The Deltora book series is the collective title for three series of children’s fantasy books, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. Children's literature is an age category of literature written for published for or marketed to Children roughly through age 12 Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting A Book is a set or collection of written printed illustrated or blank sheets made of Paper, Parchment, or other material usually fastened together Jennifer June Rowe (born April 2, 1948) is an award-winning Australian Author. It follows the adventures of three companions as they journey across the magical land of Deltora, endeavouring to recover magical artifacts and defeat allies of the evil Shadow Lord. The series was first published in Australia between 2000 and 2005. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. It has been published in more than 30 countries and 10 million copies worldwide, including 2 million in Australia^[1]. It is published by Scholastic in Australia and the USA. The Scholastic Corporation (or sometimes referred to as Scholastic Press; in other cases Scholastic Inc The series is illustrated by Marc McBride in most countries.

The series consists of fifteen books: the first eight comprise the Deltora Quest series, the next three comprise the Deltora Shadowlands series (also known as Deltora Quest 2) and the final four comprise the Dragons of Deltora series (also known as Deltora Quest 3). Deltora Quest is the original series created by the author Emily Rodda in the year 2000 in Australia Deltora Quest 2 (also known as Deltora Shadowlands) is a series of children’s Fantasy Books written by Australian author Deltora Quest 3 (also known as Dragons of Deltora) is a series of children’s Fantasy Books written by Australian author There are five other official books that compliment the series: The Deltora Book of Monsters, Tales of Deltora, The Authorised Ultimate Deltora Quiz Book, How to Draw Deltora Monsters, and How to Draw Deltora Dragons. A Japanese anime adaptation of the series is currently showing on Japanese television. is a Japanese Anime series based on the series of childrens books of the same name, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. ^[2].

Contents 1 Creation and Publication 2 Plot Synopsis 2.1 Deltora Quest 2.2 Deltora Quest 2 (Deltora Shadowlands) 2.3 Deltora Quest 3 (Dragons of Deltora) 2.4 Tales of Deltora 3 Setting 4 Main Characters 4.1 Lief 4.2 Jasmine 4.3 Barda 5 Themes 6 Adaptations 7 References 8 External links

Creation and Publication

Emily Rodda conceived of the Deltora series as a classical quest featuring a continuing storyline told over several books^[3]. This article is about the word for other meanings see Quest (disambiguation A quest is a journey towards a goal used in Mythology She purposely modelled the structure of the series on the structure of a computer game, after noting how engaged her own children were with video games^[4]. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The success of Rodda's previous fantasy series, Rowan of Rin, helped Deltora get published as both series take place in completely fantastic worlds: Rowan of Rin was unusual because most children's fantasy series published at that time followed the Alice in Wonderland model where contemporary children found their way into a magical world^[5]. The Rowan series is a series of five children's Fantasy Novels by Australian author Emily Rodda. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865 is a novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known under the Pseudonym Lewis Rodda worked on the manuscript for some time before taking it to her publisher^[3]. She spent time developing the world of Deltora before working on the story in great detail- Rodda believes that fantasy authors must make their fictional worlds seem completely real^[6].

Deltora is an adventure that features lots of swordfights and monsters. The adventure novel is a Literary genre of novels that has Adventure, an exciting undertaking involving risk and physical danger as its main theme The continuing story of each series is broken down into stages through the use of plot coupons. A plot coupon, and the somewhat less-well-known plot voucher, are the names given by literary critic Nick Lowe to specimens of Plot devices in his 1986 essay It also makes use of plot twists, red herrings and foreshadowing, especially in regards to the backstories of its central characters. A plot twist is a change ("twist" in the direction or expected outcome of the plot of a Film, Television series, Video game, In Literature, a red herring is a narrative element intended to distract the reader from a more important event in the plot usually a Twist ending. Foreshadowing is a literary device in which an Author drops subtle hints about plot developments to come later in the story. In Narratology, a back-story (also back story or backstory) is the history behind the situation extant at the start of the main story It draws most heavily on the conventions of the fantasy genre: it features magical amulets, a disembodied evil Dark Lord and a teenage boy hero with dark hair. An amulet ( the Elder|Pliny]] meaning "an object that protects a person from trouble" a close cousin of the talisman (from Arabic There are many elements that show up throughout the fantasy genre in different guises A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and Each book includes some maps, diagrams or illustrations. A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, Regions, and Themes A diagram is a 2D geometric symbolic Representation of Information according to some Visualization technique An illustration is a visualization such as a Drawing, Painting, Photograph or other work of Art that stresses subject more than

The Deltora series is well known for its array of fictional plants and animals.

The series is marketed for younger readers aged 8 to 14^[7], although has been recommended by fans for readers of all ages^[8]. The Deltora series features a wide line of characters both important and minor The first eight books are all about 120 pages long in their Australian versions. The next three are slightly longer at around 135 - 145 pages each. The final four are the longest, ranging from around 160 to 185 pages. In some countries the series are available in boxed sets and all-in-one volumes. A box set (sometimes referred to as a boxed set) is a compilation of various musical recordings Films Television programs or other collection

Plot Synopsis

Deltora Quest

The first series of Deltora Quest follows the journeys of Lief, who has set out to do his Father's Quest of saving Deltora. Joining Lief is the ex-Palace Guard Barda. Along the way they meet with Jasmine - a wild child of the Forests of Silence. Their quest is to find the seven gems of the fabled Belt of Deltora: topaz, ruby, opal, lapis lazuli, emerald, amethyst, and diamond. Topaz is a Silicate mineral of Aluminium and Fluorine with the Chemical formula Al 2 Si[[oxygen O]]4( A Ruby is a pink to blood-red Gemstone, a variety of the Mineral Corundum ( Aluminium oxide) OPAL ( Open Pool Australian Lightwater reactor) is a 20 megawatt pool-type nuclear research reactor that was officially opened in April 2007 Emeralds are a variety of the Mineral Beryl (Be3Al2(SiO36 colored Green by trace amounts Amethyst is a violet variety of Quartz often used as an Ornamental stone in Jewelry. In Mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in Each gem is hidden in a dangerous location around Deltora and the three friends must face all sorts of perils to reach them. Once the Belt is complete the evil tyranny of the Shadow Lord will end and Deltora's one sole heir will take his/her rightful place on the Quest.

The books are The Forests of Silence, The Lake of Tears, City of the Rats, The Shifting Sands, Dread Mountain, The Maze of the Beast, The Valley of the Lost, and Return to Del. The Forests of Silence was written by Emily Rodda, and is the first book in the eight-volume Deltora Quest series The Lake of Tears is the second book in the eight-volume Deltora Quest series written by Emily Rodda. City of the Rats is the third book in the eight-volume Deltora Quest series written by Emily Rodda. The Shifting Sands is the fourth book in the eight-volume Deltora Quest series written by Emily Rodda. Dread Mountain is the fifth book in the Deltora Quest series written by Emily Rodda. Maze of the Beast is the sixth book in the fictional Deltora Quest series written by Emily Rodda. The Valley of the Lost is the seventh book in the Deltora Quest series written by Emily Rodda. Return to Del is the eighth and final book of the original series of Deltora Quest written by Emily Rodda

Deltora Quest 2 (Deltora Shadowlands)

In Deltora Quest 2, Lief and his companions, Barda and Jasmine set out on a quest below the land of Deltora, and travel through the strange societies underground, formed by the three tribes of the former inhabitants of the Shadowlands, which was, long ago, a beautiful land, with the Shadow Lord repressed by the magic of the Pirran Pipe. The three adventurers convince each tribe to lend them their pieces of the Pipe, before Lief, Barda and Jasmine travel into the Shadowlands itself in order to use the Pipe to hold off the Shadow Lord and his power long enough for the thousands of Deltoran slaves to escape.

The books are The Cavern of the Fear, The Isle of Illusion, and The Shadowlands.

Deltora Quest 3 (Dragons of Deltora)

Once again the three companions have to save Deltora, this time from the Four Sisters, evil creations of the Shadow Lord. The Deltora series features a wide line of characters both important and minor These four sisters sing their songs of death across Deltora causing Deltora's food supply to become limited and these songs "bring to the land a long slow death. " With only a part of a torn map, left by Doran (the Dragonlover) they set out to find these sisters and destroy them. The Deltora series features a wide line of characters both important and minor Each sister is destoyed with the aid of a dragon. The Deltora series features a wide line of characters both important and minor When each sister and the sister's Guardian are destroyed another fragment of the map is found and they discover that the final sister is hidden in their hometown of Del. While they try to stop the sister the rest of Del is being poisoned by the evil Guardian of the South. Eventually, after the three companions destroy the sister of the south, a great poisonous, acidic liquid is released from the center of Deltora. With the help of the last seven dragons, however, the poison is stopped and the series ends with the wedding of Jasmine and Lief.

The books are Dragon's Nest, Shadowgate, Isle of the Dead, and The Sister of the South.

Tales of Deltora

Tales of Deltora was a book compiled with the history of Deltora by Josef, the librarian In the time of King Alton and King Leif. It told of in the beginning of time there were many islands, all separated from each other. Beasts lurked in the water and dragons ruled over the skies. In the Land of Dragons, one of the islands, there were people and to their north was an island with pure white sand and said to have sparkling ponds and wise, kind inhabitants. One day the rock in the sea broke, engulfing the sea in fire from the Earth's core. The sea beasts were almost extinct by now, leaving the seas free of danger. The clash between fire and water created a mountain between the Land of Dragons and the island north to it. The island was protected by magic and could not be entered. It also told of an evil sorcerer who one day was ship-wrecked into the Land of Dragons. He fled to the mountains where he lived in secret with murderers and bandits who had been banished. One day, while the sorcerer was taking a walk, he saw an egg. It turned out to be an Ak-Baba, a very powerful bird which was the size of a full-grown dragon. Slowly the sorcerer began to grow stronger in the Dark Arts and promised to rule over both the island to the north and the Land of Dragons. Later, Pirran, the island to the north, was found out by the sorcerer to be protected by a flute. The flute played notes so beautiful no evil could arouse where it was heard. After awhile the Chief of the island, and the one who played the flute, died and a new player was going to have to be chosen. Three players, who were very good, were to be voted on to be the new player. They got an equal amount of votes though, and a being clothed in black told them to break the flute into three parts and give each one to a player. The people agreed and separated the pieces among each of the their favorite players. Later, the sorcerer conquered Pirran as no part of the flute could be played without the other two parts. The beautiful land of Pirran soon became the land of Shadows, Shadowland. The book also told of Adin and his battle for the land and gathering the seven gems of Deltora, uniting them under him. They told of the ferocious and battle-loving Jalis, the honourable and cunning Dread Gnomes, the lively people of Del, the playful people of Mere, the clever people of Ralad, the wise and calm Torans and the resoureful people of the plains. Another thing the book talked about was their battle with the Shadowlord. It told of heroes, hope, darkness, dragons and light.

Setting

The books are centered around the magical land of Deltora, particularly the major cities: Del (the capital where the royal family resides), Raladin, Hira, Rithmere, Dread Mountain, Tora, and Jaliad. Deltora is roughly pentagonal in shape and is bordered by The Silver Sea to the west, and mountains to the north. Beyond these mountains lie the Shadowlands, a barren, desolate plain ruled by the Shadow Lord, formerly a beautiful land named Pirra.

Main Characters

Main article: Characters in the Deltora Quest series

Lief

At the start of the series, Lief is the son of a blacksmith who lives in the run down city of Del. The Deltora series features a wide line of characters both important and minor The Deltora series features a wide line of characters both important and minor He is hot-headed and spends his time roaming the streets and both creating and dodging trouble. On his 16th birthday he leaves Del on the quest to find the magical jewels and the heir to Deltora. During the series, Lief competes in a fighting contest (the winner would win 1000 coins) in which he describes his special skill as speed. Speed is the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change in position often expressed as Distance d traveled per unit of He does not show romantic interest in Jasmine until the 3rd series, who returns his feelings later on. Lief finds out that he is the heir to the throne of Deltora and he becomes the king and saves Deltora 3 times. On rare ocasons, however, he shows to be an unworthy leader and makes rash decisions. In the end he befriends all the deltoran dragons and marries Jasmine. And he restarts the tradition of wearing he Belt day and night, as Adin, the first king, did.

Jasmine

At the start of the series Jasmine is a wild, orphan girl who lives a solitary life in the dangerous Forests of Silence. The Deltora series features a wide line of characters both important and minor Her only friends in her spell in the Forests were the blackbird named Kree and a small furry animal called Filli. Jasmine understands the language of trees and many other animals. She is hot-headed, like Lief, though she displays far less tact. She finds her long lost father and they are once again reunited. She is about the same age as Lief. During the series, Jasmine competes in a contest in which she describes her special skill as agility. Agility is the ability to change the body's position, and requires a combination of Balance, coordination, Speed, Reflexes, and She shows romantic interest in Lief, and ends up marrying him. She and Lief also have kids named Anna, after Jasmine's deceased mother, Jarred, after Jasmine's father, and Endon, after Lief's deceased father.

Barda

At the start of the series Barda appears to be a poor beggar living on the streets of Del. The Deltora series features a wide line of characters both important and minor He is revealed to be a capable fighter who was intended to act as a bodyguard to Lief, much to Lief's dismay. He is a skilled swordsman and frequently makes jokes about being stuck with two young hot-heads- Lief and Jasmine. He is about the same age as Lief’s parents. During the series, Barda competes in a contest in which he describes his special skill as power. Power is a measure of a person's ability to control the environment around them including the behavior of other people

Themes

A recurring political theme expressed in the series is that a leader who does not understand ordinary people is doomed to failure. Another political theme focuses on the disastrous results of leaders who ignore history. The final books explores the insidious nature of despair. The 1st and 2nd series explores the theme of "united we stand, divided we fall". The theme of gambling, and how it equates to trickery also revisits the story occasionally.

Adaptations

Rodda has said there has been some interest in adapting the Deltora series into a film but she refused to let any adaptation change the story. There is also a Nintendo DS real-time rpg game confirmed with all three characters. ^[6] A 56 part Deltora Quest anime series of the first eight books began its broadcast season in Japan on January 6, 2007. is a Japanese Anime series based on the series of childrens books of the same name, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. (anime in Japanese, Rodda chose this option because she and her kids "love" Japanese anime and because she wanted any adaptation of Deltora to be “cool”^[6]. The series is in produced at Oriental Light and Magic and is directed by Mitsuru Hongō. former Oriental Light and Magic, is a Japanese Animation studio founded in June 1994 The studio keeps the quest for all seven magic jewels intact in the story^[6]. One noticeable alteration has been made: Lief’s hair color has been changed from black to blonde, Others include the Ressurection of Theagan along with at least one new villan, Oscar. ^[9] Rodda hasn't ruled out a live action version of the story (either film or television) being made at some point in the future - she intends to wait until she gets an offer that "is genuinely admiring of the books as they are"^[6].

There is currently a manga adaptation by Makoto Niwano, serialised in Bom Bom Comics and published by Kodansha^[10]. ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly is a Japanese monthly manga magazine published by Kodansha. Its main target is Elementary school aged boys and a new issue is released on the 15th of the month is the largest Japanese publisher headquartered in ( Bunkyo) Tokyo.

References

External links

• Australian Deltora Quest website
• US Deltora website
• Emily Rodda's official website
• Deltora Quest anime website

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