Temple of Secrets (Legends of Lotus Island #4)

Legends of Lotus Island #4

by Christina Soontornvat

From three-time Newbery Honor-winning author Christina Soontornvat comes a compelling and immersive young middle grade fantasy series for readers who love stories about animals, magic, and kids like them embracing their power to change the world. Plum's adventure continues in the fourth installment of the Legends of Lotus Island series. Lotus Island is in grave danger, and the powers of the Guardians are weakening. Plum must gather all her strength in order to fulfill her destiny and save her friends.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Audiobook, Fiction, Childrens

160 pages, Hardcover

Published September 17, 2024

About the author

Christina Soontornvat grew up behind the counter of her parents’ Thai restaurant in a small Texas town with her nose stuck in a book. She is very proud of both her Thai and her Texan roots, and makes regular trips to both Weatherford and Bangkok to see her beloved family members (and eat lots and lots of Thai food!). Christina is the author of the fantasy middle grade series, The Changelings, and the early chapter book series, Diary of an Ice Princess. Her forthcoming books include the middle grade fantasy, A Wish in the Dark, and All Thirteen, a nonfiction account of the Thai Cave Rescue.

In addition to being an author, Christina holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Science Education. She spent a decade working in the science museum field, where she designed programs and exhibits to get kids excited about science. She is passionate about STEM (science, technology engineering, and math), and loves learning new things. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, two young children, and one old cat.

Reviews

[Matt Cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING AHEAD




Spent most of the book wondering to myself “wait is this the last book of the series?”. While not a bad book, aspects of the plot felt pretty rushed and there is a lot of greater world building from the previous three books that feels slightly abandoned (I want to know more about Master Render, what’s the old world like, wait there’s a whole island of guardians?). There was also a lot of build up for the final climax only for it to go rather quickly. While his fate definitely is deserved, it felt rather unsatisfying how we didn’t get any real retribution from any of the main characters towards Councilor Yurn. He shows up, does evil, runs, ???, floating forever. Additionally, I don’t understand 100% the rationale as to why the chants are suddenly good now while they have been taboo the previous entries.

All in all, still a good book and worth yours or your family reading time, I just wish the series was longer and had spent more time with the really interesting world the author has been building.

[Emma Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s rare to find such a wholesome series as this one in modern kids lit. The characters are motivated and care about the earth and each other, the adults are supportive and caring for the most part, and the characters develop their identities in a positive way. The endings are peaceful and I can sleep well knowing all my new friends are happy!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

THis entry in the series follows the same pattern. The kids have their own quirks but work well together, Rella’s redemption arc continues, and the understanding of the true meaning of the guardians is deepened. Don’t start here it the series is a good read.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series - read aloud to my kids (1st + 4th grade).

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked it! I wish there was a book 5!

[R2 Ireland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good, yet the third one is still better.

I devoured this in 1-2 days. It is a "oh, I HAVE to remember to read this book or I'll regret it till the day I die."

Plum is such a lovable main character, and her little group of friends is just so... refreshing. Trust me, you'll want to read this, adult or no.

[Michelle Brosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels like a good ending to the series. Rella’s redemption arc completed, old chant mystery revealed, and Plum’s shell necklace wish/secret granted.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought it could be a stand alone but not after reading. It was apparent that much had happened before so I feel I can't rate without reading the preceding books

[Thistle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick synopsis : Set in what at first seems like a magical fantasy world, a young girl (Plum) has been accepted to an elite magical school that trains Guardians -- people who protect the natural world.

Brief opinion : I love this author so much! These books are meant for younger readers (they're Middle Grade books), but other than how short they are, I enjoyed them from start to finish.

Plot : Plum, the other students, the teachers, and a large number of non-Guardian island citizens have to save Lotus Island (the seat of the Guardians' magical powers) from a man who wants to turn it into a parking lot (and a supermarket and more high rises).

Writing/editing : As close to perfect as you can get! I spotted one minor editing issue in all four books -- three had no issues at all, the last one had the minor one (missing punctuation at the end of a line).

What I Liked/What I Didn’t Like : Getting my minor (and unfair) dislike out of the way first: By book 4, I was tired of the strong pro-environment message, but that was the entire theme of the series. The Guardians are charged with the mission of preventing what happened in our current world to happen in their new world, so of course the environmental message would be a major part of the story. Of course I'm pro-environment, but four books in a row of it being the central message got to be a lot.

Other minor dislike: The books were way too short! About half as long as a Middle Grade book usually is, which already would be short. These four books together made up about one YA book.

Things I like would be a list so long I'd run out of space in this post. I LOVED the worldbuilding so much! That it seemed like real magic to the characters but adult readers could spot what the truth behind the "magic" must have been.

I loved getting hints about the "Old World" (our current modern Earth).

I don't usually care about or want illustrations in my story, but I really loved the style of these!

Related to the illustrations, race was never mentioned in the story (the characters seemed "colorblind" and saw only people), but in the pictures we could spot that the richest people, the ones in power, were all darker skinned. That was nice and subtle!

I enjoyed that there were elements from our world in the story's world, like bowing to elders and out of respect.

Rating: 1-Hated / 2-Disliked / 3-Okay / 4-Liked / 5-Loved : Each of the four books gets the same rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Loved. I really hope there are going to be more books set in this world!

[KayKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished all 4 books in the series in about 8 hours.

I didn't have high hopes about the series because I am not a diehard children literature person and I am not into reading fantasy stories. I picked up the first book because it was a Sunshine State book for 2025-26 year and I wanted to read it to stay current as I help out in the elementary school library regularly. Upon finishing book 1, I couldn't stop but to read the rest of the books immediately. The series carries positive messages that made me happy and I felt like I was a little girl all over again.

I have heard positive feedbacks that some reluctant readers found joy following Plum's adventures along with her peers. The plot of all 4 books were straightforward and the chapters were short and easy to follow. The characters were all adorable in their own ways. Oh, there was a slight mysterious flavor about finding out the ultimate villain. The author is such a great storyteller who has now successfully captured my soul. I sure will read a few other highly acclaimed books by Christina Soontornvat.

These cute books are some nice breathing room in between my other heavier and/or adult reads. If anyone wants something fun and lighthearted to pass the time, check the Legends of Lotus Island series out. :)

Average 4 stars for each book, but I rounded to a 5-star rating for book #4 because of a heartwarming ending to a wonderful series.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series continues with a little less adventure than I became accustomed to with the previous books of the series. The characters remain true to themselves and an early characters is redeemed and accepted by the group. This is the perfect length and level of vocabulary for this. Books this exciting for this reading level are hard to find. I couldn't tell if this was the end of the series or not. Previous books of the series offered a little foreshadowing that there would be another book. This one did not. But if there is another one coming, I can't wait for it!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

School library copy

These books are a nice, short length, and I've been able to get several of my reluctant middle school readers to pick them up. This series would be perfect for introducing elementary readers to adventure fantasy books.

I really can't tell if this is the last book in the series or not, and even on Goodreads, the opinion seems to be divided. Four books would be fine for a series, but if there is some wrap up to be done, five books works as well. Any more than that, and it's tough to get much circulation out of them, at least at my school.

[Sarah McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a solid middle grade series. I like that it’s an interesting, continuous story with a strong environmental focus. Each book is only around 130 pages, making it manageable to kids who are just getting into fantasy chapter books or who feel overwhelmed by some much of the longer middle grade novels out there marketed to 8-12 year olds. Definitely going to have a copy of this series in my classroom library.

[David Monroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great series but I’m not sure why she ended it so abruptly. It felt like there was more exploration to be done and this was a fast way to end the series.
She does redeem a character, promote a character and elevate the main character.
Im going to miss this series- it highlighted Buddhism , meditation and other Asian religious practices.

[Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 stars!

Reading this series is always a treat. I adore the characters and the world itself. I feel that we're getting to the peak of the whole series in a way, and I appreciate how each character is handled.

It's short and sweet, and I already am hungry for the next installment!

[Nate Hipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

It appears the end of the series is here a bit sooner than I would’ve liked. I was kind of hoping we’d have more standalone adventures like the 2nd and 3rd books before everything wrapped up. I enjoyed the conclusion and thought it brought everything together well, but it was a bit predictable. Still, very pleased with the series overall.

[Rachel Rauch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good! I just felt like there was more to this story that wasn’t told. That the problems were solved a little too quickly. And it just felt a little rushed. And while that works for most middle grade, I felt like this one could have used more world building. It’s a wonderful world, I just wanted more so I could live in it ;)

[Elise (elise reads & writes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun conclusion to this middle grade series. I actually appreciated that it ended after 4 books, because I feel like some series these days drag on and on!

Again, we have kids dealing with strife and troubles. I appreciated the new characters we met, as well as the fact that the struggles these kids have are both interpersonal and worldly. I enjoyed how much everyone worked together even though not everyone agreed with each other.

I don't want to say more in fear of spoiling it, but this was a fun series that I think is worth recommending to young readers who like fantastic creatures and adventures with friends.

[Cassandra Hamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great finish to a great lower MG series! Simple, easy to read, and compelling with great messages about conservation and preserving the world we live in, along with a good finish to a redemption arc for Rella, one of the more complex characters. The shadows were creepy! And I liked how Plum being a gardener played so heavily into it, as well as how we got to see her grandparents again.

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an addicting series for fans of Amulet. So much action in this latest installment.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satisfying conclusion to the short series.

[Josh Peatfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful. I really think this could be the next big series for my elementary kiddos.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A continuation of the story. Felt very quick and could have been more fleshed out, but still has the same charm as the others.

[Jgramley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. A fitting end to the series with so many messages that will resonate with readers differently.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent ending that seems to leave the possibility open for future stories. I'm content with leaving it here.

[sylas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every book in this series is so good and my kiddo loves them too!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels like a natural stopping point for the series. Will be curious if it is the end or not.

[Randi · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

A good book for fourth and fifth graders. Maybe third graders if they think they are up to the challenge.

[G I · Rating 5 out of 5]

it is won of my favorite book's

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the excitement, the mystery, the suspense, and the character development. Great wrap to a really good series.