starred review Shelf Awareness
*"The three books that constitute Tony DiTerlizzi's futuristic classic chart an unforgettable journey, masterfully told...The end to Eva's search for her WondLa is deeply touching. Victory has never looked this good."
Booklist
"Like Middle Earth and Oz, Orbona is packed with creatures and places with proper names in unfamiliar languages...DiTerlizzi’s beautiful illustrations are worth the price of admission."
Booklist
"Like Middle Earth and Oz, Orbona is packed with creatures and places with proper names in unfamiliar languages...DiTerlizzi’s beautiful illustrations are worth the price of admission."
School Library Journal - Audio
11/01/2014
Gr 5–9—In the third and final installment of the "WondLa" trilogy (after A Hero for WondLa), Eva Nine is still struggling to stop the war that could destroy Orbona. The battle between the humans and aliens has forced Eva to abandon her friends and go into hiding for fear of leading Loroc, the evil sibling-eating alien, to those she loves. But when Cadmus Pryde, the leader of the humans, attacks the city of Solas, Eva's courage is tested and the fate of Orbana hangs in the balance. Teri Hatcher skillfully crafts a strong vocal presence for Eva and gives life to Eva's friends and foes. Though the narration speed seems slow at times, the pacing helps establish the detailed and multi-dimensional world. The audiobook can certainly stand alone as a lovely example of oral storytelling, but it is regrettable that listeners miss DiTerlizzi's beautiful illustrations. Those who are interested, however, can find the original pictures, several drawings, character bios, and some really cool augmented reality games on WondLa.com. Recommended for fans of the series, Dungeons and Dragons enthusiasts, and epic-friendship fantasy lovers.—Chani Craig, Converse Middle School, Palmer, MA
School Library Journal
08/01/2014
Gr 4–7—The epic trilogy comes to a satisfying end in this last installment. Readers will be thrilled to step back into DiTerlizzi's well-realized and intricately detailed world as Eva Nine and her friends try to save their planet.
AUGUST 2014 - AudioFile
In this third and final installment of the WondLa series, human girl Eva Nine must ally herself with aliens and the remaining humans to thwart a complicated plot that puts all of planet Orbana's inhabitants at risk. Narrator Teri Hatcher creates memorable personalities for Orbana's many flora and fauna; however, she struggles with the human and alien characterizations. It’s often difficult to distinguish between Eva and the boy pilot she befriends. Additionally, Hatcher occasionally changes the vocal timbre of the story’s many aliens. Good storytelling cannot overcome the slow pacing and lackluster narration of this illustrated novel, which is likely best enjoyed in print. L.T. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
