Customer Reviews

Wayfarer (Faery Rebels)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like Page (one book at a time) above, I actually liked "Wayfarer" even better than "Spell Hunter", and am also struggling to articulate why. Part of it is the main characters. Linden - brave, honest, gentle, loyal and determined - is a refreshing character; her salient quality is her integrity. She works very well with the human boy, Timothy, who is confused, homesick, angry and questioning - but also musically gifted, brave and capable of considerable loyalty. I liked that these young people were believably, convincingly young.(Timothy, in particular, does a couple of harebrained things - and kids doing harebrained things for what seems to them to be good reason definitely advances the action!)

Other things I loved in this sequel:
1. Paul and Knife do reappear, and I like these characters even better as adults.

2. When Linden and Timothy make their way to London, they encounter real menace.

3. This book has a grittier, more urban feel to it than "Spell Hunter", and may well appeal to fans of Sarah Rees Brennan's "Demon's Lexicon".

4.A couple of ambiguous characters, in particular Rob, who initially seemed a servant of the evil empress. I liked Rob and finished the book quite worried for him (because of the choices he had made) and Linden (because she seemed interested in him.)

The themes of faith and trust also arose quite naturally from the action. I did wonder at the bad guys' constantly gathering in disused churches, and, though I liked and believed in the old couple the kids encounter, it seemed slightly heavy-handed that Timothy got to have a discussion on faith and doubt with an elder from his own church in the midst of his quest. Not that things like this don't happen, of course! But the role faith and right action played in the quest for the Children of Rhys was more resonant, for me. I also had a slight problem with the character of Bluebell - why had she become so ambitious? Was she always this way? And I would still like a map of the Oak and the Oakenwyld!

But I sympathized with Timothy most of the time, loved and admired Linden, and want to know what will happen to them next, as all-out war seems to be menacing them and their friends. I'm looking forward to the sequel!

This one was definitely 4 1/2 stars. If you like faeries, magic and quests, you will love R. J. Anderson's series.

One day, Linden's summoned by the dying faery queen, who tells her that she might be their only hope for survival in the near future. Without their magic, the faeries are slowly dying, and they have been for years.

There's only forty-something faeries left in the sacred oak, and very little magic remains.

When Linden visits a faery friend (Knife from SPELL HUNTER), she comes into contact with a human boy. Timothy's having trouble fitting in at school and he's on suspension at the moment. He comes to his cousin's home for refuge to find his cousin and his wife whispering urgently, but not telling him anything. After a fight with them, he decides to run off to London.

Linden views his escape as her chance to find other faeries who might help her tribe regain their magic. She becomes a stowaway inside his backpack. Little does she know that by concealing herself, she will endanger his life. While in London, their path crosses with a dark, evil faery looking to sap Timothy's musical talent.

With no other choice, Linden reveals herself, allowing them both to escape. However, it's only a matter of time before they discover more about the evil faery realm and its ruthless queen.

Linden's story takes place fifteen years following the conclusion of SPELL HUNTER. It takes her from her tree to London and through the countryside of Wales. The faery situation in this addicting series becomes darker, the danger more pronounced, and the risks greater than ever in this beautifully written world created by R. J. Anderson.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

The Story: This story takes place fifteen years after the end of Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter. Linden, who was an infant in the first book, is ready to take on an adult role in the Oakenwyld. But she faces a dying world. Her queen, the only faery in the Oak with magic, is dying, and along with her, the glimpse that keeps predators from knowing that a colony of faeries lives inside.

Linden receives a portion of the queen's magic and the assignment to find other faeries who can restore the magic to the dwindling and endangered group.

Meanwhile, a new human moves into the big house--Paul's young nephew Timothy, the son of missionaries who is experiencing a crisis of faith. In days, feeling confused, betrayed and alone, Timothy strikes out on his own.

Except unbeknown to him, Linden goes along. And so their adventures begin. Both their lives and the lives of ones they love are at risk unless they team up to find help.

Strengths: First, the plot was captivating. Complications naturally ratcheted the tension higher, and the stakes became greater. One problem naturally grew out of an effort to solve a previous problem, one choice naturally let to a greater predicament. And the story took off.

Danger, intrigue, surprise. These are the hallmarks of a great plot. But this story was more. It also had great characters--believable, troubled, courageous, ultimately sacrificial. They became admirable and I wanted so very much to see them succeed.

And still there was more. Wayfarer addresses some deep issues, perhaps the central most being the need to take a risk on behalf of others rather than to seek a selfishly safe haven for a few like-minded folk (or faeries).

Weakness: A few reviewers said they liked Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter a bit more than Wayfarer. I didn't feel that way. I loved them equally.

If I had to give a criticism, I'd say this one started a little slow. I was shocked to be in the point of view of a human boy in the first chapter (I blame this on the girlie-girl cover). I also thought he was an unreliable narrator because he found fault with the characters I loved in the first book. So it took me a little while to warm up to Timothy.

The turning point for me was when Linden did the first heroic deed. Because I wanted her to succeed, I also wanted Timothy to succeed, and I was hooked.

Recommendation: I consider this one a must read for fantasy lovers. I give the book my highest recommendation to anyone, young or old, male or female, who loves a good story.

A Book review of Wayfarer by R.J Anderson
By Shehreen, Grade7, Yangon International School
Many girls dream of being a princess or a fairy. No one considers about the conflicts
they might face. Everything cannot be puffed away by pixie dust. When a quest reveals,
the problem is too dangerous to ignore or eliminate, will she be able to succeed? Will
she able to save her beloved ones before it's too late? R.J Anderson answers these
questions in his novel Wayfarer. Anderson creates an extraordinary world of fantasy
with a gripping tale of forbidden friendship, thrilling adventure and lost magic, in which
the fate of an entire realm depends on one brave fairy. Anderson, author of Fairy
Rebels: Spell Hunter wrote another best-selling novel Wayfarer.
The queen is dying, which leaves the fairies in danger of extinction. Linden, a fifteen
year old fairy, is their only hope. In a time of deadly crisis, Linden alone has the power
to save her people. She is trusted with the remaining power to enter the human world
and find fairies to help the Oak tree fairies survive. In the human world, Linden meets
Timothy, a human boy. Together, they discover that the danger is much worse than the
Oak fairies lost of magic, an evil fairy threatens to enslave fairies and humans. To
prevent this, Timothy and Linden have must risk their lives to find an alleged ancient
power. Will they find what they seek or risk their lives for nothing?
Anderson creates a vivid world with suspense which leaves the reader clinging from
one page to another. "Timothy shivered, stuffing his cold hands into his pockets, and
began picking his way back through the garden toward the house. Yet even as he
walked he felt his spine tingle, as through something- or- someone was watching him." I
like how she does an amazing job creating the characters, making them seem so real.
Linden, for example, is young but filled with hope and faith. She is confident in who she
is and what she believes. Her strong-willed personality helps not loose her trust on this
adventure. Timothy, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of Linden. He is not
sure about himself and doesn't have a lot of faith, but the time he spends with Linden
seems to change him. This story might be one about fairies but it's mostly set in the
human world. Anderson worked hard to keep things as realistic as possible. I thought
the climax was a little fast and ended quickly. I felt that she skipped some parts that
might have been important to the story.
I would recommend Wayfarer to mostly kids from 11 through 14 years old. It is a
perfect book for them because, it has a bit of romance, adventure, mystery, and fantasy,
that most kids their age enjoys reading. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give this book a 4
because the characters were so realistic, the setting was amazing, and Anderson wrote
with great finesse that I couldn't put it away until I finished reading it.

Why I read this: I love fairies and I really enjoyed the first book in this series.

Plot: Linden hopes to find other faeries to help Oakenfolk so they don't fade out of existance. A human named Timothy is staying with her former faery mother and when he gets fed up he takes off. Linden decides to tag along and see if he can help her find more fairies where he is going. But when they do find a few, Linden finds out that not all faeries are good.

Definitely a great plot that kept moving and changing. I also enjoyed the history exposed to how the faeries of the Oak become how they are in the book.

Characters: I just love Linden. She's a little naive but at the same time knows how to look out for her self. I really just love all of the characters - even the bad ones. They are written so well with their own flaws and strengths and I just thought they were perfectly done.

Relatability: I love faeries and I love faerie stories. Also, Timothy is very angsty in the book, which I can reflect on from my teenage years. :)

Cover Commentary: Looooveee it. :)

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

Wayfarer continues the story started in Spell Hunter (Knife UK). The publisher has upgraded the recommended age range to YA which I find more appropriate, though this book is tamer than the first. The story however, if very detailed and intricate.

The entire cast of book 1 returns, including Knife and Paul but this time the main characters are Linden and Paul's nephew, Timothy. Now that the Queen is on her deathbed it is time to find the other faeries and see if the Oakenfolk can get their magic restored to them so they may survive as a people. The Queen transfers half her magic to Valerian, her chosen successor as Queen, and the other half to Linden, the chosen one to undertake the journey. At 15, Linden is not expected to leave until she has matured a bit and learnt to master her new magic but when she sees that Timothy is running away she grabs her opportunity to travel quickly by hiding in his backpack. What she finds out about the rest of faerydom in England sends terror through her heart, an evil so horrific it threatens both faeries and humans. Linden and Timothy are sent on a quest to the western most tip of Wales to find a group of faeries only known to exist through ancient human folklore.

This book is even better than the first one! The plot has become much more intricate and involved with several layers to it. There is of course the main peril to contend with but there are also side stories involving a few separate characters here and there. The main plot is wonderfully entertaining, fast-paced and a unique take on the faery realm. It is also a story of personal values and beliefs. The Oakenfolk have a high code of honour and Linden is placed in a world of temptation when she enters the human domain. Her values often seem weak and small when compared with the corruption going on around her. Timothy himself is a "missionary kid" who since coming to England for schooling six months ago now questions the faith he grew up with and has become somewhat bitter toward it. He experiences a personal journey of Faith as he questions the hypocrisy he finds in some Christians and experiences the true love he finds in others as well as starting to acknowledge the work of God in his own life. Another thing I really liked was the dynamics between Linden and Timothy because they were not romantically involved at all. They became great friends and both are great characters. Linden puts on an act of bravery but is really very scared deep inside, though she is a completely honourable person. Timothy is a character who is not very likable at first, but grows and develops as a person as the book progresses. A fine story of personal Faith journey, Welsh folklore and faery magic.

I really enjoyed Spell Hunter, but I absolutely loved Wayfarer. Wayfarer just drew you in. It wasn't until about a third of the way into the book that I become completely hooked and read straight through. I carried it with me everywhere, hoping I could sneak in some more reading.

I simply loved all the characters in Wayfarer. I loved hearing from some of the characters from Spell Hunter, as well as meeting many new ones. My favorite new character of the book was Rob. You never could quite figure him out, and I just loved him.

The plot was another thing that just had me swooning. I absolutely love fairies, and RJ Anderson's way of telling fairy tales just has me in awe. I loved the plot line she had with Wayfarer.

I absolutely loved this book! It has a stunning cover and its pages are filled with wonderful characters, great plot, and stellar writing. Here's to desperately hoping there is the book 3.

Linden must leave the oak to seek aid for her people but in the end she may discover that the most important part of her quest is the journey itself. Though Wayfarer is the second book in the Faery Rebels series it reads easily as a stand alone novel. This is a young adult tale of friendship and duty with many moral (though not religious or preachy) messages. Linden is an innocent and pure of heart young faerie while Timothy is a troubled teen who is questioning his faith and place in the world. Together they embark on a dangerous journey to save both faerie and humankind. Wayfarer is a parable for all ages.

I recommend Wayfarer to readers of young adult, fantasy, paranormal fiction, urban fantasy and especially to fans of innocent faerie fiction with a message.

When I read and reviewed Spell Hunter a couple of weeks ago, I said that I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't know how much I would enjoy reading about teny tiny faeries. I ended up enjoying it immensely. The lore of the faeries and and Knife as the main character really brought the story to life for me. But unfortunately I didn't enjoy Wayfarer nearly as much.


Wayfarer is about Linden, who we meet in Spell Hunter as a child. Now it's her turn to step up and do her duty to save the Oak. I missed Knife. A lot. Linden was a okay character but I felt no connection to her story whatsoever. That might have something to do with the fact that the story switches back and forth between Linden and Timothy. Which I found confusing at times and down right annoying others. Timothy is helping Linden find the other faeries but he has a lot of angsty teenage problems himself. Problems that I felt had no place in the story.


The plot was much slower than Spell Hunter and when something did happen I was mostly uninterested anyway. Anderson had a good thing with the first book in the series but sadly this one did not deliver...for me. I will definitely still give the next book a chance.

I'm having a hard time putting into writing why I liked this one better than the first. I didn't get a real feel for the characters in the first one. There is some of the same ones in this one, but the main characters are different. I felt like I knew them better. It was faster paced, so I felt the story flowed better. It also changed locations, which maybe added that little bit of extra spark to the story. I liked all of the events that took place in London. It just exciting and I wasn't sure what would happen next. I'm probably one of the few who likes Linden better than Knife. She seemed more genuine. I was unsure of Timothy for awhile, but once I knew what was troubling him, his character made more sense. The faery lore that was included in this story was awesome. I'm not real familiar with these legends, so I feel like I'm learning things as well. The surprise twist towards the end wasn't so much of a surprise for me. Will be looking forward to the next book in this series.