Vega Jane

Last updated
Vega Jane
  • The Finisher (U.K.: The Secrets of Sorcery)
  • The Keeper (U.K.: The Maze of Monsters)
  • The Width of the World (U.K.: The Rebels' Revolt)
  • The Stars Below (U.K.: The End of Time)
Author David Baldacci
Illustrator
  • Nathan Aardvark
  • Matthew Laznicka
CountryUnited States
Genre fantasy
PublisherScholastic Press
Published2014 - 2019
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Audiobook
E-book [1]

Vega Jane is a series of four young adult fantasy novels written by American author David Baldacci. It follows the adventures of a teenage girl as she uncovers secrets about the fictional village of Wormwood and faces the dangers of the 'Quag', a forest filled with beasts. [2] The series was first published in the US in 2014 by Scholastic Press. [3] The Finisher (novel) and The Keeper spent a collective 41 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Middle Grade E-books with The Finisher peaking at number one, and The Keeper peaking at number three. [4] [5]

Contents

The series consists of four novels with the final release, The Stars Below, published in 2019. [6] In 2013, a year before the release of the series, it was announced that Sony Pictures had acquired the rights to Baldacci's The Finisher, the first Vega Jane novel. [7] [8]

In the U.K. the books were published as The Secrets of Sorcery, The Maze of Monsters, The Rebels' Revolt, and The End of Time. [9]

Origin

Author David Baldacci spoke about his inspiration for the series in an interview with WFSB; he stated that "I think one reason I did it was cause I loved reading fantasy when I was a kid, I was a big Lord of the Rings fan." He then goes on to list fantasy authors such as C. S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll as childhood inspirations of his, stating that the fantasy genre "really had an impact on me, it made me a reader for life... and a fantasy if you understand, it really liberates your imagination... so I was able to build, literally, a world from scratch, and put every element into that world that I wanted" [10]

Baldacci began writing The Finisher in 2008, after receiving a blank page book for Christmas. [10] In preparation for writing his first fantasy novel Baldacci re-read his favorite fantasy books, including works by Jasper Fforde and modern fantasy novels such as Harry Potter. Baldacci also read books on mythology, religion and ancient worlds for inspiration for his story. He also researched slang and old English to create a unique language for his characters. [11]

Publishing history

After completing The Finisher, the first novel in the Vega Jane series, Baldacci sent the book to publishers under the name Janus Pope, [12] in an interview with WUSA, Baldacci stated: "I didn't want publishers to buy the book just because my name was on it and they could sell a million copies." [13] Baldacci used the name Janus Pope as a reference to the two-faced Roman god of the same name, stating that he "thought it appropriate for someone hiding his real identity" [11] The novel was bought by Scholastic in August 2013. [3]

Plot

The Finisher (U.K.: The Secrets of Sorcery)

The first novel in the series follows Vega Jane, a fourteen-year-old girl, as she uncovers secrets about the fictional village of Wormwood. The village is surrounded by the 'Quag' a dark forest filled with dangerous beasts and 'outliers', the Quag is described in the book as "an impenetrable barrier that circled Wormwood like a noose." [14] Vega lives in a boarding house called 'The Loons' with her intelligent younger brother called John Jane. Vega works as a 'Finisher', a person whose job it is to add the final touches to handicrafts before they are purchased. One morning Vega witnesses Quentin Herms, her colleague and mentor, being chased into the Quag by the village Council and their attack canines. She later finds a note written by Quentin stating that he had left her something, she later finds this object hidden in her treehouse, it is a map of the Quag with detailed descriptions of the creatures it contains. Vega's younger brother John is then taken by Morrigone, the 'keeper of Wormwood', he is chosen for his exceptional intelligence to help the Council in constructing a wall to keep out dangers from the Quag. Vega then inherits 'Destin', a chain that allows her to fly when worn. She also finds an Adder stone with magical properties that can heal cuts and bruises when you think good thoughts. She also acquires an 'Elemental', a shield of sorts that can grow and shrink. The Council discovers Vega is in possession of a map of the Quag, they imprison her and put her on trial, threatening her with execution before offering her a chance at freedom in return for fighting in the 'Duelum', a twice a year event where all between 20 and 24 years old must fight until there is only one winner. Vega accepts and goes on to be declared the "champion of the Duelum". However, after winning the Duelum, Vega decides to escape Wormwood with her dog 'Harry Two' and her friend Delph. With Morrigone and the council after her, they use the magical chain Destin to fly over the wall surrounding Wormwood, into the Quag. They are then chased by monsters to the edge of a cliff where they are forced to jump.

The Keeper (U.K.: The Maze of Monsters)

The second novel in the series follows the events directly after the ending of the first, with the trio, Vega, her dog Harry Two, and her friend Delph, jumping off a cliff after being chased by monsters in the Quag. The plot focuses on the companions and their journey through the Quag as they battle monsters and try to stay alive. The trio survive the fall from the cliff but they are soon captured and taken prisoner by the 'Ekos', a subterranean society led by a former resident of Wormwood that calls himself 'King Thorne'. However, Vega and Delph, along with help from some of the Ekos, are able to defeat Thorne and escape. Soon after they escape a storm comes, separating Vega and Delph. Vega then comes across Astrea Prine, the 'Keeper' of the Quag and a being that is over 800 years old. Astrea led the people who would go on to found Wormwood, and was alive when they went to war with the 'Maladon', a group of people described as thriving on pain and suffering. Astrea and her people lost the battle with the Maladon and the remaining survivors retreated to found the settlement of Wormwood where they used magic to build the Quag as a defense system to keep the Maladon out. Astrea finds Delph and explains that as the Keeper of the Quag, she must keep them prisoner as no-one is supposed to cross the Quag. However, Vega has learnt that like Astrea, she too is a powerful sorceress; Vega then fights back against her imprisonment, escaping with Delph. After fleeing from Astrea, Vega and Delph continue to proceed through the five 'circles' of the Quag, where they meet Lackland and Petra who decide to join them in their journey. Together the companions face numerous creatures such as 'Garms', 'Amarocs', 'Lycans', 'Jabbits', Wendigos and 'Hyperbores'. Lackland is killed in the fifth circle of the Quag by 'Asurter', a fire monster. After Lackland's death Vega is able to escape the Quag with her companions and they begin to head towards a modern-looking town that is nothing like the primitive village of Wormwood. [15]

The Width of the World (U.K.: The Rebels' Revolt)

The third novel follows the story directly after the ending of The Keeper with the companions escaping the Quag and heading towards a modern-looking town. The plot focuses on Vega's family history and her fight against the 'Maladon' an evil race that are enslaving the minds of people. After escaping the Quag, Vega, Delph, and Petra arrive in a modern town that they come to learn is called True. True is a town of modern innovation, extremely different to the primitive village of Wormwood. The companions are then attacked by the Maladon, this confuses Vega and she discovers that a mark on her hand that she obtained in the Quag is acting as a beacon to the Maladon; however, Vega is able to place a magical glove on her hand which prevents the mark from drawing the Maladon's attention. The companions then discover that the Maladon are enslaving the residents of True by brainwashing them so they remain docile and submissive. They are attacked by the Maladon again and fly away to a clearing in a wood, there they find a house owned by Vega's ancestors, they learn that the house is somehow invisible to the Maladons. They decide to stay at the house while they plan an attack on the Maladons. Vega follows a Maladon to a castle where she witnesses them turning magical people into slaves by draining their power into a bottle. Vega returns to the castle along with Delph and Petra where they then steal bottles of power belonging to the magical people, including a bottle with her grandfathers name on it. Vega then decides to return the power of those that have been turned into slaves and train them to create an army of sorcerers. Vega is later visited by the ghost of Morrigone who tells her that the Maladon destroyed Wormwood and killed almost everyone; she uses a spell to teleport to Wormwood and finds the town in ruins. She learns from the only surviving resident Thansius, that her brother, John, was taken and not killed. She then vows to take her revenge. [16]

The Stars Below (U.K.: The End of Time)

In The Stars Below, the fourth and final novel in the series, Vega Jane and her companions face Necro, an archmage and leader of the Maladons. Together with her companions and army of sorcerers, Vega plans an assault on Necro and his forces. However, while Vega and Delph were out meeting up with allies, Necro attacks and due to Necro's strength and ability, they are outmatched and lose a large number of their forces, as well as friends and family they found earlier, and the hidden mansion that they used as a refuge from the Maladons. Vega's army lost the battle against Necro; however, with the aid of a divinity, Vega is able to duel Necro alone. With the help of the oath of oblivion, Delph asked her and Petra to take back the third novel that gives her a second chance if she dies, she is able to defeat Necro. [6]

Critical reception

Vega Jane was initially praised for its story and world, with The Guardian stating that The Finisher was "gripping" and "written well". [2] Another critic stated that the world was "richly imagined and vividly realized" [17] while The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books stated that the world was "clever, intriguing, and refreshingly different". [18] The Keeper was also praised for its fast pace; [19] [20] however, it was criticized for plot conveniences [20] [21] with Kirkus Reviews criticizing the novel for its lack of suspense and sense of danger. [22] The series was also criticized for its similarity to other young adult novels such as Harry Potter with one critic stating that the use of spells and wands "beg (unfavorable) comparison to JK Rowling". [23] Another critic stated that the series "felt unoriginal" and was "full of recycled clichés from the fantasy genre" [21] The language used in the series was also criticized as many common words were replaced by fictional ones, critics stated that this language change was unnecessary and confusing; [2] [24] yet others claimed it made the novel more immersive for the reader. [25]

Proposed film adaptation

In September 2013, a year before the release of the first Vega Jane novel, it was announced that Sony Pictures had acquired the rights to Baldacci's novel The Finisher. The novel was brought to the studio's attention by New York-based book scout Mark James. It was also claimed that Matt Tolmach would be producing. However, the status of the project remains unknown. [26] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Norton</span> American science fiction and fantasy writer (1912–2005)

Andre Alice Norton was an American writer of science fiction and fantasy, who also wrote works of historical and contemporary fiction. She wrote primarily under the pen name Andre Norton, but also under Andrew North and Allen Weston. She was the first woman to be Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy, to be SFWA Grand Master, and to be inducted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.

<i>Wizards First Rule</i> 1994 novel by Terry Goodkind

Wizard's First Rule, written by Terry Goodkind, is the first book in the epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth. Published by Tor Books, it was released on August 15, 1994 in hardcover, and in mass market paperback in September 1995. The book was also re-released with new cover artwork by Keith Parkinson in paperback on June 23, 2001. The novel was adapted to television in the 2008 television series Legend of the Seeker.

<i>The Chronicles of Prydain</i> Series of childrens fantasy novels by Lloyd Alexander

The Chronicles of Prydain is a pentalogy of children's high fantasy Bildungsroman novels written by American author Lloyd Alexander and published by Henry Holt and Company. The series includes: The Book of Three (1964), The Black Cauldron (1965), The Castle of Llyr (1966), Taran Wanderer (1967), and The High King (1968). The Black Cauldron earned a 1966 Newbery Honor, and The High King won the 1969 Newbery Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Baldacci</span> American novelist (born 1960)

David Baldacci is an American novelist. An attorney by education, Baldacci writes mainly suspense novels and legal thrillers.

<i>The High King</i> 1968 fantasy novel by Lloyd Alexander

The High King (1968) is a high fantasy novel by American writer Lloyd Alexander, the fifth and last of The Chronicles of Prydain. It was awarded the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1969.

<i>Inkheart</i> 2003 young adult fantasy novel by Cornelia Funke

Inkheart is a 2003 young adult fantasy novel by Cornelia Funke and the first book of the Inkheart series, which was continued with Inkspell (2005) and Inkdeath (2007). The novel won the 2004 BookSense Book of the Year Award for Children's Literature. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children".

<i>Rowan of Rin</i> Book series

Rowan of Rin is a series of five children's fantasy novels by an Australian author Emily Rodda. It follows the adventures of a shy village boy, Rowan. The series was first published in Australia in 1993 by Omnibus Books, a corporate division of Scholastic. When Scholastic released Emily Rodda's Star of Deltora fantasy series, the Rowan of Rin series was revealed to be part of the world of Deltora, and the lands mentioned in the books are islands located to the west of Deltora. This makes Rowan of Rin the fourth series set in the world of Deltora, sixth if you count the collective Deltora Quest series as three separate series. The other series are Deltora Quest, the Three Doors trilogy and Star of Deltora.

<i>Dealing with Dragons</i> 1990 book by Patricia Wrede

Dealing with Dragons is a young adult fantasy novel written by Patricia C. Wrede, and is the first book in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles series. The novel chronicles the adventures of the princess Cimorene, who escapes her tediously ordinary family to become a dragon's princess. It received the 1991 Minnesota Book Award for Fantasy and Science Fiction.

<i>Catwings</i> Childrens fantasy story and picture book, 1989

Catwings is a series of four American children's picture books written by Ursula K. Le Guin, illustrated by S. D. Schindler, and originally published by Scholastic from 1988 to 1999. It follows the adventures of kittens who were born with wings. Catwings is also the title of the first book in the series. The series is in print from Scholastic as of August 2015.

<i>Invasion of the Bane</i> 2007 Sarah Jane Adventures pilot

"Invasion of the Bane" is the first episode of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was written by series creator Russell T Davies with Gareth Roberts and was directed by Colin Teague. It was originally broadcast on BBC One on 1 January 2007 as a New Year special. Since a full series of the show was commissioned before the script for the episode was written it is not a pilot, despite serving the introductory functions of one.

Nell Anne 'Charlee' Jacob was an American author specializing in horror fiction, dark fantasy, and poetry. Her writing career began in 1981 with the publication of several poems under the name Charlee Carter Broach. She began writing as Charlee Jacob in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristin Cashore</span> American young adult and fantasy writer

Kristin Cashore is an American young adult and fantasy writer, best known for the Graceling Realm series.

<i>Return to Quag Keep</i>

Return to Quag Keep, a 2006 fantasy novel by Andre Norton and Jean Rabe, is a sequel to the fantasy novel Quag Keep written by Norton in 1978. Although Norton and Rabe began their collaboration in the early 2000s, Norton's death in 2005 meant that Rabe had to complete the novel on her own. Many critics were not impressed with the finished work.

<i>The Three Doors</i> Fantasy novel trilogy by Emily Rodda

The Three Doors is a series of three fantasy novels written by Australian author Emily Rodda. The series follows a sixteen-year-old boy named Rye as he journeys through three mysterious doors in search of his missing brothers. The story takes place on an island called Dorne, located in the same ocean as the land of Deltora, the prominent setting in Rodda's Deltora Quest series. The series was first published in 2011 by Omnibus Books, a corporate division of Scholastic Press. It was published in the United States in October, 2012 and a compiled set was published in 2013.

<i>Amber House</i> (novel) 2012 novel by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed and Larkin Reed

Amber House is the first book in what was initially dubbed the Amber House Trilogy by American author Kelly Moore and her daughters Tucker Reed and Larkin Reed. The book follows narrator Sarah Parsons, who discovers she has the psychic ability of psychometry, enabling her to see into her own history as she stays at her family's ancestral estate outside of Annapolis, Maryland.

<i>Akata Witch</i> 2011 fantasy novel by Nnedi Okorafor

Akata Witch is a 2011 fantasy novel written by Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor. It was nominated for the Andre Norton Award and it is the first novel in the Nsibidi Scripts Series, where it is followed by two sequels Akata Warrior and Akata Woman published in 2017 and 2022 respectively.

Fonda Lee is a Canadian-American author of speculative fiction. She is best known for writing The Green Bone Saga, the first of which, Jade City, won the 2018 World Fantasy Award and was named one of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time by Time magazine. The Green Bone Saga was also included on NPR's list, "50 Favorite Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the Past Decade".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kacen Callender</span> Saint Thomian author

Kacen Callender is a Saint Thomian author of children's fiction and fantasy, best known for their Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award-winning middle grade debut Hurricane Child. Their fantasy novel, Queen of the Conquered, is the 2020 winner of the World Fantasy Award and King and the Dragonflies won the 2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Children's/Middle Grade.

<i>The Ten Thousand Doors of January</i> 2019 novel by Alix E. Harrow

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a 2019 fantasy novel by Alix E. Harrow. It is the Hugo Award-nominated writer's debut novel.

<i>The Hum and the Shiver</i> 2011 novel by Alex Bledsoe

The Hum and the Shiver is an urban fantasy novel by American writer Alex Bledsoe, first published in the United States in September 2011 by Tor Books. It is the first in a series of six books by Bledsoe about the Tufa living in a remote Appalachian valley in East Tennessee. The Tufa are descendants of Irish fairies and were found in the area when the first European settlers arrived.

References

  1. ↑ "The Finisher by David Baldacci". www.fictiondb.com. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  2. 1 2 3 laura,thespecialone (2014-10-17). "The Finisher by David Baldacci - review". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  3. 1 2 "Scholastic Acquires Fantasy Novel for Children by Bestselling Author David Baldacci | Scholastic Media Room". mediaroom.scholastic.com. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  4. ↑ "Children's Middle-Grade E-Book - Best Sellers - Books - April 24, 2016 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  5. ↑ "Children's Middle-Grade E-Book - Best Sellers - Books - Jan. 22, 2017 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  6. 1 2 THE STARS BELOW | Kirkus Reviews.
  7. 1 2 Fleming, Mike Jr. (2013-09-24). "Sony Pictures Lands David Baldacci Novel 'The Finisher'". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  8. ↑ "Sony Pictures Snatches Up David Baldacci's YA Novel The Finisher". CINEMABLEND. 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  9. ↑ https://www.davidbaldacci.com/landing-page/david-baldacci-vega-jane-series/
  10. 1 2 David Baldacci on The Final Book in "The Vega Jane" Series , retrieved 2021-08-17
  11. 1 2 "A Conversation" (PDF). mediaroom.scholastic. August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  12. ↑ Pfleger, Paige. "David Baldacci talks about 'The Finisher' for Salon@615". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  13. ↑ "Vega Jane powers through another David Baldacci journey". wusa9.com. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  14. ↑ Baldacci, David (2013-11-07). The Finisher: Free Preview Edition. Scholastic Inc. p. 3. ISBN   978-0-545-69677-7.
  15. ↑ "The Keeper | Through The Looking Glass Children's Book Review". lookingglassreview.com. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  16. ↑ "The Width of the World | Through The Looking Glass Children's Book Review". lookingglassreview.com. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  17. ↑ "The Finisher - Book Review". www.commonsensemedia.org. 2014-05-27. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
  18. ↑ Spisak, April (2014). "The Finisher by David Baldacci (review)". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 67 (8): 395. doi:10.1353/bcc.2014.0252. ISSN   1558-6766. S2CID   142187808.
  19. ↑ "Book Review: The Keeper by David Baldacci". Geeks of Doom. 2015-09-15. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
  20. 1 2 Bat (2015-10-07). "THE KEEPER by David Baldacci [Book Review]". Horror Cult Films. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  21. 1 2 "Book Review: The Keeper by David Baldacci" . Retrieved 2021-08-23.
  22. ↑ THE KEEPER | Kirkus Reviews.
  23. ↑ THE WIDTH OF THE WORLD | Kirkus Reviews.
  24. ↑ THE FINISHER | Kirkus Reviews.
  25. ↑ Bat (2014-03-03). "THE FINISHER by David Baldacci". Horror Cult Films. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
  26. ↑ "Sony Options David Baldacci's Upcoming Fantasy Novel 'The Finisher'". TheWrap. 2013-09-24. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.