THE WATER TRAVELERS

An unlikely romance flourishes between two young people from entirely different worlds in Waltz’s debut novel, a YA fantasy.
Teenager Aaron is a prince of Upitar, an alternate dimension to Earth whose people are known as the Water Travelers due to their ability to magically travel between their world and Earth via waterways. Although Aaron is generally a kind young man, his father charges him with the dark task of journeying to Earth for the purpose of kidnapping and killing a young woman who is prophesied to one day cut off their world from Earth. This separation would have disastrous consequences for Upitar, whose survival is dependent on a mystical connection between the two universes. Aaron very reluctantly agrees to his father’s demands, but once on Earth, he finds himself entirely distracted by love interest Madalyne, or Madi, who is attending high school. As it turns out, Madi’s family also has a connection with the Water Travelers, and they slowly reveal startling information and history about that world and its connection with Earth. Featuring two relatable and easy-to-root-for protagonists, the novel has an easygoing and engaging style that will likely appeal to many readers, especially teens. Unfortunately, its arc may be familiar to those well-versed in the genre, and most of its major plot twists are easily guessed. More worryingly, the stilted dialogue and underdeveloped emotions between Aaron and Madi make their all-consuming romance a bit hard to believe and their behavior appear canned.
While the novel features intriguing character dilemmas and an unusual premise, it morphs into a predictable teen romance saga.