The Pilgrims of Rayne

Pendragon #8

by D.J. MacHale

When Bobby Pendragon first arrives on the tropical world of Ibara, he finds paradise. There is beauty all around and the people of Ibara are blissfully happy. It's not long before Bobby discovers, however, that they are also blissfully...oblivious.

The leaders of Ibara are keeping a devastating secret from their people, one that gives Saint Dane all the opportunity he needs to launch his final assault on Halla.

While Bobby struggles to learn the truth in time to thwart Saint Dane, Courtney Chetwynde desperately searches for Mark Diamond. On the heels of a shocking tragedy, Mark has disappeared. Worse, he seems to be under Saint Dane's influence. It's up to Courtney to find Mark and stop him from making a grave mistake that could change the future of all existence.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Science Fiction, Adventure, Childrens, Middle Grade

560 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

D.J. MacHale is a writer, director, executive producer and creator of several popular television series and movies.

He was raised in Greenwich, CT and graduated from Greenwich High School. While in school, he had several jobs including collecting eggs at a poultry farm, engraving sports trophies and washing dishes in a steakhouse...in between playing football and running track. D.J. then attended New York University where he received a BFA in film production.

His filmmaking career began in New York where he worked as a freelance writer/director, making corporate videos and television commercials. He also taught photography and film production.

D.J. broke into the entertainment business by writing several ABC Afterschool Specials. After moving to Los Angeles, he made the fulltime switch from informational films, to entertainment. As co-creator of the popular Nickelodeon series: Are You Afraid of the Dark?, he produced all 91 episodes over 8 years. He wrote and directed many of the episodes including the CableAce nominated The Tale of Cutter's Treasure starring Charles S. Dutton. He was nominated for a Gemini award for directing The Tale of the Dangerous Soup starring Neve Campbell.

D.J. also wrote and directed the movie Tower of Terror for ABC's Wonderful World of Disney which starred Kirsten Dunst and Steve Guttenberg. The Showtime series Chris Cross was co-created, written and produced by D.J. It received the CableAce award for Best Youth Series.

D.J. co-created and produced the Discovery Kids series Flight 29 Down for which he writes all the episodes and directs several. His work on Flight 29 Down has earned him both Writers Guild of America and Directors Guild of America award nominations.

Other notable writing credits include the classic ABC Afterschool Special titled Seasonal Differences; the pilot for the long-running PBS/CBS series Ghostwriter; and the HBO series Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective for which he received a CableAce nomination for writing.

In print, D.J. has co-written the book The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors, based on his own teleplay and penned the poetic adaptation of the classic Norwegian folk tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon.

The book series: Pendragon - Journal of an Adventure through Time and Space marks D.J.'s first turn as a novelist. He plans for this series of Young Adult adventures to span a total of 10 books.

D.J. lives in Southern California with his wife Evangeline and daughter Keaton. They are avid backpackers, scuba divers and skiers. Rounding out the household are a Golden Retriever, Maggie; and a Kitten, Kaboodle.

Reviews

[Tina➹ lives in Fandoms · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 Golden Stars

from now on, things have changed. again!

yeah, yeah, I know! I said that a lot, but every time it really was a Turning Point of the story, revealing a new aspect, new path; one at the end of book 2, after that significant event, the next, in Second Earth, when Mark & Courtney decided they wanted to be more than just Librarians, their first defeat, the inevitable situation coming in the book after that & its consequences, many when each of the characters made critical mistakes of desperation or rage or selfishness, by that unexpected betrayal, the first time we heard about the Convergence & now at the end of this one, by that Final decision. (& don't forget there are at least two more, in the last two books)
I know! it's complicated! because the plot is intertwined together so beautifully all through the pages, to lead us to this moment, with many twists & turns & Turning Points & mysteries! everything happens had its reason. & that's what makes this series one of the BESTS.
exciting, isn't it?

after this book ends, things getting darker, chaotic. & much more complicated.

you could say,
the Beginning of the End

the wall between territories is on the verge of falling apart.

this book started differently, after how the last book ended, now it felt like we, readers, were Acolytes. I always like the start of these books, when important events of the last books been summed up, but this one was different, also cute. & probably my favourite. (one of them at least, I love them all!)
I mean the history of my Ship!
also it was fun! (no surprise there!)

this is just a quick glance in the change of narration, something like the end of book 5. we will know the story not only through Bobby's eyes, not only Second Earth. this part expanding in book 9. will be explained there.

Ibara, the peaceful colourful tropical island
the Jakills
the problem with the Traveler
to discover the truth beyond, they should be rebels
& the revelation of the truth, at that moment, my jaw hit the floor...
the battles & the fights
when Pendragon now seems the most-skilled fighter!
Seeing some old familiar characters
the plan that was organized centuries ago
the desperate decision to neutralize Saint Dane's plan
the Convergence
the Plots of the villain

beyond the excitements of the fights & curiosity, this book had its emotional moments. sad and joyful.

[Halley Hopson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not understand why more people haven't read this series. It is hands down one of the best and most action packed fantasy stories I've ever read. I know it's an older series and that's probably part of the reason, as well as the fact that like Harry Potter, the first couple of books start out as almost middle grade, but as the books progress it definitely dips into YA.

I love every single character introduced in the story. Saint Dane is one of my favorite villains ever written. The concept and premise of Halla and that the universe it split into ten different worlds called territories is one of the most intriguing concepts I've ever come across in fantasy literature. I just love everything about it and want to scream about this series to everyone who has never heard of or read it.

That all being said, this book alone was probably the most action packed one yet. I love the new traveler, and I love seeing old faces brought back into play. The plot twist revealed near the middle of this is a big one. So many twists and turns in this story alone and we still have two books left.

Hobey ho, let's go.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this series, like other really good YA literature, grows along with its protagonist and its readers, getting progressively darker and more intense with each installment. Because there's no doubt that this is a heavy adventure.

Feeling harried and desperate after his loss on Quillan, Bobby and Courtney are torn. On one hand, they desperately need to find their friend Mark, who may have changed the future and allied with Saint Dane. But on the other hand, Saint Dane is targeting the territory of Ibara as his next and possibly most important conquest. So Bobby and Courtney make the difficult decision to split the duties.

While Courtney meets up with Gunny's acolyte on First Earth, the hilariously clever Dodger, to search for Mark and stop him, Bobby heads to Ibara, a tropical island paradise where dark secrets are being kept. With only the help of the rebellious teenage Traveler Siry, Bobby is about to get some serious news tossed on him. Because nothing on Ibara is what it seems, and the mysteries behind it have staggering implications on the battle for Halla. And in order to put an end to the conflict once and for all, Bobby may have to make the biggest sacrifice he's ever been faced with. It's all coming to a head.

With both plotlines packed with action, twists, and intense choices and revelations, this is the true lead-in novel to this series' finale. I still love its characters, even Saint Dane, who is such an incredible villain becuase of how terrifyingly clever and callous he is. I am so glad I have the next one ready, because MacHale knows how to hook a reader!

[Aakash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just one word 'Fantastic'. The book was great as always. The twists were mind blowing. The connection of Veelox and Ibara I didn't see coming so It was unpredictable. I don't think the decision of Bobby would stop Saint Dane. Going to start next book sooner.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness gracious, I don’t know what I was expecting when I started this book, but it certainly wasn’t what I got. What I got was much, much better than I ever could have hoped for.

From start to finish, this book was a complete and total mind-fuck and there was a new twist every other chapter it seemed. It’s starting to get crazy, everything is coming to fruition slowly and more and more questions are arising and I am so excited to read the last two books of this series.

As soon as Bobby decided to part ways at the beginning, I knew it was going to be a crazy ride on both sides and I was absolutely right. It’s like starting at the two sides of the Matterhorn ride and wondering which bobsled will reach the bottom first.

SO MUCH happened in this book, and it was hard to keep track of everything that happened from start to finish in this book. There was so much character development for Bobby, for Courtney, we finally got to know Dodger and I absolutely love him, and even for Mark. It’s been awesome to see how everyone is growing up and how everything is changing as the series goes.

Bobby made some tough choices in this book, especially towards the end, and I am quite excited to see how everything turns out over the course of the last two books. I am so stoked for this series.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Bobby first finds himself on the territory of Ibara, he wonders why Saint Dane would want to 're-build' this territory...it seemed so perfect. However, he soon learns that the leaders of Rayne are keeping one huge secret from the villagers ~ their past. Since he can't find answers on Rayne without being discovered, Bobby teams up with Siry, the last Traveler from Ibara, and his group, the Jakills. After hijacking a ship, Bobby and the Jakills travel to the nearest place on a map that Siry had acquired. That place was called "Rubity" on the (very*100) old map. Ring any bells? Anyhow....as usual, Bobby learns of Saint Danes plan while Siry, (who doesn't believe in the Traveler business,) learns the horror of Saint Dane. Fortunately, Bobby and Siry manage to escape, but unfortunately, they are the only ones that remained alive after witnessing Saint Dane's insanity. When they get back to Ibara, they do the only thing they can; Reveal the past to the people of Rayne.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are still fun, but I'm starting to struggle with them. I like it when I can't wait to get to the next book in a series. I am having to make myself get started with each book and then I feel like I'm wading through the beginning. I'm also starting to have serious doubts about the hero of the series and he's beginning to annoy me with his inability to remember important lessons. Maybe my irritation will be resolved and I'll change my mind as I read the last 2 books. Of course I have to finish the series...

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly don't know why I am still reading this series. I liked it at first and I do want to know what happens to Bobby Pendragon, but there is too much recapping in each book, and while the first person, journal style is fun at first, it is now irking.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still loving this series! A little bit more complicated, messy twists and turns..and even more territories being shown. I really like MacHale’s writing. And obviously this is still one of my favourite time traveling sci-fi adventure series’. Hobey-ho, lets go to next book!

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is starting to get away from me. Mark is still a punk. Bobby is going against all he was told not to do and I’m starting to question where this series is going to go from here with only 2 books left. All the characters are starting to get annoying with all that they do. The only redeemer is Courtney. Worried that the conclusion isn’t going to be as satisfying I hope it to be.

[Dray Ren · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite of the series and one I almost never reread. This territory did little to invest me in the arc and even the climax was a little dull. It's the only book where I preferred the Mark and Courtney sequence over what's going on with Bobby.

[Max · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this is it. I’ve now finished the last Pendragon book that I read as a kid, the last one where I had any level of memory of the twists and turns of the plot. Next time I’ll be entirely on my own.

But this time I knew a little of what to expect. I knew that the Earth territories have undergone a huge change with technology well ahead of their time, and that the Earth territories would turn out to be not the only territories that are accessible in multiple times. If book five of the series is the “humans ruled over by a non-human species” part of Planet of the Apes, this is the “you maniacs! You blew it up!” Part.

The story starts with Bobby and Courtney racing to Third Earth to find out why Second Earth technology has become so advanced. They discover that Third Earth is largely the same except many of the jobs are now done by the dado robots first seen on Quillan - and these ones all have Mark’s face. Soon they determine that Mark went back to First Earth and introduced his Forge technology there, which is what’s caused the disruption to the timeline. Bobby and Courtney decide to split up, with Bobby heading off to Ibara to face Saint Dane while Courtney tries to track down Mark and stop him from changing history.

I’ll admit one thing that ended up bugging me about this part is that it’s written as one of Bobby��s journals even though last time there was a Traveler acolyte team up in book five, it was done in the third person style of the Second Earth sections. It doesn’t really make sense for Bobby to write this part of the story as a journal because Courtney isn’t going to be reading it later and reacting, which is much of what makes the journal style storytelling in the series interesting.

From here the plot divides as usual into Bobby’s journals and Courtney’s actions on the homefront, though this time the homefront is First rather than Second Earth. The Courtney plot has a lot of potential, since she’s in the same position Bobby was in book three - navigating a world that’s almost like the one she’s familiar with but just different enough to be disorienting. She gets a sidekick of her own in Dodger, one of the employees at the hotel Gunny worked at, and the two of them spend time trying to find Mark. A helpful tip from the future points them to the Queen Mary, and so the second half of the Courtney story has them sneaking onto the ocean liner to find Mark.

I said the story has a lot of potential, but it doesn’t quite get there. The confrontations with Mark are suitably emotional and there’s some classic Pendragon twists to throw everything off a bit. What’s here is fairly good, but I feel like it could be a lot better if it was given more space to really grow and develop. The sections with Courtney are a little longer than the Second Earth stuff was at the very start of the series, but I feel like it isn’t really long enough. It would’ve greatly benefitted from being closer to the scope of the Bobby sections to really ramp up the tension and wring more emotions out of the characters. It sounds like next book will have more focus on Courtney and Mark so I am curious to see what that ends up looking like.

Bobby’s story on Ibara ends up feeling a little too derivative of previous stories in the series. Ibara is a tropical paradise island where everything feels a little too perfect, with a group called the Jakills devoted to uncovering the hidden truth behind their history. Which is cool, but the issue comes with the Traveler from Ibara. See, last book there’s a Traveler from Ibara who shows up and gets killed in the Quillan games. So I thought oh, we’re going to do something cool where Bobby shows up on Ibara and he meets that guy and it’s all angsty because he knows he’s going to die but can he change time and stop him from dying? You know, a cool time travel plot.

But no, the Traveler from Ibara that died last book is just the current guy’s dad. And he has issues with his dad because his dad is part of the ruling council that he feels is hiding the truth from everybody. So yippee, we’ve got our third Traveler with daddy issues who’s dad got killed by Saint Dane. Cause that was so great when Vo and Kasha did that character arc.

Also, it turns out that Ibara is a repository of an older, more advanced culture waiting to rejoin the world and bring a new age of peace, just like Faar was on Cloral. See, it turns out Ibara is just the name of the island. The planet is called Veelox, and it’s Veelox three hundred years after we last saw it in book four. Most of the population died in the Lifelight pyramids, and the majority of the survivors became scavengers called Flighters who act as the typical post apocalypse gangs. Ibara was a military outpost repurposed by Aja Killian and a small group she created to act as the spark to relight the flame of civilization on Veelox.

It’s a neat twist, and one I still remembered the very basics of all these years later. And the part of the plot where Bobby and Siry and the Jakills sail to Rubic City and discover the ruins complete with the Lifelight pyramid looming over everything is pretty cool. But then Saint Dane’s plot is revealed and it’s honestly kinda weak. He’s got a big army of Dados hiding out in the pyramid and he’s going to use Cloral ships to bring them to Ibara to destroy the island. So yeah, after all the creative and neat stuff in this series thus far, it comes down to an army of evil robots. And as far as I can tell, these ones don’t look like Mark, which would’ve been a neat element.

So now Bobby and Siry need to find a way to fight off an invasion force, and just like Mark and Courtney did in book five, it’s time to say screw the rules. Despite all his lectures to other Travelers in the past about not letting anger rule, Bobby is clearly pissed off at Saint Dane and decides to hop across the territories getting equipment to help Ibara. His plan is to get tak from Denduron to use the explosive against the robots, which is all well and good, except the guns that Ibara has from its days as a military outpost make me wonder why he doesn’t just go to Cloral and get some of those weapons that shoot water projectiles. After all, being on an island, they’re never going to run out of ammo. The final battle this all leads to is pretty well written but I can’t help being frustrated that Bobby is acting stupid, and he even knows it, trying not to think of what Uncle Press would say and getting pissed when Siry and Alder point out his plan might not be the right one.

Perhaps the most interesting thing in the story was the one other bit I remembered, that Bobby gets trapped on Ibara. I assumed it was like in book five, when the messing with territories causes the Eelong flume to collapse and trap Vo and Gunny on that territory. But instead Bobby destroys the flume on purpose in hopes of trapping Saint Dane. He sends Alder and Siry away and then blows it up with the last of the tak. It’s an interesting decision and shows that Bobby is tired of the war, something I’m interested to see being explored in the next book. But the very end of the story makes it clear that this was a stupid thing to do because the Convergence is happening and Saint Dane’s plot powers let him escape.

So overall this was a bit of a mixed bag. I think I probably stopped reading here when I was younger because I no longer felt like waiting book to book and felt like I had kind of outgrown the series. I remember that A Series of Unfortunate Events finished just in time for me to not abandon it (and maybe one of these days I’ll revisit it as an adult). And I do feel like this is one of the weaker installments so far. I’d probably rate it at 2.5 stars if I could since it’s better than book four, but as it stands I’ll be generous and give it 3. But I do plan to keep going, since I’m hoping to finally get some answers about the true nature of the Travelers and the war against Saint Dane, and with just two books left finishing the series won’t take up a huge amount of my time. So soon I’ll kick off book nine, where I’ll be in completely unfamiliar territory with only the blurb to guide me. As Bobby says, and so it goes.

[Cay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wonder when I will stop screaming about how great this world is.

So many things have happened, so many things crashed and burned, is the end in sight? Who knows.

I loved how in this book there was finally more happening on the Earth side, with Courtney and Mark. It was a true adventure on both sides now and man, do I love Dodger.
I’m definitely missing Spader, Gunny and Loor, and Spader’s message definitely made my eyes sweat, but they’ll be back. They have to be.

Can barely believe I’m eight books in and have not once been sorely disappointed (let’s keep it that way too).

Hobey-ho, on we go.


⭐️ I don’t know if this is the way it was meant to be, but it’s the way it’s going to be ⭐️

[Pranta Dastider · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good, but felt a lot of common element available there. The same old convincing a young traveller and all! Main traveller part felt a little weak, subplots were better in this one. And the surprises plotted were mostly could be guessed; or at least I could guess almost all of them. So, cutting down a star.

I hope next book will be better. I hope.

[Angela Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*jaw drop*
Whaaaa???

[PJ CASSADA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to entertain

[Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an ending!

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single book in this series is amazing! Every chapter blows me away. I never know what is going to happen next, and I'm always surprised by the impossible plot twists.

This time Bobby is fighting to save the territory of Ibara and the small village of Rayne. Ibara seems like a peaceful paradise, but this territory holds a secret that even Bobby will have trouble with, and the Traveler from Ibara wants nothing to do with him. The evil Saint Dane is up to his clever tricks again, but Bobby is having trouble telling right from wrong, and there is no way to figure out how to counteract Saint Dane's evil plans.
While Bobby is fighting for Ibara, Mark and Courtney are stranded in the past on First Earth in the 1930s. Mark is in danger of being murdered at sea, and it's up to Courtney to stop the invention of the robotic dados.

It amazes me how all the story lines and characters from different worlds come together so beautifully in all these books. It's like this intricate web of plot and people that draws in so neatly; it leaves me in awe of the scope of the writing. Simply brilliant!

I love how we are dragged back and forth between dizzying triumph and devastating defeat countless times in each book. Just when I think the heroes have won, there comes a terrible plot twist that tears out my heart, and keeps me reading into the wee hours.

Bobby is such a wonderful main character. I feel all his ups and downs. I cheer for him, and weep with him. He's so deliciously human, making foolish mistakes, feeling impossible combinations of emotion, and through it all he's so wonderfully heroic. I simply adore him!

Can't wait to read the rest of this series!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

We're up to book eight now, and I'm not sure which way is up anymore. I honestly wanted to stop reading this at the end because I didn't want to be confused anymore.

I'm really starting to get annoyed with this series, and since I will read anything (except the Clique), that's saying something. None if it has made sense since book four, The Reality Bug Pendragon Book 8 when Saint Dane gained his first territory. The only exception to this rule was book six, which took place on Zadaa (Bobby and Loor for the win).

Now Mark is apparently about to cause the destruction of Halla, Bobby is mixing territories, Courtney is on First Earth trying to stop Mark and change history from what Mark changed it from... And an army of dados from Quillan is going to descend on Ibara!?

... What?

Although the writing has always been good, and I've always been able to get pretty into these books (which is what is stopping me from ranting like a crazy person), now nothing makes sense. Bobby took things from different territories to win Ibara, and now he and Saint Dane are trapped there. We all know Saint Dane will escape (or all of us cynics who read the book do), so that may have been the stupidest choice ever.

Dun dun DUN.

I would recommend this book to people who like adventure stories and have a lot of patience with things that make no sense at all. Good luck to you.

[Kaden P. 7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Pilgrims of Rayne" was another wonderful entry into the Pendragon series by D.J. MacHale. it is a fantastic adventure novel in which the main character Bobby Pendragon once again has been sent to a brand new territory of Ibara, a perfect paradise island, to stop the evil saint Dane before he causes more mayhem. Meanwhile on Earth one Courtney Chetwynde is trying to stop Mark Dimond before he brings about the end of all Halla. This book was fantastic, its writing was really organized, but still easy to read. The development, characteristics, and personality of the characters made it really fun to read, a great book. The main issue I have with the book is the length, over 500 pages is a little longer than my liking. That aside a great book with all the drama, intrigue, and adventure you could need.

[Anya potgieter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the first time in read this book, the re-read was almost just as moving, impactful, adventurous and engaging. In the story Bobby goes to the new territory of Ibara and meets Siry Remundi. The territory is facing a turning point and it is up to Bobby to figure out how to save the territory from Saint Dane.

This series has such a special place in my heart, and it forever will! I’m so glad I’ve decided to re-read it once again. Now onto book 9, Raven Rise

[Jay D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book certainly has a "Planet of the Apes" feel to it. One other thing to note is, like I've said before, the Rivers of Zadaa was defiantly a first "turning point" for the series, or maybe I'll cal it a mini chapter. I say all this without reading Raven Rise, which is in my opinion (probably everyone else who reads these books as well) the beginning of the the final chapter for the series.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This installment in the Pendragon series was at times confusing, and convoluted. It clearly was necessary to regroup and restate the two sides to the upcoming battle ; but other than that not much else was accomplished. So again, the plot felt stretched thin to fill another book. Would not recommend on its own, but if you've gotten this far in the series your stuck.

[Shima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really liked the ending, What I like about this series is that as the books go on they get darker and darker, and the characters progress the same way. Just compare Bobby in this book with they Bobby in the first one and you'll see what i'm talking about!

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so impressed how MacHale has managed to create a plot filled with so many interweaving questions and answers. You think you have all the answers only to be left with more questions and hungry to understand more. Loved it! Can't wait for book nine!

[QueenMasako]

I am so speechless about the Secret of Ibara. It was so obvious yet it wasnt...

[Nick G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great whole series!

[Josh Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is still by far my favorite of the series. The way Bobby has grown throughout the series. After a quick break on the series I'm gonna come back and finally finish the series.

[Kylie Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars
This book was crazy. All of the characters became very involved and the reader has to question who is actually the good guy at this point. My mind is blown.