Watcher'sQuest

                The Watcher's Quest Trilogy


All three books are represented here. The Watcher, The Seeker and The Finder. All are available in most bookstores or can be ordered ar your favourite store.  They are also available on Kindle (in the USA, Canada and other countries) and via Kobo (Canada) To connect to Kindle and Kobo to order or to browse my books available as e-books,  please click on the My E-BOOKS tab on this site. The links beside each book will take you right there!

How it started:

This fantasy series began when I read an article about some of the strange environmental art that was going on in the world. I wondered what it would be like if one of my characters had an artist father who was working on an environmental art piece. I, like many people, have always been fascinated by the famous Stonehenge site in England. I began to research stone circles and found many scattered all over the British Isles. I decided my character's artist dad would be working on a huge large acrylic "stone circle" in a pasture across the road from their bee farm, near a small wooded area and stream.

Emma's mother has inherited the bee farm farm her estranged father and has taken over the honey making business. But all is not well in the family. Emma's sister Summer is chronically ill and the doctors they have taken her to, have no answers for Emma or her parents. Emma has an intense need to watch over her family and especially her little sister. Emma knows deep inside that she is the only one who can save Summer's life - but how?

Add to this story, an eccentric neighbour on a nearby farm; a dark-haired boy who seems to be lurking around the farm; secrets kept by many people in the nearby prairie hamlet of Bruid; and a "henge" that seems to be attracting storms, lightning and frightening energies - that invade Emma's dreams - I knew I had plenty to work with! 


BOOK ONE:  THE WATCHER

The Watcher is now available on KINDLE and KOBO and will soon be on other e-bookstores online. It was originally published by Kids Can Press. You can also buy hardcover and paperback copies through Amazon. To connect to Kindle and Kobo to order or browse, please click on the My E-BOOKS tab on this site. The links beside eash book will take you right there!

THE STORY:

"IT BEGINS….

        The owl flies high above the ground, wings whuffting softly in the muggy air.

Below him, a wide quilt of amber, green and purple fields flashes by, the road winding through it like a gray ribbon. Along that ribbon, a small figure on a bicycle coasts toward Sweeney’s bee farm away from the town of Bruide, a drab square some distance off. The owl allows the bicycle to skim past under him, then he turns slowly, swoops down, and glides silently  behind.

       The girl pedals quickly, her short white hair lifting away from her narrow face.  As she reaches Sweeney’s field, she raises one arm and waves. A man stands up from his work and waves back. The girl picks up speed for the next quarter mile, avoiding the puddles from the late night rainstorm, then turns at a narrower ribbon that leads to the bee farm.

The owl swoops up, turns and glides into Sweeney’s hay loft to wait for the darkness."

Fifteen-year-old Emma has long suspected that something is not quite as it should be in her life. With her long, pale face and white hair, she looks nothing like her parents or frail younger sister. She acts nothing like them either. While her parents happily pursue their daily routines, Emma senses danger. She knows she must watch over the family day and night -- but why, she doesn't know.

Things spin out of control when Emma takes a summer job caring for an eccentric elderly neighbour and is drawn into playing a strange board game She's suddenly plagued by surreal, frightening dreams that begin to invade her waking hours. Emma is soon hurtled from her quiet farm life into strange worlds of intrigue and terror. As she becomes a participant in a bizarre game of life and death, the mystery surrounding her is solved ... and her future decided.

A few characters who have an immediate impact on the story are:

Summer - Emma's sister, who is suffering from a debilitating illness that the medical world cannot seem to find a cure for.

Emma's dad, Dennis Sweeny - who is building a Plexiglas stone henge in the cow pasture across from the bee farm that her mother recently inherited.  He has no idea what magic and chaos his henge will bring forth.

Digital art by Margaret Buffie

The new neighbours - the old and enormous invalid, Poppy Maxin and his son, Albert. Albert has opened an herb farm called "The Green Alchemist." Emma has agreed to read to the bedridden and ominous Poppy for a few hours every day in order to bring some much needed money while her mother builds up her honey business. When Emma walks into the farmhouse at The Green Alchemist she is stunned to see that every inch of the walls are painted with amazing plants and trailing vines.

Emma's grandfather, long gone from their lives was called The Keeper. He ran the bee farm for years and had a magical bond with the bees. Emma remembered her grandfather turning toward her, calmly covered in a swarm of his beloved bees.

Finalist - Independent Publisher Book Awards

Shortlisted, Canadian Library Assoc. Young Adult Canadian Book Award

Chosen - New York Public Library, Books for the Teen Age

Chosen - Our Choice Canadian Children's Book Centre

Nominated - McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award


The storm at the bee farm's stone henge:

Digital art by Margaret Buffie

A FEW EXCERPTS FROM REVIEWS OF THE WATCHER:

REVIEW: ...Emma is a familiar Buffie heroine, a child psychologically at risk, seeking her place in things and finding it through the aid of the fantastical. The sub-themes of alienation and belonging are underscored by Emma's entrapment in what her mother describes as the "Borderland", that sometimes dangerous space between childhood and adulthood. Buffie, winner of the Vicky Metcalf Award, depicts the game world in a vivid and almost painterly fashion. She weaves such a sophisticated fantasy that it isn't entirely clear which characters we should be rooting for. Although this might prove disquieting for some, Emma's powerful need to watch over her family is an overridingly compelling premise from beginning to end. Quill and Quire

REVIEW: ... Now, in the Watcher, several novels later, Buffie confidently creates an entire world of fantasy. ... It allows Buffie to establish the importance of game playing as the metaphor that dominates her story: games with often outrageous rules, and players with roles hardly known even to themselves. In some ways, It feels like Lewis Carroll with the Queen of Hearts in full control. Like Alice, Emma is confused and distressed, but Buffie shows that Emma and even her family never really escape the rabbit hole. From a world centered on humans in the opening chapter, Buffie skillfully navigates step by step from the solid ground of a world governed by gravity and expected behavior and understanding, to an existence where Emma can't separate dreams from reality. Taking her fantasy from Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythology, Buffie adroitly conjures up this confusing world going back and forth from worldly adventure and fright to supernatural powers. National Post

REVIEW: A teenager and her little sister discover that they are pieces in a game played across worlds in this suspenseful tale from the Canadian author of The Dark Garden . Suddenly, Emma is shuttling between her world and another, where two moons hang in the sky and overheard conspirators discuss a Game, and a Child in chilling terms. .... From ominous beginning to tense climax this is a page turner. Kirkus

REVIEW: Filled with suspense, adventure, and colorful characters, this story will appeal to readers of Franny Billingsley's The Folk Keepe (Atheneum, 1999) and will entertain fans of the genre. While a familiarity with Celtic myths is not necessary to enjoy the story, those who know the tales will delight in finding fresh interpretations of characters rarely brought to life in children's literature.- School Library Journal

REVIEW: A terrific story with just enough ties to reality and Faerie to make us suspend disbelief. Children’s Literature 2000

REVIEW: Buffie's way with words ... lend quirky insight into suprahuman existence and keep the reader engaged to the end. NAPRA 2001

REVIEW: Fans of Buffie's earlier work and those readers enticed by the title ... will find this book hard to put down. VOYA 2001

REVIEW: The summer that her parents move to Grandpa MacFey's farm, 15-year-old Emma finds that nothing will ever be the same again. Her mother has become the keeper of her dead father's bees, her father is building a strange sculpture in a nearby field, and her sister Summer is fading away. Who are The Watchers? Emma knows that they are not the people she has grown up with --- or are they? She alone in her family has the strange birthmark, two moons with an arrow shaft through them. When Tom Krift comes to work for her father, Emma discovers that he also bears the birthmark. Is her father's sculpture, which he has named Bruide Henge, a portal to another world? Who are the strange people who have suddenly appeared in the village and who inhabit Emma's dreams? Emma seeks answers from Tom Krift who claims that he too is a Watcher and that they must save Summer. Can she trust him, or is he part of the plot to harm her sister and her family? Emma's life spins out of control when she takes a job caring for an eccentric elderly neighbor and becomes involved in the board game Fidchell. Emma proves herself a worthy opponent. However, does she have the courage to play out the real game of life and death that will draw in each member of her family as she tries to understand her role in this frightening new magical world? Once again, Winnipeg writer and artist Margaret Buffie has taken seeming ordinary people and thrust them into a bizarre, magical world to create a frightening and intriguing story. Reviewed by Audrey Marie Danielson for teenreads.com

Some Readers comments:

This summer I went to Canada, where I first read your first two books of The Watchers Quest. I love the trilogy. Every time I read it I get the same thrill and excitement of the Adventure. It ranks up there with Harry Potter and I am a big fan of that. I think that you should make a movie of the books. It would be amazing! A reader from Maryland, USA

I have read The Watcher and The Seeker ... I am however distraught that I cannot find any information on the third book of the trilogy of which I have heard rumored as The Finder. I was wondering if you could help me ... by letting me know if the third book is indeed coming out and when it might be. As an avid reader and inspired young writer I was fortunate to come across your books about a year ago. I enjoyed them with the deepest pleasure and am hooked and hanging on a cliff waiting to see what will become of Tom and Emma and all the beloved characters of whom I truly felt a part of their worlds while reading the books. A READER "Patiently waiting for the return of the Watcher"

I just wanted to tell you how much I have enjoyed reading your books. I was immensely impressed. I have read many fantasy novels by wonderfully talented writers, and yours are definitely two of them. I spent all of the night reading The Seeker! Both of the books are simply enthralling and worth the read. I love being able to identify with Emma at the beginning of The Watcher, even though I don't talk as much as she, like she did in The Seeker. :) And I love Tom; I can't wait for him to finally admit his feelings for Emma. They have to get together, I know they're made for each other! But even without the romance in the first two books, they make the beginning of a wonderful series ... once again, congratulations on creating two (and hopefully a third) marvelous fantasy novels. Cydney, 15, United States

This is my first time writing an email to someone. I guess I'm lucky your my first, since you are one of my favorite authors. Okay, here I go! I always have my nose in a book, specifically fantasy wise. It was lucky how I found your books. I was in a store in St.Andrews, N.B. I was looking at the bookshelves, never mind anything else that caught my eye. None of the books seemed to be of interest to me, until I caught sight of a novel called The Seeker. I figured out that there were two others to the trilogy. So, I bought The Watcher. I was so happy! And all the while I was camping, I couldn't put it down! That's how good it was. While everyone was having fun swimming and playing, I sat in a lawn chair, reading for hours. Emma's such an interesting heroine. Out of all the books I've ever read, she reminds me of people I know, like me. And the writing is very good. It was so vivid, almost real. My family actually had to make me go someplace so I'd leave the book alone. Sadly, the book came to an end after three days of reading. I wanted to go back to the store to get the second book ... I got my chance a few weeks later. I was camping in Shediac ... one day my mother took me into the bookstore. It was enormous! I dragged my mom through sections of books. My results of finding your book: zip. I kept turning around, only to find more books. I almost screamed. We finally asked for help. The lady told us they had it. I told my mom I'd literally attack anyone holding the book. Eventually, after about roughly 40 minutes, we found it. I was SO happy!!! From a fan of yours in New Brunswick, Jessica

..I have never been that interested in books until I started reading yours. I thought about many authors (for an author study) I could research, but you were my first choice. The main reason is because many of my friends, family and teachers suggested your books. Although I have only read two of your books, they have been everything people told me and more. I have also recommended your books to others. I read "The Watcher" in about three days. I couldn't put it down until the very last page. Even when I was finished, I kept thinking about the story and the characters, and what might happen next. I read "The Warnings" in about five days. While I was reading it, I had trouble remembering my own life, and just thought about living in the book. I just started reading "Who is Frances Rain?" and I don't want to stop until I get to the end. My favourite thing about your books are the characters. They are so real, and yet they still have a supernatural twist. I can't wait until I get to start another of your books ... Thank you for writing such wonderful books for me and so many other people to enjoy. Sam from BC

I'm fifteen years old and have read your novel, THE WATCHER. I found it the most exhilarating and imaginative book I have ever read. Sarah, Alberta

Hi! I love your books. You're a great writer! The way you mix magical worlds and real worlds together makes them seem so real. I'm addicted to The Watcher's Quest. Kelly

I just had to write and tell you that you're my favorite author! I love all your books. But my favorites would have to be all of "THE WATCHER'S QUEST". They are the books that I read, and will continue to read, over and over again. I love the characters. They are just so endearing. I first read the books when I was 15 years old and now, at 18 they still remain my favorite. Thank you sooo much for sharing your stories with me and the world. An inspiring me to write as well. "Angels Turn Their Backs" was the book that helped me most, with my social anxiety. For a long time I wondered why it was so hard for me to be out in public when there were a lot of people. Breaking into cold sweats and having to repeat the words "in and out" to remind myself how to breath while my heart beat fast. Eventually there were few places that I felt comfortable and safe going to. The library being one of those places. And that's where I discovered "Angels Turn Their Backs". It helped me to realize and conquer my problems and fears. It even inspired me to write a poem with the same name. Anyway. Thanks again! Hope all is well for you. Sincerely and with much love, Kristie N.

BOOK TWO: THE SEEKER

The second novel in the trilogy is available now on KINDLE and will soon be on other e-bookstores. It was originally published by Kids Can Press and the rights now belong to me. You can also buy hardcover and paperback copies through Amazon.

The story of Emma continues:

                                                    Who had power had all but his soul

     Who thirsted for power drank only dust
Who feared power found it in others

Who hid in power’s shadow viper be
             Who turned from power gave his soul to yee

               Written by Cill of Barroch after the Battle of Moling Bridge

Chapter One

I’m standing outside Mom’s bedroom on the third floor of Argadnel Castel. I’m in my Watcher form. I’m also invisible and intend to stay this way for awhile. I don’t want anyone to know I’m back until I know what’s going on. I could try and ooze right through the door, but I’m not very good at that yet. More than once I’ve gotten caught smack in the middle of a wall or wooden entrance and had to be hauled out by a disgusted Master. Instead I push the heavy ebony door open a crack and slide in that way.

         Mom’s large chamber is dark except for a streamlight from the arched ceiling that drops over a hammock bed floating above the black marble floor. I can hear the soft hush of water from the fountain. Her room is usually full of light, fresh air and Branwen’s flowers. Now it smells musty, with a curious smoky edge.

        On trembling legs I edge to the side of her bed. She’s asleep. The angle of light shadows the deep sockets below the fine arches of her brows. A wild flush of alarm races through me. I barely recognize her. She’s bone thin. The skin stretched tightly over the sharp bones of her face is yellowed and waxy. For some time before I left for my Watcher training, Mom was growing thinner and grayer. I knew she would probably never fully acclimatize to the light air of Argadnel, but this is bad, very bad.

Emma Sweeney (See The Watcher for the first book about Emma) has the potential to become an exceptional Watcher, but her instructors are losing patience with her. Raised by an Earth family, Emma is prone to emotional behavior that always seems to get the better of her Watcher instincts.

Emma's Earth mother, Leto, is dying on the Island world of Argadnel. Longing to be reunited with her human daughter, who was stolen at birth, Leto has lost the will to live. Emma has pledged to find the missing child and restore order to her adopted family's life. But the quest becomes a dangerous race when Emma realizes she isn't the only one searching for the child.

"In The Seeker, the exciting second volume of Margaret Buffie's trilogy, The Watcher's Quest Series, Emma, Tom and their allies become pawns in The Game, played by power hungry beings for whom victory must be had - at any price."

I won't add more, as I can't give too much away!

Shortlisted, McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award

Chosen: The New York Public Library for their 74TH Annual Books for the Teen Age

Chosen: VOYA'S 18th Annual List of the Best In Science Fiction and Fantasy for the Young Adult Reader This list "features books for the very young teen and also reaches out to the older teen with books that challenge and inspire."

Chosen - Our Choice Canadian Children's Book Centre

Chosen - PSLA's Young Adult Top Forty Fiction List

A FEW REVIEWS OF THE SEEKER:

REVIEW: Emma Sweeney, a 16 year old Watcher who doesn't know who she really is, was not supposed to have bonded deeply with her Earth family. But as she watches her adopted mother die, Emma vows to find her missing sister and reunite her entire family, now far-flung across the worlds. Emma undertakes this quest hampered by an identity crisis that will resonate with author Margaret Buffie's preteen readership. This is the second book of The Watcher's Quest fantasy trilogy. Emma's quest begins when she upsets the powerful Game Player Fergus. Desperate, Emma challenges Fergus to a magical board game called Fidchell and, surprisingly wins. Her quest continues but must now be played out in a life-sized version of Fidchell. Emma must seek her sister, while Fergus and his arch-enemy/companion secretly play an overarching game against each other. This is one of the ways Buffie elevates what could have been a standard quest narrative. Emma is playing a game within a game, within a game. Buffie also invents beautifully imagined worlds, exquisite villains, and a cast of delightfully improbable quest companions, including Cill, a sweet pile of walking leaves. Emma wants to see the world in black and white but Buffie weaves in shades of grey, which puzzles her protagonist. Against the grey, our hero obsesses about whom to trust. Who are her real friends? And most critically, can she trust her own instincts? The answer is sometimes yes, sometimes no. The ending which is tied up without being strangled, intriguingly raises as many questions as it answers. Teresa Toten, Quill and Quire, August 2002

REVIEW: ...Emma is a headstrong, appealing narrator, and Buffie uses her first person perspective to smoothly provide background for readers unfamiliar with the first volume. The characters have depth and complex motivations, keeping the protagonist and readers guessing about who her true friends may be ... this is a good choice for sophisticated fantasy readers, with strong appeal for gaming fans looking for a darker, more complex story than Diana Wynne Jones's The Homeward Bounders. School Library Journal (USA)

Buffie's ability to keep the story moving without a lag in the action also helps this book to stand on its own. A welcome choice for fantasy buffs. American Library Association

Buffie invents beautifully imagined worlds, exquisite villains and a cast of delightfully improbable quest companions. Quill and Quire

SOME READERS' COMMENTS:

I just finished reading your books "The Watcher" and "The Seeker", which were given to me for Christmas. They were fantastic! Your books have always been a welcome escape from everyday life for me. I found the characters from your new books very endearing. Emma is hard not to love, with her "slightly" big mouth and her loyalty to her Earth (or Eorthe) family. Tom was my favorite character, I think. Such an enigma at times, and near the end of The Seeker, it is so so hard to know if he's to be trusted! The reader can find themselves relating completely to what Emma is feeling at the time. Your books are impossible to put down, because you just have to know what is going to happen to everyone! Cill was a very loveable character, as was Gyro. I cannot wait until I read the last book of the trilogy. I always find that after reading books by other authors for awhile, returning to your writing is like coming home again after being away for years, to things that are familiar and safe. I think that teenagers like myself can relate fully to the things your characters go through, which is what make your writing so welcomed by my age group. Your books even have a way, at times, of making lost teenagers feel less alone, making them feel that there is someone who does understand their troubles. I hope you continue writing for a long time, and look forward to reading other books by you. Sarah from Ontario

This summer I went to Canada, where I first read your first two books of The Watchers Quest . I love the trilogy. Every time I read it I get the same thrill and excitement of the Adventure. It ranks up there with Harry Potter and I am a big fan of that. I think that you should make a movie of the books. It would be amazing! A reader from Maryland, USA

I am a high school teacher from Erie, PA. I recently picked up your books THE WATCHER and THE SEEKER and thoroughly enjoyed them. I saw these books at the local library and thought they looked like something my students would enjoy. I didn't realize how much they would enjoy them ... I can't wait to see what happens next to Emma and Tom in the ongoing Game. Sincerely, Mrs. Lori B.

I just love Emma! I've read both THE WATCHER and THE SEEKER twice (something I rarely do) and am looking forward to seeing what's in store for Emma and her friends. Thank you for sharing your gift and writing such a wonderful story. Natalie R

i just wanted to tell you that so far I've really enjoyed reading your books called The Watcher's Quest. I've started reading them in the wrong order - 2, 3, 1 ... but I haven't been able to stop reading which I must say (as) I don't read much. But I really love the second book. (The Seeker) It's great. Even though you already knew that I just wanted to tell you myself. I already can't wait to read the 2nd book again. (No joke its just something about it. I can't let go. It makes me want to relive it over and over again.) =) Toni M

BOOK THREE: THE FINDER

The third novel in the trilogy is THE FINDER. It is available now on KINDLE and KOBO will soon be on other e-bookstores. It was originally published by Kids Can Press. You can buy hardcover and paperback copies through Amazon. 

E-books rights owned by Margaret Buffie.


THE FINAL STORY:

The Story:

Emma Sweeney, now an experienced Watcher, knows she has a mysterious link to a world beyond the portal off the Island of Argadnel, but what is it and  where can it be?

When her entire family vanishes from the island, she knows they have been taken to this new world. Why? She must find them!

When she stumbles into this world with her friend Pictree Bragg - against the orders of Histal, Master of the Watcher Campan - she finds a place of danger, intrigue and deadly Game Playing. Everything she values is at stake and everyone she loves is in terrible danger. Worst of all, Emma's not sure if she can trust her friend and Watcher Tom - for she soon realizes he's keeping secrets from her again.

Emma's powers are constantly tested and threatened in this new world. Can she solve the ominous puzzles set up in the vast and treacherous maze? Vans he save her family?  It seems an impossible task, but when Emma feels her weakest, she discovers an inner strength she did not realize she had ...

Winner: McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award

A FEW REVIEWS FOR THE FINDER:

REVIEW:As the third book in the acclaimed trilogy,"The Watcher's Quest", this book rejoins Emma for the most dangerous quest of the series. We watch Emma flawlessly follow Joseph Campbell's stages in hero quest as she answers the call to adventure, undergoes trials, discovers her father, (actually that was in the Seeker! MB) has a death like experience, and ...(I've left this bit out as it gives away too much of the plot!MB). All this is with the help of her friend and sometimes love, Watcher Tom ... The Finder is an intriguing and well-written conclusion to "The Watcher's Quest Trilogy". Fantasy lovers will enjoy this book, but they would be well advised to begin at the beginning of the trilogy. Childrens' Literature 2004


REVIEW:In this final volume in the trilogy, Emma is trying to save the world that she has discovered from an evil Game-playing genius. She must risk her life and the lives of her friends and family to finish the quest and win the Game ... This is a well-written and exciting adventure ... a rollicking story with plenty of aliens, danger and conflict for fans of the series. School Library Journal 2004

REVIEW:This is definitely the best of The Watcher's Quest books. The action is breathtaking, and moves quickly from one situation to another. But more than that, we feel for Emma - her anger, her pain, her love - as she struggles to find herself and to deal with her emotions. As with all the Watcher's Quest books, the worlds are vividly imagined and the characters interesting. Mom's rating - 5 wands! - wandsandworlds.com 2004

REVIEW:The Finder is the third book in "The Watcher's Quest" trilogy. In this complicated, cunning finale, Emma Sweeney is sent to spend a week with her human family on Argadnel, another world. Against direct orders, she enters a cave portal there and thus sets in motion another Game in which powerful druids battle for control of worlds ... Video game players will revel in this book's fast paced action, leaps into the unknown, character morphing and setting meltdowns. Heroes with "magickal" powers, characters described in infinite detail, and the excitement of competitive gaming will attract both boys and girls who long to be the honourable hero who succeeds in the face of almost insurmountable odds through gritty determination and dogged persistence, not to mention a little luck ... A love story is interwoven through the book, too. Emma is initially a wilful, hot-headed, immature girl. Defying her teachers, she takes off into the unknown almost to spite them, deciding that she will no longer be a student Watcher ... Humility initially escapes her. It is only in the end, when Emma admits that she is playing a Game and not going on a quest, that she 'wins" the Game.There are many (countless) other characters each more weird and wonderful than the last. None change and develop the way Emma does, but rather they contribute extremely colourful background to Emma's adventures. Some are not what they seem ... The intricate connections between these players of the Game are extremely complex ... Strong themes of the necessity of discovering one's own identity and persisting in the face of danger and defeat dominate this novel. The powerful pull of family love, though, is ultimately the basis of Emma's success, as she completes her tasks to save her family and to discover who she really is. For those middle school readers willing to persist with its many complications and to puzzle solve as they read, The Finder will provide a satisfying and compelling story. Canadian Materials 2004

RECOMMENDATION: The Finder (Print-Fiction). Buffie, Margaret. (The Watcher's Quest Series). Kids Can Press (UTP), 2004. 406 p. ISBN 1-55337-671-4 ($16.95 hdc.). ISBN 1-55337-672-2 ($8.95 pbk.). (CAN) This third book in The Watcher's Quest trilogy can stand alone. Emma and Tom enter a cave on Argadnel, another world, where Emma must find the four wands (Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire) because everything Emma values and everyone she loves depends on her success. The adventure brings into play all of Emma's experience and her wits, as well as assistance from others. The fast-paced action includes character morphing and setting meltdowns. Heroes with magical powers and a love story are interwoven into the plot. The powerful themes of discovering one's own identity and persisting in the face of danger are dominant. The enduring strength of family love that gives Emma the power to fulfill her quest is refreshing. Suggested Use: Grade 9; Imaginative and Literary Context; Personal and Philosophical Context. Gov't of Saskatchewen Learning Resources

READER'S COMMENTS FOR THE FINDER AND THE WATCHER'S QUEST TRILOGY:

I just finished reading "The Watcher's Quest Trilogy" and I absolutely loved it. I first heard about your books a few years back when I read "The Watcher" and I really liked it. At the time I didn't know it was part of a trilogy. So about two years later, I found "The Seeker." You can imagine the joy I felt that you wrote a sequel to "The Watcher" and was presently writing a third book, "The Finder." As I neared the end of the final book I found myself not wanting the story to end, because I loved the characters and story so much. It was an escape from the stress of school and daily life. The thrill, excitement, and realism of the story pulls me in every time I read it. So I guess I'm just writing to say how much I appreciate the hard work and effort you put into this story. I'm also writing to beg you to write more books about Emma and this Alternate Universe. I don't know how likely that is, but I thought I'd try and ask. :) Your Avid Fan, Yvonne

I love your books sooooooo much! I'm a 14 year old girl in Ontario, and just a month ago, our class had to do a novel study. I was planing to get a long book because I'm weird that way i guess?!?! I saw a thicker book called "The Seeker" and signed it out. I read it so fast and loved it, My report turned out real good too! Determined to read more of your work, i researched on you and the book and discovered there was a prequel to it called the Watcher, so i went to our public library (cause our school didn't have it) to read it. But when i went there i saw The finder...got soooo excited.....and i mean that...and i got that one instead. Sorry,i haven't read the Watcher yet, but i'm sure it's awesome. I started reading the Finder right as we got in the car to drive back home. Since it was late and we had school the following day, i had to put it down. So the next day of school i was waiting all day just to get home to read! Once home, i plopped myself on the couch and read for hours and hours until i was finished! It was even better than the Seeker!!! (The Seeker was still amazing) I loved everything, if i where to tell you everything i enjoyed about it, this e-mail would go on forever! Now I'm not a book worm...accually it's hard for me to read even one book a month, but this one was different! Cause just after i finished The Finder i told ALL my friends, whether they wanted to hear it or not, about The Finder, they said it sounded really interesting and they're going to read it as well. This story tops Harry potter and The Lord of the Rings combined (I mean those stories were great too). And i strongly encourage you or someone else to send a movie script to a person so they can make a movie out of it. I would pay anything to see it! They're making sooooo many movies out of books nowadays like...Harrypotter, Lord of the Rings, Confessions of a Teenage drama queen, and now A series of unfortunate Events, next i'm hoping to see "Coming out soon... The Watchers Trilogy." I'm planning to read some of your other books as well, i love your writing style. And those big and uncommon words you used like 'emaciated', where quite interesting to look up in the dictionary... it widened my vocabulary!!! If you make a movie out of this Watchers Trilogy, i guarantee you it will attract many people, because it's got fantasy animal creatures, different tribes and clanns with a wide variedly of Human like creatures, and characters you love to love and love to hate!!! Think of all the special effects!!! It would be the picture of the year!!!! I urge you to try to make this a movie, if at all possible, and if not...keep writing more and adding on to the Quest. Can you let me know if you are going to write a sequel to the finder??? I'll read it in the blink of an eye. Thanks for taking your time to read my excruciating long e-mail (Ha Ha), and i look forward to a sequel (or MOVIE!) From: Jessica

I just finished reading your books "The Watcher" and "The Seeker", which were given to me for Christmas. They were fantastic! Your books have always been a welcome escape from everyday life for me. I found the characters from your new books very endearing. Emma is hard not to love, with her "slightly" big mouth and her loyalty to her Earth (or Eorthe) family. Tom was my favorite character, I think. Such an enigma at times, and near the end of The Seeker, it is so so hard to know if he's to be trusted! The reader can find themselves relating completely to what Emma is feeling at the time. Your books are impossible to put down, because you just have to know what is going to happen to everyone! Cill was a very lovable character, as was Gyro. I cannot wait until I read the last book of the trilogy. I always find that after reading books by other authors for awhile, returning to your writing is like coming home again after being away for years, to things that are familiar and safe. I think that teenagers like myself can relate fully to the things your characters go through, which is what make your writing so welcomed by my age group. Your books even have a way, at times, of making lost teenagers feel less alone, making them feel that there is someone who does understand their troubles. I hope you continue writing for a long time, and look forward to reading other books by you. Sarah from Ontario

This summer I went to Canada, where I first read your first two books of The Watchers Quest . I love the trilogy. Every time I read it I get the same thrill and excitement of the Adventure. It ranks up there with Harry Potter and I am a big fan of that. I think that you should make a movie of the books. It would be amazing! A reader from Maryland, USA

I have read every book you have ever published and I enjoyed all of them. My favorites were probably the first two books in the WATCHERS QUEST trilogy. I just wondered do you (know) when The Finder will be released? I hope it is soon because I can't wait to read it! Isabelle

Oh my gosh! I loved the book "The Seeker" ... I didn't know that there was a prequel! There should be a warning on books like: Warning: This book has a prequel! Beware! ... You have an amazing talent! I can't wait to read the prequel! (the Watcher) Ash

I love your books. You're a great writer! The way you mix magical worlds and real worlds together makes them seem so real. I'm addicted to The Watcher's Quest. I just finished The Seeker this morning and I was wondering when you think The Finder will be out. I can't wait to read it. Kelly

I just love Emma! I've read both The Watcher and The Seeker twice (something I rarely do) and am looking forward to seeing what's in store for Emma and her friends. Thank you for sharing your gift and writing such a wonderful story. Natalie

I have just finished reading all three books in the Watcher's Quest series. They are fabulous books. I honestly had trouble putting your books down as I just wanted to keep reading until I was finished. I love the imagery and the "realness" you put into your writing. And your imagination and the creation of such beautiful worlds. I especially enjoyed Cill and her character and the fact she is leaves. Thank You! Maureen from Vancouver BC ... Oct 2005

Dear Ms. Buffie, A couple of weeks ago I read and finished your book, The Seeker, it was fabulous! Right now I am reading The Finder and, although I am only a couple of chapters into this book I know it will be wonderful! I am at the part when Emma and Pictree Bragg have crossed the bridge of light. I love how when you write your books it makes me feel as if there are other worlds, with people who can do spectacular things, like becoming invisible or flying on large birdlike beings like Badba does. It makes me feel as if there might be a "Game" going on somewhere with rulers fighting over new lands It seems like all I have to do is look up at the sky... I hope you write many more books, you have a lot of talent! Keep up the good work! Sincerely, Brooke - A grade 7 student from North Dakota

Hello. My name's Nicole, although I prefer Nicki, and I'm a fan of your "The Watcher's Quest" series. I loved reading those three book so much, especially the last one, "The Finder". I felt like I was going mentally insane when I finished it though, because I read at least 10 chapters a day, and I spent most of my time reading it that I felt like I was in the book, so I guess you could say I sort of tuned out from reality. I got myself back together soon after though. I wish there were, really, different worlds like that. I'm always wishing that there was another book. And that when I finished that book I'd find another one, because I love those books. I started reading your books because I went to the library with my best friend for a few hours, and I wanted a series to read. Then I found your three "The Watcher's Quest" books, and I decided that since it was like the only interesting looking series I found, I would take them out and read them. In fact, they were so interesting, that I actually had to pay for late fees a couple times because I wanted to finish them before I renewed them. It's only 10 cents a day for every late book, though, thankfully. I also I had to finish "The Finder" pretty soon though, because unfortunately I have no clue where I put my library card. I was so into it though, that I finished it in four days, because whenever I read a chapter, I read another, then it turned into 10 chapters, and so on. I really enjoyed those books, especially the last one in the series. I also feel that I can really relate to Emma. I hope you write another one, and I don't think I'll ever stop wishing there was another book to the series. I really admire your "The Watcher's Quest" books, and I hope you'll consider maybe writing another one sometime? Well, thanks for reading this email, I hope you enjoyed it! : ) Sincerely, Nicki

I just had to write and tell you that you're my favorite author! I love all your books. But my favorites would have to be all of "THE WATCHER'S QUEST". They are the books that I read, and will continue to read, over and over again. I love the characters. They are just so endearing. I first read the books when i was 15 years old and now, at 18 they still remain my favorite. Thank you sooo much for sharing your stories with me and the world. And inspiring me to write as well. Sincerely and with much love, Kristie N. 

Hello!

I wanted to thank you for writing The Watcher's Quest trilogy. As a
young girl, I was an avid reader and The Watcher's Quest has stuck
with me from 9 years old to now at 23. I first read your books at
school, the librarian used to set aside books she thought I would like
and save them for me. Your books were in that pile, and as soon as I
read The Watcher I knew I needed to read the rest. I'm pretty sure it
was your books that introduced me to fantasy (them or Harry Potter),
the genre that is still my favourite today.

I have been trying to track down the books from the trilogy for a
while,and finally found used copies on Amazon. I'm very excited to
reread them as an adult.

Thank you for having such an effect on my reading life!

Lindsey Feb 2015


Dear Margaret Buffie,

Just wanting to post here because I'm not sure if it worked the first time or if I haven't received a response back. No worries! I just wanted to write you and tell you how much I love your Watcher trilogy. I picked it up for the first time in 7th grade and have been reading and rereading the books ever since and I’m 20.

I know I will always continue to read them, the characters are so entertaining and I love that you’ve written in the concepts of other worlds and having Emma and the others travel between them. This trilogy means a lot to me, I even got my mum to read them!

I love each book but The Finder would have to be my ultimate favourite, I love the quests Emma is put on and every challenge she faces. I think her and Tom are so cute too.

I think it’s so cool you centered the books around being in Manitoba. It really struck close to home and made me enjoy them immensely when I read them. I drive by Brokenhead river on the way to my lake pretty often and always think of your books and that Emma is watching whenever I do.

I’ve started writing a book myself when I have the time to and it’s such a fun experience. I was wondering if you had any advice for a beginner? I read a lot but sometimes writing and setting scenes can be tough.

I would’ve written to your blog sooner if I’d known about it! It’s hard for me to convey all my thoughts to say to you because the books are so amazing. They’ve provided so much joy to my life.

I was wondering if you do any book signings or readings? I’ve seen that you’ve offered to meet some people for coffee and I would absolutely adore that! Or if we could chat over email. Mine is iolyak@hotmail.ca or isabelleyakmission@gmail.com!

Hope to hear from you,

Thanks!

Isabelle Y.  2023 Please note: I do not want to put your last name online without permission.

I want to thank you, Isabelle, as I found you message to me just now! How I missed it, I do not know. If I had your email, I would have written to you this evening. I am so happy to have found your comments. I very much appreciate your wonderful post.
Thank you!
Margaret Buffie