Review of who rules the rootless tree

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Catherine Sweet
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Review of who rules the rootless tree

Post by Catherine Sweet »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "who rules the rootless tree" by David Geey.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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Who Rules the Rootless Tree by David Geey is junior fiction. It is a gripping fantasy tale of courage and adventure. This is Geey’s second novel.

Zachy lives with his mum and dad on a farm in Wales. On his twelfth birthday, his parents tell him they aren’t his biological parents, and they don’t know anything about his background. They have no idea why he has a metal band on his arm just below his elbow that gets bigger every year. He is on his way to visit his grandparents when he meets a girl called Laihla, who can disguise herself as a small bear. She tells Zachy that he comes from the Rootless Tree, which has a whole city within it. He was born to be the tree’s ruler, and she will take him there. The present ruler has stayed in power for too long, and this has caused the tree to decay. Only Zachy can save it. The ruler’s acolytes are disguised as birds and ready to attack Zachy. The mission to save the Rootless Tree is fraught with danger, and other-worldly forces are at play.

Zachy goes on a challenging journey and has many obstacles and opposing forces to overcome. He has an enemy who wants to destroy him and uses others to attack him. The suspense grows until Zachy must make the biggest decision of all.

The writing style flows and is enjoyable to read. The story is imaginative, and the magical aspects are well portrayed. The plot is compelling and moves forward at a good pace. The Rootless Tree has an unusual and fascinating community. There are some surprising details such as when Zachy climbs down one thousand and eleven rungs on ladders into a well. Also, when he is attacked by the spirit and when he talks his words stick to his face.

At the beginning of the story, I thought Zachy was an endearing and believable character. However, I didn’t feel his character developed much as the story continued. Some side characters didn’t have much depth but were quite believable.

Who Rules the Rootless Tree would appeal to young readers who enjoy fantasy and adventure with young male and female characters. I have taken off one star for editing errors and awarded this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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who rules the rootless tree
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Mark Lazarus
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Post by Mark Lazarus »

Sounds like a fun and imaginative adventure with a unique setting and plenty of suspense. The concept of a city within a tree is pretty fascinating, though it’s a shame the character development wasn’t stronger.
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