#roddacember 2025

My origin to the world of Rodda is with Lake of Tears, which probably isn’t too surprising to hear. When you’re a kid and someone gives you a book with a holographic cover and a cool fish monster you don’t stop to consider it isn’t a stand alone novel, or that it might be book 2 of a series that you have not read book 1 of.

The thing is, boy does Lake of Tears still work even without knowing the context provided by Forest of Silence. I was young when I read it but I don’t remember being confused at all. I was dropped into this world with no understanding and by the end of it I knew I was in for the series of a lifetime.

The thing is though, Rodda doesn’t immediately start LoT with a recap. There’s no ‘here’s what you missed on DQ’. There’s context, yes, but not a ‘so last time the group went here and did this and got the Topaz, yay!’ Instead, Rodda slowly introduces you back into the world with the understanding that this may be your first foray into Deltora, but not at the expense of the individual story Lake of Tears must tell. It’s got its own thing to do and Forest of Silence is in the past now.

The exposition Rodda gives you is naturalistic, a show and don’t tell in a medium where technically all you are doing is telling. The reader doesn’t feel talked down to or patronised, which in a kids book can sometimes be a tricky balance to maintain. Even reading the first few pages now as an adult to craft this brief reflection, I feel drawn in and emersed but not coddled, not spoon fed.

My partner in life, my best friend in the whole world, has a habit of accidentally starting a series in the wrong season or wrong episode. He watched the deleted scenes of a movie thinking it was actually the movie. He sat through an episode of a show in Spanish because he thought it was a bit. And I love to hear him explain how sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. How even out of order a series can draw you in anyway because of the skill its creators have over crafting their narrative.

And I pay him out for it a lot, of course, but he is very right in that there are pieces of media out there that will work, regardless of where your entry point is. And Deltora Quest is one of them.

Or, how to start a series at book 2.

The thing about the world of Rondo is that it is beautifully realised and gorgeously brought to life but it is also really fun to make memes about

Apparently if you look up the word nuisance in the dictionary there's a picture of George Langlander

My primary school librarian specially putting aside the copy of the 5-in-1 Rowan of Rin collection to give to me when they were doing a clean out and other students kept threatening to take it even though they didn’t like it. The book is old and tattered and covered in library stickers and it is one of my most prized possessions.

Hiding behind the shelves of the library to read the next Deltora Quest book, borrowing them and reading them so quickly that I’d be back at the library first thing to grab another

My siblings and me taking all the DQ omnibus’ on month long holidays around Australia because our parents said we could only take three books each but we were being sneaky by bringing multiple books in one. Our books have been everywhere possible, including Europe and New Zealand

Meeting Emily Rodda and having her sign my copy of the Battle for Rondo. I was so sick and so out of it but it was such a special night.

Getting to review the Golden Door for the newspaper!!!!!!!!!

Joining the incredible Roddaverse discord and meeting amazing people who help me keep my love for Rodda’s work alive every day

Collecting all the books one by one, bit by bit. I only need one more TPI book to finish my collection!!

My sister’s friend going out of her way to help me complete my Star of Deltora collection this year

Getting to make the Rondo music box in year 5 and I was the only one who'd read the book so everyone kept asking me what it looked like

Roddacember!!!!!!!!!! Every year December is a special time for connecting with the works that were so important to me as a child and continue to be today

The Keeper raised his arms. "Now!" he said quietly. The Crystal flashed, blinding.

I'm never going to run out of memes to make about to Key to Rondo

A look inside Liz Free's Journal

As an aspiring writer, Liz has dozens of story ideas scribbled everywhere- some more fleshed out than others. Occasionally she shows them to Sunny or Elmo for feedback, meaning their own little notes get added to the mess.

Liz writes a lot of Pearl's lists in her journal for if/when Pearl forgets where she's put hers but manages to remember what she wants Liz to buy. Liz sometimes adds things she needs as well, since if she's going to the shops she may as well do her own shopping as well.

Alongside her story ideas are craft ideas, inspired by things Liz sees as she goes about her day. Many of the pages have dried flowers and leaves pressed inside them, things Liz plans to create with but hasn't gotten around to doing it yet.

Tom has gotten his hands on Liz's journal more than once and the art he leaves behind ranges from deeply unserious to surprisingly sweet.