Return to Del facts for kids
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First edition
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| Author | Emily Rodda |
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| Cover artist | Marc McBride |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Series | Deltora Quest |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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2002 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 136 |
| Preceded by | The Valley of the Lost |
| Followed by | Cavern of the Fear |
Return to Del is the eighth and final book in the first series of Deltora Quest. It was written by the Australian author Emily Rodda. This exciting fantasy novel follows the heroes Lief, Jasmine, and Barda. Their mission is to return to the city of Del. They must give the completed Belt of Deltora to the true heir of Adin. This will finally banish the evil Shadow Lord from their land.
Contents
The Story of Return to Del
The Quest for the Heir
Lief, Jasmine, and Barda have finished their long journey. They have found all seven magic gems. These gems are the topaz, ruby, emerald, lapis lazuli, diamond, opal, and amethyst. The Belt of Deltora is now whole again. But their hardest challenge is still ahead. They need to find Adin's heir, the rightful ruler of Deltora.
Lief's father told him the Belt would show them the way. It does point them in a direction, but it doesn't clearly show who the heir is. The heroes realize something is wrong. They also know they need to gather one member from each of the seven tribes. These tribe members are important for the final step.
A Perilous Journey to Del
The heroes must awaken the Belt's hidden powers. They also need to find the true heir to Deltora's throne. On their way, their friend Steven and his brother Nevets give them advice. They tell the group to cross a field filled with hidden "grippers." These are dangerous plants with venomous teeth. This path helps them avoid the Grey Guards.
Lief and Jasmine get through mostly unharmed. But Barda is badly hurt. They find shelter in a small cabin. Inside, they discover the remains of a family. There is also a note from King Endon with a royal seal.
Secrets and Betrayals
When they finally reach the Resistance hideout, Barda wakes up. He tells them the letter was a trick. The Shadow Lord planted it there. King Endon did not have the royal seal when he escaped. Barda's condition gets worse.
All seven tribes are reunited. Lief then realizes that Dain might be the heir. The Belt seems to react to Dain. Lief also notices that Dain's name is an anagram of 'Adin'. Just as Lief is about to hand over the Belt, Dain is kidnapped. The Belt falls onto Barda, and he starts to recover.
Everyone heads to Del to rescue Dain. But they fall into a clever trap. The real villain is revealed: Dain himself! Dain is a Grade 3 Ol. An Ol is a creature created by the Shadow Lord. This type of Ol can even change into objects. Dain had been tricking them all along. Lief manages to defeat Dain using the Belt.
Lief, Jasmine, Barda, and Doom escape to Lief's old home. There, another secret is revealed. Doom is actually Jasmine's father!
The True Heir and Victory
Soon after, Grey Guards arrest everyone except Lief. Lief, with his raven Kree, goes to the palace. He wants to save his friends. While there, he remembers something from a book. It said, "Only the Belt of Deltora, complete as it was first fashioned by Adin and worn by Adin's true heir, has the power to defeat the Enemy."
Lief rearranges the gems in the Belt. He makes their first letters spell "Deltora." The order is Diamond, Emerald, Lapis Lazuli, Topaz, Opal, Ruby, and Amethyst. The Belt's powers burst to life! This saves the entire country.
Lief then understands the final secret: he is the true heir! His parents, King Endon and Queen Sharn, had switched places with Jarred and Anna. No one would suspect the king and queen were living as a simple blacksmith and his wife. King Endon, Lief's father, dies peacefully. Deltora is finally free from the Shadow Lord.
Meet the Heroes
Lief
Lief is the main hero of the Deltora Quest series. He grew up believing his parents were Jarred and Anna, a blacksmith and his wife. But he was actually born to King Endon and Queen Sharn. As a child, Lief explored the streets of Del. This made him clever and prepared him for his future adventures. He didn't know it, but Barda was always secretly protecting him.
On his sixteenth birthday, Lief learned about his true identity. He also found out he had to go on a dangerous quest. His mission was to find the lost gems of the Belt of Deltora.
Barda
Barda was a loyal friend to the king and queen of Deltora. Sixteen years before the story, he was asked to help find the lost gems. For those sixteen years, Barda pretended to be a beggar. This allowed him to gather important information for the quest. He also secretly became Lief's bodyguard.
When Lief turned sixteen, Barda revealed himself. The quest for the gems then began. At first, Barda found traveling with Lief annoying. But he soon saw Lief as a helpful companion.
Jasmine
Jasmine is a wild and brave girl. She has wild black hair and bright emerald green eyes. She grew up in the Forests of Silence. Lief and Barda meet her there soon after leaving Del. Her parents were captured by Grey Guards when she was seven. So, the forest raised her.
Jasmine can understand the language of trees and many animals. She has incredibly sharp senses. But she sometimes struggles with human social rules. Jasmine is almost always with her raven, Kree, and a small, mouse-like creature she calls Filli. Like Lief, Jasmine can have a quick temper.
After helping Lief and Barda, Jasmine's mother's spirit appears to her. She tells Jasmine to join Lief and Barda on their quest. After this, Jasmine becomes a key member of the team.
Kree and Filli
- Kree: Kree is a loyal raven. He is one of Jasmine's closest friends from the Forest of Silence. His family was taken by the witch Thaegan. Jasmine found Kree and felt sorry for him, as they both lost their families. Kree sees Jasmine as his master. He is very protective of her. Kree is very helpful to the group. He can fly ahead and warn them of danger or show them a safe path.
- Filli: Filli is a small creature called a Siskis. He looks a bit like a mouse, though Jasmine says he isn't one. Jasmine rescued him when he was paralyzed by the Wenn in the Forests of Silence. Filli stays very close to Jasmine and Kree. He often hides in Jasmine's clothes when there's danger. Like Kree, Filli can understand Jasmine. His small size is often useful. He can hide easily and listen in on others.
The Tribe Representatives
During their journey, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine meet members from different tribes. These individuals later gather to represent their people in the ceremony to find the heir.
- Manus: A Ralad from Raladin. He is an amazing musician and architect.
- Steven/Nevets: Steven is a cheerful peddler. He has a giant brother named Nevets who appears when Steven is in danger.
- Fardeep: From the Mere tribe. He used to own an inn and later became a guardian.
- Gla-Thon: A proud archer from the Dread Gnomes tribe.
- Zeean: A wise, old leader from the Toran tribe.
- Glock: A strong member of the Jalis tribe.
Dain
Dain first appeared as a nervous servant to Doom. He was polite and brave in battles. He even saved the heroes from Ols before they knew what Ols were. Dain seemed to be the true heir. His name was an anagram of Adin, the first king. But Dain was actually a Grade 3 Ol, a powerful shapeshifting creature created by the Shadow Lord. He was spying on the Resistance and the heroes. The magic of the city of Tora weakened him because he was evil. In the end, the Belt of Deltora itself destroyed Dain.
