Who is on the Keeper of the Lost Cities cover?

Keeper of the Lost Cities. Keeper of the Lost Cities: Exile. Shannon Messenger.  

My review of Keeper. Book Depository. Shannon's Official Reveal Post.

Keeper of the Lost Cities is an upper-middle-grade fantasy series by Shannon Messenger that has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list [1] for a total of ten weeks. The first book in the series was an Association for Library Service to Children tween recommended read in 2013. The series first charted following the release of the 5th installment, Lodestar, on the week of November 20th, 2016. The seventh book in the series Flashback had a first printing of 150,000 copies and Shannon Messenger's three-week tour to promote the book drew crowds of 200-700 people per event.[2][3]

The series tells the story of Sophie Foster, a twelve-year-old high school senior with the ability to read minds. She lives in San Diego, California until a boy named Fitz Vacker reveals that she is an elf and must leave to go live among the elves in the "Lost Cities", a hidden civilization where elves and other fantasy races live. She leaves the human family she had been living with behind and stays with an elven couple, Grady and Edaline Ruewen, who later adopt her. She starts school at a prestigious elven academy called Foxfire. She eventually discovers that she has dangerous and illegal secrets hidden in her mind, planted there by the Black Swan, a rebel group who is later revealed to have hidden Sophie originally in the human world. The main antagonist of the series is the Neverseen, an extreme criminal organization.

The story has continued over ten books as of November 2022, with one book released each year, as well as Unlocked—book 8.5—and four short stories in limited editions. The ninth book has been released on November 8, 2022. KOTLC is used as a common reference to easily say Keeper Of The Lost Cities. ,[4] and the series will conclude with a tenth book in 2023.[5]

Unlocked is book number 8.5 in the series and is a departure from the writing style of the previous books, with chapters alternating between multiple characters' perspectives. Unlocked also includes a series guide and extras like recipes and official art of the characters, drawn by Laura Hollingsworth.[6]

The Barnes & Noble special editions of Nightfall, Flashback and Legacy include short stories from the perspectives of the characters Keefe Sencen, Fitz Vacker, and Tam Song, respectively. The paperback edition of Flashback includes another short story from Keefe's perspective, and the paperback edition of Unlocked includes a short story from Linh Song's perspective. No other special editions are set to release.

An illustrated and annotated trade paperback edition of the first book was released on August 25, 2020.[7]

Reviews[edit]

Reviews to the series have mainly been positive. Kirkus Reviews said of the first book: "wholesome shading to bland", but "well-stocked with exotic creatures and locales, plus an agreeable cast."[8] Booklist Reviews called it a "exciting start to a promising series."

In an interview with Denise Davidson of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Messenger answered questions about book 8 of the series, Legacy, and how she writes her books. There she talked about her characters, as well as saying she tries to let the characters drive the plot.[9]

Film adaptation[edit]

On January 11, 2021, it was announced that Ben Affleck would be directing an adaptation of Keeper of the Lost Cities for Disney. The release date and cast have not been announced, but it is set for around 2023/2024.[10][11]

Important characters[edit]

Main characters[edit]

• Sophie ("Foster") Elizabeth Foster: Her genes were edited by a rebel group called the Black Swan, giving her several powerful elven special abilities (DNA-based powers), including telepathy, polyglotism, enhancing, inflicting, and teleportation.
• Keefe ("Lord Hunkyhair") Sencen: A leader of the Neverseen's son, but Sophie's close friend and a later love interest, who has a special ability allowing him to detect others' feelings (Empath). He also becomes a polyglot and manifests an unknown ability.
• Dexter (“Dex”) Alvin Dizznee: Sophie’s best friend, a talented alchemist with a special ability that makes him skillful at dealing with technology (Technopath).
• Fitzroy ("Fitz") Avery Vacker: Sophie's close friend (ex-boyfriend) and son of Alden Vacker, expert Telepath.
• Biana Amberly Vacker: Fitz’s younger sister, and Sophie’s friend, who has a special ability to turn invisible (Vanisher) like her mother, Della.
• Tam Dai Song: Sophie’s friend from Exillium, a school for banished and or "unruly" elves, who has a special ability to manipulate shadows (Shade).
• Linh Hai Song: Tam’s twin sister (also previously at Exillium), who has the ability to control water (Hydrokinetic). Her parents were very abusive, and did not resist when the Council opted to banish Linh, since she had flooded several cities due to her lack of control of her ability.

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Other characters[edit]

• Wylie Zoran Endal: The son of Prentice, an important member of the Black Swan. Wylie can sense and manipulate colours of light as per his needs (Flasher).
• Marella Adene Redek: Sophie’s friend, who meets her during their first day at Foxfire. She has a banned ability to call down fire (Pyrokinetic) that is first discovered in Nightfall. Her mother, Caprise Redek, fell from a balcony when Marella was three years old.
• Jensi Babblos: Sophie’s friend, who meets her on her first day at Foxfire. He does not manifest a special ability in the current series.
• Maruca Chebota: Wylie’s cousin and Biana’s former best friend. She manifests the ability to make force fields (Psionipath) in Legacy.
• Stina Destry Heks: A school bully who later becomes Sophie's friend. She has the ability to, when touching someone, tell what they are feeling (Empath). She gains this ability in Lodestar.
• Princess Romhilda (Ro): The daughter of the Ogre king, King Dimitar. She prefers to call herself Ro and is known for her teasing and pranking. She was serving as a bodyguard for Keefe Sencen, until he ran away.
• Rayni Aria: A former member of the Neverseen, also known as Glimmer. She befriended Tam Song when he was held kidnapped with the Neverseen, and then set him free against Lady Gisela’s wishes. She is a Flasher.
• Elysian: Mysterious figure who appears at the end of book nine, Stellarlune. Resides on Elysian's Island.

Sophie's Elvin Family[edit]

• Edaline Kelia Ruewen: Sophie’s adoptive mother, who has the ability to summon items from far away (Conjurer).
• Grady Howell Ruewen: Sophie’s adoptive father, who has the ability to control what others do through hypnotism(Mesmer).
• Sandor: Sophie’s goblin bodyguard.
• Vertina: A spectral mirror, previously belonging to the deceased Jolie Ruewen.

Main Councillors[edit]

• Councillor Bronte: Ancient elf who can inflict pain (Inflictor), also an Ancient (senior) Councillor and one of the three Councillors who votes in whether Sophie should be allowed to attend Foxfire. At first he did not like Sophie, but, shortly after Councillor Kenric's death in Everblaze, he began to vote in her favour.
• Councillor Oralie: An elf who can read emotions (Empath), Sophie's biological mother, and of the three Councillors who votes in whether Sophie should be allowed to attend Foxfire.
• Councillor Alina: An elf who can manipulate people just by the tone of her voice, a Beguiler. She is principal of Foxfire at an earlier point in the series before resigning in order to become a Councillor, replacing Kenric.
• Councillor Kenric: An elf who can read people's minds (Telepath) and is trained to wash memories from other elf's minds. He was killed by former Councillor Fintan Pyren in Everblaze.

The Black Swan[edit]

• Mr. Errol Loki Forkle: Two members of the Black Swan's leaders who are identical twin brothers and share an identity (as well as all of their memories and experiences through telepathy), and one/two of Sophie’s creators. Also known as Magnate Leto Kerlof and Sir Astin.
• Granite: A member of the Black Swan's leaders also known as Sir Tiergan Andrin Alenefar, Wylie’s adoptive father and Sophie’s and Fitz's Telepathy Mentor at Foxfire. He consumes a powder called Indurite to cover himself in stone as a way to hide his identity.
• Prentice Endal: A member of the Black Swan who had the role of storing important information deep in his mind, who sacrificed his sanity to keep Sophie hidden among humans. Prentice is also the father of Wylie Endal.
• Squall: A member of the Black Swan’s leaders who is also known as Juline Kalea Dizznee, Dex’s mother. She is a Froster, and covers herself in a layer of thick ice to hide her identity.
• Wraith: A member of the Black Swan’s leaders, who’s other identity is currently unknown. he is a Vanisher, and keeps his body invisible at all times, leaving only his long white cloak exposed.
• Blur: A member of the Black Swan’s leaders who’s other identity is currently unknown. However, Sophie, sees him for a second undisguised and describes him as having curly brown hair and full cheeks. He is a Phaser, And keeps himself in a half-shift, meaning that his body is blurred at all times and is impossible to distinguish.
• Coiffe: A member of the Black Swan, also known as Timkin Heks, Stina’s father. He disguises himself by wearing a jumpsuit completely covered in white fur.
• Physic: The healer of the Black Swan, also known as Livvy Sonden.

The Neverseen[edit]

• Lady Vespera Neci Folend: An elf who lived in the dungeon of an elven city for thousands of years, who was secretly experimenting on humans, and a leader of the Neverseen. She is an Empath (she can read emotions), but she can no longer feel her own emotions. She got killed by Lady Gisela at the end of Stellarlune (Book 9).
• Lady Gisela Minette Sencen: A leader of the Neverseen, Keefe’s mother, and Lord Cassius's wife. Gisela is a Polyglot (she can speak any language), and she is also a conjurer (can pull objects out of the void)
• Fintan Pyren: A Pyrokinetic, originally a member of the Council before pyrokinesis was banned, now a leader of the Neverseen.
• Alvar Soren Vacker: Fitz and Biana’s brother, who joined the Neverseen after learning a secret about their family's "legacy".
• Brant Alger (last name unknown): The fiancé of Jolie, Grady and Edaline’s daughter (Jolie, who is dead) and an unregistered Pyrokinetic (he can manipulate and create fire). He is crushed by a falling ceiling while in Lumenaria.

Other adults[edit]

• Elwin Heslege: The physician at Foxfire.
• Alden Dedrick Vacker: Fitz, Alvar and Biana’s father and a friend to Sophie, has the ability to read minds (Telepathy)
• Della Adara Vacker: Fitz, Alvar and Biana’s mother, as well as Alden's wife. She has the ability to vanish (Vanisher).

• Jolie Lucine Ruewen: Daughter of Grady and Edaline Ruewen, Conjurer. She died in a fire set accidentally by her fiancé, Brant.
• Brant Alger (last name unknown): The fiancé of Jolie, Grady and Edaline’s daughter (Jolie, who is dead) and an unregistered Pyrokinetic (he can manipulate and create fire). He is crushed by a falling ceiling while in Lumenaria.
• Councillor Kenric Elgar Fathdon: A supporter of Sophie's, who dies in a fire in Oblivimyre, Eternalia. The fire is Everblaze, set by Fintan, who is at the time also thought dead. In Neverseen, it is revealed that Fintan survived (but not Kenric).
• Calla: A gnome, and part of the Black Swan. When the ogres release a deadly plague to kill the gnomes, she sacrifices herself to be the cure.
• Brielle: A goblin bodyguard assigned to guard Grady Ruewen. She fell in battle against several ogres. Sophie attended her aurification.
• Lady Vespera Neci Folend: An elf who lived in the dungeon of an elven city for thousands of years, who was secretly experimenting on humans, and a leader of the Neverseen. She is an Empath (she can read emotions), but she can no longer feel her own emotions. She got killed by Lady Gisela at the end of Stellarlune (Book 9)

Eternalia: The elves’ capital city, known in human myths as Shangri-La. It’s divided by a river, with the Councillors’ castles on one side and buildings like the elven courtroom for criminal cases, the Tribunal Hall.

Who is on the cover of Keeper of the Lost Cities Everblaze?

Who is the boy on the cover of Keeper of the Lost Cities?

Who is on the cover of Keeper of the Lost Cities Legacy?

Who is on the cover of Keeper of the Lost Cities book 9?