The Farwalker's Quest

Jan 08, 2009 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Zeke's tree wouldn't speak to him.

The Humming of Numbers was one of my favorite 2008 reads, so I was ecstatic to get a chance to read her newest book The Farwalker's Quest. The book stars two kids--twelve year olds: Zeke and Ariel. They're approaching an important date: Namingfest. Soon they'll take tests to determine what paths their futures will take. Zeke hopes to become a Tree-Singer. Ariel hopes to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a Healtouch. Each person in the community has a g...more
Zeke's tree wouldn't speak to him.

The Humming of Numbers was one of my favorite 2008 reads, so I was ecstatic to get a chance to read her newest book The Farwalker's Quest. The book stars two kids--twelve year olds: Zeke and Ariel. They're approaching an important date: Namingfest. Soon they'll take tests to determine what paths their futures will take. Zeke hopes to become a Tree-Singer. Ariel hopes to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a Healtouch. Each person in the community has a gift; a gift that contributes to society as a whole. Of course, for those that fail to pass the test, there is the shame of wearing the name 'Fool' til the next year's festivities. (Though there are a few unfortunate souls that wear that name for life.)

Three days before Namingfest, the two find something in a tree. Something ancient. Something fascinating. Something dangerous. (Though it takes a full day for that to be realized.) Something that will bring strangers into their town. Something that will change both of their lives forever. That something is a magical artifact, a "telling dart" that is capable of flying hundreds of miles and revealing its message only to the intended recipient. That this 'dart' found the girl, Ariel, speaks volumes. It will be the best and worst thing that ever happened to her in her short life.

It brings adventures and dangers and new friends...and enemies...her strength and will be tested every step of the way.

I loved this one. Loved the world Sensel created. Loved that it's set so far into the future that society has collapsed upon itself, entered a dark ages of sorts, and is only just beginning to revive again. Loved the characters. How these relationships are built and developed through the novel. How easy it was to care about them all. Loved that so many of the characters were developed. There is a richness to the characters, to the world. (That's not always the case.) Loved the adventures. Loved the pacing. The intensity of it. Each chapter kept me hooked and wanting more.

I'd say this is perfect for fans of The Giver, City of Ember, and Ursula K. Le Guin's Annals of the Western Shore series (Gifts, Voices, Powers).

I know it's not saying much being as how it's only the first full week of January, but this is my best read so far!

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 11, 2010 Prairie Star rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mock-newbery-joco-library-2009, joco-library-mock-newbery-2009-2010

Farwalker's Quest is an imaginative journey recounting the tales and travails of young Ariel FarWalker and her friend and companion, Zeke StoneSinger. Ariel and Zeke have just turned thirteen and their futures lie ahead of them during the Namingfest, when each child of age tests for their future trade. Zeke hopes to become a Tree-Singer like his father. Ariel plans without any great enthusiasm to become a HealTouch like her mother. But neither ends up with the destiny they expected and they are...more

like · see review

Mar 11, 2009 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: trt-gold-star-award-winner, trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com

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 fan...more

like · see review

Jan 29, 2013 Betty Jo Pritchett rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would recommend 'The Farwalker's Quest'. I enjoyed reading it. I liked the characters- Ariel, Zeke and Scarl. The dystopian history of their world was fairly original and I was intrigued by the premise of the 'Blind War' and the 'Forgetting'. Both of those events led Ariel's world to what it is now, a fairly primitive culture which survives with only 12 trades and almost no modern day technology, machines, and knowledge. Right before her 'trade' test, Ariel and Zeke find a dart with symbols on...more

like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Doris rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: young readers, fantasy readers

Shelves: fantasy, childrens

The Farwalker's Quest is listed as the first book in the Farwalker trilogy, and starts us off with a young girl, Ariel, and her friend Zeke, who are both looking to taking an important step on the path to adulthood. They, along with their friend (Madeline?) are ready to take tests to get their second name, which will set them into an apprentice role for their life's work.(view spoiler)...more

like · see review

Mar 28, 2012 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

If you enjoyed The Hunger Games trilogy, try this young adult novel. It's a classic fantasy built around a quest where the two main characters not only find the Truth about themselves but find their places in the wider world.

Shortly before the all-important "Namingfest" that will determine their future trades, Ariel and her friend Zeke find an ancient artifact that changes the course of their lives. Though Ariel recognizes a few of the symbols on the telling dart, the message itself is a myster...more

like · see review

Apr 07, 2010 Kirsten rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, from-library, children-or-ya, spec-fic

This was an enthralling fantasy, and much better than I was expecting! I had never heard of Joni Sensel, but I saw a reference to this novel somewhere and thought it sounded like it might be worth looking into. I'm really glad I did!

It's a fairly typical quest fantasy in a lot of ways. Ariel, who is a little bit of a misfit in her community, finds a "telling dart": a remnant of ancient magical technology that is intended to carry messages. Unfortunately, no one except the village's Storian (teac...more

like · see review

Dec 30, 2009 Louise Spiegler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Joni Sensel’s The Farwalker’s Quest has much to recommend it: a likable and 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 and intelligent 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 t...more

like · see review

Aug 23, 2009 Eva Mitnick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children, fantasy

In Ariel's world, there is no technology at all - not even a simple machine like a bike or a wheelchair. Oh, once there were marvelous gadgets - but then there was a terrible war that rendered everyone blind. Eventually, sighted children were born and the world returned to normal - except that folks had lost most of the knowledge they'd had before the war. And perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing, especially if that knowledge had led to the war.

When Ariel and her friend Zeke find a telling dart,...more In Ariel's world, there is no technology at all - not even a simple machine like a bike or a wheelchair. Oh, once there were marvelous gadgets - but then there was a terrible war that rendered everyone blind. Eventually, sighted children were born and the world returned to normal - except that folks had lost most of the knowledge they'd had before the war. And perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing, especially if that knowledge had led to the war.

When Ariel and her friend Zeke find a telling dart, a communication device from the old days, their world changes. Instead of settling into their chosen calling as every 13-year-old does, Ariel is kidnapped by two strange men who come to the village looking for the dart. Zeke follows - and from then on, their lives are completely upended.

This isn't just a post-apocalyptic novel - there is magic in the world, from the way trees and stones communicate with Zeke to a ghost who follows the children around. If the darts are a form of technology rather than magic, then it's one never seen in our own world. Unfortunately for Ariel's people, magic isn't enough to sustain her society. Due to her culture's distrust of new ideas and therefore of travelers and outsiders, even what little knowledge each village possesses - not just historical matters but such practical things as medicine and agriculture - is dwindling. Ariel's dart leads her and her companions to the realization that there is a great storehouse of knowledge from the past that could inject vital new life into the world, if only they could find it and then disperse it.

These are intriguing ideas, but they take a backseat to the more immediate action of the story, which involves Ariel's kidnapping, escape, and search for the Vault of knowledge. Her relationships with Zeke and with the enigmatic Scarl (one of her kidnappers) are always first and foremost in Ariel's thoughts, and this makes sense for a 13-year-old who always thought she'd be a healer like her mother, not some pivotal piece of a scary and all-important quest. Ariel's anguish and joy are always on-target and sometimes even move the plot forward - and yet I kept wondering about her world. How could each village stay so insular - didn't they need to trade with each other and even intermarry? Wouldn't they rely on goods from afar - and wouldn't new ideas arrive with those goods? (Reading Patricia Wrede's worldbuilding questions probably has made me a very picky reader of fantasy, indeed) I also got no sense of Ariel's culture - its religion, cuisine, dress, attitudes toward women. As a result, the action is vivid but all else is a bit hazy. Oh, and one more thing - at one point, Zeke says "geez." As a short form of "Jesus," this seemed out of place in a book that, whether or not it takes place on an Earth of the far future, certainly doesn't mention the existence of Christianity. Just a quibble, seeing as how I was nattering on about language last week.

Thanks to fine writing, interesting characters, and an imaginative plot, I stuck with this pleasant fantasy all the way to the end. However, I couldn't help thinking it could have been a great fantasy if more care had been taken with the details. I will definitely read whatever she writes next - which may well be The Timekeeper's Moon, a sequel that will be out in early 2010.

Recommended for fantasy fans in grade 5 - 8. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 09, 2011 Kathryn Mueller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, recent-ya-fiction

Anyone who read and loved Lois Lowry's The Giver and the accompanying books, will see some obvious similarities with the idea of occupations in this fascinating fantasy by Joni Sensel. I appreciated that the book was longer and the plot much more intricate than The Giver (which I also loved) but I still finished it in about a day because I just couldn't put it down!

The story opens with Ariel and Zeke, 12-year-olds (almost 13) in a small coastal town, preparing to take their Naming test. This wil...more

like · see review

Jan 04, 2010 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mock-newbery-joco-library-2009, star-reader-2011-2012

Farwalker's Quest is an imaginative journey recounting the tales and travails of young Ariel FarWalker and her friend and companion, Zeke StoneSinger. Ariel and Zeke have just turned thirteen and their futures lie ahead of them during the Namingfest, when each child of age tests for their future trade. Zeke hopes to become a Tree-Singer like his father. Ariel plans without any great enthusiasm to become a HealTouch like her mother. But neither ends up with the destiny they expected and they are...more

like · see review

May 10, 2010 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, j, not-graphic, guys-read

Without giving away too many of the book's surpises . . . despite the title, for a good part of the book there is neither a Farwalker nor a quest. The beginning of the journey is not voluntary, and is in fact quite traumatic, and both the identity of "Farwalker" and a sense of purposeful "quest" are hard surprises in the midst of some stark realities.

As they approach their naming day, thirteen-year-olds Ariel and Zeke are filled with excitement and apprehension. They've learned everything they c...more

like · see review

Oct 26, 2009 Miranda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, books-i-wish-to-own

The Farwalker's Quest follows the story of a thirteen year old girl named Ariel. It begins with her and her friend, Zeke, finding a "telling dart," an object that was thought to be out of use for years. The discovery of this artifact set in motion events that will irrevocably change Ariel and Zeke's lives.

When I started reading this book, I had some doubts on whether or not it would be a good read. Two of the main characters (Ariel and Zeke) are just about to turn thirteen at the beginning of th...more

like · see review

Jan 16, 2010 Christy Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, books-i-won, childrens, fantasy, fiction, female-authors, speculative-fiction, indie-writers, post-apocalyptic, reviewed

Quick read, easy read. One of my most favorite settings, a post-appocalyps, coupled with a nature-pagan context was nicely told through the stories of two young tweens. Plot, characters, and setting aside, I enjoyed this book and it'll be something I remember.

1 like · like · see review

Jul 07, 2010 Krysta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fantasy

I checked this book out on a whim to kill time and didn't expect to read more than a few chapters. Well, it ended up being more engrossing than I had anticipated. The premise is interesting wherein the society is in a post-apocalyptic situation, so far set back that the concept of a bicycle is full of wonder and almost incomprehensible. While they've lost most technology, to survive the people developed various talents through the centuries like communicating with trees and the ability to "find"...more

like · see review

May 10, 2010 Naomi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

Excellent children's book from a Northwest writer. I really enjoyed the character development. Even though the plot was a bit slow/repetitive at times, I didn't seem to care, because I enjoyed "being with" the characters so much. I hope she writes more of these characters. It certainly felt like a setup for a series.

13-year old Ariel and Zeke discover a dart with a hidden message. Intended for Ariel from an unknown sender, it changes the direction of their lives in dangerous and unexpected ways....more

like · see review

Jan 18, 2012 Genesis Puckett rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

SPOILER ALERT!

I wasn't interested in this book. I kept reading it though, to see if it was worth finishing. It was. I loved the idea of a ghost with Ariel and Zeke, although it was kind of creepy when the ghost left the bloody handprints. I love Ariel's personality, how she is tough, but not afraid to love. It was amazing how Zeke could speak with the stones. Scarl is an interesting character. At first, I didn't trust him,but after awhile, I could see how Ariel loved him. I felt so sorry for Sca...more

like · see review

Aug 14, 2010 Connie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, ya-sci-fi

I stumbled upon this treasure by a recataloging request from a peer. It was cataloged as Junior Fiction but the 2nd book in the series was cataloged as YA fiction. I checked it out to make my suggestion (definitely YA) and was surprised how engrossed I became in the story of Ariel and Zeke. Yes, it's follows the standard fantasy quest format but I couldn't help but be captured by the finely drawn characters.The dystopian history is rather unique,,,,a weapon which blinds society thus creating a m...more

like · see review

Nov 22, 2009 Charlou Lunsford rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: j

At almost 13, Ariel and Zeke are looking forward to taking the tests which will give them their future professions and names - Healtouch and Tree-Singer - when they come across an artifact that changes everything. Telling darts were used many years ago to send messages and they aren't the only ones trying to find out what it means and why they are being used again. Ariel and Zeke set out on an adventure to find out and keep it, and themselves, safe from harm and along the way, discover their tru...more

like · see review

Oct 10, 2009 Carol Littlejohn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although this novel seems to occur in the far distant past, the plot actually occurs after an apocalyptic war destroys all technology and blinds humankind. As a village gains their sight, they struggle to learn their trades. Twelve-year-old Ariel and Zeke believe they know their destinies, but, after finding the dart, they are kidnapped and forced on their perilous journey. Ariel discovers that she is actually a Farwalker, a guide who carries messages to villages. Well-written book with many hai...more

like · see review

Jul 04, 2012 Allison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, tween, ya-teen

This was such a good, classic quest story and such a read. There's nothing flashy about this book, no vampires or romances or dystopian societies, but Sensel's solid writing and the touching characters that she creates in Ariel, Zeek, and Scarl shine through. Really for me this story was about the characters and the relationships between them. Sure, there's a quest that they must finish, riddles that they must solve, and obstacles that they must overcome, but what I loved was reading the emotion...more

like · see review

Jul 25, 2010 Cheri Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-middle-grade, 2010, favorites

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 di...more 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.
(less)

like · see review

Dec 28, 2009 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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,...more 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 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 (less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 02, 2009 Crowinator rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: booklist-review, fantasy, childrens-middle-grade, ya, 2009-reads, arcs

Ariel and her best friend, Zeke, are ready for Namingfest, a day when they choose one of the twelve trades and are tested to become an apprentice. When Ariel and Zeke find a telling dart, a long-lost magical artifact from the past once used to send messages, they decide to try to figure out how it works on their own. Before they can determine its message, however, two Finders appear in search of the dart, and they are forced to hand it over. Ariel, however, has a feeling the dart is meant for he...more Ariel and her best friend, Zeke, are ready for Namingfest, a day when they choose one of the twelve trades and are tested to become an apprentice. When Ariel and Zeke find a telling dart, a long-lost magical artifact from the past once used to send messages, they decide to try to figure out how it works on their own. Before they can determine its message, however, two Finders appear in search of the dart, and they are forced to hand it over. Ariel, however, has a feeling the dart is meant for her, and unfortunately, so do the Finders. When she fails her Namingday test to be a Healtouch, they are sure that Ariel has another purpose, one linked to the telling dart, and they kidnap her. With Zeke secretly tracking the party, Ariel’s quest to find the source of the dart and her true purpose has begun.

I enjoyed this one. The characters are all well-rounded and believable, and one of the strengths of the book is how Ariel, Zeke, and Ariel’s self-appointed taciturn protector, Scarl, come together as a close-knit group. Scarl ended up being my favorite character, actually, because of his complexity (and what a well-suited name for him, too). Ariel’s world also has an imaginative history. It’s a world struggling to find itself again after a terrible blinding disease that crippled several generations in the past, and as such, much of the old knowledge is lost. There are forces that wish it to stay lost, believing that rediscovering old knowledge will cause bad history to repeat itself, but others see that this leads to stagnation from which their society will not recover. Villages no longer have the means to communicate with each other, and as no one travels, new knowledge is not disseminated. Ariel, as a Farwalker, has the ability to change this, though slowly. It has series potential but, thanks to an epilogue, doesn’t rely on another book to complete the story. I had thought it was intended as a stand-alone (because of the epilogue) but Sensel’s web site says a sequel will be coming in 2010, and she mentions a third book also, so I guess not. I will be glad to read the next one when it comes out. I hope it has lots of Scarl.
(less)

like · see review

Feb 09, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am tempted to give this a 5. It was everything I ask for in a book of this style. Well written, well developed plot, well developed characters, etc.

One other thing I really loved however was that it was a complete story all by itself. I was completely satisfied at the end, and looked forward to the sequel not because I had been left with the story half told, but because I was looking forward to new adventures with my good friends.

like · see review

Aug 26, 2009 Chris Eboch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Chris by: chriseboch@blarg.net

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.

like · see review

Jan 31, 2010 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: second-childhood, fantasy-sci-fi

This juvenile fantasy novel gave me a very bad case of first-reads guilt. I entered the giveaway because I had just discovered giveaways and was overexcited by them and entering draws almost at random. I won this book. I read it and it kept up my interest until the end, but I didn't fall in love with it. Much of the world building didn't make a great deal of sense to me (I never was really convinced by the concept of a "telling dart" which is central to the book). Still, I know every book is its...more

like · see review

Jul 30, 2009 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jfantasy, j-fiction

This has all the makings of a classic fantasy novel - a yound hero/heroine sets out on a quest (against all odds) to find the truth about themself. There are shades of "The Giver" in this too. I thought it was very good, but not great. I agree with another reviewer that said there was something a little odd about the pacing. Overall though, it was very enjoyable.

Recommended for 6th/7th grade - maybe an advanced 5th grader.

like · see review

Jun 15, 2009 Kristen Jorgensen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mock-newbery-book-2010

Ariel and Zeke, best friends, are looking forward to the upcoming naming fest (a sort of graduation) where they will be tested and start their new trades. Zeke can talk to trees while Ariel is trying to become the next healer of the village. Unfortunately everything goes wrong and Ariel finds herself on a journey toward a mission, and treasure that she never imagined.

I was excited to read this book. I especially liked the beginning and the descriptions of the world Ariel lives in. I also thorou...more

like · see review

Aug 24, 2009 Kirby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am not generally a fantasy reader but, as with her Humming of Numbers, Joni Sensel drew me right in to this other time and place. Though the reader figures out well before Ariel does that she's not going to pass her test to be a Healtouch, that only adds to the drama and tension of this amazing and gritty story. Ariel is a compelling and complex character, and so is her apparent nemesis, Scarl. Childhood friend, Zeke, grows up fast and displays immense courage in his attempt to rescue Ariel wh...more

like · see review

title link	preview: The Farwalker's Quest
avg rating	preview: The Farwalker's Quest Goodreads rating: 3.88 (356 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7387154-the-farwalker-s-quest?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312019429l/7387154.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7387154-the-farwalker-s-quest?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel[/url]

The Farwalker's Quest (The Farwalker Trilogy #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Joni Sensel

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Farwalker's Q...

The Farwalker's Quest (The Farwalker Trilogy #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (3)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Joni Sensel

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Farwalker's Q...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)