Pendragon: A Real Triumph of the Imagination

Pendragon is a YA fantasy and sci-fi series by D. J. MacHale. The Pendragon series is incredible—a triumph of the imagination—but it’s also an incredibly long one (there are 10 books). I’ll review the first three books—The Merchant of Death, The Lost City of Faar, and The Never War—because I want to provide a detailed review.

Overview

The series follows Bobby Pendragon, a 13-year-old who discovers that he is a “Traveler”, which means he can visit “territories” (separate worlds and time periods) in Halla. Throughout the series, he teams up with other Travelers and journeys to different territories to stop the evil, shapeshifting demon, Saint Dane, from plunging them into chaos, a journey he documents through journal entries to his friend Mark.

The series is mainly told through the points of view (POVs) of Bobby and Mark. However, as the series progresses, additional perspectives emerge, with the final book focusing entirely on Bobby.

The Merchant of Death

At the start of The Merchant of Death, Bobby has a strange visit from his Uncle Press right before he leaves for the county basketball semifinal. Uncle Press begs Bobby to follow him to an abandoned subway station and Bobby reluctantly agrees. After being attacked at the station by Saint Dane, he discovers a strange tunnel which transports him to another world: Denduron.

The Merchant of Death offers a taste of what’s to come. Through Bobby’s eyes, we discover new cultures and societies and explore familiar-yet-alien landscapes. We see interesting interactions with his uncle and meet new characters, like Saint Dane. We also watch Bobby use his wits to escape danger and thwart Saint Dane’s plan. 

I really loved Bobby Pendragon’s character development. He’s an ordinary high schooler who enjoys sports, hangs out with friends, and crushes on a girl named Courtney (who becomes a key character in the series). Many teenagers can relate to him.

His journey from an ordinary life to an extraordinary mission fuels emotions and feelings within him that deepened my investment in his story. 

And then there’s the plot twist. The territory of Denduron is populated mainly by the Milago and Bedoowan people. The Bedoowan live lavish and gluttonous lifestyles, while tyrannizing the Milago who live in squalor. Bobby tries to help the Milago in their fight against the Bedoowan by teaming up with another Traveler, Loor, her mother, and fellow Traveller Alder. A sudden plot twist shifts the narrative, not only showing Saint Dane’s devious intelligence, but also forcing the characters to rethink their mission.

The books feature very little romance, which I like, since I’m not drawn to romance. The romantic elements lack realism to me. In the first chapter, Bobby kisses Courtney on the lips, (a person he doesn’t often interact with), which I found unrealistic. However, this bit of romance didn’t diminish the overall reading experience.

The Lost City of Faar

The second book transports Bobby to a new territory. Cloral is an oceanic world dotted with “habitats,” massive cities that float on the water. The Lost City of Faar brings the sci-fi aspect of the series to light. Along with habitats, there are special swimming masks that allow you to breathe and talk underwater and special vehicles that you can drive on the surface or underwater.

Despite the facade of optimism and tech marvels, Cloral faces a dire problem: Clorans are dying from poisoned food. And as Bobby, Press, and a new Traveler named Vo Spader scramble to find a cure, they discover a map to the mythical city of Faar.

I thoroughly enjoyed Spader’s character. He exudes an air of excitement, as if he lives for adventure. He’s the type of guy who would throw the wildest parties on the block, but he is also prone to wild tantrums if rubbed the wrong way, like when Saint Dane claims the life of someone very near and dear to Spader.

Cloral, with its expansive technology and innovations, is an impressive world, and I couldn’t help but share Bobby’s awe as I explored it. If I could visit any territory in Pendragon, I would definitely choose Cloral. It’s a favourite of mine (and of Uncle Press!). Also, the change from a medieval world like Denduron to a high-tech world like Cloral highlights the remarkable diversity of the territories.

The Never War

If you were to ask, “choose your favourite book from the series,” I would answer “The Never War,” without hesitation.

I think the author truly pushed his imagination in The Never War. Bobby visited two very different worlds in the previous two novels. This time, the situation is quite different. Bobby and Spader have returned to Earth, but it’s not Earth as we know it. It’s 1937 and he has travelled to First Earth. This unorthodox setting made me love the series even more. 

In their efforts to stop Saint Dane on First Earth, Bobby and Spader meet gangster Max Rose. Joining forces with another Traveler named Vincent “Gunny” VanDyke, Bobby stays in the Manhattan Tower Hotel, inspecting Max Rose’s secret agenda and that of his nemesis’. But these are gangsters and where gangsters—and Saint Dane—are involved, danger and adventure are imminent.

Bobby and Spader’s character development is spectacular. Spader’s character reveals its unfavorable side, which manifests as a quick temper. His deep-seated fury of Saint Dane makes him even more reckless, straining his relationship with Bobby and putting their mission in jeopardy. Gunny’s calm demeanor is a breath of fresh air among the chaos. I found Bobby’s growth to be the most dramatic.

Bobby is rocked by a painful dilemma later in the novel, making The Never War an immensely compelling and thematic story that also reveals a dangerous new element of Saint Dane.

I became deeply involved in Bobby’s journey to defeat the demon.

Overall

The character development in Pendragon is brilliant. As individuals, Bobby, Spader, Gunny, Mark, and Courtney are all interesting and complex. However, Saint Dane is by far my favourite character, with Bobby a close second. The demon’s ability to manipulate people in the form of someone else makes him unpredictable and compelling. It leaves you uncertain about who to trust and who might embody Saint Dane in disguise.

The world-building proved to be very detailed and intricate, with each territory carefully developed. The adventure was thrilling every step of the way, and the plots are very engaging and fast-paced.

While the writing style is outdated, with words like “bizarro” and “coolio,” Bobby’s vibrant and humorous narration is very fun to read, compared to the dull third-person writing in Mark’s POV. So, pick up Pendragon and get ready to be blown away.