This was a cute collection of side stories of the various Travelers before Bobby became one. This edition features Kasha, Spader, and Gunny, and offers a little insight into their lives before Bobby and Saint Dane arrived. The stories go by quickly — I feel like they’re written at a much lower level than the main series, and offers interesting perspectives to each character. Kasha starts wondering that maybe the humans that serve her species are intelligent and capable of emotion after all; Spader finds common ground with a person who was his rival at the Academy; Gunny helps keep a young boy who’s just lost his father on track while also trying to track down a murderer. All very different stories!

It’s been a while since I’ve read these books, so it was a little hard to get back into the worlds. This was definitely written for someone who is already in the midst of the series, since it gives very little background information on the worlds or characters. Because of that, I can’t see anyone who hasn’t read the main series at all enjoying this series. It’s purely for nostalgic value and a way to revisit old friends before they become embroiled in a war with Saint Dane.

Overall, it’s a fun, fast read. Fans of the series will enjoy this, but they’re also not at all necessary to enjoy the main series as a whole.

Also posted on Purple People Readers. ( )

This is nothing special, but an interesting series of short stories about a few of the travelers before they knew they were travelers. ( )

Very informal on the personalities of the other characters in the series. ( )

Strangely enough, the stories aren't as fascinating or fun to read "straight out" compared to the regular Pendragon series where the adventures are written in diary format. This series is to give us a bit more background on the characters introduced in the main series and shows us important events in the lives of some of the other travellers.

In book 1, we're taken through the lives of Kasha (playing Wippen and her relationship to her father), Gunny (learning to trust his instincts and helping his neighborhood), and Vo Spader (graduating the academy and his first posting). Out of the three, I would have to say that Gunny's story is the most exciting read, followed by Spader. I guess the fact that Gunny's the most sympathetic character helps :)

The characters are all true to how they are portrayed in the main series. ( )

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