Book Assessment for November Cynthia S. Lewis B7
The novel Star of Deltora by Emily Rodda is set in
a land called Deltora. This is a fantasy
land in a world similar in some ways, yet very different from our own. In the world of Deltora magic and hauntings
exist. The first chapter takes us to a
strange island called the Isle of Tier which is far from the city Del -- a
harbor town where ships and trading are very important. Much
of the story takes place in Del – in a small shop, at the home of a former sailor, under a small
shelter by a graveyard, at a Traders’ Hall,
in a dark alley and an adjoining
run-down building, and finally, on a ship leaving Del.
[Time]
The time setting
is something like medieval times with no modern technology and no modern forms
of transportation. The whole plot of
this book (first in a series) takes place within just a few days. It is
not winter or hot summer, but it is rainy and cool some of the time.
[How the Setting Influences other Elements in the Book]
Because the book
is set in a past without the advanced communication and transportation that we
have, distance becomes more significant.
It would take magic for someone on a faraway island to communicate with
or affect anyone on the mainland. And
leaving family behind to travel becomes a much more serious and dangerous experience.
The island setting creates a feeling of
isolation. It is a magical island, so
that allows the author to do things with the story that could not be done
otherwise. Living by the sea inspires
some characters to want adventure and travel. This is especially true in a
place where people use the ships for trading with other lands to bring back all
sorts of needed and wanted things and to become rich themselves.
The short time
period in which this book takes place makes the story seem urgent and as
hurried as the main character feels. So
place and time help shape the characters and story.
