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Belgariad/Mallorean
by David Eddings
The Belgariad, (a 5 book series), is about a young man, Garion, who gets envovled in a quest with all these really important people, trying to save the Orb of Aldur to return it to the Godslayer. If the Godslayer succeeds, he will destroy the evil God, Torak and save the universe. Garion doesn't know how important he really is...
The Mallorean, (a 5 book series), is the sequel to the Belgariad. It starts with Garion and Ce'Nedra's son kidnapped. He becomes a possibility to replace the lost God. He is the dark one. Errand is the good possibility. Cyradis must choose who shall become the God when things come to a head in Korim...
Read also: Belgarath the Sorcerer, Polgara the Sorceress, and the Rivan Codex
His Dark Materials
Spoiler Alert
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass or His Dark Materials: Northern Lights, is the first book in a trilogy, followed by The Subtle Knife, and ending with The Amber Spyglass.
The story begins when Lyra Belacqua—an orphaned, eleven year old girl residing at Jordan College—secretly enters the Retiring Room,despite resistance from her dæmon—an animal-formed, shape-shifting manifestation of her soul. Inside the room her uncle, Lord Asriel,tells the resident scholars of the mysterious golden particles called Dust. Shortly afterwards Lord Asriel leaves to head north, and Lyracontinues with her normal life.
However, before long her friend Roger is kidnapped by "the Gobblers", who are the subject of a children's myth. Lyra vows to rescue him, and finds her chance when a visiting scholar, Mrs Coulter,offers to take Lyra away from Jordan College to become her apprentice.Lyra assents, but before she leaves is entrusted with a priceless object by the Master of the College: an alethiometer. Resembling a golden compass, it is a device able to reveal the answer to any question asked by the user. However, there is a catch, the questions you ask it, are asked using three symbols chosen by rotating the knobs. There are many different symbols, and each symbol represents a different meaning. When the question is asked, the dials in the alethiometer will swing and stop at a symbol. Like asking it a question, every symbol it stops at, has a meaning. Though unable to use it, she takes it with her to Mrs Coulter's flat; however, before long Lyra discovers Mrs Coulter's rosy exterior is just a façade concealing her cold heart, and decides to flee when Mrs Coulter's dæmon attempts to steal thealethiometer.
After fleeing the flat she is rescued by the gyptians, a group of canal-boat-dwelling gypsy-people, who reveal that "Uncle" Asriel and Mrs Coulter are none other than Lyra's father and mother. She also learns that many children like Roger have been disappearing from among the Gyptians, and that the Gyptians are planning an expedition to the north to rescue the missing children. During her time with the gyptians, Lyra inexplicably learns how to operate the alethiometer without tutorship. A very odd feat, considering the only others able to read it, have studied for many years, and even then, still use many books to guide their answers.
Lyra joins the expedition to the north, and on the journey discovers that the children kidnapped by “the Gobblers” are having their dæmons cut away from them in experiments. Shortly after this revelation the group is attacked, and Lyra is taken to the experimentation facility called Bolvangar.
Inside it she locates Roger and builds up a plan of escape. Lyraonce again comes across Mrs Coulter, and discovers that she is incharge of the organization supervising the experiments. Escaping her clutches once again, Lyra leads the other children out of the facility,and is rescued by Lee Scoresby (an accomplice of the Gyptians) in his hot air balloon, who also takes Roger and an armored bear called Iorek Byrnison with him.
Now Lyra has found Roger, she wishes to deliver the alethiometer to Lord Asriel, who is imprisoned at Svalbard, the armored bear fortress,because of his heretical experiments on Dust which the Church opposes.On their way to Svalbard the balloon encounters an attack, and Lyragets gets thrown out, though manages to land safely. She is then thrown in jail by the armored bears, but manages to trick and manipulate the bear-king, Iofur Raknison, so she can reach Lord Asriel’s cabin. During this time both Iorek and Roger arrive at the fortress, and accompany Lyra to her father.
Despite being imprisoned, Lord Asriel is so influential that he has managed to accumulate the necessary equipment to continue his experiments on Dust. After explaining the nature of Dust and the existence of parallel universes to Lyra, he takes Roger, along with large amounts of equipment, with him into the snowy distance. Once Lyra realizes what has happened, she pursues him, only to arrive a split second too late to save Roger, who is killed when Lord Asriel separates him from his dæmon. This act releases an enormous amount of energy,which, due to Lord Asriel’s equipment, tears a hole through the sky into another parallel world. Lord Asriel walks through into the new world, and after discussing the idea with her dæmon, Lyra decides to follow him.
Fun Facts
Both a motion picture, and a video game for the Playstation 2, and Nintendo DS are in development, set to be released in 2007.
The motion picture, being still in production, does not yet have a set date, however, the video game is set to be released for Christmas 2007.
Lord of the Rings-Fellowship of the Ring
A fantastic book about a young hobbits adventures in the world of middle earth. Bilbo Baggins, the holder of the ring of power, wants to go on a "permanent" vacation. It is his 111th birthday. Gandalf the Grey, who is a very powerful wizard, comes to Bilbo's party. During Blibo's fantastic party he says a speech and disapears by putting on the ring of power,which was made my Sauron, he goes back to his house to get his stuff to leave for his vacation when he runs into Gandalf in his house. Bilbo gives him the ring and Gandalf throws it in the fire. But it does not melt or break. When Bilbo leaves Frodo, who is Bilbo's favourite nephew, comes running home to say good bye only to find that Bilbo had already left. Gandalf tells him the story of the ring of power, He is then given the ring to take to Rivendell, which is the city of elves, also his gardener Sam was caught listening outside the window and was forced to make a promise to protect Frodo on his great journey that is soon to come.They set of to Rivendell with their two friends Merry and Pippin. Gandalf, meanwhile rides to the tower of Sarumon to speak to the wizard about the return of Sauron and the rise of Mordor, his evil home. While speaking to him he disagrees with his choice and has a battle of magic resulting in Gandalf being held captive. Mean while Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin stop at the White Horse Inn to stay the night. There while renting a room a man grabs them and tells them of the Black Riders who are coming for the ring. The man calls himself Strider. During the night the riders break into the inn and the hobbits and Strider escape. They race to Weathertop, the great mountain, and stay the night. Strider goes to look out and the hobbits foolishly start a fire. They are seen by the riders and they come up to Weathertop. Frodo, in his fright, puts on the ring to hide but doesnt know that these riders cannot die and that they instantly see him when he has the ring on. The lead rider stabs Frodo right above the heart, the Strider jumps in and scares them away with fire. They immedietly leave for Rivendell. Back with Gandalf he whispers to a butterfly who sends a message to the great eagle. Gandalf jumps of the tower and rides away on the eagles back with his staff in hand.
While they ride to Rivendell, the wound is quickly taking over Frodos body, because the riders sword isnt like any other sword, if stabbed by it it tries to take over his body. On the way they are found by the king of Rivendells daughter, Arwen, who takes Frodo to Rivendell but is persued by the riders. She calls upon the power of the river and they wash away the riders away she takes Frodo to the city where he falls unconcious and is treated with elvin medicines. Gandalf rides back to Rivendell and when Frodo wakes up he find Bilbo standing next to him. He is sent to a council of elves, dwarves, and men. It is decided that there will be a fellowship of the ring with Frodo being the ring bearer. Gandalf leads them to a great mountain and tries the climb over it, which is the quickest way, but is stopped by the magic of Saruman. They head back down the mountain and are forced to go through the Mines Of Moria. Once in the mines Gandalf lights a stone to create light for there passage through the mines. while traveling through Gimli, the dwarf, suspisiously finds none of his dwarf ancestors. But once they get into on of the domes they find the dead king and other dwarves! They find a diary of one of the dwarves. It speaks of them being surrounded by goblins. They find out that every dwarf was killed in the struggle to hold the mines against the goblins. BOOM! They hear something coming, suddenly a giant troll comes through the wall. The fellowship fends it off but Frodo gets injured again in the proccess. They fight them off and quickly run towards the bridge that would lead them out of the mines. While running through the great caverns, they are surrounded by millions of goblins. But then an ancient evil arises and all the goblins scatter. The Balrog is reawakened! Gandalf leads them through the mines as fast as they can while dodging arrows from the goblins. Once on the bridge the Balrog is close behind them. Gandalf uses his magic and vanquishes the creature. But while falling he takes Gandalf with him. Aragorn, formerly Strider, leads them out the rest of the way. Once out they run to Lothlorein, the woods of elves. They meet the king and queen of Lothlorein. Frodo speaks to the queen about his quest and looks into the pool of water that tells his future. Frodo is horrified by the future and leave early in the morning with the company.
End of book I
Peter and the Starcatchers
by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. This is a very excellent book. It is both fantasy and adventure. Usually I don't like books with pirates in them, but I really, really really like this book. It is the wonderfulest.
This book is sort of like the prequel to Peter Pan, before he got to Never Land island, and he met Captain Hook, and got Tinker Bell. It also tells you how he got his ability to fly, and it is NOT by Tinker Bell.