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A review by tahernandez
The Traveler by E.B. Dawson
4.0
3.5/5 stars
The Traveler is a thoughtful story that draws some insightful parallels to our own world. It’s also not quite what you might expect from a fantasy novel, but that’s what makes it so refreshing. The story takes place in two different worlds, and protagonist Anissa has to navigate each one as she tries to find her place. Riyen is a world of structure, technology, and multi-storied buildings – a world very reminiscent of our own modern era but with a bit more of a dystopic edge. Then there’s Angapo, a lush, vibrant world made up of smaller villages whose people live a very different lifestyle from those in Riyen. When a connection is discovered between these two worlds, it isn’t long before the elite of Riyen begin exploiting that connection for their own personal gain (because of course they do), threatening the Angapoans established way of life.
I really loved some of the themes and ideas that were explored in this book. In the author’s note at the end, Dawson says she hopes The Traveler “makes you think about your place in the world,” and that’s exactly what it does. Writing issues like this and the politics that surround them into a story can be challenging, but Dawson handles the task well, clearly demonstrating how we are all connected to each other and that all actions have consequences, both intended and unintended.
I liked the characters for the most part, but to be perfectly honest, I had a bit of a hard time really connecting with any of them. The point of view didn’t work for me consistently (and this is something I am admittedly super picky about), and that made it difficult at times to really get immersed in the story. I also wished there had been some more showing rather than telling, particularly when it came to character’s emotions and internal conflicts. Especially for Anissa. This seemed to be a bigger issue earlier on in the story, and I did notice Anissa and the other characters starting to resonate with me more during the last 1/3 of the book or so. There were also a few moments that broke my suspension of disbelief.
Despite these issues, I really enjoyed the premise of the story and seeing the characters navigate all of the new challenges that were thrown at them. I found the character’s dialogue and the author’s descriptions of settings to be some of the best and most skillfully-written parts of the book. It will be interesting to see how things play out for Riyen, Angapo, and the people inhabiting them throughout the rest of the series. I’ll look forward to reading more.
The Traveler is a thoughtful story that draws some insightful parallels to our own world. It’s also not quite what you might expect from a fantasy novel, but that’s what makes it so refreshing. The story takes place in two different worlds, and protagonist Anissa has to navigate each one as she tries to find her place. Riyen is a world of structure, technology, and multi-storied buildings – a world very reminiscent of our own modern era but with a bit more of a dystopic edge. Then there’s Angapo, a lush, vibrant world made up of smaller villages whose people live a very different lifestyle from those in Riyen. When a connection is discovered between these two worlds, it isn’t long before the elite of Riyen begin exploiting that connection for their own personal gain (because of course they do), threatening the Angapoans established way of life.
I really loved some of the themes and ideas that were explored in this book. In the author’s note at the end, Dawson says she hopes The Traveler “makes you think about your place in the world,” and that’s exactly what it does. Writing issues like this and the politics that surround them into a story can be challenging, but Dawson handles the task well, clearly demonstrating how we are all connected to each other and that all actions have consequences, both intended and unintended.
I liked the characters for the most part, but to be perfectly honest, I had a bit of a hard time really connecting with any of them. The point of view didn’t work for me consistently (and this is something I am admittedly super picky about), and that made it difficult at times to really get immersed in the story. I also wished there had been some more showing rather than telling, particularly when it came to character’s emotions and internal conflicts. Especially for Anissa. This seemed to be a bigger issue earlier on in the story, and I did notice Anissa and the other characters starting to resonate with me more during the last 1/3 of the book or so. There were also a few moments that broke my suspension of disbelief.
Despite these issues, I really enjoyed the premise of the story and seeing the characters navigate all of the new challenges that were thrown at them. I found the character’s dialogue and the author’s descriptions of settings to be some of the best and most skillfully-written parts of the book. It will be interesting to see how things play out for Riyen, Angapo, and the people inhabiting them throughout the rest of the series. I’ll look forward to reading more.