The Rivers of Zadaa

This series is getting deeper and darker all the time, but it still has my full attention. Still incredibly awesome.

Bobby finally gets to flume to Zadaa, the much-talked-about home territory of Loor, whose been through quite a lot with Bobby. Once again, two tribes are pitted against one another amidst the backdrop of a paralyzing drought.

Twists and turns involving returning Travelers, brand new technology and concepts, Bobby's emerging feelings for Loor, and Saint Dane's evil and multilayered plans kept me guessing the whole way through. And now it appears he's fighting a two-front war; Courtney, who seperated herself from Mark in order to get her head together, is plagued by strange occurances at summer school, and Mark is forced to show more seek help from an enemy.

And of course, the book ends with multiple stunning twists and cliffhangers, leaving you furious that the next book is not sitting right there beside you. show less

This installment of the Pendragon series was somewhat slow and sloppy. I fear that because MacHale's writing improved, he is now being cut more slack by his editor. This volume was too long for the story being told, included more dubious science than has been the case in recent volumes, and suffered from the clunkier writing that characterized MacHale's earlier work. The plot works all right as long as the reader doesn't step back to ask questions or examine it from a different angle. If you're in mid-series, you'll probably like this well enough and will focus on the characters' growing self-awareness and identity concerns. These are the best aspects of the book, and bring some welcome character focus to the series. However, I doubt show more that picking up this book without having read the first five would inspire a reader want to start at the beginning, as it is not sufficiently compelling in either its craft or its story. show less

The Rivers of Zadaa is the sixth book of MacHale's Pendragon series which chronicles the adventures of Bobby Pendragon, a teenage boy who is on a quest to prevent the destruction of Halla (all times and places).

In this installment, Bobby is on Zadaa, home of Loor, his friend and fellow traveler. Saint Dane, the bad guy, has fueled the fire to cause war between the two tribes of Zadaa: the Batu and the Rokador. The two tribes have lived in relative harmony for generations, but a water shortage has pushed relations to the edge.

This part of the plot was interesting, if a bit predictable. The real interest for me in this book was the growth of the protagonist, Bobby Pendragon. In the first five books, Bobby is more of an unwitting, show more unwilling hero who enjoys the excitement of these adventures while admitting to being perfectly terrified and rather unsure of himself. In this, the sixth book, he seems to be growing into a more mature Traveler, discovering his own abilities and strength.

MacHale doesn't go far with this plotline; it is more hinted at with Bobby's first training in combat and a strange event at the end which I won't detail here. I'm betting the seventh book explores this further. show less

Some scary things are happening on Second Earth while Pendragon is trying to save Zadaa with Loor, her acolyte, and Adler. Pendragon goes through a major character change as he realizes that to truly survive, he will sometimes only have himself to depend on. He calls on Loor and Adler to help him.



Part of his trials and tribulations on Zadaa also mature him in a different way as he finally confronts his feelings for his fellow travelers and their mission together. Again, just when you think it's all safe... wickedness ensues that brings forth many more questions!



The wild ride continues for the battle of Halla and the discovery of what (or who) this battle is all about!

Probably the best in the series so far. Just enough surprising twists to make this book great!

Some scary things are happening on Second Earth while Pendragon is trying to save Zadaa with Loor, her acolyte, and Adler. Pendragon goes through a major character change as he realizes that to truly survive, he will sometimes only have himself to depend on. He calls on Loor and Adler to help him.

Part of his trials and tribulations on Zadaa also mature him in a different way as he finally confronts his feelings for his fellow travelers and their mission together. Again, just when you think it's all safe... wickedness ensues that brings forth many more questions!

The wild ride continues for the battle of Halla and the discovery of what (or who) this battle is all about!

Bobby travels to Loor's territory of Zadaa. He goes through training to become a warrior. An interesting look at racial relations.