Hi there Deltora fans. This is my third review of the Star of Deltora series, this time I will be reviewing the third book in the series; The Towers of Illica. Obviously do not read in you haven't read any books in this series yet. As always, the opinions in this review are my own, but please let me know of your own opinion in the comments below. This review follows up from my Shadows of the Master and Two Moons reviews so please check those out first before reading this one. This review has been a long time coming since my last one back in September.
This book is probably my favourite in the series, and it has by far the most interesting artwork in the series. Following on from the events of Two Moons, Britta continues her quest to become the apprentice Rosalyn trader. However she begins to unravel the events of her father's disappearance and the Staff of Tier. Britta's friendships, although tested, continue to grow with Jewel and Sky, and they begin to put aside their differences and actively support Britta in the compeitition. After a few misadventures on the Star of Deltora, Britta finally reaches Illica, a small and remote island outpost with very strange customs. Here, Britta meets the Collectors, descendants of pirate lords who have hoarded treasure throughout the ages. Britta soon discovers that the Collectors are dirt poor as they refuse to sell any of their treasures, and they make no other income. Britta also discovers the resting place of Bar-Enoch and where the Staff of Tier rested before it was taken by her father. The Star of Deltora is also forced to flee Illica due to Jewel and Britta upsetting multiple Collector families due to their strange customs.
This book is marvellously written and flows on well from Two Moons. Britta becomes more of a leader in this book, with even Jewel and Sky becoming somewhat her followers and mentors in her quest to become the apprentice Rosalyn over rival Vashti. This book even had the potential to become the final segment in the series in my opinion. Unlike the following book, The Hungry Isle, many of the plot points resolved in this book are not just explained through dialogue but are left for the reader to decipher. This book is therefore more like the original Deltora series of books which open the world of Deltora up to the reader. The somewhat hidden but inferred relationship between Britta and Sky is also extremely satisfying to read.
My only criticism with this book is that some of the resolved plot points from The Hungry Isle could have been included in this book, but that could be more of a criticism of The Hungry Isle.
Please leave your thoughts below, did you find the book interesting or not? Do you like the island of Illica? Do you like the relationship between Britta, Jewel and Sky?
Hope you liked my review,
Archer of Az-Zure (Admin)