Review: The Pilgrims of Rayne (Pendragon #8)

Pilgrams of Rayne
Pendragon #8
D.J MacHale


*Spoilers

With the death of his parents, Mark can't handle his reality anymore. With Andy Mitchell at his side, and Forge in his pocket, the two set off to change the past, the present... and the future.

Bobby sends Courtney off to stop him. Only she can do it, as Bobby must continue to follow Saint Dane. This time it's to the island of Ibara.

Ibara also holds the secret of "Challenger yellow", who Nevva informed Bobby was the Traveler from there.  His son, Siry, is now the one Bobby must track down and befriend. Problem is that Siry never believed his father, and has his own beliefs he must fight for.

Bobby enters a world unlike any other. On the island of Ibara, there is order, there is routine, there is tradition. Being an outside, no one will tell him much. He becomes a outlaw, in order to be with the "in"crowd with Siry and his friends and learn the ins and outs of the territory. What he learns, is one of the most shocking twists of the series.

Meanwhile, back on first/second earth, Courtney and Dodger (Gunny's acolyte) are hunting down Mark in order to stop him from changing history. This is more difficult than it seems. Saint Dane has worked his brainwashing on Mark, and Mark is determined to be happy with his parents. Unfortunately, he has been out of the "What's going on with Bobby" loop for so long, he only has half the story.

A non-stop adventure, that takes you all over Halla. New friends and old friends come together to figure out what is right, what is wrong, and what must be done to save everything that the gang loves. Timing is everything in this one... and the clock is ticking.

Bobby makes a big decision at the end of this one that changes the game. The rules and the "how" time and space work together are still fuzzy and confusing.... but MacHale does a wonderful job of keeping the readers on their toes as they flume around the universe.

Hobbey Ho,

Review: Rivers of Zadaa (Pendragon #6)

Rivers of Zadaa

*Spoilers


Another trip in the flume, another war to stop.

This book takes place on Loor's home territory of Zadaa. Tensions have been running high with the two tribes, and now that the land is in a drought, things have gotten worse.

After the tragedy on Eelong, Bobby is shaken up when he first steps onto Zadaa. He feels grateful that Loor is with him, but he knows he needs to work through everything that happened when he left Eelong. Luckily, he has his journals for that.

While Bobby, Loor and Loor's friends help figure out Saint Dane's plan for the territory, deal with the the brink of a war, invites Adler over from Denduron to help train Bobby on how to fight, and try not to melt in the heat of the desert ....

Mark and Courtney are dealing with their own issues. Courtney Chetwynde has always been at the top. After their should-have-been victory on Eelong, which turned into a disaster, Courtney feels like a failure. That, plus the stress of no longer being the best in soccer (which has always been her sport!) she cannot handle it anymore.  She needs a break.  Trusting Mark to watch over the journals completely, Courtney goes off to a special school to get away from it all and find some control over her life again.

Since no one knows who she is, she doesn't feel the need to hide anything about herself. She meets some new friends, meets a cute boy, and takes some fun courses. Little does she know Saint Dane has plans for Second Earth that include her... and he's never to far away.

Since Courtney is gone, Mark is left to his own vices. He gets involved with a science based after school group and makes a friend in the most unlikely of people ...

Can Bobby and the gang figure out a way to stop the feuding tribes from war?  Is Courtney strong enough to handle Saint Dane on her own?  Will Mark's new friend prove trustworthy?

Grab a snigger and jump in the flume so the most shocking book to date!

Hobbey Ho!

Review: Black Water (Pendragon #5)

Black Water 

D.J MacHale 

*Spoilers 

Another territory, another paradise…. With a twist.  In Black Water, the normal Traveler issues aren’t the only issues Bobby had to deal with now.

The Traveler on Eelong: 

a) doesn’t know she’s a traveler, 

b) doesn’t believe in the Traveler business.  

And 

c) She’s a Cat.   A jungle cat to be exact, named Kasha. 

Eelong is unlike anywhere Bobby has ever seen.... but this time, being Human is his number one problem. 

This book is the beginning to the end if you will. Things happen that will sets off a chain of events that Bobby must get his head around in order to prepare himself for the inevitable battle between him and Saint Dane. 

We see a lot more of Mark and Courtney in this one, which is fun. The two are just as involved in the story as the travelers as Bobby's acoloytes (keeper of the journals, support system, etc).

With the Travelers, their acoloytes, the population of Eelong and the powers of Halla the gang yet again must figure out what the turning point for this territory is, what Saint Dane's role is, and see if they can stop the territory from being tipped into chaos. 

This story has a lot going on as we have Mark and Courtney being more active in the story. It gets a little confusing with timelines, but MacHale does tie in everything beautifully. Another nail-biter as you travel through the flume again and again making sure Bobby gets what he needs to overcome the fact that yes, he's a human (aka a gar in Eelong speak), while trying to convince Kasha that this is her destiny, and trying to communicate with a species that does not speak. 

Hobbey Ho, 

Review: The Reality Bug (Pendragon #4)

Book 4: The Reality Bug

*Spoilers

Welcome to the territory of technology!

And because of that, it’s deserted. (think MacHale is trying to tell us something?)

Anyways. Let’s back up a bit. Spader has gone back to Cloral after proving that he in unable to separate what must be done for Halla vs his plans for revenge. It hurt Bobby to do it, but he knew it was the right thing.

When Gunny and Bobby chase Saint Dane to Veelox, there is video footage that proves it was just a ruse. He actually went off to another territory called “Eelong”. Bobby decides to stay on Veelox, but sends Gunny off to follow SD and see what is going on.

For the first time since starting this crazy adventure, Bobby is alone. He finds the traveler, Aja Killian - which isn’t difficult as there is no one around (Remember how I said it was deserted?) - but Aja is not as friendly as the other travelers. She is smart, she is capable of handling this, why does she need Bobby?

and why is no one else around? 

One word: LifeLight.  

Lifelight is a virtual reality program that everyone would rather be in than participate in reality. The territory is slowly falling apart because of this.  Aja thinks she has a solution. Problem is, Saint Dane thinks he has one too.    

An action packed story that has the reader at the edge of the seat (not that we’ve left it since Press interrupted that kiss between Bobby and Courtney).   Full of curious incidents, an important story arch that leads the path to the rest of the series.  4/5 Stars! 

Hobbey Ho!

Review: The Never War (Pendragon #3)

Book 3: The Never War

*Spoilers

Bobby is now on his own… but he’s home. Well, kind of. At least he is on Earth. This book takes place on “First Earth” which is earth as we know it, but in 1937. Another traveler, another territory. New rules, a new plan from Saint Dane, but this time, Bobby and his friends are on a time crunch.

The wit and humor that Bobby has is awesome. He has you laughing along with him, as he tries to deal with things that no teenager should. (He never does figure out how his birthday works if he's on another territory).  With the hoard of new characters to meet, Bobby is forced to grow up, and smarten up quickly ... or it may cost him his life. He's thrown into some nasty tum-tiggers as he tries to figure out the plan Saint Dane has in store for First Earth. However, what Bobby soon learns is that his plan is bigger than he ever thought.  With Spader by his side, and Gunny - the traveler from First Earth - covering their butts, the boys hit the ground running in an epic ride that you won't want to miss. 

MacHale does a wonderful job of bringing history to life and explaining one of our greatest mysteries. Bobby is growing into his own more every day, learning what it means to be a Traveler through experience and with the knowledge that Uncle Press has given him.  While he has his ups and downs, "this is the way it was meant to be" is something each Traveler must come to terms with in their own way.

Hobbey ho! 

Review: The Lost City of Faar (Pendragon #2)

Book 2: The Lost City of Faar

*Spoilers

After the adventure on Denduron, Bobby now learns that Saint Dane has moved on to another territory. Yet again, he is whisked away with Uncle Press. This time, it is to the beautiful, watery world of Cloral. We have a new traveler to meet, a new place to explore, and many new adventures to read about.

Bobby is still trying to figure all this out... and is still hoping that soon, he'll be able to go home to his family.  While he quickly falls in love with Cloral, makes friends with Vo Spader - Cloral's traveller - and spends time on the territory learning how it runs, Press and him know that there are here for one reason: Saint Dane is up to something.  Press, Bobby and Spader need to learn his plan, figure out a counter plan, and do it all before Saint Dane wins. 

because if Saint Dane wins, that's the beginning of the end. 

This is my favourite territory! The traveler from Cloral is the fandom hottie, and the way MacHale describes the territory is paradise (minus the sharks!).  Mark and Courtney continue to care for Bobby’s journals, and make a pact to be ready for when, and if, Bobby ever needs their help.  The bonds of friendship are strong in this one, and you get the feeling that they will only continue to grow.  Helpful hint, make sure some kleenex is close by for this one. 

Hobbey ho! 

Review: The Merchant of Death (Pendragon #1)

Overview:

An adventure for the ages. From the first page you are taken on a trip through time and space with Bobby Pendragon. Bobby is your typical 14 year old, but when his Uncle Press tells him he is a Traveler and the fate of the universe and all it contains is in Bobby’s hand, Bobby must grow up and learn the ways of the world (all of them) before the evil Saint Dane has can tip the balance of good and evil into evil’s favor.

A fantastic series that envelopes the reader and brings you into a wondrous world, with beautiful characters who become lifelong friends. I return to the territories every few years (once I have stopped crying over the final book) and it never ceases to amaze me, excite me, and keep me at the edge of my seat.  Once you become a Soldier of Halla, you are a solider for life.

Book 1: the Merchant of Death

Bobby Pendragon learns that he is a traveler. Whatever that means. With his Uncle Press by his side, he is rushed off to the territory of Denduron and is told there is a power struggle between the two tribes. Learning the ropes along the way, Bobby meets new friends, new enemies and a whole lot of new things about life.   At home, his best friends Mark Diamond and Courtney Chetwynde are protecting Bobby’s journals. As Bobby is on his wild, confusing, crazy adventure he writes it all down as proof that it isn’t just happening in his head. 

Slow, as MacHale must set up quite a bit of information, but still amazing nonetheless. The first book in the series opens up with Bobby getting ready for his basketball game… but ends up being taken away by his Uncle Press. With no explanation as to why him, where they’re going, or what the plan is once they get there. Bobby is quite witty for a 14 year old, but he’s also what you expect in a best friend: he’s loyal, he’s funny, and he tries to do what is best for everyone. With not knowing the rules yet, he is quick on his feet, and does what he can to defeat Saint Dane.

Saint Dane is the bad guy. No one knows who he is, where he’s from or what his plan is… all we know is he is out to take over Halla. Halla is everything: every time, space and everything in between. It’s Bobby’s job to stop him. Is he up for it? Can he do it? Can he learn the rules in time? Jump in the flume and find out.