"PENDRAGON: The Soldiers of Halla" review

Sorry I took so long. I finished reading this book on May 13, but I've been busy ever since. I've also had the chance to read a few other books: Nightmare's Edge, the conclusion to the Echoes from the Edge trilogy; Lunatic and Elyon, the last two Lost Books; the first couple of the popular Ranger's Apprentice books; and something a little more special-- Dragon's Heart, the long-awaited fourth novel of the Pit Dragon Trilogy (yes, I know) by Jane Yolen.

But first, PENDRAGON: The Soldiers of Halla.

This has been a year for series finales. I haven't even reviewed all of the ones I've read. But this one is perhaps the most important for me. The tenth book in the fantastic PENDRAGON series by D. J. MacHale. 600 pages long. And massive amounts of loose ends to tie up.

I'll say this first: The loose ends are all tied up. All of them. And it's not in the way you'd expect. And the book is amazing.

PENDRAGON has become epic in scope, and some of the style has changed from the early books. This one is DEFINATELY not a stand-alone. But the action is still cool. The jokes are still funny. The mysteries are still intriguing. And the characters are still interesting people to be around (albeit not the same people we met in The Merchant of Death).

I can't really say much about this book without giving anything away. I mean, everything I could talk about, you already know. It's the final battle for Halla. Bobby Pendragon and the Travelers against Saint Dane in a final clash of wills (and fists). So, despite the fact that I could talk about the series all day, I'm only going to say two things.

This is the way it was meant to be.

Hobey ho.

And so we go.

My rating: 10/10. Excellent in every way.

Series rating: 10/10

Coming Soon: Lunatic and Elyon

"Elantris" review

Elantris was beautiful, once.

So Brandon Sanderson's first novel (his first!) begins, acknowledging its epic tone despite the fact that it's an entire story in one book. And it's satisfying.

Ten years ago, the Reod struck, causing the beauty of Elantris, as well as its ultra-powerful beings, to fade. Now anyone who is transformed in the Shaod is sent into the cursed city to rot. What once was paradise now has become a slime-covered domain of the damned. Prince Raoden of Arelon awakens one morning to find-- to his horror-- that he is an Elantrian, and his family sends him secretly to Elantris to cover up their shameful secret. Soon after, his betrothed, Sarene, princess of Teod, arrives in Arelon to discover she is a widow before she is even married. Raoden is officially proclaimed dead upon his banishment into the wretched city. But all is not lost, for Raoden finds a friend in Galladon, and together, they attempt to unify and rebuild Elantris.

Meanwhile, Hrathen, high priest and gyorn of Fjordell, is sent to Arelon, in the shadow of Elantris, to convert its people or bring about their destruction. How can he choose, and who can stand against him?

Arelon and the surrounding countries are in a time of unrest, and if something is not done soon, the world will crumble. The spirit of Elantris must be found...or else Arelon is doomed.

The story here is truly epic in scope, but it's totally original. Once again, major kudos to Brandon Sanderson for creating some of his best scenes. And not a word is wasted, for there simply isn't room for extra fat in a one-volume story. It's absolutely moving, full of heart, beauty and hope. That's not to say that the action is anything but spectacular, of course. In short, Elantris is a masterpiece, proving Sanderson is worthy for just about anything. I can't wait for this summer's release of Warbreaker, his next one-volume epic. I'm sure it will be fantastic.

My rating: 10/10