Emily Rodda is a master at characterization and the making of a hero.  Her heroes are not beautiful, strong people, but someone who is ordinary, like you and me.  In reading her first book of her newest trilogy, The Golden Door, you connect with Rye, her new hero.  Rye lives in Weld, a walled city on a island, that has no contact with other cities on the island.  During the growing season, Weld comes under attack at night by ‘skimmers,’ creatures hunting for live food, whether it be human or animal.  These creatures fly and will attack wherever they sense smell, hear the scratch of a creature, or see light.  Come nightfall, the citizens of Weld imprison themselves in their homes in order to fend off the skimmers.  Rye lives with his widowed mother and two older brothers.  The citizens of Weld do not believe that the warden of Weld is doing much to protect it’s citizens.  First his older brother, Dirk, leaves home to find out who sent and where the creatures come from.  After more than a year’s absence, the second brother, Sholto, leaves.  Again, he doesn’t return. With his mother safe within the city’s walls, Rye finally leaves.  As he leaves Weld, he must choose which door to travel through and believing that Dirk must have chosen the Golden Door, so does he.  He travels with another youngster from Weld, a girl named Sonia, and they become friends, so to speak.  They eventually arrive at the Fell Zone whereby Rye is given a pouch containing nine magical objects to aid him in his quest.  He eventually arrives at Olt and finds that come Midsummer’s Eve a  ritual will take place in which seven human sacrifices will be given to the dragons of the sea in order for the ruler of Olt to continue to live.  Dirk, Rye’s brother, as well as Sonia, his friend, are two of the sacrifices.  It is up to Rye to save them.  Rodda does an excellent job of showing the reader how reluctant Rye is to do the impossible, but that he musters up the courage to do so, and is able to use cunning and intelligence to overcome the odds.  This book is exciting to read and makes the reader feel as though anyone can be a hero.