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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
Fans of Carrie Vaughn and games should rejoice, as the two merge beautifully for Questland. This is her latest novel, one that is fun, chaotic (in the best ways), and full of that iconic RPG aesthetic.
Dr. Addie Cox is a literature professor, and she loves her job. She loves everything about her quiet life. So she certainly never expected to be approached with a job offer from somebody like Harris Lang – an extremely wealthy tech genius.
Yet, that is the turn her life has just taken. She's been tasked with entering a secluded island, one full of experimental tech. Tech that is specially designed to mimic a fantasy world that gamers would give anything to dive in. That's the goal, after all.
Only, something has gone wrong, and apparently, Addie Cox is one of the few people who actually stand a chance of getting onto the island alive. Insula Mirabilis here we come.
“Fantasy is about what you can't patent. Honor and heroism and... and... hope.”
Picture D&D fantasy meeting Jurassic Park, and you'll find Questland happily tucked into the folds of that merger. This is a wild ride, one that is full of intrigue and some very iconic vibes, which I couldn't get enough of.
I'll confess that it did take me a little bit of time to get into Addie's character. Her personality is a quiet one, and it shows. Yet once I found myself connected to her story and everything happening around her, I was sold.
Actually, I take back my earlier comparison. On further thought, it would be more accurate to say that this novel is the child of Ready Player One and Jurassic Park. There's a lot of chaos, running, and so many references and fun tropes.
If that is the sort of book that you enjoy diving into, then you're absolutely going to adore Questland. If that isn't your cup of tea...well, at least you know what to expect! Still, it was a fun read, one that I'm happy to have picked.
Thanks to John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more reviews at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Dr. Addie Cox is a literature professor, and she loves her job. She loves everything about her quiet life. So she certainly never expected to be approached with a job offer from somebody like Harris Lang – an extremely wealthy tech genius.
Yet, that is the turn her life has just taken. She's been tasked with entering a secluded island, one full of experimental tech. Tech that is specially designed to mimic a fantasy world that gamers would give anything to dive in. That's the goal, after all.
Only, something has gone wrong, and apparently, Addie Cox is one of the few people who actually stand a chance of getting onto the island alive. Insula Mirabilis here we come.
“Fantasy is about what you can't patent. Honor and heroism and... and... hope.”
Picture D&D fantasy meeting Jurassic Park, and you'll find Questland happily tucked into the folds of that merger. This is a wild ride, one that is full of intrigue and some very iconic vibes, which I couldn't get enough of.
I'll confess that it did take me a little bit of time to get into Addie's character. Her personality is a quiet one, and it shows. Yet once I found myself connected to her story and everything happening around her, I was sold.
Actually, I take back my earlier comparison. On further thought, it would be more accurate to say that this novel is the child of Ready Player One and Jurassic Park. There's a lot of chaos, running, and so many references and fun tropes.
If that is the sort of book that you enjoy diving into, then you're absolutely going to adore Questland. If that isn't your cup of tea...well, at least you know what to expect! Still, it was a fun read, one that I'm happy to have picked.
Thanks to John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read more reviews at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
II was pretty disappointed with this. I thought it was going to be like Jurassic Park but with genetically engineered dragons and unicorns. But instead it was basically just Ready Player One but for people who like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings instead of Ghostbusters and Breakfast Club.
So if you like being able to say "I understood that reference!" then you'll like this. But if you found the constant wink-wink of Ready Player One annoying, you definitely won't like this.
So if you like being able to say "I understood that reference!" then you'll like this. But if you found the constant wink-wink of Ready Player One annoying, you definitely won't like this.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Heroine Is Meh
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Fun read and good idea for a world, but several of the characters felt really flat to me. Parts of it also felt a bit too much like work (I work in big tech), which hampered the enjoyment as well
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Mass/school shootings
2.5 stars. This book was alright, but it didn’t end up being what I thought it would be. Although I love that this novel focuses on gamers and a world designed for us fantasy lovers, and I appreciate the uniqueness of that, I thought the author was trying a little too hard sometimes to force the RPG gamer theme into the narrative and it lead to a couple of eye-roll moments. There was some of the fun adventure I was looking for at the beginning and the end, but the bulk of the story in the middle was a somewhat unimaginative slog of corporate and military sabotage and espionage. I wanted a whole lot more of the fun adventure and magic part. I was compelled to read through to the end but was left with a feeling of *shrugs shoulders* meh.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes