Rowan of Rin #3: Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal (Rowan of Rin)

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Summary: Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal
Review: For thousands of the year, the fishlike people called the Maris folk have lived peacefully in their land with their mysterious Crystal, which protects them from the neighboring barbarian Zebak. When Rowan's mother is called upon to her ancestral task of choosing then next Keeper of the Crystal the stakes are high. As always, when the Keeper of the Crystal is near death three chosen Candidates come to compete for the next keeper. However on the first day Rowan't mother, Jiller is poisned and falls into a deathlike sleep. Now Rowan finds himself in the poision of Chooser and has the big task ahead of him to find the antidote for his mother's poison out of a old wrinkled rhyme. Accompanied by the three untrustworthy Candidates, Rowan journeys to the sacred Island to seek the ingredients listed in the rhyme. However gathering the ingrediants means one peril after the other as Rowan as he battles wild beasts and political intrigue. However he has one last test in front of him when he realizes that the chosen Keeper has been bespelled by the Zebak.
Will Rowan be able to get the antidote in time to save his mother? Will he save the Maris from a attack from the Zebak?

The third book in this series was another hit for me. As always Rodda manages to evolve a fantasy world right in front of our eyes. I can's wait to read the fourth edition of Rowan, one unlikely hero!

Rating:
Summary: Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal
Review: I thought this book was almost as good as the first Rowan story (on the mountain). I liked this story because it had things that happened when I least expected it. It had riddles, which i really like. It gave me a good reason to stay up late! It took me about a week to read. My brother and I both think Rowan is a great series.

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Summary: Rodda's Masterpiece
Review: In Australia, Emily Rodda is one of the most renowned children's authors. She has written many fantasy books for children/ young adults and this amaizing book is just one example.
Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal is a book in the Rowan series. It has the same feel and quality as all the other books. Rowan, a boy with special powers, is brought to decide who will be the Keeper of the Crystal. He journeys with them to learn their attitude, personality and abilities. But one of those that he journeys with desires the Crystal for evil. The unique story will possess you.
Once you have finishes this book, it is safe to say you will read it again but be pleased that Emily Rodda has written so many books. I can also guarantee this will not be the last of her books you will read. This book encourages you to read the rest of the famous Rowan books, or the very extensive and popular Deltora Quest series.
Maybe you havn't read any books like this before, but once you have read one, you will most likely read one after another. So add this to your reading list, and you will understand why young adult fantasy is so popular.

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Summary: Not slowing at all
Review: The "Rowan of Rin" series is one of the best book series out there for the who are not yet ready for the Prydain Chronicles or "The Hobbit." In the third story, "Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal," we get more of a glimpse of this beautiful and dangerous world and the diverse people who inhabit it.

Rowan is stunned when the fishlike Maris folk summon his mother Jiller to the Cavern of the Crystal, there to choose a new Keeper. For reasons too complex to summarize, the Maris clans require an outsider to choose their Keeper, who helps protect them from the savage Zebak warriors. Jiller is the latest in a long line of Choosers, and Rowan will be her successor.

But upon arriving at the Cavern, Jiller is mysteriously poisoned. But after Rowan is appointed the new Chooser, he refuses to choose any of the three candidates until they help him find the ingredients for the antidote. The three set off on their quest -- but Rowan begins to wonder which of the three poisoned Jiller, and what motives are behind it.

As in the previous two books, Emily Rodda creates a believable world without the usual fantasy trappings like elves and wizards. The mystery surrounding Jiller's poisoning and the question of who would be chosen to be Keeper -- and why -- remains a question until the penultimate chapter, and events near them hint at the fourth book. The writing is beautifully descriptive without being too much so, and the dialogue is growing more realistic with every new book.

Rowan shows some personal growth since the first book, where he was outstandingly timid; here he is more self-assertive and confident, even when surrounded by strangers, and even defies the Keeper in an effort to save his mother. Jiller and Jonn (now formally engaged) are fairly nebulous. The three candidates are sufficiently defined that they don't blend together, especially Doss, who has a secret; Seaborn, who inexplicably doesn't like being a candidate; and Asha, who adheres viciously to how she thinks the world should work.

"Keeper of the Crystal" is an excellent young kids' fantasy, something for them either to read themselves or be read to at bedtime. Excellent second sequel.