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Wander: A Rucksack Universe Novel
No friends, no texts, no nothing. In Morocco, Wander just wants a solitary birthday walk. Instead, two strange trees lead the lone traveler to the ultimate journey. Marooned in a scarred world both different and familiar, Wander tries to make sense of an Ireland that has no Internet or Guinness, but abounds with odd companions. Wander falls in with Awen, a mysterious old woman, and Faddah Rucksack, a bewildering ragged man. He's as out of place as Wander but must confront past mistakes and a shadow threatening the future. The unlikely trio undertakes a difficult adventure of the road—and the heart. Their only path is a place none the Black Road that remains after a world-altering catastrophe. From a surprise in the Irish Sea to England's Black Cliffs of Dover, Wander confronts the promise and peril of seeking home when your heart is caught between two worlds. The Rucksack Universe series combines alternate history, speculative fiction, myth, adventure, globetrotting, and intrigue—all with well-poured pints of beer. Library Journal says Anthony St. Clair’s storytelling has "universe building reminiscent of Terry Pratchett,” and readers say they love the Rucksack Universe's unique combination of "quirk, wit, travel, and magic.”
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2018
7 people want to read
About the author
Anthony St. Clair
31 books57 followersAnthony St. Clair creates compelling fiction and non-fiction for a curious world full of everyday discoveries, endeavors, and surprises. Since 2000 Anthony has worked in online content, and he has been a full-time independent writer since 2011. He is the author of the ongoing Rucksack Universe series; covers craft beer, food, business, entrepreneurship, and more for various publications; and is a copywriter and content manager for select clients. When not at his desk or in his kitchen in Eugene, Oregon, Anthony is on an adventure with his wife, son, and daughter.
Author site: www.anthonystclair.com
Learn more about the Rucksack Universe at www.rucksackuniverse.com
Back Anthony's fiction & non-fiction on Patreon: www.patreon.com/anthonystclair
Author site: www.anthonystclair.com
Learn more about the Rucksack Universe at www.rucksackuniverse.com
Back Anthony's fiction & non-fiction on Patreon: www.patreon.com/anthonystclair
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 19, 2018
(I read an advance copy of this book provided by the author; reading dates are a total guess because I don't remember exactly when I read it.) Another excellent story in the Rucksack Universe!
December 8, 2018
I love the questions this author raises within his characters, or maybe they come up with the inner questions themselves. One of my favorite parts of the novel was related to Wander and the author’s careful writing around Wander’s gender. It was never announced. So Wander truly could’ve been AnyWanderer. Wander is all of us.
April 24, 2020
The Wonder of Wander: A Rucksack Universe Novel!
It's funny how a particular book's single-word title can hook you suffuciently that you just have to read it. That's exactly what happened to me when I saw the title Wander: A Rucksack Universe Novel on the cover of this novel by Anthony St. Clair. Perhaps this title really got to me because, more than once in my life, I have been a wanderer.
A wanderer is a very specific kind of traveler. A wanderer is one who does not necessarily have a plan, a specific reason for going somewhere, or any target destination. A wanderer probably is not tightly bound by time or schedule. A wanderer may approach an intersection without knowing whether to turn right, left, or go straight. A wanderer may enter a path with no idea of where it leads. Wandering often leads to some sort of adventure. It can take you to the unsuspected, the unusual, the dangerous, the miraculous, or even the boring old mundane.
So, author Anthony St. Clair dropped a tiny sparkling hook in front of my nose and I bit hard!
When I review books, I do my very best to avoid revealing "spoilers," so you will not find plot details here. What I can say is that the protagonist, self-named "Wander," indeed goes wandering. In the process he meets a variety of amazing characters that have been masterfully brought to literary life by a fine and sensitive author. Wander goes through places he certainly did not expect. He experiences a full range of well-described human emotions while encountering challenges and trials that will keep you fully engaged as you read St. Clair's beautiful prose. There is an abundance of love and light in this book. And wonder.
So, count me happy that the title, Wander: A Rucksack Universe Novel, made me go for St. Clair's hook! I encourage you to read about Wander's journey for yourself.
Strongly recommended!
It's funny how a particular book's single-word title can hook you suffuciently that you just have to read it. That's exactly what happened to me when I saw the title Wander: A Rucksack Universe Novel on the cover of this novel by Anthony St. Clair. Perhaps this title really got to me because, more than once in my life, I have been a wanderer.
A wanderer is a very specific kind of traveler. A wanderer is one who does not necessarily have a plan, a specific reason for going somewhere, or any target destination. A wanderer probably is not tightly bound by time or schedule. A wanderer may approach an intersection without knowing whether to turn right, left, or go straight. A wanderer may enter a path with no idea of where it leads. Wandering often leads to some sort of adventure. It can take you to the unsuspected, the unusual, the dangerous, the miraculous, or even the boring old mundane.
So, author Anthony St. Clair dropped a tiny sparkling hook in front of my nose and I bit hard!
When I review books, I do my very best to avoid revealing "spoilers," so you will not find plot details here. What I can say is that the protagonist, self-named "Wander," indeed goes wandering. In the process he meets a variety of amazing characters that have been masterfully brought to literary life by a fine and sensitive author. Wander goes through places he certainly did not expect. He experiences a full range of well-described human emotions while encountering challenges and trials that will keep you fully engaged as you read St. Clair's beautiful prose. There is an abundance of love and light in this book. And wonder.
So, count me happy that the title, Wander: A Rucksack Universe Novel, made me go for St. Clair's hook! I encourage you to read about Wander's journey for yourself.
Strongly recommended!
December 5, 2018
Are you a wanderer? Do you yearn to see where the road leads? This newest tale set in St Clair's Rucksack Universe shares the journey of three unlikely travelers. They set out upon the Black Road to explore and understand a world both different and familiar to the one they knew. With each step they face the choices of their pasts and future. In this tale, Wander, Rucksack, and Awen discover how their intertwined decisions and destiny shape their path.
We first meet Wander in a familiar world on a day that often arrives with expectations. After meeting the emptiness, Wander's path takes an unexpected twist into the world of Rucksack and Awen, one both familiar and strange. As the trio journeys along the Black Road, each choice they make and step they take shapes their world.
We first meet Wander in a familiar world on a day that often arrives with expectations. After meeting the emptiness, Wander's path takes an unexpected twist into the world of Rucksack and Awen, one both familiar and strange. As the trio journeys along the Black Road, each choice they make and step they take shapes their world.
March 19, 2020
That was a sweet yet shadowed book; I enjoyed reading about Wander and his travels.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews