The Forests of Silence facts for kids
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| Author | Emily Rodda |
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| Original title | The Forest of Silence |
| 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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2000 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 131 |
| ISBN | 0-439-25323-3 |
| OCLC | 46966042 |
| LC Class | CPB Box no. 1858 vol. 31 |
| Followed by | The Lake of Tears |
The Forests of Silence is an exciting fantasy novel by Emily Rodda. It's the very first book in the popular eight-book Deltora Quest series. Scholastic published it in 2000. This book even won an award in 2001 for being a "Notable Series" for younger readers! The story follows a brave boy named Lief and his friends. They are on a quest to find seven special gems that are missing from the land of Deltora. Their adventure begins in the mysterious Forests of Silence.
Contents
The Story Begins
The story starts with a boy named Jarred. He is a good friend of Prince Endon. After the old King and Queen pass away, Endon becomes the new King. To show he is the true ruler, a magical steel belt is placed around his waist. This belt, called the Belt of Deltora, proves Endon is the rightful king.
Jarred goes to the library and learns a lot about Deltora's history. He discovers that a long time ago, an evil being called the Shadow Lord tried to take over the land. The people of Deltora were divided into seven different tribes back then. Because they were not united, the Shadow Army easily took over much of the land.
Jarred learns about a brave blacksmith named Adin. Adin gathered special items, called talismans, from each of the seven tribes. He attached them to a chain of steel medallions, creating the Belt of Deltora. The people trusted Adin, and their combined power, channeled through the gems, was strong enough. It pushed the Shadow Army back to its dark home, the Shadowlands. Adin became the first king of the united land, Deltora. He always remembered that the enemy was still out there. So, he always kept the Belt close. But over time, kings wore the Belt less and less. This made its magic weaker.
A Warning and a New Path
Jarred understood the danger. He urged King Endon to wear the Belt often. He wanted Endon to bring back Adin's old custom. But before Jarred could explain everything, the Chief Advisor Prandine arrived. Prandine was an ugly and evil man. He accused Jarred of treason, which means trying to harm the king.
Jarred managed to escape Prandine. He saw that the city was falling apart. Deltora was becoming a terrible place, almost like a dystopia (a place where everything is bad). Jarred then became a student of Crian, the blacksmith. Later, Jarred married Crian's granddaughter, Anna.
Seven years later, the Shadow Lord's creatures, the Ak-Baba, stole the seven gems from Deltora. They scattered them across the land. This allowed the evil Shadow Lord to enter Deltora. Jarred helped King Endon and Queen Sharn (who was pregnant) escape through a secret tunnel.
Lief's Quest Begins
Sixteen years pass. The Shadow Lord now rules Deltora with an iron fist. During this time, Lief, Jarred's son, is born. Lief grows up knowing about the Shadow Lord's evil rule. But he is taught to never openly oppose him.
On Lief's sixteenth birthday, his father reveals a big secret. He tells Lief that he must go on a dangerous quest. Lief's mission is to find the lost gems of the Belt of Deltora. He must put them back into the Belt to defeat the evil Shadow Lord. A brave soldier named Barda joins Lief on this journey.
The Forests of Silence
The first gem they need to find is the golden topaz. It is hidden in Mid Wood, one of the three dangerous Forests of Silence. As Lief and Barda travel, they are captured by creatures called Wenns. The Wenns take them into First Wood. They plan to offer Lief and Barda to a scary predator called Wennbar.
Before they can be eaten, a wild girl appears. Her name is Jasmine, and she lives in the forest. She is about Lief's age. At first, Jasmine doesn't want to help. But then she rescues Lief and Barda! She leads them to a dark place in the heart of Mid Wood.
The Lilies of Life
In the center of the forest, they find a wall made of strong vines. Inside this wall is a clearing. Three special flowers, called the Lilies of Life, grow there. Their nectar can heal anything and even make you live forever! A Jalis knight named Gorl guards the wall of vines. He wanted to drink the nectar and become immortal. Over many years, Gorl's body rotted away. Only his memories and his evil plans remained. He captures Lief and Barda.
Gorl tells them his story. Meanwhile, Barda tries to break free from Gorl's mind control. Barda finally breaks free, but Gorl wounds him badly with his sword. As Gorl is about to kill Lief, Jasmine cleverly convinces a tree to drop a branch on Gorl. This destroys him and breaks his vine wall!
Sunlight finally enters the dark clearing. The Lilies of Life bloom. Jasmine and Lief quickly use the nectar to heal the dying Barda. As the Lilies start to fade, Jasmine collects the last of the nectar in a jar. She hopes to use it for future injuries.
The First Gem
Lief takes the golden topaz. It was the handle of Gorl's sword. He fits it into the Belt of Deltora. The three heroes rest and recover. Animals from all over Mid Wood come into the clearing. They eat the vines that made up Gorl's wall. Soon, Barda and Lief continue their journey. Jasmine and her animal friends, Kree (a raven) and Filli (a mouse-like creature), join them.
Main Characters
- Lief: Lief is the main hero of the Deltora Quest series. He is the son of Jarred and Anna. As a child, Lief explored the streets of Del. This made him clever and taught him useful skills for his future adventures. He didn't know it, but Barda secretly protected him. Lief thought he was just lucky to escape danger so often. On his sixteenth birthday, he learns about his dangerous quest. He must find the lost gems of Deltora.
- Barda: Barda was a trusted friend of the King and Queen of Deltora. Sixteen years before the story begins, 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 the bodyguard for Lief, Jarred and Anna's son. Lief had no idea Barda was protecting him. On Lief's sixteenth birthday, Barda revealed himself. The quest for the gems of Deltora then began. At first, Barda was annoyed to travel with a young person. But he soon realized Lief was a great help, not a problem.
- Jasmine: Jasmine is a wild girl with black hair and bright green eyes. She grew up in the Forests of Silence. Lief and Barda meet her shortly after leaving Del. Her parents were captured by Grey Guards when she was seven. So, the forest raised her. She can understand trees and many animals. She has incredibly sharp senses. But she sometimes struggles to understand how people act in society. Jasmine is almost always with her raven, Kree, and a small mouse-like creature she calls Filli. Like Lief, Jasmine can sometimes have a quick temper. After helping Lief and Barda in the forest, and with the help of the topaz, she has a special experience. Her mother's spirit appears and tells her to join Lief and Barda. After this, she officially joins them on their quest to find the great gems for the Belt.
