The Maze of the Beast facts for kids
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| Author | Emily Rodda |
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| Illustrator | Marc McBride |
| Cover artist | Marc McBride |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Series | Deltora Quest |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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2001 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 129 |
| ISBN | 0-439-25328-4 |
| OCLC | 47835990 |
| LC Class | CPB Box no. 1857 vol. 21 |
| Preceded by | Dread Mountain |
| Followed by | The Valley of the Lost |
The Maze of the Beast is the sixth exciting book in the popular Deltora Quest series. It was written by Emily Rodda, an Australian author. Scholastic published this fantasy adventure in 2001. In this book, our heroes continue their dangerous quest to save the land of Deltora.
Contents
The Quest for the Amethyst Gem
After finding the emerald from Dread Mountain, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine travel along the River Tor. Their goal is to reach the Maze of the Beast. This is where they hope to find the amethyst, another important gem. These gems are part of the powerful Belt of Deltora. This belt is the only way to defeat the evil Shadow Lord who has taken over Deltora.
A Dangerous Encounter
During their journey, the heroes see two children struggling in a stream. They quickly save the children from drowning. However, the children then change their shape. They are actually Ols, scary creatures made by the Shadow Lord. Ols can transform into any living thing. These creatures are everywhere in western Deltora. Their job is to keep the gems hidden from anyone trying to find them.
Barda is in great danger from the Ols. Suddenly, a boy named Dain attacks the Ols and saves Lief, Barda, and Jasmine. Dain gets hurt during the fight, injuring his arm and ribs. Lief feels sorry for Dain. He decides to take Dain to the Resistance. The Resistance is a secret group of people fighting against the Shadow Lord.
Joining the Resistance
When they arrive at the Resistance's hidden entrance, Dain faints. This forces Lief, Barda, and Jasmine to guess a secret password. If they guess wrong, they could be seen as Ols and killed. Lief finds a hidden note. He realizes the password is the first letter of every word on the note. They successfully enter the Resistance hideout.
Inside, they meet Doom, a man they have met before. Doom tests them to make sure they are not Ols. He puts them in a prison for three days. Ols can only hold their human shape for three days. After three days, Doom still does not let them out. Dain then helps them escape from the cave. In return, they agree to take him to a place called Tora.
A Split in the Journey
Lief, Barda, and Jasmine then tell Dain they are not going to Tora. To avoid being recognized, they decide to split up. Lief, Dain, and Barda take a boat down the river towards the Maze of the Beast. They soon discover that Jasmine is also secretly on the boat.
Pirates attack their boat, and Dain is captured. After they reach the Maze, a shocking truth is revealed. The Barda they have been traveling with is actually an Ol! The real Barda appears. Unfortunately, the pirates capture them all and throw them into the Maze.
Finding the Amethyst
Inside the Maze, they find where the amethyst gem is hidden. Barda and Jasmine bravely separate from Lief. They plan to lead the giant Beast away. Lief stays behind to carefully carve the gem out of a stone column. Once Lief finishes, they all meet up again. They escape the cave through a blowhole. The blowhole erupts right after they get out, which takes the lives of two pirates. Our three heroes then begin their next journey to the Valley of the Lost.
Main Characters in the Story
Here are the main characters you will meet in The Maze of the Beast:
- Lief: Lief is the main hero of the Deltora Quest series. When he was younger, he explored the streets of Del. This helped him become smart and skilled for his future adventures. On his sixteenth birthday, he learns he must find the lost gems of the Belt of Deltora.
- Barda: Barda was chosen to help find the lost gems even before the story begins. For sixteen years, he pretended to be a beggar. This allowed him to gather important information for the quest.
- 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. Jasmine can understand the language of trees and many animals. She also has amazing senses. Sometimes, she finds it hard to understand how people act in cities. 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, she is visited by her mother's spirit. Her mother tells her to join Lief and Barda on their quest. After this, she becomes a key part of their team.
- Kree: Kree is a loyal raven. He is one of Jasmine's closest friends from the Forest of Silence. A witch named Thaegan took and ate his family. Jasmine found Kree and felt sorry for him, as she had also lost her family. She took care of Kree. Kree sees Jasmine as his leader. He does not like it when anyone is mean to her. Kree is very helpful to the three friends. He can fly ahead and warn them about dangers or safe paths.
- Filli: Filli is a tiny, mouse-like creature. Jasmine rescued him when he was paralyzed by a creature called the Wenn in The Forests of Silence. Because of this, he stays very close to Jasmine and Kree. He often hides in Jasmine's clothes when there is danger. Like Kree, Jasmine can understand what Filli says. His small size is often useful for Lief, Barda, and Jasmine. He can hide easily and listen in on others without being seen.
- The Glus: The Glus is the guardian of the amethyst gem. It looks like a giant blue slug. It lives in the cavern known as the Maze of the Beast. The Glus cannot see, so it uses its excellent hearing to find its way and survive.
- Dain: Dain is a shy young boy. He saves Lief, Barda, and Jasmine from the Ols. As the series continues, he shows that he likes Jasmine, which sometimes makes Lief feel a bit jealous.
