Fantasy Western + Romance, and More

Normally, I would post a photo of my own copy of the book I’m reviewing. This is not a photo of my book. As you can imagine from the following review, my book has folded corners, a few scrapes across the front, and a few crumpled pages from water dripping onto them. It is well-loved copy.

Travel by Star is a compelling fantasy western that tells the story of one man and one woman’s journey to find hope on a planet poised to fall apart. They face ravaging wolves, mysterious ancient evils, and vengeful enemies as they make their way to a city only known in legend, unaware that every road brings them closer to their people’s redemption.

This review contains minor spoilers.

A Fallen City

What we know and what we don’t know about the setting of Travel by Star makes the story all the more interesting. What we know is that the story takes place on a planet that is not Earth. This is obvious as we discover that certain people on this planet have special abilities and used to be governed by the beautiful city of Archewood, from which knowledge, craftsmanship, and goodness flowed. Archewood’s work adorns the towns that Travel and Nichole visit, although much of the world has fallen into darkness and disrepair. By the end of the book, however, we discover that Travel’s planet and our planet have important ties with each other, which change the course of both our worlds.

Travel and Nichole spend the book moving from town to town, trying to get back to Archewood. They fight enemies along the way, discover new allies, and also experience times of rest. If you appreciate Tom Bombadil, Rivendell, and the Hermit of the Southern March, you especially will find these places of rest to be essential and lovely parts of the story. Despite the intense situations Travel and Nichole encounter, the whole book has a sense of magic about it. People and places are not what they seem to be, and I enjoyed how bit by bit Grill reveals the significance of his characters and settings.

More, But Not Less, than a Western

Travel by Star is described as a fantasy western. Travel carries a rifle with him throughout the story and rarely goes anywhere without his Vale horse Bracken. Nichole needs no weapon, and builds a lasting relationship with Jemma, her own Vale horse. Even the clothing Travel and Nichole wear fits the description of a western: leather jackets, durable boots, and denim jeans. The fantasy elements are most apparent in the enemies that Travel and Jemma have to dispatch. They fight against supernatural forces embodied in the everyday, water that destroys who you are and people who became monsters through their own avarice. The final confrontation between what is good and evil in their world brings all of these aspects of the story together.

The book really does have something for everyone. Although categorized as fantasy, the story touches on romance, but in the context of the greater tale, not romance for its own sake. The romance in the story is real and deep. We meet characters who care for each other, but still argue, husbands and wives who have or may be together for thousands of years to come, and new relationships with an old feel to them. The book is also brimming with philosophical ideas. A reader could enjoy the book as a linear progression through a series of places culminating in a battle of good vs. evil, or could choose to read deeply into the meaning behind the events that unfold. I chose the second option and finished the book feeling encouraged to continue to fight my own good fight of faith.

Travel x Star

The two main characters in the book are Travel of the Ruelands and Nichole Littlestar, which cleverly form the title of the book: Travel by Star. Travel is a Runner, a job which requires him to accompany people on their journeys through the dangerous lands surrounding the town of Occam. When the story opens, Travel is trying to earn money through other means, by mining bloodstone and working in livery. He’s a gifted horseman. Nichole arrives in Occam at the beginning of the story. She’s running from something, but we don’t know what, and enlists Travel’s skills as a Runner. Nichole is an excellent female character. She’s tough when she needs to be, but sensitive and kind, and possesses a power beyond Travel’s understanding. Travel is somewhat lost at the beginning of the story and we, as readers, experience the privilege of watching him become found.

The book also contains an interesting cast of supporting characters. Hatchet, the Protector of Occam, is somewhat of a mystery to the townspeople - nobody knows how exactly he came to Occam. Drannach is a menace to civilization, bent on revenge. Allry shows Travel that what he believes to be childhood stories are actually grounded in reality, and Meg provides a sense of home to wandering pilgrims. This is not an exhaustive list, either.

Intentional Writing & Mapmaking

Grill’s writing is gorgeous. With ease, he can move from practical, straightforward sentences to poetic, emotional sentences. Often, he will begin with the former and end with the latter, moving from what is concrete in the story to an idea the reader can apply to his own life. This takes skill and intentionality, and I can see through Grill’s writing that he has honed both. Hope is the main theme that echoes throughout the entire story, but friendship, family, and redemption are present as well.

Travel by Star is not a short book, clocking in at over 600 pages. I bring a book with me almost everywhere I go and purchased the softcover edition. All 600 plus pages traveled with me on the Amtrak between Red Wing and Chicago, numerous coffee shops, and to and from school - I read during every prep period I could. Grill uses all of those pages well. While Travel and Nichole visit many places during their journey, they never stall or get stuck someplace for too long; the story moves forward at a good pace.

And who doesn’t love a map? Though the map in Travel by Star is simple, it gives a helpful outline of the topography Travel and Nichole ride across. I studied it before I even began to read the story, and referenced it throughout.

I highly recommend Travel by Star!

This book review also appeared on Periapsis Press. You can visit Periapsis Press for more indie sci-fi/fantasy book reviews, book excerpts, and more.

You can buy your own copy of Travel by Star here.

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