Quest of the Kings - Robert Evert
Sixteen-year old Natalie is a peasant who dreams of more than mucking out stables to support her impoverished family. After a nasty run-in with an adventurer named Brago, Natalie seeks help from another adventurer, Sir Edris. With Brago after Natalie, together, they seek the elusive golden harp to win the contest and save her loved ones.
Review
This story has SO much potential. I liked how Natalie fights against the barriers imposed on her by society and shows that she can be just as tough and clever—more so even—than any man. I liked the idea of a quest for treasure!
However, the writing failed to draw me in. The dialogue felt stilted, the characters more caricatures of types rather than fully realized people. Natalie was so naive and a brat. I felt like there was no growth on her part. Other secondary characters just felt like floating heads that popped up when needed but otherwise didn’t exist outside that purpose. Thus when deaths happened, it had zero emotional impact. Brago was the Bad Guy. The reason he was so bad? Because he’s bad! Ugh!
Plot-wise, I was expecting an adventurous quest, but even that fell flat. We got some hints and riddles but it was more like a scavenger hunt than a quest for treasure.
The world was based on real-world western Europe during medieval/renaissance times, I think? Cliché at best, and not done well. Plus, what an overly sexist society! It felt like every page is filled with women being belitted and talked down to and beaten and being threatened with rape and men leering at their breasts. I understand that it’s a sexist society and Natalie is fighting to overcome the expectations placed on her as a women, but it was just too much.
This book was not for me. Wouldn't recommend.
Rating
I give this book 2 stars.
Details
Genre: Fantasy.
Language: Some strong language.
Sex: Lots of rape threats and men leering at women. Ugh.
Violence: Lots of violence, though not overly graphic. Main character gets beaten up a ton.
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