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The Quest of the Unaligned by A. L. Phillips
In the city of Tonzimmel, where hover-cars zip over anonymous crowds, contracts are king, and education is everything, Alaric has worked hard to make a decent life for himself. As a level nine security chief, he needs no one and nothing, and is in control of his fate. Or so he thinks.When a stranger from neighboring Cadaeren suddenly appears, however, babbling of magic, quests, and long-lost princes, Alaric finds himself contractually obligated to undertake a journey that his training hasn’t prepared him the Quest of the Unaligned. Accompanied by Laeshana, a Cadaerian native who has reasons of her own for helping him on his quest, Alaric is soon plunged into a perilous adventure that will force him to confront a seemingly impossible truth and embrace his destiny, even as the fate of Cadaeren hangs in the balance.
- GenresFantasy
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
200 people want to read
About the author
A.L. Phillips
1 book17 followersA.L. Phillips is a native of Pasadena, California. She has been telling stories to anyone who would listen since she was in grade school, and began writing her first novel at age 17.
Phillips earned a B.A. in Sociology from Grove City College, where she wrote a short version of The Quest of the Unaligned as an independent study. Also during that time, she began to publish in the academic field.
In 2013, Phillips earned a master’s degree in Survey Research and Methodology at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where she is now a Ph.D. student in Marketing. In her free time, however, Phillips enjoys reading, singing, rapier-fighting, and, of course, writing new stories.
Connect with her on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/author.a.l.phillips, and follow her Twitter feed, @phillipsauthor!
Phillips earned a B.A. in Sociology from Grove City College, where she wrote a short version of The Quest of the Unaligned as an independent study. Also during that time, she began to publish in the academic field.
In 2013, Phillips earned a master’s degree in Survey Research and Methodology at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, where she is now a Ph.D. student in Marketing. In her free time, however, Phillips enjoys reading, singing, rapier-fighting, and, of course, writing new stories.
Connect with her on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/author.a.l.phillips, and follow her Twitter feed, @phillipsauthor!
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 19, 2013
I loved this adventure! Reading the reviews printed in the book had me thinking this was going to be some dry study on sociology~ Thank the Balance it wasn't! I fell hard for the main character Alaric. This is not some science fiction book with a lot of romance, but it does have good character depth, and the romance brews at a quite respectable pace - true to the characters. Laeshana is not some frilly little thing with empty space where her brain should be, she is educated, and is instrumental in the adventure from beginning to end. She is also the moral compass by which Alaric seems to set himself throughout their exciting medieval-type Quest. Once I was finished with the book I could see the comparison the author was exploring, but that made this tale more lovable to me. This book has left me with food for thought, and it is an adventure I will recall with fondness for sometime to come.
If you enjoy a good fantasy with dragons, monarchies, magic, and did I mention hover cars? Yes, there is also a futuresque feel to this story! I'm telling you it is worth the read. Fast paced and well written- do not miss out on this fantasy adventure! I won this copy in a GoodReads giveaway, and thank the author for writing such a well thought out piece of literature.
If you enjoy a good fantasy with dragons, monarchies, magic, and did I mention hover cars? Yes, there is also a futuresque feel to this story! I'm telling you it is worth the read. Fast paced and well written- do not miss out on this fantasy adventure! I won this copy in a GoodReads giveaway, and thank the author for writing such a well thought out piece of literature.
December 1, 2014
This was an enjoyable read, but not particularly complex or fancy. The characters were well-defined and understandable, the world was consistent, and the direction was clearly shaped and planned, but there were no flashes of brilliance.
The plot is a fairly standard "orphan discovers he's special and goes on a quest", with a bit of "fish out of water". Nothing wrong with that - the Belgariad's amazing. I particularly liked how Alaric was a little older than the typical fantasy teenager orphan, having already made a living and life for himself, and how the romance was carefully built upon the basis of a previous friendship. All in all, the characters did a good job of being Genre-Savvy, and at no point was I particularly annoyed by any main character.
I would say that although there is no great flaw in this book, there also isn't anything really great. It's a solid read with no overt problems. However, there aren't many plot twists, the world is generically fantasy, and so is the magic. There were a few really simple things that contributed to this overall feeling; in particular:
1) The cover, binding and print. I'm so shallow! I'm sorry. :'( The book is a heavy one, with large text and a cover illustration that just screams "self-published", or "debut novel", or "published by a small company". (The cover illustration really bothers me because of the lighting/composition. I appreciate that the characters are dressed as described in a scene taken from the book, but Alaric is front and center on a black cover wearing black, while his less important teammates are behind him on either side, wearing striking colours like red and white. This draws the eye to the side characters, and it also splits it into two, instead of bringing it to Alaric in the middle. Also, I feel like the artist usually works with lineart, instead of without, and that they did most of their shading in black with a Multiply brush or something, probably with a lot of layers. Which isn't a bad thing if you're going for speed, but IMO isn't really very beautiful because it doesn't give you control over the colour of a shadow or a highlight.)
Anyway, artistic nitpickiness aside, I found this book on TV Tropes and bought it on Amazon - I don't think I would have picked it off of the shelf. While I own several indie or self-published books and don't tend to have an issue with them, I must admit that it leaves a definite impression when starting out.
2) The pronunciation guide and map. Honestly, in this book, there was no need for either one. The names of the characters are all quite standard and easy enough to pronounce, and there weren't any large journey breaks that would require a map.
3) The naming conventions. Actually, I'm going to branch off here into some praise/criticism. I really liked Alaric being from Tonzimmel. It was an interesting addition to the world, but I think it could seriously have been a more weighty influence on the world and storyline. It seems really strange that Cadaeren could be right next door to a city with hovercars and not have some forms of technology itself, especially when people do move in and out of the city. Technology's so osmosis-like, and I would have liked to have seen Cadaeren having a little tech. Also, what's with Alaric not bringing out any high-tech weaponry, or even, say... Google Maps? A car - or even a bike - would have been super useful, but come on, he's a security chief, he's got to at least have an awesome laser gun or a taser or something... right? Right? Aww. :(
The upshot is that I felt that moving from Tonzimmel/Cadaeren was more like moving from one dimension to another, rather than walking out of a city. It makes sense that magic can't get in, considering Tonzimmel's outright rejection of the idea, but technology can get out, and it seems like no one has accounted for things like wandering soothsayers, or rebellious teenage backpackers.
Also, since Tonzimmel feels like a super futuristic Earth-like society. I would really have liked to see people living there being named things like... John, or Trevor, or Willis, or something. It would have better brought home the differences between the two societies. Unfortunately, the city is named "Tonzimmel", and so it was not to be.
Now, naming conventions, for real this time!
Names in Quest of the Unaligned feel really generic. And by that, I mean that they tend to be: a) words which don't mean anything, b) are of three or more syllables, and c) lots of fancy letters like "ae" and "z" and "hn", which are there to look cool, rather than being there because it makes sense for the language of the society they live in, or because they conform to a pre-designed culture, or because they indicate something, like "son of Abdul Khalid" or "wife of Whats-His-Face".
I think everyone who's written fantasy has been guilty of this at one time or another, so perhaps it's just more obvious, but I'm kind of in the camp of "the simpler the better if it doesn't mean something". For instance, there's no reason Naruahn couldn't have been named "Naruan", since it's specifically pronounced that way in the pronunciation guide (which is, by the way, why I'm kind of against the things; if you need a pronunciation guide so people can pronounce a specific name, rather than a pronunciation guide for a language, it feels like you're overcomplicating things.)
This also goes for aretzes, shamais, hosheks, and the lot. There is no functional difference between a ruahk and an air mage... so just say "air mage". It's easier for everyone all around. Again, it feels superfluous - a name which was created for the fun of naming things, not because it added anything.
(I did recognize after the fact that a lot of mages had their magic magenames in their names! which was kinda cool. Wish it was an official title or something...)
Then again, maybe this is just my own personal bias. Correct labeling is very important in programmer world.
4) There were a lot of other things that could have really added depth, colour and complexity to the world. In-depth perspectives of different fields are really nice to have (although I personally think that this really just more reflects the author's specialties/research/geekery.) With the exception of Laeshana, a scholar, Quest of the Unaligned doesn't really have these (Alaric doesn't seem to have any hobbies besides working).
One way or another, creating a complex culture is something that's really difficult to do but really makes a book, and Quest of the Unaligned really doesn't do it at all. It's most evident in the tiny details - the plants and vegetation, the weather, the local customs (and why those customs originated), the religious beliefs of the people (and how they came about), the animals, the houses you live in, the air you breathe, and all the little annoyances of life. I once gave a critique of a short story set in a tropical climate, the author of whom was living in Australia. In his story, his character opened a door, stood on the grass, and breathed in the fresh evening air... which sounds so normal. In America, I do it all the time. It's great.
But in a tropical climate, you can't do that in the evenings. The mosquitoes eat you alive. (Also, sometimes we have insect mating season, and after they mate, they die, littering your front porch with all their exhausted, sexed-out insect bodies. Gross.) It's too hot and humid for a grill-out; instead, we had glass doors which we always kept closed to keep the insects out, and we ate fruit sitting on cool tile. Life's really different depending on where you live.
As the peasants of Cadaeren live in what Alaric calls "mud huts", I am absolutely sure that things like cow dung, flies, and crows are also in appearance. And people who walk around barefoot in it. Also, flood debris. And dead, bloated, disgusting drowned farm animals.
Anyway, I'm kind of shooting my mouth off here and this review is getting rather long. As I said earlier, Quest of the Unaligned is a simple, solid book. It read well and the ending felt good, but it also doesn't really stick in your memory. I might read another book from this author though, because she's got the basics down and it can get better from here. :)
Badgers.
The plot is a fairly standard "orphan discovers he's special and goes on a quest", with a bit of "fish out of water". Nothing wrong with that - the Belgariad's amazing. I particularly liked how Alaric was a little older than the typical fantasy teenager orphan, having already made a living and life for himself, and how the romance was carefully built upon the basis of a previous friendship. All in all, the characters did a good job of being Genre-Savvy, and at no point was I particularly annoyed by any main character.
I would say that although there is no great flaw in this book, there also isn't anything really great. It's a solid read with no overt problems. However, there aren't many plot twists, the world is generically fantasy, and so is the magic. There were a few really simple things that contributed to this overall feeling; in particular:
1) The cover, binding and print. I'm so shallow! I'm sorry. :'( The book is a heavy one, with large text and a cover illustration that just screams "self-published", or "debut novel", or "published by a small company". (The cover illustration really bothers me because of the lighting/composition. I appreciate that the characters are dressed as described in a scene taken from the book, but Alaric is front and center on a black cover wearing black, while his less important teammates are behind him on either side, wearing striking colours like red and white. This draws the eye to the side characters, and it also splits it into two, instead of bringing it to Alaric in the middle. Also, I feel like the artist usually works with lineart, instead of without, and that they did most of their shading in black with a Multiply brush or something, probably with a lot of layers. Which isn't a bad thing if you're going for speed, but IMO isn't really very beautiful because it doesn't give you control over the colour of a shadow or a highlight.)
Anyway, artistic nitpickiness aside, I found this book on TV Tropes and bought it on Amazon - I don't think I would have picked it off of the shelf. While I own several indie or self-published books and don't tend to have an issue with them, I must admit that it leaves a definite impression when starting out.
2) The pronunciation guide and map. Honestly, in this book, there was no need for either one. The names of the characters are all quite standard and easy enough to pronounce, and there weren't any large journey breaks that would require a map.
3) The naming conventions. Actually, I'm going to branch off here into some praise/criticism. I really liked Alaric being from Tonzimmel. It was an interesting addition to the world, but I think it could seriously have been a more weighty influence on the world and storyline. It seems really strange that Cadaeren could be right next door to a city with hovercars and not have some forms of technology itself, especially when people do move in and out of the city. Technology's so osmosis-like, and I would have liked to have seen Cadaeren having a little tech. Also, what's with Alaric not bringing out any high-tech weaponry, or even, say... Google Maps? A car - or even a bike - would have been super useful, but come on, he's a security chief, he's got to at least have an awesome laser gun or a taser or something... right? Right? Aww. :(
The upshot is that I felt that moving from Tonzimmel/Cadaeren was more like moving from one dimension to another, rather than walking out of a city. It makes sense that magic can't get in, considering Tonzimmel's outright rejection of the idea, but technology can get out, and it seems like no one has accounted for things like wandering soothsayers, or rebellious teenage backpackers.
Also, since Tonzimmel feels like a super futuristic Earth-like society. I would really have liked to see people living there being named things like... John, or Trevor, or Willis, or something. It would have better brought home the differences between the two societies. Unfortunately, the city is named "Tonzimmel", and so it was not to be.
Now, naming conventions, for real this time!
Names in Quest of the Unaligned feel really generic. And by that, I mean that they tend to be: a) words which don't mean anything, b) are of three or more syllables, and c) lots of fancy letters like "ae" and "z" and "hn", which are there to look cool, rather than being there because it makes sense for the language of the society they live in, or because they conform to a pre-designed culture, or because they indicate something, like "son of Abdul Khalid" or "wife of Whats-His-Face".
I think everyone who's written fantasy has been guilty of this at one time or another, so perhaps it's just more obvious, but I'm kind of in the camp of "the simpler the better if it doesn't mean something". For instance, there's no reason Naruahn couldn't have been named "Naruan", since it's specifically pronounced that way in the pronunciation guide (which is, by the way, why I'm kind of against the things; if you need a pronunciation guide so people can pronounce a specific name, rather than a pronunciation guide for a language, it feels like you're overcomplicating things.)
This also goes for aretzes, shamais, hosheks, and the lot. There is no functional difference between a ruahk and an air mage... so just say "air mage". It's easier for everyone all around. Again, it feels superfluous - a name which was created for the fun of naming things, not because it added anything.
(I did recognize after the fact that a lot of mages had their magic magenames in their names! which was kinda cool. Wish it was an official title or something...)
Then again, maybe this is just my own personal bias. Correct labeling is very important in programmer world.
4) There were a lot of other things that could have really added depth, colour and complexity to the world. In-depth perspectives of different fields are really nice to have (although I personally think that this really just more reflects the author's specialties/research/geekery.) With the exception of Laeshana, a scholar, Quest of the Unaligned doesn't really have these (Alaric doesn't seem to have any hobbies besides working).
One way or another, creating a complex culture is something that's really difficult to do but really makes a book, and Quest of the Unaligned really doesn't do it at all. It's most evident in the tiny details - the plants and vegetation, the weather, the local customs (and why those customs originated), the religious beliefs of the people (and how they came about), the animals, the houses you live in, the air you breathe, and all the little annoyances of life. I once gave a critique of a short story set in a tropical climate, the author of whom was living in Australia. In his story, his character opened a door, stood on the grass, and breathed in the fresh evening air... which sounds so normal. In America, I do it all the time. It's great.
But in a tropical climate, you can't do that in the evenings. The mosquitoes eat you alive. (Also, sometimes we have insect mating season, and after they mate, they die, littering your front porch with all their exhausted, sexed-out insect bodies. Gross.) It's too hot and humid for a grill-out; instead, we had glass doors which we always kept closed to keep the insects out, and we ate fruit sitting on cool tile. Life's really different depending on where you live.
As the peasants of Cadaeren live in what Alaric calls "mud huts", I am absolutely sure that things like cow dung, flies, and crows are also in appearance. And people who walk around barefoot in it. Also, flood debris. And dead, bloated, disgusting drowned farm animals.
Anyway, I'm kind of shooting my mouth off here and this review is getting rather long. As I said earlier, Quest of the Unaligned is a simple, solid book. It read well and the ending felt good, but it also doesn't really stick in your memory. I might read another book from this author though, because she's got the basics down and it can get better from here. :)
Badgers.
May 26, 2013
2.5 out of 5 stars
I thought this book started off a little shaky, but definitely picked itself up in the middle. As the story opens, we meet Alaric, a level 9 security officer who has been raised all his life in Tonzimmel. Tonzimmel supports a Gesellschaft culture where each person fights for themselves in order to move up the social ladder. When we meet Alaric, he seems rigid and unimpressionable, similar to the masses in his black uniform and boots. He was extremely bland until he meets Ruahkini, an air mage from Cadaeren who declares he's the missing prince and heir to Cadaeren. Hearing this news, Alaric is both disgusted and amused as Cadaeren is depicted as a crazy place outside the walls of Tonzimmel. While Tonzimmel boasts hard work and science, Cadaeren encapsulates the ideas of a Gemeinschaft culture where your birth determines your status. Not only that, but the mage declares that he has magic, which Alaric almost laughs himself unconscious at.
Ruahkini convinces Alaric to take on a wager with knife-throwing (Alaric's best skill). If Alaric won, his bar tab would be pre-paid for a month, but if he lost, he has to attempt the Quest of the Unaligned. This is a quest that the prince of Cadaeren must go on before their coronation ceremony. Of course Alaric takes on the wager as he considers himself the best knife-thrower in Tonzimmel - and of course he loses. And from there, we follow him as he leaves Tonzimmel and journeys to Cadaeren to begin his quest. On his way to Cadaeren, he is accompanied by Laeshana, a friend who he had believed was a mechanic/engineer back in Tonzimmel, but was in fact an aesh (a mage aligned with fire).
At this point, Alaric's personality was really annoying and rubbed at me in all the wrong places. He was condescending and ignorant, which I knew was intentional. Because of his 'Tonzemmialian' traits, he almost gets both he and Laeshana killed when he declares that he would take the mountain path, even after she warns him of a dragon lurking there. Of course, as a person of science, he scoffs at the idea (fair enough) and declares that will do whatever he wants even though Laeshana was there to be his guide. He's a level 9 security officer, of course he knows best! (Sarcastic) Not surprisingly, they meet the dragon which made for a very exciting read. However, it was pretty unbelievable as I kept wondering why the dragon didn't bother to use fire to incinerate them. And Alaric definitely defeated it too easily.
Following that encounter, we see a little bit of change within Alaric, he becomes less sceptical of magic and of Cadaeren being as insane as he first thought. While he still exhibits many Tonzimmelian traits, his character was changing. After a while, they arrive at the Temple where the King's Crown is held, but alas, it's stolen! The second half of the novel follows Alaric, Laeshana and the apprentice of the temple on their journey to retrieve the crown. This was where everything got much more interesting and where Alaric definitely grew as a character. What I found a little sceptical was how much he changed in just a few weeks - while it was definitely nice to see, 21 years of upbringing within one culture does not equate to immediate assimilation into a culture that is directly opposite to what you're used to.
What I do applaud is Phillip's ability to develop her characters. I think character development is one of the most important things within a good novel, right after plot, and she did it really well with Alaric. Throughout his quest, he is faced with the themes of duty, trust, morality and the continual issue of statuses depicting a persons' worth. This was done extremely well with Alaric. What I had problems with was his parents, the king and queen of Cadaeren and their decision to send Alaric away to be brought up in Tonzimmel in the first place. This was only explained briefly, and not even enough for it to make sense. From what I could tell, they sent him away so he could be 'unbalanced' and not lean towards any one element. What they essentially did was send him to a MAGIC-LESS place which was not only idiotic but what kind of parents does that make you when you send your ONLY child away to be brought up parentless. How are they even fit to rule when your actions show you don't even love your child, let alone your people. I'm surprised civil war did not start while Alaric was away.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read as the action picked up in the second part of the novel. I liked Alaric's character development but I can't say I was invested in any of the other characters enough, which is a shame. Especially Naruhan for his selfless sacrifice to buy Alaric time and save him from death. It would have been good to get some insight into the monarchy of Cadaeren as the two rulers seem quite ... oblivious to everything. Very fairy-airy to be exact. But the book does have a nice ending, which was a good close to the story.
Thanks to A. L. Phillips for providing an e-copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
- - - -
I thought this book started off a little shaky, but definitely picked itself up in the middle. As the story opens, we meet Alaric, a level 9 security officer who has been raised all his life in Tonzimmel. Tonzimmel supports a Gesellschaft culture where each person fights for themselves in order to move up the social ladder. When we meet Alaric, he seems rigid and unimpressionable, similar to the masses in his black uniform and boots. He was extremely bland until he meets Ruahkini, an air mage from Cadaeren who declares he's the missing prince and heir to Cadaeren. Hearing this news, Alaric is both disgusted and amused as Cadaeren is depicted as a crazy place outside the walls of Tonzimmel. While Tonzimmel boasts hard work and science, Cadaeren encapsulates the ideas of a Gemeinschaft culture where your birth determines your status. Not only that, but the mage declares that he has magic, which Alaric almost laughs himself unconscious at.
Ruahkini convinces Alaric to take on a wager with knife-throwing (Alaric's best skill). If Alaric won, his bar tab would be pre-paid for a month, but if he lost, he has to attempt the Quest of the Unaligned. This is a quest that the prince of Cadaeren must go on before their coronation ceremony. Of course Alaric takes on the wager as he considers himself the best knife-thrower in Tonzimmel - and of course he loses. And from there, we follow him as he leaves Tonzimmel and journeys to Cadaeren to begin his quest. On his way to Cadaeren, he is accompanied by Laeshana, a friend who he had believed was a mechanic/engineer back in Tonzimmel, but was in fact an aesh (a mage aligned with fire).
At this point, Alaric's personality was really annoying and rubbed at me in all the wrong places. He was condescending and ignorant, which I knew was intentional. Because of his 'Tonzemmialian' traits, he almost gets both he and Laeshana killed when he declares that he would take the mountain path, even after she warns him of a dragon lurking there. Of course, as a person of science, he scoffs at the idea (fair enough) and declares that will do whatever he wants even though Laeshana was there to be his guide. He's a level 9 security officer, of course he knows best! (Sarcastic) Not surprisingly, they meet the dragon which made for a very exciting read. However, it was pretty unbelievable as I kept wondering why the dragon didn't bother to use fire to incinerate them. And Alaric definitely defeated it too easily.
Following that encounter, we see a little bit of change within Alaric, he becomes less sceptical of magic and of Cadaeren being as insane as he first thought. While he still exhibits many Tonzimmelian traits, his character was changing. After a while, they arrive at the Temple where the King's Crown is held, but alas, it's stolen! The second half of the novel follows Alaric, Laeshana and the apprentice of the temple on their journey to retrieve the crown. This was where everything got much more interesting and where Alaric definitely grew as a character. What I found a little sceptical was how much he changed in just a few weeks - while it was definitely nice to see, 21 years of upbringing within one culture does not equate to immediate assimilation into a culture that is directly opposite to what you're used to.
What I do applaud is Phillip's ability to develop her characters. I think character development is one of the most important things within a good novel, right after plot, and she did it really well with Alaric. Throughout his quest, he is faced with the themes of duty, trust, morality and the continual issue of statuses depicting a persons' worth. This was done extremely well with Alaric. What I had problems with was his parents, the king and queen of Cadaeren and their decision to send Alaric away to be brought up in Tonzimmel in the first place. This was only explained briefly, and not even enough for it to make sense. From what I could tell, they sent him away so he could be 'unbalanced' and not lean towards any one element. What they essentially did was send him to a MAGIC-LESS place which was not only idiotic but what kind of parents does that make you when you send your ONLY child away to be brought up parentless. How are they even fit to rule when your actions show you don't even love your child, let alone your people. I'm surprised civil war did not start while Alaric was away.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read as the action picked up in the second part of the novel. I liked Alaric's character development but I can't say I was invested in any of the other characters enough, which is a shame. Especially Naruhan for his selfless sacrifice to buy Alaric time and save him from death. It would have been good to get some insight into the monarchy of Cadaeren as the two rulers seem quite ... oblivious to everything. Very fairy-airy to be exact. But the book does have a nice ending, which was a good close to the story.
Thanks to A. L. Phillips for providing an e-copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
- - - -
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July 18, 2013
The Quest of the Unaligned (A.L. Phillips)
A complex fantasy story with a large cast of characters. The pronunciation guide does help and at the end of the book there was a glossary and a list of discussion question. This book is for the serious fantasy reader, it is a bit hard to follow, but the plot was good and the characters were likable.
Alaric the city of Tonzimmel, and words as a security guard. One day a stranger appears from the city of Cadaeren, and tells Aldric of a quest, and mentions magic and a lost Prince. Soon he finds himself being trained to go on the "Quest of the Unaligned". Laeshana, a woman from Cadaeren accompanies him on his journey.
Along the way he comes across friends and foes, magic, dragons, fire spiders and other dangerous creatures. Aldric must accept his fate as he takes on the journey of a lifetime.
A complex fantasy story with a large cast of characters. The pronunciation guide does help and at the end of the book there was a glossary and a list of discussion question. This book is for the serious fantasy reader, it is a bit hard to follow, but the plot was good and the characters were likable.
Alaric the city of Tonzimmel, and words as a security guard. One day a stranger appears from the city of Cadaeren, and tells Aldric of a quest, and mentions magic and a lost Prince. Soon he finds himself being trained to go on the "Quest of the Unaligned". Laeshana, a woman from Cadaeren accompanies him on his journey.
Along the way he comes across friends and foes, magic, dragons, fire spiders and other dangerous creatures. Aldric must accept his fate as he takes on the journey of a lifetime.
June 7, 2013
This was a fantastic book. By far, my favorite part of this book was Phillips' skillful writing. Each scenario was described so vividly that I, as the reader, felt like I was with Alaric on the Quest of the Unaligned every step of the way. The story itself was a highlight, a very epic quest which leads up to a very worthy climax. The ending of the book was just perfect, leaving the reader satisfied but still wanting more! Other things I liked about this book were its quirky sense of humor, endearing supporting characters, and sweet love story. Congratulations to A. L. Phillips on creating a fun but still thought provoking first novel!
July 24, 2013
I enjoyed this story which was as much about the clash of two cultures and the progress from skepticism to "faith" as it was about a quest. The main characters were fairly well developed. There could have been more complexity with minor characters and plot lines. The king and queen, Alaric's parents were a little too unbelievably superficial and it felt like there were unanswered questions there, as well as with the main bad guy. The romance was handled well...subtle and not overdone. The idea of aligned gifts was creative and interesting.
June 6, 2013
Enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews