Deltora Quest is one of the hallmarks of my childhood. I eagerly read and reread each book in the series when the next one came out. When they were all out, I read and reread the series whenever it struck my fancy. Which, quite frankly, was a lot. It's hard not to love them though, they're just typical fantasy and fantasy is my one true genre - no matter what else I read, it's always fantasy I come back to.

Quest stories are the quintessence of classic fantasy. There's nothing like a hero with a quest against evil. In Deltora Quest, the hero is Lief - a sixteen year old boy who wants nothing more than to return peace and happiness to his kingdom. When he is offered the chance to fulfil a promise his father made, he jumps - leaping headfirst into danger to try to make a difference.

The Belt of Deltora is the only thing that can defeat the Shadow Lord who rules but it was broken many years ago, the seven gems scattered across the realm and guarded by only the most evil creations. Lief sets out to find the gems and reunite the belt so that the Prince of Del can claim his throne and push the evil of the Shadow Lord back into the Shadowlands and away from the kingdom. Lief begins his journey with the beggar Barda, an old friend of his parents and former palace guard but it's not long before they're also joined by Jasmine, the wild orphaned girl they meet at their first stop - and her companions Filli (a possum? mouse? type thing?) and Kree, a raven.

Each book follows the trio as they travel the land for the lost gems, weaving a tightly written narrative with lots of action and adventure. Along the way they meet new people both friends and enemies, have to confront their own hopes and fears and figure out and solve many riddles, puzzles and problems to complete their quest.



The gang are on their way to the Maze of the Beast but are being hunted by the Shadowlord servants. When they are attacked by Grade One Ols (shapeshifters) they are rescued by Dain - a compatriot of Doom's and part of the Resistance - and make the decision to escort an injured Dain back to the Resistance stronghold. Unfortunately Dain collapses before he can tell them the password - or at least, how to find the password.

I love the codes and clues and puzzles in this series - in order to find the password, you have to find a scrap of paper with the clue. The clue was when enemies at pass, orders normal. Each letter of each word to spell weapon. I think I love it most because I can actually solve these clues. Nothing beats feeling smart.

Of course, although they make it into the Resistance stronghold, they no sooner see Doom before he's locking them up for three days to ensure they're not Ols - only he doesn't let them out when the three days end. Dain comes to the rescue yet again, freeing them in return for going with them to Tora.

Where they had no actual plans to go to but might have possibly not bothered to mention that to him. Still, they need to travel along the coast so they agree to travel together. Well Dain, Lief and Barda - Jasmine, Kree and Filli decide that since they're making the group the most noticeable - they'll be the ones to travel separately to their meeting point. Which would be find except Jasmine, Kree and Filli are the eyes and ears of the operation. Oops. But Lief can't deny they're no longer of interest to the servants of the Shadowlord - even if they are still ripe pickings for bandits.

In the meantime Lief worries about Jasmine, Kree and Filli and vows that once together again - they will no longer split up. Aww - love is in the air?

Before long they come across Where Waters Meet a small settlement on the river. Passing through is Steven and Nevets, proprietors of S+N B Fine Wares and the boys all buy something to support the son of Queen Bee and are rewarded with a small jar of Quality Brand Honey. Barda picks up a embroidered belt - later he splits the seam and convinces Lief to hide the Belt inside for disguise. They continue on and end up coming across the River Queen - a passenger boat - and decide to pay for passage. And meet Jasmine in disguise! Except they don't notice!

The last passenger was a haughty-looking young woman in a fine purple cloak tied at the throat with golden cord. The hands that held her golden parasol were tightly gloved in black to match her shining high-heeled boots. A scarf of purple silk was bound closely around her head. Long golden earrings swung from her ears. Her face was powdered white, her lips were painted red, and her eyes were outlined heavily in black. After one bored glance at the newcomers she turned away and stared out at the water, twirling her parasol.

Rodda, Emily. Deltora Quest #6: The Maze of the Beast (p. 69). Scholastic Inc.. Kindle Edition.

The young woman in the purple cloak twirled her parasol and stared out at the river. The companions sat down on a bench by the rail. “A strange group,” Barda muttered. “We will have to keep our wits about us.” “Indeed.” They all looked up. The young woman in purple had moved closer to them. She was still staring at the water, but plainly it was she who had spoken. Lief stared at her. At the proud tilt of her head, the painted lips, the black-shadowed eyes, the long golden earrings. Then he had the shock of his life as he recognized her. It was Jasmine.

Rodda, Emily. Deltora Quest #6: The Maze of the Beast (pp. 71-72). Scholastic Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Jasmine is the bomb.

And then the boat gets boarded by pirates.

In a flash, Jasmine had wriggled free, leaving her cloak in the woman’s hands. In a moment her dagger was in her hand, and her booted foot was kicking backwards with deadly force. The woman howled and fell back, lurching into Lief’s attacker and sending him sprawling. Jasmine hauled Lief to his feet and passed him her second dagger. “Stay behind me!” she ordered.

Rodda, Emily. Deltora Quest #6: The Maze of the Beast (p. 78). Scholastic Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Honestly I just love Jasmine. I adore that every single time there's danger - she's the badass fixing the problems and Lief is just being ordered to stay back. And I love that she's adaptable. Nothing throws her or is anything more than a challenge she sets out to overcome.

So there's a fight and they end up cold, wet and despairing. They're being stalked by Ols, Dain's been kidnapped, Barda is feared dead and the pirates have possession of a (disguised) Belt of Deltora. Thankfully, Barda returns and that's enough to cheer the gang up a little as they plan to follow the pirates and get the Belt back. Unfortunately their plans are quickly disrupted when they're tricked by an Ol, captured by the pirates and are thrown into the Maze of the Beast. But they manage to recover the Belt so success!

In the cavernous maze they find the guardian is a beast called the Glus - a giant slug like creature that seems to hunt by movement. Finding the sixth gem - the amethyst - in the icy wall, Lief manages to multitask, finding the gem and their exit - a blowhole. Sure they're almost captured by the pirates again but thankfully the blowhole serves a secondary purpose by taking out the remaining pirates. Safe and sound, they retrieve their possessions and set off to their next destination, the Valley of the Lost. Well all except Dain but I didn't really like him anyway.



5 stars. ( )

Oh, look! Wild western times! ( )

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As with the rest of the series, good story and fun adventures. I did feel like there were less riddles in this book than in the others, which is what kept me from giving it four stars. Still a very good book and a good extension of the series. ( )