Product Description

Fleeing from the ruins of New Undertown, Rook Barkwater and his colleagues — the librarian knights, Felix Lodd and his banderbear friends — must lead the escaping population to a new life in the Free Glades. But perils aplenty are ahead for the crowd — not to mention some goblins with plans of their own. This is the dramatic and exciting conclusion to the Rook Barkwater sequence that takes the reader on a thrilling journey across the Edgeworld.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #69155 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-28
• Released on: 2006-02-28
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 416 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7–In this seventh volume, Rook Barkwater, librarian knight, and his friends make their way from Undertown, through the Mire and the Deepwoods, to a new home in the Free Glades. But that home is threatened by Hemuel Spume, Master of the Foundry Glades, who sees the area as a limitless supplier of slaves. Rooks friend Xanth is facing a Reckoning for the crimes he previously committed as a former Night Guardian, and his friend Felix, leader of the ghosts of Screetown, continues to disappoint his father, the High Librarian. To complicate matters, Rook loses his memory once again, after being caught in a sepia storm. The fast-paced plot is made up of an interconnecting set of story lines, populated by a bewildering array of creatures that meet in a spectacular last battle. In the epilogue, an elderly Mire Pirate connects all seven books with an explanation of Rooks family tree. This complex and well-worked-out fantasy world will be clear to readers familiar with the series. A fitting conclusion.–Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. In the last volume of the Edge Chronicles fantasy series, a storm swells the Edgewater River and washes away Undertown, causing residents to flee in hopes of reaching the Free Glades. The young Librarian Knight Rook and his companions test their mettle in the unfolding story, which culminates in a battle on three fronts. Even children who have devoured the saga solely for its inventive creatures and headlong adventures will be enriched by Stewart's vocabulary and Riddell's wonderfully detailed drawings. Fans won't want to miss this. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
The eagerly awaited conclusion to the Rook Barkwater stories ... The Edge Chronicles go from strength to strength. Junior News and Mail (Farnborough) 20040907 Interview with Paul and Chris featured in the BookMark section of the Funday Times. The Sunday Times 20040926 Four stars out of five! It's very readable. Cool-reads.com 20040910 Authorgraph focussing on Chris Riddell. Mentions the Edge Chronicles. Books for Keeps 20040901 Entertaining fantasy at its finest and, costed out per exciting incident, would prove exceptionally good value for money. TES 20040924 Two page interview with Chris Riddell, co-creator of The Edge Chronicles with Paul Stewart. Carousel 20041101 An exciting story with a big battle at the end and great illustrations. Irish Independent 20041211 The Edge series is mentioned in an article about essential books for all primary ages - These illustrated fantasy adventures appeal particularly to boys aged 7-10 and, because of their episodic structure, are marvellous for building reading stamina. TES 20050225 Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell attend the launch of The Reading Voyager; a mobile library set to travel around Manchester. Manchester Evening News 20050209 Paul Stewart's pacy, exciting text hooks the reader, and is enhanced by Chris Riddell's glorious illustrations. I can't wait for Book 8! Books for Keeps 20050301 Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell are mentioned in an article on how children's fiction and fantasy authors are transcending cultural barriers to establish global reputations. Children's Bookseller Supplement 20050318 Article on a WBD event with PaulStewart and Chris Riddell; the pair are described as 'a dynamic book duo'. Reading Evening Post 20050321 News that Random House Inc has just bought volumes 8-10 in The Edge Chronicles under the DFB inprint. Publishing News 20050415

Customer Reviews

Not quite the end of the story
This is the seventh book of the Edge Chronicles as published by David Fickling Books. (Random House Children’s Books) It brings together many of the characters from the previous books, and should not be read before the others.

If you’re having a hard time keeping them straight, the books are grouped into three sagas, The Quint Saga, the Twig saga and the Rook saga. The order as published so far in the USA is:

1. Beyond the Deepwoods (Twig saga)
2. Stormchaser (Twig saga)
3. Midnight Over Santaphrax (Twig saga)
4. Curse of the Gloamglozer (Quint saga)
5. The Last of the Sky Pirates (Rook saga)
6. Vox (Rook saga)
7. Freeglader (Rook saga)

Amazon.com lists a Book 8, The Winter Knights, but this must be an import, as it isn’t readily available and the cover artwork is different. The Winter Knights is a part of the Quint saga. There’s also Clash of the Sky Galleons available in October 2006. This also is from the Quint saga. I understand that there will be ten Edge Chronicle books in all, so this isn’t the end of the line for Edge fans.

Freeglader has the best battle sequences of the series so far, and is made up of several story lines, including the exodus from Undertown, the perilous trek to the Free Glades, the hatching of a new Shryke army, the rebuilding of the Great Library, the ambitious plans of the master of the Foundry Glades, the Goblin armies, the trial of Xanth, and much more. Rook is once again the central character, losing his memory, and then regaining it, and when he is reunited with a family member, everything is explained for us all.

One of the most exciting in the series so far, but requires prior knowledge of the characters.



Amanda Richards, April 11, 2006

Exciting!
There are gnokgoblins, cloddertrogs, woodtrolls, and waifs. They flee down the Great Mire Road, when a storm of magnificent proportions that had been gathering for weeks, pounds Undertown. As Undertown is destroyed by the storm, the residents, fearing for their safety, flee to build themselves a new home and library in the Free Glades.

Rook Barkwater, a librarian knight, understands that the journey, even with help from Deadbolt Vulpoon and the sky pirates, will be filled with hazards for the homeless residents. They will face danger at every turn from the horrible conditions and from unmentionable creatures who would harm them.

The evil Master of the Foundry Glades, Hemuel Spume views the Free Glades as a source of slaves, Rook Barkwater loses part of his memory in a sepia storm, Xanth must face his past crimes, and a father is disappointed in his son. But it is Rook's life story that we are interested in knowing.... Will we discover it?

Stewart and Riddell have created an exciting and complex fantasy world in The Edge Chronicles. Book #7 is the final installment and ultimately all loose ends are connected. The novel is an easy, fast-paced and thrilling read that will have children (and adults) turning the pages, racing as fast as they can to the end.

Armchair Interviews says: The Edge Chronicles is a wonderful series that should start with book #1. You won't be disappointed.

The bow on top of the package
First off, I LOVED IT!
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I am a big fan of teh Edge Chronicles, twig being my favorite character. I never really liked Rook Barkwater until this book. Now I do. Freeglader is all about the journey that the Undertowners have to take after the Dark Maelstrom to get to the Freeglades and have peace. Banding together with the sky pirates from the Mire, the fleeing Undertowners must brave attacks from Muglumps, shrykes, goblins, and survive the treacherous Mire and Edgelands.

The story was great and exciting, even if it does take a serious turn. Younger readers might be a little more sensitive to some of the gory scenes: the one where the shryke rips out a librarian's heart, for instance, or the one where Amberfuce is boiled alive. This aside, my favorite part of the book was not the actual story, but the epilogue. There is a conversation at the end between Rook and an old sky pirate (won't say who it is!) and Rook learns the secret of his parentage. It's been obvious since the beginning, but it's nice to see it in print and find out the intricacies of marriage in the Deepwoods.

This is a must-read for Edge Chronciles fans, especially for those who really like Rook. Don't bother reading it if you havent' read the others; it won't make any sense at all.

P.S. did anyone notice in the family tree at the back that ROok is also related to a dear little someone who's last name is Hammelherd?