The Rivers of Zadaa (Pendragon, Book 6)

#209
Title: The Rivers of Zadaa (Pendragon, Book 6)
Author: D. J. MacHale
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Year: 2005
411 pages

This installment of the Pendragon series was somewhat slow and sloppy. I fear that because MacHale's writing improved, he is now being cut more slack by his editor. This volume was too long for the story being told, included more dubious science than has been the case in recent volumes, and suffered from the clunkier writing that characterized MacHale's earlier work. The plot works all right as long as the reader doesn't step back to ask questions or examine it from a different angle. If you're in mid-series, you'll probably like this well enough and will focus on the characters' growing self-awareness and identity concerns. These are the best aspects of the book, and bring some welcome character focus to the series. However, I doubt that picking up this book without having read the first five would inspire a reader want to start at the beginning, as it is not sufficiently compelling in either its craft or its story.