Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish.The Lady in Black burns Sera’s memories.Unexplainable Premonitions catapult her to other cities.The Grungy Gang wants to kill her.And a beautiful, mysterious boy stalks her.But when Sera moves to Chicago, and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most.Wander Dust is the breathtaking fantasy that will catapult you through a story of time, adventure, and love.

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2011

273 people are currently reading
6919 people want to read

About the author

Michelle Warren

31 books504 followers
If Michelle Warren had a spirit animal, it would be a tiger in a pink tutu, riding a Harley through a ring of fire. She lives in Chicago, dreams of California but hails from Baltimore. She has a slight obsession with travel, sunshine, Double Chocolate Milano cookies and writing novels. She didn’t travel the road to writer immediately. She spent over a decade as professional illustrator and designer. Her artistic creativity combined with her love of science fiction, paranormal and fantasy led her to write her first novel. 

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
839 (30%)
4 stars
896 (32%)
3 stars
650 (23%)
2 stars
233 (8%)
1 star
100 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews
Profile Image for Maja (The Nocturnal Library).
1,017 reviews1,958 followers
March 12, 2012
4.5 stars
I’ve been having some troubles with paranormal YA lately, to the point where I started wondering if it was somehow my fault. After the umpteenth book I’d read and hated, I figured that I’m either becoming too old for YA, or that I read too much (which is a distinct possibility). Wander Dust helped me realize where the blame really lies. To all those other young adult paranormal novels, I can finally say: It’s not me, it’s you.

Wander Dust is not without problems or without clichés, but all things considered, it certainly stands out in a very, very good way. Time travel plus a prestigious school (think Hex Hall with time travelers instead of witches and shapeshifters) plus a smart heroine and a swoon-worthy hero, extremely good worldbuilding and a great set of secondary characters equal a noteworthy book by anyone’s standards.

As soon as it becomes clear that Seraphina Parrish is not just an ordinary girl, she is sent to the prestigious Washington Square Academy, a boarding school for exceptionally gifted teens such as herself. There she is told that she is a Wanderer, a person with the ability to travel through time, just as her late mother was. She is to be trained and properly educated about the many laws that time travelers need to abide to. She is also introduced to her two other team members, as each team is made of a Wanderer (such as Seraphina), Seer and Protector. Seers have the ability to see the life path of inanimate objects, where they’d been and who they belonged to, which allows Wanderers and the Protectors to use these objects to travel to a specific time and place. Sera’s Seer is a blonde 13-year old girl named Sam, and her Protector is the mysterious boy whose photo she received in the mail while she was still living with her father. His name is Max Bishop and he is, of course, absolutely gorgeous, kind, and well-read. He is also dating another Protector named Perpetua.

In the army of YA heroines I’ve been reading about in the last year or so, Seraphina Parrish is one of the best. She is strong, she is fierce, she has principles she adheres to at all costs, she isn’t prone to rash decisions or self-indulgent behavior, but she also has just enough flaws to make her realistic and identifiable. When it became clear that she’s a Wanderer, she took everything in stride and dealt with it as best as she could. I also liked that she refused any kind of relationship with Bishop because he already had a girlfriend, regardless of how much she was drawn to him or how mean and obnoxious his girlfriend seem to be.

Unlike Sera, Bishop has no flaws that make him more real. I didn’t see him just as Sera’s love interest, but a hero in his own right, and he certainly proved to be worthy of the title. (His only flaw that I can think of is that he ever allowed himself to be in any way associated with a girl named Perpetua.) The only thing I’m still puzzling over is the matter of his photo in Sera’s mail (received long before they met) that was never properly explained, but I’m kind of hoping the sequel will take care of that.

(On a side note, I need to have a serious conversation with my mailman about the stuff he keeps bringing me. Books are fine and all, but I never get pics of mysterious hot guys in my mailbox, which is a damn shame, if you ask me.)


Wander Dust is self-published, but quite frankly, I barely even noticed. The self-publishing industry just keeps throwing surprises at me. Sure, there were a few grammar mistakes (by ‘a few’, I mean five or so, not more), and a spelling error here and there, but nothing that would stop me from thoroughly enjoying the book. I for one am more than willing to forgive such things (in reasonable amounts) as long as the story is good enough to keep me interested from start to finish. This one was that and much more.

Also posted at The Nocturnal Library

Profile Image for Limonessa.
300 reviews520 followers
March 15, 2012
Wander Dust is, in a nutshell, the love child of Jumper and Harry Potter .

This alone should make you dump everything you're reading and make you trigger-happy with your Amazon account. Well, aside from making you swoon just by thinking about Hayden Christensen... but I digress.

This is what I needed to lift me out of my reading slump!
I am in awe of Warren's fertile imagination, her plotting skills and her vivid descriptions. This is an author you definitely want to keep an eye on and I promise her book is certainly worth reading. And it's self-published! This must be the year of the Self-Pubbed Revolution!

The story starts with Seraphina celebrating her 16th birthday, in a restaurant, with her dad and his girlfriend. That's also when strange things start happening to her: candles igniting by themselves even underwater and a dark, dangerous looking lady trying to fry her brain just by looking at her.
When she receives the picture of a handsome guy in the mail and she discovers him stalking her at school, she just knows something's off.
After the umpteenth grounding by her father and a near-breakdown due to what she thinks are hallucinations, her father decides to send her to live with her aunt in Chicago and that's when she begins discovering the truth. Sera can time travel. When she starts attending the prestigious Academy, she learns she is a Wanderer, one-third of a team of time travelers, composed by a Protector and a Seer. But when she realizes that her time traveling abilities might just lead her to her dead mother and help her change the past, trouble is sure to come her way.

Wander Dust is an ambitious book. It deals with time travel, a fact which, in itself, can potentially lead to disaster (as well as turning my brain to a mushy goo by trying to figure out the underlying theory).
If that weren't enough, its world-building is extremely sophisticated: different settings, real life places in which unreal, logic-defying action scenes take place; incredible, steampunk-ish magical inventions and relics which make time traveling possible. I loved it.
Fortunately, Warner delivers on both counts. She keeps her time traveling theory pretty simple, linear and very clear. I didn't have time to ask myself questions "but what if...?" because she'd already given an answer before they could take form in my mind.

Did I already say her world-building is amazing? I felt like a kid in a candy store just by following Seraphina inside the Academy. It occurred to me that I hadn't encountered such a good, imaginative, magic-ridden setting since the time of Harry Potter. The scenes in Venice (a city which I know very well) were accurate, realistic - an brownie points for not throwing at me misspelled, cheesy sentences in Italian. You could see she'd done her research there.

If even THAT weren't enough to convince you to pick up Wander Dust, rest assured this book will leave you breathless. It is so fast-paced, action-packed and full of great adventures you won't even have time to realize you're at the last chapter.
It's got good characters, a swoon-worthy guy and... ALERT! In my opinion, this book wins the Award for Best Kiss of the year, hands down!

I don't mean to be overly gushy and make you think this book is perfect, because it isn't. Like almost every other self-published book out there, it has a few editing issues BUT it's nothing major that a good professional editor could not quickly remedy and anyway, the story is just so good they didn't bother me at all.
It also has its fair share of clichés, in good old tradition of YA tropes. Nevertheless, it manages to be way, way better than a good part of the books I have read this year. This series has much potential I was really blown away.

I really can't wait for the second book to come out!

Also appears at The Nocturnal Library.
Profile Image for Ari.
942 reviews1,347 followers
March 20, 2015
This would make a great movie ;))



When I read a book I usually take some notes, mark some quotes, you know - the usual things you do when you want to remember what the story was about. It's helpful if it takes you long to write the review and you read other books in the meantime.

The problem is that I didn't find anything related to this story - not on my computer or cellphone, not a paper thrown somewhere; so I’ll need to pick up from my memory any information I can (and let’s say, I worry that my memory is not that good these days).

What I mean by this is that I might not do justice to this story, so I’ll start by saying that I liked this book a lot, and if I don’t convince you by end of this review, well, you’ll just have to read this book by yourself and see why do I think this is a such a great read.

I’ll start with the main character - Seraphina is another strong character I came across.. These days the book world has gathered many of them and I enjoy it enormously.
She has some parental issues with her mother being gone for many years and her dad not paying any attention to her, but that’s the least of her problems.
When she starts having visions of someone burning her mind she starts to think that she is going crazy. It doesn’t help that the Earth tries to ‘eat’ her alive and ‘spits’ her in another place and time, and it doesn’t help that some guys are following her and they seem to try to kill her.



The only thing that makes her feel better is the picture of a boy with beautiful blue eyes that gives her some sort of comfort, making her feel safer. When she moves in with her aunt she tries to have a normal life (a new school, a new city, everything new), but normal it’s a luxury she can’t afford.
Thrown into a magical new world were she finds the mysterious boy from the picture (trying to clue her in as much as he can) and finding more about her capacity of time traveling, her life turns upside down when she realize that she really has a chance to see her mother one more time... and what if she could even save her? The only problem is that the only thought is forbidden, not to mention the actual doing so.

I loved how the future became entwined in the past, and the visual effects of the moment when one could move from a time to another would make for a great movie scene. I could see the Earth crashing on Seraphina the very first time she experienced time traveling even without knowing it, and it reminded me a bit of a scene from the movie Inception. Also the school was described in a way that, as many have said before, will make you think of a modern version of Hogwarts. Another thing that I enjoyed was the 'travel' to Venice for the carnival - there was a sweet romantic scene in there, so you should watch for it.

Only one thing bothered me: the insta-love kind of relationship between Sera and Max. I still wonder how that picture got to Sera, and I still wonder when did he fell in love with her, because even though she liked him from the very beginning, we could see step by step how she started to trust him and then fall in love, but he was quite ‘fond’ of her from the beginning (and it’s not like he could see her in a time-traveling thing, lik eI thought at some point, because he can not time travel – he has another purpose that holds him close to Sera)

Still, I liked the relationships between the characters. If it weren’t for the ‘crazy girlfriend’ wanna be (you will know whom that is when you’ll meet her), everything would have been perfect with that perfect cast thrown in there - good guys, bad guy, I liked them all.

The book leaves us in a bittersweet place, with some things resolved, but with many questions to be answered (about the academy, her mother, the twin, and so on), so if you read this book be sure that you can wait for the next one, because you will want so very much to read it as soon as possible. :”)

Later edit:
I just had to share with you this picture from Michelle's Facebook Page, as it shows how addictive this book is:



Happy midnight reading!

This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
____________________________________________

Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
____________________________________________
Profile Image for Connie Garcia.
176 reviews36 followers
November 29, 2011
This Ebook was lent to my by the Author Michelle Warren. As a Bookreview Blogger I will be on her Book Tour Conniesbookreview.blogspot.com and was lucky to get a ecopy of this book to read and review.

From Goodreads

Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish.

The Lady in Black… burns Sera’s memories.

Unexplainable Premonitions… catapult her to other cities.

The Grungy Gang… wants to kill her.

And a beautiful, mysterious boy… stalks her.

But when Sera moves to Chicago, and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most.

Wander Dust is the breathtaking fantasy that will catapult you through a story of time, adventure, and love.

http://www.wanderdusttrilogy.com



**Review**

Wander Dust took me a while to get into only because my mind was on a different genre and I had to get into the mind set for this story. Once I sat down and started reading Wander Dust I could not put down and finshed the book in 2 days. I very much enjoyed and my heart went out to Sera to see a teen that is looking to her father Ray for the love she doesn't have and when all the weird things start to happen (not going to give out spoilers). Sera is sent to live with her Aunt Mona and starts to attend the same school her mom Eliza went to. For once Sera starts to finally feel excepted for who she is. When Sera start to search for answer to what is going on and why all the weird things are happening to her Sera answers start to realize that her new life is nothing like Sera dream off.

Sera is a very smart 16yr old and knows when something is not what it always seems to be she discovers she more special then anybody else. As a 16 year old Sera is trying to take in all the changes that have happened to her. With the help and love of her Aunt Mona & her team Sera start to search for answers to her questions to who she is what she is. Sera has to learn to start trusting her team and except her help to what happened to her mother and as her questions start being answered. I have alot of respect for Sera there is not alot of kids her age that have the values Sera has and she is forced to choose to save a member of her team or get the answers to what really happened to her mother. Wander Dust is sweet,sad and funny and exciting story that will keep you on your toes and when you start to think you know what is going something else happens. Michelle Warren has brought a different kind of Paranormal story that I have not seen for a while and it is refreshing to read a story that person whatever the age once they start reading it will not put it down. I am glad this is a trilogy because I will be anticipating the next story of Sera & Bishop. Michelle Warren
Profile Image for Liz.
598 reviews632 followers
October 19, 2015


This book is what happens when Jumper and Harry Potter meet. Not, that I did not like it, the book is entertaining, but it could have been better.

A Wanderer, somebody who can travel in time. A Protector, who is watching over the Wanderer. And a Seer, the one who does not time-travel but is the connection with the reality. What a combination.
Sera is a Wanderer, she is quite a typical protagonist who has problems with her new school and new life and who reveals lots of secrets. Sometimes, she kinda annoyed me, but I loved her humour and her thoughts about some of the other characters.
Bishop (awkward name) is the badass-yet-caring guy. From the first meeting you can literally feel the chemistry between Sera and him. He is a bit unusual for a male protagonist, but this is what made me like him so much.
Then, there are the villians of the book. Well, let's be honest: I did not expect such a development.

The last quarter of the book is full of suspence. I loved it!
Some aspects of the book are just a big, unexpected surprise!
Generally, the plot is very good and there is a whole new world to discover.
This is the first book, so many question are still not answered, but I am really looking forward to read the second book!!!
I hope the second book will be more captivating than this one, the story is really worth reading and I do not want to give it up just because it is partly so boring...

Profile Image for Melissa Simmons.
Author 35 books118 followers
April 15, 2012
Wander Dust is the first book in the Seraphina Parrish trilogy by Michelle Warren. I was lucky enough to be given an opportunity by the author to review this book & I’m ordering a physical copy for my bookshelf as soon as I’m done writing this. The story takes place in our modern day world where the Normals (regular people) don’t know about the Wanderers roaming through their lives in the past, present and future. It’s a must read, in my opinion.

The story is told from the point of view of our main character, Seraphina. She is witty, strong, independent and extremely likeable. My very favorite thing about Sera though, is that she’s unique; no cookie cutter heroine here. She very clearly is not a damsel in distress (amen!) and never wants to find herself in a situation where she needs to rely on someone else to save her. She also manages to stay true to herself as a person while still growing where she needs to. Then we have the male lead, Bishop; he is Sera’s Protector and he is something of an enigma throughout the book. Honestly, though, the more you learn about him, the more you just love him.

The story is fast paced from beginning to end and beautifully told. There are no lulls in the plot; it flies right on through without a wasted word. I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book. I simply HAD to know what was going to happen next. The twists in the story really keep you guessing and I will definitely be re-reading this one before too long.
Profile Image for Keertana.
1,141 reviews2,275 followers
July 26, 2017
Wander Dust is a novel that not too many people know of and now I can see why. I think my issues with this book stemmed, not from the book, but from myself. I have read more than my fair share of novels with protagonists performing strange/paranormal acts and then learning that they have magical powers, so I was extremely bored for the first third of this story when Seraphina Parrish goes back and forth in time and fails to realize that she is a time traveler.

Seraphina’s apparent stupidity aside, I just didn’t feel anything for her. This is a character who lost her mother at a young age and whose father is rude, mean, and virtually doesn’t care for her, but I still didn’t care about Seraphina. Somehow, the author failed to make me have that connection with her which I craved and if I don’t feel connected to a character within the first-half of a novel, the chances are slim that we’re really going to connect during the second-half.

Nevertheless, I think Wander Dust has potential and I might have moderately liked it or given it at least 2.5 or 3 Stars if I had finished it through. Its ideas are nothing original and its execution is bland, but non-prolific paranormal/fantasy readers would definitely find something to love within these pages, as would middle-grade readers. For me, however, this book was not.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bella.
531 reviews211 followers
December 17, 2011
Just finished and it was an amazing book. So different form others I have read, and I love the wandering and just the flow of the story. Sera was just too awesome and I loved her character so much. Her story and her journey was a defiantly a page turner and an exciting rind to be on. I cant wait to see what happens to her in the next book and with her and Bishop, thats gong to be an even exciting adventure!! A MUST READ go get ASAP!!!
Profile Image for Anna [Floanne].
627 reviews300 followers
January 1, 2016
1.5 stars

As a premise, I must admit that time traveling and I don't get on very well (as already stated in my review of "The time traveler's wife"). Either the author has been able to build a somehow reliable, logic idea of it (as in Gabaldon's "Outlander" for instance) or I tend to have a hard time imagining the characters disappearing here and popping out of nowhere in another place, at another time. Some of you might object that it's my fault and that I should avoid this kind of books a priori. You're right. Next time I'll try to remember that. Promise. But this book had received so many positive reviews by people whose tastes are usually similar to mine I was sure it would be good.
My feelings towards the storyline were mixed though. Having just finished the awesome, terrific, breathtaking "Daughter of Smoke and Bone" I was therefore perfectly aware of the fact that only few paranormal fantasy books would possibly compete with such a masterpiece. Alas! Now I know that "Wander Dust" isn't one of them.
To motivate my 1.5 stars, I wrote a list of the main issues that made me twitch my nose and narrow my eyebrows so many times I'll have to undergo facial plastic surgery ASAP.

From now on: Spoilers!


To end this long and boring sort of review let me say that this story disappointed me on so many levels I should stay up all night to write them down. I only hope the next book I pick up will be better but I'm sure it won't possibly be worse than this.
Profile Image for Mary.
159 reviews43 followers
December 7, 2011
Great idea, poor execution.

I love anything to do with time travel, so I was excited to read this. Why aren't more teen fantasy novels about time travel? It has so much potential.

Like I said, the idea was fantastic - and original! But the writing just didn't do it for me. I didn't buy the chemistry between the two leads at all, so I didn't care about them together. I didn't buy a lot of Sera's choices in the novel, because her choices were all over the place. And then there was the fact that the book had no direction. It lacked focus, and it didn't have a great main storyline to hook you.

So, sadly, I can't recommend this. I give it two stars for its original use of time travel and for some of its neat plot twists, but that's as far as I can go.
Profile Image for andie z (amzreads).
636 reviews60 followers
December 3, 2011
Read this review and more on my blog From A to Z.


Who doesn’t dream of being able to travel through time? Getting to see historical events firsthand, visiting people long since dead, or even just popping back to see a really great concert one more time. In Wander Dust, Seraphina Parrish not only finds herself taking mysterious uncontrollable trips, but ends up thrown into an entirely new existence of new rules, new friends, and new evil.

Wander Dust is such a fun novel, and the world that Michelle Warren has created is fantastic. Just like the kids in Harry Potter discover a whole new world at Hogwarts, Seraphina finds there’s more to Chicago than she ever thought possible, and exploring it with her is a wonderful journey. (And it really makes me wish there was some fantasy world in my life! How cool would that be?!)

Seraphina is a resourceful heroine who you can’t help but root for, and the supporting characters really make the backdrop of the story, ranging from hilarious to sweet and annoying to just plain evil. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of everybody. There were a couple of times where certain things bothered me (like Sera’s instant connection to a photo of a boy – I am not a huge fan of insta-love), but then things were always eventually explained in a way that made me not annoyed, which I definitely appreciated.

Of course time travel always has the potential to be incredibly confusing and headache-inducing, but the time travel aspect of the novel is done very well and I really enjoyed it. It would have been fun to visit even more places and time periods, but this is the first in a trilogy, so fingers crossed for more adventures in future novels!

With engaging writing that pulls you right in, nonstop action and discoveries, and a fascinating world to explore, Wander Dust is a great start to a thrilling fantasy trilogy. I can’t wait to read more!
Profile Image for Demoiselle Yen.
166 reviews31 followers
December 13, 2011
"I wish you wouldn't have given the sundial bracelet to Terease"

"Why?" I question and press my head onto his chest, pushing my arms back into his open jacket and around his back.

"If I had it to lead me to my deepest desire, I know it would always be a direct path to you."


Okaaaaay, I'm melting with Maxwell Bishop's words!! Haha. I love this book to bits! Although it is somewhat confusing and you have to really imagine a lot of things. As what Mona says "be open-minded". This book is magical!! I wish I can time travel and go to different places and of course, I want a protector too! Heeee. I can't wait for the book two. :D
Profile Image for Lisa.
122 reviews24 followers
November 25, 2011
Ok....I'm not good at reviews so I'm basically gonna talk about how much I LOVED this story!!

I loved everything in the story, from the characters (especially Gabe, Mona & Bishop *swoon*) to the places (Who wouldn't wanna go to a school like that?!?).
It reminded me sooooo much of the Hex Hall books by Rachel Hawkins, which I love, so it became the newest book to join my fave book list =D

Michelle, you have done an amazing job with Wander Dust and I can't wait for book 2.

P.S I want a boyfriend like Bishop <3
Profile Image for Steve.
1,330 reviews
October 19, 2014
I found this book hard to get into, and it wasn't helped by the author explaining things right at the last possible second. The characters seemed completely two-dimensional, only serving to move the plot forward at a snails pace, but not really develop. The chapters were really short, and most of the plot twists were rather predictable, save for the final reveal. I think it's safe to say that I do not feel any need to read more of this series.
Profile Image for Heidi.
1,396 reviews158 followers
January 21, 2013
Three and half stars: An inventive book that features time travel!

Seraphina is stuck in the restaurant with her father and his ridiculous girlfriend. It is her sixteenth birthday, not that anyone seems to notice or care. Her father is too busy flirting to pay attention to her. Seraphina blows out the candles, and then something strange happens. She sees a terrifying women in black leather staring at her threateningly. One of the candles reignites when Sera licks off the frosting. What is happening to her? Things get worse that night when she has a horrifying nightmare that her room is on fire and that the woman in black is there to get her. The next day, Sera receives a picture of a handsome boy in the mail. There is not note or any information on who the boy is and why the photo was sent to her. No matter, staring at his picture makes Sera feel safe. Things settle back to normal and she plods through another week at school. That is until another strange event happens and Sera begins to wonder if she is losing her mind. Soon Sera is shipped off to Chicago to live with her aunt, and she learns that she has special abilities that turns her world upside down. Can Sera learn to harness her new found talents?

What I Liked:
*I am always excited to find an indie gem, and Wander Dust is a wonderful, self published book that is polished, imaginative, unique and worth the read. If you are on the hunt for something fresh and original in the indie market pick this one up. At the time of this review, the ebooks are on Amazon for FREE!
*I enjoyed the complex story line and that it kept me in the dark until at least the mid way point. It is evident that something strange is happening to Sera, but I wasn't expecting such a detailed and inventive plot. This book has danger, mystery, romance and time travel as well as betrayal and some big twists!
*I liked how well the whole time travel concept is laid out in this one. It isn't too complex, and it is different than anything I have encountered before. There are gifted individuals called Wanderers who have the ability to move through time, but in order to do so they must possess an object, called a relic, that directs them to a particular point in history. In order to wander, they must utilize the help of two additional people, their Seer, the one who finds the relics, and the Protector, the individual who helps save them from danger. The time travel is straightforward and doesn't get too weighty.
*I enjoyed that this book features some detailed history and mythology in order to explain time traveling throughout history.
*The romance in this one was a surprise, it kind of creeps up on you and sweeps you off your feet at the end with a big revelation and a sweet kiss. I was a bit frustrated at first with it, but be patient it is worth the wait.
*Finally, I loved that this did not incorporate a dreaded love triangle nor did it have a terrible cliffhanger. It left plenty of lingering questions, but it ended at a good point and I was satisfied with the conclusion.

And The Not So Much:
*It took awhile for me to settle into this one. The beginning is confusing and a bit frustrating as you are thrown into all these strange occurrences and you have not a clue what is going on. At the mid way mark, the answers start coming and once that happens I was engaged in the story.
*There were a few lingering details that were not resolved that bothered me. Who sent the photo to Sera, and why? How did the mysterious stranger get a hold of Sera's bracelet? Why is there hardly any detail on Sera's mother? What happened to her mother?
*I mentioned earlier that at first I was not happy with the way the romance developed in this one, it starts out as what appears to be a one sided crush/attraction and then all of sudden there is a potential kiss out of nowhere and I thought, hold up is this insta love? Then some details are revealed and it makes sense as it moves into the sweet satisfying conclusion. I do wish, though that there was more insight on the other person's feelings.
*I noticed that other reviewers were comparing this book to Harry Potter, but I really don't see the connection. Yes, there is a hidden world, but it involves time travel and not magical witches and wizards. The only similarities are that Sera suddenly finds herself thrust into a secret society when she enrolls into the private boarding school. If you are picking this up expecting something similar to Harry Potter you likely will be disappointed. This book is different and original.
*I did not like Roy, the father. He comes across as callous and uncaring toward his only daughter and he refuses to speak about Sera's mother. Why did he not want to talk about her? Furthermore, I wished that there was steps taken toward a better relationship between the two.

Wander Dust is a creative and imaginative book with lots of intriguing ideas and concepts. If you enjoy books that feature time travel, but don't like them to be too complex, this should be a good read for you. I was pleased to find that this self published book was edited and polished and an all around good read. If you are looking for something fun and unique at a great price, grab this one!

Favorite Quotations:
"I find myself in the most glorious dream. It's night, not a cloud in the sky. A zillion stars trail across the far reaches of the heavens. They kiss the edges of each horizon."
"When my body meets his, I feel his heart beating wildly and out of control with mine. His hand reaches for my face and lightly touches my beauty marks with his thumb."

I purchased a copy of this for review. All opinions are my own.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
Profile Image for Dani.
417 reviews197 followers
December 17, 2011
Seraphina Parrish’s 16th birthday promises to be an extremely underwhelming event, until a mysterious Lady in Black causes her to see and feel things that shouldn’t be possible. Ever since that strange night, Sera’s world has slowly taken a turn for the weird and unexplainable, especially when she realizes that she herself can do the impossible… wander through time. Confused and uncertain of what her ability means and entails, she fears she may be losing her grip on reality. Then her dad, with whom she’s never been particularly close, decides to send her to finish out the school year with her aunt in Chicago. Chicago just may hold the answers she’s looking for, as well as many dangers she never anticipated.


Slightly reminiscent of X-Men, channeling some of the ancient, historically significant feel of Harry Potter but with an interesting Egyptian/Judeo-Christian mythology that’s all her own, Warren has created a fascinating world that exists beneath our very own. In this world, some people are born with super human abilities that allow them to be one of three things: protectors, seers or wanderers. What that entails I’ll leave you, Dear Reader, to discover for yourselves, but I will say that I found the rules of Warren’s universe to be original and creative. The world of the wanderers feels grand in scope, has a good foundational, historical weight to it and an appealing overall aesthetic.


Seraphina. Though she is definitely an independent individual, she’s not really what I’d consider a rebel, despite the lengths she may go to to secure her dad’s attention. I found Sera’s relationship with her dad to be very revealing about her character as a whole, and Warren’s introduction to Sera in the context of her relationship to her dad laid a good foundation as to what she really wants and why she does the things she does. It’s also interesting to see her character develop as she becomes more of her own person and as she finds a place of her own in her new situation in Chicago. While I had a little difficulty pinning down aspects of Sera’s personality, there’s no denying that she’s brave, intelligent, determined, perhaps a bit impulsive and has admirable sense of honor.


Bishop. After her frightening encounter with the Lady in Black on her sixteenth birthday, Sera receives a cryptic envelope with only the photograph of an unknown boy tucked inside. She’s never met him, but she feels an unexplainable instant connection to him. When she discovers the living, breathing version of the boy at her new school in Chicago, she determines to find out more about him. Though Warren keeps him a largely mysterious character in terms of his back story and personal history, she reveals enough about Max Bishop for the reader to know the important aspects of his character – the things that truly matter. Bishop is level-headed, compassionate, also honorable, loyal, a bit on the quiet side and manages to ride that fine line between being protective but not overbearing. All in all, he’s decidedly dreamy, and though he and Sera have this immediate connection, it makes sense within the context of the story – there is a satisfactory reason behind it.


Though I really did enjoy Wander Dust, there are a few things that nagged at me. One in particular being that while the mystery is compelling, Sera makes two specific logical leaps to keep the plot progressing that I just wasn’t able to easily follow. It seemed a bit of a stretch. Also the character of the Lady in Black. I just couldn’t get a bead on her, and maybe I wasn’t supposed to, but I just wish that there had been a bit more development done with her character, mostly because I just wanted to find out more about her and her motivations.


On the other hand, there were certain things I really enjoyed about this story, particularly the clever way that Warren handles certain events, and the reasoning behind why those events occur. I apologize, Dear Reader, that I can’t be anymore specific than that. I also love that the characters in this book travel to different places. Weird personal preference, but I prefer movement in my stories – characters on the move, instead of statically remaining in one place. The climax of this book was also worthy of the build up leading up to it, it was exciting, a bit shocking and forces Sera to make some extremely hard decisions. Maybe I’m just a mean person, but I love when characters I root for get backed into a corner, it’s interesting to see how they’ll react or get out of their circumstances — those situations do a lot for character building. The world building and the potential romance already had me hooked, and these few things are several more big points in Wander Dust’s favor.


Overall, with wonderful characters and a curious underlying mythology, Wander Dust boasts an alluring and mysterious world full of intrigue, romance, danger, betrayal and beauty.
Profile Image for Rashika (is tired).
976 reviews712 followers
November 22, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. My attention was first brought to this book when I was stalking a friend's shelf. The cover grabbed my attention (I'll admit it. I am a complete cover whore) and after reading the synopsis I was further intrigued.

As someone who is somewhat vary of self-published books, I didn't expect much when I divided in, even though I was curious, I went in hoping this wouldn't be a case of 'curiosity killed the cat' and it wasn't. This book was pretty good. It had it's faults, as well as the obvious cliches but it still managed to stand out.

After a couple of incidents, her aunt comes to pick her up and she is sent to a prestigious 'secret' academy. She finds out that she is a wanderer and she is part of a team with a protector and a seer. They all work together to travel through time. Each member has their own talents. A seer, for example, uses their ability to see the timelines of inanimate objects to find appropriate relics that will help the protector and wanderer travel through time. The job of a protector, is obviously to protect the wanderer and the wanderer is the one who has the ability to travel. Sound interesting? Hells yeah. The idea of teams working together to travel through time was really interesting to me.

As someone who is somewhat of a nerd, I can be a little touchy about the idea of time travel so I tend to be very picky but I can say without a doubt Michelle pulled it off. She weaves a believable story and there weren't any holes. You might find yourself wondering what was happening at one moment and later on the book it is explained. She doesn't leave any lose ends. Everything fit together.

The characters were pretty great as well. I had some problems with Sera from time to time but in the end it all worked out, I didn't hate her. She was determined and never let Max (I refuse to call him Bishop) distract her from her goals. She could occasionally be stupid in the way teenagers tend to be but she never went over the top.

And I am happy to say that this book didn't end on a major cliffhanger. Cliffhangers bother me. Unless they are well done, which is so rare that I shouldn't even mention it. It leaves us curious and with questions but it isn't overly dramatic.

I have read the next two books in the series and while those two didn't work out for me I would recommend the first book.


This review has also been posted on my blog
1,578 reviews697 followers
April 19, 2012
Interesting concept of putting people together and having them depend on each. All the talk on Seer/Protector/Wanderer had me curious, but sadly it just took too long before I was more than just flipping pages. The author has a very clear vision of how things are in her world. She takes her time laying down the details, keeping the time travel details/ paranormal elements clear and different enough, so most things did make sense. But something outside the PNR/travel aspect also still dragged WANDER DUST to the point of boring for me. Sadly, even when things did finally get a little more interesting, my enthusiasm had been lost somewhere along the way.

It’s not bad though because Sera is different. She’s her issues but tried to deal. She initially came off as immature: the sad lonely little girl with a father that didn’t get her. But her thoughts on going insane made her slightly more interesting to me. She’s not got her head stuck in the sand, was perfectly aware of how screwed up her father was and how screwed up she could be. But she paid attention.

I was a little more impressed with how her past was weaved into the mystery that surrounded her in her new school. Yet, I was (as usual) frustrated by the closed mouth way a lot of them were. I enjoyed Sam the most (even if Max Bishop is painted as every girl’s dream) because of the absence of the “instant connection” between the two; this, I thought, was more plausible.

So basically the three of them struggling to get to know each other because they had to… was a different way to introduce a would be team of paranormals. That said, there’s little else I could commend in this one. Well, I suppose I should add that the magic, the teachers, and the newness of it all to Sera... felt “very-new-girl –in-new-school” ala Harry Potter. And like I said, the details are there and they explain a lot away, but there was something in the beginning in the manner the details were presented that bored me. The ending saved it for me. I had a hard time getting into it but now that’s it’s over I’m curious about what’s to follow.

3/5
Profile Image for Ashley - The Bookish Brunette.
152 reviews632 followers
December 10, 2011
Seraphina is pretty sure that not making a wish before her candles went out on her sixteenth birthday is a bad omen... I can rationalize this by the fact that the candles almost set her on fire soon after and she sees the Lady in Black the very first time that night!

Happy freaking birthday!

One day after two weeks of horrific nightmares about the Lady in Black stalking her and setting her house on fire... There's an envelope for Seraphina containing nothing but a picture of a boy,

"His eyes were sparkling green, the color of a deep tropical ocean. A nest of thick, dark lashes surrounds them. His gaze speaks to me, even though I don't know him. He's beautiful on so many levels that I wonder if the picture is part of a dream, one infinitely better than what I've been having."

(Her attachment to this picture was haltingly creepy until it was explained LATER and I understood... just saying.)

I was still a bit confused as to what was going ON when things start happening and Sera is sent to live with her Aunt Mona and has to go to "school"... It's impossible to review this book and not give some things away... So I suppose I'll be a spoil sport here, because I'm sleepy and I still feel a bit all over the place!

Time travel... Well, I've never read a time travel book before this one- and honestly, I rather liked it! Max Bishop... Dude, be ready to SWOON, fall down and die happy! He is EPIC hot, sexy and sweet! Seraphina is sassy, funny and borderline ridiculous at times!

SOMETHING about this book just didn't 'click' with me, I can't pinpoint it exactly... It took me two weeks to finish it, even though it was a good read. Wander Dust is humorous, suspenseful, witty and exciting- and duh, has a GORGEOUS cover!!!

This was my favorite quote in the book... but I couldn't seem to stick it in there without going into a HUGE long review, so here you go:

"The first conversation the woman ever initiated with me was about lip gloss. Then she blew me away with her follow up discussion about her collection of garden gnomes." -about her Dad's girlfriend
Profile Image for Melissa.
301 reviews14 followers
April 30, 2013
WOW! Just WOW! This book blew me away! Seriously this book is amazing and takes you on a journey you will never forget. I am still not over the awesomeness of this book and I don't think I will be any time soon. I had been a friend with Michelle on Facebook for sometime and then I got her book as a present, and I was surprised but not really because the cover, and description make you want the book, but the first chapter is likea punch in the gut, but in a good way. Leaving you with questions and wondering what is going on and throughout the book you just want more more more and you can't read fast enough.

I will start with Seraphina -- first off an amazing name to go with an amazing character. I was in love with her from page one and she only got better and better throughout the book. She is scared but fearless, she loves with her whole heart which you see alot but she sets herself apart by giving up the one thing she wanted most for another important thing she wants. She is just amazing, and through out the book she goes through so much and comes out stronger. You see all kinds of sides of her and she shines through out them the good and bad.

Then add in the bad boy from the picture her "stalker" Bishop, hot damn. He is also another amazing character and I fell in love with him when she first got the picture, I thought to myself he's the one for me!!! He is always there for her when she needs him and at first I was like is he the good guy or the bad and then I decided it then it didn't matter he was there for her and I'd take him good or bad. Throughout the story you also see the journey they take together and fall in love with them both even more.

I loved this book and I recommend it to everyone who wants something different in the YA paranormal category :) You would not be disappointed with this book.
Profile Image for Prangon.
144 reviews29 followers
February 29, 2012
Every time I up and go trying to give a little bit of summery about the book that I read, I get side tracked and forget the most important part. What I actually thought of the book. So before I start getting side tracked again let me just say, I really liked it.

I love reading paranormal YA and Wander Dust was an wonderful read with the right amount of para stuffed with some gorgeous science elements.

Now a little bit about the characters, I LOVED the name Seraphina so much that I decided to name my gold fish baby Seraphina. And it response to the name too! It's really very cute. I was talking about my goldfish, if anyone's wondering. Sera was well put together character, acting like the sixteen year old that she is. Trying to get her father's attention by doing the most rebellious things she can come up with. The relationship between the father and her was next to non-existence which lead me to question, if that was her real father. Who knows maybe there is a bigger mystery in there!!

Bishop, I swooned every time I tried picturing him talking in his British accent. le sigh. Bishop's interference in Sera's life at first was questionable. I was confused if this boy was good or evil or in between. His mysterious nature puts an edge at first which he manages to maintain further by talking about his past with Sera. However he proves he is a friend to her, eventually. In other words, he is the perfect romantic boyfriend a sixteen year old girl can only hope for. I would have to say, Bishop is an intriguing character about whom I happen to have basket full of questions.

Wander Dust is the first in The Seraphina Parrish Trilogy. If you are looking for something unique to read, I would definitely recommend you to check this book out.
Profile Image for Tabitha Sue.
4 reviews3 followers
November 16, 2011
I had the pleasure of reading an ARC copy of Wander Dust. Now, Wander Dust is one of my favorite YA stories!!

Seraphina, the main character, is a relatable character. She is strong-willed and intelligent but not perfect. Her family dynamic may seem cliché to some, but the absence of the missing family member is a main part of the story line and pushes the plot along with Sera's search to uncover the mysteries surrounding her. I enjoyed the fast pace of the story, which makes the book a real page-turner. I read it in 24 hours. The author includes interesting examples of how time travel is possible. The explanations are thought-provoking, magical, and immediately give me the sense that the world of Wander Dust could really exist. This story is the perfect mix of fantasy and science fiction. I followed the time travel time line with ease, which was a surprise. Sometimes, in other Time Travel novels, I'm easily lost and have to back track. Without giving too much away, what I enjoyed most is that the students have jobs. While reading, I could see myself taking part in the story. Would I be a Protector, the Wanderer, or the Seer, or just a mundane Normal? In addition, the story has a nice character arc and takes you through a wide range of emotions. I was brought to giggles and tears of excitement in some scenes. And regarding the romance... I will just say this, there is a BOY. So for those of you who LOVE to read about super-hot, mysterious boys, you will absolutely love this book. Bishop is so dreamy!!

I honestly can't wait for the next book!
Profile Image for JenniferJ.
704 reviews82 followers
May 28, 2012
A very addictive book. Didn't want to put it down! The story opens celebrating Seraphina's 16th birthday where the weird things first began happening and continued until her father was convinced he was not giving her the proper care or attention a teen girl needs so he shipped her off to live with her deceased mother's sister where the action really takes off even more!

Sera seems to be a lonely misunderstood teen which really in itself is quite typical of being a teen but once the mysterious things begin happening to her, she finds herself running from people/things she doesn't know of or even know if they are real, her aunt is acting a bit secretive towards her, and this boy keeps following her around like a stalker!

I really loved this book and I am not one who usually cares for time travel but I find it fairly easy for me to keep up here and actually looked forward to the leaps Sera began taking. There really wasn't much romance or anythng like that involved unless you count the sickening mushiness of her dad and his girlfriend at her birthday dinner. (Yucko) It tends to lean more towards Sera unveiling what's happening to her and why however towards the end there are some instances but dont want to get to involved because I dont wanna spoil anything...just know this is a wonderful story full of time travels, mystery, betrayal, and surprises! I am looking forward to book two
Profile Image for CARLA.
995 reviews40 followers
November 3, 2017
You look at the title and think, oh cool, somebody uses dust to travel around. You are WRONG! This book was such a shocking surprise to me. This is the first book in a while that I can 100% give five stars too!

The plot is complex and intriguing, not to mention the world building is absolutely fantastic. This author understands how to truly capture a true readers mind. I see what she wrote in my head. Usually if I can't conjure the place from an authors writings I make up my own in my head, but there was no need in this case because she wrote it so elegantly that I understood completely.

And now on to the characters, Seraphina, or Sera for short has a lot of people interested in her. She is the main character and I love her! She is bright, witty and doesn't overthink things to the point of death. Her emotional strength and perseverence constantly have me cheering.

Bishop, sweet sweet Bishop. too sweet for me but I think just what Sera needs to survive this hellish school. He is smart and always has her back, never wavering in his devotion.

And finally there is Sam, she is too cute for words, the youngest and the most brilliant of the three round out this team. I would love a novella just about her.

Generally I don't like to give the story away in a review, that is just not how I roll. But I can tell you this, if you don't read this series you are sorely missing out my friend.
Profile Image for Jackie -Sated Faery.
285 reviews31 followers
October 3, 2012
Wow! This was a fascinating and unique story! It was impossible to put down! I loved the mystery of Sera trying to figure out what on earth is happening to her or if she might just be going crazy. She is a wonderful & caring person despite living with her emotionless father & moving around a lot. And then there's Bishop, who is absolutely amazing & definitely adds to the mystery as he seems to randomly appear when Sera least expects it. The other characters each add their own flair to the story, too. Especially Gabe who seems to add flair to everything he touches! (Not everyone is so easy to love, though, there's one in particular that will make your skin crawl!) All in all, I absolutely loved this story from beginning to end & can't wait for more!
Profile Image for Jacqueline.
91 reviews28 followers
December 6, 2011
The idea of the novel is actually quite interesting. The author did a great job of creating groups of paranormals that work together in order for their plan to work. Also the idea of a Seer, Protector, and Wanderer are something unheard of in such a cliche genre.

The problem though... Is the story felt half a$$ed! It felt like the author spent too much time attempting to describe the school/what's going on that she completely forgot to include a plot. Basically she put in a very nonsensical climax which I felt was illogical! Hopefully the second one will redeem this because I love the description of their boarding school haha!
Profile Image for Monica.
100 reviews4 followers
January 1, 2012
Cant wait to read the second book in this wonderful trilogy!
I love Seraphina and Bishops relationship... and Sam... she's stubborn but sweet
ANd I can't wait to find what happens to the three wanders and the Underground.
Profile Image for Allison Barnhill.
62 reviews1 follower
November 20, 2011
Amazing! I really couldn't put it down. Loved Sera...the history, mystery, love story...really good! I can't wait for the next book in this series. Michelle, please don't make us wait too long!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.