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Pendragon #10
The Soldiers of Halla
It has all been leading to this.
Every victory. Every loss. All the thrills and sadness; the hope and despair. Bobby Pendragon's heart-pounding journey through time and space has brought him to this epic moment. He and his fellow Travelers must join forces for one last desperate battle against Saint Dane. At stake is not only the tenth and final territory, but all that ever was or will be. Everywhere.
This is the war for Halla.
Every question is answered. Every truth is revealed.
The final battle has begun.
Every victory. Every loss. All the thrills and sadness; the hope and despair. Bobby Pendragon's heart-pounding journey through time and space has brought him to this epic moment. He and his fellow Travelers must join forces for one last desperate battle against Saint Dane. At stake is not only the tenth and final territory, but all that ever was or will be. Everywhere.
This is the war for Halla.
Every question is answered. Every truth is revealed.
The final battle has begun.
594 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
198 people are currently reading
6917 people want to read
About the author
D.J. MacHale
96 books2,342 followersD.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies.
He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving sports trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse...in between playing football and running track. D.J. then attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.
His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director, making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.
D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC Afterschool Specials. After moving to Los Angeles, he made the fulltime switch from informational films, to entertainment. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: Are You Afraid of the Dark?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years. He wrote and directed many of the episodes including the CableAce nominated The Tale of Cutter's Treasure starring Charles S. Dutton. He was nominated for a Gemini award for directing The Tale of the Dangerous Soup starring Neve Campbell.
D.J. also wrote and directed the movie Tower of Terror for ABC's Wonderful World of Disney which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series Chris Cross was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.
D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids series Flight 29 Down for which he writes all the episodes and directs several. His work on Flight 29 Down has earned him both Writers Guild of America and Directors Guild of America award nominations.
Other notable writing credits include the classic ABC Afterschool Special titled Seasonal Differences; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series Ghostwriter; and the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.
In print, D.J. has co-written the book The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon.
The book series: Pendragon - Journal of an Adventure through Time and Space marks D.J.'s first turn as a novelist. He plans for this series of Young Adult adventures to span a total of 10 books.
D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are a Golden Retriever, Maggie; and a Kitten, Kaboodle.
He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving sports trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse...in between playing football and running track. D.J. then attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.
His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director, making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.
D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC Afterschool Specials. After moving to Los Angeles, he made the fulltime switch from informational films, to entertainment. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: Are You Afraid of the Dark?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years. He wrote and directed many of the episodes including the CableAce nominated The Tale of Cutter's Treasure starring Charles S. Dutton. He was nominated for a Gemini award for directing The Tale of the Dangerous Soup starring Neve Campbell.
D.J. also wrote and directed the movie Tower of Terror for ABC's Wonderful World of Disney which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series Chris Cross was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.
D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids series Flight 29 Down for which he writes all the episodes and directs several. His work on Flight 29 Down has earned him both Writers Guild of America and Directors Guild of America award nominations.
Other notable writing credits include the classic ABC Afterschool Special titled Seasonal Differences; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series Ghostwriter; and the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.
In print, D.J. has co-written the book The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon.
The book series: Pendragon - Journal of an Adventure through Time and Space marks D.J.'s first turn as a novelist. He plans for this series of Young Adult adventures to span a total of 10 books.
D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are a Golden Retriever, Maggie; and a Kitten, Kaboodle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 642 reviews
August 3, 2021
Pendragon series: ★★★★★/5
by D.J. MacHale
1) the Merchant of Death: ★★★★★/5
2) the Lost city of Faar: ★★★★★/5
3) the Never War: ★★★★(★)/5
4) the Reality Bug: ★★★★★/5
5) Black Water: ★★★★★/5
6) the Rivers of Zadaa: ★★★★/5
7) the Quillan Games: ★★★★★/5
8) the Pilgrims of Rayne: ★★★★★/5
9) Raven Rise: ★★★★★/5
10) the Soldiers of Halla: ★★★★★/5
Complete 5 Golden Stars
Have you ever been afraid to turn the last page & end the book because it's the end of the saga?
it happened twice (or maybe trice?) for me & this book was one of them.
I was afraid when I went through this book, knowing there's no more for this series, no more Sassy Smart Hero & his Traveler friends for the rescue versus an Awesome Mastermind Villain, always lurking around, whispering thoughts in people's ears, tempting among the shadows, plans after plans, plotting to destroy.
it was such a bittersweet feeling & once again, I ended the book crying, it was beautiful, it was emotional.
the end of an amazing series. 10 books of battles between Good & Evil; adventures, fun & life lessons.
-
one Last Chance
to attack, to bring the war to the enemy
one Last Battle
to lose means to vanish, to vanquish.
Game Over with no extra lives!
one Last Fight
they should fight with all they've got,
one Last Territory
-
finally the truth about the Travelers (which was surprising, emotional & unexpected!)
“Before I can face the future, I must first deal with the past.”
lots of surprises
emotional, spiritual
familiar faces & reunions
all the strong character developments, Patrick, Elli & many more & of course Bobby
Maybe it was more military, but it's the last book, before the good side will be victorious, they should fall & it's a war zone, but,
1) the whole plans they executed were exciting, captivating, smart & necessary, not just military info dump, they were battles for Halla, they should have make it right.
2) it wasn't all over the book.
this book contains battles & defenses, attacks & counter-attacks, in which losing means nonexistence, nothingness.
but not only physically, but also mentally, the battle of two way of living, thinking, two ideas, two mentality. convincing which one is right or wrong.
This book premise was kind of a Dystopia in the outer layers, outside the walls & a Utopia in the nucleus, it was unique. but there was still oppression & suppression.
& best thing is, the Fun is still there, even though the situation is deadly serious & intense. Not out of place or anything, just Bobby's descriptions of tension or how he feels leading to a funny narration. Like his sass in conversations, but not only in conversations.
It was one of the most satisfying endings between the series I loved/liked, not a disappointment, full of rush & thrills.
"that truly is the way it was meant to be."
I just wish we had an "After the War" books too (like these almost-fanfictions Before-the-War, Travelers' stories) something like this ending epilogue for all of them.
by D.J. MacHale
1) the Merchant of Death: ★★★★★/5
2) the Lost city of Faar: ★★★★★/5
3) the Never War: ★★★★(★)/5
4) the Reality Bug: ★★★★★/5
5) Black Water: ★★★★★/5
6) the Rivers of Zadaa: ★★★★/5
7) the Quillan Games: ★★★★★/5
8) the Pilgrims of Rayne: ★★★★★/5
9) Raven Rise: ★★★★★/5
10) the Soldiers of Halla: ★★★★★/5
Complete 5 Golden Stars
Have you ever been afraid to turn the last page & end the book because it's the end of the saga?
it happened twice (or maybe trice?) for me & this book was one of them.
I was afraid when I went through this book, knowing there's no more for this series, no more Sassy Smart Hero & his Traveler friends for the rescue versus an Awesome Mastermind Villain, always lurking around, whispering thoughts in people's ears, tempting among the shadows, plans after plans, plotting to destroy.
it was such a bittersweet feeling & once again, I ended the book crying, it was beautiful, it was emotional.
the end of an amazing series. 10 books of battles between Good & Evil; adventures, fun & life lessons.
-
one Last Chance
to attack, to bring the war to the enemy
one Last Battle
to lose means to vanish, to vanquish.
Game Over with no extra lives!
one Last Fight
they should fight with all they've got,
one Last Territory
-
finally the truth about the Travelers (which was surprising, emotional & unexpected!)
“Before I can face the future, I must first deal with the past.”
lots of surprises
emotional, spiritual
familiar faces & reunions
all the strong character developments, Patrick, Elli & many more & of course Bobby
Maybe it was more military, but it's the last book, before the good side will be victorious, they should fall & it's a war zone, but,
1) the whole plans they executed were exciting, captivating, smart & necessary, not just military info dump, they were battles for Halla, they should have make it right.
2) it wasn't all over the book.
this book contains battles & defenses, attacks & counter-attacks, in which losing means nonexistence, nothingness.
but not only physically, but also mentally, the battle of two way of living, thinking, two ideas, two mentality. convincing which one is right or wrong.
This book premise was kind of a Dystopia in the outer layers, outside the walls & a Utopia in the nucleus, it was unique. but there was still oppression & suppression.
& best thing is, the Fun is still there, even though the situation is deadly serious & intense. Not out of place or anything, just Bobby's descriptions of tension or how he feels leading to a funny narration. Like his sass in conversations, but not only in conversations.
It was one of the most satisfying endings between the series I loved/liked, not a disappointment, full of rush & thrills.
"that truly is the way it was meant to be."
I just wish we had an "After the War" books too (like these almost-fanfictions Before-the-War, Travelers' stories) something like this ending epilogue for all of them.
Want to read
November 29, 2018I have to say that this book was a disappointment compared to the others. It promised me all the answers and I got them...all at once. It was more like they just dumped all the answers into my lap and went "Here you go!" in the first few chapters. Then the rest of the book was just leading up to "The end." There weren't any twists or turns just a straight line to the end of the book. Which I admit is pretty boring. What had led me to love the series was the creativity of it. How you never knew how Bobby would win or what Saint Dane would do next. I had to sit down and force myself to read this book. Throughout the story D.J. justified everything Bobby did as right because he was "The chosen one." I am so sick of people being "The Chosen One" and that being the reason why everyone listens to them and why they get to be the hero. The hero/heroine should prove WHY they are the hero and have to show HOW they are brave, intelligent, or wise not just say "Well he must be right because he is The Chosen One!"
August 23, 2020
This series became a growing disappointment. It is a juvenile series that does not transcend its genre as the best children's and young adult fiction do. With each book, I was increasingly told through the conversation of other characters that the main character Bobby Pendragon was the great hero that his fellow travelers looked to for inspiration and leadership, etc., but I rarely felt it through the narrative, possibly because it was first person. I was told Bobby was growing, but I rarely felt it. [SPOILER WARNING:] And in this final novel of the series, the big reveal proved a contradictory mix of philosophies about the human spirit and good and evil that made my head hurt because of its lack of internal consistency. We got to see all our favorite characters back, but rarely enough of any of them for relational depth to draw us in, and the final chapter proved anticlimactic rather than satisfying.
I kept expecting the Pendragon surname to have some tie to King Arthur Pendragon. The name—head dragon in Welsh—was the title given to Briton war leaders, or in Bobby’s case, Head Traveler. The Arthurian connection never happened (unless Bobby's origin as an old and wise spirit was an oblique reference). The final battle between Saint Dane and Bobby felt too easy. It made me sad because the early novels were very creative and a great thrill ride, and, as the series grew darker and the villain began to triumph, it had moments that rang true. They were insightful about why people choose what they choose, and about the half-lies that deceive us when we refuse to think things through and lead us where we never intended to go. Maybe the choice of first-person narrative is too limiting for an entire series because hearing the hero's confused and limited view forces the writer to keep telling you how you should really be perceiving the main character and the storyline rather than showing you and letting you experience it as the reader. I guess that's what I felt—more and more bullied by the constant repetition of other characters telling me how I should be feeling about Bobby Pendragon, about Solara and the human spirit, about good and evil, about this final battle and what happens. In a book about free will and the importance of thinking for yourself, it seemed an odd choice.
I kept expecting the Pendragon surname to have some tie to King Arthur Pendragon. The name—head dragon in Welsh—was the title given to Briton war leaders, or in Bobby’s case, Head Traveler. The Arthurian connection never happened (unless Bobby's origin as an old and wise spirit was an oblique reference). The final battle between Saint Dane and Bobby felt too easy. It made me sad because the early novels were very creative and a great thrill ride, and, as the series grew darker and the villain began to triumph, it had moments that rang true. They were insightful about why people choose what they choose, and about the half-lies that deceive us when we refuse to think things through and lead us where we never intended to go. Maybe the choice of first-person narrative is too limiting for an entire series because hearing the hero's confused and limited view forces the writer to keep telling you how you should really be perceiving the main character and the storyline rather than showing you and letting you experience it as the reader. I guess that's what I felt—more and more bullied by the constant repetition of other characters telling me how I should be feeling about Bobby Pendragon, about Solara and the human spirit, about good and evil, about this final battle and what happens. In a book about free will and the importance of thinking for yourself, it seemed an odd choice.
June 24, 2011
I think this review is so long because I keep trying to talk about the series as a whole, and not just the final book. Sorry. As soon as I finished the book I had to drive somewhere for like half and hour and had all that time to think and steam and collect my thoughts about this book. And so we go (which I got really tired of seeing after awhile):
Big sigh. A huge disappointment. Well, okay, I guess if it really were that huge of a disappointment, my rating would be one star, but I guess I'd put it at three because as a whole it was a fairly satisfying conclusion to the series, and as always I enjoyed the main story. But that epilogue! MY GOD. Why, DJ? Why?
The epilogue was just a great big "reset" button. Whenever you involve time travel of any kind, it gets tricky. I've read a couple of other long series with a target age group similar to Pendragon that had that "reset" at the end. I probably shouldn't mention which series they were by name in case of spoilers, so I'll try to be a little vague while still making sense... In Series One the reset was kind of "Well, whatever, I guess." Still, it made sense and could work. It didn't produce a whole bunch of contradictions like here in Pendragon. For Series Two I was way more invested in the story than Series One, and I was a little spoiled for the ending by knowing ahead of time that there would be a "reset," and was wary. But when I actually finished the series, I felt completely satisfied and that the ending actually worked. It was done rather elegantly. "Coming full circle" worked, many connections were made to book one, and it just felt right.
NOT SO MUCH HERE. Unfortunately, for Pendragon, it's not even a case of "I don't like it, but that's just my opinion." It's more like, "This doesn't even make SENSE!"
I think that by Uncle Press saying he had nine more journals to deliver, it was pretty clear that all the other Travelers were given back their original lives with no memories of what had transpired, just like Bobby. But what about Aja Killian? Does she just go right back to Veelox and her job at the Lifelight pyramid? Because Aja had a really shitty life. She did not live permanently inside Lifelight but instead saw all that was wrong with it and lived outside of it in the squalor that was Rubic City eating nothing but gloid. Some reward for her service as a Traveler! Right? Isn't the idea of giving them back their lives that it was a "reward" of sorts? Certainly for Bobby and Spader it was, who came from relatively good lives (which Spader even states). Even the others, like Alder, Loor, and Gunny. But not Aja. It could be that her purpose was to go back to her life there so that she could see what was wrong with her world and create the master plan for Ibara. But again: some reward. What exactly does that mean?! Where did the big "reset" happen? Saint Dane is gone, but was he just ereased from all existence, ever? Does that mean Andy Mitchell never existed? Did Andy Mitchell just exist up until a certain point and then disappear? Does this mean that Saint Dane's influence was never felt on Veelox, so that Dr. Zetlin could never have created Lifelight in the first place?
What about the totalitarian government that is Blok?! Who is going to fix that mess? Elli? By herself? Um. And if she just gets reset back to Quillan, does she still have a daughter? Didn't Nevva's existence end?! Actually, now that I think about it, Elli might have an even shittier life than Aja. It's possible that on Quillan, there could still be a revolution against Blok, especially with the preservation of Mr. Pop but come onnnn. That's so much work. Pfft. Rebel against a dictatorship? So much work! Haha. And Elli, as a Traveler, already did so much work! All right, now I'm being a little ridiculous, but you know what I mean. I hope. What I mean is, not all of the worlds are going to end up perfect, or close to perfect, like Third Earth, but there should at least be some improvement or hope for a better future. Or else, what was even the point? They defeated Saint Dane, but having "reset" everything, aren't the Milago still at the mercy of the Bedoowan?
Plus, they talked so much in this book about how life on Eelong was getting better and better until Ravinia came along. The presence of Spader and Gunny on Eelong made this possible by the fact that they helped bridge the gaps between the gars and klees. Doesn't this all basically get erased if Spader and Gunny get sent back to their original lives? In the case of Eelong it doesn't even matter whether or not Saint Dane was there, because there was no equality in the beginning. What does that even mean for Eelong after The Soldiers of Halla? The gars just continue to live like slaves and animals under the klees? Who would even step up to give the gars rights alongside the klees? No one. Doesn't this mean that all the work the Travelers did was for nothing?
If they just continued the timeline after Soldiers of Halla instead of going backwards, they work to rebuild everywhere else and not just Third Earth. Eelong could say that things got messed up, but they were good before the Ravinians came, and now that Ravinia has fallen they can rebuild once again. Same with Denduron. Same with Cloral. Possibly Quillan, but that place is a disaster. Who knows.
You see how complicated this all is?! I can't fathom why the author chose to write the epilogue this way. This causes more problems than it solves. It almost does away with all the good that was accomplished by the Travelers. I can't even figure out how this got past the editing stage; that's how much of a plothole I feel it creates. I really just don't get it. All of the cultures, social structures, worlds, so on and so forth - they were so imaginative and well thought out! Not to mention the multitude of names of people, places, races, etc that he made up, most of which were pretty cool. I liked "Veego and LaBerge," hehe. Alder, Grallion, Seegen, Leeandra, Saangi, Batu and Rokador, Milago and Bedoowan, all of the names on Ibara that were derived from Veelox like Flighters, Jakills... all very cool. DJ MacHale put so much wonderful creative effort into this series and yet just failed to see what a loophole and disappointment that epilogue was. Not only is it a reset button, it's also a massive "UNDO."
The other major thing that got the "undo" treatment was Mark and Courtney. This one kind of upset me. Now, I felt like it just cheapened the Pendragon series as a whole to basically erase everyone's memories and actions, particularly this relationship. Regardless of whether or not the Travelers got to live out their lives, return to Solara, and then regain their memories (as implied by Uncle Press), I still feel this way. (Then again... why bring them their journals anyway, if they're just going to remember what happened upon returning to Solara?)
I guess opening that epilogue with Bobby's "Yo" and living his full life with Courtney was a good way to bring things full circle. Jake of the Animorphs suffered from tremendous PTSD at the conclusion of the series. But then again, the purpose of Animorphs was to show that war is hell. He changed dramatically. That particular theme was, I guess, not so important here. Bobby catches a break and doesn't have to deal with anything like that in his reset life. But as a Traveler, he learned so many important lessons and grew as a person. He obviously is not the same boy who left Stony Brook at fourteen. To give him a happy, stressless life at the end is something I'm sure the author wanted to do for this character that he loved so much, but still. So much is lost by doing so. You might even say he is that same person who never got to be challenged and struggle to make the right decisions in hard situations. How sad. But don't get me wrong, that scene with him in the hospital with Courtney was very bittersweet and touching. It was heartbreaking, almost. It would have been. If I weren't so busy being annoyed at the epilogue.
Then, going back to Mark and Courtney. I hate to sound like some kind of shipper or whatnot, but basically, in addition to what I said about Bobby, Courtney ending up with Bobby and not Mark feels like it almost invalidates this story. The adventurous, traveling around, stopping-Saint-Dane aspect of the story. It erases it. In the context of the "reset", it makes sense for Bobby to end up married to Courtney and have him go play basketball and happily ever after. But why? That's not what really happened! We just read ten whole books about the quest to save Halla, prove that the people of Halla should choose their own destinies and stop Saint Dane! In the context of that story, Courtney does not have the chance to grow close to and have adventures with Bobby. She's only his acolyte. She is given the chance to grow close to and become friends with someone she never would have been friends with had it not been for Bobby disappearing - disappearing! - from her life only to sporadically show up every once in awhile. Sure, she says she still loves him, and absence makes the heart grow fonder, and all that. I know that she and Mark felt connected to Bobby through his journals, but come on. I thought that part of his being a Traveler is that he had to leave his life behind - and learn to accept that. And, the good thing was, by the end it felt like he was ready to accept that. His doing so might have been the final challenge for him to overcome in this whole journey. At several points near the end he even addresses the fact that he's going to have to come to terms with that soon. But then... suddenly he doesn't have to? Major cop out.
One of the most touching moments of all in this whole entire Pendragon series (for me at least) was when Courtney was almost about to shoot Mark with tears in her eyes and told him she loved him, and he said it back. The fact that it was meant as "true friendship" love rather than romantic love made it a lot more significant for me. I really loved that moment. Mark and Courtney were not friends at all with only Bobby in common at the beginning and we got to see them become closer and closer to each other until they had formed such a strong bond, in completely realistic storytelling. DJ MacHale does a wonderful "show, not tell" style of storytelling - well, sometimes. But in the case of Mark and Courtney it was done beautifully. It took many books in the series to get them to that point, so that it really felt like a growing, evolving friendship, and we become invested in these characters (well, okay, I did), and then in the end it just gets tossed out. Just like how much Bobby changed because of his adventures.
If Bobby were to accept his fate as a spirit from Solara, unable to return to Earth, and Mark and Courtney had ended up together, I feel like the series could have been imbued with some richer themes. Sometimes we aren't always aware from the start what "the way things were meant to be." Sometimes, we can change our own fates, just as the exiles did by speaking out against Ravinia. Just because Courtney kissed Bobby when they were kids and before any of this adventure ever started, doesn't mean that this one act will determine that they'll be together in the end! Or maybe you could argue "true love" and "meant to be," for them, but I thought that Pendragon was supposed to also have this theme of choice, free will, and paving your own destiny, as demonstrated by the actions of the Ravinians at the end of this book. I sincerely feel like Bobby and Courtney ending up together was done just for the sake of the "this is the way things were meant to be" theme constantly being thrown at us the whole entire time. What other reason is there? Maybe DJ MacHale really just could not decide between "this is the way things were meant to be" and "the people of Halla should be free to make their own choices!" Which is it, DJ? Ahhhhhhhhh, whatever. How about, "Sometimes things are meant to be a certain way, and sometimes people can choose which way they want things to go!" I think the author may have been slightly undecided on how he should present these two themes in conjunction with each other. I think it can be done, but he didn't... quite nail it.
I don't even know. I'm really upset by that epilogue, hahah. I feel like I've invested a lot of time in this huge ten-book series and got rather attached to most of the characters. Especially Spader, the new badass Mark and the dorky carrot-eating Mark, Courtney, Siry (who probably ends up having a pretty shitty life, too, if he just resets back to Ibara), and all the rest. Really, DJ?!
Plus one for the Yankees references, though. Not a Yankees fan, but the MLB references are always welcome.
Three stars instead of one or two though because most of the book other than that epilogue was still great. The feel of the book is still the same as before, though the mood is grim throughout to match the last couple of books as the Travelers felt like Saint Dane would have victory. I liked that progression, since the first few books were just kind of a fun adventure where the good guys triumph, until things get more convoluted. I was a little let down that Spader, Siry, Patrick, Alder, and Loor had such sub-par roles in this one. I guess they had mostly served their purposes earlier on, though. Oh, and that moment where I really was tricked into thinking Mark died, and Bobby's reaction - oh man. Especially and including how Bobby nearly begged for Mark's life before. Bobby had always played himself as a cocky, confident adversary in front of Saint Dane, even if he was only faking it, and so that part felt very emotional. That was well done. That one really got to me.
Also, I'd like to note this review, because it says a lot that I agree with, but says it better than I could!
I really did love the series as a whole, which is the reason why I'm so full of "blahblahblahblah" at this point, and as much as I complained about this book, it's because I got so into this series. Haha, I mean, I think just HOW MUCH I got angered by this ending showed how much I liked the rest of the series. I wanted a more satisfying end. I'm still going to recommend Pendragon to others, but just... with caution.
Big sigh. A huge disappointment. Well, okay, I guess if it really were that huge of a disappointment, my rating would be one star, but I guess I'd put it at three because as a whole it was a fairly satisfying conclusion to the series, and as always I enjoyed the main story. But that epilogue! MY GOD. Why, DJ? Why?
The epilogue was just a great big "reset" button. Whenever you involve time travel of any kind, it gets tricky. I've read a couple of other long series with a target age group similar to Pendragon that had that "reset" at the end. I probably shouldn't mention which series they were by name in case of spoilers, so I'll try to be a little vague while still making sense... In Series One the reset was kind of "Well, whatever, I guess." Still, it made sense and could work. It didn't produce a whole bunch of contradictions like here in Pendragon. For Series Two I was way more invested in the story than Series One, and I was a little spoiled for the ending by knowing ahead of time that there would be a "reset," and was wary. But when I actually finished the series, I felt completely satisfied and that the ending actually worked. It was done rather elegantly. "Coming full circle" worked, many connections were made to book one, and it just felt right.
NOT SO MUCH HERE. Unfortunately, for Pendragon, it's not even a case of "I don't like it, but that's just my opinion." It's more like, "This doesn't even make SENSE!"
I think that by Uncle Press saying he had nine more journals to deliver, it was pretty clear that all the other Travelers were given back their original lives with no memories of what had transpired, just like Bobby. But what about Aja Killian? Does she just go right back to Veelox and her job at the Lifelight pyramid? Because Aja had a really shitty life. She did not live permanently inside Lifelight but instead saw all that was wrong with it and lived outside of it in the squalor that was Rubic City eating nothing but gloid. Some reward for her service as a Traveler! Right? Isn't the idea of giving them back their lives that it was a "reward" of sorts? Certainly for Bobby and Spader it was, who came from relatively good lives (which Spader even states). Even the others, like Alder, Loor, and Gunny. But not Aja. It could be that her purpose was to go back to her life there so that she could see what was wrong with her world and create the master plan for Ibara. But again: some reward. What exactly does that mean?! Where did the big "reset" happen? Saint Dane is gone, but was he just ereased from all existence, ever? Does that mean Andy Mitchell never existed? Did Andy Mitchell just exist up until a certain point and then disappear? Does this mean that Saint Dane's influence was never felt on Veelox, so that Dr. Zetlin could never have created Lifelight in the first place?
What about the totalitarian government that is Blok?! Who is going to fix that mess? Elli? By herself? Um. And if she just gets reset back to Quillan, does she still have a daughter? Didn't Nevva's existence end?! Actually, now that I think about it, Elli might have an even shittier life than Aja. It's possible that on Quillan, there could still be a revolution against Blok, especially with the preservation of Mr. Pop but come onnnn. That's so much work. Pfft. Rebel against a dictatorship? So much work! Haha. And Elli, as a Traveler, already did so much work! All right, now I'm being a little ridiculous, but you know what I mean. I hope. What I mean is, not all of the worlds are going to end up perfect, or close to perfect, like Third Earth, but there should at least be some improvement or hope for a better future. Or else, what was even the point? They defeated Saint Dane, but having "reset" everything, aren't the Milago still at the mercy of the Bedoowan?
Plus, they talked so much in this book about how life on Eelong was getting better and better until Ravinia came along. The presence of Spader and Gunny on Eelong made this possible by the fact that they helped bridge the gaps between the gars and klees. Doesn't this all basically get erased if Spader and Gunny get sent back to their original lives? In the case of Eelong it doesn't even matter whether or not Saint Dane was there, because there was no equality in the beginning. What does that even mean for Eelong after The Soldiers of Halla? The gars just continue to live like slaves and animals under the klees? Who would even step up to give the gars rights alongside the klees? No one. Doesn't this mean that all the work the Travelers did was for nothing?
If they just continued the timeline after Soldiers of Halla instead of going backwards, they work to rebuild everywhere else and not just Third Earth. Eelong could say that things got messed up, but they were good before the Ravinians came, and now that Ravinia has fallen they can rebuild once again. Same with Denduron. Same with Cloral. Possibly Quillan, but that place is a disaster. Who knows.
You see how complicated this all is?! I can't fathom why the author chose to write the epilogue this way. This causes more problems than it solves. It almost does away with all the good that was accomplished by the Travelers. I can't even figure out how this got past the editing stage; that's how much of a plothole I feel it creates. I really just don't get it. All of the cultures, social structures, worlds, so on and so forth - they were so imaginative and well thought out! Not to mention the multitude of names of people, places, races, etc that he made up, most of which were pretty cool. I liked "Veego and LaBerge," hehe. Alder, Grallion, Seegen, Leeandra, Saangi, Batu and Rokador, Milago and Bedoowan, all of the names on Ibara that were derived from Veelox like Flighters, Jakills... all very cool. DJ MacHale put so much wonderful creative effort into this series and yet just failed to see what a loophole and disappointment that epilogue was. Not only is it a reset button, it's also a massive "UNDO."
The other major thing that got the "undo" treatment was Mark and Courtney. This one kind of upset me. Now, I felt like it just cheapened the Pendragon series as a whole to basically erase everyone's memories and actions, particularly this relationship. Regardless of whether or not the Travelers got to live out their lives, return to Solara, and then regain their memories (as implied by Uncle Press), I still feel this way. (Then again... why bring them their journals anyway, if they're just going to remember what happened upon returning to Solara?)
I guess opening that epilogue with Bobby's "Yo" and living his full life with Courtney was a good way to bring things full circle. Jake of the Animorphs suffered from tremendous PTSD at the conclusion of the series. But then again, the purpose of Animorphs was to show that war is hell. He changed dramatically. That particular theme was, I guess, not so important here. Bobby catches a break and doesn't have to deal with anything like that in his reset life. But as a Traveler, he learned so many important lessons and grew as a person. He obviously is not the same boy who left Stony Brook at fourteen. To give him a happy, stressless life at the end is something I'm sure the author wanted to do for this character that he loved so much, but still. So much is lost by doing so. You might even say he is that same person who never got to be challenged and struggle to make the right decisions in hard situations. How sad. But don't get me wrong, that scene with him in the hospital with Courtney was very bittersweet and touching. It was heartbreaking, almost. It would have been. If I weren't so busy being annoyed at the epilogue.
Then, going back to Mark and Courtney. I hate to sound like some kind of shipper or whatnot, but basically, in addition to what I said about Bobby, Courtney ending up with Bobby and not Mark feels like it almost invalidates this story. The adventurous, traveling around, stopping-Saint-Dane aspect of the story. It erases it. In the context of the "reset", it makes sense for Bobby to end up married to Courtney and have him go play basketball and happily ever after. But why? That's not what really happened! We just read ten whole books about the quest to save Halla, prove that the people of Halla should choose their own destinies and stop Saint Dane! In the context of that story, Courtney does not have the chance to grow close to and have adventures with Bobby. She's only his acolyte. She is given the chance to grow close to and become friends with someone she never would have been friends with had it not been for Bobby disappearing - disappearing! - from her life only to sporadically show up every once in awhile. Sure, she says she still loves him, and absence makes the heart grow fonder, and all that. I know that she and Mark felt connected to Bobby through his journals, but come on. I thought that part of his being a Traveler is that he had to leave his life behind - and learn to accept that. And, the good thing was, by the end it felt like he was ready to accept that. His doing so might have been the final challenge for him to overcome in this whole journey. At several points near the end he even addresses the fact that he's going to have to come to terms with that soon. But then... suddenly he doesn't have to? Major cop out.
One of the most touching moments of all in this whole entire Pendragon series (for me at least) was when Courtney was almost about to shoot Mark with tears in her eyes and told him she loved him, and he said it back. The fact that it was meant as "true friendship" love rather than romantic love made it a lot more significant for me. I really loved that moment. Mark and Courtney were not friends at all with only Bobby in common at the beginning and we got to see them become closer and closer to each other until they had formed such a strong bond, in completely realistic storytelling. DJ MacHale does a wonderful "show, not tell" style of storytelling - well, sometimes. But in the case of Mark and Courtney it was done beautifully. It took many books in the series to get them to that point, so that it really felt like a growing, evolving friendship, and we become invested in these characters (well, okay, I did), and then in the end it just gets tossed out. Just like how much Bobby changed because of his adventures.
If Bobby were to accept his fate as a spirit from Solara, unable to return to Earth, and Mark and Courtney had ended up together, I feel like the series could have been imbued with some richer themes. Sometimes we aren't always aware from the start what "the way things were meant to be." Sometimes, we can change our own fates, just as the exiles did by speaking out against Ravinia. Just because Courtney kissed Bobby when they were kids and before any of this adventure ever started, doesn't mean that this one act will determine that they'll be together in the end! Or maybe you could argue "true love" and "meant to be," for them, but I thought that Pendragon was supposed to also have this theme of choice, free will, and paving your own destiny, as demonstrated by the actions of the Ravinians at the end of this book. I sincerely feel like Bobby and Courtney ending up together was done just for the sake of the "this is the way things were meant to be" theme constantly being thrown at us the whole entire time. What other reason is there? Maybe DJ MacHale really just could not decide between "this is the way things were meant to be" and "the people of Halla should be free to make their own choices!" Which is it, DJ? Ahhhhhhhhh, whatever. How about, "Sometimes things are meant to be a certain way, and sometimes people can choose which way they want things to go!" I think the author may have been slightly undecided on how he should present these two themes in conjunction with each other. I think it can be done, but he didn't... quite nail it.
I don't even know. I'm really upset by that epilogue, hahah. I feel like I've invested a lot of time in this huge ten-book series and got rather attached to most of the characters. Especially Spader, the new badass Mark and the dorky carrot-eating Mark, Courtney, Siry (who probably ends up having a pretty shitty life, too, if he just resets back to Ibara), and all the rest. Really, DJ?!
Plus one for the Yankees references, though. Not a Yankees fan, but the MLB references are always welcome.
Three stars instead of one or two though because most of the book other than that epilogue was still great. The feel of the book is still the same as before, though the mood is grim throughout to match the last couple of books as the Travelers felt like Saint Dane would have victory. I liked that progression, since the first few books were just kind of a fun adventure where the good guys triumph, until things get more convoluted. I was a little let down that Spader, Siry, Patrick, Alder, and Loor had such sub-par roles in this one. I guess they had mostly served their purposes earlier on, though. Oh, and that moment where I really was tricked into thinking Mark died, and Bobby's reaction - oh man. Especially and including how Bobby nearly begged for Mark's life before. Bobby had always played himself as a cocky, confident adversary in front of Saint Dane, even if he was only faking it, and so that part felt very emotional. That was well done. That one really got to me.
Also, I'd like to note this review, because it says a lot that I agree with, but says it better than I could!
I really did love the series as a whole, which is the reason why I'm so full of "blahblahblahblah" at this point, and as much as I complained about this book, it's because I got so into this series. Haha, I mean, I think just HOW MUCH I got angered by this ending showed how much I liked the rest of the series. I wanted a more satisfying end. I'm still going to recommend Pendragon to others, but just... with caution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2009
When I first began reading the last book in Pendragon series I was skeptical. For some reason all I could think about as I was reading at was the somewhat lame excuse for a plot twist the 8th book had been. However I had loved the nineth and pretty much the rest of them too so why should this one be bad. I don't know. But like I said I was skeptical.
In the very begining all the answers are revealed. My first reaction was why is he doing it all at once...in the beginning of the book. But then I realized why. It's kind of, um, I'll say radical. It's kind of radical. It all links up and makes since but it's just...weird and takes some getting used to.
I am always weary about portails of heaven and liberties authors take in creating their own "view" of heaven and what life is all about even if it's just a story. I don't know I just don't like doing that. For instance one of the things I was deprately hoping with book 7 of Harry Potter was the J. K. Rowling would not venture into eternal relms and would stick to this life. I was afraid what she would do honestly but I was satisfied.
I don't want to reveal any plot details abou this book but I want to say at first I was turned off. My skepticism for the book shot through the roof when the "answers" were revealed because they naturally dealt with "life, the universe, and everything". I just didn't expect them to be so....spiritual. I expected to have some grand council or something that had governing power over the universe but I'll just say that was not the case.
But then it hit me. D. J. MacHale got some things right in a figurative since. Whether he knew he was doing it or not, I'm not sure and I didn't see it until I stopped for a moment and thought about it. I saw some eternal truths from the Gospel of Jesus Christ in his idea. Truths that the mainstream christian world does not belive or even really think about. That's why I think it was on accident. It was just an extreem reminder to me of The Light of Christ and how we are all guided by the Light of Christ toward the truth.
I wanted to pull some quotes to demonstrate this but I didn't want to give anything away. All I can say is if you like fantasy and you are not afraid to get into a ten book series then do it.
Another thing. Aparently this is a "children's book". I don't know where they got that but it's a bit violent...I never thought of it as a children's book. I think that maybe it was written so that it could fit children. Meaning everyonce in a while there were moments that I could tell were suppoesed to be dramatic but they weren't becuase I had already figured it out. I think it was becuase they books are geared to a younger audiance. But maybe I should give myself some credit, maybe I'm just smart. No..that's not it. Anyway. There were a couple of moments like that, not too many though.
The last think I want to say is that I cried. I cried more reading this book than I did with any of the Harry Potter books. There is just something about good-byes that have always been a huge weakness for me. When I was a little kid I cried when Pocahontas and John Smith said good-bye. I cried watching the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe when Aslan left. I cried when the fox and the hound had to split up. I'm not sure why I'm revealing this to everyone...but you get the point I think. So anyway. At the end of this book there was a big moment, you knew it was all about to end and everyone had to go. Where? You'll have to find out but I couldn't take it! It got worse and worse as each person left and there were 10 people!! Then..the last chapter...I don't want to give anything away but it was perfect. It is something I dream of for myself...and...I don't know it was just perfect. One of the characters in the book at one point made an off comment that there was no such thing as perfect and I think that's ironic with a such a perfect ending.
In the very begining all the answers are revealed. My first reaction was why is he doing it all at once...in the beginning of the book. But then I realized why. It's kind of, um, I'll say radical. It's kind of radical. It all links up and makes since but it's just...weird and takes some getting used to.
I am always weary about portails of heaven and liberties authors take in creating their own "view" of heaven and what life is all about even if it's just a story. I don't know I just don't like doing that. For instance one of the things I was deprately hoping with book 7 of Harry Potter was the J. K. Rowling would not venture into eternal relms and would stick to this life. I was afraid what she would do honestly but I was satisfied.
I don't want to reveal any plot details abou this book but I want to say at first I was turned off. My skepticism for the book shot through the roof when the "answers" were revealed because they naturally dealt with "life, the universe, and everything". I just didn't expect them to be so....spiritual. I expected to have some grand council or something that had governing power over the universe but I'll just say that was not the case.
But then it hit me. D. J. MacHale got some things right in a figurative since. Whether he knew he was doing it or not, I'm not sure and I didn't see it until I stopped for a moment and thought about it. I saw some eternal truths from the Gospel of Jesus Christ in his idea. Truths that the mainstream christian world does not belive or even really think about. That's why I think it was on accident. It was just an extreem reminder to me of The Light of Christ and how we are all guided by the Light of Christ toward the truth.
I wanted to pull some quotes to demonstrate this but I didn't want to give anything away. All I can say is if you like fantasy and you are not afraid to get into a ten book series then do it.
Another thing. Aparently this is a "children's book". I don't know where they got that but it's a bit violent...I never thought of it as a children's book. I think that maybe it was written so that it could fit children. Meaning everyonce in a while there were moments that I could tell were suppoesed to be dramatic but they weren't becuase I had already figured it out. I think it was becuase they books are geared to a younger audiance. But maybe I should give myself some credit, maybe I'm just smart. No..that's not it. Anyway. There were a couple of moments like that, not too many though.
The last think I want to say is that I cried. I cried more reading this book than I did with any of the Harry Potter books. There is just something about good-byes that have always been a huge weakness for me. When I was a little kid I cried when Pocahontas and John Smith said good-bye. I cried watching the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe when Aslan left. I cried when the fox and the hound had to split up. I'm not sure why I'm revealing this to everyone...but you get the point I think. So anyway. At the end of this book there was a big moment, you knew it was all about to end and everyone had to go. Where? You'll have to find out but I couldn't take it! It got worse and worse as each person left and there were 10 people!! Then..the last chapter...I don't want to give anything away but it was perfect. It is something I dream of for myself...and...I don't know it was just perfect. One of the characters in the book at one point made an off comment that there was no such thing as perfect and I think that's ironic with a such a perfect ending.
May 15, 2009
Ok I don't really like writing reviews (most teenage boys don't)so I would always come up with one excuse or another to skip doing the review... But, this book was so great and well written, that I actually remember thinking, "Boy! I thought Brandon Mull did a great job on 'Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary'!" - PALES in comparison.
Excluding religious texts, "The Soldiers of Halla" was the most well written and GLORIOUS book I have ever read and it will likely be my favorite book for many many years to come. I kid you not! "The Soldiers of Halla" was such a great book that it makes books like "Eragon" look like something that you're suppose to use to blow your nose in or to be used to start a campfire.
After reading this book I'm going to have a much harder rating system on my book shelves, because other books I currently have at five stars SUCK compared to this awe inspiring book. If this book series were to become a movie series, like it was originally written for, I am confident that it will compete with classics like "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" and maybe even become the best movie series of all time.
Kudos to D. J. Machale.
Excluding religious texts, "The Soldiers of Halla" was the most well written and GLORIOUS book I have ever read and it will likely be my favorite book for many many years to come. I kid you not! "The Soldiers of Halla" was such a great book that it makes books like "Eragon" look like something that you're suppose to use to blow your nose in or to be used to start a campfire.
After reading this book I'm going to have a much harder rating system on my book shelves, because other books I currently have at five stars SUCK compared to this awe inspiring book. If this book series were to become a movie series, like it was originally written for, I am confident that it will compete with classics like "Star Wars" and "Lord of the Rings" and maybe even become the best movie series of all time.
Kudos to D. J. Machale.
January 11, 2012
I jumped into the flumes one last time with high expectations for the Soldiers of Halla and slammed right into a brick wall of dissapointment. After reading the nine previous installments of Pendragon I had high hopes for The Soldiers of Halla - maybe a little too high. I was expecting fast paced, mind boggling adventure, but instead I got slow, repetitive explanations about the origins of the travelers and a ever frustrating search for the Exiles. It was boring. Pendragon is not supposed to be boring. The story lacked that quality of adventure that so defined the series until almost 3/4 of the way through. The final battle was fast, exciting, and nail biting. It was fun to read and the only time I didn't want to put the book down.
The actual ending was, how should I put this, hollow? To me it made it feel like Bobby's wild adventures to save Halla had been almost pointless. The ending was disappointing. The whole book, save the final battle, was dissapointing. A writer can either nail a series ending or they can blow it.
MacHale blew it.
The actual ending was, how should I put this, hollow? To me it made it feel like Bobby's wild adventures to save Halla had been almost pointless. The ending was disappointing. The whole book, save the final battle, was dissapointing. A writer can either nail a series ending or they can blow it.
MacHale blew it.
February 13, 2018
Good ending but it was pretty predictable. Lots of inspirational talk by Bobby at the end which is the same old speech he says. I kind of wanted a huge ending with tons of fighting and such but it never really happened. Still a great series in the beginning but it looked like the writing dropped off by book four or five. It got to be too detailed and drawn out which made it boring. The first few books are still the best.
October 22, 2009
Getting the bad stuff out of the way first so I can compliment DJ Machale properly...
1) As with every other Pendragon book, he once again can't get enough of cliches. It's not just a mere sprinkle...it's a shower. Nearly every paragraph that isn't dialog has at least one. Dude, find your own words.
2) Bobby Pendragon whines throughout, but if it's any consolation, he does it less here than the ninth book.
3) If it's supposed to be a journal, write like it's a journal. I've read journals. There's a certain style. But I suppose, in creativity-fever DJ Machale just goes to heck with style and charges through. Isn't that what editors are for? To weed out any deviation from the format?
4) The plural of 'journey' is 'journeys', not 'journies'. And this is only one of several spelling mistakes. I'm puuuurty sure there was an editor involved in the making of this book. DJ keeps thanking her for what a wonderful job she did.
And now the not-so-fun, but much cheerier parts. If there's anything to say about the author of Pendragon, it's that DJ packs a pretty interesting story. Full of suspense and everything! There were four or five times I found myself speed reading just to get to the good bits actually knowing good bits were ahead (which they were)! And that's a good thing. **Spoiler-mode-on** I wonder if he planned it all to be about Solara from the very beginning, or if he just made it up as he went along. Both ways seem probable. If he did have it in mind from the start, I'd say everything was still very rushed, considering. If he hadn't, well KUDOS, it fits!
In this book, the travelers discover that they are actually spirits of Solara created by other spirits just to combat this ultra evil Saint Dane. Why is he named that?! Solara is basically a realm of spirits that's fed by the positive spirit of mankind. In DJ Machale's words, a positive-energy gas tank.
AND, apparently the good travelers had all the same powers as the bad guy, but they just weren't allowed to use them because it would sap energy from Solara. They were also supposed to believe they weren't spirits (that's why they were sent to different territories to grow up on, with parents who are in spirit form and not their actual parents), so that THEIR spirits could fuel Solara, too. Lost you yet? Right...and Saint Dane had depleted the Solara so much, that the other spirits now have to ration. Translated into English means, travelers can fly, morph, and travel without using flumes and everything, but every time they do it, it uses up a bit of Solara's life force. Like cheats, but every time you cheat you lose health points.
Oh..and apparently the negative energy has built up so much that it formed a new Solara, which Saint Dane is the master of, and that's where he and Nevva get their power from. Though if you ask me, it would've been wiser to just use the positive Solara's energy to the max before switching gear. Saint Dane bailed out too soon, that's the problem.
Question though...if the spirits of Solara are everywhere, and they're watching everything, why the heck would anyone need to report back to Uncle Press?? Shouldn't he already know what's happened? Another question, if you morph into something, the longer you remain morphed, the more energy you sap? Or is it like, sapping one short burst when you morph into some other physical being, then sapping another short burst when you morph back into your original form? Or is it one short burst for the whole process of changing into and changing back?
I loved, loved, loved new Mark! The bad ass Mark! My new favorite character! Just loved his spirit and the non-geek he had become! I wish there was more Mark in the book. I don't know why, but the filmstrip in my head cast Matthew Bomer as Mark! Google him to find out just how uber cute he is! Oh, and he totally fits because in this book, Mark is now 23! (Something to do with time don't matter to spirits)
It was kinda awesome how DJ Machale made 'exile' into a cool word. It's suddenly so fashionable to be an exile. Everybody wants you! Some want you dead, others want you alive, but hey, everybody wants you! Yay! Side note: Mark's an exile. *gushes* AND, DJ made Nevva Winter the good girl gone bad gone good because she inadvertently saved the exiles. Three times, but the second and third time was on purpose. I always knew she had it in her! And I mean that! Plus, she had a few talks with mom, Elli (traveler who couldn't make up her mind as to whether she wanted to be old, frail and weak, or really brave and full of CHUTZPAH! I love that word, sounds Klingon), so it's all good now. Nevva is forgiven, and Elli is at peace.
Courtney was played down. A lot. I used to like Courtney more, but I prefer Mark now. She's too ... she's just ... she's trying too hard. That's what I felt anyway, but who knows, maybe it's just because she hasn't seen her old flame in a while, and because being a diplomat takes a toll on you, saps the life out a little. And you'd never guess where she was exiled to! (See? Isn't it just the new trend?)
Before we get to that, short comment on territories. Ravinia is everywhere, Cloral is basically in flames with Spader's habitat destroyed and a lot of people killed over 3 exiles (they are THAT important). No mention of Ibara, Veelox, Denduron or Quillan. I'm glad of it. DJ did the right thing in getting straight to the point and not indulging himself by sending Bobby on a pointless inter-territory hunt for exiles. It would've been if a much, MUCH thicker book if this had been in the hands of a certain female author who insists on recounting the most trivial things in detail.
Right...where was I...COURTNEY. Yes, Courtney. She's on Eelong! That territory-we-never-thought-would-amount-to-anything is the home of all the exiles now! a few thousand of em! They live with gars. Gars, humanoid. Gars don't work with Klees anymore because Ravinia mucked up. Klees, cats. Big cats. Jungle cats. Klees eat gar now. Gar and yanks (a.k.a exiles) work in harmony. Yanks create radio weapons. Radio weapons make copters malfunction, and as a bonus, deactivate DADOs. DADO robots created by Mark, mass produced by Saint Dane. Gars and Yanks also have nice whistles to tame Tangs. Tangs, big dinosaurs. Tangs eat Klees. Tangs eat klees, klees eat gars and/or yanks, gars and yanks eat home-grown mountain fruit. And the only reason why these Yanks are here, and not dead, is because Saint Dane let Nevva have a little 'experiment'. Apparently, Nevva wanted to preserve the beauty of Eelong and keep it untainted, but Saint Dane had other plans.
So there was this huge penultimate battle for Black Water, and there was a lot of valley busting and a few surprises. It was a fantastic battle sequence even though it never came close to any actual hand-to-hand combat! All the dying was done off-words and it wasn't detailed enough to let you imagine how gory it was.
The final battle was a bit of a let down, but it wasn't as bad as it could've been, and DJ did a pretty good job of piecing things together given the scale of things. The gars and yanks came all the way from Eelong to team up with Mark and his rebels and the travelers. (Oh yes, the travelers created another flume that nearly killed them all) The ultimate fight between Saint Dane and Pendragon was well, not quite as expected, but it'll do. It mostly consisted of Pendragon getting his butt handed to him on a platter until he eventually manned up and whacked Saint Dane MMA-style. Or is it just plain boxing?
The Ravinians on third earth came to their senses and realized what douches Saint Dane made of them. They hated him so much that there was a positive energy infusion in good Solara! How does that work exactly...?
Anyways, that ended Saint Dane because all the negative energy in his Solara became positive, and his spirit just winked out. Mhmm, yes...and now the poor Yanks are stuck on Third Earth, when they belong on Second Earth, but what the heck? 3000 years in a nuclear wasteland future isn't much different. On the other hand, sending them back to the past with knowledge of the future would be mucho bad, so I guess it's "tough luck, exiles."
All in all, the 10 book series is finally over and right now, all I can think of is 'Oh my good strawberries, I hope my mom thinks it was worth the few hundred bucks we spent or it's the end of collecting book series for me. And that can't ever happen because Artemis Fowl isn't complete yet! I'm sure Eoin Colfer will write more!'
1) As with every other Pendragon book, he once again can't get enough of cliches. It's not just a mere sprinkle...it's a shower. Nearly every paragraph that isn't dialog has at least one. Dude, find your own words.
2) Bobby Pendragon whines throughout, but if it's any consolation, he does it less here than the ninth book.
3) If it's supposed to be a journal, write like it's a journal. I've read journals. There's a certain style. But I suppose, in creativity-fever DJ Machale just goes to heck with style and charges through. Isn't that what editors are for? To weed out any deviation from the format?
4) The plural of 'journey' is 'journeys', not 'journies'. And this is only one of several spelling mistakes. I'm puuuurty sure there was an editor involved in the making of this book. DJ keeps thanking her for what a wonderful job she did.
And now the not-so-fun, but much cheerier parts. If there's anything to say about the author of Pendragon, it's that DJ packs a pretty interesting story. Full of suspense and everything! There were four or five times I found myself speed reading just to get to the good bits actually knowing good bits were ahead (which they were)! And that's a good thing. **Spoiler-mode-on** I wonder if he planned it all to be about Solara from the very beginning, or if he just made it up as he went along. Both ways seem probable. If he did have it in mind from the start, I'd say everything was still very rushed, considering. If he hadn't, well KUDOS, it fits!
In this book, the travelers discover that they are actually spirits of Solara created by other spirits just to combat this ultra evil Saint Dane. Why is he named that?! Solara is basically a realm of spirits that's fed by the positive spirit of mankind. In DJ Machale's words, a positive-energy gas tank.
AND, apparently the good travelers had all the same powers as the bad guy, but they just weren't allowed to use them because it would sap energy from Solara. They were also supposed to believe they weren't spirits (that's why they were sent to different territories to grow up on, with parents who are in spirit form and not their actual parents), so that THEIR spirits could fuel Solara, too. Lost you yet? Right...and Saint Dane had depleted the Solara so much, that the other spirits now have to ration. Translated into English means, travelers can fly, morph, and travel without using flumes and everything, but every time they do it, it uses up a bit of Solara's life force. Like cheats, but every time you cheat you lose health points.
Oh..and apparently the negative energy has built up so much that it formed a new Solara, which Saint Dane is the master of, and that's where he and Nevva get their power from. Though if you ask me, it would've been wiser to just use the positive Solara's energy to the max before switching gear. Saint Dane bailed out too soon, that's the problem.
Question though...if the spirits of Solara are everywhere, and they're watching everything, why the heck would anyone need to report back to Uncle Press?? Shouldn't he already know what's happened? Another question, if you morph into something, the longer you remain morphed, the more energy you sap? Or is it like, sapping one short burst when you morph into some other physical being, then sapping another short burst when you morph back into your original form? Or is it one short burst for the whole process of changing into and changing back?
I loved, loved, loved new Mark! The bad ass Mark! My new favorite character! Just loved his spirit and the non-geek he had become! I wish there was more Mark in the book. I don't know why, but the filmstrip in my head cast Matthew Bomer as Mark! Google him to find out just how uber cute he is! Oh, and he totally fits because in this book, Mark is now 23! (Something to do with time don't matter to spirits)
It was kinda awesome how DJ Machale made 'exile' into a cool word. It's suddenly so fashionable to be an exile. Everybody wants you! Some want you dead, others want you alive, but hey, everybody wants you! Yay! Side note: Mark's an exile. *gushes* AND, DJ made Nevva Winter the good girl gone bad gone good because she inadvertently saved the exiles. Three times, but the second and third time was on purpose. I always knew she had it in her! And I mean that! Plus, she had a few talks with mom, Elli (traveler who couldn't make up her mind as to whether she wanted to be old, frail and weak, or really brave and full of CHUTZPAH! I love that word, sounds Klingon), so it's all good now. Nevva is forgiven, and Elli is at peace.
Courtney was played down. A lot. I used to like Courtney more, but I prefer Mark now. She's too ... she's just ... she's trying too hard. That's what I felt anyway, but who knows, maybe it's just because she hasn't seen her old flame in a while, and because being a diplomat takes a toll on you, saps the life out a little. And you'd never guess where she was exiled to! (See? Isn't it just the new trend?)
Before we get to that, short comment on territories. Ravinia is everywhere, Cloral is basically in flames with Spader's habitat destroyed and a lot of people killed over 3 exiles (they are THAT important). No mention of Ibara, Veelox, Denduron or Quillan. I'm glad of it. DJ did the right thing in getting straight to the point and not indulging himself by sending Bobby on a pointless inter-territory hunt for exiles. It would've been if a much, MUCH thicker book if this had been in the hands of a certain female author who insists on recounting the most trivial things in detail.
Right...where was I...COURTNEY. Yes, Courtney. She's on Eelong! That territory-we-never-thought-would-amount-to-anything is the home of all the exiles now! a few thousand of em! They live with gars. Gars, humanoid. Gars don't work with Klees anymore because Ravinia mucked up. Klees, cats. Big cats. Jungle cats. Klees eat gar now. Gar and yanks (a.k.a exiles) work in harmony. Yanks create radio weapons. Radio weapons make copters malfunction, and as a bonus, deactivate DADOs. DADO robots created by Mark, mass produced by Saint Dane. Gars and Yanks also have nice whistles to tame Tangs. Tangs, big dinosaurs. Tangs eat Klees. Tangs eat klees, klees eat gars and/or yanks, gars and yanks eat home-grown mountain fruit. And the only reason why these Yanks are here, and not dead, is because Saint Dane let Nevva have a little 'experiment'. Apparently, Nevva wanted to preserve the beauty of Eelong and keep it untainted, but Saint Dane had other plans.
So there was this huge penultimate battle for Black Water, and there was a lot of valley busting and a few surprises. It was a fantastic battle sequence even though it never came close to any actual hand-to-hand combat! All the dying was done off-words and it wasn't detailed enough to let you imagine how gory it was.
The final battle was a bit of a let down, but it wasn't as bad as it could've been, and DJ did a pretty good job of piecing things together given the scale of things. The gars and yanks came all the way from Eelong to team up with Mark and his rebels and the travelers. (Oh yes, the travelers created another flume that nearly killed them all) The ultimate fight between Saint Dane and Pendragon was well, not quite as expected, but it'll do. It mostly consisted of Pendragon getting his butt handed to him on a platter until he eventually manned up and whacked Saint Dane MMA-style. Or is it just plain boxing?
The Ravinians on third earth came to their senses and realized what douches Saint Dane made of them. They hated him so much that there was a positive energy infusion in good Solara! How does that work exactly...?
Anyways, that ended Saint Dane because all the negative energy in his Solara became positive, and his spirit just winked out. Mhmm, yes...and now the poor Yanks are stuck on Third Earth, when they belong on Second Earth, but what the heck? 3000 years in a nuclear wasteland future isn't much different. On the other hand, sending them back to the past with knowledge of the future would be mucho bad, so I guess it's "tough luck, exiles."
All in all, the 10 book series is finally over and right now, all I can think of is 'Oh my good strawberries, I hope my mom thinks it was worth the few hundred bucks we spent or it's the end of collecting book series for me. And that can't ever happen because Artemis Fowl isn't complete yet! I'm sure Eoin Colfer will write more!'
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2022
A ten book series journey came to an end. I am glad that it's over. It had exceeded expectations at many points, and fell short on quite a few. I don't actually like how easily the final book solved the final clash, but probably by the end author couldn't change his vision much throughout the journey!
But, the end touch was good. So it became important where the story ended rather than how. And I liked the ending point.
A great journey indeed.
But, the end touch was good. So it became important where the story ended rather than how. And I liked the ending point.
A great journey indeed.
July 2, 2009
Finally, this is it. The conclusion to the Pendragon saga. As usual, we all rush to read each installment and are saddened when it is over. You just can't please everyone.
I was skeptical at the beginning because there were too many religious undertones - guardian angels, heaven, "fallen" angels, spirits, ghosts. This just isn't my cup of tea and wasn't where I expected this series to go. However, after the first few chapters, the feeling changed and I really got into the story. Bobby Pendragon and all the Travelers are together again and facing the final showdown with Saint Dane. There is a definite feel of Hitler and his theory of building utopia with the "elite" people while squashing the dregs of society. As usual, it is a long and involved telling of the events (which, of course, is wonderful).
I really enjoyed Bobby, Mark and Courtney's growth during this series. it really shows how given the chance and the need, people (even young people) can live up to that challenge and become someone great. The Travelers did a wonderful job and this book was a fine telling of the tale.
I was skeptical at the beginning because there were too many religious undertones - guardian angels, heaven, "fallen" angels, spirits, ghosts. This just isn't my cup of tea and wasn't where I expected this series to go. However, after the first few chapters, the feeling changed and I really got into the story. Bobby Pendragon and all the Travelers are together again and facing the final showdown with Saint Dane. There is a definite feel of Hitler and his theory of building utopia with the "elite" people while squashing the dregs of society. As usual, it is a long and involved telling of the events (which, of course, is wonderful).
I really enjoyed Bobby, Mark and Courtney's growth during this series. it really shows how given the chance and the need, people (even young people) can live up to that challenge and become someone great. The Travelers did a wonderful job and this book was a fine telling of the tale.
September 3, 2024
To była naprawdę długa przygoda! Nie pamiętam, kiedy tak naprawdę sięgnęłam po pierwszy tom, ale minęło co najmniej piętnaście lat i nawet pomimo tak długiego upływu czasu wciąż tak samo kocham te książki, Bobby'ego, Marka, Courtney i starsza ja jednak bardziej rozumie Saint Dane'a. Przeszliśmy wzloty, upadki, zbierałam szczękę z podłogi, wycierałam łzy, śmiałam się i zaciskałam pięści. Takie pożegnania zawsze są trudne i zawsze zamykają jakiś rozdział w życiu.
Nie obeszło się bez kłopotów, bo środek trochę mi nie leżał. Boże, jak tam bardzo nie chciałam kończyć tej przygody, że po 30% zostawiłam ją na dwa miesiące. Troszku się z w tym środku nudziłam, troszku nie rozumiałam zabiegów autora, ale koniec końców sama końcówka rozpuściła moje serce, uśmiechałam się rozczulona, bo to było zakończenie, na jakie zasługiwali (no smuteczek też był). Widać, że to wszystko było doskonale dopracowane i wszystko działo się po coś.
Zaskoczył mnie na końcu audio wywiad z autorem. Nie spodziewałam się i nawet nie wiedziałam, że potrzebowałam. To było idealne podsumowanie całej przygody. Żegnaj, Bobby Pendragonie. Jest mi smutno, ale to była genialna przygoda ❤️
Nie obeszło się bez kłopotów, bo środek trochę mi nie leżał. Boże, jak tam bardzo nie chciałam kończyć tej przygody, że po 30% zostawiłam ją na dwa miesiące. Troszku się z w tym środku nudziłam, troszku nie rozumiałam zabiegów autora, ale koniec końców sama końcówka rozpuściła moje serce, uśmiechałam się rozczulona, bo to było zakończenie, na jakie zasługiwali (no smuteczek też był). Widać, że to wszystko było doskonale dopracowane i wszystko działo się po coś.
Zaskoczył mnie na końcu audio wywiad z autorem. Nie spodziewałam się i nawet nie wiedziałam, że potrzebowałam. To było idealne podsumowanie całej przygody. Żegnaj, Bobby Pendragonie. Jest mi smutno, ale to była genialna przygoda ❤️
December 14, 2019
You know what makes a great book? Authors who aren't afraid to get dirty; authors who don't hold back on tragedy. This is especially true in adventure books -- if your characters are frequently put in dangerous situations, bad things should happen. Yes, maybe they're able to get out of those bad situations and rise above it, but it shouldn't be easy for them. D.J. MacHale is one author who definitely doesn't hold back and definitely doesn't make it easy for his characters in the final battle.
I am very satisfied with the conclusion of this series. All the characters showed tremendous growth and the final battle was pretty awesome. MacHale did some careful planning with this series, because I noticed things that tied back to clues given in previous books, which was fun. This is the point I was waiting for throughout the entire series, and like I said, MacHale doesn't hold back. The stakes are high and it gets dangerous for Bobby and his friends.
The only thing I didn't like was the explanation of what makes them all Travelers and how the gates were formed. I know it's a fantasy/science fiction novel, but it was just a little too far-fetched for me. I'm not going to go into detail due to spoilers, I'll just say that I think there could be far better explanations to the one MacHale chose.
However, this was a satisfying ending. It got kind of shaky for me around book 6 (The Rivers of Zadaa), but I continued with it because I was invested in the characters by that point. Around book 8 (The Pilgrims of Rayne), I was feeling it again, and now I'm glad I stuck with it. Soldiers of Halla is a great book full of excitement, danger, adventure, friendship, and everything that I love about the Pendragon series. Honestly, I think it's the best book of the series because the stakes are raised so high and the characters really have to struggle.
I recommend this entire series to lovers of young adult adventure/fantasy. They're imaginative, exciting books that don't disappoint.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
I am very satisfied with the conclusion of this series. All the characters showed tremendous growth and the final battle was pretty awesome. MacHale did some careful planning with this series, because I noticed things that tied back to clues given in previous books, which was fun. This is the point I was waiting for throughout the entire series, and like I said, MacHale doesn't hold back. The stakes are high and it gets dangerous for Bobby and his friends.
The only thing I didn't like was the explanation of what makes them all Travelers and how the gates were formed. I know it's a fantasy/science fiction novel, but it was just a little too far-fetched for me. I'm not going to go into detail due to spoilers, I'll just say that I think there could be far better explanations to the one MacHale chose.
However, this was a satisfying ending. It got kind of shaky for me around book 6 (The Rivers of Zadaa), but I continued with it because I was invested in the characters by that point. Around book 8 (The Pilgrims of Rayne), I was feeling it again, and now I'm glad I stuck with it. Soldiers of Halla is a great book full of excitement, danger, adventure, friendship, and everything that I love about the Pendragon series. Honestly, I think it's the best book of the series because the stakes are raised so high and the characters really have to struggle.
I recommend this entire series to lovers of young adult adventure/fantasy. They're imaginative, exciting books that don't disappoint.
Also posted on Purple People Readers.
October 15, 2010
I loved the series up until the end. I really did. It was imaginative, and I loved all the moral ambiguities. Is it worth it to contaminate the cultures of different worlds in order to save them? It reminds me of some the arguments about colonialism and Western interference in other cultures. It seemed to me that Saint Dane had a lot of hidden motives that might make him more sympathetic once they were relieved.
And then with this book, all moral ambiguity was lost in favor of a pat narrative with clear-cut answers and sharply divided good and evil. It even brought back a magical Uncle Press to explain everything to Bobby. The whole point of killing off the mentor figure is so that the hero will have to figure things out on his own. I thought Bobby was going to unravel the mystery of Halla with his own wits and experience. Not so. Sparkly deus ex mentor figure comes in to tell us The Meaning Behind It All.
Also, I don't see how the ending is a real resolution. It's not as if Saint Dane's disappearance will suddenly magically turn all the territories back to normal. Ravinia's still alive and well in all the other territories, and Third Earth is still a blasted wreck.
I'm sorry. You don't set up such fascinating mysteries and subplots, and then sweep them away with a wave of the authorial hand. This is a children's series, but children don't need clear-cut good and evil. They can handle moral ambiguities. (See the works of K.A. Applegate, which were all about shades of gray, very well-written, and a commercial success.)
And then with this book, all moral ambiguity was lost in favor of a pat narrative with clear-cut answers and sharply divided good and evil. It even brought back a magical Uncle Press to explain everything to Bobby. The whole point of killing off the mentor figure is so that the hero will have to figure things out on his own. I thought Bobby was going to unravel the mystery of Halla with his own wits and experience. Not so. Sparkly deus ex mentor figure comes in to tell us The Meaning Behind It All.
Also, I don't see how the ending is a real resolution. It's not as if Saint Dane's disappearance will suddenly magically turn all the territories back to normal. Ravinia's still alive and well in all the other territories, and Third Earth is still a blasted wreck.
I'm sorry. You don't set up such fascinating mysteries and subplots, and then sweep them away with a wave of the authorial hand. This is a children's series, but children don't need clear-cut good and evil. They can handle moral ambiguities. (See the works of K.A. Applegate, which were all about shades of gray, very well-written, and a commercial success.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2015
خدایا اصلن نمیدونم چی بگم
خیلی بهتر از چیزی که فکر میکردم تمومش کرد
مک هیل،دستم بهت برسه میکشمت.
این کتاب هیچ چی کم نداره
دلم واسه بابی خیلی تنگ میشه
خیلی بهتر از چیزی که فکر میکردم تمومش کرد
مک هیل،دستم بهت برسه میکشمت.
این کتاب هیچ چی کم نداره
دلم واسه بابی خیلی تنگ میشه
September 22, 2019
Sooooo. I can see why I didn’t remember much about this series. This last volume is completely forgettable.
I think it’s mostly because of that ending. Yes, the rest of the novel is a rehash, even though it’s taking place on a completely different Earth, but it’s that ending - which doesn’t know what to do with that completely different Earth, which is so noncommittal, which provides an unsatisfying, rote conclusion - that ultimately sinks the book.
That ending:
I will also note that the answers to big questions come very early on in the novel, and most of them feel unsatisfying. It’s partly because they've been built up for nine books, and it’s hard to create something that justifies that investment of time, but I think it’s also because the pacing hasn’t ramped up yet; later in the book, answers might feel like a reprieve, a chance to catch a breath, but early on it just feels like a stand in for story.
I wouldn’t say that this book undoes all its story, or destroys the series’ goodwill, though: it’s too inconsequential for that. It feels like an afterthought, strange as that might sound.
I think it’s mostly because of that ending. Yes, the rest of the novel is a rehash, even though it’s taking place on a completely different Earth, but it’s that ending - which doesn’t know what to do with that completely different Earth, which is so noncommittal, which provides an unsatisfying, rote conclusion - that ultimately sinks the book.
That ending:
I will also note that the answers to big questions come very early on in the novel, and most of them feel unsatisfying. It’s partly because they've been built up for nine books, and it’s hard to create something that justifies that investment of time, but I think it’s also because the pacing hasn’t ramped up yet; later in the book, answers might feel like a reprieve, a chance to catch a breath, but early on it just feels like a stand in for story.
I wouldn’t say that this book undoes all its story, or destroys the series’ goodwill, though: it’s too inconsequential for that. It feels like an afterthought, strange as that might sound.
November 17, 2019
از مزایای یک روز قطعی اینترنت اینه که میتونی کتابهای ناتمومت رو تموم کنی :))
March 21, 2017
I'm so happy with this last book in the series. There were a lot of questions answered and mysteries solved, and somehow it all finally made sense. I loved seeing all the story threads from previous books coming together, and all the settings being revisited.
There was a big information dump near the beginning that got a little tedious, but at least all that stuff was explained finally. But other than that, the writing is (as always) funny, serious, well-paced, compelling, heart-wrenching, with a sense of urgency that keeps you reading.
I was completely riveted with the plot, the action, and the characters! I cried a few times, and I was laughing at other times. I was utterly invested in the story.
After sticking with these characters through 10 books, it was so rewarding to see them growing into these amazing people, coming into their own, and I was cheering them on, fighting their battles alongside them. They are like real people to me now.
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead....
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There was a big information dump near the beginning that got a little tedious, but at least all that stuff was explained finally. But other than that, the writing is (as always) funny, serious, well-paced, compelling, heart-wrenching, with a sense of urgency that keeps you reading.
I was completely riveted with the plot, the action, and the characters! I cried a few times, and I was laughing at other times. I was utterly invested in the story.
After sticking with these characters through 10 books, it was so rewarding to see them growing into these amazing people, coming into their own, and I was cheering them on, fighting their battles alongside them. They are like real people to me now.
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead....
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April 28, 2010
This book genuinly pissed me off so badly a horrible ending to such a great series! It answers every question in the first fifty pages and I'm pretty sure they made their own religon in this book and I'm pretty sure that means uncle press is god. Plus he flat out tells you he won in the begining of the book. I pre ordered this book and got it to read after I finished cats testing in the seventh grade last year then I let my freind Seth read it after I finshed it he got fifty pages in and said this sucks donkey balls! No mystery left at all! After he read the book the rest of my freinds finished our so long anticipated series this was their reaction.
Kique fineshed the book in the car on a trip to florida and threw it out the window.
Mathew fineshed it at his house he then cried for three hours.
John developed turets
Dexter threw up
Seth stared at the wall for three days strait
And I cried
Thanks a lot DJ mcFAIL you waisted our time and money writing the longest peice of s@&t ever and you have maneged to drive a group of people insane!
Kique fineshed the book in the car on a trip to florida and threw it out the window.
Mathew fineshed it at his house he then cried for three hours.
John developed turets
Dexter threw up
Seth stared at the wall for three days strait
And I cried
Thanks a lot DJ mcFAIL you waisted our time and money writing the longest peice of s@&t ever and you have maneged to drive a group of people insane!
April 5, 2013
This book met my expectations, which weren't set too high. If you have read the past books (which I thought were truly awesome!), then you would know what a challange it would be to tie up the series. I think that D.J. MacHale did so to the best of his ability. I don't see another way it could have played out. It felt a little too easy and you have to be really turn a blind eye when it comes to believability. Overall for me it was a satisfying conclusion. The series had already being going downhill for me after the Quillan Games, so I wasn't too picky about the ending. It wasn't absolutely ridiculous at least. Part of me is just glad that it's finally over.
The only thing is that I think that the last chapter, for me, didn't make a whole lot of sense with the rest of the series. It contradicts so many rules that are established. I think it could be ommitted. I personally disregarded it after I read it. It doesn't exist!
The only thing is that I think that the last chapter, for me, didn't make a whole lot of sense with the rest of the series. It contradicts so many rules that are established. I think it could be ommitted. I personally disregarded it after I read it. It doesn't exist!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2018
This book tries REALLY hard to be a finale. As in there's about 4 finale worthy climaxes in this one book. It starts to do itself disservice halfway through. Still, I did enjoy the book. It wraps up the story quite nicely.
The series as a whole has moderate issues. The romance is unsold and quite a bit too idealistic. Each book talks a LOT about previous books in the series (why the author never wrote prologues for this purpose I don't know). The philosophy is very black and white. Typical YA issues.
I was personally dissatisfied by how my favorite character, Siry, did not get enough page time (book 8 was fantastic but that's all he was really in) and my least favorite character, Courtney, got far too much.
The entire series is a 4/5. Shining moments are books 2, 7 and 8.
The series as a whole has moderate issues. The romance is unsold and quite a bit too idealistic. Each book talks a LOT about previous books in the series (why the author never wrote prologues for this purpose I don't know). The philosophy is very black and white. Typical YA issues.
I was personally dissatisfied by how my favorite character, Siry, did not get enough page time (book 8 was fantastic but that's all he was really in) and my least favorite character, Courtney, got far too much.
The entire series is a 4/5. Shining moments are books 2, 7 and 8.
April 8, 2019
The site's broken, it's not letting me put more than five stars on this review.
December 19, 2012
Ending felt a bit.... too easily resolved
for a series that lasted 10 books
for a series that lasted 10 books
February 11, 2024
Certainly going to have book series hangover after this one
March 27, 2018
Well, fuck me sideways. I need to write a proper review for this tomorrow. Ughh
Read
December 11, 2012Spoiler ALERT!!! If you haven’t read books 1-9 you should!!
The Soldiers of Halla, by D.J. MacHale, in my opinion is one of the best book I have ever read! Bobby Pendragon has been fighting Saint Dane, (For what five years?) and now it all ends. Those travelers that had died have come back (thanks to mysterious forces). One way or another- one of these power houses are going down! But this ENTIRE BOOK SERIES can be a bit confusing, you’ll have to pay a whole bunch of attention to what you are actually reading.
I can relate to this book because, while Bobby is fighting for all of Halla. I’m just fighting to get thru high school! Except my enemies just happen to be tests and Final exams, but hey, I’m winning! (Or at least I think I am).
I wouldn’t recommend this book for a reader who has just gotten over the fact that there are books that actually have no pictures, and can be over one hundred pages. I also wouldn’t recommend this book until you’ve read books 1-9. But other than that- yeah I’d totally recommend that you finish out the series!
Some symbolism in Solders of Halla is the star that Ravina use for their symbol; because the star also just happens to be the marker for a flume (a thing that allowed travelers to travel threw all 10 territories). So that could be Saint Dane rubbing salt in the wound. This book’s setting is in a future earth, but it also takes place on the other territories in Halla, including Coral, Zadaa and Eelong.
The Soldiers of Halla, by D.J. MacHale, in my opinion is one of the best book I have ever read! Bobby Pendragon has been fighting Saint Dane, (For what five years?) and now it all ends. Those travelers that had died have come back (thanks to mysterious forces). One way or another- one of these power houses are going down! But this ENTIRE BOOK SERIES can be a bit confusing, you’ll have to pay a whole bunch of attention to what you are actually reading.
I can relate to this book because, while Bobby is fighting for all of Halla. I’m just fighting to get thru high school! Except my enemies just happen to be tests and Final exams, but hey, I’m winning! (Or at least I think I am).
I wouldn’t recommend this book for a reader who has just gotten over the fact that there are books that actually have no pictures, and can be over one hundred pages. I also wouldn’t recommend this book until you’ve read books 1-9. But other than that- yeah I’d totally recommend that you finish out the series!
Some symbolism in Solders of Halla is the star that Ravina use for their symbol; because the star also just happens to be the marker for a flume (a thing that allowed travelers to travel threw all 10 territories). So that could be Saint Dane rubbing salt in the wound. This book’s setting is in a future earth, but it also takes place on the other territories in Halla, including Coral, Zadaa and Eelong.
October 10, 2018
Unbelievable. This sucked. I liked the other books and I was expecting the last one to be great. Little did I know, I would be greatly disappointed. I mean, come on! The last book and it's a fail. Loor was HARDLY in it. And she was a pretty important character, and my favorite, through the series. But no, the author decided to put her in only like 2 pages.
I thought that there would be an epic battle with all of the travelers together. Again, I was disappointed. There was no chemistry between any of the cool travelers.
Saint Dane's end was good, I guess...
But throughout the whole book I was thinking, WHERE'S LOOR, MAN?!
*spoiler*
And the fact that Bobby marries Courtney makes me so incredibly frustrated, I can't even explain. Loor is 100x better than that loser. But hopefully when he goes back to Solara he goes with Loor....
It had so much potential.
I thought that there would be an epic battle with all of the travelers together. Again, I was disappointed. There was no chemistry between any of the cool travelers.
Saint Dane's end was good, I guess...
But throughout the whole book I was thinking, WHERE'S LOOR, MAN?!
*spoiler*
And the fact that Bobby marries Courtney makes me so incredibly frustrated, I can't even explain. Loor is 100x better than that loser. But hopefully when he goes back to Solara he goes with Loor....
It had so much potential.
May 30, 2016
Reared 2016
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I literally remembered absolutely nothing from this book. Not one thing. So this was definitely more of a first read for me even though I know I devoured it the second it came out way back in 2009.
I don't even have coherent words. I loved it. So much was explained, finally. Epic battles, the return of all of our old friends, a battle of epic proportions between good and evil. Couldn't have asked for more.
I will shout from the rooftops about this series until the end of time or when everyone reads it. Whichever comes first.
P.S. I would just like to state that the last chapter of this absolutely destroyed me, but in the best way possible.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I literally remembered absolutely nothing from this book. Not one thing. So this was definitely more of a first read for me even though I know I devoured it the second it came out way back in 2009.
I don't even have coherent words. I loved it. So much was explained, finally. Epic battles, the return of all of our old friends, a battle of epic proportions between good and evil. Couldn't have asked for more.
I will shout from the rooftops about this series until the end of time or when everyone reads it. Whichever comes first.
P.S. I would just like to state that the last chapter of this absolutely destroyed me, but in the best way possible.
November 22, 2010
Good series. A little long and with a similar plot line in each book, but contrary to most series where that happens, you actually found out new stuff in every book. The different territories and Travelers were unique and beautiful (yay for Eelong and Loor!). Good balance.
I wish I could edit out some brief comments from Bobby, nothing huge, mostly just language. If you like complicated, totally evil badguys that intrigue like no one else can, this is yours.
Why I only gave it a 3: length of series and language.
I wish I could edit out some brief comments from Bobby, nothing huge, mostly just language. If you like complicated, totally evil badguys that intrigue like no one else can, this is yours.
Why I only gave it a 3: length of series and language.
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