Farseekers [School & Library Binding]

Isobelle Carmody (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000

In this powerful sequel to Obernewtyn, young Elspeth Gordie-possessed of extraordinary mental powers-has united with others Misfits for refuge on the remote mountain keep of Obernewtyn. Yet the threat from the totalitarian Council to their safety is ever present. Their only defense is to work hard to develop their mental powers before an inevitable confrontation.

But when Elspeth is lured off the mountain in a dangerous quest to rescue a powerful Misfit, the fate of the Obernewtyn colony will hang in the balance.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Written by an Australian children's author, this award-winning (in Australia) fantasy-adventure novel is the sequel to last year's Obernewtyn, which was first published Down Under in 1988; this book appeared there in 1990. It takes place in relatively familiar fantasy territory--think Julian May's Saga of Pliocene Exile without the descriptive power, or Anne McCaffrey without the dragons. Young narrator Elspeth Gordie is a mutant "Misfit" with unusual mental powers. Because, in Elspeth's world, both the oppressive religionists and the semi-governmental Council hate Misfits and hunt them down, her kind has joined together and found refuge on the mountain keep of Obernewtyn. Despite the danger, Elspeth and others--including a telepathic, human-hating horse--leave this refuge and undertake a journey to find an enormous book trove, and to save an extraordinarily gifted Misfit. Elspeth also has a mysterious personal quest to fulfill. Carmody's mostly clear, readable style is tainted by awkward "fantasy-speak" dialogue and etymologically curious argot (soldierguards, deathmachines, firstmeal, nightmeal). Better than its predecessor, the novel showcases engaging characters, pacing and plots that may, despite the publisher's adult marketing campaign, appeal primarily to adolescent females. (Aug.)

Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

After liberating themselves from their control by the totalitarian Council, the psychically gifted Misfits of Obernewtyn attempt to develop their skills without interference from the outside world. When powerful psychic Elspeth Gordie leads an expedition into the distant Lowlands to rescue another Misfit, she also receives a call to find and destroy a cache of ancient weapons, relics of the legendary Beforetimers. Carmody!s postapocalyptic tale of heroism and courage in the face of persecution blends graceful storytelling with appealing characters. Recommended for most sf collections as well as for YA fans of speculative fiction.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• School & Library Binding
• Publisher: Bt Bound (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613554507
• ISBN-13: 978-0613554503
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,901,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing!, October 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Farseekers (Paperback)

the obernewtyn chronicles have been my favourite books since 1987, when i was introduced to obernewtyn as a 9 year old school girl. this is when the first book was ever published. ever since then ive been on an impatient wait for the following books. to the farseekers, what can i say? it just gets better and better. to all of you who live outside of australia, be patient. if you guys think youve got it bad, with only the first two of her books being released there, just imagine what we down under are going through. shes a painfully slow writer. id suggest if its possible, to get your hands on her other books, scatterlings, the gathering, darkfall (a new series, the legendsong which shes started) and green monkey dreams. but i guess that all depends on whether theyve been published overseas. i dont want to ruin it for you, but trust that your patience will be worth it. not only do the following two books, ashling and the keeping place get better and better but her writing improves dramatically. im not saying that shes a bad writer, shes actually my favourite author. but you have to realise that she began to write obernewtyn at the age of 14 and worked on it throughout high school, and for a 14 year old that was an amazing piece of work. it just really hits you how her writing style has developed into something that really blows you away. but i can tell foreign readers this, the next book and supposedly the last book in the chronicles is called the sending. i say supposedly, because i remember after the farseekers came out the next book was meant to be the keeping place, but it ended being ashling and then the keeping place(which was just released in australia this year). i hope to god that the sending isnt the last book. and shes also meant to be working on the second book in the legendsong series, called darksong.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books, January 30, 2002

By 

Julie Clawson (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Farseekers: The Obernewtyn Chronicles - Book Two (The Obernewtyn Chronicles, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

This second book in the Obernewtyn Chronicles is a fantastic sequel and a joy to read in and of itself. While the first book, Obernewtyn, kept to a typical first book style (i.e. it could have stood alone as a single book), The Farseekers takes its place as part of an ongoimg story.

For background, the world that Carmody has created is a post-apoctalyptic one. The consequences of the Great White, as it is called in the books, are rampent. Besides tainted land and water, there are numerous mutations amoungst the people of the land, both physical and mental. In the land, there exists an oppressive Council to control the people and the mutations with a strict hand. These books tell the story of a special group whose mutations have given them special mental abilities (esp, ability to talk with animals...). At their mountain home at Obernewtyn, they must hide from the Council, but also fulfill their goal of making Misfits (as they are called) acceptable in the land. Obernewtyn has become a haven for such Misfits and there they are trained to use their talent well.

But the main character, Elspeth Gordie, has a mission that goes beyond her fellow Misfits' plans. No one but her knows about it, and even she is not all clear on the details. It is in The Farseekers that she discovers more about who she is and what she has been called to do.

So The Farseekers tells of Elspeth's mission and of the plans and purposes of Obernewtyn - which for now are bound together. The adventures that Elspeth and company engage in are exciting and are meaningful due to the ultimate purposes of the group. It is the story of a quest across land and water to find an old library and a very powerful Misfit. As they journey, they meet others in the land who oppose the Council as well as face the harsh realities of danger and death. As one reads, one realizes the significance of details mentioned in book 1. New characters and new plots are revealed and new relationships form.

The strong points of the book, besides a really great story, are the details and the character development. Isobelle Carmody has a fantastic way with details. Everything has a purpose in her books, which is hard to realize during the first reading. By the end of the second book, and most certainly by the end of the subsequent books, one absolutely has to reread the earlier books. In addition, the characters in the books are very real. Carmody describes them in many facets - physically, emotionally, intellectually ... etc. One becomes attached to the characters very quickly and (at least for me) I feel like I am Elspeth as I read. It is almosr painful to finish the book because I so want to be back in her world, in her place. Conversations are realistic. For example, three, simple, short words said by one character to another near the end of The Farseekers (you'll know them when you read them) are in my mind the most tender and emotionally wonderful words I have ever read.

Buy this book, buy all the books and read them over and over again. Enjoy them. I can't praise them enough. This is the best fantasy series I have ever read.

(Book 4 is only available from Australia right now, and we are all desperatly awaiting book 5)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid second installment - a real page-turner!, August 8, 2000

By 

"mageblue" (Monterey, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Farseekers: The Obernewtyn Chronicles - Book Two (Hardcover)

The characters, plots and intrigues introduced in Obernewtyn not only continue in Farseekers, they escalate! A rescue mission forces Elspeth to lead a group of Misfits on a journey into deserted ruins, enemy camps and hidden cities. The intrepid Elspeth, now a little older, wiser and dedicated to the Misfit cause, is faced with well thought-out and plotted perils including ambushes, kidnappings, daring rescues and incredible shocks and surprises. Given the recent dearth of GOOD Sci/Fi and Fantasy recently, Obernewtyn and The Farseekers are the find of the year! You'd never believe these books were written for a young adult audience in Australia nearly ten years ago! Obernewtyn and The Farseekers have just been published here in the US, and I for one can't wait for the remaining two novels in this series. A must for Fantasy lovers of all ages!