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Rowan of Rin #2
Rowan and the Travelers
A mysterious danger threatens Rowan's village, Rin. But who is the enemy? And what is the strange spell that is putting all the townspeople to sleep? The Travelers, a roaming people who are friends of Rin, might be able to help, but Rowan isn't sure he can trust them. Especially since they tell him that to find the answers to Rin's problems, Rowan must go to the legendary, noxious Pit of Unrin, from which no living thing has ever returned.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
42 people are currently reading
798 people want to read
About the author
Emily Rodda
297 books2,115 followersEmily Rodda (real name Jennifer Rowe) was born in Sydney, Australia and graduated from the University of Sydney in 1973 with an MA (Hons) in English Literature. Moving into a publishing career, first as a book editor, and finally as a publisher at Angus & Robertson, Rodda's first book was published in 1984.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
January 6, 2016
OMG this book was such a blast! (please note that I'm exaggerating a lot a little) I didn't expect the second book to be so interesting.
Although everything was predictable, I still had a fun time reading this story and even got surprised at what had happened with the people of the City of Gold.
Apparently, I still enjoy children's books as much as when I was a kid. Going on to read the next one!
Although everything was predictable, I still had a fun time reading this story and even got surprised at what had happened with the people of the City of Gold.
Apparently, I still enjoy children's books as much as when I was a kid. Going on to read the next one!
December 23, 2015
This book was magical. I'm so pleased with it :D
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February 24, 2022تا آخر نخوندم، پس نمره ای نمیدم. به دو دلیل.
یک: کتاب بدی نیست واقعا میگم کتاب بدی نیست ولی واسه من.... خوب این کتاب سلیقه من نیست، من فکر میکردم بیشتر ژانر فانتزی و هیجانی داشته باشه ولی خوب من از درام و این سبکی که داره خوشم نمیاد با اینکه میدونم بعضی واقعا عاشقش هستن اره، برای بعضی ها خوبه. میدونید اشتباه خودم بود. باید بیشتر دربارش مطالعه میکردم که متوجه بشم این کتاب سلیقه من نیست. و واسه چیزی که سلیقه من نیست و واقعا چیزی ازش حس نکردم امتیازی نمیدم.
دو: تا آخر نخوندم پس به چی نمره بدم؟ من کسی نیستم که به کتابی که تا آخر نخوندم نمره بدم مگر در شرایط خاص
دو تا جلد بعدیش هم چون دارم میزارم داخل خونده هام ولی نمیخونم
یک: کتاب بدی نیست واقعا میگم کتاب بدی نیست ولی واسه من.... خوب این کتاب سلیقه من نیست، من فکر میکردم بیشتر ژانر فانتزی و هیجانی داشته باشه ولی خوب من از درام و این سبکی که داره خوشم نمیاد با اینکه میدونم بعضی واقعا عاشقش هستن اره، برای بعضی ها خوبه. میدونید اشتباه خودم بود. باید بیشتر دربارش مطالعه میکردم که متوجه بشم این کتاب سلیقه من نیست. و واسه چیزی که سلیقه من نیست و واقعا چیزی ازش حس نکردم امتیازی نمیدم.
دو: تا آخر نخوندم پس به چی نمره بدم؟ من کسی نیستم که به کتابی که تا آخر نخوندم نمره بدم مگر در شرایط خاص
دو تا جلد بعدیش هم چون دارم میزارم داخل خونده هام ولی نمیخونم
July 13, 2018
A great children's story. Though I am an adult, I enjoy reading those easier more simplistic stories for the younger reader, a nice break from my usual mysteries and historical books.
Interesting and engaging plot. Likable characters that don't just fit the mold. It's an Underdog Story that actually is plausible and not a suspension of disbelief. I love the descriptions of the places and people. and wish I could join them around that fire for a story!!
Interesting and engaging plot. Likable characters that don't just fit the mold. It's an Underdog Story that actually is plausible and not a suspension of disbelief. I love the descriptions of the places and people. and wish I could join them around that fire for a story!!
January 23, 2019
I don't remember reading these but I got a collectors edition so rereading time!!
June 16, 2020
In this book, we’re back in Rin, which is sowing a bitter crop of its own.
Lots of neat, subtle parallels and passages here: the slip-daisies to symbolise the connection between Maris, Rin and the Travellers, one character feeling sleepy from the scent of the berries through an open window. Things, as always with Rodda, are never as they seem, and the classic Roddean bait-and-switch is at play here: “fair makes foul, and foul makes fair”. The Travellers are meant to be the ‘transient’ ones, but they’re the ones with the most connection to the land and the ones who prove most constant in the end. Once again there are strong themes of connection with nature and shucking off prejudice.
Ogden, Zeel and the rest of the Travellers make for beautifully sly, slippery-seeming enigmas. Ogden’s tales in particular are bewitching, told in a child-friendly way that will appeal to child (and adult!) readers.
Lots of neat, subtle parallels and passages here: the slip-daisies to symbolise the connection between Maris, Rin and the Travellers, one character feeling sleepy from the scent of the berries through an open window. Things, as always with Rodda, are never as they seem, and the classic Roddean bait-and-switch is at play here: “fair makes foul, and foul makes fair”. The Travellers are meant to be the ‘transient’ ones, but they’re the ones with the most connection to the land and the ones who prove most constant in the end. Once again there are strong themes of connection with nature and shucking off prejudice.
Ogden, Zeel and the rest of the Travellers make for beautifully sly, slippery-seeming enigmas. Ogden’s tales in particular are bewitching, told in a child-friendly way that will appeal to child (and adult!) readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2013
This book is a sequel to the book Rowan of Rin and is solves some of the problems with the first. This book has more diverse characters, explaining more about more of the town folks and most of the travelers that we learn about. There are also more details, explaining some of the tents and surroundings in good detail. Some problems in this book are for people who have read the first. An entire chapter in this book is devoted mostly to a summary of the first book. This is not very excited or interesting if you remember the details of the first book, but is a nice recap. Other things this book does well is the well written plot. There is really only one main plot that has many twists. Each twist adds more depth and more diversity. All of this in mind, this book gets an 5/5.
February 17, 2009
This was a fun quick read, I thought it was a good story about a "skinny little rabbit" boy, who does great things, not because he really wants to, but to save his family. Even though he's not big, strong, brave, or exceptionally clever, he's able to prove himself a hero just by being true.
April 26, 2013
I remember reading this book when I was little, and I loved it! So much so that I read the entire series. Because it has been so long, I may be over-fantasizing my memories. Regardless, five stars! For lots of action and monsters and coming-of-age heroes!
January 9, 2009
Loved it!!
March 29, 2016
review coming soon
April 5, 2018
Rowan has been to the mountain and returned, but what have the Travelers brought with them? Are they here to curse the village? Can Rowan help stop the downfall of the village?
July 5, 2018
Second book in the Rowan series, this time Rowan must help the villagers when they are overcome by a terrible sleeping sickness
July 5, 2023
The second book of the Rowan of Rin series introducers readers to the Travellers, a nomadic people who have long been allied to the village folk of the valley. An unexpected visit from their friends puts the folk of the valley on the back foot. Why have they come early, and why won't they tell us why? Trust is a two way street and it seems that, for once, it is travelling in neither direction. The children of the village are happy to listen to stories and play, but the adults carry a heavy burden of suspicion.
This story is really a huge allegory for a discussion on colonisation and xenophobia. It also covers other issues such as ownership rights, the nature of oral history, and ecological imbalance caused by introduction of foreign organisms.
Rowan's curious and ever determined little sister, Annad, helps flesh out the world with her whimsical and endearing questions about random things. She comes across as someone who the village loves and wants to protect, but she has a fierce nature of her own that is easy to see yourself in (as a young child). It's a charming way to explain things about village life and I was caught, as an adult reader, being highly affronted when she uses racial slurs to echo some of the sentiments that she has heard from other adults in the village. Having those ideas explained and challenged by her caregivers allows her to develop her own ideas about them.
As in the previous book the local witch/wise woman has a prophetic vision that she does not herself understand. This rhyme fascinated me because I felt like it had two different meanings. My biggest disappointment of this book was that only one of those meanings is unpacked in the story. I can only hope that it is revisited in future books, because it felt like it was a bit of a soft-serve. You could have discussed some really important point.. but you chose not to go there?
Working together with Zeel, and adopted Zebak foundling, raised by the Travellers, Rowan quests to find the mysterious lost Valley of Gold, which is alluded to in one of the witch Sheba's visions. The quest feels more like an after thought than the point of the book, but this doesn't bother me. For the first time we see that Rowan is getting a reputation as someone who is capable of getting things done. His "flaws" are often the differences that allow him to act in ways that others can't and this also carries with it the implicit idea of diversity being necessary to the survival of a group; that if you weed out things that you don't desire, you can sometimes not foresee their usefulness.
I'm less blown away by this book than its predecessor, but I will come back to the rest of the series shortly.
This story is really a huge allegory for a discussion on colonisation and xenophobia. It also covers other issues such as ownership rights, the nature of oral history, and ecological imbalance caused by introduction of foreign organisms.
Rowan's curious and ever determined little sister, Annad, helps flesh out the world with her whimsical and endearing questions about random things. She comes across as someone who the village loves and wants to protect, but she has a fierce nature of her own that is easy to see yourself in (as a young child). It's a charming way to explain things about village life and I was caught, as an adult reader, being highly affronted when she uses racial slurs to echo some of the sentiments that she has heard from other adults in the village. Having those ideas explained and challenged by her caregivers allows her to develop her own ideas about them.
As in the previous book the local witch/wise woman has a prophetic vision that she does not herself understand. This rhyme fascinated me because I felt like it had two different meanings. My biggest disappointment of this book was that only one of those meanings is unpacked in the story. I can only hope that it is revisited in future books, because it felt like it was a bit of a soft-serve. You could have discussed some really important point.. but you chose not to go there?
Working together with Zeel, and adopted Zebak foundling, raised by the Travellers, Rowan quests to find the mysterious lost Valley of Gold, which is alluded to in one of the witch Sheba's visions. The quest feels more like an after thought than the point of the book, but this doesn't bother me. For the first time we see that Rowan is getting a reputation as someone who is capable of getting things done. His "flaws" are often the differences that allow him to act in ways that others can't and this also carries with it the implicit idea of diversity being necessary to the survival of a group; that if you weed out things that you don't desire, you can sometimes not foresee their usefulness.
I'm less blown away by this book than its predecessor, but I will come back to the rest of the series shortly.
September 17, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Four stars.
In Rowan and the Travellers, the mysterious Travellers return to the village of Rin, and shortly after, a sleeping spell causes the villagers to fall into a deep sleep, leaving only Rowan and the half Traveller Allun able to help the village. Rowan must venture to the deadly Pit of Unrin to find the Travellers and uncover the truth behind the spell, facing flesh-eating trees and other dangers to save his village.
This is the second instalment of the Rowan of Rin series. In this book, Rowan is again thrown in the deep end and must struggle to find answers against an adversity that seems impossible to go up against. Rowan who gets picked on for being small and having allergies etc and yet is consistently the one who saves the entire town from whatever bad thing is happening next. In this book he has the help of Allun, who he manages to help escape the mysterious sleeping sickness in the village. Allun calls back the Travellers and they come to assist, despite being unfairly maligned by the villagers. Rowan ends up going into the Pit of Unrin with one of the Traveller girls in an attempt to find an antidote, or an answer to the strange riddle that Sheba the witch gave him. So they travel in together and Rowan works it out (of course). As usual Rowan faces great danger and fights his fear to bring courage to the surface. It’s action upon action, I suppose all the better to keep kids’ interest on the story. Even reading this as an adult I enjoy it. I would have loved reading this when I was younger too.
Four stars.
In Rowan and the Travellers, the mysterious Travellers return to the village of Rin, and shortly after, a sleeping spell causes the villagers to fall into a deep sleep, leaving only Rowan and the half Traveller Allun able to help the village. Rowan must venture to the deadly Pit of Unrin to find the Travellers and uncover the truth behind the spell, facing flesh-eating trees and other dangers to save his village.
This is the second instalment of the Rowan of Rin series. In this book, Rowan is again thrown in the deep end and must struggle to find answers against an adversity that seems impossible to go up against. Rowan who gets picked on for being small and having allergies etc and yet is consistently the one who saves the entire town from whatever bad thing is happening next. In this book he has the help of Allun, who he manages to help escape the mysterious sleeping sickness in the village. Allun calls back the Travellers and they come to assist, despite being unfairly maligned by the villagers. Rowan ends up going into the Pit of Unrin with one of the Traveller girls in an attempt to find an antidote, or an answer to the strange riddle that Sheba the witch gave him. So they travel in together and Rowan works it out (of course). As usual Rowan faces great danger and fights his fear to bring courage to the surface. It’s action upon action, I suppose all the better to keep kids’ interest on the story. Even reading this as an adult I enjoy it. I would have loved reading this when I was younger too.
December 30, 2017
Another excellent children's book from Emily Rodda in her series on the young boy Rowan and his development as an honest and brave young man. The Travellers and their stories and legends play a large part in the book, and the witch Sheba again produces an enigmatic verse that describes the problem mysteriously and hints at its solution.
In fact Sheba's verses are part of the wonder of the stories, the clues to the mystery, slowly deciphered by the reader and the characters. Unfortunately in this particular book there appears to have been a change made in the verse by the author, but not fully changed in the rest of the text. On page 80 one of the characters says:
"Or whether - as the witch's rhyme warns us - treachery is in the air."
'Treachery is in the air' works perfectly as one of the lines of the witch's rhyme, but it is not in the rhyme as printed. Instead, on page 29, one of the couplets reads:
"The secret enemy is here.
"It hides in darkness, fools beware!"
Perhaps 'treachery is in the air' was originally one of those lines... and it would work extremely well in that context.
But overall the characters are great, the problems are many, and the action is constant. A very satisfying book for readers age 7 and up.
In fact Sheba's verses are part of the wonder of the stories, the clues to the mystery, slowly deciphered by the reader and the characters. Unfortunately in this particular book there appears to have been a change made in the verse by the author, but not fully changed in the rest of the text. On page 80 one of the characters says:
"Or whether - as the witch's rhyme warns us - treachery is in the air."
'Treachery is in the air' works perfectly as one of the lines of the witch's rhyme, but it is not in the rhyme as printed. Instead, on page 29, one of the couplets reads:
"The secret enemy is here.
"It hides in darkness, fools beware!"
Perhaps 'treachery is in the air' was originally one of those lines... and it would work extremely well in that context.
But overall the characters are great, the problems are many, and the action is constant. A very satisfying book for readers age 7 and up.
July 24, 2017
The pride of the past could prove to be Rin’s undoing. That, and their unwillingness to accept anyone else of a different calibre and tradition than themselves. But, luckily for all of Rin, Rowan is there to save the day again. Again, he proves that strength and blustery courage isn’t everything, and that sometimes it is the very fear that can be someone’s best companion, and a people’s saviour.
The pride of the villagers of Rin is kind of grating in Rowan and the Travellers, but it is a good vessel through which to move the story. After all, it is their unwillingness to share and impart their gifts on their Traveller friends which leads to such distrust. In turn, the horrors that lurk in their home almost overcome the village as Rowan and Allun pursue the Travellers in an attempt to save their friends. Yet, it isn’t until Rowan willingly joins with a Zebak-Traveller that the key to the past is unearthed.
But, since this is a beautifully constructed story, discovering the horrors of the past isn’t the final step. Even when you know what lurks in the dark, how can you stop it from killing? You’ll just have to read the story to find out...
The pride of the villagers of Rin is kind of grating in Rowan and the Travellers, but it is a good vessel through which to move the story. After all, it is their unwillingness to share and impart their gifts on their Traveller friends which leads to such distrust. In turn, the horrors that lurk in their home almost overcome the village as Rowan and Allun pursue the Travellers in an attempt to save their friends. Yet, it isn’t until Rowan willingly joins with a Zebak-Traveller that the key to the past is unearthed.
But, since this is a beautifully constructed story, discovering the horrors of the past isn’t the final step. Even when you know what lurks in the dark, how can you stop it from killing? You’ll just have to read the story to find out...
May 31, 2020
Wow, these books read so much faster as an adult! Makes sense but still. I don't really remember much of the Rowan of Rin books past the first one except for the new character, Zeel, a Zeebak-born girl adopted by the Travelers from infancy. I know she plays a key role in the remaining three Rowan books, so we'll have to see! Regardless, a fun albeit somewhat dark adventure in this'un. A hidden danger lurking in the very roots of Rin, only to be saved by flying away from the village, to stop the past from repeating itself. Another self-contained mystery fantasy, solved in a mere 170 pages. Onto to The Keeper of the Crystal!
July 1, 2024
"It was a tale of courage and fear, of legend and truth, of a puzzle and an answer, of suspicion and friendship, of a treasure lost, and another treasure saved, of a terrible enemy who came not from outside, but from within."
Referencing some elements from the first book, Rodda presents us with a very simple but beautifully crafted tale. There is a fair use of parallels, riddles and "bait-and-switch", which seems to be some of Rodda's favorite methods of making the plot interesting. Fun read! Hard not to read it all in one day.
Referencing some elements from the first book, Rodda presents us with a very simple but beautifully crafted tale. There is a fair use of parallels, riddles and "bait-and-switch", which seems to be some of Rodda's favorite methods of making the plot interesting. Fun read! Hard not to read it all in one day.
August 6, 2019
This book is different than I remembered. A little slower and not as impactful as the first book in the series. The first book will always hold a special place in my childhood heart. This book was great. It was fun to go on another adventure with Rowan and meet some new people and have some new experiences. I love these books, they are simple, full of great lessons and concepts, fun and imaginative.
February 24, 2020
I love the plot description, sometimes this site amazes me, imagine how much more professional it would be if they paid someone to actually set books up properly and have proper descriptions, and bring back features like most read authors instead of just trying to flog Amazon product, anyway, it wasn't actually that hard to find and it was another average fantasy read from Rodda with familiar themes and set ups.
Rowan of Rin #2
Emily Rodda #26
Rowan of Rin #2
Emily Rodda #26
January 1, 2022
Even though I saw many of the revelations coming, I missed some, and I still appreciated the beautiful depth and message of this kid's book. The characters are stupendous, and the variety of emotions that are explored truly allow one to feel, and in a riveting way. Having just reread the first two books, I would definitely recommend this series for young ones, and really have them explore the themes. Delightful. Excellent. Exciting.
August 24, 2022
An excellent sequel that expands on the initial story. It mindfully introduces nomadic people without falling into the culturally-offensive pitfall of "gy****s" (such as Hunchback of Notre Dame...didn't age well). It also contains my FAVORITE FABLE OF ALL TIME. I have a loosely symbolic tattoo on my shoulder, it was absolutely one of the most impressionable impact of my moral development as a kid. I can't recommend this enough.
December 29, 2017
Possibly one of those rare cases of even better than the first book, Rowan grows even more adventurous and somehow having a cold saves the day. Also, the pacing is great fun and there's a bit more of a sense of danger for the characters (even though you know it's going to work out fine because it is a middle grade series after all!)
August 31, 2020
While the first Rowan of Rin book didn't reallly capture my attention (it was good, but not GREAT), this one was a definite improvement, and felt so much more like the quality of writing I've come to expect from Emily Rodda. A good story with some strong twists (although some adults might find them easy to predict). Looking forward to the next book, with all this in mind.
August 28, 2023
Rowan of Rin is such a darling series. I wish I had read these as a child.
I am continually impressed with the series’ themes. The first book, Rowan of Rin, is all about validating anxiety, while the second book, Rowan and the Travelers tackles racism/xenophobia and condemns greed.
It’s seriously just a delight to read these books :)
I am continually impressed with the series’ themes. The first book, Rowan of Rin, is all about validating anxiety, while the second book, Rowan and the Travelers tackles racism/xenophobia and condemns greed.
It’s seriously just a delight to read these books :)
March 17, 2020
I didn't remember much of this compared to the other books in the series and I honestly didn't think it was as good as the first books or the subsequent ones, but it still had Rodda's trademark wits and twists so it definitely wasn't a waste of time.
January 9, 2021
Each time, there's a prophesy, or a riddle, and the awesome, twisty story that leads to its solution. Gosh, I love Emily Rodda.
I think my tastes developed wholly under the influence of her stories. I won't stop rereading these. In either language.
I think my tastes developed wholly under the influence of her stories. I won't stop rereading these. In either language.
May 25, 2017
It is the second book in the Rowan of Rin series, and Rowan is trying to find out what is putting the city to sleep.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews