The Rover

The Rover #1

by Mel Odom

Edgewick Lamplighter (Wick to his friends) is a humble librarian in the isolated halls of Greydawn Moors until dreams of wanderlust and a bit of dereliction in his duties result in his being shanghaied to a far-off land.

Captured by pirates, sold into slavery, and adopted by a gang of thieves, Wick soon finds himself with more adventures than even a halfling librarian can imagine.

Rival gangs, goblin marauders, evil wizards, and monstrous dragons are soon after the wee adventurer and his newfound allies in a tale of treasures and treachery, magic and mystery, where even a little guy can rise to the occasion and save the day.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Adult, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult

512 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

aka Jordan Gray

Mel Odom is a bestselling writer for hire for Wizards of the Coast's Forgotten Realms, Gold Eagle's Mack Bolan, and Pocket's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel book lines. His debut SF novel Lethal Interface made the Locus recommended list . The Rover was an Alyx Award winner. He has also written a scientific adventure of the high seas set in the 19th century entitled Hunters of the Dark Sea. He lives in Oklahoma.

Reviews

[Brett C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a decent fantasy adventure story. A wee-person librarian gets Shanghaied by pirates and the adventures begin. I liked how he used his nerdy book smarts to get through his obstacles and adventures. Overall a fun, transparent story that was easy to read and didn't require too overthinking.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is full of the ridiculous (the sort-of sea serpent, the shape-changing mouse, Wick trying to save Comber's life several times, dropping the object of extortion at just the wrong moment, the man in black ("Right about now, you're probably thinking of me as the man in black. I don't like that. Call me Brant."), the pirate ship named after the two-eyed original owner...), the sad (the slaves, the burning Embyr who couldn't remember her name, poor Wick in many instances, the pirates for reasons other than you're thinking, the hanged elf), and the scary (the dragon, the slavers, the wizards, the giant spiders!, even the waterfall if you don't like rollercoasters, but not the pirates). It is billed as being like Lord of the Rings, which it isn't really (not counting a few obvious things, like dwarves, elves, and giant spiders), but it is a good tale well told and I'm looking forward to the sequels (I just found out about them!).

[Z.S. Diamanti · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rover is such ridiculously sweet fantasy fun that it has become a new favorite. Wick the halfer’s wild and wholly unexpected adventure gives such great homage to the likes of the hobbit but after the turn of the 21st century. So much fun.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gets a solid "meh." I read it lightly here and there until it was finally finished. As my mom likes to say, "oooo, it's a fun book!" I would have to agree. It is The Mummy of the literary fantasy world. It's entertaining, even when you want to smack that goofy smile off Brendan Fraiser.

I had two specific gripes. 1) Sometimes the writing seemed unnatural, like the author was trying too hard. 2) I hated reading "the little librarian" over and over again. Seriously. Dude. What about "little Dweller" or "pint size" or "shorty pants?!" ANYTHING would have flown after the 78,000th time reading "the little librarian."

Stop reading these reviews. Just read it for yourself with low expectations, and you will find that this book is quite fun.

[TheSaint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh, The Rover has all the stuff good fantasy is made of: thieves, pirates, dragons and... librarians? Actually, the main character, a halfer named Wick, happens to be a Third Level Librarian in the Vault of All Known Knowledge. The knowledge he's been able to acquire before being shanghaied really does help him out on his adventures with unsavory characters in the lands beyond his home in the Greydawn Moors, and his adventures help him to be a better librarian.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the library on a whim because it looked like a nice lighthearted fantasy book. It turns out that it was a nice lighthearted fantasy book. At first I was concerned that it was just another Tolkien ripoff with "dwellers" used in the place of "hobbits". After reading the book, though, I see that it wasn't just a pure ripoff. There were some similarities but nothing more than comes with the fantasy genre.

The book was a bit more juvenile than I was expecting (it wasn't in the YA section at the library) and at times the writing was quite awkward. There were a few places where I had to reread a sentence several times just to understand what the author was writing.

It's a decent and fun read. Not at all bad for an easy going fantasy adventure.

[Jeremy S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a lot of negative reviews, but I really thought this book was charming.

It's been tagged as a generic rip-off of Tolkien-esque fare, but I think it actually delivers on what readers enjoyed in works by fantasy authors like Tolkien.

It's a terrific niche too. The main character is a librarian who loves books and gets swept up in an adventure. I really wish Mel Odom would have kept writing this series.

[Oren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of similarities to Tolkein's 'The Hobbit' but I think that Odom generates more empathy with his characters. Definitely not dry. A fun read either on it's own, or as a precursor to the sucessor books.

[Caleb M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book back in high school and I recently thought about it again....I'm super tempted to pick it up again and then read the whole series....

[Patrick Bättig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gestatten, dass ich Ihnen einen der ungewöhnlichsten Helden der Fantasy vorstelle? Edeltocht Lampenzünder, genannt Tocht, Bibliothekar dritten Ranges im „Gewölbe Allen Bekannten Wissens“ von Graudämmermoor, ein echter Halbling. Nun ist es allgemein bekannt, dass die kleingewachsenen Halblinge keine Schuhe tragen, einer Pfeife nie abgeneigt sind, und essen können wie ein Scheunendrescher, aber dass sie abenteuerlustig seien, davon hat man, abgesehen von den doch etwas merkwürdigen Beutlins noch nie gehört. Und wirklich ist unser Tocht gar nicht sonderlich aus der Art geschlagen. Seit Jahren nun geht er aufopfernd und pflichtbewusst tagsüber seiner Tätigkeit als Bibliothekar nach. Des Nachts aber schwelgt er über entwendeten Abenteuerschinken, verfolgt gebannt die Kämpfe und Fährnisse seiner imaginären Helden.Eines Tages, nicht böses ahnend, schlägt das Schicksal gar erbarmungslos und recht schmerzhaft zu. Nachdem sein Kopf die Bekanntschaft mit einer recht robusten Keule gemacht hat, wacht er an Bord eines Schiffes auf. Schlimmer noch, er findet sich in der ach so liebreizenden Gesellschaft von Piraten wieder. Schanghait! Ein Erlebnisbericht des Bibliothekars dritten Ranges unter den wilden Piraten der bluttriefenden SeeTja, da steht er nun, mitten in der raubeinigen Gesellschaft zwergischer Piraten. Jetzt heißt es Durchsetzungskraft und Initiative zu beweisen, und mit Feuereifer macht sich Tocht ans Kartoffelschälen. Doch nur zu bald ist es vorbei mit dem ungeliebten Kombüsendienst – Stürme, Meeresungeheuer, eine Loreley und Kobolde machen ihm und der Crew der einäugigen Peggie das Leben schwer. Immer wieder aber erweisen sich seine angelesenen Weisheiten als letzte Rettung aus größter Gefahr. Doch als gleich zwei Piratenschiffe der Kobolde die Peggie angreifen, ist das Schicksal des stolzen Schiffes besiegelt. Um seine Kameraden vor dem sicheren Tod zu bewahren, beweist Tocht echte Größe. Freiwillig liefert er sich den Kobolden aus und wird als Sklave in die vor Jahrtausenden zerstörte Metropole Traum verfrachtet. Noch bevor er in der Arena der Kobolde als Bestienfutter verheizt werden kann, erwirbt ein Renegat unseren wackeren Halbling. Brant und seine Bande suchen als freie Diebe die Heimstatt der Kobold-Armee heim. Gejagt von Kobolden und purpurnen Roben gelingt es Tocht, vier geheimnisvolle Bücher aus dem Mausoleum eines Zauberers an sich zu bringen, die vergessenen Zwergminen unter dem Vulkangebirge zu entdecken und ihre Flucht zu bewerkstelligen. Obwohl unser Halbling dabei weit über sich selbst hinauswächst, meint das Schicksal es nicht gut mit unserer Heldentruppe, denn dummerweise führt ihre Fluchtroute direkt durch den Hort eines Drachen, nein des Drachen, des Königsdrachen. Und man weiß ja, mit welcher Inbrunst und welcher Habgier die Lindwürmer ihre in Jahrzehntausenden gehorteten Schätze vor ungebetenen Besuchern zu schützen wissen . … „Fantasie ist, wie ich bei mehr als einer Gelegenheit ausführlich erläutert habe, nicht mehr und nicht weniger als die Vermählung der Unkenntnis mit der allzu ungeduldigen Leidenschaft“ (S. 19) Der 1957 in California geborene Mel Odom ist einer der Vielschreiber der US-amerikanischen Szene. Dabei hat er sich auf Bücher zu Filmen – hier sind insbesondere Tomb Raider – Lara Croft, Blade und xXx zu nennen und zu erfolgreichen TV-Serien wie Buffy, Sabrina und Angel spezialisiert, fühlt sich aber auch im Battletech-Universum und bei Diablo zuhause. Insofern machte ich mich mit einigen Ressentiments an die Lektüre des vorliegenden und 2002 mit dem Alex Award ausgezeichneten Bandes, dem der Autor zwischenzeitlich drei Fortsetzungen hat folgen lassen. Ich hatte die Befürchtung, dass der Verlag, der lange gezögert hat, sich dem Trend der Völker-Romane anzuschließen, nun eben auch sein Stück vom Kuchen abhaben wollte. Angesichts der Zeit, die seit der Originalveröffentlichung vergangen ist, schien das Werk sich für eine Herausgabe bislang zumindest nicht unbedingt aufgedrängt zu haben. Das Gebotene hält sich dann auch ziemlich strikt an das Rezeptbuch „Wie verfasse ich einen erfolgreichen Fantasy-Roman?“. Man nehme einen Underdog, eine Figur, die das Mitleid der Leser erweckt, und gibt diesem die Gelegenheit, sich seiner Stärken bewusst zu werden und sich in der rauen Welt zu beweisen. Das ist die Geschichte von Aschenputtel zur Prinzessin mit anderen Vorzeichen. Hier müsste es heißen: vom Stubenhocker zum Helden. Um die Leser bei Laune zu halten, greifen wir dann tief in den Topf der beliebtesten Topics – Piraten müssen her, Stürme und Meeresungeheuer, verfluchte Geister, dazu der Sklavenkragen und ein charismatischer Robin Hood der Diebe. Angereichert durch uralte Geheimnisse, Elfenmaiden, die aus großer Not zu retten sind, Zwergen und Kobolden stürmt unsere Handlung voller Elan voran. Das ist beliebe nicht eben neu oder innovativ, aber he, das sind die wenigsten der Völker-Romane, die uns die Verlage beinnahe jeden Monat kredenzen. Weder die Charakterisierung noch die Weltenschöpfung hält sonderlich Erwähnenswertes für den Leser bereit. Aber, und darauf kommt es letztlich an, die Mischung stimmt. So teilweise abgedroschen die Versatzstücke, aus denen sich die Handlung zusammensetzt, auch sind, das Gesamtwerk liest sich flüssig und spannend in einem Rutsch durch. Routiniert, zwar nicht eben stilistisch glanzvoll, aber doch gefällig entführt uns der Autor in eine Welt, in der sich der Leser wohlfühlt. Man kann sich bequem in seinem Sessel zurücklehnen und sich der Action öffnen, man kann hineintauchen in die Abenteuer eines sympathisch gezeichneten Helden, der eigentlich keiner sein will. Das ist dann das Pfund, mit dem Odom wuchert. Er bietet seinen Lesern Fantasy, wie sie sie kennen und schätzen, streut aber genügend eigene Elemente und Entwicklungen ein, um die Handlung über die gesamte Länge des Bandes interessant und spannend zu halten. Das hat keine große Aussage, keine literarische Qualität, ist aber die ideale Ferien- und Feiertagslektüre zum entspannen und um dem tristen Herbstwetter im Dezember zu entfliehen. Gerade auch im Vergleich zu einigen der Völker-Titel, die bei den Konkurrenten in den letzten Jahren erschienen, schlägt sich unser Halbling gar nicht mal so schlecht.

[Julie Akeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this years ago. I remember that this writer worked for Wizards of the Coast, cool because I used to drive by there when I lived in Seattle and Magic the Gathering was big then..I kinda suck at the game but it was cool though. I LOVED The Rover, I read it years ago, sometime when my oldest was about three or four, he's almost 16 now. If you have a love for Hobbits this guy was a perfect new Hobbit like character. A little one forced into an adventure and he's a librarian, I work as a page and I love books just like Wick. Nice to know there are others, I read the first and thought it grand, didn't occur to me to find more. I remember this being a fun read but I don't remember much of the details. I don't know if I still own it so I might read it again if I have my own copy...or I can just download onto the new Kindle Fire my family got. It's supposed to be for my 11 year old but we are all going to use it. Ah, I'm going to have to return to Wick's story again. It was definitely one of my favorite fantasy favorites. A fun read to sit down with a flagon of mead, so enjoy. I hate spoilers but really no threat doing one here...I can't remember much details only that I LOVED this book when I read it way back whenever.

[Eric Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was pretty awesome. A hobbit -- I mean a halfling -- gets yanked from his cushy, sheltered life into an adventure where he hooks up with a band of dwarfs and eventually ends up face to face with a dragon named... wait. It wasn't Smaug, it was a different dragon.

No, seriously, it sounds very Tolkienesque, but what work of high fantasy post-1950 DOESN'T draw from Tolkien's stories? It's really not that derivative.

This isn't Bilbo Baggins being drafted by a wizard to complete a quest. Edgewick "Wick" Lamplighter, a librarian in a mysterious repository of all knowledge, accidentally finds himself out of his element when he first joins a pirate crew, then is sold into slavery, then... maybe it's best if I don't reveal too much.

It's all a lot of fun, with just enough danger to spice it up and a real effort by Mel Odom to show that even a diminutive librarian can be an adventurer, drawing on his knowledge rather than his skill with a weapon. Each segment of the tale fits in with the others, while also being a mini-adventure in its own right, and the conclusion is quite satisfying. I understand there are at least two other books in this series and have them tentatively in my "to read" list, though it won't happen anytime soon.

[Hannah Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of LOTR and the fantasy genre will enjoy this literary confection. Here are elves, dwarfs, dragons, pirates, halfings, battles, and libraries. It is a very different storyline than you would expect. LOTR for instance, contains a lot of war, whereas this is more like a series of quests and the fundamental philosophy driving the series is that knowledge controls the world and therefore evil forces work to plunge the world into ignorance so that they can be enslaved. Fascinating philosophy and filled with a gemstone of a story through the eyes of a halfling librarian turned adventurer and pirate, Wick. Charming little fellow.
I recommend this to adventurers 13+ however if you are a parent you can obviously read it through first to be sure you are comfortable with the content, as you do with any other book.

[Kati · Rating 2 out of 5]

Over all, I wasn't impressed. Wick was ridiculously repetitive. (How many times did he have to tell himself that he was a 3rd Level Librarian in the Vault of All Knowledge? At least a dozen times to many.....) None of the characters ever became believable for me. And the action was too forced, then too easily over-come, to ever keep my interest. I won't be picking up another in this series. As it was, a book that should've taken me only a couple days to read took me over a week because I just couldn't get into it.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this once probably close to twenty years ago, but I remembered only a little of the story, just that I had enjoyed it very much, and I enjoyed it again. I loved Wick's passion as a librarian, but it was strange to have that passion for knowledge and reading not a similar passion to share it. I remembered that Wick was a rather bumbling character, but I did not remember the many different kinds of peril he stumbled into in this adventure. I am fairly sure I did not read the next book in the series back then because the title is just so devastating, but perhaps I might try it this time.

[Caleb Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very silly, harmless ripoff of The Hobbit. Luckily Wick drops the magic stone in the volcano at the end and can leave the band of dwarves he’s been traveling with to go home to his small community of halflings.

[Joe Pickard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantasy adventure story (the first of a trilogy, I think) where an orphan junior librarian in ancient times leaves his secluded island with pirates and is exposed to the evil that exists in the civilized world. Well written and enjoyable.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"After all, now that he'd had adventures of his own, he might have a deeper appreciation for a tale told well!"

Such a great and epic adventure with wonderful characters and now I have to read them all!

[Doric M. Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining read.

Well written story. I enjoyed the characters and the mythic feel. With definite nods to The Hobbit, it didn't feel derivative. I look forward to more books in the series.

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as action filled as Odom's Apocalypse series. Starts out slowly but gets intriguing quickly. Worth continuing the series.

[Lincoln Wert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable light fantasy, although the cover has absolutely nothing to do with the story.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun tale!

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Savannah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite childhood stories! And an adult, its still a favorite!

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Did this as a read aloud in school. The history and descriptions are long for fifth graders. The adventure part is awesome.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"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."

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely engaging and adorable.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Rover was an enjoyable book good story. However, heavily ripped off the Lord of the Rings book set. If you like fantasy, you will like this book. I prefer Lord of the Rings

[Smith Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lovable protagonist has some dark and miserable moments, especially in the early chapters, but this turned out to be a wonderful read.

[A.M. Reynwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this little beauty at a second hand store and thought I'd give it a try. It looked fun, wrapped up in a neat little stand alone novel. Only after reading the last page and prepping for this review did I learn that this was the first in a series, but that just goes to show how well this part of the story wrapped up in the end, and I really enjoyed that. Yes, there are a couple unanswered questions that leave an opening for the following books, but for the most part it was a nice, all in one, and for me it was refreshing having a beginning and an end with no cliffhangers for umpteen sequels.

The story follows Wick Lamplighter, a little librarian dweller (which are pretty much hobbits only with a different name, so naturally he's awesome) as he goes on a series of adventures across the ocean and far off lands in a 'post-apocalyptic' world. There's no worry for confusion concerning it, though, because all throughout the story we get details on what happened.

The flow of the story was easy to follow and very engaging, I had a hard time putting it down, and Mel Odom has a fine way of ending one chapter in such a way that makes you have to read the next to find out what happened ─ a fiendishly clever ploy well practiced. I did find a few typos, but unless you're fickle, it didn't disturb the experience at all.

As for the characters, very enjoyable. I liked Brandt right off the bat, but Wick is unashamedly my favorite. There's a good mix of severity as well as appropriate humor (namely stressed quips made by Wick).

Overall, it's a grand adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed, and if you're a fan of Lord of the Rings and the like, you'll enjoy this one, too.