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The Mapmaker Chronicles #1
Race to the End of the World
A map of the world? Why did the King want that? Everyone knew if you went too far in either direction you'd fall off the edge, into the jaws of Genesi, the fire-breathing dragon.
A reluctant adventurer.
A ship captained by a slave.
A mysterious sea monster.
And a race to the end of the world.
The first thrilling book in The Mapmaker Chronicles.
A reluctant adventurer.
A ship captained by a slave.
A mysterious sea monster.
And a race to the end of the world.
The first thrilling book in The Mapmaker Chronicles.
239 pages, Paperback
First published October 14, 2014
71 people are currently reading
1365 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
June 1, 2021
This book is fantastic! I read it with my nine year old son and we absolutely devoured it! The characters are realistic and unique. The storyline has the right about of adventure without being unbelievable. I found myself often eager to get back to it. Can't wait to read the second one!
September 30, 2016
I read this book with my 11yr old son (taking turns to read a chapter to each other each night). We both really enjoyed the book - the first in a series, with book 2 on order from our local book store.
The adventure story, set in an old world enclosed in ice, really appealed to my son, and I liked the vocabulary and occasional 'old world' terms that led to further discussion as we were reading the book.
We're looking forward to starting book 2 soon!
The adventure story, set in an old world enclosed in ice, really appealed to my son, and I liked the vocabulary and occasional 'old world' terms that led to further discussion as we were reading the book.
We're looking forward to starting book 2 soon!
July 19, 2025
Has room for development and improvement but still features an intriguing storyline....
✏️ Review ✏️
Race to the End of the World didn't hold much appeal for me. I wasn't impressed with the writing style or the characters. The writing style felt nondescript and clichéd many times; and the characters, while exhibiting varied personalities, leaned sorta on the flat side.
I enjoyed the plot the most because it provides for a captivating adventure arc. There are some slower, underdeveloped moments which I didn't care for — partly because the narrative is nonlinear. And while the story does allow for some world building, it's not very detailed (sadly 😥). Hmmm, I probablycriticized critiqued this book enough....
That said, though, Race to the End of the World would make an enjoyable read for those who like clean, middle grade fantasy adventures.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The majority of the plot — makes for an intriguing read of adventure.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The writing style — nondescript and cliched many times.
• The flat depiction of the characters.
• The minimally detailed world building.
• A few underdeveloped, nonlinear portions of the plot.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Yes.*
— To whom? To those who enjoy clean, middle grade fantasy adventures that features an adventurous plot; and if you don't mind minimal world building, a nondescript writing style, and flatter characters.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 2/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 2/5
— 👥 Characters: 2/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
• A few scenes of mild action-adventure violence; contains some mild descriptions of brutality, abuse, and injuries.
— ⚠️ Sexual: 1/5
• Just one mention of a male and female side character being alone together and kissing.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• (None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
✏️ Review ✏️
Race to the End of the World didn't hold much appeal for me. I wasn't impressed with the writing style or the characters. The writing style felt nondescript and clichéd many times; and the characters, while exhibiting varied personalities, leaned sorta on the flat side.
I enjoyed the plot the most because it provides for a captivating adventure arc. There are some slower, underdeveloped moments which I didn't care for — partly because the narrative is nonlinear. And while the story does allow for some world building, it's not very detailed (sadly 😥). Hmmm, I probably
That said, though, Race to the End of the World would make an enjoyable read for those who like clean, middle grade fantasy adventures.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The majority of the plot — makes for an intriguing read of adventure.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The writing style — nondescript and cliched many times.
• The flat depiction of the characters.
• The minimally detailed world building.
• A few underdeveloped, nonlinear portions of the plot.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Yes.*
— To whom? To those who enjoy clean, middle grade fantasy adventures that features an adventurous plot; and if you don't mind minimal world building, a nondescript writing style, and flatter characters.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 2/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 2/5
— 👥 Characters: 2/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
• A few scenes of mild action-adventure violence; contains some mild descriptions of brutality, abuse, and injuries.
— ⚠️ Sexual: 1/5
• Just one mention of a male and female side character being alone together and kissing.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• (None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• (None)
December 9, 2020
My younger brother recommended this series to me, and you may not enjoy it if you are older, like me, but I happened to really enjoy this book and cannot wait to start the second one! It's mostly fast-paced and the characters are all different and portrayed wonderfully. I LOVE the main character! I wish I had his mind ;)
November 23, 2022
So, this is probably a fine book but it is so slow. I thought I'd speed through this middle grade pirate adventure and alas, I did not. It is so painfully adapted for younger audience that I struggled to read it. Like, nothing happened. How? Why was the plot so slow? And the characters so bland and unoriginal. There was nothing special. And maybe that was intentional for readers to insert themselves in the adventure, but as an adult I'm going to pass on this trilogy and just stick it on my classroom shelf.
July 31, 2020
Mostly fluffy adventures on tall ships for kids who like that sort of thing, and a nice respite from pirates (no pirates) for parents who have kids who like that sort of thing. Believable and well-paced. The characters are all pretty interesting except, for some reason, the protagonist. But tolerable. Probably he'll eventually grow on me? He's not bothersome, just, sort of, not there, as though the author is assuming you know what's in her head about her character. Meanwhile I'm invested in every other character's fate. The best bit? The hero our protagonist admires, his captain, is a black man, and is actually fleshed out as a human being and not written as one of the standard good black man roles. I'm keeping a copy of this one around.
November 17, 2025
Very similar to blackthorn key or the false prince
In both genre and writing style
I love this book it’s such a fun pirate style Novel
Would definitely recommend 😁
In both genre and writing style
I love this book it’s such a fun pirate style Novel
Would definitely recommend 😁
February 16, 2016
Such an enjoyable book. Quinn is, as all his brothers know, the 'runt' of the family. Not much use around the farm. But a help to his mam in the kitchen and with the mending. She teaches him other skills too; that of reading. It's a talent none of his brothers share. He also has another talent no one talks about, for fear the superstitious neighbours will turn on him and cast him out of the village. It's an impeccable memory. He only has to see something once or hear it once and it's locked there forever.
When Quinn is offered a chance to take part in the king's competition for a mapmaker, he is ready to turn it down. But even as a competitor, there are strong financial incentives - and his dad needs assistance in a difficult farming time.
Against the odds, Quinn is offered a position as one of the three chosen mapmakers. He is picked from amongst the competitors by Zain, the king's personal slave - and one of the three men sailing ships across the ocean, tasked with mapping the world. If Zain wins the race, he will be set free. But his rivals are vain and ruthless men, seeking glory or power. Yet their ruthlessness pales in comparison to that of the Gelynions whose king is not to be outdone in this map-making business.
Quinn's special skills - and the resourcefulness of his friend, the young serving girl Ash - are sometimes all that stands between the expedition and fatal destruction as they plunge ever northward into silence, ice and treachery.
When Quinn is offered a chance to take part in the king's competition for a mapmaker, he is ready to turn it down. But even as a competitor, there are strong financial incentives - and his dad needs assistance in a difficult farming time.
Against the odds, Quinn is offered a position as one of the three chosen mapmakers. He is picked from amongst the competitors by Zain, the king's personal slave - and one of the three men sailing ships across the ocean, tasked with mapping the world. If Zain wins the race, he will be set free. But his rivals are vain and ruthless men, seeking glory or power. Yet their ruthlessness pales in comparison to that of the Gelynions whose king is not to be outdone in this map-making business.
Quinn's special skills - and the resourcefulness of his friend, the young serving girl Ash - are sometimes all that stands between the expedition and fatal destruction as they plunge ever northward into silence, ice and treachery.
May 11, 2017
I read this aloud to my seven year old and he LOVED it, but better than that, I loved it too!
Easy to read aloud (not all good books are), great storyline, fab characters, kept us both involved till the very end. We can't wait till the next one comes out.
Easy to read aloud (not all good books are), great storyline, fab characters, kept us both involved till the very end. We can't wait till the next one comes out.
August 3, 2019
I loved this book! Lots of action, suspense, and good story line. I bought it for my 3rd graders, but due to its reading level, think it may be better as a class read-aloud. I will definitely be looking into purchasing the next two books to complete the trilogy.
November 1, 2023
Can't wait to read the second one. Very action packed and interesting.
March 14, 2021
A well-paced story that uses some tropes well and not too predictably. Aspects of it are problematic such as Ajax and Quinn try to "protect" Ash and Zain doing the same is normalised. Perhaps more problematic are the portrayal of the "tribal culture" as well as the expansionistic empire that wants maps made (the author note at the end views this as good for humanity in some way). The king's relationship with Zain also bothered me. "More like friends than like master slave" and yet the kind holds his wife and daughter hostage. There are elite men's ideas of being "sporting" in the race and it's pretty awful.
But the story is good. Predictably the school bully is one of the contestants (can't have it all be nice) but he is backgrounded for most of the book. Zain is shown as the only competitor with virtue, setting him up to eventually win but meanwhile there are raider-pirate characters (loosely based on Vikings or Kursi I think), valuable tapestries, herbology, and a really cool narwhal.
I would have absolutely loved this as a kid and I didn't hate it as a 46 year old.
But the story is good. Predictably the school bully is one of the contestants (can't have it all be nice) but he is backgrounded for most of the book. Zain is shown as the only competitor with virtue, setting him up to eventually win but meanwhile there are raider-pirate characters (loosely based on Vikings or Kursi I think), valuable tapestries, herbology, and a really cool narwhal.
I would have absolutely loved this as a kid and I didn't hate it as a 46 year old.
April 3, 2019
The book "The Mapmaker Chronicles: Race to the End of the World" by A.L. Tait a book full of adventures, thrills, and mystery. The book is kind of interesting and once you start reading you might not be able to put it down. A.L. Tait's book is kind of fascinating, Quinn Freeman is the main character, him and his friends go on an adventure to map the Earth for the King.
I gave this book 3 stars because it was interesting and mysterious, it was neat but it got boring at some parts of the story. There are some interesting things in this book I liked and there are other stuff I didn't fully Understand.
The book "The Mapmaker Chronicles: Race to the End of the World" by A.L. Tait is a very appealing book it may seem like an adult book but its not. It is better than most of the books I've read. It's full of adventure, thrills, and Mystery it is one of my favorite books I've read this year. I recommend this book to someone with time to read it and someone who likes thrills, Mystery, and adventure.
I gave this book 3 stars because it was interesting and mysterious, it was neat but it got boring at some parts of the story. There are some interesting things in this book I liked and there are other stuff I didn't fully Understand.
The book "The Mapmaker Chronicles: Race to the End of the World" by A.L. Tait is a very appealing book it may seem like an adult book but its not. It is better than most of the books I've read. It's full of adventure, thrills, and Mystery it is one of my favorite books I've read this year. I recommend this book to someone with time to read it and someone who likes thrills, Mystery, and adventure.
April 19, 2021
Nuotykių knyga vaikams, veiksmas vyksta išgalvotame pasaulyje, sakyčiau kažkiek tapačiame mūsų viduramžiams, galima įžvelgti paraleles su Kristupo Kolumbo kelionėmis. Lengvai skaitosi, veiksmas keičia veiksmą, patiko tiek man, suaugėlei, tiek mano antrokams. Su nekantrumu imsimės antros dalies.
June 6, 2024
We are reading this series aloud as a family. My 3 boys (ages 7 and 10) give it 5 stars. It’s pretty intense. There’s some brutal violence especially towards the end. There’s a lot to talk about as far as overcoming obstacles and persevering through adversity.
June 9, 2018
Recommended by a friend's son. He's right. Need to read the rest of the series to find out what happens.
June 28, 2021
Pre-read for my 9-year-old daughter. An exciting story, that highlights good character traits (bravery, friendship, etc) and calls out bad ones.
January 7, 2022
This is the second time I have read this book and I still found myself finding or noticing things I didn't notice before. This book is about a boy that goes on an amazing race full of challenges and unexpected turns that makes the story even better. I connected with the main character within the first 20 pages and absolutely loved his best friend. This story is an amazing adventure book and I would recommend it to everyone who loves a good adventure.
April 21, 2023
2nd read through- this time aloud to my almost 9 year old. He loved it
May 27, 2022
We needed another series to read aloud after finishing Ranger’s Apprentice and this one was recommended as similar. It is similar—sometimes we actually forgot that we weren’t reading another Ranger/Brotherband book—but it also has its own creative and engaging story. There were several things we weren’t expecting and we are looking forward to the next two books.
September 6, 2020
This is a great book for ages 9-15. Some big words, and big social-emotional concepts, that would be great for them to learn. Bullying, friendship, feeling different, self-confidence issues, open-mindedness, classism.
My favorite quote, “The world’s been here the whole time. Just because we hadn’t left home to find it didn’t meant here was nothing here... Why should the world end at our borders?”
“Er, because until we took this journey, it did.”
“No... what we KNEW about the world ended at our borders. There’s a difference.”
My favorite quote, “The world’s been here the whole time. Just because we hadn’t left home to find it didn’t meant here was nothing here... Why should the world end at our borders?”
“Er, because until we took this journey, it did.”
“No... what we KNEW about the world ended at our borders. There’s a difference.”
December 9, 2014
When you journey into the unknown, you have to confront your fears.
Quinn is no hero. He just happens to have a talent for remembering everything that he gets told or he sees.
The King wants to race against his enemies and be the first to map the world. To do this, he's holding a race.
Quinn gets asked to join the school and have a chance of being the scribe for one of the three explorers in the race. He'd prefer to stay home with his mam, but his family are farmers and money is tight. Just for going to the school, he'll bring home more income than his father would in a year.
Despite his desires to the contrary, the Desolander slave Zain chooses Quinn to be his scribe. As the voyage begins, Zain mentors him and teaches him practical skills like how to fight.
By the end of this book, he's no hero with indomitable confidence. But Quinn has become an adventurer.
Race to the End of the World is an effortless read that speeds along. You can read it fast and it's like watching a movie. Tait uses concrete nouns and action verbs to propel the story forward. The dialogue is fast-paced and free of fluff.
If you loved Stardust, The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, you'll have fun reading this.
Quinn is no hero. He just happens to have a talent for remembering everything that he gets told or he sees.
The King wants to race against his enemies and be the first to map the world. To do this, he's holding a race.
Quinn gets asked to join the school and have a chance of being the scribe for one of the three explorers in the race. He'd prefer to stay home with his mam, but his family are farmers and money is tight. Just for going to the school, he'll bring home more income than his father would in a year.
Despite his desires to the contrary, the Desolander slave Zain chooses Quinn to be his scribe. As the voyage begins, Zain mentors him and teaches him practical skills like how to fight.
By the end of this book, he's no hero with indomitable confidence. But Quinn has become an adventurer.
Race to the End of the World is an effortless read that speeds along. You can read it fast and it's like watching a movie. Tait uses concrete nouns and action verbs to propel the story forward. The dialogue is fast-paced and free of fluff.
If you loved Stardust, The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, you'll have fun reading this.
April 15, 2015
A fabulous adventure story with a hint of fantasy.
I won a copy of this book for my son from the publisher in the Ho Ho Hachette "It's the thought that counts" Christmas Giveaway 2014. I put it up on the shelf for a while, planning to read it to him when he was a little older, but it kept drawing my attention. I decided to give it a try, but after reading it aloud for a few nights, my 6 year old was struggling to understand what was going on. It is aimed at older children and I think he will love it in a couple of years. I was quite caught up in the story by then though, so I kept reading it to myself to see what happened!
The main character, Quinn, is a 14 year old boy with a photographic memory. In a time where there is still debate over whether the world is flat or round, Quinn is chosen to be trained in making maps. He is selected to go on a sea voyage to map the world, racing against two other ships to create the most detailed map, find treasure and return within a year.
I really liked Quinn and the rest of the crew on his ship. There is a great balance of good guys, bad guys and Enemends (a word Quinn made up for enemy friends).
My favourite quote was
I'm looking forward to the next installment.
I won a copy of this book for my son from the publisher in the Ho Ho Hachette "It's the thought that counts" Christmas Giveaway 2014. I put it up on the shelf for a while, planning to read it to him when he was a little older, but it kept drawing my attention. I decided to give it a try, but after reading it aloud for a few nights, my 6 year old was struggling to understand what was going on. It is aimed at older children and I think he will love it in a couple of years. I was quite caught up in the story by then though, so I kept reading it to myself to see what happened!
The main character, Quinn, is a 14 year old boy with a photographic memory. In a time where there is still debate over whether the world is flat or round, Quinn is chosen to be trained in making maps. He is selected to go on a sea voyage to map the world, racing against two other ships to create the most detailed map, find treasure and return within a year.
I really liked Quinn and the rest of the crew on his ship. There is a great balance of good guys, bad guys and Enemends (a word Quinn made up for enemy friends).
My favourite quote was
You cannot change what other people will do. You can only change how you react to those things.
I'm looking forward to the next installment.
May 1, 2015
I absolutely loved this book! In Verdania there is a race to map the world. Our young protagonist Quinn has a special gift and is chosen as the slave, Zain's mapmaker. So begins a journey into uncharted territory. A ripping good yarn with enough knife-wielding baddies to encourage a reluctant reader or two. Bring on number two!
April 25, 2015
A really interesting book, it felt like it was a similar type of story to Pirates of the Caribbean. Really good read! I have a feeling many of my Year 8 students are gong to enjoy it! The story is clear and characters are engaging.
March 6, 2018
A fantastic little read! Quinn proves an interesting protagonist with quite the gift and a cast of fantastic supporting characters make for an enjoyable adventure for our reluctant hero! Curious to see where the next book leads us!
January 9, 2016
A great story with lots of action and likable characters. In a similar vain to Brotherband... Enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the rest of the series...
June 9, 2020
2.5 stars. I read this with my son. It was going in the right direction, but midway we tired of the story and had a hard time finishing it.
January 12, 2021
Very fun book! I love the adventure without the profanity...
December 22, 2020
Like many other books for young readers, this one features a talented youngster whose adventures begin when he is sent to a special school. Unlike many such books, it then skips over his three-month term at the mapmaking school and resumes just as Quinn and nine other boys find out which of them will participate in a race to map the world. Only three ships are competing, so only the best will make the cut. Quinn isn't worried about winning. In fact, he doesn't want to go on the race; he's only come this far because his family needs the money. Also, he has to be careful who finds out about his incredible memory; there are some superstitious people who might confuse that kind of gift with devilry.
In spite of not wanting to win, Quinn does his best. So, of course, he scores a spot on one of the three ships, accompanying an explorer named Zain who is competing in the hope of being freed from slavery. Competing against them are the greatest explorer alive and his mapmaker, the bully who made Quinn's schooling an experience best skipped over; and, on the third ship, a foppish nobleman assisted by Quinn's best friend. Well, second best – his best friend just stows away on the Libertas, then has to pretend to be a boy (which, by the way, she's not) in order to stay on board.
So their voyage is soon underway: a one-year mission to sail around the globe – not everyone believes it's a globe, yet – and bring back the most detailed map and, as a bonus, a little treasure for the king. Winning would mean a fortune for Quinn's whole family, back home on the farm. But the bigger issue may be survival, with an aggressive enemy nation also racing to make the first world map, and hostile natives tending to sacrifice strangers first and ask questions later, and a monster of the deep making occasional, terrifying appearances. Plus, Zain and his crew face betrayal by their own countrymen, storms at sea, a frigid wintery coast, hunger, and other challenges.
Time after time, the boy who was reluctant to go on the trip in the first place proves to be the right kid at the right time, with unexpected resources of courage, intelligence and resilience. Quinn grows the spirit of a true explorer before your eyes, a transformation that helps make this quick, eventful story a delight to read.
This is the first of four "Mapmaker Chronicles," followed by Prionser of the Black Hawk, Breath of the Dragon and Beyond the Edge of the Map. A.L. Tait, also known as Allison Tait, is an Australian author who has also written two "Ateban Cipher" books – The Book of Secrets and The Book of Answers – as well as a mystery titled The Fire Star and a non-fiction book, So You Want to Be a Writer.
In spite of not wanting to win, Quinn does his best. So, of course, he scores a spot on one of the three ships, accompanying an explorer named Zain who is competing in the hope of being freed from slavery. Competing against them are the greatest explorer alive and his mapmaker, the bully who made Quinn's schooling an experience best skipped over; and, on the third ship, a foppish nobleman assisted by Quinn's best friend. Well, second best – his best friend just stows away on the Libertas, then has to pretend to be a boy (which, by the way, she's not) in order to stay on board.
So their voyage is soon underway: a one-year mission to sail around the globe – not everyone believes it's a globe, yet – and bring back the most detailed map and, as a bonus, a little treasure for the king. Winning would mean a fortune for Quinn's whole family, back home on the farm. But the bigger issue may be survival, with an aggressive enemy nation also racing to make the first world map, and hostile natives tending to sacrifice strangers first and ask questions later, and a monster of the deep making occasional, terrifying appearances. Plus, Zain and his crew face betrayal by their own countrymen, storms at sea, a frigid wintery coast, hunger, and other challenges.
Time after time, the boy who was reluctant to go on the trip in the first place proves to be the right kid at the right time, with unexpected resources of courage, intelligence and resilience. Quinn grows the spirit of a true explorer before your eyes, a transformation that helps make this quick, eventful story a delight to read.
This is the first of four "Mapmaker Chronicles," followed by Prionser of the Black Hawk, Breath of the Dragon and Beyond the Edge of the Map. A.L. Tait, also known as Allison Tait, is an Australian author who has also written two "Ateban Cipher" books – The Book of Secrets and The Book of Answers – as well as a mystery titled The Fire Star and a non-fiction book, So You Want to Be a Writer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews