Title: The Wanderer
Series: Chronicles Of The Riftlands: Book One
Author: Rowan McAllister
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 200 Pages
Category: High Fantasy
At a Glance: The Wanderer takes us on the beginning of a journey into a world we have never experienced before. It is a beautiful beginning to a series I eagerly await to see unfold.
Reviewed By: Sammy
Blurb: After centuries of traveling the continent of Kita and fighting the extradimensional monsters known as Riftspawn, mage Lyuc is tired and ready to back away from the concerns of humanity.
But the world isn’t done with him yet.
While traveling with a merchant caravan, Lyuc encounters Yan, an Unnamed, the lowest caste in society. Though Yan has nothing but his determination and spirit, he reminds Lyuc what passion and desire feel like. While wild magic, a snarky, shapeshifting, genderfluid companion, and the plots of men and monsters seem determined to keep Lyuc from laying down his burden, only Yan’s inimitable spirit tempts him to hang on for another lifetime or so.
All Yan wants is to earn the sponsorship of a guild so he can rise above his station, claim a place in society, and build the family he never had.
After hundreds of years of self-imposed penance, all Lyuc wants is Yan.
If they can survive prejudice, bandits, mercenaries, monsters, and nature itself, they might both get their wish… and maybe even their happily ever after.
Review: Okay, sign me up right now for any and all sequels to this novel. I was so impressed by author Rowan McAllister’s world building and storytelling that I must admit I absolutely fell in love with Lyuc, Yan and the incredibly naughty Bryn. I want a novel all about Bryn just so I can learn more about what he is, exactly, and just how he came to be a companion to Lyuc. With the introduction of The Wanderer, McAllister begins a new series entitled Chronicles of the Riftlands.
The premise is this: Over a thousand years ago, three wizards created a rift in the fabric of reality and opened up a portal to another dimension. This rift allowed spawn to enter the world. These riftspawn then attached themselves to humans or animals in order to survive, and they are evil incarnate—except for Bryn, who is the traveling companion of Lyuc, one of the wizards responsible for causing the rift. These two have traveled their world, cleaning up the mess and dispatching spawn back into the rift while also slowly closing the portal.
In this land there are several classes of people, from kings to merchants, but the title that has the greatest impact on how one will live is whether you are one of the Named or Unnamed. The best way to describe this is to compare it loosely to the historic plantation owners and their slaves. The unnamed are no better than slaves once were and can be used as such by any named person. They are treated like dirt and given no rights whatsoever. In order to become named, they must be sponsored by a named person and earn their way via learning a trade in order to be allowed a place in society. Yan is one such unnamed. Raised by a witch in a small village, he was never able to learn a trade that would give him any access to becoming a named person, so he has joined a traveling caravan as a slave in order to reach the city where an apothecary he once met will hopefully help him learn a trade and achieve named status. Being named means having a family and security, being someone who no longer has to grovel at the feet of all men, and Yan longs for it terribly.
On the journey he will be rescued more than once by an old man whom he soon discovers is more than meets the eye. Lyuc and Bryn are reluctantly rejoining the world of men after working in the deep forest for so many years. Lyuc is hoping that the rift has closed for good and that this journey may be his last as he would welcome death, if and when it comes. But then he meets Yan, and his world quickly begins to change. Now he must make a choice—return to the land of the living or ignore what tugs at his heart and choose to fade away once again.
I cannot tell you how well this novel was laid out. The Wanderer may be just an introduction to another world and its unique inhabitants, but I must tell you that not once did I feel lost or confused despite all that was going on in this story. Author Rowan McAllister creates a fascinating world and gives us three characters who capture the imagination and the heart. The sarcastic repartee between Bryn, whose current form is a large black horse, and Lyuc is really delightful. McAllister uses their mental link and subsequent discussions to reveal much about both man and creature, and gives us a taste of the bond they have in each other.
When Yan is added to the mix, it is truly magical. He is innocent and yet older than his years, and the abuse he must reckon with is heartbreaking. But he is so resilient and determined to be someone, so it is truly beautiful when Lyuc sees him for what he is worth and treats him with the respect he has never before experienced from any named person.
The Wanderer takes us on the beginning of a journey into a world we have never experienced before, complete with humans and creatures that titillate the imagination and anchor themselves into our hearts. It is a beautiful beginning to a series I eagerly await to see unfold.
You can buy The Wanderer here:
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