Star of Deltora #1: Shadows of the Master product reviews

I love reading and I'm always keen to discover new series of books that I can lose myself in. While I have never read any of Emily Rodda's books before I have heard her Deltora Quest books are worth reading. They are on my list of must read books and after reading Star of Deltora I am kicking myself for not getting around to reading them yet. Emily Rodda has such a way with telling a story that it is impossible not to lose yourself in her book.

Picking up the book even the cover draws you in as it shimmers in the light and gives you a visual cue of the main character, meaning when you start reading its easy to picture her in your mind. Right from the start Emily Rodda does a wonderful job of describing the setting and transporting you far away. It's very easy to picture all the magic and wonder of the city of Del in your mind.

I love books with a strong female as a lead character and Emily Rodda certainly provides that. Britta is a brave, strong willed, hard working, determined young lady who knows what she wants and won't let much stand in her way. She is very easy to fall in love with and admire, I look forward to watching her character develop more as the books go on. While the books are aimed at young teens I found as an adult I enjoyed it just as much as my 13 year old niece did. I really liked how it set things up for the next book and left me wanting more. I'm so pleased I have #2 on hand to start straight away as I can't wait to see what comes next.

The cover of this book lures the reader in, it shimmers and sparkles with an image of the main character "Britta" above an island, with a trading boat in the water. The writing style of Emily Rodda is rich, and the reader is easily transported to the tropical island where this story begins. The king is burdened with bad memories, they plague him when he tries to relax, and then he gets a vision "Something is happening a long way from here, there is a change, I can feel it, and I must know more of it. The place is Deltora, the city of Del, far across the Silver Sea. The person is a girl - no, a young woman now, her name is Britta".

The reader is then transported to the city of Del, and meet Britta, and the reader soon discovers this land still contains magic. Britta is desperate to become a trader's apprentice, and it soon becomes apparent to the reader that Britta is not only a lovely girl, but bright and with a drive to push herself beyond the limits of the city. She sits the traders test, displaying a quick mind, and an ability to problem solve. The book is the first in the trilogy and it leads the reader into wanting to read the next book in the series 'Two Moons'.

Britta is an easy character to engage with, and as an adult I found the writing style appealed to me as well as its target audience of 12 plus to teen readers, ( I have found before with good books such as Harry Potter, a good book moves beyond an age group and appeals to all who love a good story). Emily Rodda is a talented and proven writer, and readers who have enjoyed her previous series will enjoy these new books too.