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The Mapmaker Chronicles #4
Beyond the Edge of the Map
Quinn is back! He finished his race around the world and is living a quiet life on the family farm, until he discovers that the King's enemies want to capture him. Quinn is forced to go on the run, taking to the high seas once more. Can he survive when he is double-crossed and left for dead?
BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE MAP is another thrilling adventure from A.L. Tait in the bestselling Mapmaker Chronicles.
'Not since Emily Rodda's DELTORA QUEST series has there been such an exciting adventure tale from an Australian author. Echoes of Robinson Crusoe make this feel like a classic with a new twist, and it's perfect for readers aged 8 to 12 who are looking for some escapism in the sea of contemporary stories.' - Readings on THE MAPMAKER CHRONICLES: RACE TO THE END OF THE WORLD
BEYOND THE EDGE OF THE MAP is another thrilling adventure from A.L. Tait in the bestselling Mapmaker Chronicles.
'Not since Emily Rodda's DELTORA QUEST series has there been such an exciting adventure tale from an Australian author. Echoes of Robinson Crusoe make this feel like a classic with a new twist, and it's perfect for readers aged 8 to 12 who are looking for some escapism in the sea of contemporary stories.' - Readings on THE MAPMAKER CHRONICLES: RACE TO THE END OF THE WORLD
216 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 5, 2017
I still read with my children at night and become personally invested in books that fire their imaginations, stretch their vocabulary and teach them storytelling techniques. If the author is Australian, then all the boxes are ticked. This is a series where I have truly been carried along on a high-seas adventure with my son. The calm, sedate image of a parent reading to a child in bed at night did not apply in this case. My son was often noisily cheering Quinn on from the sidelines, making quips about enemies that dared take on Zain’s bulk, unable to sit still as the action built. Each night the book was closed to cries of ‘No!’ followed by tough negotiations for ‘one more chapter’.
Much to our delight, the fourth book in the series, Beyond The Edge of The Map has recently been released. Quinn has returned to the family farm, painstakingly making copies of his winning map for the king. An attempted kidnapping lands him in the middle of the ocean once again; the ‘safest place’ for him to be.
Favourite characters return, and a new crew member is introduced (bearing a distinct resemblance to the author’s dog, #Procastipup). I love the name given to this puppy: Leif – named after the favourite Freeman family curse, Leif’s Boots.
This time, Quinn is teamed up with two of his brothers for the journey. Their complaints about the monotony of daily shipboard life are quickly forgotten as Quinn’s eavesdropping results in them hastily escaping their ship, The Rose of The North. The adventure which ensues doesn’t give the reader much chance to catch their breath until the book ends.
Whilst it is Quinn’s photographic memory that has put him back in danger, it is his quick intelligence that gets him out of difficult situations. He has ‘character agency‘ in spades. Each narrow escape leads to further danger, and thus the excitement builds. So well-written is this book that it was easy to engage in short, subtle, side discussions with my son about the author’s techniques in building tension, raising stakes and blending in backstory (the prior three novels were woven in seamlessly). And again, the vocabulary is fantastic: paltry, parlay, parried, prevaricated, pragmatism; cacophony, caterwauling, conniptions. I love that Allison doesn’t ‘dumb it down’ because the books are written for kids.
Quinn provides a strong role model for readers to look up to. He faces challenges with courage and hope, saying ‘as long as someone has hope for you, there’s a chance that things will turn out okay.’ Loyalty, family and friendship are paramount, and valuable lessons like ‘the clothes a man wears do not always reflect his true self’ are learnt along the way. Ash, the book’s heroine, is no ‘girly girl’. She enjoys life at sea and provides additional depth to the story that will appeal to female readers (we have our own Ash at home and I’m looking forward to revisiting the series with her). Ash struggles with the palace’s expectations that because she is female, this will be her one last adventure before settling down to marriage and children. However, in true Ash style, she takes this matter into her own hands.
We particularly enjoyed Morpeth’s appearance in the fourth book, taking on a subservient role having previously been an evil enemy. Comical situations result as Quinn and his brothers take advantage of the ‘three against one’ scenario, even though they are all a lot younger than him.
The book’s ending is nicely done. No annoying questions remain, but there is enough intrigue to allow for further sequels: A deal is made with Morpeth that will put truth and trust to the test. The ghost ship, Sofia Marie, begs investigation. Will Ash succeed in finally becoming liberated?
I really enjoyed reading the whole series with my son. Thank you Allison Tait for giving him a reason to beg for ‘one more chapter’ rather than ‘one more level’ on his screens.
The MapMaker Chronicles series is published by Hachette Children’s Books. I purchased the first three books and enjoyed reading the fourth book, Beyond The Edge of The Map, courtesy of the publisher.
Much to our delight, the fourth book in the series, Beyond The Edge of The Map has recently been released. Quinn has returned to the family farm, painstakingly making copies of his winning map for the king. An attempted kidnapping lands him in the middle of the ocean once again; the ‘safest place’ for him to be.
Favourite characters return, and a new crew member is introduced (bearing a distinct resemblance to the author’s dog, #Procastipup). I love the name given to this puppy: Leif – named after the favourite Freeman family curse, Leif’s Boots.
This time, Quinn is teamed up with two of his brothers for the journey. Their complaints about the monotony of daily shipboard life are quickly forgotten as Quinn’s eavesdropping results in them hastily escaping their ship, The Rose of The North. The adventure which ensues doesn’t give the reader much chance to catch their breath until the book ends.
Whilst it is Quinn’s photographic memory that has put him back in danger, it is his quick intelligence that gets him out of difficult situations. He has ‘character agency‘ in spades. Each narrow escape leads to further danger, and thus the excitement builds. So well-written is this book that it was easy to engage in short, subtle, side discussions with my son about the author’s techniques in building tension, raising stakes and blending in backstory (the prior three novels were woven in seamlessly). And again, the vocabulary is fantastic: paltry, parlay, parried, prevaricated, pragmatism; cacophony, caterwauling, conniptions. I love that Allison doesn’t ‘dumb it down’ because the books are written for kids.
Quinn provides a strong role model for readers to look up to. He faces challenges with courage and hope, saying ‘as long as someone has hope for you, there’s a chance that things will turn out okay.’ Loyalty, family and friendship are paramount, and valuable lessons like ‘the clothes a man wears do not always reflect his true self’ are learnt along the way. Ash, the book’s heroine, is no ‘girly girl’. She enjoys life at sea and provides additional depth to the story that will appeal to female readers (we have our own Ash at home and I’m looking forward to revisiting the series with her). Ash struggles with the palace’s expectations that because she is female, this will be her one last adventure before settling down to marriage and children. However, in true Ash style, she takes this matter into her own hands.
We particularly enjoyed Morpeth’s appearance in the fourth book, taking on a subservient role having previously been an evil enemy. Comical situations result as Quinn and his brothers take advantage of the ‘three against one’ scenario, even though they are all a lot younger than him.
The book’s ending is nicely done. No annoying questions remain, but there is enough intrigue to allow for further sequels: A deal is made with Morpeth that will put truth and trust to the test. The ghost ship, Sofia Marie, begs investigation. Will Ash succeed in finally becoming liberated?
I really enjoyed reading the whole series with my son. Thank you Allison Tait for giving him a reason to beg for ‘one more chapter’ rather than ‘one more level’ on his screens.
The MapMaker Chronicles series is published by Hachette Children’s Books. I purchased the first three books and enjoyed reading the fourth book, Beyond The Edge of The Map, courtesy of the publisher.
February 10, 2019
Now that we've moved from the original trilogy, I was pleased to see a different cast in this book (Quinn, of course, stays, but now his brothers accompany him on a journey). It was a nice was to mark a change. I enjoyed the interactions between the boys, and liked seeing Quinn put into challenging situations time and time again. A nice enough story, but for me it didn't grab me as much as I'd like.
February 4, 2018
Quinn Freeman has set sail again! It’s another adventure for the young mapmaker as author A.L. Tait presents readers with Beyond the Edge of the Map, the fourth book of The Mapmaker Chronicles.
The story opens six moons after Quinn wins the race to map the world. His family has settled into the Manor, the prize earned for his accomplishments at sea. While Quinn’s beautiful and incredibly accurate map is now in current use by the Verdanians, there is still more out there. However, Quinn is relegated to staying on land and making copies of the map, per orders of the king. When there’s an attempt on Quinn’s life by another land who wants the mapmaker and his skills, everything changes. It’s decided Quinn would be safest back out at sea and he sets sail taking his brothers Jed and Allyn with him.
Unfortunately for Quinn, he’s not to sail aboard the Libertas with Captain Zain, but the Freeman brothers must board the Rose of the North as per King Orel’s request. They are now at the mercy of Lord Thornton who has assured the King that he’ll do everything in his power to protect Quinn. When Quinn discovers Lord Thornton has plotted against Quinn, the brothers escape from the Rose of the North only to find themselves lost on an island.
Quinn, Jed, Allyn, and the little pup named Leif face many life-threatening obstacles in their quest to find their way back home. They encounter new wildlife, suffer from hunger, and go on the run from the Peatlanders determined to find Quinn and take him to their land. Quinn also meets an old enemy and must decide if he’s to be trusted in this new situation.
I really enjoyed Beyond the Edge of the Map. Like the first three books in the series, it held my attention page after page. Quinn has rapidly become one of my favorite young fictional heroes. He’s definitely evolved over the course of the series, and it was nice to watch him take charge a bit more. This time he didn’t have Zain to offer sage advice or to save him from peril. Quinn had to make several difficult decisions and convince his two older brothers that he knew what he was doing.
Author A..L. Tait brings back all our favorite Mapmaker Chronicles characters, from the sassy, smart Ash to the Libertas crew and even a few pages of Zain (one of my favs from the first three books). There’s plenty of action, including several heart-stopping moments as the Freeman brothers battle for their lives.
I recommend Beyond the Edge of the Map by A.L. Tait as a very entertaining mid-grade/younger YA read. It’s an action-adventure that can be enjoyed by all ages and would make a great read-aloud book for families or in the classroom/library. You could read it as a stand-alone, there’s just enough background from the first three books shared, but I think it’s best to read the entire series. You really don’t want to miss out on getting to know Quinn Freeman and experiencing his adventures at sea as a young mapmaker charting unknown territories.
The story opens six moons after Quinn wins the race to map the world. His family has settled into the Manor, the prize earned for his accomplishments at sea. While Quinn’s beautiful and incredibly accurate map is now in current use by the Verdanians, there is still more out there. However, Quinn is relegated to staying on land and making copies of the map, per orders of the king. When there’s an attempt on Quinn’s life by another land who wants the mapmaker and his skills, everything changes. It’s decided Quinn would be safest back out at sea and he sets sail taking his brothers Jed and Allyn with him.
Unfortunately for Quinn, he’s not to sail aboard the Libertas with Captain Zain, but the Freeman brothers must board the Rose of the North as per King Orel’s request. They are now at the mercy of Lord Thornton who has assured the King that he’ll do everything in his power to protect Quinn. When Quinn discovers Lord Thornton has plotted against Quinn, the brothers escape from the Rose of the North only to find themselves lost on an island.
Quinn, Jed, Allyn, and the little pup named Leif face many life-threatening obstacles in their quest to find their way back home. They encounter new wildlife, suffer from hunger, and go on the run from the Peatlanders determined to find Quinn and take him to their land. Quinn also meets an old enemy and must decide if he’s to be trusted in this new situation.
I really enjoyed Beyond the Edge of the Map. Like the first three books in the series, it held my attention page after page. Quinn has rapidly become one of my favorite young fictional heroes. He’s definitely evolved over the course of the series, and it was nice to watch him take charge a bit more. This time he didn’t have Zain to offer sage advice or to save him from peril. Quinn had to make several difficult decisions and convince his two older brothers that he knew what he was doing.
Author A..L. Tait brings back all our favorite Mapmaker Chronicles characters, from the sassy, smart Ash to the Libertas crew and even a few pages of Zain (one of my favs from the first three books). There’s plenty of action, including several heart-stopping moments as the Freeman brothers battle for their lives.
I recommend Beyond the Edge of the Map by A.L. Tait as a very entertaining mid-grade/younger YA read. It’s an action-adventure that can be enjoyed by all ages and would make a great read-aloud book for families or in the classroom/library. You could read it as a stand-alone, there’s just enough background from the first three books shared, but I think it’s best to read the entire series. You really don’t want to miss out on getting to know Quinn Freeman and experiencing his adventures at sea as a young mapmaker charting unknown territories.
September 26, 2018
Really good!! This is the 4th book on The Mapmaker Chronicles series, and it takes place after the Race to Map the World has ended. This time Quinn Freeman and two of his brothers (Jed and Allyn) are on an adventure together. Quinn was trying to live a quiet life at the manor, making copies of the current map,but King Orel’s enemies have different ideas. Quinn’s perfect memory has become a reason for his kidnap (with King Ivo of Peatland wanting to capture him and force him to complete a world map for him before King Orel gets one). King Orel decides the safest place for Quinn is at sea, so Ivo won’t know where to find him. Great plan, but of course it doesn’t go smoothly! There’s treacherous plots, lions, sharks, storms, former enemies, etc! A great read!!! I love this kind of adventure book as much as the kids do!! And love that Quinn’s brothers have his back this time. The characters are growing up in so many ways,and certain situations are certainly “character building “ for them. It ended in kind of an open ended way, so I’m really hoping A.L. Tait does a 5th book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2017
This is one of the best series I've read with my son, who is 7 years old. Not only has he enjoyed it, I've enjoyed it immensely too. It's just right for his age, lots of adventure without being too gruesome, the plot isn't too complicated but is in no way formulaic like Beast Quest (ugh!)
The characters are well developed and likeable and what a surprise in book 4 - I'm really looking forward to seeing how Morpeth's character develops.
My son has laughed his way through this series, he's cried, we both whooped through the Die Hard -like scene in book 3 where Quinn escapes the baddie's ship.
In fact, I've enjoyed reading these books just as much as my son (maybe more). Looking forward to the next one.
The characters are well developed and likeable and what a surprise in book 4 - I'm really looking forward to seeing how Morpeth's character develops.
My son has laughed his way through this series, he's cried, we both whooped through the Die Hard -like scene in book 3 where Quinn escapes the baddie's ship.
In fact, I've enjoyed reading these books just as much as my son (maybe more). Looking forward to the next one.
June 9, 2021
Visos keturios knygos puikios. Patiko ir man, ir mano antrokams vaikinams. Aišku, ir ketvirtojoje, kaip ir ankstesnėse dalyse, pagrindiniai herojai stebuklingai išsipainioja iš bet kokių pavojingiausių situacijų, kai kurie sutapimai, pavyzdžiui, kad Laisvė atplaukė būtent į tą salą, kur slėpėsi Kvinas su broliais, ir būtent tuo laiku, kuomet jiems jos labiausiai reikėjo, nelabai įtikėtini, bet kaip vaikiškai knygai tokie dalykai atleistini :) O šiaip daug veiksmo, nuotykių, pavojų, netikėtų siužeto posūkių, o ir pabaiga lygi naujos knygos pradžiai, todėl labai gaila, kad nėra penktos knygos, nes ir ją su entuziazmu ir malonumu pultume skaityti.
July 13, 2023
Another enjoyable addition to the Mapmaker Chronicles. This time Quinn is traveling with some of his brothers, but they aren’t quite enough to keep him out of trouble. I hope the next book comes soon, though I haven’t seen anything about it yet. Anyway, I will definitely read the next one whenever it comes out.
December 3, 2017
I read the first four back to back. The adventures of Quinn are amazing and captivating. The whole cast of characters are really alive and everyone gets a decent focus. Ash is so amazing and I'm glad thus far theres no romantic atmosphere. I can't wait to read more!
August 25, 2019
This was an enjoyable book but did not have enough suspense and adventure to make it a five star rating. The last few chapters became more intriguing but I missed the physical 'interactions' that were in the earlier books. :)
June 2, 2017
Awsome
September 13, 2017
Way to pick up a new trilogy in a series!
September 20, 2017
A very enjoyable story - good to see the continuation of the series... I am interested to see where this series heads...
November 5, 2021
A good start to what will hopefully be another trilogy.
Plenty of interesting twists and turns and plenty of unanswered questions begging for answers.
Plenty of interesting twists and turns and plenty of unanswered questions begging for answers.
September 22, 2022
Fourth and last to date book in this series - it could have ended after part 3 but another one was added - it was OK but again an average read for me.
February 7, 2018
The Mapmaker Chronicles series finishes as strongly as it starts. I read Book #1 to my (then) eight year old and he moved on to the rest of the series by himself, with me reading the occasional chapter to he and his younger brother. I haven't finished the final book in the series but I can gauge it's success by the enthusiastic conversations I had about it with my son. A great series. And a great way to kick start the reading habits of reluctant readers.
November 30, 2024
Although I haven't read this book yet and would love to. I cant help but feel like their should be a free version of this book somewhere or someone reading this book on YouTube I absolutely love the series and cant wait to see what happens in the book.
Thank you so much for making the master piece of the map maker chronicles:)
Thank you so much for making the master piece of the map maker chronicles:)
April 23, 2017
I loved it. I can't wait to see what happens next.
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April 8, 2019Manau ši knyga yra puiki. Šioje dalyje viskas prasideda nuo Kvino pagrobimo. Kvinas buvo išgelbėtas, bet dėl to visi labai sunerimo. Pastaruosiuose dalyse Kvinas buvo kelionėje aplink pasaulį ir sukūrė labai tikslų žemėlapį, žinoma jo atmintis jam padėjo (kvinas atsiminė viską). Jam gražus jis buvo apdovanotas ir jo mamai grąžintas jos tėvo dvaras kuris buvo atimtas. Taigi jam gryžus jo mokytojas papasakojo apie tai savo draugui, ir apie tai sužinojo svetimos šalies karalius, apie kvino atmintį, jo žemėlapį. Jam to reikėjo nes tada jis galėtų užvaldyti tas žemės. Taigi kvinui teko išvykti. Karalius ir jo patarėjai nusprendė kad kapitonas turėtų būti klastingas Airo tėvas kuris buvo turtingas, bei įtakingas. Kvinas nusprendė su savimi pasiimti savo du brolius. Vyresnejį džedą ir jaunesnejį brolį Eliną. Jiem išvykus kvinas išgirsta kalbas kaip kviną kapitonas nori atiduoti, kad jis nubrėžtų savo žemėlapį ir padėtų jam užgrobti neregėtas žemes. Kvinas išgirdęs nusprendžia bėgti su broliais ir pasiėmę valtį jie išplaukia į ten toli esančia negyvenamą salą. Tuo tarpu išplaukia jų draugė Aiša ir karalienės paliepimu turėjo iš toli atgabenti jai kavos. Tuo tarpu kvinas saloje randa maisto ir gėlo vandens ir kuriam laikui yra saugus. Iš toli jis pamato laivus ir kuria laužą, kad jie juos pamatytų. Laivo įgula juos pamate, vėliau kvinas įžiūrėjo, kad ten ne vienas o trys laivai. Kvinas su broliais nusprendė pasislėpti ir atokiau pažiūrėti kas tokie jie yra. Išlipus į krantą svetimšaliams Kvinas pamatė seną priešą Morepetą, bet jis atrodė nusilpęs, ir surištas. Kvinas movė kuo toliau, nes Kvinas žino, kur Morpetas ten nelaimės. Jis jau stumia valtį su broliais, kai iš krūmų išlenda Morpetas ir liepe jį paimti arba jis rėks ir Kviną su broliais saugaus. Taigi jie išplaukė, bet iš laivų juos pamatė ir ėmė sekti. Jie pasislėpė ir išmetė savo marškinius, kad atrodytų kad jie mirė. Po kiek laiko atvykėliai išvyko. Jie išplaukę pamatė, kad ten stovi du surišti laivai ir jie nustebę pamatė, kad ten Aiša ant denio! Jie džiaugėsi, nes buvo išgelbėti. Vėliau jiems davė vieną iš užgrobtų laivų. Visi norėjo kad Kvinas grįžtu, bet visi žinojo, kad Kvinas negali. Taigi kvinas tęsė savo kelionę. Laukiu kitos kartografo kronikų dalies ir jo nuotykių!
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