Lost City of Faar (Pendragon Series)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Fourteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon is not like other boys his age. His uncle Press is a Traveler, and, as Bobby has learned, that means Uncle Press is responsible, through his journeys, for solving interdimensional conflict wherever he encounters it. His mission is nothing less than to save the universe from ultimate evil. And he's taking Bobby along for the ride.

Fresh from his first adventure on Denduron, Bobby finds himself in the territory of Cloral, a vast world that is entirely covered by water. Cloral is nearing a disaster of huge proportions. Reading the journals Bobby sends home, his friends learn that the desperate citizens of the endangered floating cities are on the brink of war. Can Bobby -- suburban basketball star and all-around nice guy -- help rid the area of marauders, and locate the legendary lost land of Faar, which may hold the key to Cloral's survival?

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In this second adventure in the Pendragon Quartet, readers find 14-year-old Bobby Pendragon traveling through the "flume" to Cloral with his Uncle Press, in pursuit of Saint Dane. This waterworld with a vague Australian/Atlantis air will likely intrigue fans who enjoyed the aquatic world of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and the teamwork escape aspect of Journey to the Center of the Earth. Bobby is still uncertain about what happened to his family after he was recruited as a "Traveler," a heroic role that first pitted him against the shapechanging monster, Saint Dane, in the series' debut, The Merchant of Death. It's a radically different life from that of junior high student in Stony Brook, Conn., where his friends Mark and Courtney eagerly await the journals in which he updates them with the latest events from various colorful "Territories." In the fabled city of Faar, beneath the waves, Bobby meets Spader, who is also a Traveler, and quickly becomes his first mate. Unbeknownst to Spader, his submerged city is partially responsible for the peace felt above the surface in the floating habitats. When Saint Dane decides to annihilate Faar, Bobby and his Traveler buddies must race to outwit the villain. MacHale embellishes his science fiction with just enough silly touches to leaven the mood; for instance, when the magic ring that Bobby gave Mark twitches (which means it's about to "deliver" Bobby's journals), it expands so that Mark must remove it, and the glowing stone transforms into a "black hole," spewing musical notes and light. Next up: The Never War, which will feature First Earth, circa 1937. Ages 10-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA - Arlene Garcia

Bobby Pendragon, the Traveler, has barely recovered from his adventures on Denduron in Pendragon: The Merchant of Death (Aladdin/S & S, 2002/VOYA December 2002) when he and his Uncle Press are thrust into another planetary conflict. After all, that is what Travelers do-move through space and time saving alternate Earths. The planet this time is the water world of Cloral, where someone is poisoning the floating cities' food supplies, one at a time. Bobby teams up with Cloral's young Traveler, Spader, and is rejoined by Dendurolis Loor, both of whom have lost parents to their planet's tragic conflicts. Soon, however, neighbor begins attacking neighbor, and unless these heroes can stop the culprit, the evil St. Dane, and find the titular lost city, world war will ensue. MacHale's first installment is wildly popular with middle-schoolers. They love the action, adventure, and magic, and feel that Bobby is a hero to whom they can relate. Fans will not be disappointed in this sequel, which offers up more of the same. A talented world builder, MacHale creates endlessly fascinating landscapes and unique alien characters. On Cloral there is the added bonus of extreme water sports, with lots of water sled races and chases. Nor is the author afraid to pull punches, as a major character falls to the truly vile St. Dane. The series is shaping up to be a solid addition to the fantasy genre and will keep readers not only busy but also content until the next Harry Potter appears. VOYA Codes: 3Q 4P M J (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2003, Simon & Schuster, 368p,

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Just back from saving the population of Denduron from the evil shape-changer Saint Dane in The Merchant of Death (Aladdin, 2002), 14-year-old Bobby Pendragon and his Uncle Press are fluming off again, this time to Cloral, where Saint Dane is again causing mayhem. In this beautiful blue-green world covered with water, Bobby learns to navigate via water sled, lives and works on one of the giant floating habitats that serve as farms and factories as well as homes, and makes friends with Vo Spader, an expert aquaneer. The mission is to find the legendary lost city of Faar before Saint Dane can use it in his quest to control the universe. The story is long, the action is fast and furious, and things aren't exactly calm back on Second Earth, as Bobby's Connecticut friends follow the story via the journals he sends back. The town bully has discovered one of the pages and is threatening to expose Bobby's secret mission to the police (who have no idea why Bobby and his family have disappeared) if Mark and Courtney don't share the journals with him. The science is thin but the ideas are clever and the descriptions inviting and easy to picture. Character development is minimal and limited to fairly stereotypical good guys and bad guys. However, the teenaged protagonists enlist readers' sympathy and involvement and the nonstop plot developments keep the many pages turning and readers wanting more. As the situation on Cloral is resolved, the stage is set for the next book in the series.-Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews