The Wayfinder: A Heartland Tale

This book hooked me right away and I read it straight through. It's true I'm not a kid, but I think that most kids would enjoy it. I especially think it would be good for reluctant readers because the pace and excitement are high and fast. I too hope for more about these two or other Wayfinders.

A thoughtful and unique fantasy, well-crafted and enjoyable to curl up with. I only hope that Ms. Pattison writes more in future...Hero Winchal Eldras, in the fantasy land of G'il Rim, is scarred by the untimely death of his little sister, when she wanders too close to the Rift and falls in. As his fear of heights caused him to hesitate at the last moment, he blames himself and locks himself away. But Winchal is not just a boy, he is a Wayfinder, part of a special group that has the ability to find ANYTHING and ANYONE.But he is drawn out of his unhappy solitude when Prince Reynard arrives at his home, searching for a Wayfinder who could end a plague by going to the Well of Life. With the prince comes a telepathic Tazi hound named Lady Kala, who has never before endured the dangers that will confront both of the questers on their journey.As uninspired as the cover is, the story itself is rich and unique. The concept of Wayfinder is intriguing, one of those It's-so-obvious-why-hasn't-someone-thought-of-it-before?, and seems to fit quite nicely with the almost alien surroundings. The writing style is a little better than usual, not as descriptive as I like but not too stark.Both Winchal and Lady Kala are nicely drawn, good in their dialogue and good foils for each other. Winchal in particular was deeply written, with his guilt about his younger sister and how he dealt with that deep-rooted fear.I hope that this isn't the only book to be written about this unique duo!