The third door by Emily Rodda
Omnibus, 2012. ISBN 9781862919143.
Highly recommended for ages 10+. This third and final adventure in
the trilogy, The three doors, begins with Rye, Sonia, Dirk and
Sholto having destroyed the skimmers at the Harbour. Believed to be
spies, the four have rescued some prisoners from the Nanny's Pride
Farm, and are now heading back to Weld. With the gifts of the
Fellan, the magic creatures who live in the forest, Rye's magic bag
continues to help the group as they progress in their quest to
remove the threats to their home. Despite facing many problems on
their way, they fight to overcome amnesia and upsets from other
quarters and the team continues its journey to put things to rights
and end the reign of terror in Weld.
Although this title could be read as a stand-alone, I would
certainly encourage readers to begin the series with The golden door
and read sequentially, to enable them to fully appreciate the
changes and development of each of the characters and their roles
within the story. As a fantasy quest, the themes of friendship,
trust, loyalty, personal development, magic, science and history are
all explored. The tale of the brothers is somewhat echoed in the
words of the book with which Rye has been entrusted. Only at the end
of their journey are secrets revealed and things returned to rights.
Rodda continues to write prolifically in the fantasy genre and her
following likewise grows with the release of each new book. These
are great adventures which entertain and engage readers of varied
ages.
Jo Schenkel