Customer Reviews

The Farwalker's Quest

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4 star:		(2)
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Joni Sensel has written a classic journey and quest story that is undertaken by Ariel and Zeke. It's a sort of post-apocalyptic world in which there is still some magic, but much of it is lost or misunderstood. Like all good quest stories, the hero and heroine must leave home and they face strange lands: deserts, forests, mountains. Ariel and Zeke must learn to trust each other and their own strengths in order to find the relics that will restore the lost knowledge and learning to their world. Sensel's story sings along at a fast pace, with strongly drawn characters and a satisfying ending. This is fine storytelling.

I'll confess something to you. I'm a children's librarian who reads a lot of children's books in a given year. I don't get a chance to review them all, which is too bad. So my To Be Reviewed shelf in my office gets fuller and fuller as the seasons go by. Sometimes I'll read a book for kids in one month and then immediately review it. Other times I'll read a book, put it on the shelf, and pick it up a few months later, a little fuzzy on some of the finer details. Rarest of all is the book I read, place on the shelf for TEN MONTHS, and still remember like it was yesterday when I get ready to review it. "The Farwalker's Quest" by debut novelist Joni Sensel was one of those books that I sort of assumed I'd never get around to reviewing but over the months I found that I couldn't forget it. I kept thinking about it, and darned if I didn't remember it long after it was over. That, to me, is what middle grade chapter book fantasy fans are really looking for. They may devour book after book like lightning, but why do they do it? They do it because they're searching for the story that touches them, stays with them, and remains with them for years and years. "The Farwalker's Quest" is one of those books. It reuses a lot of old tropes we've seen many times before, but it also will stick with you long after the memory of other fantasies has faded from your mind.

Who hasn't wanted to find a secret message meant just for them? It sounds exciting, like the start of an adventure. But when Ariel pulls an ancient artifact called a telling dart from the bark of a tree, she has no idea where this simple action might lead. Before she knows it two scary looking men have come to town looking for the dart. Suddenly Ariel is kidnapped, rescued, and now she and her friend Zeke must find out where the dart has come from, and what it might all mean. Along the way they'll make enemies, unexpected friends, and Ariel will discover her true calling.

I've called this book a fantasy already in my opening to this review but is it? I'm not sure. Certainly there are some fantastical elements at work here. I think that it could also be called post-apocalyptic fiction, in the style of "The Giver", though. Lines that discuss sending, "fire through a string as people were said to have done in the old days," is one such tip-off. It's not hard and fast, though. Unlike books like "Raiders' Ransom", this could either be the Earth's future, or it could be another world entirely. You could argue it either way. Really, this book falls into an already big category of children's books about kids in a society where they get their jobs at 12 and then discover that society is not as neat and ordered as they'd thought it was. "The City of Ember", "Below the Root", "The Wind Singer", the aforementioned "The Giver", and now "Farwalker's Quest".

The language is a lot of fun too. Descriptive without ever overdoing it (which is a frequent temptation in epic quests like this one). There are just little jabs of color here and there. Lines like, "The water drained from the gulch like blood from a scratch, the slopes above too loose with shale for easy walking." Sentences like that one really work for me because they briefly take you out of the narrative, then plunge you right back in again.

So I like the writing in general very much. Less so the all too frequent foreshadowing. More than one or two chapters end with sentences along the lines of, "Even his courage would have failed if he'd known where the Farwalker's path would take them. By then, though, Ariel had taken the lead." It's not so much that there is foreshadowing as it that it's entirely unnecessary. Sensel is a enjoyable writer with a voice distinctive enough not to need rely on these little glimpses into the future. Kids are going to enjoy her writing. They won't need an extra pull to keep them going, or to ramp up the tension. My two cents.

It's definitely middle grade and not solely teen fare, though a fantasy/sci-fi loving teenager could probably get something out of it. Really the only moment that suggests at an older audience is when Scarl removes his shirt and Ariel realizes, "how little resistance she could offer if he'd decided that her clothes would be coming off next." They don't, as it happens. So we're still in the all clear. Kids looking for a book that stretches the imagination without relying on the usual dragon/magic/vampire motifs will find a lot to love here. Sensel has done a stand-up job of creating a new world from scratch. Some of it will be familiar. Some, not so much. Whatever the case, prepare to read something memorable.

Ages 9-12

THE FARWALKER'S QUEST is a novel that feels like it could have taken place in the far distant past, in a society that hadn't yet discovered industry, technology or mass communications. In fact, however, this new title by Joni Sensel takes place in an imagined future, one in which an apocalyptic war literally blasted humankind back to the Stone Age and left humans fully reliant on their local environment --- and on their neighbors --- rather than on inventions or technology.

Ariel and Zeke, the two young people at the center of the story, have grown up in a world still recovering from that traumatic past. On the eve of their Namingfest, these 12-year-olds are about to find out what role they will play in their small society. Will Zeke become (as he hopes) a Tree-Singer, a human who can hear and interpret the hidden wisdom of trees? Will Ariel become a Healtouch like her mother, a skilled healer who knows how to use herbs and medicinal plants effectively? Or will they be named as the far more numerous (but much less glamorous) Fishers or Reapers? Or will they have a worse outcome --- to fail their tests and be labeled a Fool?

Both these ambitious youngsters have a strong sense of their desired destiny. No matter what, Ariel and Zeke know their future lies close to home; since the violent events of the past, humans tend to stick to their known environments, living in widespread rural communities and never venturing beyond their limited borders. But when Ariel discovers an ancient Telling Dart --- and when her discovery draws the attention of two mysterious Finders --- the dart's carved symbols seem to suggest that Ariel's fate might be unexpected, might contain danger, and might send her farther away from home than she had ever imagined.

As the two friends travel --- both alone and together, willingly and in bondage --- they discover hidden talents and interests that lie far afield from their limited horizons back at home. Ariel, in particular, learns that her destiny is unusual indeed; far from becoming a Fool, she is destined to preserve, and distribute, wisdom and stories from the past to those of the present and future. Their story is indeed full of danger, violence and loss, but also full of love and discovery in equal measure.

THE FARWALKER'S QUEST is both a classic story and a very modern one. Its focus on friendship, loyalty and travel seems to evoke many traditional quest narratives while its post-apocalyptic setting and theme of looking back while also looking forward seems to speak to our times. Absorbing, moving and ultimately satisfying, it also encourages readers to move beyond ready labels and discover what role the world really wants --- or needs --- them to play.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Gold Star Award Winner!

When Ariel and her best friend, Zeke, find a magical artifact, their lives are changed forever.

Soon they are on a dangerous journey to discover where the artifact originated. In the process, they discover their true callings and forge an unlikely friendship.

Filled with adventure, surprises, and great characters, THE FARWALKER'S QUEST guides the reader one exciting step at a time into a fantastic trip through Ariel's world.

This book has common fantasy elements of a magical artifact and a heroic quest, but Sensel writes in such a refreshing, original way that this book is far from cliché.

I loved THE FARWALKER'S QUEST! From the very first line, I found myself striding into Ariel's story and loving every step. I couldn't stop walking (and sometimes running) until I reached the last page, and even then I wanted to go on. This is a book I will enjoy stepping into again.

I am especially intrigued with the concept of the Blind War and would love Sensel to guide us back to this time in a new adventure.

Reviewed by: Joan Stradling

A magical fantasy, The Farwalker's Quest, takes place in a futuristic world--a world left devastated and fragmented by the Blind War.

Everyone in Canberra Docks assumes twelve-year-old Ariel will become a Healtouch like her mother. She certainly doesn't seem talented enough to do anything else. Her best friend, Zeke, hopes to follow in his father's footsteps and become a village-chief-like Tree-Singer. But just three days before the Namingfest, Zeke's tree won't speak to him. Instead, the maple directs Ariel to a magical artifact of old: a telling dart.

Used before the war, the telling dart has a secret message destined for but one. The dart fully captures Ariel's imagination, and her heart. When a pair of strangers turns up asking questions and making threats, Ariel and Zeke are forced into a treacherous, life-altering journey.

The Farwalker's Quest, a coming-of-age adventure, is a MUST-READ. Even those who are not generally fans of fantasy are sure to be pleased. No maps or charts are required in the reading of this book. With substantiative characters and a well-woven plot, Joni Sensel weaves a breathtaking tale full of twists and turns that will leave the reader breathless. The pacing is perfect, the prose lyrical and smooth. Readers will quickly find themselves transported to a magical world of danger and loss, of dreams and destiny.

Sensel allows darkness in the story, enough to convey the essence of truth, but not so much as to overwhelm the reader or glorify the darkness. Instead, light shines through. As the characters are forced to reconcile their expectations with reality, they must wrestle with their passions and purpose. The story makes it clear--we are each gifted, we each have a calling. It emphasizes love, hope, trust, compassion, forgiveness and sacrifice. And The Farwalker's Quest finishes as strongly as it starts, confirming that in spite of hardships, redemption and new beginnings await those who seek.

From the Christian Library Journal; used by permission.

Seriously. This is one of the best mg adventure stories I have read in years. It would be an excellent 'read aloud' for a family. Sensel's writing is detailed and delicious. I'm looking forward to her next book.

K. Hamilton

My 8th grade daughter loved this book and got completely swept away by the adventure, magic, and storytelling. I'd highly recommend it to other teens.

My family loved this book, and I'll forever be indebted to Joni Sensel for crafting such a compelling fantasy adventure that is completely acceptable for younger readers. I read this book aloud to my two children (girl, age 8 and boy, age 6). I'd made several other attempts at novel read alouds with them, but Farwalker's Quest is the first one that the 6-year-old had been able to focus on and sit through, and he was totally riveted the entire time. I loved that this book works beautifully on so many levels: my boy loved the adventure, mystery, suspense (and, of course, gadgets!), while my girl loved the characters, their relationships with each other, and their personal transformations! And, perhaps even more importantly, I was able to enjoy reading it not only to myself first, but just as much (if not more) reading it again out loud to them. This is great fantasy adventure for the whole family. I can't wait to read them the sequel--The Timekeeper's Moon!

It took me awhile to get totally engaged in this book, but once I got in, I could hardly put it down. The main characters are distinct and well-rounded. They are also true heroes, enduring great suffering with courage and humility. As in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, the personal rewards are not worth the pain and loss. But these characters are working for the greater good, which is a powerful message. And the journey is one you won't soon forget.

Joni Sensel's The Farwalker's Quest has much to recommend it: an engaging heroine, strong supporting characters and a satisfying theme of finding your mission in an intriguing but imperfect world. Ariel, her central character, is spunky, sometimes grumpy, but kind and empathic as well. She lives in a future world in which technology has all but disappeared as the result of a cataclysmic war (even bicycles are mythical mechanisms!) and communication is limited between the small, village-bound communities. Part of what becomes Ariel's mission is the discovery of "The Vault" a near-mythical place where it is hoped, the secrets of the lost technology may be found. In its development of this theme, the book reminded me of Peter Dickinson's series from the 1970s (or 1960s?) called "The Changes" (including The Devil's Children, Heartsease and The Weathermonger) though Dickinson paints a darker world than Sensel. Sensel introduces several nasty villains - all excellently creepy - while Dickinson shows us a world of fear and ignorance, where ordinary people lose their critical powers and empathy and can act in vicious ways. In contrast, most of the inhabitants of Sensel's world are warm-hearted though loath to adventure. The exception is Ariel, the Farwalker, who learns that she is to break through the parochialism and isolation of her world, bringing messages of hope to its inhabitants. She is joined in her quest by her friend Zeke, who, like her, discovers an unexpected gift, and the mysterious Scarl, who is nicely multi-faceted. The action can be violent at times; there is heartbreak, as well as heart-mending, and those who enjoy fantasy and adventure will doubtless embrace this imaginative story.