The Golden door by Emily Rodda
264 ps.
Target audience: Ages 8 to 12
Rating: Wizard

The city of Weld is surrounded by an enormous wall that protects its citizens from the dangers outside. It is here that Rye lives with his mother and two older brothers, Dirk and Sholto. Now their safety is endangered when the flying creatures known as Skimmers begin their nightly attacks. The Warden of Weld issues a summons for volunteers over the age of seventeen to leave Weld on a quest to find and destroy whoever is responsible for the Skimmer invasion. The reward is marriage to the Warden’s spoiled daughter. Rye is not old enough but Dirk and Sholto sign up and never return. When Rye’s mistake brings a Skimmer attack on his home and crops, he and his mother move to the castle for protection. Convinced his brothers are still alive, Rye lies his way into the Chamber of magical Doors, picks the Golden door and leaves the city walls. Accompanied by an escaped orphan, Sonia, Rye ventures into the perilous unknown.  Will Rye ever find his brothers again? What if he went through the wrong door? And if he does find them, what will they have to do to stop the Skimmers? From the author of the Deltora series, comes a fantastic new trilogy full of magic, monsters and mayhem. Rye and his brothers are drawn with unique personality traits endowing the cast of characters with a more complex and realistic tone. Rye, unlike a more traditional hero, is motivated by finding his brothers and reuniting his beloved family rather than winning the prize at the end. The adventures are well-plotted and set the stage for the next exciting installment.

(Book provided for review by Children's Lit - www.childrenslit.com)