483 pages
"Jason Walker needs to find a way back to Lyrian. Rachel remains stranded there, and Jason has precious information that the friends he left behind must learn in order to have any hope of surviving and defeating the evil emperor Maldor.
When he finally succeeds in returning to the strange and imperiled world, Jason immediately finds himself in more danger than ever as the most wanted fugitive on the continent. Meanwhile, Rachel has begun to discover new abilities of her own that may prove vital against Maldor's tyranny.
In the aftermath of a failed quest, a new mission arises--to assemble the remaining heroes of Lyrian. Can the necessary allies be convinced before the emperor crushes the young uprising? Jason, Rachel, and their band of battered heroes will face new enemies and demanding obstacles as they strive to launch a desperate rebellion." -Dust Jacket
I'm so glad I re-read the first two books in this series. Not only did it refresh the 'ol memory as to what happened and all the many characters, but it also reminded me of what a great story this is. I love fantasy stories where heroes must fight nearly impossible odds, sacrifice for their friends, and do hard things. I can't wait to now read the finale!
{SPOILER ALERT--BOOK SUMMARY}
Jason's been back home for 6 months but having a hard time adjusting. He wants to get back and help his friends. He's been visiting the hippo at the zoo frequently and contemplating jumping in. One day he finally hears the music again and does jump in even though there are several spectators who scream at him to get out. The hippo swallows him and he falls through the tree into Lyrian again. Tark is there playing his sousalax. He tells Jason that he thinks he's being followed by a lurker/torivor so he lets Jason off the raft at the edge of a dangerous forest. Jason tells Tark that the Word doesn't work.
Jason encounters little people who seem friendly but who turn into giants at dusk. They try to catch and eat Jason. He climbs the chimney and they try to smoke him out. He gets away when a torivor shows up and the giants run away. The torivor follows him at a short distance but doesn't speak or appear to have any features. It's just a dark, human-shaped form.
The torivor hovers over Jason when he sleeps and causes him to have nightmares, to doubt his friends, and to doubt returning to Lyrian.
Meanwhile, Drake and Rachel are also being followed by a torivor. They go to find the charm woman both to help them get rid of it and also to test Rachel's ability with Edomic. She can start and extinguish a fire with a simple command, a task that Drake taught her and that took him several years to master. Rachel seems to have an aptitude for it.
Jason enters a small town to find food. The townspeople are frightened of him and the torivor that follows him. The torivor is attacked but kills its attacker. Jason finally reaches out to Ferrin for help using Ferrin's hand that he's carried with him from the Beyond. He communicates with the hand by writing words on the palm and then the hand replies with sign language. Ferrin tells him that a lurker is one of Maldor's most dangerous spies. The lurker won't follow Jason into a big city so Ferrin tells Jason to go to Ithilum.
Jason gets to Ithilum and the torivor stops following him. He walks near the tide pools and a soldier asks to see his permit. Jason offers him a bribe. The soldier escorts him to the Dockside Inn to look for Aram, the man Tark said would help him because he owes Tark a favor and because Tark has given Jason money and jewels to pay him. Aram is a huge man, taller than Jason who is 6 feet. Aram says he no longer works for hire. Jason jokingly asks if he's a giant because he's so big. Aram gets angry and makes Jason come with him.
Aram takes Jason to his home where his mother, Moira, questions Jason about his identity and intentions. Jason tells him who he is and why he needs help. Moira tells Jason that Aram is half giant, half human. His father (giant) died trying to protect Moira and Aram when the giants attacked their village. Aram grows at night but not as big as a giant and shrinks in the day. Moira's hope is that her son will willingly join Galloran and fight for a noble cause because she is dying.
The charm woman helps Rachel create and charm a doll that will fool the torivor for awhile into thinking it's her. The charm woman tells Rachel that a torivor is an entity summoned from another Beyond by the wizard Zokar who then trapped them here. Drake scouts ahead and sees that the torivor has summoned soldiers to help flush out Rachel and Drake. Drake and the doll head off in one direction and the charm woman and Rachel go another. The charm woman tells Rachel that she's an Edomic prodigy but that using Edomic can become intoxicating and have disastrous results if the user does more than he/she is capable of. Rachel gives the charm woman a nickname of Elaine because she won't share her real name. They make their way to a cave where Elaine has Rachel first light the fire and then try to ignite a living branch. The task is too great for Rachel and leaves her feeling sick and dizzy. The living resist Edomic which is why it was so hard. Elaine wants Rachel to learn that you have to operate within your limits, that pushing too hard could kill you.
Jason sleeps at Aram's house but Ferrin's hand keeps shaking, trying to get his attention. Jason doesn't want to answer because he doesn't want to jeopardize his location. He doesn't trust Ferrin. Finally though, he talks to the hand. Ferrin signs that he knows where Jason is and who's helping him because he's across the street. Jason has no choice but to let him in. Aram, in his shorter stature, pretends to be Burt, Aram's brother. They question Ferrin and aren't sure they can trust him. Ferrin warns that there are soldiers and torivors at the city gates and they won't get away without his help. They send Ferrin off for horses and decide to get away without him. Jason and Aram use a secret well and swim out of the city. There are barrels filled with air at intervals along the swim. Jason has a close encounter when one of the barrels is filled with water and he barely makes it to the next one. They meet up with a man named Chancy outside the city who has brought horses for them. The lurker shows up, throws Jason from his horse, and then flies off to get reinforcements. Jason and Aram realize that speed is going to have to replace stealth.
When they get to Potsug, he designated rendezvous spot with Tark, they learn that he hasn't made it. They decide to move on and hire a ferry to take them across the river. Ferrin splashes on board and warns of an ambush up ahead. He tells them that he heard Chancy getting horses for people fitting their description and followed him. He saw the torivor and raced ahead of Jason and Aram to warn them. They cut the ferry line. Ferrin has a horse nearby. They decide to make a stand before Aram shrinks at dawn. Aram and Ferrin kill several soldiers. Jason, who isn't proficient with a sword yet, throws rocks because he is a good pitcher. One of the soldiers rides away. Aram shrinks. Aram's changing size creates some witty banter between Ferrin and Amar. Ferrin always makes his disparaging comments when Amar is small however.
Ferrin, Amar and Jason go to Fortaim to see the Blind King. They find one of his towers demolished and inside Galloran's tower they find Ned, who now prefers to be called Nedwin. Jugard is lying dead on the floor. Nedwin found him stabbed to death on the floor of his cave when he went to retrieve him. Galloran had said that the keepers of the syllables should be gathered since Maldor's vengeance on them has been swift. Corinne is Galloran's daughter. Nedwin was Galloran's right-hand man and was captured and tortured much longer than Galloran. Because of all he suffered, he is immune to pain and skilled at knowing what herbs and poisons do certain things. Chancellor Copernum (whom Jason wont the title of Chancellor from after a battle of wits) was his chief torturer so he has a vendetta against him. They find Galloran and Dorsio (who communicates with his hands because he can't speak) hiding in a secret basement. Galloran asks about trusting Ferrin. Jason says he's not sure. Galloran makes Ferrin give him a piece of his neck that includes an artery and tells him that he is to take credit for all of their rebellious deeds from now on.
Jason and company plan an assault on a bridge they need to cross. While Jason is asleep, Rachel and Drake show up. She explains how she used his ring as a locator and gives Jason a necklace to ward off lurkers. He's happy to see her. The assault on the bridge goes as planned. Nedwin breaks off from the group to go get Malar from Whitelake.
Rachel discovers more of her aptitude with Edomic as she practices with Chandra who can move objects. Jason has no ability with it so instead he trains with his sword with Ferrin who is a skilled swordsman. Nedwin comes back to say that Malar was drowned and warns of a huge ambush waiting at Three Peaks. Ferrin realizes they either have a spy or a displacer has grafted a body part on someone and has known all of of their plans. He checks everyone and finds a displacer's ear on Nedwin. They decide to feed it false information for awhile and then take it off when they reach the Sunken Lands because the sounds will give away where they really are. They also remove the eye on his hand that he's always kept covered with a glove.
In the Sunken Lands they encounter grullions. They are like big leeches. They suck blood and try to overturn the canoes. Chandra and Tark's canoe is overturned and they fall into the water. Galloran, Rachel and Drake use Edomic to heat the water. Chandra dies saving Tark. Nedwin and Drake go to get Corinne while the rest go to the Drowned City.
Dorsio, Rachel and Galloran enter the Drowned City to talk to the beast that guards the oriantum. The best is actually Orruck, Zokar's apprentice along with Maldor. He has been transformed into a huge walrus-like creature. He speaks to Rachel mentally and wants her to demonstrate her skill. It's all a distraction because Orruck senses that Galloran and Rachel are prepared to use the Word to unmake him if needed. (Jason learned that the Word is actually the one that destroys Orruck.) Galloran senses his attack and Rachel speaks the word. Orruck is instantly destroyed.
Tark and Ferrin dive deep for the oriantum globes, some are large ones that are gate crashers. Drake and Nedwin arrive with Corinne who has brought Galloran's other sword. They are torivorian, which means that Galloran has won them after a duel with a torivor. Maldor can send them out to watch or duel, but once a torivor duels it is free (if it wins) so he rarely does it. Shortly before Galloran was captured, Maldor sent one to duel Galloran and Galloran won.
They stash the boats and most of the oriantum. They feel they might be ambushed on their way to the West Gate of the seed people, the Amar Kabal. Drake fears they will not be well received. Galloran tells how they've been preparing a defensive stand for years and might not want to go on the offensive.
The horses Rachel sent around the Sunken Lands show up and help the company travel faster. Tark has lung rot and is fading quickly. They have to get him to the Amar Kabal if he's to survive. Their pursuers are gaining and a lurker shows up and makes the horses run away which makes the race more desperate. Eventually some of the horses come back and Galloran, Rachel, Corinne and Tark race ahead while the others try to slow down the soldiers with the few oriantum globes they've brought. At the gate, Galloran calls to the soldiers and tells them who he is. At first he is denied entrance but eventually Captain Halak let's them in. He privately tells Galloran that he's been watching their race and would've stepped in to help had it become necessary but because of politics he had to act indifferent.
The group stays overnight in Halak's quarters. They realize that Nedwin has an advanced case of lung rot when he topples over that he either hadn't felt or was hiding. They rush him to the healer's tent. Both he and Tark will be all right but they will have to rejoin the group when they're fully healed. The rest journey to where the Conclave meets. Along they way they meet Farfalee and Lodan, Jasher's wife and son. Lodan is about to experience his first death. Farfalee is also Drake's older sister. Galloran is going to try to convince the Conclave (the five eldest seed people) to join the fight against Maldor, which will be difficult because the Amar Kabal are in denial.
Jason, Ferrin, Lodan and Corinne practice with their swords while Rachel practices Edomic. They leave for the conclave where the Conclave challenges Galloran on his proposal to fight Maldor. They want to stay put and protect their land, waiting for the inevitable time when Maldor defeats them. Galloran fights a member of the Conclave, wins with Rachel's mental help, and proposes that they consult the oracle at Mianamon on whether or not success is possible.
Galloran tells Jason and Rachel that they have a choice for the first time as to whether or not they want to continue and go to the oracle. They both decide to go. Galloran says that he must go to see Maldor on a diplomatic mission, but Tark, Corinne, Nedwin, Drake, Rachel, Jason, Farfalee and some other seed people should proceed to Mianamon. They must pass through the Forsaken Kingdom, which is rumored to be rife with disease and shut off from the rest of Lyrian to protect the others. Drake and some of the seed people argue about Drake's cowardice in accepting the invitation to the Eternal Feast. Drake sees his people as being cowardly for not standing up to Maldor.
Jason and company have to pass through the Howling Notch. Ferrin begins to question his own intentions and motivations. He tells Jason that he's afraid he will betray Jason and Jason tells him he should act out of friendship and loyalty. Ferrin gives Jason another piece of himself that contains an artery as added protection from his treachery. The Howling Notch is a pass where the wind blows incredibly hard. They have to army crawl and hold onto a rope to avoid being blown off the mountain. Two of the seed people are lost.
In the Forsaken Kingdom they encounter the walking dead. They attack the group. Rachel realizes that she can ignite their dead flesh. It exhausts her. The group goes to make a stand on a stone butte. Halco (seed person) is bitten and he tells Drake to cut out his seed. Rachel passes out as she issues one last command to ignite their attackers.
The group realizes that the dead are being controlled by three walkers in the distance. Farfalee takes one out with an arrow and Nedwin sneaks up and takes out another. The groups comes down off the butte and is confronted by three sentinels who guard the land. They are also infected with the goma worms but they have maintained their reason and resisted the blood lust through sheer force of will. They tell the group that they cannot leave the Forsaken Kingdom. The group tells them how urgent their mission is. Farfalee threatens to shoot them and the sentinels get out goma worms ready to throw at them. Rachel lights their hands on fire, further adding to her exhaustion and overuse of Edomic.
Halco catches up with the group. He's infected with the worms but says he's in control. Rachel summons wild horses to them so that they can travel faster. They are being pursued by hundreds of the sentinels. They head towards the river and meet up with Sakar, a seed man sent ahead to talk to the drinlings. The drinlings helped protect the kingdom of Kadara until the king didn't help them in their hour of need. They negotiate with the sentinels and the sentinels leave. The drinlings only live for 3 years. They can eat dirt, plants and almost anything else. They age rapidly. The drinling leader says that his two children, Nia and Io will join the delegation to Mianamon. They say Halco can either join the sentinels or be killed so as not to spread the disease. The drinlings are immune to the worms. Halco decides to join the sentinels because their job is a noble one.
The group gets to the Last Inn. It's a huge building. They eat and settle into their rooms. In the middle of the night soldiers burst into the room. Nedwin is gone. It's a trap laid by Duke Conrad of Hathernham. He suspected that eventually they would seek the oracle so he's been waiting for them. Maldor speaks with Jason through a displacer. He is interested in Rachel.
Maldor offers Rachel a chance to be his apprentice in order to save her friends. He tests her skills in Edomic by asking her to create a sphere of water and then heat it. Maldor admits he has been to the Beyond. Rachel goes back out to where the others are bound. She thinks about her fate and theirs. She hears Galloran's voice in her head asking her about their captors. Galloran enters the inn disguised as an old man. He then draws his sword and Rachel sees that he has two different colored eyes grafted on. He let Maldor graft them on when he went to Felrook. Dorsio and Jasher are there to help also. Jasher's brought oriantum. Nedwin had snuck off and met up with them outside the inn. When everyone is freed they all join the fight. They overpower the soldiers and all surrender but Duke Conrad. He fights Galloran and is slain quickly. Galloran becomes still when a torivor shows up to fight. Galloran defeats another torivor and then replaces his blindfold.
The jungle proves to be more formidable than the Sunken Lands. They are all hit with darts that cause moss to grow on their bodies wherever they were hit. The moss continues to grow as they move on. They reach a point where the vines at their feet begin to move and quickly entangle them. There is also an odor that makes them queasy and pass out. They are tied to a pole and carried to where the oracle lives. She speaks with each member of the group individually. She tells Jason that summoning him from the Beyond was the only future she could see that would have a chance at defeating Maldor. She tells Rachel that she could be the only one strong enough to replace the oracle. She also tells Rachel that in five years and nine weeks the Beyond and Lyrian will line up enough that she might have a chance at getting home to her parents. The passage of time is different in the two places. Galloran tells Rachel that he can read the torivor's mind and that's how he's able to defeat them. He's never shared that secret with anyone before.
The next day the oracle makes her prophecy. She has to poison herself and embed herself in clay in order to try to see the future. She says that there is only one path that has any chance of success. There must be two quests: Galloran leading one group consisting of Rachel, Io, Ferrin, Nedwin, Nollin, and Tark to rouse Trensicourt, the Amar Kabal and the drinlings. They must march on Felrook in the spring and make it fall. Jason must lead another group consisting of Jasher, Farfalee, Drake, Aram, Corinne and Nia to find Dorian the Seer who may have helpful knowledge. Both quests must succeed if they're to have any hope and many will perish. The oracle dies before she can be cut out of the clay.
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