The Lost Books Series – Ted Dekker

Titles: 1 – Chosen, 2 – Infidel, 3 – Renegade, 4 – Chaos, 5 – Lunatic, 6 – Elyon

Author: 1-4 Ted Dekker, 5-6 Ted Dekker and Kaci Hill

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Plot: Chosen (Book 1) – Four new leaders are chosen to help lead the Forest Guard, they are the youngest chosen at sixteen and seventeen; Silvie, Darsal, Billos, and Johnis. The Forest Guard protects The Circle from The Horde. Johnis is considered an outsider, more a lover than a fighter. No one expects him to do well. But he was chosen for a reason. He was chosen by the Roush, messengers for Elyon (their god) to find the seven Lost Books of History. He was meant to lead the other three to find the books. The quest begins and they’re lead into the desert in search of the books. But they find the Shataiki, evil bats who serve Teelah (their satan) Will they find a book?Will they escape the Shataiki?

Infidel (Book 2) – They return home, heroes. Admist the celebration, Johnis learns that his mother may not be dead. This leads him on a mad quest to find her. Johnis will do whatever he can to find her. But it leads him, and many others into a trap that the Horde have set up. Johnis is now in deep trouble with the other leaders of the Forest Guard. He must be punished. But Johnis escapes to search for her mother. Against her better judgement, Silvie comes with. Together they search for her mother, who’s been captured by the Horde. But soon Johnis must chose between Silvie and his mother. Who will he chose? Or will he be able to save them both?

Renegade (Book 3) – Billos has disappeared into one of the Books of History. There he meets Marsuveus Black in the city of Paradise, Colorado. Black shows Billos that he has powers in this new city to make things appear at the snap of his fingers. He says that Billos can use this powers to find the other Books of History. But in order to get the books, Billos must get rid of anyone in his way. While Billos is searching for the book, Silvie, Johnis, and Darsal are searching for him. They find a way to go into the books as well. Billos has gone crazy with his powers. The other three try to knock some sense into him. Black turns on all of them. But is it too late? Will Black have the books? Will they be able to escape? Will they save the books?

Chaos (Book 4) – Johnis, Silve, and Darsal are transported into another world, what the reader would call our world, along with a new friend. Silvie and Johnis are transported to Las Vegas. They try to figure out how to navigate the new world, others are also watching and waiting. Silvie and Johnis are found by their new friend. Their friend tells them that she’s found some of the other Books of History. All they need to do is find one more and their quest is complete. But others are searching for it, too. Will they find it in time? Who are the others searching for the book? Where is Darsal? Will everyone be able to return home?

Lunatic (Book 5) – Johnis, Silvie, and Darsal, have returned home. But it’s been five years in their home world. Thomas and the circle have disappeared. Their forest has been taken over by the Horde. In their haste to escape, and keep the books hidden, Johnis and Silvie go in a different direction from Darsal. Darsal gets captured. Johnis and Silvie get lost in the desert. Johnis starts hearing a voice and follows it, despite Silvie’s protests and Johnis’s better judgment. It leads them to a being who can help them defeat the Horde. But at what cost? What will happen to Darsal?

Elyon (Book 6) – The gran finale. The medallion has been found. Johnis is still under Shaeda’s influence, and she’s taking more and more control. The deal has been made between Johnis and Sucrow. But that deal is shaky at best. Sucrow and Marak also have an uneasy treaty. Darsal is a slave to a Horde general, Marak. They have a way to enslave the Shaitaki, the medallion. But who will have that privilege? Will Johnis be free of Shaeda’s influence? What will happen if Sucrow succeed?

Rating: 3.0 – Off to a good start but became episodic.

Opinion: This is a good series, not amazing, but good enough to keep reading. Towards the third book, it began to feel episodic. Someone gets captured, someone else loses their book, or the bad guys take it, etc. The fourth ends well enough. The heroes save what they’re searching for, and the worlds. They get to go home. Hurray good has won!The fourth has a slight cliffhanger, but the ending doesn’t necessarily leave you wanting more. I could’ve been done with the series then. Books five and six are about their return home. They’re not tied to the first four very well. But they do leave the series on a happier ending. If you want to see what happens when they return home, then read those two. If you’re okay with how the first four ended, then you’re okay stopping. Overall these were good books, meant for someone a little younger than me, maybe high school or college. Middle school if the kid is okay with battles and some frightening images. If you’re looking for an easy read series, a gift for your book reading kid, then go for it.