The Traveler

Edana travels the Six Kingdoms with her faithful horse, Midnight, working as a courier.  One day she stumbles into trouble and gets pulled into the realm of the Fae, where she learns her beloved horse is actually a Pooka – part Elf, part animal – and his Elven form is quite handsome!  Edana also discovers that she is the daughter of the Elven Mistress of Night and a Fire Elemental, two very powerful beings.  As a result, Edana is in possession of a unique set of magical powers and she needs to learn how to control them quickly, for she is the only person with any hope of defeating the madwoman who is killing entire races of Fae.  Oh yeah – that madwoman happens to be her mother.

If the plot didn’t revolve around a jilted lover, this would be a perfect read for middle school.  Characters are straightforward and uncomplicated, world-building is simple – almost cartoonish – and the romance is minimal.  This would be a good fantasy recommendation for a reluctant teen reader or an adult with a lower reading level.  There’s not much depth, and the author does a lot of telling  how the characters feel instead of showing us, so readers looking for a more intricate adventure will need to look elsewhere.  However, this title has taken a familiar storyline and given it a unique spin using fantasy roles that have not been overdone in recent blockbusters.  

Leslie Stokes