The Farwalker's Quest

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, show more Ariel‰ÃƒÂ›Ã‚ªs 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‰Ûªs 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‰Ûªs world also has an imaginative history. It‰Ûªs 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‰Ûªt rely on another book to complete the story. I had thought it was intended as a stand-alone (because of the epilogue) but Sensel‰Ûªs 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. show less

This is the first book in the Farwalker’s Quest trilogy. It ended up being a good fantasy story that starts out a bit slow and then ends a bit slow. I did enjoy the characters and some of the events that happened in the middle. Nothing is really resolved in this book though. Honestly I didn't care enough about the story to continue reading this series.

This book is set in a post-apocalyptic world that has a very traditional fantasy feel to it. At the age of thirteen kids take a test to find out what their lifelong devotion will be. For example you could be a Treesinger (talk to trees to learn info) or a Healtouch (a healer and caretaker). Ariel is desperate to be a Healtouch like her mother, but none of that matters after two strangers show more kidnap her over an ancient dart device she finds.

I thought the whole story started out really slow and was pretty bored. The friendship between Zeke and Ariel is cute but their town-life is kind of lackluster. Things pick up pace a bit once Ariel is kidnapped and I enjoyed this part of the story. In this portion Ariel finds out more about what she is and how to use her abilities. However the ending was pretty slow again and I ended up just wanting the book to be done.

There’s a lot in here about friendship and family and using your resources wisely. This book is just the start of the adventure, nothing is really resolved by the end. To be honest by the end I just didn’t care enough about the story or characters that I even really wanted to know more.

Overall this is an okay book with some interesting elements. The backstory to the world is interesting and some of the abilities the characters have are also intriguing. The pace of the story is a bit slow and I was disappointed in how little was actually resolved in this book. I would tentatively recommend this to fans of adventure fantasy. This is one that kids may like more than adults. show less

The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel is the second magic-free Young Adult fantasy I've read lately. (I wonder if this is a trend or a new sub-genre.) This is not to say that there are no supernatural elements in The Farwalker's Quest. There are, but they are kept very close to reality, more like extra sensory powers than outright magic.

The world of The Farwalker's Quest is a post apocalyptic Australia. Civilization ended long before the start of the novel, when a disease that made everyone blind swept the earth. Those who managed to survive had to give up the modern technology they were used to, eventually returning to a very simple village life centered around farming. After several generations, people regained their sight, but by this show more time almost all record of the past along with its technology was lost.

For as long as anyone can remember there have been twelve types of work open to villagers. Ariel the daughter of the village healer is clearly adept at identifying medicinal herbs and is learning how to use them. Her best friend Zeke is the son of a tree singer, a man who can communicate with the trees, one in particular, which warn him of impending dangers and offer general advice. The trees have some ability to predict the future, but they are not able to alter it. Zeke wants to continue in his father's footsteps as Ariel wants to continue in her mother's. One day they find a telling dart, a small machine that can fly 100's of miles until it finds the one person its message is meant for. They do not know which of them the dart was meant for nor who it was from and they do not entirely understand its message. They decide to keep it a secret.

When the fourteen-year-old children, Zeke and Ariel among them, are being tested to determine which of the twelve jobs they shall have, Eldred and Scrawl, two finders, arrive at the village. Finders are mysterious figures; they are the only people who still travel from town to town, looking for and finding whatever has been lost in exchange for food and lodging as well as other services and goods. They are after the telling dart, which they say has led them to Ariel. They offer to take Ariel, who has failed her test to become a healer, to join them in a fairly large city where she will become a farwalker.

When Ariel's mother refuses to let her go with the finders, they kidnap her, kill her mother and burn down Zeke's trees to prevent them from revealing where they have gone. Zeke sets out to rescue Ariel though no tree will talk to him after what has happened. Twelve telling darts have been sent out into the world, each given the task of finding the best of each of the twelve jobs. The finders, it turns out, are following the darts, intent of killing each person they find.

The Farwalker's Quest is the first in what looks to be a very entertaining series. The world Ms. Sensel has created is an intriguing one. While The Farwalker's Quest ends with a clear resolution, there are still enough unanswered questions to fill a second and third volume. I was surprised, however by the level of violence in the story. Most of it takes place off stage, so to speak but it seemed fairly heavy to me. I think it took me by surprise because the cover art looks very innocent, like what you'd find on a book aimed at 11-year-olds. In spite of this I loaned the book to one of my 7th grade students. She did not notice the violence, had high praise for the book and is anxiously awaiting the sequels. show less

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 fantasy elements of a magical artifact and a heroic quest, but Sensel writes in such a refreshing, original way that this book is far from cliche.

I loved THE FARWALKER'S QUEST! From the very first line, I found myself striding into Ariel's story and show more loving every step. I couldn't stop walking (and sometimes running) until I reached the last page, and even then I wanted to go on. This is a book I will enjoy stepping into again.

I am especially intrigued with the concept of the Blind War and would love Sensel to guide us back to this time in a new adventure. show less

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.

This sounds like the beginning of an interesting possible series. I know that some people are not fond of series and I myself am somewhat ambivalent. I really like them and then sometimes I do not.

I do not know if this is set on Earth and it does not really matter. This is a slightly different twist on humans rediscovering a past history and fearing the discovery. The past destroyed civilization and there is fear that finding out about the past and its machines, etc will cause destruction once again.

Two youngsters Ariel and Zeke are on the threshold of taking possession of their "special" gifts/powers. As young adulthood approaches, each individual will be tested for their aptitudes. Some will become Healers, other Fishers, others show more Tree-Singers, etc. A strange device and strangers coming to the village cause problems before Namingfest occurs. Namingfest is when the youngsters get their last names. For instance, Ariel is expected to become a Healer since her mother is a Healer. If she passes her Namingfest test, her name will become Ariel Healer.

Namingfest arrives and so does the disappointment and tragedy that marks the beginning of Ariel's and Zeke's momentous journey. Neither youngster ever dreamed that they would be leaving their village and begin walking a path of danger and uncertainty.

The main characters are all very interesting. Ariel and Zeke must hurriedly adapt to world that can be wild and life threatening. They must grow up much faster than either likes. The changes as they take place show the adaptability of both youngsters. It is painful sometimes to see how they are forced to mature so soon. Scarl, who abducts Ariel is not at all what he seems. It took me some time to figure out whether he was a white hat or a black hat. It is only later in the book when one better understands his circumstances that one decides which he is.

As I said, the ending certainly leaves this open to further adventures for Ariel and Scarl and perhaps Zeke. It is an interesting premise when the possible hope of this world lies in a young girl who is still learning what and who she is. I am looking forward to more from Ms. Sensel. I like the way she writes and I like her characters. show less

Fun, imaginative fantasy with an unusual world and unique characters.