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The Tree of Water

(The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme #4)

Elizabeth Haydon (Illustrations)

4.15 · Rating details · 144 ratings · 21 reviews

The epic voyages continue in The Tree of Water, the fourth adventure in bestselling author Elizabeth Haydon's acclaimed fantasy series for young readers, The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.

As Royal Reporter of the land of Serendair, it is the duty of young Charles Magnus "Ven" Polypheme to travel the world and seek out magic hiding in plain sight. But Ven needs to escape t ...more

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Hardcover, 400 pages

Published October 28th 2014 by Starscape

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Oct 26, 2014 Nathan added it

Shelves: author-female, high-fantasy, read-2014, middle-grade

Cute.

But this is definitely not a book that is meant for me. Perhaps if my little boy was a bit older we could have run reading it together (I certainly hope he wants his old man to read to him for a long time coming). Because the book reads as a high action version of Dora the Explorer; one mini-adventure after another with occasional learning moments dropped in (I learned the green sea slug eats algae then conducts photosynthesis within its own body). This is entirely intentional as the press ...more

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Sep 09, 2014 Geekritique rated it liked it

Find this review and many more over at Geekritique.

The Tree of Water, the fourth in The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme series by Elizabeth Haydon, is the first ever ARC I’ve received to review and was so graciously provided by Tor.com. That means the copy was an “Uncorrected Advance Reading Copy,” provided for an honest review of the content therein. My inner grammar nazi initially kept picking out typos here and there that nagged at me, but as I got into the ebb and flow of it all, I rarely eve Find this review and many more over at Geekritique.

The Tree of Water, the fourth in The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme series by Elizabeth Haydon, is the first ever ARC I’ve received to review and was so graciously provided by Tor.com. That means the copy was an “Uncorrected Advance Reading Copy,” provided for an honest review of the content therein. My inner grammar nazi initially kept picking out typos here and there that nagged at me, but as I got into the ebb and flow of it all, I rarely even noticed.

Before I make mention of anything plotwise or other, I’ll stray from any strong spoilers ahead, just in case you wish to read the novel. This is, unfortunately for me, the fourth book in the series – a series I’ve never heard of, so I was wary of getting lost along the way. No such thing happened. Nothing that occurs within the course of the novel requires prior and/or greater knowledge of books past or the series as a whole. The events in previous installations are paraphrased and you never feel you’re lacking anything substantial while reading. It is a children’s novel meant for a middle-school audience, but is written at a level where older or younger readers need not feel excluded.

The idea behind the series as a whole is that the journals of an ancient explorer of all things magical, Ven Polypheme, (previously lost) are found and they contain untold truths from a past long forgotten. Elizabeth Haydon, the series’ author, refers to herself as the one who compiles the journals from mere scraps after much deliberation to unfurl and piece together the adventures held therein. Throughout the book we get snippets of the “actual journal” while the rest is written like your typical novel – so that all may enjoy the book, and still feel it lends true to the “source material.” I found this very creative writing.

But when we actually delve into the adventure, we’re not entirely clear on what the intended goal is – and neither is Ven Polypheme, a young Nain explorer, and his friends. Rather he is more in search of adventure than anything else, but his path becomes more and more clear as the story continues. In this adventure he wants to explore the sea after an invite from his merrow (mermaid) friend Amariel. And explore it he does with the aid of ancient magics and extra-natural/fantastical physics. Although there is nothing inherently wrong with adventure for the sake of adventure, having an end goal in mind from the get-go is certainly more appealing to the audience.

The biggest issue for me wasn’t the pacing, but the way our characters got from one chapter to the next. It was fine at first, and exciting, but when your characters are jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire and then back into the frying pan only to jump into a larger fire 20 chapters in a row, the gravitas lessens as the threats seemingly loom heavier. Where one chapter we have Ven and friends swimming away from three hungry sharks, and then the next they’re running away from a giant Megalodon shark, and the next chapter it’s a giant squid, and then a storm, or a dragon, etc. – the plot does get lost along the way at some point. And then there’s the issue that the characters are so unprepared for the dangers of the sea that they literally bring nothing to the table. There is no outsmarting they can do, or strengths they can call upon. Whatever happens, happens, and they’re just swept ever deeper into the sea.

Despite the structure of the plot, the underwater world that Haydon writes is very much a magical experience. She’s capable of bringing life to an unknowable world, changing physics to spice things in a way that I’ve never quite experienced in a book. Instead of talking, under the water everything thrums – sort of like humming a thought. This is both a wonderful tool, and a problematic one, as if you think or thrum too loud or too dire a thought it may come back to haunt you, you may disrupt sea life, and it could get dangerous.

Ven’s writing wasn’t my favorite for a main character, and I expect that has something to do with the unfamiliarity of his situation as a whole. But in conversations of importance he rarely finds useful information to contribute. Rather he has the annoying quality of only ever asking questions. And whenever he asks anything, he perpetually seems in a state of being stunned (or perhaps just some mild stammering). To give you some examples solely from ARC page 327, notice his side of the conversation:
“What — what do I have to do?”
“That’s — that’s it?”
“Can — can you fix it?

I have to say I really enjoyed the way the book resolved itself. Usually when a book drags, even slightly as this one had, I don’t find much to praise about the ending. But it was solid, and it made me want to read on further. I expect, from the way the beginning and ending played out so enjoyably on land instead of sea, The Tree of Water may be the weakest of the series, but I have nothing to compare it to. From what I’ve read, I can’t say it’s incited me to go out and grab the first three novels, but I won’t mind picking up where this book left off in the eventual book 5. ...more

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Oct 25, 2014 Christoph Fischer rated it it was amazing

“The Tree of Water” by Elizabeth Haydon is the fourth story in this charming and delightful fantasy series for young readers and those young at heart. The books follow the wonderful adventures of Charles Magnus “Ven” Polypeheme. His world is full of magical creatures, inventive and original variations of classic fairy tale and fantasy creatures, but in a unique and lovely blend. I came into the series late but had no problem connecting with the established set up of hobbits (Nain) fairies, kings ...more

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Mar 15, 2018 Timothy Pitkin rated it liked it

Shelves: dragon, fantasy, mystery, romance

Personally this is my least favorite of the series mostly because Amariel is my least favorite character and he is in most of the book. Also I really do not like the kind of cliche idea of the underwater denizens either hating or feeling superior to the people on the surface. But the last third of the book is really cool because for one Amariel is not in most of it and their are some really cool world building and the ending is making me excited for the next book.

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Feb 08, 2018 Karenb rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, books-i-own

It's okay to read these books out of order. I did! I've started with #4 and want to find the others.

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Nov 04, 2014 Grace Troxel rated it really liked it

This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...

The Tree of Water by Elizabeth Haydon is the fourth book in the young adult series “The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.” Even though the book is later in the series, it works as a standalone because Haydon frames this book as one of many lost journals that tell tales of Ven’s adventures. She presents the story as if she’s the compiler of the journal fragments, giving herself the role of This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/20...

The Tree of Water by Elizabeth Haydon is the fourth book in the young adult series “The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.” Even though the book is later in the series, it works as a standalone because Haydon frames this book as one of many lost journals that tell tales of Ven’s adventures. She presents the story as if she’s the compiler of the journal fragments, giving herself the role of a historian looking back on Ven’s life. The story is connected to previous books, but there’s enough exposition that readers won’t feel lost if they jump right in.

Ven Polypheme is a Nain, a humanoid creature that reminds me a bit of a Hobbit. Most Nain are hardworking and not particularly adventurous, but Ven is different. He’s a curious soul, and because of his previous adventures, he’s been given a mission from the king to find the magic that’s hidden in plain sight. He travels the world because the king can’t and brings back stories so the king can make better decisions and be more informed about his kingdom.

In a previous book (presumably, as I haven’t read any of the earlier installments of the series), Ven befriended a mermaid named Amariel. He promised her that since she grew legs to visit his world for a while that he’d go visit hers. He and his friend Char are also charged with a mission from an enigmatic sorceress to find the legendary Tree of Water and to solve the mystery of a runed dragon scale. Of course, the sea is a dangerous place, and it takes everything the adventurers have just to stay alive.

One of the things that I loved about this book was Haydon’s descriptions of the sea itself. The story is written for young adults (although a smart middle grader could love the series as well; there’s nothing in it that’s particularly adult or controversial), and it uses the story of Ven’s travels to provide an ecological background of undersea life and how every creature is food for something else. This has practical implications for the story, ie. needing to run away from sharks or octopi or giant jellyfish, but is also a really fun way to learn about the food chain. There are scenes where undersea creatures get eaten by bigger creatures. Everything is part of the greater cycle of life, and Amariel frequently makes fun of Ven and Char’s squeamishness about it. For her, it’s just a fact of life.

The characters themselves seem a bit flat, but not in such a way that they aren’t still engaging. Char is a loveable coward. Ven is too brave for his own good, and it frequently gets him into trouble. Amariel is a sensible balance between the two, as her curious nature is tempered by her survival instinct. All of them are set on doing the right thing, although as they travel they realize that sometimes what is good for one person might not be good for someone else. And of course, the heroes win in the end. It’s a bit more simplistic than most of the fantasy that I’ve been reading as of late, but the worldbuilding more than makes up for it.

Overall, The Tree of Water was an excellent read, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. I found myself enchanted by Haydon’s descriptions of aquatic life and the exquisite undersea worlds that she creates. If it seems like the sort of book you might be interested in, then use the Rafflecopter on my blog to enter the giveaway, courtesy of the blog tour (US/Canada only, please!). ...more

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Oct 26, 2014 Robin rated it it was amazing

In the fourth book of The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme, the young Nain explorer continues his journeys to find out all the magic in the world and report it to a good young king. He has already explored the thieves' quarter of the city of Kingston, stopped a war between the dwarflike Nain and the elflike Lirin, and survived an encounter with Scarnag the dragon who represents earth-magic. He just missed the opportunity to visit one of the five world trees because his merrow (mermaid) friend Amar In the fourth book of The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme, the young Nain explorer continues his journeys to find out all the magic in the world and report it to a good young king. He has already explored the thieves' quarter of the city of Kingston, stopped a war between the dwarflike Nain and the elflike Lirin, and survived an encounter with Scarnag the dragon who represents earth-magic. He just missed the opportunity to visit one of the five world trees because his merrow (mermaid) friend Amariel needed to get back to the sea before she lost her fins forever. Now his chance has finally come to visit Amariel's world under the sea.

Ven has been told that a traveler sometimes doesn't know the reason for his journey until he reaches the end. There are certainly any number of possible reasons for this one. First, he still needs to steer clear of the Thief Queen, who has a grudge against him. Also, he has promised Amariel that he will travel with her below the waves. And then there's the reason a mysterious seer gives him, another dragon scale to be returned to its rightful owner at the bottom of the ocean. But above all, his curiosity and his job as the king's reporter pull him onward in search of the Tree of Water fabled to live somewhere out at sea.

Ven and his human friend Char are lucky enough to find a way to breathe underwater without having to let a scary old fisherman carve gills in their necks. The magical stones they carry provide not only air but also light in the dim depths. But solving the oxygen problem is only the first obstacle they must pass. After that comes the teeming ocean full of things that eat other things without regret or apology. Sharks, jellyfish, and giant devouring creatures of the sunlit realm are only the first and least of the dangers they face. After that come sea elves armed for war against the people on land, and a senselessly deadly waterspout, and a merciless sea dragon who breathes caustic acid instead of fire. Finally all Ven's reasons for visitng the sea combine with a spooky prophecy and a race to save Amariel's life to lure him and his friends into the deepest, darkest, deadliest place of all.

The way Ven and his companions travel to the deepest of deeps is truly ingenious. It is also full of gloomy dread and suspense. Along the way, they witness many marvelous and awful things, wonders of the underwater world that mankind has only begun to explore. The magic is impressive, but equally impressive is the window this book opens on a vast part of the natural world. And just when it seemed Ven's journals might be at an end, the storyline takes off in a new direction with even bigger possibilities than before.

This book arrives on October 28, 2014, carrying the promise of still more sequels. I am thankful to the staff at Starscape Books for giving me an early peek at it. I am glad to be able to say, in all sincerity, that I thought this book was even more entertaining than the three before it. Their titles, by the way, are The Floating Island, The Thief Queen's Daughter, and The Dragon's Lair. The series takes place in the same fantasy world as the author's other major series of novels, Symphony of Ages, of which an eighth book is expected in 2015. ...more

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Nov 16, 2014 Sandra Stiles rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-grades, fantasy

The preface hooked me. When the author named a place” Ketchup-upon-Hamburg, South Germany” and talked about “attending a yak milking seminar in the high peaks of Katmandont” I was hooked. I interrupted my husband to reread the lines to him. I knew then I would enjoy this book because of the word play.

The author wrote the story in first person through Ven’s journals and then third person throughout the rest. Ven tells us he is from the race of people known as Nain. They live with humans in Vaarn. The preface hooked me. When the author named a place” Ketchup-upon-Hamburg, South Germany” and talked about “attending a yak milking seminar in the high peaks of Katmandont” I was hooked. I interrupted my husband to reread the lines to him. I knew then I would enjoy this book because of the word play.

The author wrote the story in first person through Ven’s journals and then third person throughout the rest. Ven tells us he is from the race of people known as Nain. They live with humans in Vaarn. Here is how he describes them. “…Nain are somewhat shorter than humans, and grumpier. They live almost four times as long as humans, and tend to be much less curious, and much less adventurous. They hate to travel, don’t swim, and generally do not like other people. Especially those who are not Nain. I clearly am not a good example of my race.” The minute I read that last line I was sucked into this wonderful world. He described himself as tall for a Nain. He used sixty-eight Knuckles high as the measurement. I knew I had found an author with such a creative and imaginative mind that it left no doubt I would love this book.

The adventure begins with Ven and his best friend trying to find a fisherman to cut gill slits in their neck. Before the slits can be cut, Madam Sharra shows up and gives him another dragon scale. He must evade the Thief Queen, who is the ruler of the Gated City. Ven must travel with his friend Char and merrow friend Aariel to the bottom of the sea to find the Tree of Water. Finally, he mustreturn the dragon scale to its proper owner, the dragon it came from. He must also avoid getting them all killed by the predators of the sea.

I loved the Reader’s guide in the back of the book. It is aligned to the Common Core Standards. There are discussion Questions as well as Writing and Research Activities. This is the fourth book in this series. It read as a stand alone book. However, I feel I missed some great adventures by not reading the first three books; The Floating Island, The Thief Queen’s Daughter and The Dragon’s lair. I will be purchasing them for my shelves and reading them. Great fantasy lover. This is one I am not going to be able to keep on my shelves and one I may need to purchase as a giveaway prize for my students.

I received a copy to help facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own. ...more

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Nov 07, 2014 Jalynn Patterson rated it it was amazing

About the Book:

The epic voyages continue in The Tree of Water, the fourth adventure in bestselling author Elizabeth Haydon’s acclaimed fantasy series for young readers, The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.

As Royal Reporter of the land of Serendair, it is the duty of young Charles Magnus "Ven" Polypheme to travel the world and seek out magic hiding in plain sight. But Ven needs to escape the clutches of the nefarious Thief Queen, ruler of the Gated City, whose minions are hunting for him. His frie About the Book:

The epic voyages continue in The Tree of Water, the fourth adventure in bestselling author Elizabeth Haydon’s acclaimed fantasy series for young readers, The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.

As Royal Reporter of the land of Serendair, it is the duty of young Charles Magnus "Ven" Polypheme to travel the world and seek out magic hiding in plain sight. But Ven needs to escape the clutches of the nefarious Thief Queen, ruler of the Gated City, whose minions are hunting for him. His friend, the merrow Amariel, has the perfect solution to his dilemma: Ven and Char will join her to explore the world beneath the sea.

As they journey through the sea, Ven finds himself surrounded by wonders greater than he could have ever imagined. But the beauty of the ocean is more than matched by the dangers lurking within its depths, and Ven and his friends soon realize that in order to save thousands of innocent lives, they may have to sacrifice their own. For everything in the ocean needs to eat…

About the Author:

ELIZABETH HAYDON is the author of the bestselling Symphony of Ages fantasy series, which began with Rhapsody. The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme, set in the same enchanted world, is her first series for young readers. She lives on the East Coast with her husband and children.

My Review:

Ven once again finds himself on an adventure, this time under the sea. With his friends Amariel, a merrow and char, and a human they adventure deep into the sea, exploring the depths of a coral reef. Going under the sea proves to be harder than he once thought. Especially since the Thief Queen is searching for Ven. Then when Madame Sharra visits before they go back into the ocean, he realizes that there maybe more added to his already full plate.

Madame Sharra leaves him with a dragon scale, possibly belonging to a sea dragon. While on this wild adventure under the sea, they now have to accomplish two things---one, finding the sea dragon and two, finding the amazon Tree of Water in the hopes that they will save thousands of lives.

The Tree of Water, is a fantasy book filled with crushing defeat yet intense optimism. The group must really rely on their own inner strength to battle the unknown.

**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge from the publisher for my honest review. ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Ann rated it it was amazing

TREE OF WATER BY ELIZABETH HAYDON

What a wonderful book this is! I was lost in a marvelous new world with so many new experiences to discover. This is the fourth book in the fantasy series created by the author Dr Haydon but the first one I have read, this not being my normal genre. However I will definitely read more.

We have Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme who is known as Ven who is of the race Nain. Nains are shorter than humans and grumpier and live 4 times as long. In human terms Ven would be 50 ...more

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Nov 10, 2014 Nancy rated it it was amazing

A Magical Adventure Reminiscent of The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings

Ven Polypheme and his friend Char are off on another adventure with their mermaid friend, Amariel. Ven is adventurous for a Nain. Most Nains prefer to remain at home, but Ven is hungry for adventure. In this fourth book, he and Char travel to the bottom of the sea, a place usually shunned by Nair. He is searching for the Tree of Water that is supposed to exist somewhere in the sea.

Their first obstacle is to be able to breath under ...more

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Jul 25, 2015 Amy rated it it was amazing

First order of business: THANK YOU ELIZABETH HAYDON FOR WRITING A FOURTH NOVEL!!!! You have made this 16-year-old very happy!

I've been reading this series since 2007, and had fallen in love with it after the very first chapter of The Floating Island. So you could imagine my panic when (even though the final page of The Dragon's Lair had confirmed that the Tree of Water was in the works) five years after The Dragon's Lair's release and with no more notice on the fourth book, I began to believe th ...more

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Nov 11, 2014 Jessica Bronder rated it it was amazing

This story is based on the lost journals of Ven Polypheme, a royal reporter that is to travel the world and find magic. Ven is trying to escape the Thief Queen. His merrow friend Amariel suggests exploring underwater and search for The Tree of Water. But this is not his only task. Just before they leave, Madame Sharra gives them a sea dragon scale and tells them to find the dragon too.

This is the fourth book in The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme, which I was concerned with since I have never he ...more

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Jan 24, 2015 Victoria Brinius rated it really liked it

This book is great for kids and adults will have fun reading it too. I loved all the puns and how the author knew when to put them in the story. This story is so creative and the action is very fast moving. I liked that the author had Ven making mistakes and other characters apologizing. Even though this was make believe there was a strong sense of responsibility. There are sea kings, and sea creatures, and so many more members of this world. It is hard not to take a mental voyage with the chara ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Rebecca Bryant rated it it was ok

I have to say I enjoy the book for the most part. It was a really good tale of magic and fantasy. even though i was slightly lost as this was the third or fourth book in the series the story was enjoyable. i have to say I most likely would have enjoyed it more had I read the earlier books in this series. That said if you enjoy a good tale of magic this is your book but please think about reading the first books in the series so you don't' get lost like I did.

Disclaimer: I receive a free copy of ...more

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Aug 17, 2015 Melissa Jane rated it did not like it

DNF 40%..... such a disappointment. I absolutely loved the first three books and have recommended them many times. It was really hard to get through this story until I finally had to just give up. The tale was getting ridiculous and hard to believe. The sharing of thoughts underwater and speaking everything you think was over the top. I also could not like his merrow friend and thought that she was a spoiled brat. She was okay and interesting in the previous books unlike her character in this on ...more

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Oct 28, 2014 Carole Johnson rated it it was amazing

This is the best of the journals yet. My kids and I have waited forever for this book, but it was well worth it. Children's hero Ven Polypheme goes under the sea with best friend Char, led by the merrow Amariel, through an incredible journey of great beauty and terrible danger. This series is destined to be a classic. The wonders of the sea are so clearly described, whether or not they exist in the real world, that it's like watching it on Discovery Channel.

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Oct 16, 2014 Trisha Hayes rated it really liked it

I thought it moved really slow. SPOILERS: when Venn and the others got to the tree that was also too fast. the others stuff moved too slow. I loved the book. It is my second favorite out off the four. My first had to be the theifs queen daughter. I wonder what the next will be like..... curiosity is very itching.

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Jul 08, 2016 Jill Steeley rated it it was amazing

The Tree of Water is an underwater fantasy that skillfully draws the reader into a world that seems real. Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger situation for the believable characters. This highly engaging book will entertain readers fourth grade and up.

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Jan 24, 2015 Kristen rated it really liked it

The Tree of Water is a beautiful tale of friendship, bravery, and good ole curiosity. I highly recommend this series to any fantasy lover with a fondness (or at least tolerance) of children's (i.e. 7-13 year-old's) novels.

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Sep 21, 2014 Annie Eddy rated it it was amazing

It was one of the best ending to a series ever. I loved that Ven named the ship after Amerial and I love how nicely the characters developed. It was an amazing book.

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About Elizabeth Haydon

Elizabeth Haydon

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Elizabeth Haydon (* 1965 in Michigan) is a fantasy author, whose 1999 debut, Rhapsody: Child of Blood, garnered comparisons with Goodkind, Jordan, and even Tolkien. She has written two fantasy series set within the same universe, The fantasy/romance/whodunit fusion called The Symphony of Ages and the young adult series The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme.

An herbalist, harpist, and madrigal singer, ...more