Media typePrint (Paperback)
No. of books8
Followed by Deltora Quest 2

Deltora Quest (often called Deltora Quest 1 by fans) is a children's fantasy novel series written by Emily Rodda. It was first published between 2000 and 2002 in Australia by Scholastic Press. [1] [2] There are eight books in this series: The Forests of Silence , The Lake of Tears , City of the Rats , The Shifting Sands , Dread Mountain , The Maze of the Beast , The Valley of the Lost and Return to Del in that order. These books are followed by two other series set in the same universe: Deltora Quest 2 (Deltora Shadowlands in North America), Deltora Quest 3 (Dragons of Deltora in North America). Together, these three series are collectively also referred to as the Deltora Quest series, and occasionally the Deltora series by some fans.

Contents

Plot

The series depicts the adventures of Lief, the teenage son of a blacksmith, and the Good vs. Evil struggle of his country against its dictator. He initially lives with his parents in the city of Del, situated on the fictional island of Deltora. The main story arc takes place during a time of economic depression and political repression, under the dictatorship of the evil Shadow Lord. This is the second time that the country's welfare has been threatened by him: the Shadow Lord's previous attempt at power was foiled by the creation of a magical jeweled Belt that was able to repel his dark magic and drive him into hiding. Over time, however, he was able to infiltrate the royal cabinet and manipulate the royal family into wearing the Belt less and less. Eventually, the Shadow Lord also managed to corrupt the trade system, sever communication between major cities, and render civilians politically powerless. Having established chaos, he set his seven Ak-Baba to scatter the Belt's gemstones throughout Deltora, in "fearful places, guarded by seven terrifying guardians". The people's protection gone, the Shadow Lord assumed leadership. Lief, born soon after the beginning of this dark reign, is told of the gems on his sixteenth birthday. His father, Jarred, has reforged the damaged Belt so that the gems may be reunited. Wanting the Shadow Lord overthrown, Lief leaves home to search for the seven gems: the topaz, the ruby, the opal, the lapis lazuli, the emerald, the amethyst and the diamond, which represent each of the ancient tribes of Deltora. He is accompanied by Barda "The Beggar", a family friend who trained as a palace guard for the royal family until his mother's murder, and they are later joined by the wild forest girl Jasmine. Together the trio travel across Deltora in search of the lost gems. The locations of the gems comprise the titles of the books-with the exception of volume 8-and each gem has certain magical properties, which often assist with the quest.

The Forests of Silence

The Forests of Silence is the first book of the Deltora Quest series and acts as a sort of introduction to the series. The book is split in two parts, the first, acting like a long prologue, following the lives of Jarred and King Endon, of their childhood and adult life up to when the Shadow Lord conquers the land of Deltora and the gems are separated from the Belt. Jarred and Endon were the best of friends until the chief adviser, Prandine (the Shadow Lord's spy), framed Jarred for trying to kill Endon, forcing Jarred to flee the castle. Before he leaves, Jarred hides in the tree he and Endon played in as kids and leaves Endon a coded message telling Endon to signal if he ever needs Jarred's help. Once he escapes, Jarred learns that everything they thought they knew about the world outside the palace was a lie. The palace was surrounded by a magical mist caused by the Shadow Lord, that makes the village of Del appear a happy and prosperous place to anyone looking out at it from the castle (as the royal family never leaves the castle, the mist is very unlikely to be discovered). In actuality, the people in Del were starving and in great decline. Jarred begins his new life as a blacksmith's apprentice, later becoming a blacksmith himself. Jarred watched the palace every night for the next few years, until Endon signaled him and by then it was too late to save the gems and prevent the Shadow Lord's invasion. In the second half of the book, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine recover the first of the famed jewels, the topaz, from the Forests of Silence.

The Lake of Tears

City of the Rats

The Shifting Sands

Dread Mountain

The Maze of the Beast

The Valley of the Lost

Return to Del

Characters

Related Research Articles

Deltora Quest 3 is a series of children's fantasy books, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. It follows the adventures of three companions, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine, as they journey across the magical land of Deltora to awaken the last seven dragons and destroy the Four Sisters. It comprises four books which were first published in Australia in 2004 and 2005 in the United States by Scholastic. The Dragons of Deltora series is preceded by two other series that take place in the same fictional world and feature the same characters and continues the story. These series are Deltora Quest and Deltora Quest 2. Collectively, these three series are known as the Deltora Quest series or the Deltora series.

Deltora Quest 2 is a series of children’s fantasy books, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. It follows the adventures of three companions as they journey outside the magical land of Deltora to rescue the many prisoners held captive by the evil Shadow Lord. It comprises three books: Cavern of the Fear, The Isle of Illusion, and The Shadowlands. They were first published in Australia in 2002 by Scholastic. The Deltora Shadowlands series is associated with two other series that take place in the same fictional world and feature the same characters. These series are Deltora Quest, which precedes Deltora Quest 2, and Deltora Quest 3 which follows it. Collectively, these three series are known as the Deltora Quest series.

<i>The Valley of the Lost</i> 2002 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

The Valley of the Lost is the seventh book in the Deltora Quest novel series written by Emily Rodda. The final gem from the Belt of Deltora is in the mysterious Valley of the Lost with its guardian only known as the Guardian. To retrieve the gem, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine must play his game. If they win, they get the gem. If they lose they will stay trapped inside the Valley of the Lost forever.

<i>The Maze of the Beast</i> 2001 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

The Maze of the Beast is the sixth book in the Deltora Quest novel series, written by Emily Rodda. It was published in 2001 by Scholastic.

<i>Return to Del</i> 2002 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

Return to Del is the eighth and final book of the original series of Deltora Quest written by Emily Rodda. It focuses on how Lief, Jasmine, and Barda must return to Del to give the completed Belt to Adin's heir to banish the Shadow Lord from their land.

Deltora Quest is the collective title for three distinct series of children's fantasy books, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. It follows the adventures of three companions as they journey across the fictitious land of Deltora, endeavouring to recover the seven gems stolen from the magical Belt of Deltora and defeat allies of the evil Shadow Lord. The series was first published in Australia in 2000 and has since been published in more than 30 countries. The series has sold over 18 million copies worldwide, including over 2 million in Australia. It is published by Scholastic in Australia and the United States. In most countries, the series is illustrated by Marc McBride.

<i>Deltora Quest</i> (TV series) Japanese anime series

Deltora Quest is a Japanese anime television series based on the series of children's books of the same name, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. It was announced by Rodda herself at Sydney's Book Council of Australia Conference and at an ABC Kids convention. The series was produced by Genco and SKY Perfect Well Think. It was broadcast for 65 episodes on TV Aichi from January 2007 to March 2008. It began airing on Cartoon Network Australia and New Zealand in May 2010. It premiered in the United States on The Hub on October 10, 2010.

<i>The Forests of Silence</i> 2000 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

The Forests of Silence is a fantasy novel written by Australian author Emily Rodda, and is the first book in the eight-volume Deltora Quest series. It was first published in 2000 by Scholastic and was awarded the "Notable Series in Children's Book of the Year Awards 2001: Younger Readers". The novel follows a teenage boy named Lief as he and his companions search the deadly Forests of Silence for the magical Topaz gem, one of the seven missing gems from the belt of Deltora.

<i>The Lake of Tears</i> 2001 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

The Lake of Tears is the second book in the eight-volume Deltora Quest series written by Emily Rodda. It continues after the events of The Forests of Silence, as the three protagonists brave various dangers on their journey to find the seven missing gems of Deltora. The book was first published in 2001 by Scholastic.

<i>City of the Rats</i> 2001 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

City of the Rats is the third novel in the eight-volume fantasy series Deltora Quest, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. The novel was first published by Scholastic in 2000, and later released in the United States in 2001. The novel continues Lief, Barda, and Jasmines journey to find the seven missing gems of Deltora, braving dangers and guardians in each book.

<i>The Shifting Sands</i> 2001 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

The Shifting Sands is the fourth book in the eight-volume Deltora Quest fantasy novel series written by Emily Rodda. It continues the trio's journey to find the seven missing gems of Deltora, braving dangers and Guardians in each book. The novel was first published in 2000 by Scholastic Australia.

<i>Dread Mountain</i> 2001 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

Dread Mountain is the fifth book in the Deltora Quest children's fantasy series written by Emily Rodda. It continues the quest of Lief, Barda, and Jasmine to find the seven missing gems of Deltora, braving dangers and Guardians in each book. The fourth gem has been found and the fifth is hidden in Dread Mountain. The trio travel to the mountains in search for the emerald.

<i>The Isle of Illusion</i> 2002 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

The Isle of Illusion is a children's fantasy book by Emily Rodda. It was published in 2002 by Scholastic. It is the second book in the Deltora Quest 2 series, the second series in the collective Deltora Quest series. It is preceded by Cavern of the Fear and followed by The Shadowlands.

<i>Dragons Nest</i> 2005 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

Dragon's Nest is a children's fantasy book written by Emily Rodda. The book is the first book in the Dragons of Deltora series, the third in the Deltora series. It was released in 2005 and is published by Scholastic Press.

<i>Isle of the Dead</i> (Rodda novel) 2004 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

Isle of the Dead is a children's fantasy book by the English-speaking Australian writer Emily Rodda. It is the third book in the third series of the Deltora series called Dragons of Deltora, also known as Deltora Quest 3 and, in Australia, Deltora III. It was released in 2005. It is published by Scholastic.

<i>The Sister of the South</i> 2004 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

The Sister of the South is a children's fantasy book written by Emily Rodda. The book is the fourth and final book in the Dragons of Deltora series, the third in the Deltora series. It was released in 2005 and is published by Scholastic Press.

<i>Cavern of the Fear</i> 2002 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

Cavern of The Fear is the first book in the Deltora Quest 2 series written by Emily Rodda. It was published by Scholastic in 2002. The story follows the adventures of Lief, Jasmine, and Barda.

<i>Shadowgate</i> (novel) 2004 Book by Jennifer Rowe (as Emily Rodda)

Shadowgate is a children's fantasy book by Emily Rodda. It is the second book in the Dragons of Deltora series, the third series of the Deltora series. It was first published in 2005 by Scholastic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tales of Deltora</span> Novel by Jennifer Rowe

Tales of Deltora is a fictional novel written by Emily Rodda and illustrated by Marc McBride. It is a chronicle of ancient stories from the Deltora Quest universe including how the evil Shadow Lord came to be, and how the great Adin obtained the seven gems from each of the tribes to form the Belt of Deltora. It was published by Scholastic in October 2006.

References

  1. Rodda, Emily; Rodda, Emily (2000). The forests of silence. Deltora quest. Copyright Paperback Collection (Library of Congress). New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN   978-0-439-25323-9. OCLC   46427115.
  2. "Return to Del (Deltora Quest, #8)". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2021-08-27.