The Wayfinder

by Darcy Pattison

Young Winchal Eldras is a Wayfinder, one of the gifted few of G'il Rim who have the ability to locate anything: a lost ring, the way home, a blue dress in the marketplace, a lost child. "Finding" is a valuable talent in this city that sits dangerously close to the Rift, a mysterious, unexplored chasm. When the Rift claims his little sister in a bizarre accident, though, Win is reduced to a Wayfinder who's lost his way.But suddenly there's no time for grief--the plague has come to the Heartland. And only healing water from the Well of Life, on the other side of the Rift, can stop it. A prophecy commands that Win must make the terrible journey to seek the Well. But no one has ever braved the dangers of the Rift and returned to tell about it! To make matters worse, Win suddenly has a traveling companion in Lady Kala, a prized-and royally stubborn--Tazi hound with a few gifts of her own. A Wayfinder with no direction can't possibly manage this imperious creature from the King's kennels, much less save a civilization on the edge of destruction.

Or can he?

Genres: Fantasy

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 2000

About the author

DARCY PATTISON (www.darcypattison.com) is published in ten languages.

Children’s book author Darcy Pattison writes award-winning fiction and non-fiction books for children. Her works have received starred PW, Kirkus, and BCCB reviews. Awards include the Irma Black Honor award, five NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books, Eureka! Nonfiction Honor book, Junior Library Guild selections, and NCTE Notable Children’s Book in Language Arts. She’s the 2007 recipient of the Arkansas Governor’s Arts Award for Individual Artist for her work in children’s literature.

Reviews

[Melanie Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most prestigious trade in G'il Rim is that of a Wayfinder. A good finder can locate a place, a person, an object - anything. Win sets out where few have ventured before to find a cure for the plague and his lost little sister. I rate this random read three eagles. 🦅🦅🦅

[Emma]

of all the books I read as a very young child, maybe this is the one that has stuck with me the most??

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are those in G’il Rim who are born with the ability to find things- anything or anyone you might be looking for. Called Wayfinders, they are an important guild that assists the people of the city, especially during the wet season when a dense fog envelops the city and makes it impossible to navigate. Win is a gifted young apprentice Wayfinder, hoping to soon finish his apprenticeship.

Everything appears to be working in his favor until tragedy strikes and Win blames himself. Win determines to never use his finding ability again, but fate has something else in mind. The plague arrives in G’il Rim, and only one cure exists. A man instructs that a Wayfinder must venture into the Rift, a chasm bordering their land, and selects Win for the task. Win goes on an adventure that will not only heal the land, but hopefully bring some peace to him as well.

The Wayfinder was a good read! The coming of age story is reminiscent of popular young adult works such as Lowry’s The Giver or Spinelli’s Wringer. The book has strong fantasy influences, existing in a pseudo-medieval land governed by a monarchy and full of magic in the form of talking animals and healing waters. Pattinson doesn’t flood the story with descriptive details, building enough of a setting for the reader to visualize the lay of the land but leaving a large amount up to the reader’s imagination. This may work well for younger readers who would grow easily bored with too much detail, but I occasionally found it difficult to visualize the appearance of a location or a character.

The primary characters or Win and his canine companion, Lady Kala, were well developed, although there were some gaps in the story. A bit of background is given on Win’s mother, but Pattison provides little more than a sentence when alluding to Win’s father. Considering the significance of his parentage, I can only hope there will be a sequel which will build on that detail. Otherwise, it seems like a pointless, undeveloped plot device. As with many quests, the tale is built around the hero and his trusted companion, and together they face dangers and trials through which they grow.

I’d recommend this book for anyone looking for a light, quick read (I finished it within a 4 hour flight, so it’s a quick one)! It’s a fun, quick-paced, adventure, written for youngsters but suitable for readers of any age! I’d be interested to see if there will be a sequel. The way this book left off, there’s certainly potential for it. If so, I’ll definitely give it a read!

[Aelvana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Winchal (Wil) is a Wayfinder, someone who can locate people or things magically, and find his way to them. But when an accident claims his younger sister, he's devastated, and goes from one of the most promising apprentices to someone no one will trust. Then a caravan, a quest, a second chance---to go the one place no one ever goes. Deep into the heart of the Rift.

As much as I hate to say it, one character pretty well ruined this for me. The dog. Lady Kala is stuck up and pretentious (as might be expected from a breed practically worshiped), but also practically schizophrenic. She prods Wil mercilessly to continue his quest, and then she's the one wasting time on side trails. She's fiercely loyal to the prince, except when she's not (and not just the wolves; I can understand/admire being tempted). I was actually hoping she wouldn't decide to stay with Wil, because at this point I feel sorry for him having to put up with her. He does a whole lot for her, both through the journey and at the end, but I can't help but see her as more of the liability on the journey. (Also, dogs who fight crocodiles in the water don't end up with dead crocodiles. They're lucky if they end up as live dogs. And despite significance having been given to the croc being albino, nothing is ever mentioned about this again.)

Second, the setting begins well, but doesn't work for me throughout. With Finders being an obvious magical talent, it's a little surprising no other magical talents seem to exist. I get not overloading the story, but it was hard to place what magic is to these people or how it works, especially when the opportunity to contrast it with a different people came along. The second village was of necessity quick and simplified, but I was puzzled that it was only two women fighting for rulership. None of the men wanted to put himself forward as the greatest hunter/future headsman? Given the competitive nature of many men, I find that surprising. (Though many things could have been clearer if the adventure hadn't been hurrying through this---Wil has to get the water and get back in about a week to make things work.) And quite a lot of page space is wasted on a talking lizard that does nothing but taunt and nibble at Wil and Kyla, exposing fears which don't lead to a resolution.

Well, at any rate, this wasn't too bad, but nothing about it made it stand out either---except Kyla being excessively annoying. I rate this book Neutral.

See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

For readers interested in fantasy stories set in worlds with plenty of challenges, the Heartland Tales are a good choice. In The Wayfinder, a young man with the skill of finding locations and guiding others to them suffers a tragic loss that shakes his confidence. But when a plague comes to his town along with word that it is spreading throughout the Heartland, Winchal must leave the safety of his home and travel down into the Rift to find a cure. The only person known to have survived such a trip is his mother, although he has always thought that was a legend. Together with a Tazi, a special gazehound that communicate with him, Win takes on the quest - hoping to find a cure for the plague and perhaps a remedy for his own pain.

The setting has a variety of locations that offer different challenges. The characters are a mix of ages, genders, and dispositions. There is contrast between the townsfolk and the people that Win encounters in the Rift. The abilities of the wayfinders, the gazehound, and the hunters and beasts they come across all take the story out of the everyday. Besides the quest, this is also a coming of age story. Winchal is on the verge of moving from apprentice to full member of his trade, he is also moving from the care of his parents to being independent, and learning to accept his great loss in and move on with his life.

Recommended for YA readers who enjoy fantasy adventure. I read a copy provided by the publisher for review purposes.

[Emi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wayfinder is a fast-paced high fantasy novel, written in the tradition of journey-based fantasy classics like Lord of the Rings. I was surprised how quickly I was able to accept the world and the type of magic it supports. Though the concept of guiding magic is simple, the world building is so convincing (without pages and pages of boring description) that I wonder why no one has done it before. Win himself was an unusual sort of hero, weighed down by loss and guilt with a perspective that I could understand and sympathize with.

Despite the grief, Win’s adventure of self-discovery to overcome said burden is action packed and exciting all the way up until the very end (in between one-eyed giant eagles, killer crocodiles, and killer wolf tribes, how could it not be?). It was the story about a boy and his companion, learning to trust themselves and each other. Even though it was over sooner than I had hoped for (I easily finished it one sitting), it felt completed, with an ending that left me satisfied, morally uplifted, and ready for a sequel. The Wayfinder is one of those books that shouldn’t be overlooked!

For the original review, and others like it, please visit my blog:
http://oktopusink.blogspot.com/2011/0...
Thanks! :)

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unexplained setting of disorienting "fog" requiring Wayfinders? Wanted almost all characters to be more likeable, though this indicates depth. Early in plot, protagonist bears guilt from sibling's unexpected tragedy, though mother seems to understand loss of "hatchling." Quest seems a bit implausible, as it seems predators would scent prey better. Wolf Tribe leaders need more definition. Adds up to too many flaws in a short read.

[Ilse · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've ever read. I enjoyed the world, the character development, the plot, everything! I think I would have liked it to have a sequel or be a series, but it is awesome just as it is.