The Golden Door

Adin knew that he was the one who must fill the medallions in the belt. The Golden Door is in need of more information! The Golden Door is lacking well written plot section.

The Golden Door
General information
Series The Three Doors
Author Emily Rodda
Illustrator Marc McBride (cover art) Elizabeth B. Parisi (cover design (US)) Kate Rowe (any illustrations associated with the story, including maps and letters)
Publication
Publisher Omnibus Books - imprint of Scholastic Australia
Published January 1st, 2011
Chronology
Followed by The Silver Door

The Golden Door is a fantasy novel written by Emily Rodda. It is the first book in The Three Doors trilogy.

Book description

Australian version

"What terrors awaits Rye beyond the Golden Door?

The walled city of Weld is under attack from ferocious flying creatures that raid in the night, bringing death and destruction. The Warden calls for Volunteers to find and destroy the Enemy who is sending the invaders. The heroes of Weld answer the call one by one, never to return. Rye is officially too young to go, but his brothers are among the lost, and he must find them."

American version

Three magic Doors

you here behold.

Time to choose:

Wood? Silver? Gold?

"Rye stands before three Doors, about to step out into the unknown. He's lived his whole life safe inside the enormous wall that rings the city of Weld and protects against the terrible dangers outside. Now, Weld is under attack from skimmers, flying beasts the kill in the night. If the enemy sending the skimmers isn't found, the citizens of Weld are doomed.

But that’s not why Rye has volunteered on a mission to leave Weld and stop the skimmers. His real goal is to find his two older brothers, who volunteered before him and never returned. Now Rye must open a Door and begin a perilous quest that could save his brothers... or cost his life."

Plot

The Golden Door begins when skimmers, monstrous devils, attack Weld. Weld is a walled city in the middle of the Fell Zone, a ring of land so dangerous nobody could ever follow. The sorcerer Dann, the creator of Weld, used magic to create a safe place inside the Fell Zone, and Weld was born. However, five years ago, skimmers started raiding Weld, and now the city is in grave danger.

The Warden, ruler of Weld, refuses to do much but lets everyone follow the normal precautions, such as locking the doors and windows. However, one day, he issues a statement saying that anyone who participates in and survives a secretive mission to capture the Enemy will win his daughter's hand in marriage, becoming the new Warden. Dirk, Rye's brother, volunteers for the quest immediately, with a few of his friends close behind him. After a year, Dirk and Rye's mother receive a note saying that Dirk was probably lost, or worse, dead. Rye's other brother Sholto also applies for the quest, but suffers the same fate.

A day or two after Sholto is presumed dead, Rye goes to Tallus, the healer of the town and Sholto's mentor, for advice. Tallus tells him that he should go on the quest, but Rye refuses. On the way home, he spots a surviving baby goat. This is unusual because most goats are killed by the skimmers. He takes it home, but when the skimmers come, he forgets to take it inside. The skimmers eat the goat along with a bell tree, the family's main source of money. With little money and shelter, Rye and his mother Lisbeth have to go to The Keep to live. Rye is separated from his mother, which is the last straw for him. He accept's the Warden's challenge, though he is only sixteen years old, and only those over eighteen can go. Rye signs an official paper and is escorted by the Warden to the three doors. There he meets a random girl (Sonia) who asks him to take her with him on his mission. Rye agrees. Rye chooses the Golden Door because he is sure his older brother, Dirk, is in there. He steps through with the girl and together they journey across the Fell-Zone...

To be continued 

Characters

• Rye
• Sonia
• Sholto
• Dirk
• Lisbeth
• Joliffe
• Crell
• Tallus
• Warden
• Magnus FitzFee
• Popsy
• Tigg (only mentioned)
• Alda (only mentioned)
• Nanion D'Or
• Nanion (Nanion's son)
• Faene D'Or
• Serri
• Peron
• Edelle
• Kirwan
• The Fellan
• Bern
• Hass
• Nell
• Coop
• Dorrie
• Wilf
• Mag
• Chanto
• Nix
• Olt
• Lord of Shadows
• Sorcerer Dann (only mentioned)

Trivia

• While the Lord of Shadows mentioned in this book is the same character as the Shadow Lord found in the Deltora Quest series, the characters of Nanion and Ethena found in this book are ancestors of the Nanion and Ethena of the Deltora Quest series.
• The people Fleet are the ancestors of the people of D'Or
• The golden door leads to the Past