Jared's Quest

An Unfortunate Fairy Tale #4.5

by Chanda Hahn

*** This short story is part of the "Once in a Lifetime Fractured Fairy Tale Set" ***

EVER WONDER WHAT JARED DOES WHEN HE’S NOT SAVING MINA GRIME’S SKIN FROM FAIRY TALE BADDIES?

Mina Grime is a Grimm, bent on sending Jared, and his Fae kind back to their own world to end the curse on her family. Jared is her Fae protector, and an all around pain in the neck. Then the wheels of fate turn on Jared, and he is given his own quest to complete, against his will.

Jared has his hands full as he tries to save a bunch of spellbound boys, capture a beautiful shape-changing Fae, and keep Mina in the dark about it. He’ll need all the help he can get, and will have to recruit one of his old Fae friends to help.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Romance, Novella, Magic, Urban Fantasy

40 pages, ebook

First published November 25, 2013

About the author

Chanda Hahn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reign An Unfortunate Fairy Tale. She was born in Seattle, WA, grew up in Nebraska and currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their twin children. She attended North Central University in Minneapolis Minnesota for Childrens Ministry. She was also a children's pastor, bookseller and children's librarian.

Books published by Chanda include the UnEnchanted series a.k.a. (Unfortunate Fairy Tale Series) and The Iron Butterfly series.

Chanda is represented by Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group. You can direct any inquiries regarding foreign, film, audio and translation rights to him. www.tridentmediagroup.com

Reviews

[M.]

I just found out about this author & this series after I purchased a kindle last month. The first was free & I soon purchased the rest. I was excited to find another story only to then become very disappointed that "Jared's quest" is no longer available as either part of the limited edition set or on its own. I think a limited edition at a promotional price is a wonderful treat for readers, but for us newer readers please re-release the set (if the collaboration with other authors makes this possible, I'd love exposure to other authors new to me as well) or release it as a separate story, similar to how other authors release character short stories for purchase. I don't expect the same promotional price but I'd really like the opportunity to read it & further support the author.

[İlkim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bu kısa öykü de ilk kitabın sonuna eklenmiş.

[Elizabeth (Elzburg) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god this was sooo great. I really want to give this five stars just because it was soo sooo soo soooooo enjoyable but let’s face it, this is NOT on the same level as like, Catcher in the Rye or some other REAL five star book. So I’ll give it 4.5/5 stars.


I’ve read my good share of companion novellas. What really sucks is when the novella doesn’t seem necessary (Cough, Four, cough, Fairest). Even if it’s enjoyable I just can’t fully enjoy it if it doesn’t actually add something to the main story or give me a substantial amount of information. But hey guess what? Jared’s Quest was not only an awesome read, but it also dishes out a butt-ton of information!

This really is a must read for lovers of the Unfortunate Fairytale series. I definitely think you must read this at least after reading Reign and NO SOONER (even though it’s set between books 1 and 2) because it spoils the previous books. I pre-ordered my copy of Reign so it came with Jared’s Quest after the end of Reign. It was exactly what I needed after my Jared withdrawals from Reign. Book two was the Golden Age of Jared and it was sooo fantastic to go back in time and have good old Jared back.

Maybe he should tell her [Mina] the reason for pressing her face into the earth and practically making her eat dirt, but that wasn’t in his nature. He would just let her grumble and fume and complain.

There’s that suave motherfucker I remember.

Jared flashed his dangerous smile at her [Lucy]. He watched as her eyes widened and her hand unconsciously moved to her heart. “Lucy, when I want something, I get it.”

Of course, as per usual, there are many lols to be had in this book.

Uh oh, another angry female.

God damn angry females.


The real awesome thing about this novella was the fact that it’s told through Jared’s perspective! It was extremely enlightening and interesting to see exactly what goes on in that *cough, pretty* head of his. We also got a whooooolllle lot of new information (as mentioned previously) because of this. In Jared’s head he’s not afraid of saying too much information, or censoring himself. I made a list of most (because I may have missed some) of the things we learned in this novella.

Here are some of the less spoilery things we learned:
• Jared thinks Meira (Mei) is annoying… heh.
Quote: …checked to see if he could see Mrs. Wong inside. Nope, the restaurant was as dark and abandoned as the rest of the street. He was free from running into the annoying woman.

• Jared hates Mina’s “human emotions” at times.
Quote: He hated these human emotions of hers [Minas], at times like this.

• Jared can literally smell fear.
Quote: His ears picked up whispering, and his nose picked up a particular scent that he knew quite well—fear.

• Jared describes Mina’s eyebrows as “little eyebrows”… I dunno I just found this amusing.
Quote: Her [Minas] little eyebrows pinched together in annoyance…

• Jared hate’s being weak. #relatable.
Quote: Mina pleaded at him with her big brown eyes. Gosh, she didn’t know what those pleading eyes did to him. It made him feel weak, and he hated being weak.

• And I totally get why Ever was mean to Mina at first. There’s not really anything super specific that made me feel this way.
Quote: “Yeah that’s Ever. She’s the air I breathe.” That line (in context) literally made me laugh out loud for a few seconds.


Here are some SPOILER-y things we learned (don’t click on the spoiler tag if you haven’t read the book):

•Quote: If she [Mina] was anywhere near the Grimoire, he would always be able to hear her thoughts.

•Quote: At one time, Jared had thought he was in love with Ever. !!!!!!! Omg !!!!!!!!

•Quote: …he could never be sure of his true feelings. They weren’t always his own.

•Quote: He was about to put the key in the ignition, when a feeling of urgency overcame him. His heartbeat picked up, and he could feel the tension building—signs that told him to check in on Mina.

•He can spy on Mina whenever he wants by looking through reflective surfaces:
Quote: He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the leather headrest. It took a minute to find an available reflective surface in her room. It usually took a few tries, because the objects didn’t always face her, or they weren’t large enough to do any reflection viewing.

•No one can find Ever’s motel room if they hadn’t been shown the place by her. She also always has the Cartoon Network on. Nice.
Quote: …lowdown on her magical motel room. How it was way bigger on the inside, and no one could find it if they hadn’t been shown the place by her. How she always had the Cartoon Network on…


Since I did the Marry, Kiss, Cliff game with the boys on my Reign review, I decided I wanted to do the girl version, Be, Room, Cliff this time around! I didn’t find any already made, so I decided to Photoshop my own, inspired by the boy version.

Now I don't know about you, but this one is wayyy harder than the boy version. I really don't want to cliff ANY of them!! Ever? NO! She's awesome! Nan? No... she's too nice! Mina? No... she's the main character I can't cliff her... I'll just get back to this later.

Okay, who would I want to be? Mina. LOLNOPE. How about Nan or Ever? Hmm... If I'm Ever I get to be a pixie and have magical powers... but I would be part of the fae which have a corruptive government it seems... If I'm Nan I get to be rich and bubbly and popular... but my parents are divorced and I'm gonna be just a human... I think I'll be Ever.

Okay, Mina vs. Nan, who would I room with and who would I kill? Uhhh... I think... I'm going to room with Nan... and kill Mina. :X Omg I know!!! But come on, let's face it, if I push Mina down a cliff she's either going to use the Grimoire and morph it into a grappling hook or something, use fae magic and save herself that way, or Jared would help her. So it's a win-win really! As long as Mina and Jared don't get some sort of vendetta against me... But I'll be Ever, so they've got to forgive meeeeee, right?

Hehe so anyway, full answer: Be: Ever, Room: Nan, Cliff: Mina.


So yeah, this novella was fricken awesome. From the past couple books I haven’t been really enjoying Jared as much as I want to, but this novella rekindled my flame, and for that I am grateful. On to the last book!!!


Please consider giving this review a "Like" (it helps me out a lot), and follow me if you want more!

Click these links to go read my other reviews for the Unenchanted Fairytale series!
Book 1: Unenchanted
Book 2: Fairest
Book 3: Fable
Book 4: Reign
Book 1.5: Jared’s Quest <--You are here.
Book 5: Forever

[Arianne Bonacua]

Tada! For the first time ever. Someone impersonating a character from a book looks waaaaaay more gorgeous than the image forming in my head. Like, hell yeah! This Jared out shone the Jared in my imagination. Srsly. A round of applause for this man!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little short story that focuses on Jared and a quest that he takes charge of. It was actually supposed to be a prelude to "Fairest", but oh well. It was great to get to see some of his inner struggle with his other half (you'll have to read the series to find out what that means. Wink, wink).

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish this had been a little longer but it was nice to see that Jared had to do a quest to help Mona. even though she doesn't like the idea of him ever taking charge. It is so obvious they are falling for each other. I just wish they would hurry up and say something.
there was a couple of things I didn't like about the short story it seemed to back track to some things that had already happened but at the same time acted as though it was the next part of the story with new things added. there was a few confusing moments for me.

[Katy H]

I've been reading Chanda Hahn's e-books for a couple of years now, but somehow missed out on this and now I can't find it as a nookbook. I can always check Kindle and smashwords, but wish this was more readily available...if for no other reason than to continue my support of Ms. Hahn's imaginative writing.

[Sandy]

I just started a week ago and I have read the fisrt three books, she is an amazing writer. Can't find Jared`s Quest? Where can I find an ebook?

[Mildly Mad Hatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and short. It was interesting seeing Jared’s view but I like Mina’s better.

[Ama · Rating 4 out of 5]

EVER WONDER WHAT JARED DOES WHEN HE’S NOT SAVING MINA GRIME’S SKIN FROM FAIRY TALE BADDIES? (from the synopsis)

UHM, YES! Jared is my absolute favorite character. ♥️♥️♥️ I tend to avoid companion novellas/ prequels at all costs. (As in, I never read them, even if I have read the rest of the series several times). I find they either waste pages trying to justify a side character's actions or dump a whole lot of unnecessary history/ side-plot on a reader's head... BUT that is not the case here. I picked it up, begrudgingly, because I really wanted to get into Jared's head and boy am I glad I did. Not only was this book an awesome read, you get to discover a ton of stuff about Jared/ the Unfortunate Fairy Tale world... and I SWEAR Chanda is so good at dispersing new knowledge that you don't even notice her building canon until you're like... OH WAIT, WHAT NOW? Jared was really the perfect character to read, from a novella hating person like myself, because he is direct and uncensored with both his knowledge of the situation and his firm opinions. BTW, do not read this as book 1.5... Major spoilers, since Jared knows a ton more than Mina. Even though it is chronologically book 1.5, read it after book 4 on your first go through this series.

[Diksha Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Jared's Quest" by Chanda Hahn is a novella that serves as a companion to the "An Unfortunate Fairy Tale" series. While it may not be as essential to the series as the main books, it still manages to provide an enjoyable and engaging story.

The novella follows Jared, Mina's love interest, as he embarks on a quest to prove his worth to Mina's family and win their approval. The story is well-paced, with a mix of action and character development that keeps the reader engaged. Jared's character is fleshed out more in this novella, which adds depth to his relationship with Mina.

The writing style is straightforward and easy to follow, with descriptions that paint a clear picture of the settings and characters. The dialogue is natural and flows well, and the relationships between the characters are believable. The romantic subplot between Jared and Mina is well-done, with a slow burn that feels realistic and satisfying.

While "Jared's Quest" may not be a necessary read for fans of the "An Unfortunate Fairy Tale" series, it still manages to provide an enjoyable and worthwhile addition to the series. The novella earns a solid 4-star rating for its engaging story, well-developed characters, and satisfying romance.

[Viv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jared's Quest, a short story by Chanda Hahn. Great intake of the story as it follows Jared on a quest, were he's the one who has to end it, not Mina. So good to see the story on a guy's point of view. This story should have taken place between book one and two. Love how the relationship between Jared and Mina develops as the quest to stop an evil fae who turns boys into toads. Short but great story. 4 Stars.

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really short story focusing on Jared. I miss Jared. :( Jared goes off on his own quest to take care of a fae who is turning boys into frogs looking for her Prince to turn her human.

This is book 1.5 but I would recommend not reading it until after at least book 3 maybe 2. There are people and aspects of the story that haven't been introduced in the main books that are featured in this one.

[Lenore Kosinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars -- Jared!!! This just makes me want to drop my UtopYA author quest and read the rest of this series right now. LOVED getting into Jared's head a bit -- I just KNEW he was going to be an interesting character, and that there was more to him! Course this still just hints at that, but the hints are bigger. Definitely a fun novella not to be missed if you're enjoying this series.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish he would be more honest ....

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been many years since I first started this series. Naturally, I've grown a lot since then and so have my reading tastes. In a lot of ways, I still enjoy this series but I've also outgrown a lot of the characters and writing. For that reason, I don't love these books as much as I used to, but I still find the stories pretty entertaining. Jared's Quest was focused around the story of The Frog Prince and unlike all the other fae stories, this one is set up for Jared to defeat instead of Mina. All in all, I found the retelling to be interesting and engaging but I hated how Jared was portrayed. To be fair, I almost always hate how male characters are portrayed in their POV novellas, they are just way too brooding. It was a really quick read though so I can't complain too much.

[Mella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jared's Quest sees Jared, the mysterious Fae who helps Mina on her quests, take on his own quest, featuring The Frog Prince. This short novella reveals insight into Jared's thoughts and feelings and a tiny bit about his background.

This was alright. It's supposedly book 1.5, but I didn't feel like there was enough information from reading only the first book to have it make sense. It kind of felt like it was missing a big part of the plot. And the introduction of Ever, the pixie Fae, just left me further confused. I had more questions than answers which was annoying. I did like getting Jared's thoughts though. 2 stars.

[Cherish Kasner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short story that went along with the other Unfortunate Fairy Tale books. I liked that it gave a more in depth look at things fron Jareds point of view. It does explain about his disappearance during the other book and more about his friend who comes to Minas school. It gives more of an insight into that relationship too. I found it very helpful

[Jo]

Favorite Quote:
"She was right. He was the one making all the terrible jokes and not taking his job seriously. But how could he, when every step they took together, every quest they finished was one more step toward the Fae being banished back to the Fae world and the gates closing forever? It was one step closer to losing her."

[Tabby Kordish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mina's Not the Only One Getting to Have Fun Adventures!
Ever wonder what Jared gets up to when Mina's not with him? Check out this super cute short story and see the world through Jared's eyes. This is a perfect addition to the UnEnchanted universe. It may be short but it's definitely worth the read and will keep you interested until the end.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute fractured fairytale Frog Princess short story

This was a cute reverse fractured fairytale of the Frog Prince. I felt sad that Tom didn’t get saved like the rest of the boys, yet he seems very happy to be in his new state. I wonder if he will get his own happily ever after later on? Perhaps with Ever (hopefully)?

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this is marked as #4.5 it's actually more like #1.5 as it's meant to be ready between book 1 and 2. It was a fun little side story and could have given some more character details if it'd read it after the first book as intended. Reading it after having read the whole series meant I didn't really get anything more from it and it wasn't a good enough story to make it worth it otherwise.

[Kysha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Jared so Much

This short story was a cute little glimpse at Jared and Ever. Since I read the rest of the series first I knew about them but I still love the story. Jared/Teague are my fave characters in the whole series, evil or not.

[Virginia Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

After recently finishing the Unfortunate Fairy Tale series (And loving it!) I decided to go ahead and read this short story. I loved that it was a quick read and still had that same charm that the other books had.

[Katie Berryman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very short but sweet.

I liked seeing the story from another perspective but it would have been awesome if it was a little longer or there was a sequel to his side of the stories.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this short story after I had read the third book in the series. So, the things that she hinted at here I already knew. If I hadn't known, it would have been a nice bit of foreshadowing. It was fun to see Ever introduced, too. Fun story.

[Brandy Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love getting a good back story. You never know what you are going to find out about the person. Jared has a story to tell. We want to read it. He does more for Mina then we know. I think he is a kind jerk that we love to hate. I hope he stays around for the whole series.

[Ashley Beasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

super cute

This short novella was absolutely adorable! I wish there was more like this from Jared’s pov. It was also cute seeing Evers caring side in this way. The ending with her and the frog was too stinking cute!

[Kristen (belles_bookshelves) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A novella taking place from Jared's pov for a quest into "The Frog Prince" that came with my e-version of UnEnchanted

[Barbara Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella helps explain Jared's background and complicated relationship with Mina and Grimm's fairytales.