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Walker
Hidden temples have always protected the Earth. But now they are dying. Concrete is spreading over the valleys, pollution hangs heavy over the cities: greed is consuming the world.
Deep in the heart of England, there is one last hope. Kitnor, a remote Exmoor valley, could be a new place of power. But it is young and vulnerable to attack. The guardians, ancient keepers of the land, have to find the new temple and bring it to its full power. But their mission is failing and time is running out.
One teen, Hunter McKenzie, survivor of the car crash that killed his parents, is a shaman, a walker between worlds. He alone could find Kitnor. But Hunter doesn’t know his power. He doesn’t believe in shamanism. He doesn’t even believe in himself.
Help comes from unexpected quarters. Rowan is another teen shaman with her own ‘power animal’, a black panther called Comer. Rowan, however, has her own problems, her own potentially fatal Achilles’ heel.
Hunter meets many strange beings on his quest – the Ferish (cruel fairies who hate humankind); the punkies (souls of dead babies and young children); ancient warriors, Tibetan lamas and, above all, his own powerful animal spirits. Some will help, some hinder. Some are not what they seem.
Walker is a magical eco-quest. It is based on the ancient practice of shamanism, in which the shaman ‘journeys’ into other realms with the help of power animals and guardian spirits, to find wisdom and power. Shamanism holds the earth and all its creatures as sacred – the shaman’s duty is to protect the earth and honour everything in it.
While the story of Walker is pure fiction, the shamanic practices used in the tale are all based on fact.
Deep in the heart of England, there is one last hope. Kitnor, a remote Exmoor valley, could be a new place of power. But it is young and vulnerable to attack. The guardians, ancient keepers of the land, have to find the new temple and bring it to its full power. But their mission is failing and time is running out.
One teen, Hunter McKenzie, survivor of the car crash that killed his parents, is a shaman, a walker between worlds. He alone could find Kitnor. But Hunter doesn’t know his power. He doesn’t believe in shamanism. He doesn’t even believe in himself.
Help comes from unexpected quarters. Rowan is another teen shaman with her own ‘power animal’, a black panther called Comer. Rowan, however, has her own problems, her own potentially fatal Achilles’ heel.
Hunter meets many strange beings on his quest – the Ferish (cruel fairies who hate humankind); the punkies (souls of dead babies and young children); ancient warriors, Tibetan lamas and, above all, his own powerful animal spirits. Some will help, some hinder. Some are not what they seem.
Walker is a magical eco-quest. It is based on the ancient practice of shamanism, in which the shaman ‘journeys’ into other realms with the help of power animals and guardian spirits, to find wisdom and power. Shamanism holds the earth and all its creatures as sacred – the shaman’s duty is to protect the earth and honour everything in it.
While the story of Walker is pure fiction, the shamanic practices used in the tale are all based on fact.
- GenresYoung Adult
221 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2011
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Jane Alexander
87 books79 followersI am the author of over twenty books on natural health, holistic living and spirituality. I am passionate about seasonal living, fitness, yoga, meditation, dreamwork and shamanism.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 10, 2011
It's rare to read a book that combines knowledgeable information about spiritual subject matter with a gripping story. They can end up preachy or plain boring. This is neither.
Hunter McKenzie is a boy lost. Then he loses everything in a terrible accident, during which he dies and then, by some inexplicable miracle, comes back to life. Losing everything brings him from his home in America to his Grandmother's house in Exmoor, where he finds that he'd lost far more than he ever dreamed. The knowledge that he is born to be a shaman, a walker between the worlds, and a vital training that might have made him equal to the terrifying task ahead.
Hunter's character is beautifully rounded and his journey as he meets a new kind of life and discovers a new way of being is engrossing, intense and emotionally compelling. The wonderful cast of Ferish (Jane's truly different and fabulous take on fairies), Punkies, spirit guides, deer and, of course, the shamans he meets - Rowan, who guides him, Ruth, his Grandmother, the delightful Mr Twitchen - fill the book with life, personality and depth. But, most surprisingly, it is the landscape which comprises the most compelling character in the book. Richly described, lovingly portrayed, vibrant and all-encompassing, it floods the story with an extra depth of beauty and meaning.
The stakes are high, the solutions never easily achieved and the tension remains acute throughout. Despite all the out of body shamanic travelling and the liberties taken with the notion of shape-shifting, I did not at any point feel my disbelief was failing to suspend on any of the books spiritual aspects, indeed they only added to my delight. I will say that I would have liked to have seen more of Ruth, to my mind she disappeared from the story a bit suddenly, and I felt that her often irritable treatment of Hunter was a tiny bit overstated. Secondly I thought the transformation made by Rowan toward the end needed just a little more, only a dab mind, to root it in reality, I liked her character arc before that moment and from that moment onward but I felt that, even though the circumstance of her change was realistic, it needed extending a little, to have her fight a little more, mainly because of who she is in the book and how she's portrayed. But those are minor issues and did not spoil my enjoyment of the story at all. I probably only noticed them because I'm prone (after University and much writing myself) to over-analysing, which is a fault.
I heartily and thoroughly recommend everyone read this book. You will laugh, you will very likely cry, you will feel very deeply the beauty of the earth and the tragedy of our mistreatment of it and you will assuredly enjoy every second of the enchanting and gripping story within its pages.
Hunter McKenzie is a boy lost. Then he loses everything in a terrible accident, during which he dies and then, by some inexplicable miracle, comes back to life. Losing everything brings him from his home in America to his Grandmother's house in Exmoor, where he finds that he'd lost far more than he ever dreamed. The knowledge that he is born to be a shaman, a walker between the worlds, and a vital training that might have made him equal to the terrifying task ahead.
Hunter's character is beautifully rounded and his journey as he meets a new kind of life and discovers a new way of being is engrossing, intense and emotionally compelling. The wonderful cast of Ferish (Jane's truly different and fabulous take on fairies), Punkies, spirit guides, deer and, of course, the shamans he meets - Rowan, who guides him, Ruth, his Grandmother, the delightful Mr Twitchen - fill the book with life, personality and depth. But, most surprisingly, it is the landscape which comprises the most compelling character in the book. Richly described, lovingly portrayed, vibrant and all-encompassing, it floods the story with an extra depth of beauty and meaning.
The stakes are high, the solutions never easily achieved and the tension remains acute throughout. Despite all the out of body shamanic travelling and the liberties taken with the notion of shape-shifting, I did not at any point feel my disbelief was failing to suspend on any of the books spiritual aspects, indeed they only added to my delight. I will say that I would have liked to have seen more of Ruth, to my mind she disappeared from the story a bit suddenly, and I felt that her often irritable treatment of Hunter was a tiny bit overstated. Secondly I thought the transformation made by Rowan toward the end needed just a little more, only a dab mind, to root it in reality, I liked her character arc before that moment and from that moment onward but I felt that, even though the circumstance of her change was realistic, it needed extending a little, to have her fight a little more, mainly because of who she is in the book and how she's portrayed. But those are minor issues and did not spoil my enjoyment of the story at all. I probably only noticed them because I'm prone (after University and much writing myself) to over-analysing, which is a fault.
I heartily and thoroughly recommend everyone read this book. You will laugh, you will very likely cry, you will feel very deeply the beauty of the earth and the tragedy of our mistreatment of it and you will assuredly enjoy every second of the enchanting and gripping story within its pages.
May 16, 2012
This Y/A novel was intriguing in the displacement of the young main character being out of his comfort zone in more ways than one. The description of the settings were superb. I would love to read a continuation of this story.
August 6, 2012
My biggest (and only) complaint about "Walker" is that the story ended far too soon! *grin* Hunter and Rowan quickly became my friends(well, friends of the perpetual teenager that lives inside my head) and I wanted their adventure to continue on. Totally mesmerizing and authentic - I've done a small amount of "walking" myself, and those scenes in particular gave me goosebumps. I hope this is the start of a series!
April 20, 2013
My 15-year-old son is reading this on his kindle and really likes it. It is about a teenage boy whose parents are killed in a car crash and he goes to live with his grandmother who literally lives in another world.
October 13, 2013
If you like fantasy, if you like some ghoulish moments, some touching moments, a good pace throughout and plenty of creatures and interesting beings. If you are interested in walking between plains, shamansim and spirituality, then there is a lot here for the reader. I know Walker is classified as a YA – the MC’s are fifteen - but it is a book for all ages.
I really liked how age-appropriate the dialogue was here. Both Hunter and Rowan spoke like teenagers. For a while the concept that Ruth just took off and left her grandson in a strange place with another fifteen year old boggled my mind but much is explained later. So I was okay with that. I liked the writing style, it was poetic when it needed to be, straightforward when it needed to be, sympathetic and the author obviously believes in the topic with a passion. One last thing, that cover is absolutely beautiful.
Full review at http://greedybugbookreviews.com/walke...
I really liked how age-appropriate the dialogue was here. Both Hunter and Rowan spoke like teenagers. For a while the concept that Ruth just took off and left her grandson in a strange place with another fifteen year old boggled my mind but much is explained later. So I was okay with that. I liked the writing style, it was poetic when it needed to be, straightforward when it needed to be, sympathetic and the author obviously believes in the topic with a passion. One last thing, that cover is absolutely beautiful.
Full review at http://greedybugbookreviews.com/walke...
August 20, 2012
The sense of place in this book is completely charming. The land itself becomes another character, one you care about just as much as the two young heroes. This is an atmospheric read, one full of interest and wonder.
September 2, 2012
a must read - cant wait for the sequel
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews