The Storyteller (The Riverman Trilogy #3) by Aaron Starmer

★★★☆☆ (3/5) – The Storyteller (The Riverman Trilogy #3) by Aaron Starmer is not a bad book, but it’s not great either. I definitely expected more answers in this final novel in the series. Looking back at the full story, I feel like this trilogy could have been a single book that was extended by the publisher to make more of a profit. There were some good moments (I liked parts of Luna’s story), but overall it just felt like the author didn’t know where he wanted the story to end up.  There were more than a few unanswered questions.

From Amazon:

Keri Cleary is worried about her brother, Alistair. Everyone is worried about Alistair. As the one witness to a shooting, he has been shocked into silence. But everyone needs to know three things: Who shot Kyle Dwyer? Where is Charlie Dwyer? What does this all have to do with the disappearance of Fiona Loomis?

Perhaps the answers lie in stories. As Alistair makes strange confessions to his sister, Keri becomes inspired. She tells stories, tales that may reveal hidden truths, fiction that may cause real things to happen. In the concluding volume of the Riverman Trilogy, readers are asked to consider the source of inspiration, the borders of reality and the power of storytelling. They are asked to forgive monsters, to imagine alternate dimensions, and to believe in a phosphorescent wombat who assures us that gone for now is not necessarily gone for good.

The Whisper (The Riverman Trilogy #2) by Aaron Starmer

★★★1/2 (3.5/5) – The Whisper by Aaron Starmer is the second novel in The Riverman Trilogy.  While very well-written, I found that this book was not grounded enough in reality for me.  I’m still looking forward to reading the final novel in this trilogy.

From Amazon: Twelve-year-old Alistair Cleary has washed up on shore. But where? It seems to be Aquavania, the magical realm where children create entire worlds from their imagination. There’s something wrong, though. The creators have disappeared and the worlds are falling apart. All Alistair wants is to find his friend Fiona Loomis and go home. Easier said than done. Animals made of starlight, a megalomaniacal boy king, and astronauts who peddle riddles are hard enough to outwit, but they’re only the beginning. To find Fiona, Alistair must travel from world to world. He must confront the mistakes of his past. And he must face countless monsters, including the soul-stealing stalker that some people call the Riverman, the merciless but misunderstood servant of Aquavania who refers to himself as the Whisper.