The Rover

Although making your own small race is somewhat a cliche Mel created a different one that keeps your interest. The likableness of Edgewick (Wick) Lamplighter is what I look for in a series. The best thing is how the character grows as the story moves along in a high adventure pace.

What a fun read! I wish more people knew about this book. This is your classic fantasy adventure, the kind Belle describes as she swings on a ladder or that the grandpa tells his grandson about at the beginning of The Princess Bride. It's well-written and fun to read. Occasionally it's a little long-winded in the description, but not enough to tarnish the book. Definitely pick it up!

The Rover, by Mel Odom, is a wonderful start to a great fantasy series.

Wick is a dweller (akin to a hobbit) and Third-Level Librarian for the Vault of All Known Knowledge. His father is disappointed in him for not following him in to the lamp lighting business. And his supervisor is hard on him for reading so many adventure stories instead of educational materials.

Through a humorous misunderstanding, Wick finds himself shanghaied aboard a pirate ship. Little Wick has many adventures that lead him into danger, but he learns a lot about the world and himself along the way.

This series is compared to Lord of the Rings, but it’s much more light-hearted and easier to read. The character Wick is fun and endearing. The story is both show more adventurous and humorous. And I love Odom’s style of writing. show less

Bleah.  No librarianship, despite Wick being referred to, ad nauseum, as the little librarian."  Struggled to get to chapter two, which picked up a bit, but then petered out before chapter 3.  (Don't quote me on chapter breaks, maybe they're part breaks or sub-chapter breaks... the point is, I don't care enough to check.)"

fodder, no originality, way too many loose ends

"Ah, extortion," Cobner said. "Not a favorite of mine, but I do like the simple way it works. And the fact that it works nearly every time."