The Quest of Danger

Once Upon a Tim #4

by Stuart Gibbs, Stacy Curtis (Illustrator)

Set sail to Atlantis with Tim and his friends in the laugh-out-loud funny fourth book of the New York Times bestselling Once Upon a Tim chapter book series from Spy School author Stuart Gibbs.

Tim and his ragtag crew have been rescued from certain doom by a mermaid princess—but now, she wants something in return for saving their her father King Neptuna’s stolen trident.

To pay their debt, Tim, Belinda, Ferkle, Rover, and Princess Grace once again brave the Sea of Terror to track down the trident in the glorious city of Atlantis, which hasn’t sunk into the sea yet. (In fact, it is famed as the safest city on earth.) But there is plenty of danger en route—and the notorious Prince Ruprecht is lurking about as well. Can the junior knights evade the scheming royal and complete their quest?

PLEASE When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Humor, Adventure, Childrens, Audiobook, Fiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[ethansbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Oh no, oh no. It's this guy again..."

Yeah I'm back again.
I can't believe I'm writing a BAD review for this book either. I hadn't even fathomed this happening. But unfortunately I am writing one. Not because I'm trying to be an internet troll or get "famous" off of likes. but because this is my honest opinion and the opinion of many others.

I went into this book expecting a breath of fresh air from the most recent Stuart Gibbs books. Whale Done flopped and Spy School Goes North went south so I knew a brand new Once Upon A Tim book is what I needed. So far the Once Upon A Tim books have been hilariously funny with unique characters, new and intriguing adventures, and the fabled IQ Boosters which explain hard words to the readers in a funny almost Lemony Snicket kind of way.

While this book had all of that the story wasn't as great as the ones before it. But that's not the reason why I'm giving it such a low rating.

This book has once again another gay character in it. Which totally took me by surprise, I had not been anticipating it at all. In fact I didn't even think there were going to be any romantic relationships at all in those series.

When it started out as a random crush I thought maybe it would be played off as a joke but unfortunately that didn't happen. When it was finally confronted at the end the characters didn't even mind and actually embraced the idea of their princess from medieval times being gay.

These books have aspects on them that are supposed to be different from the “stereotypes” that are in stories but this was going way too far for a little kids book.

I'm really disappointed because I know some of my younger siblings who fit the age range for this book were looking forward to reading this but I'm not going to let them now since I thankfully read it first.

"oh you're just homophobic🤓"

Um, no? I'm just tired of having this stuff being pushed in LITTLE KIDS books.

I'm extremely annoyed that all of Gibbs series have LGBT characters in them now. He used to be a safe author for kids to read with numerous fun books to read from but now it's not even worth it to pick up any of the new books.

Obviously Stuart Gibbs older books are still good and a couple of his new ones are fine but I don't even think I'm looking forward to any of his upcoming books anymore.

[Molly Grimmius · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so disappointed to write this review. I have raved about this series because it was so humorous, great pacing, fun illustrations, made me the parent laugh, and perfect for those readers just starting longer chapter books. This one was again had all the things I loved in his series but this time the writing included an unneeded love story addition for Princess Grace. NO love story was needed for this book and this age bracket . He felt the need to push an agenda with it being a same sex relationship, and it was so awkward and clunky those additions that I could easily skip over the terrible writing with my kids.
Just so disappointed as it is so good to find such a wonderful engaging and funny series that decided to push agendas that 8-12 year olds don’t need to be reading about.

[Marisa Maloney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why? Oh why? Does a series that is written for early elementary kids.. that has characters that we all know and love for 3 books strong… why in book 4 do we have to now say that one of these characters is now into same sex relationship? Or the idea or thought that this is where it is going to go? If you want to make a character be in a same sex relationship .. then start it from the get go.. don’t do a bait and switch once you are already into the series .. when it feels forced and agenda driven. That is my main problem with this book, in a series that I love. When the agenda check mark ✔️ out ways the good writing and feels forced.. it makes me mad. Plus this book series is all about friends on crazy adventures not relationship weirdness.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Potentially offensive items: sexism/feminism, violence, lying, supernatural powers

Again, I am reading this book because my daughter finds them amusing. I do not. It was annoying in the same way as the previous ones: old, tired humor; copying Series of Unfortunate Events by inserting definitions of big words throughout; cheesy, stereotypical characters, and contrived plotlines.

This book, however, was especially annoying because Tim, the main character, keeps noticing that Princess Grace seems to be in love with Bull (his friend Belinda, who is pretending to be male so she can be a knight). This was extremely awkward and weird, and the end was unsettling to me because Princess Grace tells Tim she knows Bull is female and that she is not going to marry a Prince because the ones that she's met are full of themselves. She then says she is only going to marry someone she loves or not marry at all. This kind of left me wondering if the book was trying to push homosexuality or not. I am giving it the benefit of the doubt and not putting it in my "potentially offensive items." If, however, I end up reading any future books (and at this point I am planning to be done with these), I may update the offensive items on this review with it should that end up being the direction the series takes.

I didn't feel it was necessary to try to push any sort of romance throughout the book because this book is targeting 7- to 9-year olds, and the adventure is supposed to be the primary plot point. Romance was not a part of any of the previous three books. It bothers me because I feel like this (and the sexism/feminism) were not added in because they are necessary to the story, but rather because the author is trying to make a subtle statement. I don't want subtle statements in books targeting children. I want children to be children. If you are too scared that your book won't sell if you blatantly make a statement about something, then you shouldn't put it in there at all. Or put it in there and live with poor sales.

[And sorry, censorship is when you are not allowed to publish your book. The freedom of speech means that I have the freedom not to purchase or listen to your speech (or expose my children to it) just as much as you have the freedom to produce it.]

I can't decide if I felt more irritated about this or about the sexism that this romance seems to replace from the other books. (There are still sexist notions, for example, Princess Grace gets into a shouting contest with a Prince about not listening to her--and he still doesn't listen. Still, they are not as frequent because Princess Grace getting dreamy over Belinda replaces some of them. Although this book seems to hint at more adventures to come, this book does not end on a cliffhanger like the third one did.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

As usual this was witty and intelligent. I loved the use of Atlantis.

I’m disappointed that this book didn’t just focus on friendships. This is an elementary age book. However, I’m not going to not read this book to my kids because Princess Grace is gay. It’s great to have discussions that books bring up.

These books are truly fun to read aloud. If Princess Grace reveal bothers you just skip over that part. It doesn’t add or take away from the story.

Kids 14, 11, 9, and 7 loved it as well.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim, Belinda, Princess Grace, Ferkle, and D-frog are trying to return across the dangerous seas from their last quest. There's a little matter of plunging to their death over a waterfall though. And they're currently tied up thanks to Prince Ruprecht and his pirates, but they get help from a mermaid princess. The help doesn't come free, though. She expects them to help her out in return, by retrieving the trident stolen from her kingdom. Unfortunately, it's in the clutches of Prince Ruprecht and the pirates who have gone to Atlantis for their next devious scheme. None of them is thrilled with confronting the people who just tried to send them to their deaths, but they hear Atlantis is a very cool city. And the mermaids aren't giving them much of a choice. So off to Atlantis they go. What could go wrong this time?

I continue to like the vocabulary lessons in these books, but after no IQ Boosters in the first chapter I thought Gibbs had forgotten. (There were some big words in that chapter too.) He didn't forget, they started again. The various things this group finds themselves mixed up in are always entertaining and keep you turning pages. I like what Gibbs did with the Atlantis legend. And for all that I liked, I still felt that the book was a little slower than others in the series. I could have also done without the mushy content. Princess Grace has had a good head on her shoulders and been a strong, independent young woman, and suddenly she's a romantic hopeless case. Not my favorite in the series, but it does add new and exciting adventures to the quest.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Violence: Several animal attacks, perilous situations, and a couple battles. Most everyone ends up fine (it's very cartoonish).
Sexual content: There are marriage proposals of a prince to a princess (not accepted), and another prince and princess are interested in each other. Princess Grace has a huge crush on Belinda.
Ethnic diversity: Belinda is drawn with darker skin, the others all appear to be White.
GBLTQ+ content: As mentioned, Princess Grace has a huge crush on Belinda and though Belinda is dressed as a guy (to be a knight) Grace knows she's a girl.
Other: A city is destroyed and sunk in the course of a battle.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great series. It’s SO well paced and d my son loves it. I love the messages of gender equity in this book.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What worked:
This book has a light-hearted air to it as the characters encounter another humorous adventure. This is exemplified by Ferkle as he was learning to be a village idiot before joining Princess Grace, Tim (an apprentice knight), and his cousin Bull (actually a girl named Belinda). Tim and Belinda were abandoned by their knight mentors (Sir Cumference and Sir Cuss to name a couple) who now follow Grace’s evil brother. Prince Ruprecht is that foul character and he plans to marry a princess in this book to get her family’s riches. Tim and his friends must survive a deadly waterfall, sea monsters, and a tsunami to stop Ruprecht and foil his scheme.
The author includes IQ Booster words throughout the story. The narrator says this is to convince parents and teachers that the book is actually educational and not just a silly tale. These words are identified by IQ Booster icons and are followed by explanations of their meanings. There’s an entire page where the narrator explains how he will explain the IQ Boosters. Readers will be surprised that these words and their meanings add amusement to the narrative. For example, a cyclops is myopic, which means he can only see things that are close to his eye, but nothing is close to the eye of a giant monster.
There are references to the earlier books but this one can easily be read independently. The fast-paced narrative will keep young readers engaged as there is constant action. The characters sometimes use their wits to escape dangerous situations while other times they’re saved by sheer luck. The story is told in first-person through the eyes of Tim so readers can get a look at his inner thoughts. Princess Grace hints that she has a crush on Bull and Tim stews over the need to inform her that his cousin happens to be a girl too. A witch changed Tim’s pet dog Rover into a giant frog and now his fr-dog’s blend of abilities come in handy. However, they’re just as likely to create new complications.
What didn’t work as well:
Some young readers might not appreciate the IQ Boosters as the descriptions create interruptions in the plot. However, the author has produced a silly story, and the unique method of sharing advanced vocabulary and meanings fits his style.
The final verdict:
The author of the Spy School books is known for his quirky narratives so readers will have a sense of what to expect. The plot moves rapidly from one unusual incident to another and the abundance of humor will keep readers amused. Overall, this is a fun book to read and I recommend you give it a shot.

[Paige V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review from my little sister Laly (11):

Picture this: Tim, Belinda, Ferkle, and Princess Grace are all tied up in a boat about to go over a waterfall at the world's edge. Just when they thought it was all over, they were rescued by two seahorses (not the kind you're thinking of - these were horses with fishtails) and a group of merperson princesses.
But here's where things get mysterious - the merperson princesses took them to meet the king and queen of Merfolk, who had a mission for them. The king's legendary trident had been stolen, and they needed Tim, Belinda, Ferkle, and Princess Grace to return it. They knew the trident was in the mythical city of Atlantis, but the journey there was treacherous.
Will they make it to Atlantis in one piece? Will they be able to recover the trident and save the day? Only time will tell. But one thing's for sure - this adventure will be wild.

Hold on a second; before you even think about scrolling down, let me tell you about this book I've just read. Trust me, it's more than just some ordinary book with random pictures that make no sense. It's a book that's so educational it'll blow your mind! The book is packed with IQ boosters that will make you feel like a genius, and the best part is, it's hilarious!

The story takes place at a time when Atlantis still stood tall, and boy, oh boy, was it a thrilling adventure! You won't be able to resist the urge to laugh out loud at the witty humor and hilarious antics of the characters.

Even though it's the fourth book in the series, I could follow the plot perfectly, leaving me wanting more. This book is perfect to impress your friends with your newfound vocabulary skills! It's not only fun and exciting but also highly educational. And if you're a teacher looking for an excellent read for your 3-5 grade students, this book is a no-brainer. So what are you waiting for? This book is a wild ride that you don't want to miss!

Happy Reading, Laly ❤️ 📚

Thank you to the publisher for sharing this hilarious book with me!

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book 4 in the Once Upon a Tim opens where book 3 ended-with Tim, Belinda/Bull, Princess Grace, Ferkle and Rover tied up and sitting in a rowboat that is perched 1/2 way over an immense waterfall. Author Stuart Gibbs gets new readers, or those who have forgotten where book 3 ended, up to speed quickly, has a mermaid rescue them who then brings them to her father, the king of the merpeople who send them on another quest, this one to retrieve his golden, jeweled trident from the evil Prince Ruprecht.

And off they go—fighting beasts, imagined by Gibbs or from mythology, getting into more scrapes, meeting new people, trying to complete their mission but being foiled at every turn. And all along the way, Tim has good ideas but doubts himself, Ferkle is far from what his “village idiot” job implies, and Princess Grace keeps falling harder for Bull/really Belinda who she views as smart, brave and far superior to all the empty-headed princes her dad keeps pushing her way. Sketches by Stacy Curtis are frequent, wonderful and add to the humor that author Gibbs sprinkles liberally throughout the story. Also sprinkled throughout are the IQ Boosters, higher level vocabulary words that are already embedded in a context rich setting but are defined within parentheses to insure understanding and, hopefully, future use by readers.

Definitely not a Gibbs series for those who are already enjoying FunJungle and Spy School, but absolutely one that readers in grades 2-5 who are seeking humor, plenty of illustrations, and goofy action.

Representation: Bull/Belinda is illustrated as dark-skinned, Besotted (an IQ booster word) Grace is well aware that Belinda is only pretending to be male so she can be a knight, Prince Ruprecht is also darker-skinned, all other characters present as Caucasian.

Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as they are about to fall over the edge of the earth, Tim and his small band of friends--fellow knight-in-training Belinda (disguised as a boy), Princess Grace, Village Idiot Ferkle (who is the smartest of the group), and Tim's frog-dog--are rescued by a mermaid princess. In exchange, the merpeople want the band to rescue King Neptuna's trident, which was stolen by the same pirates who stranded Tim and his friends. The pirates were joined by evil Prince Ruprecht and all the knights who should have been training Tim and Belinda, but turned traitor and joined Ruprecht instead. It's a difficult quest, especially with a giant kraken in pursuit, but nearly being eaten has become a daily occurrence for the group so they set out to the famously-safe city of Atlantis, for reasons I forget.

This is a fun series, adventurous and silly, and Gibbs is one of the most popular writers for this age group. The action moves quickly, you're never that worried about something really awful happening to the characters, and there's a lot of sly wit here as well. I appreciated the "IQ Booster" definitions of longer words, and especially appreciated the nod to LGBTQ representation. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.

[Dana]

Thank you Libro FM and Simon & Schuster Audio for the ALC of The Quest of Danger! All opinions in this review are my own.

Despite loving this series, I somehow keep skipping books! I started with the second book, The Labyrinth of Doom, and just finished listening to the fourth one, The Quest of Danger. Although I still need to read books one and three, the Once Upon a Tim series is easy to pick up and enjoy. I like how it is written with a focus on vocabulary (they call them IQ moments) because it reminds me of how A Series of Unfortunate Events is written. The audiobooks are a lot of fun because of the sound effects added in and The Quest of Danger is another solid addition to this series! If you are looking for a silly middle grade focused on knights and adventure, then you should read Once Upon a Tim!

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anther banger of a trip for Tim & Co! I love how Gibbs alludes to some more well know myths and legends, while sprinkling in his own brand of made up nonsensery😜👍

But the end…so, like…there’s going to be another book? I’m not sure how I feel about this, as he wrapped it up MOSTLY nicely. He dropped a pretty sweet storyline right at the end, though, and I would LOVE to see it unfold (yay princess grace!). However, the set up for the “next book” seemed a bit weak, and I’m worried that it will all become too much and lose the spark that made it so funny.

However, I still highly recommend this series as a read aloud for younger kids (I read to K and 4th grade).

Also a good recommendation for a high level younger kid who wants to challenge themselves and still enjoy and follow the story😜👍 this book will boost your vocabulary!

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had been reading this series with my daughter, but I had noticed a red flag toward the beginning. I read some reviews, and then my daughter and I were able to talk about it. And that's extremely important for parents: to talk to your children honestly about your beliefs and your values, and why you believe what your believe. You know, we believe everyone struggles with different sins. But the world says "Be you! Follow your heart! If it feels good, do it!" So people stop wrestling with their sins and embrace what is wrong. And there is right and wrong, whether people want to admit that or not. So I was disappointed in how this series ended, but at least we were able to enjoy the first three.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh, the end of the Once Upon a Tim series (for now.) My kid is sad. She loved the series all the way through. It was a little worried that the series would take a downward turn with this book because of some of the reviews but, it turns out, people were just mad because there is a kid appropriate infatuation in this book that happens with two of the female characters. I thought it was great. How important is that low-key representation at an age-appropriate level for my kid who has two moms? Immense. It made me like Stuart Gibbs as a human. My kid was INSISTANT that we continue on into another Gibbs series so on we go into Belly Up.

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was probably my least favorite of the series but me and my 5yo still love the characters and the writing style and humor!

SPOILERS and book notes:
I love the merpeople kingdom! That there was not just people but merdogs, merhorses, mercats etc. dramatic irony. When the audience knows something the characters do not. Like how the characters keep saying how Atlantis will never fall to a natural disaster haha. And then of course they totally sink Atlantis into the sea! And Trey remembered that the city of Moroni sinks in the Book of Mormon too hahaha. And then to save them he used the Tritent to control the kraken! And they ride the kraken!!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

#4 in series
We find our group of heroes about to go over a waterfall! But it wouldn't be much of a story if they all perished, so they are miraculously rescued by merpeople but this begins a new adventure for them as they must retrieve the trident of Merland from Atlantis (which has not actually sunk yet).
Contains the educational brain boosters you've come to expect from the other books in the series and a queer crush from Princess Grace on Bull/Belinda. Action, adventure, humor, and vocabulary enhancement!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Once Upon A Tim was hilarious and enjoyed by my kids and myself! Tim and friends (including the town idiot, his fr-dog, and others) go from one pickle to the next, but always seem to find a silly and surprising way out. In the middle of the craziness, the princess reveals she is attracted to Tim's cousin (who is a girl disguised as a boy so she doesn't have to do the jobs required of girls). It was funny through most of the story, but then got a little confusing at the end, so we'll see where that goes. The rest of the story was as fun an silly as expected!

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tied up and trapped in a boat headed for a waterfall, Tim and his friends are rescued by Princess Piscina of the Kingdom of Merland. In exchange for their rescue Tim, and his friends must recover the Great Trident of Merland that Prince Ruprecht has stolen. This quest takes Tim, Belinda, Ferkle, and Princess Grace to the city of Atlantis, and their greatest adventure to date. Danger and peril await them at every twist and turn.

[Hannah Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent continuation of a very silly series. The writing keeps the humor of the original while letting our characters explore new adventures. Loved the addition of Princess Grace's crush- delightfully relatable and Tim's response to it was perfect. My kids laughed throughout the whole adventure, and love the challenge of guessing the IQ Booster words before reading the definition.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Cluelesswonder · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best one yet. My kids and I love this series. I hope there's a fifth one!

[PottWab Regional Library]

O

[Lauren Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each one of these is great. Silly, quirky, funny, but also a little smart.

[Chad Durham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still funny and still full of great vocabulary. I still enjoy reading them with my daughter but they have become slightly repetitive now. Nothing but love from me, though.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kid lit

[Ro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really really funny, but if you want to understand it, you should probably read the rest first.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

This series is so entertaining! Hoping another book will be here soon!

[Ruth R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book for many reasons but especially:
1 - The reference to other myths, like Atlantis
2 - The fact that Princess Grace is lesbian
3 - That it always ends on a cliffhanger