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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Imagine ready player one, but for tabletop RPG and SFF book nerds, with a female protagonist who is the heart of the story and an example of the emotional strength not often seen in novels. She tests and builds on that strength and grows past a suffocating ex who typifies white-knight misogyny.
Fun, geeky adventure for those of us with castles and dragons and really advanced technology in our not-so-secret hearts. Enjoyed it very much, although I'm still mulling over the message and it's not all that clear. Is there a sequel planned? I don't know -- feels a little like a slightly unfinished D&D Campaign and I'm interested if that will change before publication.
Advanced Reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.
Advanced Reader's copy provided by Edelweiss.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great concept that maybe has taken some subtle cues from Ready Player One, however, this was a very straight forward and somewhat generic feeling of a story that never really took off for me. When you introduce a fantasy world simulation and have everything at your disposal to make a great world and fall short, that is a crime!
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Somewhere between a LitRPG and Jurassic Park, and yet not really like either of those… Questland wasn’t quite what I expected from the cover and blurb.
The fantasy world in which most of the plot plays out, is given firm roots of realism and a glossy coat of geek-lore: the ‘magic’ and mythological creatures/races that our main character, Addie, encounters are manmade using advanced technology, so are both ‘real’ (people can actually get hurt, actions have actual consequences) but also gamified, as they are intended to form an entertainment experience (think Jurassic Park theme park).
And, of course, similar to its dino-themed predecessor, Questland’s employees have gone rogue and the whole park is out of control and out of contact with the rest of the world, until Addie and the team are parachuted in to troubleshoot the project, but with real guns.
Addie’s narrative is first-person and her PTSD as a school-shooting survivor is handled sensitively and not treated as something that can be easily cured or cheat-coded away; we see it really affect her ability to function when weapons are involved.
A lot of the story is a strike squad thriller, infused with so many geek-culture references that I lost count. The tributes cover games, films, comics, chi-fi, fantasy, dragons, unicorns, wargs, sphinxes, giant spiders… you get the idea!
This is an action-packed, easy read, which leads neatly into a potential sequel at the end, but it feels more of a tribute to the genres it encompasses, rather than a new addition to them.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
The fantasy world in which most of the plot plays out, is given firm roots of realism and a glossy coat of geek-lore: the ‘magic’ and mythological creatures/races that our main character, Addie, encounters are manmade using advanced technology, so are both ‘real’ (people can actually get hurt, actions have actual consequences) but also gamified, as they are intended to form an entertainment experience (think Jurassic Park theme park).
And, of course, similar to its dino-themed predecessor, Questland’s employees have gone rogue and the whole park is out of control and out of contact with the rest of the world, until Addie and the team are parachuted in to troubleshoot the project, but with real guns.
Addie’s narrative is first-person and her PTSD as a school-shooting survivor is handled sensitively and not treated as something that can be easily cured or cheat-coded away; we see it really affect her ability to function when weapons are involved.
A lot of the story is a strike squad thriller, infused with so many geek-culture references that I lost count. The tributes cover games, films, comics, chi-fi, fantasy, dragons, unicorns, wargs, sphinxes, giant spiders… you get the idea!
This is an action-packed, easy read, which leads neatly into a potential sequel at the end, but it feels more of a tribute to the genres it encompasses, rather than a new addition to them.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes