Book

Secrets of Deltora

📖 Overview

Secrets of Deltora is a travel guide companion book to the Deltora Quest series, presented through the perspective of renowned explorer Doran the Dragonlover. The book maps out the diverse territories and regions that make up the land of Deltora. Written in an in-universe style, the guide details the various tribes, creatures, and landscapes across the realm's territories. The text includes observations about local customs, natural resources, and the unique challenges faced in each region of Deltora. The book features illustrations by Marc McBride that bring the world's inhabitants and locations to life. Maps, sketches, and detailed drawings accompany the descriptions throughout the guide. As a companion piece to the series, the book enriches readers' understanding of Deltora's complex geography and culture while maintaining the sense of adventure and discovery central to the main series.

👀 Reviews

Readers appreciate Secrets of Deltora as a lore companion book that expands on the world-building of the main series. Many note it adds depth to locations, creatures, and cultural elements only briefly mentioned in other Deltora books. Fans value the detailed illustrations and maps, with several reviews highlighting Josef's notes in the margins as adding personality. Multiple readers mention using it as a reference while reading the main series. Common criticisms include its short length and that some information repeats content from previous books. A few readers expected more new revelations about the world. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.34/5 (350+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (15 ratings) Sample reader comments: "The illustrations make the world feel more real" - Goodreads reviewer "Wish it was longer, but the artwork is beautiful" - Amazon reviewer "Perfect companion for understanding all the places and creatures" - Goodreads reviewer

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🤔 Interesting facts

🐉 Doran the Dragonlover, the narrator of this guide, is considered Deltora's greatest explorer and was known for his extraordinary ability to communicate with dragons. 📚 Emily Rodda is actually a pen name for Australian author Jennifer Rowe, who has written over 50 books and won the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award five times. 🗺️ The book contains detailed sketches and notes that were supposedly "discovered" years after Doran's disappearance, adding an archaeological element to the fantasy narrative. 🌟 The guide serves as a crucial companion to understanding the broader Deltora Quest series, which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and was adapted into a popular anime series. 🖋️ The format of presenting fiction as a found document or historical record (like Doran's travel guide) is a literary technique known as "false document," which helps create authenticity in fantasy worlds.