I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: グラスハープ　ハリーポッター HarryPotter [The Harry Potter theme played on wine glasses] (2011).

I have always been fascinated by musical wine glasses.  And it’s always fun to find a glass that you can play music on (it definitely won’t happen at the diner).   And if you can find a couple, it’s great fun to play different notes with different amounts of water.

I will never have at my disposal enough glasses to do this.  I think I could probably figure it out on glasses if I had enough time (and glassware).  But since that will never happen, I will just enjoy this.  It works especially well for the fantasy genre–some wonderfully spooky sounds.

Incidentally I included this song here because I have mentioned before that people accuse this series of ripping off Harry Potter.  You know, because there’s three protagonists and magic.  I’m not going to speak to that because it’s silly.  But I did want to mention that in one of these books (and I’ve now forgotten which one, which is driving me crazy), the kids say something about “You know who” and Eric’s mom says “Voldemort?”  That had me laughing out loud (although since Clark doesn’t know Harry Potter yet–you see, some books are meant for younger kids) he didn’t get the joke.

[READ: April 2012] The Secrets of Droon: Books 32-34 & SE#6

Droon grows more and more exciting with each book.  I have high hopes that we may finish this series before Clark’s school is over (sometimes it’s fun to set little goals for ourselves, even if they are meaningless).  [Since this is being published after he finished school, I know whether this came true or not, but you’ll have to wait to find out].

Book 32 is Treasure of the Orkins.  As this book starts the kids are back home again.  Eric has just had a dream about blue snowflakes.  What I appreciated in the beginning of this book is that Tony Abbott lays out some of the mysteries that are still ongoing in the story (it’s getting a little complicated, so these re-introductions are appreciated).  And so we get these questions to get us in the right frame of mind:

What happened to Sparr (he was bad, then he was good and now he is just gone).
Does Reki-ur-set mean anything or is Salamadra just messing with him (again).
Is Gethwing still alive or is he trapped (or dead) in the Underworld?

The most interesting idea of all is that Eric didn’t want these questions answered because once they were answered, it might be the end of Droon.  And that’s how Clark and I feel as we get close to the end of the series–so excited to finish it, but what then?

After a funny opening (who doesn’t love waffle jokes?) things gets serious when Eric’s mom says she found something in the basement.  It wasn’t the doorway to Droon, thankfully, but rather a photograph of her grandfather’s grandfather who flew a blue racing plane.

Mrs Hinkle sends the kids to clean the basement (just like she did in the first book).  This time Eric’s dad plans to remodel the basement this weekend.

The kids hurry downstairs and into Droon where they meet another flying creature–Keeah’s airplane, the Dragonfly.  In the cockpit was Friddle, the plane’s inventor.  When Eric looked around him he saw snow, but none of the flakes were blue–it was all white just like at home.  What could his dream mean?  Eric is told there is a legend of blue snow falling from the sky like jewels.

One of the things I have always liked about the series is that the kids do most of the own work.  They wish Galen and some of the other adults were around, but for the most part they are totally able to win their own battles.  It’s very cool.  So in this book, even though everyone is together, it turns out that another battle needs to be fought, so the kids (and Max) go to Lumpland while Galen and Friddle and the adults go off on another adventure (which we’ll hear about when it is over).

In Lumpland, the kids learn that the Lumpies (I still wonder about the idea of creatures that are pillows) have vowed to protect an ancient treasure for the Orkins.  But, when they arrive they see that the Rat-faced Snitchers of Zoop are trying to steal the very treasure from the Lumpies.  And they are trying to steal it for Ko.

As the title suggests, the kids meet the Orkins: Djambo and Mudji.  We eventually learn that the Orkins were once Ninns who were turned into Orkins by the blue snowflake.  The adventure is primarily retrieving this treasure from Ko.

What the kids don’t realize is that Ko has put a curse on the treasure.  A curse which will run through to the end of the series:

This tiny treasure will do no less than unite all the sons of Zara in a single place and time. A place and time when they are most vulnerable. And one of them…one of them…will fall…

This book ends with the adventure unfinished.  The kids head north to the ice lands accompanied by a song from Neal (I love Neil’s songs).

Book 33 is Flight of the Blue Serpent.  This book picks up where 32 left off, with the kids along with Galen and the Orkins flying to the Paraneshi Iceway and the Nesh Ice Warriors.  But their main focus for now is the treasure–the blue snowflake that fell from a blue serpent.  When the Dragonfly nears the Paraneshi Iceway, it is attacked by Nesh warriors.  The warriors are made of ice and they simply break icicles off of themselves–which then grow right back–creepy!  Then they hurl these missiles at people.  The warriors crash the Dragonfly and they are forced to land in Krone, the village of peaceful snowfolk.  Baggle, the snowfolk leader tells them that the serpent lives under the ice water.

While the kids plan their next move, Galen walks into an ice cave and disappears.  The kids now have to rescue Galen as well.  When they meet with Galen, he is in a tree much like the trees by Eric’s house (these trees and three birds will become recurring element as the series ends).  Galen has a scroll from the serpent’s master saying that he cannot be freed until the scale is returned to the serpent.  Eric guesses that the serpent’s master is the Prince of Stars–since he has lost his memory and no one really knows anything about his past.

As the story ends, the intensity grows even more.  Ko ambushes everyone in the cave and, like the Nesh warriors, he begins throwing icicles at everyone–but his are cursed.  And when Eric pushes Galen out of the way of an icicle, he is hit by it.  Eric loses consciousness and Galen takes revenge on Ko!

Holy cow.  What a great story.

Book 34 is called In the City of Dreams.  This book opens with the information that Julie and Neal have returned home without Eric.  He must remain in Droon, unconscious.  But even worse is that the kids can’t tell anyone what actually happened to Eric.  No one know about Droon.  So since Julie can shape shift (that was a great gift to have gotten all those books ago!) she is pretending to be Eric and herself.

When the two finally get to Droon (their first time going without Eric) Jaffa City is covered in black, in mourning for Poor Eric.  Lord Sparr is there as well–old and decrepit, no longer the fearsome warrior of old.   Eric is in the same condition–no one in Droon has been able to find the cure.  Everyone looks down sadly at Eric unconscious on the bed.  And then Tony Abbott does something very cool.  We get to see Eric wake up.  Except he’s not really awake.  It is his spirit that is awake, looking down on himself .  He tries to talk but no one can hear him.  He is like a ghost.  But worse–he can barely remember anything–who is that man with the beard.  His name begins with a G, right?

Eric, confused by what he sees, decides to go for a walk.  He walks through a mirror and finds himself in the mysterious city of Samarindo.  As his spirit leaves, Sparr’s magic bird comes in and tells them they can find a cure for Eric in the city of Samarindo.  (There is a wonderfully hilarious sequence where Neal and Eric see each other but don’t realize it.  I loved this sequence so much and I wanted Clark to see it for the genius that it was.  I think he got it but I liked it more).

But this book is not full of fun.  because Eric, in his weakened state, in his lack of consciousness is easily charmed by someone else.  Someone evil.  And there is an evil force lurking around Samarindo–Gethwing!  Gethwing is there, ready to pounce on Eric in his weakened state.  Does he have designs to kill Eric?  Or does he have something else, even more evil, in mind?

Special Edition #6 is called Crown of Wizards.  This Special Edition opens in a most unusual way–in Gethwing’s lair.  Where Eric is hanging out .  I absolutely can’t avoid the spoiler anymore–Eric has been converted to Gethwing’s team.  Eric has turned bad!  And he is no longer known as Eric, he is now called Prince Ugast and he wears purple robes.  Holy cow this series has gotten really really intense!  How can he have done this with just four books left!  Surely this Special Edition will make everything right, right?  How can they all fight the bad guys without Eric?

This Special Edition…is all about Prince Ungast.  It’s about Prince Ungast trying to figure out just who he is.  If he’s only two days old, how can he have memories from before?  Why is Gethwing hiding things from him?  Abbott does some wonderful little jokes that are funny but also telling.  Like when Ungast can’t get the name of Gethwing’s homeland, Barrowbork, straight [Bumblebee, Butterball].  It keeps angering Gethwing which makes real Eric smile just a bit.  Gethwing is trying to teach Ungast to be more evil.  So they are heading to Meshka-mat.  Again, Ungast, whether because he’s still got Eric in him or because he’s just a naughty boy, keeps trying to irk Gethwing by saying the wrong thing.  (These jokes always crack me up: Messy Matzoh? Mesky-Matsky?)  Or this great little joke (I’m sure Clark loved these jokes too but wouldn’t laugh out loud because it was so disrespectful).  Gethwing shows him the magical fire and Ungast says he’ll have a cheeseburger.  This of course make Gethwing very angry.  Gethwing shows Eric a map.  It looks familiar to him, but he realizes that  there should be apple trees there.  Gethwing gets nervous and asks Ungast if he knows the name Eric Hinkle.  Ungast think about it but says no.

While Eric is lost with Gethwing, Keeah returns to the Upper World with Julie and Neal and pretends to be Eric, which is amusing as well. “I love you, Mom.  I love everyone!  What a nice day!  Hey, this breakfast is great!”  Eric’s mom grows very suspicious and follows them to the closet under the stairs.  The kids escape to Droon but they know (since no time passes in the Upper World) that she’ll be right there when they get back.

Gethwing has sent Ungast on a mission—to collect an ancient relic.  And this one turns out to be an awesome call back to a strange scene in the early books.  I was pretty excited to see it resurrected.  But that just means more trouble, because that particular item is linked to Sparr, and if Gethwing gets it, he’ll have access to a side of Sparr, too.  The kids manage to find Galen and Sparr (who is very old and weak after being in the Underworld).  All of Droon is under attack, there’s only one place they can hide—the secret, hidden fortress of the spider trolls—that’s right we get to finally meet Max’s family in Lubalunda.

Ungast is still remembering things from his past (like when he hears the name Keeah), but the promises of power and a full army of his own are too much for Eric to fight against.  And when Keeah’s dark twin Neffu comes back, it is a most unwelcome surprise.  [We saw Neffu earlier, she is basically Keeah’s version of Prince Ungast].  And then they call forth wraiths to fight the Droonians.  Finally, Galen tells the children to return to the Upper World.  They will have to reveal everything to Eric’s mother in hopes that she has something that can save Eric.

But all may be lost when Gethwing’s plan works and old man Sparr suddenly reveals himself [I can’t not spoil this sorry] to once again be Lord Sparr, the evil ruler of the Ninns, bent on taking over  the country of Droon once more.  This completes the crown of wizards that Gething was creating: Sparr, Ungast and Neffu are the sparkling jewels of the crown!

This ending was amazing.