The Wild Road

Karavans #3

by Jennifer Roberson

Alisanos, the deepwood, is more than just a forest...it is sentient, and predatory. Home to demons and worse, its mercurial boundaries can suddenly shift miles in any direction to encompass previously safe human lands—and those taken by the deepwood are forever changed.

Audrun, a human woman trapped within the forest, is reunited with her four children, only to learn that each has been marked by the deepwood’s wild magic. And her newly born fifth child, captured by a winged demon, is still missing. Audrun has sworn to find the infant, but can a mere human possibly hope to outwit the monstrous inhabitants of Alisanos...and the nightmarish deepwood itself?

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

335 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2012

About the author

Over a 40-year career (so far), Jennifer Roberson has published four fantasy series, including the Sword-Dancer Saga, Chronicles of the Cheysuli, the Karavans universe, and urban fantasy series Blood & Bone. Other novels include historicals LADY OF THE GLEN, plus two Robin Hood novels, LADY OF THE FOREST, and LADY OF SHERWOOD.

New novels are percolating in her always-active imagination.

Hobbies include showing dogs, and creating mosaic and resin artwork and jewelry.  She lives in Arizona with a collection of cats and Cardigan Welsh Corgis.

Reviews

[Alyssa Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wild Road is book three in the Karavans series and continues the story where it left off in book two. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of progress is made in this book; by the end of book three, the characters are in very similar situations as they were in book two, and most of the problems that I thought were going to be resolved in this book weren’t. It’s made worse by the fact that there’s apparently supposed to be a book four, but it hasn’t been published, and since this book was published in 2012, who knows when/if there will ever be a sequel. I quite liked Karavans and Deepwood (books 1 & 2), but after reading this, I’m retracting my recommendation to start the series and suggesting not starting it, because it’s ends with a lot of things completely unresolved and may likely never be finished.

If book four ever comes out, this would be an okay addition to the series. Not much happens, but there’s a lot of character development going on; we see more of Rhuan’s father and his motivations, and we also learn more about the Deepwood, the demons that live there, and the gods who supposedly control it all. Also, more progress is made on the idea of waging war on the violent people who have overtaken and destroyed the human settlements, causing them to risk traveling near the deepwood to a safer place. Like the second book, this book is grim and dark, but the characters retain their optimism and work to fight for better lives.

Also posted on Purple People Readers.

[Jennavier · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, you know that moment when you get the book that you've been dying for since you read the book before it for two years? Well, that happy moment was quickly replaced by confusion. Absolutely nothing happens throughout the first half of the book. It's a testament to Roberson's writing that I stayed engaged for as long as I did. It wasn't the complete lack of anything resembling a plot that made me put the book down. No, that was the rape. Having the two major female heroines under constant threat of rape so they could be impregnated with alien fetuses of death wasn't much fun. When the father of the hero actually pulled it off I was done. Síonara Karavan's, it's been fun.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing happens! There is no conclusion to anyone's plot line. The story just ends abruptly. There's no point to the series.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't feel like this book moved very far from where the last one left off.
I hope the next book of the series doesn't take so long to get published.

[Thomas Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has been a departure from the author's other work since the first volume, and leads further down a dark path with each book. Good drama will do that, digging an ever deeper hole for characters until the time for some sort of resolution to their situation comes. The characters of The Wild Road endure their troubles and try to move forward, with few signs of hope, while facing literally monsterous odds. There is an unrelieved grimness to this part of the story that can be hard to bear, and the story does not lend itself to comic relief through snappy repartee between characters. Such would sound false in a dark fantasy of this sort. I did not read this book quickly, or straight through. Nightmares are always harder to bear than dreams, but I trust this author and so, something like her characters, I pressed on to the end. It was a satisfying read, with strong writing and a tale well-told, however dark and grim it might be. I find myself quite interested in seeing how this will all be resolved in the fourth and presumably last book. (And here's hoping it won't take quite so long to arrive!)

[Angela Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sad ending. Cliff hanger!! She has to stop doing this to me

[M.L. Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could see this series turning into a TV show. But seriously, PUBLISH THE FOURTH BOOK ALREADY!

[Sean Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only three stars because, while I enjoy the series, the gap between this book and now makes me think that the next book probably won't come out, which is a pity as the story is definitely interesting.

[Mary Squier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked these books but the Author stopped before the series was done

[Teresa Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read. I just hate waiting for the next book.

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

They call the deepwoods Alisanos, and it is alive. Not like our forests are; full of living things, but an actual living thing itself, and sometimes, it moves. If you are taken by Alisanos, you find yourself in another world, and Alisanos . . . changes you, physically.

A mother and her children have been taken by the deepwoods, her newborn has been taken by a denizen of Alisanos, and the safety of the karavan is dubious at best, trapped between the deepwoods and an encraoching human force, and monsoon season has just started.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series, let me tell you. I've got some things to get off my chest, but really I must say again that I'm happy the author decided to continue with the series at all (well, sort of). The first book was published 2006, the second was 2007. Then fast forward to 2012 and this book is published. When I found out this wasn't a trilogy like I'd assumed, I thought I'd wait some time to see that the next would be published soon. It's the middle of 2015 and the latest news I've heard is that Roberson will be publishing two (2!!) new Tiger and Del books (which is great for fans of that series, but does nothing for me).
I decided to go ahead with this book, hoping to get thrown a few bones, but sadly it's all truly leading up to...the next book. Arrghh!! I was really disappointed with the fact that this felt like filler, plus the direction the author took with Ilona's storyline was VERY unsettling for me (one of the lines I do not like to cross). Since I have faith in the story I'll be patiently waiting for the next book. Here's hoping it's not half a decade away.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why I forget that I get so drawn in by Jennifer Roberson's writing, because it happens every single time. But I'm pretty sure that this is my favorite world of hers.

I've been getting very emotional about things in this book. Mostly about Alario pretending to be Rhuan after he beat him half to death and erased his memory. I kept thinking why Rhuan didn't smell anything when he came to Ilona that night, the way that Darmuth and Brodhi did, or why Rhuan and Ilona didn't find some little piece of evidence to make them think that they missed something...

Of course, though, I have to agree with Darmuth that if Rhuan knew then he'd challenge Alario prematurely and therefore die, so it's better that he doesn't know for now.

Mostly it's hard to grasp that all those things happened in the span of a few days...

I'm anxious to find out what's next. I have all the feels now.

[Leanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had looked forward to the publication of Karavans book 3. The story was moving along nicely and was holding it's own until the last few chapters. It was like Ms Roberson was rushed to finish and just slapped some previous information together or ran out of ideas. The momentum of the first chapters just fizzled out. The ending didn't leave me wanting to know more, read more, as the last two books did.

I would like to see what happens to the characters of the story; however, I'm not sure I will purchase book 4 (if it is written).

[Brit (Circus_of_Damed) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me forever to finish not because it was bad but because of the depth and content of fantasy and it takes me time. The books more like a 4.5 the n a 5 not because its bad or has any real negatives but because I was bumbed about what happened with certain characters and there routes and behaviors, but still a great story can't stand that the forth and final book isn't out yet and finish the series but in due time I guess.

[Feyfire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could love this book as much as I enjoyed the first two, but sadly its not the case. I found it very slow moving and that not much has been accomplished this book. I'm hoping book 4 redeems itself.

I'm not sure if its because so many years have also passed between the reading of the first two and this third book, that could have something to do with it. Meh... :(

[Trinitrit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third book in this series, and again JR drew me right into the story; the setting is unusual, the characters strange but believable in their actions and motivations and I found it again an entertaining read. Am waiting for the next installment.

[Mark Lacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know what happened. I really liked the first two books in this series, and Jennifer Roberson is one of my favorite authors. But I found this third volume boring. And the narrator for this audiobook was not very good. So I gave up on this.

[Charles Darlage · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better. Now I have to wait who knows how long for the next one.

[Lori Flatland · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is really uneven and i found myself really wanting to stay with one storyline and was distracted by the other. this is not her best work.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. A waste of time. Slow story that goes nowhere. Feels more like an addendum to the previous book.