The Shifting Sands by Emily Rodda

The protagonist of The Shifting Sands by Emily Rodda is a boy named Lief. Secondary characters include Barda, Jasmine and the mysterious Doom. The antagonists are the Shifting Sands and the Shadow Lord. The novel does not have a specific time in which it takes place but the technologies available resemble those of the Middle Ages. The story takes place in the world of Deltora and more specifically in Rithmere and in the Shifting Sands. In the story, Lief, Barda and Jasmine cross the town of Rithmere while trying to find the lapis lazuli to restore the Deltora Belt. They compete in the Rithmere games, win some money to fund their expedition but are captured by the Shadow Lord's servants. They are freed by Doom and then continue to the Shifting Sands. There, they survive mortal perils and steal the lapis lazuli from the Shifting Sands. This novel is well written and is really interesting as all other Deltora books.

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