The Rivers of Zadaa

Pendragon #6

by D.J. MacHale

THE BATTLE CONTINUES.

THE STRUGGLE OF GOOD VERSUS EVIL continues as Bobby Pendragon follows Saint Dane to the territory of Zadaa. Saint Dane's influence has fueled the fire of discontent between two warring tribes: the Rokador and the Batu. This is also the territory where the Traveler Loor lives as a member of the Batu. Together she and Bobby must work to thwart Saint Dane's efforts to destroy Zadaa.

But as Bobby pursues Saint Dane, he begins to notice changes in himself. He is no longer a flip kid looking for excitement. He is a young man beginning to see this quest as more than a series of adventures. He is also learning that as a Traveler, he has powers no normal human should have.



Cover illustration by Victor Lee

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

405 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

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 4 out of 5]

4.5 Golden Stars

Zadaa, the kingdom of sands & heat
the territory of desert tribes

finally the battle around Halla came to Zadaa, where the struggle between the two most-civilized tribes gone to its edge.
in this hot dry sands, the problem is water.

one underground sandworm (a story-referenced metaphor, not really worms!, since after book 5, anything might be possible!) advanced water engineers versus an upperground warriors

I always admire MacHale for building 10 different worlds with 10 different cultures & languages. it's amazing & they're intertwined integrally in this setting. from primitive tribes to advanced civilizations, dystopias, high tech-territories & many others.

& the amazing strong female warrior, Loor, is back! f course! it's her territory now!
Pendragon, clever & witty & always trying to solve the problems in a diplomatic way. but sometimes it's not the answer, so this decision is critical, because it's gonna be used in later books too, he's changing & I love it, funny & exciting - also don't you love when he's jealous? It's hilarious!

Bokka, I just noticed (in 4th reread!) I really like him.
& Teek, brave little guy!
Saangi, hothead & moody, but sweet & caring.

& I always liked Courtney, admired her strong & competitive personality but right now, I found out I relate a lot to her. (well, no, I'm not a sporty girl, but her problems were kind of relative to my current situation.)

I also liked the Romance(s) going on this book (which wasn't much, but it was cute!)
I think I ship every canon couples in this series.

complicated plot, like always, with fights & betrayals & shocks, in one hot setting & fun
with emotional spices

the writing style was fun, graceful & Contemplative.

& in the middle, what's happening in the Second Earth... the truth be revealed... which was under our noses all the time.

despite all the Fun & those teaching lessons & the exciting revelations & one of the best Bobbys on the covers (he looks exactly like my imagination here; The Rivers of Zadaa. my pretty boy.), "the Rivers of Zadaa" is my least favourite in the series, I don't know, maybe because it's the gladiator-like society & the dry lands, maybe because of the simplicity & nearly-primitive tribes, or because of the Climax (or should I call it the impending battle in the end (the moments before the literal ending)) was not as exciting as I expected. maybe too much engineering stuff going on, maybe lack of sunlight, maybe I just don't like this territory, but I truly loved most of it
& that endingS.... just... WOOF! *mind blown*

Just comparing to others in this series, it's not as fabulous, but it is great & gracefully written & it's surly better than Many books I've read recently, It deserve 5 stars, but if I don't keep the rating inside the series, but I would go insane comparing all books, all genres, I've ever read at once, even though it would be unfair toward my favorite bbys. (& tbh, I'm a little uncomfortable giving my least favourite full stars. oops!)
so note that (or not? I put it here for the record, anyway!) it's one of my least favourite here. same reason like Never War

[Thomas A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bobby goes to Zadaa, Loor's home territory. She is a member of the Batu. For years the Batu have protected the Rokador, and the Rokador have provided them with water. But now the Rokador have stopped the flow of water through the cities. Now Bobby and Loor have to find out why. Bobby train to be a fighter,and soon after his training, one of Loor's friends give them a map of the Rokador tunnels(they live underground). They attend a festival in which the prince Pelle a Zinj is killed. Bobby and Loor then find there way through the tunnels to the city of the Rokador, where they learn that a virus killed most of the Rokador and when the Batu plan to attack the city, the Rokador will flood the city and drown the Batu. Bobby and Loor, along with Alder, the Traveler from Denduron, and Saangi, Loor's acolyte, accidentally flood the city. Suprisingly, the two tribes work together to save themselves from the flood, and as they escape, geysers cause a new river to run through Zadaa. Bobby and Loor head back to the flume, where they are attacked by Saint Dane. Loor dies and Saint Dane disappears, but Bobby brings her back to life. I like this book, and recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy and adventure books.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been completely engrossed in all the books in this series, but this one had been literally sitting on the edge of my seat with my mouth open on more than one occasion. I spent the last third of the book worrying about Courtney. I would be doing laundry or cooking dinner and fretting about whether or not she was going to make it. I have literally lost sleep over this volume. Seriously, these books are taking over my life. And the very last page? There was a huge, "No way!" On numerous occasions during this series I've hollered, "Don't be stupid!! He's a shape shifter!!" (Yes, I tend to get into my books a bit too much at times.) And yet I still did not see this one coming. I should be reading the book club book (especially since I'm leading the discussion), but that is so not going to happen until I get to the end of this series and find out what happens!

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn, I forgot that happened in the end! I’m so confused still as to why they have these “powers.” Lol

[Halley Hopson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even know if I have words for the amount of plot twists that happened in this book. It helped that I didn't really remember very much about the events in Zadaa from back when I originally read this series.

This book was wild from start to finish. So much new information is revealed, Saint Dane losing control of his temper is terrifying, and let's just say I am terrified for what the rest of this series holds.

The couple I began to ship in the last book; oh man that's still a thing. They would be so good together. And the one thing I did happen to remember about this book in particular didn't happen until the very last page but it was a big 'ole plot twist that is going to cause huge issues from here on out.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was amazing. I loved learning more about where Loor came from and actually seeing how the society there functioned. One of my favorite things about the series is seeing all the different worlds and the societies that exist in each one.

Bobby grows so much in this book, from his humbling experience towards the beginning to him training to be more physically capable.

The last probably 50 or so pages were the biggest mind-fuck ever. So much happened and so much was set up for the next book and I am so freaking excited to see what happens next. Gahhh

Thank you to my amazing boyfriend, yet again, for having me start this series.

[Spiderman! (Simon)]

Bobby Pendragon's pursuit of the evil Saint Dane leads him into the dangerous territory of Zadaa, which is locked in a civil war between two rival tribes.
This story takes place mainly on a territory called Zadaa. There will be two main tribes here: The Rokador and the Batu. The Rokador live in tunnels underground and are fair-skinned, while the Batu are dark-skinned and live in a sunbathed city called Xhaxhu in the desert. For years, the Rokador have relied on the Batu to protect them from other savage tribes on Zadaa, and the Batu have relied on the Rokador to provide them with water. But the Rokador seem to be holding back the water, causing all the Batu to starve.
The struggle of good versus evil continues as Bobby Pendragon follows Saint Dane to the territory of Zadaa. Saint Dane's influence has fueled the fire of discontent between two warring tribes: the Rokador and the Batu. This is also the territory where the Traveler Loor lives as a member of the Batu. Together she and Bobby must work to defeat Saint Dane's efforts to destroy Zadaa.
When they find that the water is being held by the Rokador, they try and not let the Batu die. They were planning on trying to floor the city of the Batu. They escape, Bobby loves Loor. They go Loors house in the city of the Batu. They stopped the war. The next day, Loor takes Bobby to the Flume, and outanowhere, Saint Dane comes through the Flume. He strikes Loor and kills her. Then Bobby and Saint Dane battle. Saint Dane has a very long sword, Bobby only has a wooden stick. Saint Dance knocks the stick out of Bobby's hand. Saint Dane charges at Bobby. What does bobby do next?

I really loves this book, i think it was the best out of the 5 others i have read.
This book truly deserved 4/5. There could of been a bit more action but it was still a great book!

[Juan Valera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Character growth is supposed to be a staple of fantasy and fiction writing, right? Then why doesn't anyone do it properly? I don't mean that you start off a book with some wimpy guy and he ends up a slightly more mature guy with +5 endurance and +3 magic. That's not character growth, that's something like character crawl. What I want in growth is what happens in real life: a person's goals change over time, their very motivations change and they as a person are entirely redefined as a result. I was never satisfied with fictional character growth, true growth, until reading "The Rivers of Zadaa." Bobby Pendragon has, for five entire books, been all wit and luck. For the first time in the series, Bobby takes control in this book. He decides to learn to defend himself, to stop taking things as they are, surviving off luck and the combat skills of his partners and friends. This is character growth, a change in a fundamental part of the character that really makes the reader feel like the character has grown, has matured rather than just gotten smarter or faster or stronger.

Bobby's goals are and always will be protecting the Travelers, saving Halla, and searching for his lost family. And in "The Rivers of Zadaa," he takes a huge step towards becoming the man that will reach all of those goals. I wish the same could be said of countless other novels; instead they run with a character that marginally improves and learns some fundamental life lesson, but emerges unchanged. As a writer, I've learned to implement the REAL character growth into my own work as much as possible, to help create characters that are more dynamic and interesting.

[Janell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This could be a more enjoyable series if I didn't find the main character so completely annoying! Any success he has mostly comes by luck, definitely not by skill, and he "shouts" everything he says (admittedly a writing problem). He's always wondering why he was chosen to be a "traveler" and much of the time I'm wondering the same thing! I'm intrigued by the premise behind the series, though. :-)

[BeesBookHollow ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bobby goes to Zadaa in this story the home of his close friend Loor as her home is on the verge of crumbling to dust...literally. The Batu & Rokador are stretched thin as water has run out and tensions are running high, violence has been chosen as no other option as Bobby’s life is placed on the line and he has to choose to either fight or die trying.

[Cay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably more a 4,5⭐️ but I’m loving this series so rounded up.

The reason it’s not a full 5 is mostly because this storyline felt a bit like a repeat of the previous book, with two civilisations ready to start a war that ends in total destruction of the other. But Zadaa is so incredibly well put together in the way it looks, the people on it and overall it’s history and current future, I can’t not love it.

Next to that, a LOT of things are happening, crazy things, and it feels like we’re really working towards the endgame. Saint Dane became a loose canon in the way he’s shown you really have no f’ing clue what he’s up to even when you think you’ve got him figured out.

Six territories done, four to go. Super excited for the next!

[Rae V · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bobby gets a glow up! Jk. Or am I?

We finally spend time on Zadaa, and more importantly, Loor! Absolutely love her. What a warrior boss woman. With her skill and passion to save her people, Loor and Bobby take on a war of the Batu and Rokador. I loved that their skin tones were a big giveaway, putting Bobby in a difficult position to not get killed. Honestly, the constant threat of death really improved this one. We got higher stakes and higher emotions from Bobby all around.

So that glow up. After a frightening encounter, Bobby takes it upon himself to ask for help and train. Finally! Warrior Bobby!

On the other side of things, Mark and Courtney are going through their own arcs. We get a bit more depth to both of them which really helps get us invested in them right alongside Bobby. When the twist came later on about you-know-who after the you-know-what (no spoilers!) I was shocked and so confused. So well played.

At the end of Bobby’s time on Zadaa, we get a final twist and hint to possible traveler lore. This definitely surprised me and, like Bobby, am even more curious to the peculiarities that travelers possess.


3⭐️ enjoyed it, might read again
Happy reading ♥️📚

[Baddietwoshoes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things are picking up. My favorite part of this book was Whitney Wilcox. It was such a nice addition to the plot! I've read this series before, and I thought that Whitney Wilcox was in book 9. Imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I found it was in this one! And I love Loor, by the way. Happy reading ^.^

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The next installment in the Pendragon series does not disappoint. The overall series arch is developing and becoming more interesting than the individual book plots; and that is exactly what a good series needs to do. There were enough cliff hangers and plot twists to make this a page turner.
Would recommend. And I'm looking forward to Book #7.

[Pranta Dastider · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I could see many of the surprises far far before the were presented. It's a good story of course, but not among the best. I guess, I have enough knowledge to predict the antagonist at this point. Hoping for something different in the next one.

[Mia Balsamo · Rating 4 out of 5]

D.J. MacHale really focused on Pendragon leveling up this book as well as forcing the story into overdrive. The final battle is looming!

[Alyssa Andrews-Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bobby has joined Loor on Zadaa where Saint Dane is causing the Batu and the Rakador to fight in a civil war for water. The battle continues and then Bobby finds an underground ocean. Bobby thinks by breaking a wall holding the water will free Zadaa from their drought. Instead, he ended up flooding both the Rokador and the Batu! There he finds Saint Dane. They battle and Bobby kills him? But then he's not dead. He came back to life and ran to another territory called Quillian. Before he leaps for Quillan, Bobby confesses his love for Loor. And Loor loves him too, but in the times they are in, it is impossible for them to be together. I loved this book. 5/5 truly. I loved the drama, characters, and Bobby Pendragon is sure my favorite. I do recommend it.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

2021 reread

Not many of my opinions of TROZ have changed on this reread tbh. I still think the story is one of the weakest in my opinion, like the whole premise wasn't set up in a good way. But at the same time Saint Dane in this installment was at his most manipulative, orchestrative, cruel, cunning best which makes reading this a real treat. Another thing that makes an otherwise lackluster book shine a little is ALDER'S RETURN TO THE ADVENTURE. It was LONG overdue and it's not a perfect return seeing how he's MIA bc he's wounded :( but still, my favorite Traveler being back is a nice addition. One thing that I did change my opinion about is when it comes to the ships. Growing up, I was very romance repulsed (I was aro but didn't know it I guess) and so I never really shipped Bobby with either Courtney or Loor. It was just something I didn't care or focused about in a series that was about the potential obliteration of all that is, was, or ever will be. Like who has time to think about that? But now not only do I see love is one of Pendragon's major aspects, I also see why the BobbyLoor ship makes sense. Like A LOT. For one, Bobby said he LOVED Loor, he never really said this about Courtney, ever. Like when he's gonna profess his love to her, he numerates all the things he loves about her 👀 And I think this here was a turning point in Bobby Pendragon's life in this narrative, and he lost. Loor's rejection made him obsess with going back and settling with something that was no longer meant to be in the last books and why [spoiler opinion about the series epilogue ahead] the epilogue is so confusing and deflated. (or of course this is just DJM being scared of change and stuck in his ways... 😒) but yeah BobbyLoor SHOULD be (if we ever get that darn TV show)/should have been endgame. I didn't see it as a hard aro teenager, but now I do. It's not like I'm now a BobbyLoor shipper stan, but it makes way more sense than anything else, in canon. But this is like on the only thing I've kinda changed my mind about. I have way too many issues with the story itself. I don't like that the turning point of the most primitive (?) and POC coded territory is that they're all a bunch of cannibals and thanks to them “civilization” will be lost. And that as much as the Batu are exalted for things they're still far behind technologically of the pasty yt Rokador. The repeated tribe vs another tribe conflict is tiresome by now too, and too simplistic. And Bobby Pendragon is a pain in the butt in this book when during the training arc. Like stfu, Bobby. Honestly, this is more a Saint Dane book bc he carried it on his back. He was flawless. And the hospital scene ending is still the best twist and ending in the series.

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

How is it possible that every single book in this series is so amazing?! I adore every page!
In this book, Bobby is on Loor's home territory of Zadaa, and there is a war looming between two tribes, the surface warriors of the Batu and the underground city of the Rokador. A terrible drought threatens both their civilizations, but the Batu think the Rokador are controlling the underground river sources and holding all the water for themselves.
Bobby and Loor are caught in the middle of espionage and small skirmishes between the tribes, trying with all their Traveler ingenuity to stop the war from starting. And of course, the horrible Saint Dane is lurking around causing trouble.

The plot twists! I still can barely wrap my head around the stuff that goes on in this story. Non-stop action, and things happening everywhere!
Bobby gets into some serious trouble in this one, and he makes some very bad mistakes; but somehow his mistakes turn out for the better, and his friends are always there to bail him out just seconds before he gets killed. The suspense really leaves you hanging until the last possible second though! The best part is that the danger feels real. You really don't know if they're all going to make it or not.

I have always loved Loor's character! She's so strong and confident. She doesn't beat around the bush, or play nice. She's incredibly straight-forward and honest, but also kind and compassionate. She tells it like it is, whether it's negative or positive. She sees things in black and white and has more common sense than any of the others. I just adore this woman!
Seeing Bobby and Loor become closer friends was simply wonderful, and seeing Loor on her home territory really opened up her character's personality and past. Brilliant writing!

I can't wait to read the next book!

[Drew Pannier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book I have to say. What I loved about it is how intense it gets at parts. Some parts its really mellow. I love the way the author presents the feelings between Bobby and Loor. You know something is going to spark their relationship, but you don't know what or when.

My favorite part of this book is when Bobby wants to learn to train to defend himself. I love the way Alder (a traveler from a different territory), Loor, and Loor's actolyte smack Bobby around. He has to earn his food and water by passing challenges or by winning a fight.

The problem the characters face in this book is that their rival who is trying to take over Halla (everything that does, and will exist). His name is Saint Dane. Saint Dane wants to start a war between the Batu and the Rokador. Tension is rising between the two tribes because their is no water.

The two tribes rely on each other. The Rokador give the Batu water. The Batu give the Rokador food. The Batu think that the Rokador are holding the water for themselves. So the Batu are ready to attack the Rokador. I cant tell you anything else or it will give it away hope you read it.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is getting deeper and darker all the time, but it still has my full attention. Still incredibly awesome.

Bobby finally gets to flume to Zadaa, the much-talked-about home territory of Loor, whose been through quite a lot with Bobby. Once again, two tribes are pitted against one another amidst the backdrop of a paralyzing drought.

Twists and turns involving returning Travelers, brand new technology and concepts, Bobby's emerging feelings for Loor, and Saint Dane's evil and multilayered plans kept me guessing the whole way through. And now it appears he's fighting a two-front war; Courtney, who seperated herself from Mark in order to get her head together, is plagued by strange occurances at summer school, and Mark is forced to seek help from an enemy.

And of course, the book ends with multiple stunning twists and cliffhangers, leaving you furious that the next book is not sitting right there beside you.

[Patrick Buxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the this book of pendragon bobby and loor have to fight on zadaa and loor has to train bobby to be a warrior to help fight Saint Dane and protect him self from the evils on zadaa. I really like this book and the whole series of pendragon. It's the best book I have read in a very long time.

The whole series of it makes them run thro space and time to stop a evil demon who I'm guessing in the end dies from Bobbies thoughts (my prediction I don't know if true). Before Bobbies uncle dies he tells him that saint Dane is hard to kill and that a simple sword would not kill him. Saint Dane and all the travelers have a hidden unknown power of coming back to life and being persuasive of none travelers that has saved everyone multiple times.

In the end this is why I recommend the book to anyone of any ages. It has some action and some nerve wracking moments when they are in danger. It's a good book that anyone should read.

[Annie Huizinga · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. Again, no fault to the part the travellers played, but more the territory and its turning point. The best part is getting to spend so much fictional time with Loor who is one of the most interesting travellers with her strong sense of moral compass and superior combat skills. Seeing Bobby slowly developing intense feelings for her, and realizing that he is not just a kid anymore, is also a good part of the story. For me it is the turning point that I am rating lower because I felt it wasn't as original as the others. It felt like a bit of a repeat of Denduron where the 'inferior' race rebels and tries to overthrow the others. While this version is definitely more gruesome, I missed the originality. We did however get introduced to a lot of cool new 'tools' and of course, fighter Bobby.

[Melissa Mahle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book of the series. Did I write that before? The characters and plot deepen with each new book. MacHale keeps the plot fresh by adding in new subplots and clues to the overarching plot of the series. I like how Pendragon struggles with growing romantic feelings. I also like how the battle scenes are handled, i.e. not gratuitous violence. I like this series as much as the Eragon series.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite one so far...and something is revealed at the end of the book that I was suspecting for quite some time. Just when I think these books are getting too juvenile for me something surprises me and I'm hooked again. Only 4 more to go!

[Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/4* IM CONFLICTED WITH MY RATINGS. I REALLY LIKED THIS ONE ESPECIALLY FOR ALL THE OTHER PAST BOOKS IVE READ IN THE SERIES ARE.....EH. GOD I LOVE BOBBY AND COURTNEY AND LOOR AND ANDY AAAAAAND ALDER!!!! I NEED MORE OF MY KIDS. WHAT A FUN RIDE 🤩

[Parastoo]

تو این کتاب بابی به معنای واقعی بزرگ میشه. تبدیل به یک جنگجو میشه و یک چیز خیلی جدید در رابطه با وجود مسافران اتفاق میفته که هم بالاخره یه چیزایی نشونمون میده هم سوالای بیشتر پیش میاد. از تیم بابی و لور لذت میبریم و سیر اتفاقای زادا حتی یک لحظه از هیجان نمیفتن. پایانش دل آدم رو میشکنه و شاد میکنه.

[Readhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better. I liked the action stuff they brought up in this. The day by day stuff was excellent. The other stuff... wasn't. Otherwise a good book. Read the prequels, though.

[Isabella Bohm]

This book is the best in the seris

[Hajir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paperback.