There have only been a few actors up to this point in the story, but suddenly the stage is littered with characters. Naomi and Fly find themselves defending the Umli tribe from one of Uro's soldiers, but the tribe isn't sure they want protection. Plus, the battle for Umli seems fairly hopeless considering the mighty fire beast they are opposing. Jim and Doug, separated from Naomi, make new friends and attempt to find their way back to join the battle. Meanwhile, Mel seems to be seduced by Uro's power when she is released and allowed to roam her prison. We know the battle for Umli is the main event, and it's made even more complex when the fire beast turns out to be another victim in thrall to Uro. As the force pulling the strings is revealed, Naomi also discovers her power in the form of the Red Phoenix.
If it sounds like Vermonia 3 is overstuffed, it's not just your imagination. We assumed it was because the writers were in a hurry to wrap the series, but there are more than four books within this story arc. Trying to throw more characters into the mix doesn't work well, and distracts from what has otherwise been an intelligible story around these four Earth children on a reluctant mission to save Vermonia by releasing their friend, Mel. Putting Mel in jeopardy was one thing, but suggesting she might switch sides takes the story in a more adult direction. The quality of the art and the action sequences held our interest, but Vermonia 3 doesn't sustain the light, easy pace of the two previous chapters.
