The Water Travelers: Heir of the Unknown is book 1 of a new Young Adult Fantasy series called The Water Travelers by Daniel Waltz.

Synopsis:
The people of Upitar have the ability to go back forth between their world and Earth, through water. Aaron Archien is the heir to the throne of Upitar, and before his father feels he is ready to become king, he is given one last task: go to Earth, find the daughter of Michael Harper, bring her to Upitar, and kill her. The girl, Madalyne Harper, was prophesied about long ago to destroy the waterways, thus ending the world of Upitar. Although against the idea of taking an innocent life, Aaron agrees to do it for the sake of his people. But, upon going to Earth, he unknowingly meets Madalyne and they fall in love before their fates become known.

Now, before I start this review I should point out that this is definitely a different kind of novel to the type i usually read. I don’t often read YA novels – although when I do I usually really enjoy them so I should read more really!- and fantasy isn’t a genre I tend to read a great deal either. Because of this, I was really intrigued to start The Water Travelers and see what I thought of it.
The novel uses quite simple language and is fairly easy to read and follow. There are quite a few characters introduced, but it’s easy enough to differentiate between them as they’re all quite unique. I really liked the two main characters, Aaron and Madalyne (Madi), although at first I thought Madi might be a bit annoying. As the book went on, however, she developed into a likeable, pleasant character who was very brave, considering she was being brought into a new world that she’d never experienced. In contrast, Aaron was portrayed as a confident, quick-thinking, skilled adventurer, but I liked that he wasn’t always 100% sure of himself. There were times when he seemed a little unsure or afraid, and that just made him appear more human.
I did feel that some of the story was quite predictable, and sometimes over-explained things more than necessary. I also feel that there were a few clichés that didn’t appeal to me as a reader as much, but would probably appeal to a YA audience more, which makes sense. However the world which Daniel Waltz has created, along with its characters, really draws you in as the story advances. In my opinion there is a great mix of action and dialogue which didn’t leave me bored or uninterested. It starts a little slow but soon picks up the pace and moves along at just the right speed until the end where you’re left with an interesting revelation that left me wishing I already had book 2, The Water Travelers: The Curse of Senapin! Book 2 promises to be darker and a bit longer, and will introduce us to more characters and more secrets! The Curse of Senapin is out now in digital and paperback formats.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA fiction and fancies starting a new, easy-to-read fantasy series.
Rating: 3.5/5

Check out Daniel Waltz’s blog for more information about upcoming releases!
Many thanks to the author for providing a copy of this novel in return for an honest review!