What do You think about City Of The Rats (2001)?
Okay. The people who originally dwelled in the city drove me nuts in this book. It wasn't until they actually got to the city that it finally made sense to me as to why the author put them in there. I do love how she really elaborated on the fight with Reeah though. That gaint snake finally got what it deserved! I wonder if the people could actually move back into the city eventually? Obviously they'd have to kill all the rats, but still, it could happen.
—Lu
Certainly the most interesting of the Deltora Quest series. A whole host of freaky characters and an interesting stint in a secret underground town with a morbid fear of furry creatures. After escaping from said town, the three heroes manage to end up in an even freakier deserted city, deserted by all except an army of very savage rats which attempt to eat our heroes’ whole. But once again, predictably, good triumphs and the merry trio is one step closer to fulfilling their magical quest and ridding their homeland of evil. Predictable fantasy for 12 year olds, but still very enjoyable.
—Rebecca
Unlike the previous two books in the series, I felt like this book got more political, and strayed away from being a mostly adventure book. At first I didn't like this, but it proved crucial to some of the character arcs - especially Jasmine's - and I actually found it pretty pivotal to the motivations surrounding the quest as a whole. This series tricks you at first into thinking it's going to be a run-of-the-mill "beat the Evil Lord and everything will be well by collecting _____", and then it surprises you. In some really good ways.The book isn't afraid of asking some pretty difficult questions, such as "is the Shadowlord really the source of ALL the evils right now? Can He really be blamed for everything, or are there other factors we need to address? Would restoring Deltora to its former glory REALLY be the BEST option, when before it had its own glaring issues?Emily Rodda is an author not to be underestimated. I hold her in very high esteem, and she's constantly proving me right.My only issue with the book was the pacing. I feel like a little too much time was spent in Noradz, and not enough in the City of Rats, for which the book has its namesake. The climax felt a bit rushed, like in the last book.Other than that, I truly do suggest this book, especially if you've already started the series (obviously, being book 3 and all.)
—Sarah
