A Place Beyond The Map

by Samuel Thews

What do you do when you wake up to a pair of wet footprints beneath your bedroom window? You follow them, of course. When Phinnegan Qwyk does just that, he finds out that fairy tales aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Attacked by the wild wolves of the Faolchú, hunted by a gholem that lurks unseen in the shadows, even forced to bargain for his very own life with a troll, Phinnegan must struggle to navigate the dangerous land of the Faë and, with any luck, find his way home. Evocative, purposeful and winsome, A Place Beyond the Map is what children’s dreams are made of. A simplistic tale spun within the world of fairy tales and myth, it is a story for children, and for those of us that are finally old enough to read fairy tales again.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Ebooks, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Childrens

339 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 10, 2011

About the author

I love to read and write. My reading encompasses just about everything whereas my writing is fixed within the fantasy and paranormal realm, particularly for younger MG/YA readers as writing these is the most fun!

I also love the outdoors and enjoy living in a small neighborhood in the woods of North Carolina with my beautiful wife and daughter and our four (that's right FOUR) cats.

Reviews

[MisterFweem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I've been reading books lately with a much more critical eye as I'm looking to publish ebooks on my own and want to avoid some of the pitfalls that other authors fall into.

I liked this book. It started slow, the characerizations were a bit shallow, especially on the pat of the hero Phinnegan Qwyk, but it got better the more I read it.

Here I see an author struggling with something I struggle with: The hero just sin't in all that much of a challenging situation. Yes, he's swept away to another world called Feradoon (misspelled as Fedaroon at one point; note to self when I invent names, keep an eye on how they're spelled) but once he's there he does little on his own to get himself out except follow along with whatever is happening to him at the moment. I don't see any real character growth, and that's probably why he felt flat to me. So I'll have to re-read my own stuff with a critical eye to make sure I'm not doing the same thing.

[Brent Gilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the story. Started a little slower than I liked but man it picked up. I loved the young protagonist and think that would really connect with my students. Great twists and I love the world that Samuel Thews is creating. Very much enjoyed it. I especially loved the library scene with Asher. Wonderful book.

[John Tobler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Faëntastic Adventure!

A very fun read; fun enough to make you want to follow Phinnegan on his future adventures with the Faë!

[Titis Wardhana · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow... what an adventure...

Phinnegan,12 tahun,suka membaca terutama kisah2 peri. ayahnya suka mengoleksi blend tembakau yg ditaro di dalam botol untuk dihirup. suatu malam phinnegan bangun dan ia dengar ada orang di ruang kerja ayahnya. ternyata itu fae bernama periwinkle. dari situlah petualangan phinnegan dimulai,ia terbawa ke dunia fae tanpa sengaja. ia langsung dibawa ke feradoon dan diadili,sebenarnya periwinkle yang diadili karena menggunakan wishing stone. tapi karena kurang bukti,ahirnya mereka dilepaskan. phinnegan yang ingin pulang mengatakan kepada periwinkle keinginannya,dan periwinkle bilang kalo yg bisa membantunya itu great stone milik para raksasa,tapi raksasa ini gak suka sama fae,dan untuk pergi ke sana mereka harus maen tebak2an dl sama troll yg cantik banget. setelah menang,di negeri raksasa sedang ada festival kayak barter gitu,jadi fae buat barang yang raksasa gak bisa bikin trus dibarter. pas sampai di kamar tempat menyimpan great stone,ada orb yang menjaganya yg bisa bicara tp gak bs liat bernama howard. howard ini nganggep phinnegan jack yg di jack and the beanstalk,dan howard ini sayang bgt sama jack sehingga great stone nya lgsung dikasi gt aja. tp begitu great stone ini diambil,otomatis alarm di tubuh orb ini bunyi,dan phinnegan ditinggal kabur sama periwinkle. phinnegan sendiri terlempar ke hutan dan ditolong sama pixie, ahirnya phinnegan dianter ke sang Guide dan phinnega diharuskan kembali ke feradoon karena phinnegan ini ternyata pembawa warber,semacam token gt.

wow seru banget, berbagai macam mahluk dongeng ada semua di sini dan kisahnya juga original. Karena fae berumur panjang dan ga bisa tua, jadi raja fae yg baru bikin program Aged, jadi fae yg sudah berusia beberapa ratus tahun harus jadi tua.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve year old Phinnegan Qwyk loves to read and fairy tales at that. Rushing home from school one day, his father has a new book for him. When he falls asleep reading that night, he awakes to find his window open and wet footprints on the floor. When he goes to investigate, he find a curious looking fellow in his father's office. What he has come across is a Fae named Periwinkle Lark. A Fae! Just like in his fairy tales! When the Fae is summoned back to his land on charges of treason, among other bogus charges, Phinnegan accidentally goes with him. On a quest to find his way home, he comes across all sorts of "make believe" creatures including pixies, trolls, and giants. The road home is long, and not everyone Phinnegan comes across is what they seem but our young hero learns a lot about himself and magic along the way.

A Place Beyond The Map is what children's dreams are made of. Well written enough for readers around the age of 8 or 9 but also an excellent read for adults. I loved reading this book! Not only did it keep me entertained from beginning to end, but it didn't feel like I was reading a book centered towards mid-grade readers. I can only hope that there will be another book to follow as some things were left hanging. I would love to read this to my two youngest step-daughters who are 9 and 11 (not that they couldn't read it themselves). I really liked how Phinnegan never looses hope, no matter how dire the circumstances he finds himself in. Thews has penned an excellent and highly recommended tale for all ages of readers!

[Maki ⌒☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Place Beyond the Map started off as such a strong story. It was creative. It was colorful. It was funny.

And then, the ending happened.

The events leading up to the ending were fine. The labyrinth scene was one of my favorites, and seeing Phinnegan stand up to what was essentially the god of the Place Beyond the Map to change his fate, screwing the consequences, was pretty cool.

Then everything just ended.

Because of Phinnegan, the world is going to be destroyed. He owes a favor to an angry deity. And he just gets sent home, being told that he'll have to come back later at some point, to deal with the consequences of his actions. And there's no second book. That's it. He never goes back, he's never forced to deal with what his choices mean for the Place Beyond the Map.

It's one thing to leave a story open-ended, so that the reader can imagine events going on beyond the ending. It's quite another thing all together to leave *everything* open and unanswered.

But, my hang-ups with the ending aside, I did enjoy the rest of this book. The fairies, the troll, the giants, the will-o-wisp, and the Guide were all interesting characters. I even enjoyed the villain, despite his goal being the typical "I want the power to rule the world!" deal. The riddle scene was wonderful. It was a very fun read, and would have gotten a higher rating if it had given me some sort of closure.

[Scot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a children's fantasy book in which the young Irish protagonist with the promising name of Phinnegan Kwyk visits the magical world of the Fae, a place beyond the map, a world where some things are like what we've heard about magical people and events in fairy tales--well sort of, but not exactly. There are fairy folk sorted by color and bird clan, a beautiful troll under a bridge, packs of sinister killer wolves, sparkling pixies, and even a relentless gholem. The way it is slightly off kilter and unpredictable is part of the charm. Ultimately, he gets involved in cosmic struggles between good and evil, he learns that not all people that present themselves as friends can be trusted, and his basic good character and appreciation for books both serve him well. These are all lessons I approve of, and I did find this story interesting enough that I would read the sequel(s) to come.

[Nura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love maps. what's more intriguing than finding a place beyond the map? so I read it. all started in a boring day for Phinnegan Qwyk. He just want the lesson to end so he can go home and meet his father. He can't wait to see what his father brought home this time for him. Phinnegan is not a normal boy, in a sense. while other boys prefer to fool around, he prefer to read a fairy tale.

and his unexpected journey began when he met a fae named Periwinkle Lark, who brought him by accident to Feradoon. and so the story goes. but it ended too much faster to my taste. so many questions left unanswered and that in turn left me unsatisfied. hmm... there's will be continuation to this one, right? I hope so. *crossing my fingers*

quote I'm very fond of:

"I would never throw out a book, even one I can’t read."

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a delightful book to read. Extremely well-written,it contains all the elements that go in making a good story - there's fantasy, magic, fairy-tale, action, adventure, drama, romance, tragedy and much more. There are so many twists and turns in the story that the reader is kept completely engrossed to the end. The protagonist is a character who is endearing and real and very likable. His journey through the 'place beyond the map' to get back home will keep you on the edge. Samuel Thews has done a really good job and I would definitely like to read other of his works.

A good entertaining book that can be read by readers of all ages.

[I received this book as part of a giveaway, in exchange for an honest review]

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Place Beyond the Map is an imaginative, clever, and fun read! I really liked how the story unfolded, and I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. The take on this fairy tale world and its creatures was really creative, and I love how the descriptions of characters and places were so vivid that I could easily picture them in my mind. Phinnegan is endearing and brave, and I was sad when there wasn't any more to read. I hope there will be more of Phinnegan's adventures to read about in the future! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good fairy tale!

[Lauren Chiu]

A Place Beyond The Map is a novel with a twisting plot and interesting complications. An example of a complication is when the main character, Phinnegan, and his two friends encounter a troll under a bridge. In order to get past the bridge, Phinnegan and his two friends have to say riddles. If the troll gets the answer correct, she says a riddle that a character can guess. If a character stumps the troll, the three can pass the bridge. Phinnegan ends up telling a riddle related to the Bible, and he is successful.

[Nichelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing in this story really makes it. It is beautifully descriptive and the author knows how to use words to his advantage. This would be a great story to read out loud for that reason as well. This is for younger pre-teens but I think teenagers would like this story as well. The plot, about a 12-year old boy named Phinnegan who accidentally gets pulled into the world of the fae, is a fun story but what really sells it is the descriptions. Wonderfully done!

[Trudi Jorda · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a teen book-- or young adult where the hero or protagonist is a 12 year old boy-- but the story dwells on the fae and power struggles that they have. It is well written and is very fast paced with plenty of adventure and has a fine ending and a possible 2nd book if the author chooses. Enjoy!

[Becca]

I just didn't connect or care about the character. I didn't think the fae all that interesting, either. It just fell flat. Also, my understanding was this was YA but it is definitely middle-grade fiction. It would've been cool if there was anything to keep me reading.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really cute story but for much younger people than me...lil. Would be a great read for kids between 9 and 13.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantasy for the Harry Potter set. Definitely expect a sequel. Read well. Good story-telling and character development.

[Shel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute story, but the story kind of faded at the end. I wanted more, but it seemed like Thews simply ran out of inspiration and said, "And...that's the end."

[Jil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was a sweet, wonderful story and I hope Mr. Thews continues the story. I will be watching and waiting to read the next book!

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very eh.

[Vanessa Benavidez · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids really enjoyed listening to me read this book. What a great fairytale adventure!