Scott Chantler’s Wayward Travelers (Squire & Knight #2)
Description
Escorting young Cade to the school of wizardry should be a walk in the woods – easily done … right?
Sir Kelton and his squire have faced their share of challenges. He would recount them to you in grand, extravagant, albeit exaggerated tales, while his squire’s telling would hold true to history, no frills attached.
Now, having charged themselves with bringing Cade to a school that they have never seen but know is there on the map, they meet the unexpected challenges of finding themselves lost in the woods.
With Sir Kelton ever confident they will find the school around the next bend, Squire growing more irritated, and Cade echoing every child’s question of “Are we there yet?”, will they ever even make it?
Disclosure
I borrowed this book for free from our library system, it was provided for my personal use. There was no agreement with the author, publisher, or any third party that I would publish a review. The following review is unsolicited, unbiased, and all opinions are my own.
Review – Spoiler Free
I loved the first in this series, Squire & Knight (read my review here), was thrilled when I saw a second book was slated, and Chantler’s Wayward Travelers did not disappoint. As with Squire & Night, I loved the characters, the honesty, and the humor. Also as with Squire & Knight, I read this with our kids and they loved it too.
The main characters and their group dynamic were well established in Squire & Knight. Here in Wayward Travelers, Chantler quickly reintroduces the dynamic for new readers and then continues further into Squire’s character and background. Very few new characters or worldbuilding lore is introduced, as it is more of a story about the established characters and what drives them.
While Squire & Knight carried themes of assumptions and superstitions, Wayward Travelers carries themes of patience and support. It’s not just a story about Squire and Sir Kelton comedically getting lost in the woods, it’s a story about their relationship getting a little lost in the woods of life.
I love the illustrations, and Chantler uses them, along with his wonderful comedic timing, to balance some of Squire’s moodier moments. With a frame that carries only a character’s facial expression or a page that recounts many a parents’ feelings during a long road trip, Chantler has laced the pages with beats of levity that make a great story all that much better.
Wayward Travelers is a fun read with plenty of mirth dancing around some life lessons. With a few flashback scenes that could be confusing, the story did slow a bit at points, but was generally easy to follow and it held attention through to the end.
Overall, I really likes Chantler’s Wayward Travelers. I would recommend it to those who have already read book 1, Squire & Knight (read my review here). While the story would still be enjoyable, readers who start the series with Wayward Travelers may not like the characters as much since it deals more with some of the characters’ weaknesses. I would recommend the series to anyone who enjoys fantasy and graphic novels. I love this series so far and will definitely be finding it a home on my bookshelf.
Quote
“Be humble. Do not lose yourself.”
Queen Marley (Wayward Travelers, Scott Chantler)
Ratings
- Quality of Writing – 4
- Plot – 4
- World Building – 5
- Characters – 5
- Ease of Reading – 4
- Pictures/ Illustrations – 5
- Overall Enjoyment – 4
- Final Rating – 4.5 (Actual: 4.4) – Really Liked It / It Was Amazing
Want to learn more about the numbers I use for rating, and the qualities I’m thinking about when writing a book review? Check out my post How I Rate and Review.