Beyonders: Chasing the Prophecy by Brandon Mull

Jason, Rachel, Galloran, and their delegation proceed with the Oracle’s prophecy: Jason and his party search for Darian the Seer while Rachel, Galloran, and their company reclaim Trensicourt and attack Felrook. As Galloran’s troops wait on Felrook’s impregnable threshold, Rachel gives in to her doubts by agreeing to become Maldor’s apprentice. Rachel hopes to destroy him, but her efforts are in vain.

Chasing the Prophecy is a spectacular ending to a masterfully written trilogy. Besides the heart-stopping action and page-turning adventure, Mull highlights how doubts affect his characters. Jason consistently doubts he’s important to the Oracle’s prophecy, even though he can see the prophecy unfolding during his mission. Rachel, on the other hand, doubts the prophecy’s authenticity but she can see she is essential to saving Lyrian through her Edomic talents. Their doubts are quenched by Darian’s prophecy, because they finally see why they were brought to Lyrian in the first place. A satisfying fantasy read for both teens and adults.

Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion by Brandon Mull

Jason must return to Lyrian. He prepares supplies—which includes Ferrin’s hand—and jumps into the hippo tank when the opportunity arrives. Once Jason is transported back to Lyrian, he becomes a hunted man. On his way to tell Galloran that the Word is a diversion, Jason enlists Aram, a half-giant, and Ferrin as protectors. Meanwhile, Rachel discovers she has a rare gift for Edomic magic. Jason and Rachel are reunited with Galloran, and a quest to gather forces to oppose Maldor begins.

Mull’s second book in the Beyonders’ trilogy is a nail-biting journey that will leave readers impressed by Mull’s attention to detail and his control of all his characters. At several points in the story, the rebel group includes nine or more people. But Mull seems to effortlessly create well-rounded, deep, and unforgettable characters. Mull’s amount of thought and background to the world of Lyrian mirrors J. R. R. Tolkien’s creation of Middlearth in The Lord of the Rings. Any fan of Tolkien’s series, will definitely enjoy this modern twist of an epic story. Chasing the Prophecy is the final book in the trilogy.

(Full review found on The Children's Book and Play Review: https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/CBPR/article/view/19131/17825)

Beyonders: A World Without Heros by Brandon Mull

Jason Walker is working at the zoo when he hears strange music coming from the hippo tank. Jason accidentally falls into the tank and is swallowed by the hippo. Instead of entering the hippo’s stomach, Jason enters a new world where the people are ruled by Maldor, a tyrannical wizard emperor. While searching for a way home, Jason opens a forbidden book that puts him on a quest to find a magical word that will destroy Maldor. Rachel, a girl from his world, joins Jason on his mission and together they gather each piece of the word.

Mull’s story is full of action, intrigue, deception, and suspense. Both Jason and Rachel are characters that many readers would relate to easily, because of their believable responses to each other and to their predicament. Compared to Mull’s previous work—the Fablehaven series and The Candy Shop War—Mull has created a more mature, intricate piece of literature. Beyonders ranks up with such series as The Dark Is Rising, the Prydain Chronicles, and the Inheritance Cycle in creating a lasting impression on fantasy literature. Beyonders is set up to be a trilogy. The second book is Seeds of Rebellion.

(Full review found on The Children's Book and Play Review: https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/CBPR/article/view/19130/17824)