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Author | Colin Meloy |
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Illustrator | Carson Ellis |
Cover artist | Carson Ellis |
Country | US |
Language | English |
Series | The Wildwood Chronicles |
Genre | Children's novel |
Publisher | Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins) |
Publication date
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February 4, 2014 |
Media type | Print (hardback, acid-free paper) |
Pages | 576 (hardback 1st edition) |
ISBN | |
Preceded by | Under Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book Two |
Wildwood Imperium: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book Three is a 2014 children's fantasy novel by The Decemberists' singer-songwriter Colin Meloy, illustrated by his wife Carson Ellis. The novel, the second sequel to Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book One, continues the tale of Prue McKeel and her adventures in the "Impassable Wilderness," a fantastical version of Portland, Oregon's Forest Park. The natural beauty and local color of the city figure prominently. It was released on February 4, 2014.
PART ONE: In South Wood, a young girl named Zita is crowned May Queen. That night, she and several friends conduct a secret ritual meant to call up the legendary spirit of the Verdant Empress. Instead, they accidentally call up the spirit of Alexandra, the Dowager Governess. The other girls run away, but the Governess begins sending Zita nightly messages instructing her to bring the spirit 3 things: an eagle feather, a pebble from beside a stream in Wildwood, and the teeth of the Governess’ son, Alexei (the teeth are in his entombed mechanical body and were used for bringing him back to life the first time). Zita is mourning her recently deceased mother, and decides to help the Governess because she can feel her grieving over her own dead son.
The new Elder Mystic, the young boy who was an acolyte in the last book, accompanies other Mystics deep into Wildwood to hang a flag remembering Iphigenia on the Ossuary Tree there (oddly, this journey takes “many days”, although Prue and her army traversed the same distance in a couple of hours in the first book). Afterward, the Elder Mystic follows a pattern in the trees and is suddenly swallowed by the ground, disappearing forever.
Meanwhile, Esben the bear has been staying with Prue and her family in Portland. He and Prue head back to the Impassable Wilderness to carry out the wishes of the Great Tree and try to bring Alexei back to life again. Leaving Esben hiding in the woods, Prue goes to South Wood to ask the government for help. She is shocked to find that people are being executed in the name of the “Bicycle Maiden” and her coup, and that a new set of Caliphs who worship the Blighted Tree of South Wood are gaining control (they feed the substance that is covering the Blighted Tree – Spongiform - to people, and it makes them obedient to the Tree’s wishes). It turns out that the mysterious Roger Swindon himself is the head of these Caliphs, and that they have assimilated all of the Wildwood Bandits into their number. The people of South Wood angrily turn on Prue when she tells them that they need to reanimate Alexei.