The Valley of the Lost facts for kids
 |
|
| Author | Emily Rodda |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Marc McBride |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Series | Deltora Quest |
| Genre | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
|
Publication date
|
2002 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 144 |
| ISBN | 0-439-25329-2 |
| OCLC | 48009999 |
| LC Class | CPB Box no. 1918 vol. 1 |
| Preceded by | The Maze of the Beast |
| Followed by | Return to Del |
The Valley of the Lost is the seventh exciting book in the Deltora Quest series. It was written by Emily Rodda. In this adventure, our heroes Lief, Barda, and Jasmine are searching for the very last gem for the Belt of Deltora. This final gem is hidden in a mysterious place called the Valley of the Lost. A strange guardian protects the gem, and to get it, the friends must play a dangerous game. If they win, they get the gem. But if they lose, they will be trapped in the valley forever!
Contents
About the Story
The Quest for the Diamond
After finding the amethyst gem in the Maze of the Beast, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine continue their journey. Their next goal is to find the seventh and final gem: the diamond. This diamond, like the other six, was stolen by the evil Shadow Lord. He used the stolen gems to take over Lief's country, Deltora.
River Adventures
The three friends travel along the Tor River. They see many villages that have been attacked by pirates. During a rest, they spot a pirate ship. They remember that a boy named Dain was captured on this very ship. They decide to steal a small rowboat to try and rescue him.
A New Friend and a Strange City
Dain and a creature called a polypan climb into their boat. The polypan bravely rows against the strong river currents, away from the pirates. It heads towards the shore. Just before reaching land, the polypan jumps out of the boat. Lief, Barda, Jasmine, and Dain are left floating on the wild river. They drift over a sandbar and arrive at the edge of Tora, a big city Dain had been trying to reach.
Secrets of Tora
When they enter Tora, they find the city empty. Dain becomes very weak because of the city's special magic. They soon meet two members of the Resistance, Doom and Neridah. Neridah decides to join the trio on their quest to the Valley of the Lost to find the diamond.
The Guardian's Game
Inside the Valley of the Lost, they meet the Guardian. This Guardian doesn't fight with strength. Instead, he uses games to protect the diamond. He uses magic to make them enter his castle. There, he challenges them to a game for the diamond. The winner gets the gem, but the loser must stay in the valley forever. Neridah gets scared and runs away, leaving Lief, Barda, and Jasmine to play the game alone.
The Truth About the Guardian
Lief, Barda, and Jasmine work together to find all the clues. They guess the Guardian's name just in time. They discover the Guardian's name is Endon, who is actually the King of Deltora! They also learn that Doom had played this game before and won. But Doom was so shocked to find out the Guardian was the king that he didn't take the gem.
The Stolen Gem and Its Consequences
The trio then realizes that the gem they won is not the real diamond. They leave the castle and find that Neridah has stolen the true diamond. However, the diamond is cursed if taken by theft. Neridah faces a terrible fate because of her theft. After this, the trio retrieves the real diamond.
The Valley's Magic Revealed
Once the diamond is safe, the Valley of the Lost vanishes. All the strange creatures in the valley turn back into people. These people reveal they are the true citizens of Tora. They had been turned into creatures because they broke a magical promise. They had turned away King Endon when he needed help, fearing the Shadow Lord's anger.
The Guardian also changes. He is not King Endon, but a man named Fardeep from Rithmere. The name "Endon" was a trick from the Shadow Lord to confuse anyone who won the game. Now with all seven gems, Lief, Barda, and Jasmine travel with Dain back to Del. They hope to find the true king who will wear the Belt of Deltora and banish the Shadow Lord forever.
Main Characters
- Lief: Lief is the main hero of the story. He grew up believing his parents were Jarred and Anna, who worked at the forge. But he is actually the son of King Endon and Queen Sharn. Lief spent his childhood exploring the streets of Del. This made him clever and quick-witted, which helped him on his quests. He didn't know it, but Barda was always secretly protecting him. On his sixteenth birthday, Lief learns he must go on a dangerous quest to find the lost gems of Deltora.
- Barda: Barda was chosen by the king and queen of Deltora to help find the lost gems. For sixteen years before the story begins, Barda pretended to be a beggar. This helped him gather important information for the quest. He also secretly protected Lief, the king and queen's child, without Lief knowing. When Lief turned sixteen, Barda revealed himself, and their quest began. At first, Barda found Lief annoying, but he soon saw Lief as a helpful friend.
- Jasmine: Jasmine is a wild girl with dark hair and bright green eyes. She grew up in the Forests of Silence, where Lief and Barda first meet her. Her parents, Jarred and Anna, were captured by Grey Guards when she was seven. The forest raised her, and she can understand the language of trees and many animals. Jasmine has amazing senses but sometimes struggles with human social rules. She is almost always with her raven, Kree, and a small mouse-like creature she calls Filli. Jasmine, like Lief, can sometimes have a quick temper. After helping Lief and Barda, she joins their quest to find the gems.
- Kree: Kree is a loyal raven and one of Jasmine's closest friends. His family was taken by the witch Thaegan. Jasmine found Kree and took care of him because they both had lost their families. Kree sees Jasmine as his master and protects her fiercely. He is very helpful to the group because he can fly ahead and warn them of danger or find safe paths.
- Filli: Filli is a tiny, mouse-like creature, though Jasmine says he's not a rodent. Jasmine rescued him when he was paralyzed 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, Jasmine can understand Filli. His small size is often useful for Lief, Barda, and Jasmine, as he can hide easily and listen in on others.
- Fardeep: Fardeep is the true Guardian of the diamond. He has four strange "pets" that are actually living growths attached to him: Hate, Envy, Greed, and Pride. He creates a game and pretends to be "Endon," the king of Deltora. He promises to give the diamond to anyone who wins his game and guesses his name.
