Deltora Quest 2

Deltora Quest 2 (also known as Deltora Shadowlands) is a series of children’s fantasy books, written by Australian author Emily Rodda. It follows the adventures of three companions as they journey outside the magical land of Deltora to rescue the many prisoners held captive by the evil Shadow Lord. It comprises three books which were first published in Australia in 2002 by Scholastic. The Deltora Shadowlands series is associated with two other series that take place in the same fictional world and feature the same characters. These series are Deltora Quest, which precedes Deltora Quest 2, and Deltora Quest 3 (also known as Dragons of Deltora) which follows it. Collectively, these three series are known as the Deltora series.

In the series, King Lief must find out how to save his kingdom. Although he has defeated the enemy, Deltora is rotting away - the Shadow Lord had taken thousands of Deltorans as slaves back to the Shadowlands. Lief and his friends must re-unite three pieces of the magical Pipe of Pirra - the only thing the Shadow Lord fears - to save his people.

At the beginning of Book 1, Lief leaves Del and goes to Tora, seemingly to find a bride. While he is away, Jasmine discovers the crystal Prandine used to contact the Shadow Lord with. It shows her her little sister Faith, trapped in the Shadowlands. Meanwhile, the Deltoran Annals (a history of Deltora) are found and Lief learns of the Pirran Pipe, the only thing the Shadow Lord fears. What is now the Shadowlands was once the land of Pirra. It was protected by the magical music of the Pirran Pipe. But one day, the Piper died. Three people vied to become the new Piper: Plumes, Auron and Keroes. Through the machinations of the evil Shadow Lord, the people of Pirra could not decide who would replace the old Piper. He suggested they divide the pipe into three. So they did; the instrument could not be played, Pirra was unprotected and the Shadow Lord could invade. The people fled to a secret underground sea. They split into three tribes and went to live on the islands of Plumes, Auron and Keroe. Each tribe kept a different piece of the pipe and kept to themselves.

Before they can investigate the Pipe further, Lief and Barda learn that Jasmine has run off to the Shadowlands with Glock. Lief leaves his 'bride' Marilen in Del, while he pursues Jasmine. Jasmine had read another story of a secret way to the Shadowlands through the Os-Mine hills. She hopes to rescue her sister, as Glock hopes to rescue the remnants of his tribe. Lief and Barda follow her and find a secret under-world. They discover the secret sea and are captured by the Plumes, who are also holding Jasmine and Glock captive. The Plumes come to trust them and free the four Deltorans so they can attempt to defeat the Fear (a giant squid). In the fight, Glock is mortally wounded by the Fear and bestows his tribe's talisman on Jasmine. Glock dies and Lief asks the Plumes to give him the first piece of the Pipe. They tell him it was stolen by the Jalis (Glock's tribe) many years before. Jasmine looks at the talisman and it turns out to be the first piece of the Pipe of Pirra.

Book 2: The companions travel to the island of Auron, only to find it has been abandoned for many years, its people having taken to living on rafts instead. Lief, Barda and Jasmine defeat the evil Arach (giant spiders) and obtain the second piece of the pipe.

Book 3:The three companions travel to the island of Keroe and receive the last piece to complete the Pipe of Pirra. Lief gives the Piper of Keroe the Belt of Deltora for safe-keeping, and her son goes with Lief, Barda and Jasmine to the Shadowlands. They come back up and meet a resistance gang led by Claw. They hope to surprise the Shadow Lord so they can reach the place where the slaves are being held. They go to the Factory and encounter a Vraal. They see their old friend Tira there; they also find out that the slaves are at the Shadow Arena. Lief, Barda and Jasmine sneak into the arena just as the Shadow Lord is about to wipe the slaves' memories with mind worms. Jasmine reaches Faith only to find out her 'little sister' was a trick to lure Lief into the Shadowlands. The Piper's son, Emlis, starts playing the Pipe of Pirra and Lief, Barda, Jasmine, Claw, Emlis and all of the slaves are tele-ported back to the secret sea. The Plume, Auron and Keroe peoples re-unite and the freed slaves return to Deltora.

Lief returns to Marilen in Del. It is revealed that although the descendents of Adin's first child only had one child, with Lief the only descendent of that line, Adin himself had five children, and that Marilen, a descendent of Adin's second child, was the next in line to the throne of Deltora. Lief had a fake belt made and had taken it on his journey. He had left Marilen in Del wearing the real Belt of Deltora, so that if anything had happened to him, Marilen would become Queen. The series then ends.

External links

• Australian Deltora Quest website
• US Deltora website
• Emily Rodda's official website
• Deltora Quest anime website