454 pages
"Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason transporting from the hippo tank into a strange, imperiled world.
Lyrian is full of dangers and challenges unlike any place Jason has ever known. The people live in fear of their malicious wizard emperor, Maldor. The brave resistors who once opposed Maldor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.
In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes." -Dust Jacket
My new(ish) church calling has left me with less time to read over the past several months which is a bummer. I got Chasing the Prophecy when it came out, but it's been a year since I've read the others. I've learned that reading sequels is much more fun when the story is fresh in your mind, so I have to read the first two books again. I don't read many books twice except my very favorites because there are so many other good books to read, so I've decided that I've got to write a synopsis of each book at the end of a post so that I don't have to re-read them unless I really want to! Having said that, reading a book twice lets you see things you missed the first time. This is a great series. It's no secret that I'm a big Brandon Mull fan, not only because he's a good writer but also because he's a great guy. He treats his fans well. Reading this book again, I kind of wished that Jason and Rachel were a little older. It's sometimes hard to believe that 13-year-olds could do as much as they do. An 18-year-old would be a little more believable for me. This time around I was struck by the conversation on page 326 about being a hero:
"How did you two come to oppose Maldor?" Jasher inquired. "Galloran led me to understand you are Beyonders."
Jason and Rachel took turns explaining how they came to Lyrian, and how they crossed paths at Galloran's ruined castle.
"In the end," Jason summarized, "Galloran encouraged us to pursue the Word. He basically challenged us to be heroes. With Maldor already after me I'm not sure I had any other choice."
"Do not dishonor your involvement," Jasher chided. "For each of us destiny is a blend of potential, circumstances, and choices. You could flee and hide. You could bargain with Maldor. You have chosen a heroic path. Walk it without apology."
"You have chosen a heroic path. Walk it without apology." I love that.
{ENTIRE BOOK SPOILERS}
Jason works at a zoo. He hears strange music and ends up falling through the hippo's mouth in Lyrian. He hears and sees the Giddy Nine strapped to a raft about to go over a waterfall. He grabs a man's bow and accidentally shoots it into the shoulder of one of the musicians. His rescue attempt causes panic on the raft and Tark is the only one who survives. Tark later reveals that they had been told their sacrifice would summon a hero to Lyrian, which is why Tark is so despondent that he survived. He feels like he's ruined everything.
Jason runs away and ends up at the Repository of Learning where he learns some of the history of Lyrian and also finds a book bound in human skin that contains the first syllable of the word said to destroy Maldor. He is told to go see Galloran, the Blind King, who once tried to destroy Maldor with the same word. At Galloran's castle he meets Rachel, another Beyonder. Galloran gives Jason the title of the Lord of Caberton and a ring to prove his title, which will help open doors to him. Galloran tells them where to find another syllable of the word, in a cave at the bottom of a cliff.
Jason and Rachel travel to the cave and argue over who will jump. Eventually Jason tricks Rachel and jumps off the cliff. He swims to the cave and meets Jugard, who guards the syllable. He tells him and also warns him that the only way of the cave is past a huge crab named Macroid. Rachel ends up joining Jason in the cave because a huge dog is after them. The dog is being controlled (conscripted) by Maldor and follows them into the cave. They use the dog as bait to get passed Macroid because the crab is drawn to blood.
They stay overnight in a town and meet a man named Ned who helps them escape because of their association with Galloran. He tells them to go to Trensicourt. On the way there, they meet a displacer named Ferrin. Displacers are a wizard-born race who can separate themselves from parts of their body. They get into a fight at an inn and are arrested and put in jail. Ferrin helps them break out because he knows they will be sentenced to death for killing one of their attackers. They steal some horses and get away.
When they get to Trensicourt, Ferrin tells them he won't be welcome there and that he'll meet them in a neighboring town in a fortnight at the Stumbling Stag. Jason and Rachel go to find Nicholas, a friend of Galloran who's lost everything in his support of Galloran including his legs. He gets around his house on a zipline chair. Nicholas instructs them on how to get presented in front of the regent to have Jason's claim as Lord of Caberton recognized. It starts with Rachel and Jason splitting up so as not to draw too much attention from the chancellor's spies. Jason goes to the Upturned Goblet where he gets in good with the owner Tedril by gambling freely. Tedril has connections with the regent. He also claims to know Bartley, who just so happens to be there. With a wink, Jason convinces him to help him lie.
Bartley takes Jason to the palace where his claim is presented and validated by Bartley and others. Partly because he has Galloran's ring, his claim is accepted. He immediately challenges the chancellor for the chancellorship. The chancellor and regent are the only people who are allowed into the lorevault where a syllable of the word is inscribed. Jason will be allowed to ask three questions and whoever supplies the best answers will be the chancellor. Rachel hands him an envelope with the first two questions to ask. One is the name of the chancellor's father and the other is to name the inscription in the lorevault. The chancellor answers the first two easily (unknowingly giving Jason another syllable) but then Jason has to come up with the third question to win or else he'll be stripped of his title and lands. He asks the chancellor to come up with the longest one-syllable word. Jason wins with the word "strengths." The chancellor relinquishes his title but gives the warning that Jason won't live out the night.
Jason sleeps under his bed and survives an assassination attempt with a poisoned blade. He receives an invitation to the Eternal Feast at Hathernham Castle. Maldor's biggest enemies receive invitations. He meets with Dolan in the lore vault and decides to accept after looking at the map and seeing Whitelake close to Hathernham. Whitelake is where another syllable is said to be hidden. He takes a carriage under the guise that he's going to the Eternal Feast and meets up with Ferrin and Rachel.
They ditch their carriage near Whitelake. They notice that the lake looks like white goo and smells like rotten eggs and that everything sinks. The lake stays hard if you bounce on it. Rachel volunteers to cross it because she's the best runner. It almost kills her. The temperature increases the closer you get to the island in the middle. On the island she meets Malar, a displacer who only has his head and hand because he once betrayed Maldor. Now he guards the 5th syllable. Malar tells Rachel that all displacers are spies for Maldor and to confront Ferrin, who is obviously one of Maldor's observers.
Ferrin says that he lied in the beginning but has been a friend to them since when he's confronted. He leaves Rachel and Jason and they head towards the Sunken Lands where the next syllable is guarded by a pythoness. They can't help but enter the city of Whitelake to get supplies and there Tad catches up with them. He was one of the guards at the waterfall. Jason stole his crossbow to try to save the Giddy Nine. He's also a displacer and agreed to work for Maldor. He gives Jason and Rachel a horse and tells them they won't get away but to try. Outside the city, Jason and Rachel are chased by imperial soldiers who corner them in a ravine. Jasher, a seed man, shows up and saves them. Galloran sent him to help Jason and Rachel.
Jasher, Jason & Rachel journey to the Sunken Lands. They are full of dangerous swamps, poisonous insects and huge carnivorous frogs. Jasher finds a boat stashed by his people and they work their way to where the pythoness lives, in a gigantic tree. Jason goes into the tree and meets Corinne, the daughter of the woman known as the pythoness. Corinne's mother has died and Corinne now guards the syllable. She has mushrooms in her tree that make a person forget who they are and why they're there. She questions Jason and then accepts his explanation. She gives him the 6th syllable and some mushrooms to help him remember the syllable. Outside the cave Jason tries to explain the Rachel what happened and Rachel tells him who he is and what they're doing. All three of them spend the night inside the tree. Jason also learns that Galloran secretly tattooed the 2nd syllable on a man named Kimp and that he's at Hathernham so Jason decides to accept his invitation.
Hathernham is an opulent castle. Jason is given a huge room and a feast to honor his arrival. The other guests are obese and glutinous. Tark is also there. Jason meets Drake, another seed man, who has lived many lives and is on his last because he seed didn't form properly the last time it was planted. Drake tells Jason that much of the food is designed to make you crave it. Jason gets the last syllable off Kimp in the bath house and then announces his intention to leave at dinner. Duke Conrad (lord of the castle) challenges him to a duel. Jason demands to choose the weapons and picks billiard balls. They throw them at each other across the pool table and eventually Jason knocks the Duke out. Count Dershan tells him that his asylum will end the minute he leaves the castle. Tark, Drake, and a man named Tristan join him.
Immediately after leaving, they hear the sound of dogs and see Kimp after them. Tristan makes a valiant last stand. Drake, Jason and Tark also fight. Jasher shows up and goes after Kimp. They both get blown up by an oriantum globe. Tark finds Jasher's seed and gets away with it. Jason surrenders to 20 armed soldiers. Drake, Rachel and Tark get away.
Ian and his soldiers take Jason to Felrook, Maldor's castle. Just outside the city, Drake kills the soldiers and frees Jason. He tells Jason that the only way to get in front of Maldor to speak the word is to ring the gong. Ringing the gong gives the person the right to address Maldor. Drake takes out the guards while Jason makes a run for the gong. Jason speaks the word in front of Maldor. He feels its power and immediately forgets it, but it doesn't destroy Maldor. In the dungeon, Maldor tells Jason that the word is a fake, a big ruse to keep his enemies distracted and give them false hope. The word has power because it once was used to destroy another wizard. Maldor offers Jason the chance to serve him but Jason refuses, thinking of Galloran's example. Maldor says he will be tortured and broken.
Jason is taken to a cell. A snake enters through a hole in the wall and after an exhaustive game of cat and mouse eventually bites Jason. The snake's venom acts as a truth serum and Jason gives details about Galloran and his quest, as well as his fears, one of which is claustrophobia. Jason wakes up in a small metal box. Ferrin shows up and rescues him because he considers him a friend.
Ferrin says he knows a way for Jason to get home. He takes him to a cave where there's a pool of water that is also a portal. Jason fights with Ferrin because Jason wants to get the information to Galloran and Rachel that the word is a fake. Ferrin eventually knocks him out, ties rocks to Jason, and pushes him into the pool. Jason grabs onto Ferrin though and winds up taking his hand back to Earth. He knows he has to get back to help his friends.
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