The Lost City of Faar

Pendragon #2

by D.J. MacHale

CLORAL

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD Bobby Pendragon is not like other boys his age. His uncle Press is a Traveler, and, as Bobby has learned, that means Uncle Press is responsible, through his journeys, for solving interdimensional conflict wherever he encounters it. His mission is nothing less than to save the universe from ultimate evil. And he's taking Bobby along for the ride.

Fresh from his first adventure on Denduron, Bobby finds himself in the territory of Cloral, a vast world that is entirely covered by water. Cloral is nearing a disaster of huge proportions. Reading the journals Bobby sends home, his friends learn that the desperate citizens of the endangered floating cities are on the brink of war. Can Bobby - suburban basketball star and all-around nice guy - help rid the area of marauders, and locate the legendary lost land of Faar, which may hold the key to Cloral's survival?

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

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

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]

Complete 5 Golden Stars

one of my favourite books in this amazing series!
One of my favourite territories
swimming under the warm oceans of Cloral with those fancy advanced toys, racing with skimmers, dropping by & drinking Sniggers at Grolo's will always be one of my bookish dreams that I want to come true.
once again, finished in tears

more mysteries we solve.
more questions we ask.
I actually found a foreshadowing clue which would be revealed in book 6, Wow... Wow... Fascinating! I love rereading.
-
World building: ★★★★★/5
beautiful territory, Cloral.
the technology, I want to live there.
all the beautiful scenery & the way people live.
I want to wander around that territory & found out its secrets.
-
Plot: ★★★★★/5
full of surprises & excitements!
beware! if Author said something in the book, there's always a reason.Press once said every territory has one traveler, but Earth had two. I asked the question myself, but as Bobby hadn't ask, guess what? feelz....
-
Characters: ★★★★★/5
all awesome & most of them funny
Press & Bobby are the most awesome & funniest.
Bobby had a huge character development at the end of this book.
-
Written Style: ★★★★★/5
LOVE IT! TOTALLY FUNNY!
-
Idea: ★★★★★/5

[Giselle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep still just as good, several re-reads later!

[Mahboob · Rating 5 out of 5]

این ریویو نظر پسر ۹ ساله ی منه:
شخصیت اصلی داستان پسری به نام “بابی” است. به نظر من او انسانی عالی است. برای من خیلی غم انگیز بود که در این قسمت دایی پرس یعنی دایی پندراگون از دنیا رفت .

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread this for nostalgia's sake. 3 observations:
1. Bobby Pendragon has a huge crush on Spader and you can't convince me otherwise.
2. The story is still compelling as hell, but the narration issues ignored by my middle-school self now leave something to be desired.
3. That being said, the plotting is MASTERFUL. It's worth sticking with a series reread just to watch it all unfold again.

[آزاده شریفی · Rating 3 out of 5]

گزینه موجود خوبی برای پر کردن خستگی و ملال امتحان نفس گیر عطار...

[monique ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this series was actually incredible i wish i could continue reading it but i actually cant find the books anywhere 😭

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, it's official. I am now fully hooked on the Pendragon series.

Bobby Pendragon, fourteen-year-old new and confused Traveler of space and time, is headed to his next territory. This time, it's Cloral, a water territory where dry land is unheard of and the people have discovered all kinds of cool ways to use and overcome their aquatic surroundings.

But Cloral is also at a tipping point, thanks to the evil Traveler Saint Dane, who seems to have a diabolical plan for destroying Cloral's peace and prosperity. Bobby will need the help of both his mysterious but dependable Uncle Press, and the energetic and charismatic Vo Spader, who is unaware that he is actually Cloral's own Traveler. And then there's the fact that the only way to stop Saint Dane may lie with a sunken city that is hardly more than a fairy-tale...

Cool gadgets, fun and engaging characters, and a image-rich world of water, this book is all the proof I needed that I'm going into a great series. Bobby has a fantastic first-person voice, and it's getting up there in my mind with Max and Percy Jackson from their titular series. Plus, more goes on back home on Second Earth with Mark and Courtney, and I'm looking forward to seeing them more in future novels. I am fluming full on into the next one!

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually have mixed feelings about this book. It's full of adventure & very detailed... But I just wasn't excited to read it like I was in the first book.

Don't get me wrong, I'm going to continue to read the series but I don't think I'll be reaching for the 3rd book anytime soon

*SPOILER ALERT*

I was very upset that Uncle Press had to die. He is the character that I felt held the story together. I'm not sure how the author is going to go on without this character, i know I am going to have a hard time without him.

[Farya · Rating 4 out of 5]

دومين جلد از كتاب هاي بابي پندراگنه كه در قلمروي كلرال اتفاق ميوفته.دومين باريه كه دارم اين مجموعه رو ميخونم و به نظر من كلرال هيجان انگيز ترين قلمرو هستش.جدا از فانتزي بودن كتاب حس صميميت بسياري از متن برداشته ميشه و توصيفات كتاب به قدري قوي است كه ميتوان تصوير واضحي از قلمرو هاي مختلف داشت.

[~Cyanide Latte~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with the first book in this series and several other books in my shelves, I actually read this one once before, in my late middle school or early high school years, and while I didn't remember much about the first one or cared much for it in my re-read, I was definitely excited to read this one again. I remembered The Lost City of Faar much better than I did The Merchant of Death, and it still is a really good read as far as even a basic science-fiction story goes.

We open back onto the story of Bobby's travels as his uncle takes him along to a territory called "Cloral", where the world is entirely covered in water and the people there have adapted to an aquatic lifestyle and the challenges it presents. When disaster strikes, Bobby, Uncle Press, and new friend Vo Spader are forced to find the lost city of Faar, which is a pretty stark parallel to the legends of Atlantis, in order to search for a solution to the issue. On the other side of the story, we follow along as Mark gets discovered with Bobby's journals by his tormentor from school, Andy Mitchell. Andy winds up hatching a scheme to steal all of Bobby's journals from Mark and turn them into the police for the sake of a $25k reward for having info on what happened to the Pendragon family, and Mark must swallow his pride and confess his mistake to Courtney in order to remedy the disaster.

I really enjoyed the world-building in this particular book, and I think it's currently my favorite setting in the series. (Granted, I still have to get through the rest of the series, but that's besides the point.) The characterization and development has also improved in this particular book, though I still can't say that I'm always the fondest of Bobby himself. While he's not overtly cocky or full of himself, he does have a tendency to be very self-assured in his beliefs and opinions to the point that it can be detrimental to him. On the other hand, it was nice to get introduced to Spader, and to see Mark and Courtney's development as well. Uncle Press dies at the end of this book, and I feel like that had initially left me wavering anyway, the first time I read it. Follow that up to the fact the next book deals with time travel and time travel always tends to be messy in narrative, and I'm not surprised that I put down the third book without finishing. Regardless, I'm happy I was able to revisit this book, and I am definitely interested to keep going with the series despite any misgivings I may have about our main character.

[Jack Lager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel to the original. The territory of Cloral and its turning point felt more fun and interesting than this book’s predecessor.

[Pranta Dastider · Rating 4 out of 5]

A world with only water! Hmm, indeed exciting. There were some predictable part, but some twists to surprise as well. What more? Read to learn.

[C.M. Chafin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the details and introduction to new characters in this one! There were quite a few typos though and a twist involving the journals that I don’t think worked very well when you’re inside the head of the people involved. Otherwise I am super excited to keep reading this series!

[Doris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pendragon on his second adventure is still an oddity. He has been trained from early childhood to be a Traveler, hopping between worlds via a gate similar to the Stargate familiar to television viewers. Now, he has reached the ripe old age of 14, and is being thrust into the role without being fully ready.

In the first adventure, he was about 14 and a half, and this adventure picks up shortly after. He is traveling to a water world this time, and finds it to be nearly a paradise. The descriptions sounded like what I have always imagined the reefs in Hawaii or Australia would be like, teeming with fish and with high visibility in the water.

Unfortunately, there is a crises fast approaching, which necessitates the need for the Travelers to help. In this case, there are multiple Travelers – Bobby Pendragon, his Uncle Press, and their friend Spador (which I constantly keep reading as Spider). The Arch Nemesis of Travelers, Saint Dane, is after this world of Cloral, but at first the Travelers have no clue why.

However, as the story unravels it becomes clear, and it is up to Bobby, Press, and Spador to stop Saint Dane and his minions (every evil villain needs minions, right?). Unfortunately Saint Dane is more of a minor character, a write-in if you will, than a part of the central plot.

Throughout the story (both the first book and this one) the main issue I have is that Bobby is only 14 – yet sometimes he talks and thinks as if he is much older. At one point, he has to give a speech, off the cuff, with virtually no warning, yet gives a presentation which would make a professional speaker proud. Based on the lack of true character development, the speech, although heartfelt, is not believable based on previous actions.

More character development is needed. All we really know about Bobby is that he played basketball, was interested in having Courtney as his girlfriend, and has done a lot of traveling. We know he misses his family but that is thrown in almost like an afterthought.

This story could have been great if it had been more based in reality… and the final cliffhanger with the journals was well written but not logical with the actions Courtney and Mark (the recipients of Bobby's notes) had taken in the past.

Still it’s a good story with a grand thesis. I still don't think at 14 his writing and speaking skills would be that advanced, unless Uncle Press also worked on honing those talents over the years. I will probably pick up the next book just to see where it goes.


***note to self - do not get these in CD - the whining of Bobby Pendragon is unbearable in that format and probably adversely affected my entire reaction to the series end note***

[Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pendragon: The Lost City of Farr
By: DJ MacHale

A Book Review By: Chase Pixley
Prepare for another surprising and dramatic journey through Halla with Bobby Pendragon!
The second book in the series tells about what happens after Bobby’s win over Saint Dane on the territory of Denduron. “Malos” (AKA Saint Dane) escaped to a territory called Cloral. This oceanic territory has no land and is the home of Vo Spader, an Aquaneer (think life guard/police officer) and traveler. There is only one problem though: Spader doesn’t know who he really is. A mysterious plague is sickening the territory’s crops and pirate-like raiders keep attacking the floating “habitats” (like a city on a barge). When Bobby and Spader are separated from Press the “Lead Traveler” must teach Spader his destiny and find the mythical island of Farr before it’s too late.
This book 100% deserves 5 out of 5 stars. This tale is truly a piece of work. This page turner has an ominous storyline that makes it impossible to put down. Never underestimate this book’s thrills and chills.

[نیما اکبرخانی · Rating 5 out of 5]

پندراگن هم رفت جزو فانتزی هایی که خوش می گذره علی الخصوص ا ز آخر این کتاب که می شد دومین جلد از مجموعه ی ده تایی
نمی دونم باید توی ریویوی یه همچین کاری دقیقا چی بنویسم.
راستش من اینا رو می خونم چون دلم برای هری پاتر تنگ میشه و نمی دونم باید چیکار کنم.
نه اینکه بگم اثر بدیه نه خیلی هم خوبه و دست نویسنده ش درد نکنه
ثانیا هم من چند تا کتاب رو با هم می خونم و همیشه یه کتاب این تیپی دارم برای تفریح و لذت بردن خودم.
منظورم اینه که از اون تیپ کتاب هایی نیست که درک جدیدی از مسائلی خاص بده یا عمیق و انسان شناسانه بره دنبال فلان و بیسار ولی به جاش هرچی اونا حال نمی دن این حال می ده
فکر کنم اینا رو بیشتر کودک درونم می خونه تا خودم و بابتش خیلی هم خوشحالم
شما هم اگر کودک درونتون دنبال کتاب می گرده براش کتاب بخرید و یه وقتایی رو هم خالی کنید تا اونم مطالعه کنه

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aghhhhh yet another amazing book that my boyfriend told me to read. No surprise with how amazing the first book was, but aghhh it was absolutely amazing.

I loved the world in this one so much, knowing that all the land is gone and there's freaking floating cities and a myth come to life and it was amazing.

MacHale introduces another amazing supporting character and I just absolutely loved that they're all so unique and that all the worlds have been so intricate. I'm so excited to keep reading this series.

[Elizabeth Conway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can never pick just one book of the Pendragon Series that is my favorite but if someone asks me this one usually comes to mind first! In contrast from the primitive territory of denduron, The Lost City of Faar is based on the technologically advanced territory of Cloral a beautiful water world with dynamic characters and an exciting plot. The second book dragged me farther into the world of Bobby Pendragon and I couldn't wait to read the rest of the series!

[Negin · Rating 5 out of 5]

ساعت 5 صبح تموم شد:دی

همممم صحبت خاصی ندارم! فقط اون تیکه ی 1937 ـش خیلی جالب بود! من حدس زدم که زمین اول همین جوری بی دلیل زمین اول نشده!
من یه حدسی دارم. که اگه نخوندین جلد دو رو اسپویل میشه!
حدسمم اینه که مشکلی نداره اگه وسایل زمین سوم رو ببری تو زمین دوم... چون یکین تقریبا! فقط زمان ها مشکل داره دیگه:/
برای همین بود پرس این چیزا رو داشت:/ نه؟

[Halley Hopson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 2016

-----------

This one has always been one of my favorites in the series simply because I love the Territory of Cloral and I enjoy the introduction of the newest traveler, Spader. The ending of this always kills me but it's such a good story. Can't wait to get on with the series!

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love throwback audiobooks!

While I wouldn't recommend this to any adults to read for the first time, if you read them back in middle school, have another quick flip through =] It's quite fun!

From an adult perspective, I think they're GREAT for transitioning kids to longer books. There's lots of reminders about what's been going on, and the author explains every turn of events and what different things mean in the bigger picture shortly after they happen - so I could have figured it out by then, but a young reader who isn't used to having to make their own conclusions would have a short time to mull it over and make connections if they wanted, but would have it all explained when it became necessary. It's like training wheels!

Example, under a spoiler cut: When Spader (totally guessing at spelling because I listened to the audiobook) returns to Faar after going to find Wu Yenza, I knew she had taken the initiative to go for help. Nothing else made sense, but I've read enough to be able to make that leap. Later, when the aquineers showed up, the characters find Wu Yenza, and she tells the story exactly as I'd expected.
In an adult level novel, that wouldn't have needed to happen - anyone who didn't make the leap when she was missing would have made it when they all showed up, but it is explained very clearly.

[Alyssa Andrews-Gray]

Bobby, just getting over a battle from Denduron, goes to Cloral to stop the evil Saint Dane. Cloral is a territory with only water, there is no solid/dry land anywhere. The people have built on top of the water, Cloral is nice, but Saint Dane wants to find its heart. He poisoned the Clorians, bombed two habitats, and is now looking for the Lost City of Faar. Faar is the first city ever added to Cloral, and it's what the Clorians live off of, where they get their culture and strength, and Saint Dane wants to destroy it. Uncle Press is with Bobby, and Loor went back to Zadaa, but then they meet the traveler from Cloral: Spader. Spader is an aquaneer, he can drive anything that goes in the water, but there are killer sharks or quigs. So that's fun. A couple of attacks from those are nothing compared to what Saint Dane would do or will do. With the battle to protect Faar, Uncle Press sadly was killed in the process. They buried him in Cloral, for that was his favorite territory. Saint Dane, angered by defeat, fled to Veetox, and Bobby had to chase after him. When he gets there, it's the 1950s in New York?? So, this is First Earth? And that's where the book ends.

[Carey Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes this book is a fantasy about a 14-year old. Yes I’m a nerd. Yes feel free to roast me. Decent story but I know this series hits different at the end. Always enjoy taking a trip to Cloral, home of a planet where there is no land and people drive around on skimmers. #dontlosethewonder

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining fantasy. MacHale's voice is developing strength. I appreciate the strong female characters that do more than just support the male leads. Looking forward to Book #3.

[Gin Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the first, and I'm a sucker for Spader.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED!! This was better than the first. I definitely cried at the end. Such a thrilling adventure. I wish I could go back in time and read this as a teenager, but I’m also enjoying this now!

[Alex Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series as a teen. I reread the second one since I don't have the first. This was a very easy read and the story was fun. I may reread more of these.

[Graham Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spader seems like a true lad

[Jaden V.]

Pendragon: The Lost City of Faar

The Lost City of Faar continues from The Merchant of Death where Bobby Pendragon travels to Cloral in search of his nemesis Saint Dane. But in doing so, risking his life. He faces challenges he hasn’t faced before and overall puts you on a roller coaster of emotions and you can almost never guess what’s coming next.