The Merchant of Death

The Pendragon books are an excellent youth adventure series to begin with. You have a reluctant hero -Bobby Pendragon- that excels through a great mixture of brains, courage, loyalty, creativity, humor and heart. Although Bobby is no slouch, it's not his physical prowess that gets him out of tight situations time and again. All Pendragon stories are very fast-paced, captivating and unique and mostly written from Bobby's perspective - in the first person. So the language is that of a smart and hip teenager and therefore fun and very easy to digest for that age group. My three kids (9-11) inhaled the books and keep asking me to check when the sixth book will come out (July 1. 2005). Our family loves audiobooks, we listen to them while we do arts/crafts or chores in the house or on car rides. Because most audio books are so expensive here in the States (in Europe the prices are significantly lower due to the much higher demand for audio productions there, especially for kids/youths) I usually get the CDs in the library, rather than buying them, even though I typically have to check out the good ones more than once. But I didn't have to think twice before I bought this set of 10 CDs, the price is perfect - just where a good hardcover book would be too. William Dufris is a marvelous narrator, he catches Bobby's spirit perfectly. I didn't care for the music at the beginning and end of each CD and the occasional slip into audio-production-like sound effects, as for instance when one of the characters speaks through a walkie-talkie. But those are nit-picks and wouldn't deter me for an instant to buy the set, which I will probably do many times as presents for kids in the future. If you have never tried audiobooks for your kids, this is the perfect one to start. Do you have a 90 minute car ride to the grandparents? Slip a CD in and enjoy the trip in peace and quiet. (Caution, if you are the driver, you'll get hooked on the stories yourself)

Fourteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon has always thought that he had a normal life. He has a great family, great friends, was lucky enought to have kissed the most perfect girl, has a perfect dog, Marley, and has a super-cool Uncle. But there's something that Bobby never knew about himself, and is about to find out. He's destined to save the world. No, not in ten years from now, but at this very instant. And no, not on this Earth, because life on this Earth is different than Bobby ever thought it could be. Bobby will be saving the world on an alternate dimension called Denduron, a territory inhabited by many strange beings, that is plagued by a dangerous revolution, and ruled by a magical tyrant. Now Bobby is forced to accept his role as savior to the people of Denduron, or else he won't ever see his family again. Besides, Denduron is only the beginning.D.J. MacHale is a fantastic author who has created an interesting, and out-of-this-world dimension that will pull readers in from the very first page. Bobby is a fun character, who, even though he has to save the world, and is in an alternate dimension, uses teenage lingo of today (i.e. cool, awesome, etc.), that readers will be able to relate to and understand quite well. PENDRAGON: THE MERCHANT OF DEATH is told in alternating chapters between Bobby's journals, and his friends (Mark and Courtney) quest to find Bobby and save him from untimely death, which gives the reader the chance to read both sides of the story. This is an interesting and exciting addition to the science fiction / fantasy genre. A must read.Erika Sorocco

Bobby Pendragon is a fourteen-year-old boy, and his mission is to save the world. Bobby was a normal kid, until his uncle came to him, asking desperately for help. Bobby soon learns that he is a traveler, a person that can travel through space and time. After traveling to a distant planet, known as Denduron, with his uncle, Bobby has to try to save the planet from an evil traveler. If the evil traveler, St. Dane, is able to cause war between two tribes on the planet Denduron, the whole universe will be destroyed, including Earth, as we know it. It's up to Bobby and some other "good" travelers to stop him and the two tribes from clashing. Does Bobby fulfill his mission and save the whole universe's destruction? Pendragon: The Merchant of Death, by D.J. MacHale, is one of the greatest stories ever written and I am sure the sequels will be just as good. This book is filled with action and adventure throughout the whole story. Not once was there a boring part of this amazing tale. The book is very similar to Harry Potter books, but maybe a little bit better. I recommend this book for all readers who enjoy adventurous stories. Pendragon: The Merchant of Death is one of the greatest books I have ever read!

I am a 13 year old boy that hates reading, my teacher made us read a book for a report... i jus picked one out of the bookfair and said ok, lets do dis... this book is one of the very few books that i can't put down, i'm the kind of person that if a book is borring or not interesting, i just can't read it... all i am saying is just give it a try, check it out or sumting, ... n i know you'll love it... i'm jus waiting for the rest comming in this new series... i'll jus put it like diz, if u liked harry, or lotr,you gotta get it

Fantasy is one of the hottest genres for teens right now, and there's plenty to choose from. For those fans new and old who are looking for something more contemporary than, say, His Dark Materials or Lord of the Rings, check out Bobby Pendragon. He's 14. Lives a bit north of New York City. Plays a pretty mean game of basketball. Loves video games. Family, house, dog. Life is good. And then his ultra-cool Uncle Press shows up at his front door one evening, and whisks Bobby away to another dimension, one of ten Territories known as Denduron. And life, as he has always known it, ceases to exist. Bobby's uncle tells him that he has been chosen to be a Traveler, and his job, should he decide to accept it, is to help his uncle save the Territories from a villain among villains, the evil Saint Dane (who can shape shift and raise all sorts of hell). In this first heart-stopping installment, Saint Dane pits two co-existing societies against each other. If either is destroyed, it'll be easy for him to come to power. Meanwhile, Bobby, who's been thrown into a completely alien environment, has to figure out how to prevent anarchy and manage to stay alive himself. There's nonstop action--and plenty here for girls to enjoy as much as guys, by the way. Bobby is helped out by the beautiful Loor, who can kick some serious butt! Even if you don't like to read, you will love this book! Whatever you do, don't miss it!