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3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
Thanks so much to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this book not entirely sure what it was going to be about, but I honestly had a pretty fun time. Imagine D&D meets Jurassic Park meets Westworld, and you'll have a fairly good idea of the premise of this book. The whole island at the center of the plot requires its visitors to suspend their disbelief and just enjoy the magic, and thats what I ended up doing with this book. Were there aspects of it that weren't perfect or entirely plausible? Absolutely but I was having so much FUN imagining it really existed that I didn't much care.
You follow the POV of Addie, a super nerd and professor of literature (or something along those lines) who has been hired to help a mercenary team go to the aforementioned island and take it back from the development team, as they have locked out the owner from any access. She has personal ties to the leader and her knowledge of fantasy fandom and culture will help them navigate the game.
It was full of so much nerdy awesomeness that if you have spent any time in one of those fandoms, you'll feel right at home. While I wished we had a little more time seeing the aftermath at the ending, for the most part, I really enjoyed the ride and had so much fun with imagining it could exist.
I gave Questland a 4 star rating and and enjoyed this quick but fun read. If the author decides to write a sequel for this, I will absolutely keep going in the series.
I went into this book not entirely sure what it was going to be about, but I honestly had a pretty fun time. Imagine D&D meets Jurassic Park meets Westworld, and you'll have a fairly good idea of the premise of this book. The whole island at the center of the plot requires its visitors to suspend their disbelief and just enjoy the magic, and thats what I ended up doing with this book. Were there aspects of it that weren't perfect or entirely plausible? Absolutely but I was having so much FUN imagining it really existed that I didn't much care.
You follow the POV of Addie, a super nerd and professor of literature (or something along those lines) who has been hired to help a mercenary team go to the aforementioned island and take it back from the development team, as they have locked out the owner from any access. She has personal ties to the leader and her knowledge of fantasy fandom and culture will help them navigate the game.
It was full of so much nerdy awesomeness that if you have spent any time in one of those fandoms, you'll feel right at home. While I wished we had a little more time seeing the aftermath at the ending, for the most part, I really enjoyed the ride and had so much fun with imagining it could exist.
I gave Questland a 4 star rating and and enjoyed this quick but fun read. If the author decides to write a sequel for this, I will absolutely keep going in the series.
Jurassic Park + Lord of the Rings, Questland imagines a theme park island that brings D&D to life. A LARPer's wet dream. The game developers have hijacked the island, and the billionaire in charge of funding the project sends in a team of ex-military grunts + one of the developer's ex-girlfriends to try to get the project back on track.
Honestly, this book was a bit messy. I liked all of the references, but the plotline seemed like it could have used a few more rounds of editing. The character development was essentially non-existent (and what little there was didn't make much sense). Overall though, I thought it was a fast and fun read, and I'd recommend it if you are into nerd shit and don't mind reading around the rest.
Honestly, this book was a bit messy. I liked all of the references, but the plotline seemed like it could have used a few more rounds of editing. The character development was essentially non-existent (and what little there was didn't make much sense). Overall though, I thought it was a fast and fun read, and I'd recommend it if you are into nerd shit and don't mind reading around the rest.
Huge thanks to #netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing #questland (my first ARC ever! Yaaaay!) in exchange for an honest review!
4.5
It’ll hit the shelves on 22 Jun 2021 and if you’re obsessed with fantasy literature this will be just your cup of tea! There is a wealthy man, and he decides to turn an island into every fantasy reader’s dream place with dragons, castles, unicorns, etc. with a bunch of geek and nerd (aka tech so advanced that seems like magic). But at some point (before its opening) he loses touch with the island, so he decides to send a group of mercenaries and our protagonist (Dr. Addie Cox – Professor of Literature) to figure out what’s going on and take control of the island back. Imagine Westworld, Ready Player One, Jurassic Park and add all of your fantasy references wasted ‘till now and mash them together to find sth base of that novel! If it’s not sth appeals to you I honestly don't know what would!
I have some minor issues with it and with zero knowledge of D&D, I guess I miss lots of references but, without them, it would be a total 5 star read but still It was a great beginning for a new year! First of my problems with that is; I’d love to know side characters better, especially Torres and Rucker. They felt shallow and robot-like. Secondly, Addie acts so out of character in the last part that I couldn’t help myself to felt distanced from the developments while annoyed by her. And lastly, when you have that much source I imagine you can create things in a wider range, not %85 LOTR based. I would like to see more worlds in it. For example; there could be something from Indian mythology, Dune, The Wheel of Time, or Discworld.
4.5
It’ll hit the shelves on 22 Jun 2021 and if you’re obsessed with fantasy literature this will be just your cup of tea! There is a wealthy man, and he decides to turn an island into every fantasy reader’s dream place with dragons, castles, unicorns, etc. with a bunch of geek and nerd (aka tech so advanced that seems like magic). But at some point (before its opening) he loses touch with the island, so he decides to send a group of mercenaries and our protagonist (Dr. Addie Cox – Professor of Literature) to figure out what’s going on and take control of the island back. Imagine Westworld, Ready Player One, Jurassic Park and add all of your fantasy references wasted ‘till now and mash them together to find sth base of that novel! If it’s not sth appeals to you I honestly don't know what would!
I have some minor issues with it and with zero knowledge of D&D, I guess I miss lots of references but, without them, it would be a total 5 star read but still It was a great beginning for a new year! First of my problems with that is; I’d love to know side characters better, especially Torres and Rucker. They felt shallow and robot-like. Secondly, Addie acts so out of character in the last part that I couldn’t help myself to felt distanced from the developments while annoyed by her. And lastly, when you have that much source I imagine you can create things in a wider range, not %85 LOTR based. I would like to see more worlds in it. For example; there could be something from Indian mythology, Dune, The Wheel of Time, or Discworld.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Mass/school shootings
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
DNF. The main character felt like a caricature, and the rest of the characters felt one-dimensional. Also the plot doesn't make a like of sense. I can't suspend my disbelief for this book.
Have you ever wanted to be transported to Hogwarts, the Middle Ages, or Lord of the Rings? This is a perfect book for anyone who has ever wanted to experience one of those worlds. Addie is a English literature college professor but with a past that includes a traumatic experience. She is also a lover of all things fantasy and gaming. She is hired to go to an island that was designed as every sci-fi/fantasy lover's paradise filled with everything mythical such as dragons and unicorns. The island was designed as a new adventure park but the creators/designers have taken it over from the owner. Addie must go in with a trained group of navy seals in order to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. What follows is a full out adventure filled with surprises, drama, twists and turns.
This was a quick novel to read as it kept me engaged. I wanted to know what challenge Addie was going to come up against next. I also loved the fact that there were references to ancient literature such as The Odyssey as well as pop culture hits like Labyrinth and Harry Potter. This novel was a great escape and I really enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves fantasy/sci-fi and is looking for a little adventure!
Thank you to NetGalley and John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books for the advanced copy.
This was a quick novel to read as it kept me engaged. I wanted to know what challenge Addie was going to come up against next. I also loved the fact that there were references to ancient literature such as The Odyssey as well as pop culture hits like Labyrinth and Harry Potter. This novel was a great escape and I really enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves fantasy/sci-fi and is looking for a little adventure!
Thank you to NetGalley and John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books for the advanced copy.