Genre: Fantasy
Hobey-Ho!
All Halla is breaking loose.
Saint Dane has taken advantage of the mixing of territories and more than one territory is in danger of falling.
Bobby has checked out as lead traveler and is helping the people of Ibara rebuild their civilization. Alder has his hands full on Denduron as the uncovering of tak has emboldened some to attack others.
On Second Earth the rise of the “Ravinians” has Second Earth near a tipping point. Mark, Courtney, and Third Earth Traveler, Patrick are on Second Earth doing the best they can against Saint Dane, Nevva and the leader of the Ravinians. The Ravinians feel that the only way to survive is to marginalize the people who are not as successful as others. Hmmmmm, I would be marginalized for sure.
The Ravinians started in 1937 after Mark in all his wisdom gave his Traveler ring to Nevva who in turn gave it to a 7 year old dying boy, Alexander Naymeer. That boy was helped back to health by Saint Dane and became the leader of this odd cult on Second Earth.
On Ibara Bobby comes to his senses and finds out that he has been duped by Nevva and Saint Dane into thinking that he has trapped them on Veelox thus ending the battle between the Travelers and Saint Dane. Leaving Veelox (remember Ibara is an island on Veelox) Bobby joins Alder on Denduron. Once there, they discover that the Travelers indeed have more power at their disposal and help each other survive to live and fight another day on Second Earth.
Denduron is lost, Veelox was lost, Quillan is lost……Second Earth is at a tipping point, and Halla is crumbling.
“Pendragon Raven Rise” is the next to last book of the series. It is dark and foreboding. Saint Dane appears to have won and Halla is falling. The future of Earth (Third Earth) has turned from a beautiful place where people lived in harmony with nature into a ravaged scorched earth filled with suffering. Obviously, the vision of the ideal Ravinian society did not work.
There are inconsistencies in “Raven Rise” that I have not seen before. For example, why, if he was Andy Mitchell on Second Earth for many years would Saint Dane not understand the term “bite me”? Also, it seems to be a simple matter for the Travelers to go back to 1937 (First Earth) and stop Mark from giving the ring to Nevva thus stopping the rise of the Ravinians before it starts. Bobby instead chose to fight the powerful Ravinians on Second Earth. Baffling, but, maybe there is a reason to be explained in Book 10. Also, “Raven Rise” is a bit repetitive (according to Kristen).
Even though “Raven Rise” is not the best in the series, the Pendragon books taken as a whole are absolutely enthralling. I am definitely ready for the last Pendragon book to see how this is all resolved.
Spoiler (run your mouse over the next few lines to read the spoiler):
At the end of “Raven Rise” the Travelers all meet again. There is hope.
Next up: Pendragon Book 10 due in May 2009
Hobey-Ho! And so we go.
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