New Lands

xxpish - Here’s my review for the ARC I received of New Lands. Thank you Penguin for providing me the ARC! Enjoy! After Egg’s standdown to Pembroke, he is going away. He knows Pembroke will try to find him and get the map from him, so he travels with Guts to Pella Nonna in the New Lands. In just three weeks, Guts has become a famous guitar player whom everyone knows, but that is proving to be a distraction to finding the treasure before Pembroke does. But then something happens after meeting an Okalu girl that leads to a major turn of events; and they get kidnapped. In a fast-paced, adventurous sequel, will Pembroke make Egg give up the map, or will Egg resist? Will the impossible happen, where Egg finds his family? Rodkey pens a delightful read with thrilling action, and does not let readers down. What I thought about it: Geoff Rodkey amazes me once again. Once again, the action is unstoppable in this sequel, and the description is very vivid, painting a bright picture in your head. The cover art for this sequel in my opinion is amazing, and I think it is better than the first book. New Lands is pretty much a wild goose chase, with Egg, Millicent, Guts and Kira being chased by all of Pembroke’s men and the Moku tribe. I can not stress enough how much I love Geoff Rodkey’s writing, it is just…WOW! I mean, I don’t have any other words to describe it, really. I also loved the twists and turns in the plot, and they just catch you off guard. Geoff Rodkey; KEEP WRITING!

April 15, 2013
The second installment of the Chronicles of Egg delivers more danger, diabolical plots and dastardly villains than the first, and that's saying a lot. A few short weeks after teenagers Egg and Guts arrive via pirate ship in Cartage, supposed home of the treasure they seek, they are kidnapped by enemies. Lucky for them, they are soon rescued by Millicent--Egg's love interest and daughter of evil Roger Pembroke, who is also trying to find the treasure in hopes that it will enable him to rule the world--and Kira, new friend to Egg and Guts and member of the Okalu tribe to whom the treasure once belonged. The four spunky teens trek deep into the wilderness in search of an Okalu elder to help them translate the treasure map that Egg carries only in his memory. Along the way, there is bartering for supplies, severe illness, bickering and good-natured fun until the group is captured by Moku--enemies of the Okalu and Pembroke conspirators--and Egg discovers that his family, whom he thought murdered by Pembroke, is still alive, if not for long. Egg's narration, fresh and funny as ever, keeps readers engaged with the increasingly complicated plot. Occasionally gruesome, often funny and full of suspense, this one is sure to win Egg some new fans. (Adventure. 10-14)

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July 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-Rodkey continues the story of two reluctant heroes that began in Deadweather and Sunrise (Putnam, 2012). Following the death of his parents at the hands of Roger Pembroke, Egg and his friend, Guts, have set across the Blue Sea to the New Lands in search of the treasure of the Fire King. Helping the boys along the way are Millicent, the girl Egg is in love with and the daughter of Roger Pembroke himself, and Kira, a local from an ancient and mysterious tribe that may hold the secret to the treasure. Before they can find it, though, Egg and his companions will have to find a way to escape the many dangers that confront them. This fun title is sure to please adventure fans. The text is accessible, moves at an exciting pace, and always keeps readers guessing as to what will come next. Fans of the first book will definitely want the opportunity to continue the story.-Ryan F. Paulsen, New Rochelle High School, NY

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