Elyon: The Lost Books    by Ted Dekker & Kaci Hill Order:  USA  Can Thomas Nelson, 2009 (2009) Hardcover      Reviewed by Elizabeth Schulenburg Johnis, Sylvie, and Darsal live in a world very much like ours, but many thousands of years in the future. They belong to the Forest Guard, an elite group of warriors who protect the followers of Elyon from the murderous Horde. Just sixteen and seventeen years old, they have been chosen by Thomas Hunter, leader of the Forest Guard, to be commanders in his army. Unknown to Thomas, they have also been chosen by a greater force for a secret mission - to recover the seven Lost Books of History, and save the world. In the first five books of the series, Johnis, Sylvie, and Darsal, along with friends Billos and Karas, have fought unimaginable odds to locate the seven books. Their journeys have taken them across their world, and into a different reality - our own world, where they discovered the strange, wonderous sights and sounds of Las Vegas. They completed their mission, saved the Books from the Dark One, and are now ready to return home. Only three of the Chosen will be returning, however - Billos gave his life to save his friend, and Karas feels more at home in our world now. They are warned that their world had changed much in the time they have been gone, but nothing prepares them for what they find when they return - the Forest Guard defeated and fled, the Horde in control, and evil throughout the land. Darsal is captured and enslaved by a Horde commander, and Johnis and Sylvie come under the control of Shaeda, an entity bent on destroying everyone. Darsal has been given a new mission - she is to show love to Marak, the Horde guard who has made her a slave, and thereby show him the truth of Elyon. As she wins his trust, she can feel him coming ever closer to faith. Johnis and Sylvie, meanwhile, are completely under Shaeda's control, and she is headed ever closer to her ultimate goal - the destruction of both the Horde and the Forest Guard. As Darsal, Johnis, and Sylvie come face to face with each other once more, it is up to Darsal to find a way to remind her former friends of what they truly believe in, and enlist their help in saving their world, once and for all. This concluding novel in Dekker's Lost Books series will be satisfying for fans who have made it this far with our young heroes. Darsal is really given the chance to shine in this book, and while Dekker allows her to save the day, he doesn't remove any of her previous flaws. Her imperfections make her struggle to do the right thing seem completely honest, and her heartbreaks and joys that much more real. The author has given each of his main characters such depth, and the reader will be genuinely sorry to say goodbye to this endearing bunch. Elyon has a somewhat different tone than the rest of the series - being the final novel, leading up to the last great battle, it has more urgency in every page. The action is nearly nonstop, and readers will likely want to devour this novel in one gulp. Dekker leaves the ending resolved, but with some questions outstanding - perhaps another installment is in the works? Readers can only be so lucky - this is an excellent series from start to finish, and I highly recommend it. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews