Orlo: The Created

Books of the Gardener #4

by Lauren H. Brandenburg, Jordan Crawford (Illustrator)

Orlo the deliverer has spent his entire life living in the Conclusus—an underground world where lush gardens grow on top of magnificent towers and a steam filled air balloon is the preferred method of travel by the higher class. On an unplanned trip to the Hall of Healers, Orlo overhears news of a tournament and sees the opportunity to not only increase his social status but fulfill his heart’s desire—to be an inventor. When he is ordered to retrieve a mysterious package from the Liberum, a vile place where the steam that powers and lights the Conclusus is processed by lawbreakers, Orlo’s dreams of inventing will be altered and his relationships questioned as an unexpected enemy emerges and reveals the truth behind the life he has always known.

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2016

About the author

Lauren H. Brandenburg is a mentor, speaker, and author who happily blurs the lines between traditional genres in both middle-grade and cozy women's fiction. Her fourth book in The Books of the Gardener series, Orlo: The Created, was a finalist for the Selah Award middle-grade novel of the year. The Death of Mungo Blackwell, a humorous family fiction (Lion Hudson publishing) was longlisted for the People's Book Prize in the United Kingdom and won the ACFW award for contemporary fiction. Lauren is a former junior high and high school English teacher who stepped away from her profession to raise and homeschool her two children. She currently lives with her husband, Jamie, and their children in a lovely little town just south of Nashville, Tennessee where they eat and laugh a lot. www.LaurenHBrandenburg.com

Reviews

[D.T. Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving the Orlo set more than the Boone set. This first Orlo book was fantastic.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is a decent book, full of Christian truths. I found the attempt to parallel Orlo’s world with our own confusing. I kept trying to figure out the symbolism in the book but couldn’t. I think a child would enjoy this book more than I did as they wouldn’t be trying to analyze it as much as I was. It’s very overt in its presentation of Christian truths but the gospel is not woven in. I believe there are 7-8 of these books so the storyline is not complete in just this one.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orlo was assigned to be a Deliverer. He knows he was meant to be something else and he wonders around collecting pieces of metal and creating things. One day he is reminded that the Festival of 7ths is coming and he wants to enter, but so does his guardian, Knox. Only one can enter from a household. One day after the Gathering, he is called to the Gardener's Home, but it is the daughter of the Gardener who calls him. She sends him on a journey with the help of Davey, someone who is able to open doors to other gardens. It is there that he learns the truth of about the people sent down. He learns that they are freer than those in the Conclusus and they are able to choose what they want to do. After spending 2 days in the Librium he is called to come back and is made to return. He finds that Knox is missing and he is asked to replace Knox in the competition.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Book of Second Group of The Books of the Gardener This book is set in the Underground, like the previous books. People are assigned jobs by the Gardener. Orlo was a Deliverer. He would deliver things from one garden to another, he would bring things back from other gardens, but he fiddles. He fiddles with things that he finds laying around. He created a beautiful item for his foster mother. He is then chastised for making this gift. While he recuperates from a burn he received on his hand, he learns about the contest. He wanted to participate but the rules state only one from each home can participate and his foster father has stood up and asked to participate, but just before the competition his foster father has disappeared, he wants to find him and bring him home for his foster mother and Orlo participates in the competition and wins, but many things happen and he learns some lessons. 
 
A wonderful story that shows that everyone has their strengths and that they should be able to use their strengths. I highly recommend this book for many Middle Schoolers and also for anyone who just wants a good read.