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A review by zestylobster
Return to Del by Emily Rodda
5.0
i think this is one of very few series that has a perfect ending. literally everything wraps up w a satisfying conc, all qs are answered, and there's at least 4 big twists in the last couple of chapters. that are all fun fun fun Just such a good final book. In my memory the dain stuff at the end lasted way longer but that's probably just me conflating it with the anime where the battle is way more drawn out lol
one thing i've always wondered even as a kid is like, is the shadowlord a man or just a big cloud or like what? ik it is answered better in companion books and subsequent series, but i feel like that would have made his presence much more menacing to know a little more about him
overall like doom and jasmine remain supreme best characters, love that i agree with my child self on that.
interesting tho to see the reactionary politics of children's fantasy books, or just fantasy more broadly. Doom thinks action of the resistance in the form of rebellion will be what can overthrow the shadowlord's regime which I super agree with!!! but then through the power of Magic it is shown that restoring the monarchy is actually the best way to defeat him -> even tho all previous monarchs were incompetent, lief is Different. and it's not really specified HOw the belt defeated the shadowlord, just that it shone and suddenly all evil disappeared, just through the strength of lief's royal blood, like,,, i really don't like that, almost would have liked it more if jasmine defeated dain or the shadowlord or something while they thought she was the heir, then it was revealed to be lief and everyone was like wow u dont need royal blood to save the day, u just need to want change to happen! anyway hmm i have more thoughts on that but will think them another day
deltora tier ranking i think is:
1. valley of the lost
2. the shifting sands
3. city of the rats
4. return to del
5. forests of silence
6. maze of the beast
7. lake of tears
8. dread mountain
not definitive, but wow valley of the lost is defs the best tho lol
Spoiler
gem order, heir identity, doom identity, dain identityone thing i've always wondered even as a kid is like, is the shadowlord a man or just a big cloud or like what? ik it is answered better in companion books and subsequent series, but i feel like that would have made his presence much more menacing to know a little more about him
overall like doom and jasmine remain supreme best characters, love that i agree with my child self on that.
interesting tho to see the reactionary politics of children's fantasy books, or just fantasy more broadly. Doom thinks action of the resistance in the form of rebellion will be what can overthrow the shadowlord's regime which I super agree with!!! but then through the power of Magic it is shown that restoring the monarchy is actually the best way to defeat him -> even tho all previous monarchs were incompetent, lief is Different. and it's not really specified HOw the belt defeated the shadowlord, just that it shone and suddenly all evil disappeared, just through the strength of lief's royal blood, like,,, i really don't like that, almost would have liked it more if jasmine defeated dain or the shadowlord or something while they thought she was the heir, then it was revealed to be lief and everyone was like wow u dont need royal blood to save the day, u just need to want change to happen! anyway hmm i have more thoughts on that but will think them another day
deltora tier ranking i think is:
1. valley of the lost
2. the shifting sands
3. city of the rats
4. return to del
5. forests of silence
6. maze of the beast
7. lake of tears
8. dread mountain
not definitive, but wow valley of the lost is defs the best tho lol