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A.J. Ponder's latest book, Quest is a quirky and original celebration of fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, Terry Pratchett's Discworld and The Hobbit.
Sylvalla escapes Avondale castle, and the life of a princess, in search of the adventure she’s always wanted.
Once found, adventure bites back.
Fortunately Sylvalla is not alone – Unfortunately, her new-found companions are less than heroic. Jonathan would rather make money. Dirk would rather live a long and happy life. And at 150, Old Capro would rather stop gallivanting about and harangue unsuspecting students about his glory days over a nice cup of tea.
Quest has everything, heroes, monsters, chases, escapes and a complete lack of true love.
Sylvalla escapes Avondale castle, and the life of a princess, in search of the adventure she’s always wanted.
Once found, adventure bites back.
Fortunately Sylvalla is not alone – Unfortunately, her new-found companions are less than heroic. Jonathan would rather make money. Dirk would rather live a long and happy life. And at 150, Old Capro would rather stop gallivanting about and harangue unsuspecting students about his glory days over a nice cup of tea.
Quest has everything, heroes, monsters, chases, escapes and a complete lack of true love.
Audiobook
First published September 2, 2018
24 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Ponder
36 books255 followers USA Today bestselling author, and winner of the Wright-Murray Residency 2021, A.J. Ponder (BSc, Dip Teach) is the author of numerous novels and short stories including the award winning Frankie and the Netball Clone, Dying for the Record, The Sylvalla Chronicles, Wizard's Guide to Wellington and more.
A.J. lives in a hundred year old house overlooking Wellington harbour with three cats and a family all obsessed with games, books and dungeons and dragons. A.J. has a head full of monsters, and recklessly spills them onto the written page. Beware dragons, dreadbeasts, taniwha, and small children—all are equally dangerous, and capable of treading on your heart—or tearing it, still beating, from your chest.
You can find A.J. at ponderbooks.com, Amazon and Facebook,
A.J. lives in a hundred year old house overlooking Wellington harbour with three cats and a family all obsessed with games, books and dungeons and dragons. A.J. has a head full of monsters, and recklessly spills them onto the written page. Beware dragons, dreadbeasts, taniwha, and small children—all are equally dangerous, and capable of treading on your heart—or tearing it, still beating, from your chest.
You can find A.J. at ponderbooks.com, Amazon and Facebook,
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
July 5, 2019
What a delightful story that combines humour, satire and more. I totally loved it.
November 8, 2018
What a fantastic read. I read this book with my 11-year old son and we really enjoyed the vivid worldbuilding and the clever, witty voice the tale is told in. Aimed at a younger audience, Quest is a fun adventure while also holding plenty of subtext for the older reader, both to provide a few hidden chuckles and also to leave the reader pondering some deeper issues, like the unwritten rules of what a princess - and by extension, girls in general - should and should not do. And how utterly unfair those rules are. Clad in beautiful artwork and adorned with a plethora of hilarious footnotes, Quest will no doubt come out to be read again, especially to my daughter, and we’ll look forward to the next one in the series.
October 30, 2018
Quest was light-hearted fun and a welcome escape from the dire stories that fill our new feeds these days. I loved the plucky Sylvalla and her larger-than-life sidekick/protector Dirk. A fun read in the vein of the Princess Bride.
January 19, 2019
What a hoot!
I loved this. Fantasy humor with a Pythonesque flair and a coherently incoherent plot. This is my first A. J. Ponder book, and I'm glad I took the chance on it. Now, I'm a fan.
Quest is book 1 in a series featuring princess Sylvalla, who starts out young, foolish, wayward, and brave. She desires a Quest with a capital Q and meets an array of quirky men as she quests for the Quest. The characterization is fresh and original. The plot is inventive. The theme requires scant mention in a humor book, but I will say I liked Ponder's treatment of decency and honor. In terms of demerits, yet again, sigh, magic is the deus ex machina that solves the main problem like, well, like magic. I got over my disappointment a page or two later, though, because part of the point of the book was to satirize the fantasy genre, in a loving, good natured way.
I loved this. Fantasy humor with a Pythonesque flair and a coherently incoherent plot. This is my first A. J. Ponder book, and I'm glad I took the chance on it. Now, I'm a fan.
Quest is book 1 in a series featuring princess Sylvalla, who starts out young, foolish, wayward, and brave. She desires a Quest with a capital Q and meets an array of quirky men as she quests for the Quest. The characterization is fresh and original. The plot is inventive. The theme requires scant mention in a humor book, but I will say I liked Ponder's treatment of decency and honor. In terms of demerits, yet again, sigh, magic is the deus ex machina that solves the main problem like, well, like magic. I got over my disappointment a page or two later, though, because part of the point of the book was to satirize the fantasy genre, in a loving, good natured way.
March 1, 2022
My favorite part of this audiobook was listening to the narration. A fantasy comedy with a Python flair and an incoherent plot. This is my first A. J. Ponder's book and I'm glad I took the chance on it. I'm a fan now. Princess Sylvalla, who starts off young, foolish, and wayward, and ends up brave, is the heroine of the first book in a series, Quest. When she sets out on her quest for a Quest with a capital Q, she meets a host of quirky men who make her laugh. Her character development is original and refreshing. A captivating story is told. Despite the short description, I liked the way Ponder treated demeanor and honor in his humor book. Magic, regardless of its shortcomings, appears to be a deus ex machina that has an answer for everything. The book's purpose is to satirize the fantasy genre in a loving and good-natured way, so I got over my disappointment after a few pages.
January 6, 2022
This was my first experience with A. J. Ponder's work and it won't be my last. I enjoyed this story very much. This book has all the elements that make up a good fantasy: companions, heroes, villains, fantastical beasts, a journey, magic and humor. I recommend this book to others who enjoy this genre. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Benjamin Fife's narration was awesome. He provided different voices for the characters and his expressive voice added to the entertainment of the story. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.
September 9, 2019
Very entertaining book similar in style to Pratchett's Discworld, which I adore. I felt that the humorous tone was a bit inconsistent in some spots towards the end, but for a self-published work, I thought it was a great start to an intriguing series. I was looking for a light-hearted, classic fantasy adventure and this checked those boxes rather well.
December 18, 2021
How was this book written in this century? By a woman?
The entire premise seems to boil down to “wouldn’t it be hilarious if a WOMAN thought she could be a HERO?!”
Even more puzzling that it was written by a woman.
The entire premise seems to boil down to “wouldn’t it be hilarious if a WOMAN thought she could be a HERO?!”
Even more puzzling that it was written by a woman.
October 31, 2018
It was an exceptional book!
Very funny and unique!
I loved these characters:
Dothie
Sylvalla
Dirk
Mr Goodfellow Senoir
Jonathan Goodfellow
Very funny and unique!
I loved these characters:
Dothie
Sylvalla
Dirk
Mr Goodfellow Senoir
Jonathan Goodfellow
August 3, 2021
I didn't know what to think going into this and I have to admit, I had a pretty good time with it.
Quest feels like it's written for a YA audience. The story concerns your handful of heroes (the idealistic princess, grumpy mage, peasant boy, warrior legend), bad guys (a rogue mage, a thief, something ogre-ish, some dragons of various sizes). Something I liked about this is that everyone in this book starts off as a jerk. Not in the sense that you'll dislike them but watching bumble around in their self-centered actions and thoughts was pretty funny. The thing is, all of the characters improve over time and become a bit more relatable. Sylvalla was ostensibly the central character and I grew to quite like her by the end. The overall tone of the book is light and slightly sarcastic, and it works. The plot moves along quickly and this is a fast and easy read.
Because this is written as a history, telling the story based on "found" tales, there are some interludes that break the narrative flow, to offer up some information on the individual characters. Once I got used to the interruptions, it was fine but the first couple of times, they were disruptive.
This was cute and fun, and I enjoyed it a fair bit. The humor may not be for everyone but it definitely worked for me.
Quest feels like it's written for a YA audience. The story concerns your handful of heroes (the idealistic princess, grumpy mage, peasant boy, warrior legend), bad guys (a rogue mage, a thief, something ogre-ish, some dragons of various sizes). Something I liked about this is that everyone in this book starts off as a jerk. Not in the sense that you'll dislike them but watching bumble around in their self-centered actions and thoughts was pretty funny. The thing is, all of the characters improve over time and become a bit more relatable. Sylvalla was ostensibly the central character and I grew to quite like her by the end. The overall tone of the book is light and slightly sarcastic, and it works. The plot moves along quickly and this is a fast and easy read.
Because this is written as a history, telling the story based on "found" tales, there are some interludes that break the narrative flow, to offer up some information on the individual characters. Once I got used to the interruptions, it was fine but the first couple of times, they were disruptive.
This was cute and fun, and I enjoyed it a fair bit. The humor may not be for everyone but it definitely worked for me.
Want to read
March 12, 2022The story is told through an omniscient narrator, who wonderfully captured the emotions, atmosphere and humour of the world. The narrator really reminded me of the books that I read growing up and it was just such a comfortable and cosy feeling.
Sylvalla really embodies, “When All the hero's are gone, someone will take their place.” She is a bold, strong and ambitious character, determined to stand up, be an individual and follow her dreams. I just loved that the princess refused to be pigeon hold into the delicate life of a princess just to fit in with the customs her family and their kingdom expected of her. As the saying goes the heart wants what it wants and what Sylvalla wanted was a Quest!
I honestly can't wait to read Prophecy [book 2 and Omens [book 3] within The Sylvalla Chronicles.
Thank you to @lovebooktours and @a.j.ponder for providing me with a copy of the audiobook for review.
Sylvalla really embodies, “When All the hero's are gone, someone will take their place.” She is a bold, strong and ambitious character, determined to stand up, be an individual and follow her dreams. I just loved that the princess refused to be pigeon hold into the delicate life of a princess just to fit in with the customs her family and their kingdom expected of her. As the saying goes the heart wants what it wants and what Sylvalla wanted was a Quest!
I honestly can't wait to read Prophecy [book 2 and Omens [book 3] within The Sylvalla Chronicles.
Thank you to @lovebooktours and @a.j.ponder for providing me with a copy of the audiobook for review.
March 3, 2022
Quest was a fun fantasy that had a bit of a satirical tone. I’m not sure what I expected going into this book and it’s written for a young adult audience. I’ve enjoyed YA in the past and this book was alright. I’m not sure if it was the narration or the pacing of the story.
Quest follows a princess who wants to be the hero of the story and decides to find a Quest to help her achieve that goal.
Overall, I liked this book, but I’m not sure I’d listen to it again. The humor is not for everyone and it does take a bit to get used to. The narrator did an alright job as well, but the iffy pronunciations caused me some issues. I found myself taking many breaks while listening and I definitely listened to this book at a slower pace that I would have liked.
Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
Quest follows a princess who wants to be the hero of the story and decides to find a Quest to help her achieve that goal.
Overall, I liked this book, but I’m not sure I’d listen to it again. The humor is not for everyone and it does take a bit to get used to. The narrator did an alright job as well, but the iffy pronunciations caused me some issues. I found myself taking many breaks while listening and I definitely listened to this book at a slower pace that I would have liked.
Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
January 18, 2022
FANTASTIC STORY AND NARRATION
I had enjoyed Benjamin Fife's narration so much in The "Jane Austin,s Dragons" series which I have listened to many many times. SO naturally I was drawn to this series and I am so happy I got it. The characters are alive and every detail vibrant, a perfect book for teens and any age with an imagination and appreciation for adventure. Recommended Clean. Kindle or Audio book you are sure to enjoy!
I had enjoyed Benjamin Fife's narration so much in The "Jane Austin,s Dragons" series which I have listened to many many times. SO naturally I was drawn to this series and I am so happy I got it. The characters are alive and every detail vibrant, a perfect book for teens and any age with an imagination and appreciation for adventure. Recommended Clean. Kindle or Audio book you are sure to enjoy!
February 21, 2022
I loved this fun and charming adventure about a young princess who wants nothing more than to escape the monotony of castle life to be a hero.
This story truly had everything promised, from giants and career thieves, to wizards and familiars. The humor and wit lacing each chapter was delightful, though I wish I had gotten the opportunity to get to know the characters and their deepest desires more, especially through dialogue.
I really enjoyed how completely fantastical things were presented in the most nonchalant manner, as though this was how things had always been, and always would be. I definitely got vibes that reminded me of The Princess Bride and H. H. Munro.
A grand adventure full of mischief, dry wit, and wizardry as the princess fights to immortalize herself in the annals of history.
This story truly had everything promised, from giants and career thieves, to wizards and familiars. The humor and wit lacing each chapter was delightful, though I wish I had gotten the opportunity to get to know the characters and their deepest desires more, especially through dialogue.
I really enjoyed how completely fantastical things were presented in the most nonchalant manner, as though this was how things had always been, and always would be. I definitely got vibes that reminded me of The Princess Bride and H. H. Munro.
A grand adventure full of mischief, dry wit, and wizardry as the princess fights to immortalize herself in the annals of history.
March 21, 2024
Fun fantasy
I really loved this book. An unruly princess, a deadly swordsman, a crooked trader, an old tired wizard and a stable boy seek a quest to become heroes, they are pursued by a wizard who turns people into fruit flies, a village idiot and a smaller than average giant. One for readers who like the comic fantasy, I liked the writing style and the wonderful characters. The world building is great with just the right amount of insanity, fun dialogue and humorous situations. Benjamin Fife is the perfect narrator bring everything to life superbly.
I really loved this book. An unruly princess, a deadly swordsman, a crooked trader, an old tired wizard and a stable boy seek a quest to become heroes, they are pursued by a wizard who turns people into fruit flies, a village idiot and a smaller than average giant. One for readers who like the comic fantasy, I liked the writing style and the wonderful characters. The world building is great with just the right amount of insanity, fun dialogue and humorous situations. Benjamin Fife is the perfect narrator bring everything to life superbly.
April 11, 2022
Quest was a surprisingly pleasant departure from my general listening diet of epic fantasy of a more serious tone. Quest had flavors of Guardians of the Galaxy with the humorous anecdotal features found in Fire and Blood. Each character had their own unique hubris with delusional notions of grandeur, but they were written so well I truly found myself wishing each would succeed even when their success contradicted those of characters I was just rooting for the chapter before. Dothy and Mr. Goodfellow Sr. were particularly enjoyable for me to adventure with because, who doesn't enjoy a good wizard? To improve matters further, the narrator could not have been more perfect for this story. The lighthearted, dry and witty tone of the writing was only enhanced by Fife’s flawless delivery. Quest is the sort of fantasy story that feels more like a personal experience than a tale told from afar. I felt like I was sitting in the front row of a play as opposed to watching a movie at home. I’m so glad I gave this story a chance!
November 29, 2024
I loved this story. It has several fantastical creatures, wizards, a gallant sell sword, a fearless princess in search of adventure, found family and a slightly dark undertone that is mixed with humor and creative wordplay, this makes a truly unique and absolutely delightful coming of age tale.
Princess Sylvala dislikes her princess duties and desires a quest to battle a dragon so she ran away from the palace to pursue her dreams. Along the way she picked up some rather quirky companions. Their journey faced some great challenges and fights. A great story full of magic, friendship & dragons. I ŵas laughing out loud while reading & truly enjoyed the story. Can't wait for book two.
Princess Sylvala dislikes her princess duties and desires a quest to battle a dragon so she ran away from the palace to pursue her dreams. Along the way she picked up some rather quirky companions. Their journey faced some great challenges and fights. A great story full of magic, friendship & dragons. I ŵas laughing out loud while reading & truly enjoyed the story. Can't wait for book two.
May 15, 2019
Awesome book! Very funny, Sylvalla is great! She's almost the opposite of the story book princess. She doesn’t wait around in a tower to be rescued and would most likely be furious if anyone attempted to. I'd highly recommend it.
November 7, 2019
In this first book I found myself lost in the adventure. The ideas in this book were entertaining and fun. I enjoyed the group dynamic and the heroine was enjoyable to read. Great read and a must for fantasy lovers!
March 3, 2022
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S QUEST ABOUT?
Sylvalla is being raised the way most fantasy princesses should—but she's not all that interested in the finery and culture. She has fire in her and ambition—she wants to be a Hero (with a capital H) and sneaks out of the castle to pursue her dreams and find a Quest so she can get that title, even if it causes problems with the one she already has. I couldn't help but think of Princess Eilonwy daughter of Angharad, daughter of Regat of the Royal House of Llyr, just without being hampered by an Assistant Pig-Keeper.
Dirk is one of the many swordsmen out to find her and return her for the bounty. He's also one of the fiercest swordsmen around and has a long list of people he's promised to kill the next time he sees them. He's technically a Hero, but there's little heroic about him. He finds himself Sylvalla's sworn servant before too long and ends up accompanying her instead of bringing her home.
Meanwhile, Capro Goodfellow a wizard of small repute has just turned 150 and continues to try to get his son interested in wizardry. Jonathan's much more drawn to the commercial life, buying and selling—and profiting from both. But you know what they say about wizards being subtle, a vision about Sylvalla gives Capro a chance to involve Jonathan in something bigger than capitalism.
Eventually, these four end up in the same place at the same time, and Sylvalla gets her chance—can she take advantage of it? Will any of them survive it?
YEAH, THERE WAS ANOTHER THING
There was another storyline and another group of characters that I didn't mention. They were interesting enough, and the characters and story had potential, but I think they were squandered. I kept wondering how the book would've ended up had Ponder not bothered with this and had spent the space deepening the others instead.
That said, I can absolutely see where this storyline is going to pay off in a further installment of The Sylvalla Chronicle. But for now, it felt like a poor use of space and imagination.
HOW WAS THE NARRATION?
Fife did an acceptable job—there were some really strong moments. But there were a few times when the accent he was using didn't work (words he didn't know how to pronounce with a British accent, for example). When I read on his website that he comes from the same state as I do, some of that made a lot more sense to me. Also, there wasn't enough variation in his tone of voice or pacing, which got a little old after a while and made it difficult to focus (that also could be a function of how tired I was, I grant—perhaps the combination).
That comes across as more critical than I intended it to be—Fife was very strong when handling dialogue for his characters, and caught the tone of the book well. I could've used just a little more.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT QUEST?
This was a light, fun fantasy story in a similar vein to A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher and Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin (to name a couple of recently discussed books here)—Ponder's not looking to satirize the genre, just looking to tell a fun story within it. Which isn't to say there's no meat to it, by any means. I simply wanted a little more from the two main storylines, but that's likely just me.
I really liked Sylvalla as a character and enjoyed her arc through this—the same, to a lesser degree, for Capro and Dirk. I even came around to liking Jonathan—I enjoyed his arc throughout, even if I spent most of the book wanting someone to give him a swift kick in the pants.
A quick hit of fantasy that will bring a grin to your face, Quest is one to check out. Given how things wrap up, I imagine the rest of her Chronicles will deliver more of the same, too.
My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Tour and the materials (including the audiobook) they provided.
---
WHAT'S QUEST ABOUT?
Sylvalla is being raised the way most fantasy princesses should—but she's not all that interested in the finery and culture. She has fire in her and ambition—she wants to be a Hero (with a capital H) and sneaks out of the castle to pursue her dreams and find a Quest so she can get that title, even if it causes problems with the one she already has. I couldn't help but think of Princess Eilonwy daughter of Angharad, daughter of Regat of the Royal House of Llyr, just without being hampered by an Assistant Pig-Keeper.
Dirk is one of the many swordsmen out to find her and return her for the bounty. He's also one of the fiercest swordsmen around and has a long list of people he's promised to kill the next time he sees them. He's technically a Hero, but there's little heroic about him. He finds himself Sylvalla's sworn servant before too long and ends up accompanying her instead of bringing her home.
Meanwhile, Capro Goodfellow a wizard of small repute has just turned 150 and continues to try to get his son interested in wizardry. Jonathan's much more drawn to the commercial life, buying and selling—and profiting from both. But you know what they say about wizards being subtle, a vision about Sylvalla gives Capro a chance to involve Jonathan in something bigger than capitalism.
Eventually, these four end up in the same place at the same time, and Sylvalla gets her chance—can she take advantage of it? Will any of them survive it?
YEAH, THERE WAS ANOTHER THING
There was another storyline and another group of characters that I didn't mention. They were interesting enough, and the characters and story had potential, but I think they were squandered. I kept wondering how the book would've ended up had Ponder not bothered with this and had spent the space deepening the others instead.
That said, I can absolutely see where this storyline is going to pay off in a further installment of The Sylvalla Chronicle. But for now, it felt like a poor use of space and imagination.
HOW WAS THE NARRATION?
Fife did an acceptable job—there were some really strong moments. But there were a few times when the accent he was using didn't work (words he didn't know how to pronounce with a British accent, for example). When I read on his website that he comes from the same state as I do, some of that made a lot more sense to me. Also, there wasn't enough variation in his tone of voice or pacing, which got a little old after a while and made it difficult to focus (that also could be a function of how tired I was, I grant—perhaps the combination).
That comes across as more critical than I intended it to be—Fife was very strong when handling dialogue for his characters, and caught the tone of the book well. I could've used just a little more.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT QUEST?
This was a light, fun fantasy story in a similar vein to A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher and Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin (to name a couple of recently discussed books here)—Ponder's not looking to satirize the genre, just looking to tell a fun story within it. Which isn't to say there's no meat to it, by any means. I simply wanted a little more from the two main storylines, but that's likely just me.
I really liked Sylvalla as a character and enjoyed her arc through this—the same, to a lesser degree, for Capro and Dirk. I even came around to liking Jonathan—I enjoyed his arc throughout, even if I spent most of the book wanting someone to give him a swift kick in the pants.
A quick hit of fantasy that will bring a grin to your face, Quest is one to check out. Given how things wrap up, I imagine the rest of her Chronicles will deliver more of the same, too.
My thanks to Love Books Group for the invitation to participate in this Tour and the materials (including the audiobook) they provided.
November 19, 2022
I can honestly say that before starting this book I had absolutely no prior knowledge of this series and so I went into it completely blind. And what I discovered was several fantastical creatures, mystical and sometimes not so mystical wizards, a gallant sell sword, a fearless princess in search of adventure, found family and a slightly dark undertone that, when combined with enough humor and creative wordplay, created a truly unique and absolutely delightful coming of age tale.
As I read this book I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at all the creative, ingenious, and often hilarious chapter titles, descriptions, and dialogues. One of my very favorites being the chapter titled “Something About Your Father & The Horse You Rode In On”. I just found this chapter title to be utterly amusing and caused me to snort out loud. These absolutely creative use of wordplay, dialogue and descriptions were one of my very favorite aspects of this story. I loved how Ponder was able create such an amusing and hilarious story that everyone no matter their gender or age could appreciate and enjoy. Honestly I just couldn’t help but imagining my 11 year old son reading this book and despite how many times I laughed, snorted, and/or giggled I knew he would enjoy all the cleverness 100 times more than even I did. This is definitely a book I am going to encourage him to read, because I know he is going to find it absolutely hilarious and unputdownable!
So Quest is a story about Princess Sylvalla who detests almost everything Princessly. More than anything she wants adventure and to become the hero of her own story. This leads her to run away and seek out a quest. Along the way she meets up with several hilarious and creative characters including wizards, a sell sword renowned for his fighting abilities, a stable boy and several “villains” that aren’t really as dastardly as they would like to believe. She encounters several fantastical creatures and attempts to become the celebrated hero she dreams of being.
Does Sylvalla become a hero? What mischief do these “villains” get up to? Will Sylvalla be “rescued”? You will just have to read this delightfully dark tale and discover the answers for yourself.
My favorite character was Dirk. I found him delightful, brave and cunning. I enjoyed how he was a fierce fighter but didn’t really want to shed blood. I also enjoyed his oath and his growing loyalty to Sylvalla. Another bunch of characters I particularly enjoyed was the group of “villians”. I found their banter extremely comical. They are truly unique characters that added a lot of whimsy but also darkness to the story.
So, if you are a fan of coming of age tales with a slightly dark theme, where there is a plethora of hilarious and creative dialogue and scenes, than you definitely need to give Quest a read. If I had to compare it to another novel I would say it’s delightful darkness is along the same lines of A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, which I also very much enjoyed.
As I read this book I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at all the creative, ingenious, and often hilarious chapter titles, descriptions, and dialogues. One of my very favorites being the chapter titled “Something About Your Father & The Horse You Rode In On”. I just found this chapter title to be utterly amusing and caused me to snort out loud. These absolutely creative use of wordplay, dialogue and descriptions were one of my very favorite aspects of this story. I loved how Ponder was able create such an amusing and hilarious story that everyone no matter their gender or age could appreciate and enjoy. Honestly I just couldn’t help but imagining my 11 year old son reading this book and despite how many times I laughed, snorted, and/or giggled I knew he would enjoy all the cleverness 100 times more than even I did. This is definitely a book I am going to encourage him to read, because I know he is going to find it absolutely hilarious and unputdownable!
So Quest is a story about Princess Sylvalla who detests almost everything Princessly. More than anything she wants adventure and to become the hero of her own story. This leads her to run away and seek out a quest. Along the way she meets up with several hilarious and creative characters including wizards, a sell sword renowned for his fighting abilities, a stable boy and several “villains” that aren’t really as dastardly as they would like to believe. She encounters several fantastical creatures and attempts to become the celebrated hero she dreams of being.
Does Sylvalla become a hero? What mischief do these “villains” get up to? Will Sylvalla be “rescued”? You will just have to read this delightfully dark tale and discover the answers for yourself.
My favorite character was Dirk. I found him delightful, brave and cunning. I enjoyed how he was a fierce fighter but didn’t really want to shed blood. I also enjoyed his oath and his growing loyalty to Sylvalla. Another bunch of characters I particularly enjoyed was the group of “villians”. I found their banter extremely comical. They are truly unique characters that added a lot of whimsy but also darkness to the story.
So, if you are a fan of coming of age tales with a slightly dark theme, where there is a plethora of hilarious and creative dialogue and scenes, than you definitely need to give Quest a read. If I had to compare it to another novel I would say it’s delightful darkness is along the same lines of A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, which I also very much enjoyed.
May 6, 2023
BOOK:-QUEST BY A.J.PONDER
BOOK REVIEWER-OKOKO AYEZU TAMARAPREYE
SYNOPSIS
The book through a prose style writing speaks of the intricacies involved in every quest and the truth of sometimes unexciting beginnings.The story looks at animal cruelty on poor defenseless animals;Lecturer bullying of students and making the encounter setbacks;managing weather conditions;;threats of children (chilled reign eating);boat mishaps;farmine and conservation of funds with hope of manna or Providence;; an eye for an eye fight;struggle and murder amongst captors;thurgles rules and capture;slave market profitability;submission to enemy forces;quest to Initiate a revenge to warrant a sport of princess rescuing;parting goodies to avoid continued chase by farmers ; obtaining forcefully;Sylvalla's need of a good quest to be a hero;preferring harm over been saved and loading cash;turn from the path of the princess to the path where villany ,looting,pillaging and arson thrived in the night; Sylvalla's going on a quest to be famous as a hero and swords woman;threaths of fate and threath to human life;;the joy of procreation and its link to life and generational preservation;Outburst and it's hindrance to Tistlle occupying the throne;the public perception of having a son in a royal family;tension of the three friends of Fergus,Dolhie, and Avant and their dream of seizing the princess; prophecy of the destruction of Piebald Mopholag;threat of trust issues that plague the children eating Mopholag monsters;Francis mission to save the princess to escape the stable life;Assumgeld fear for thieves symbolising a female as inT-eves;Francis confrontation with the soldiers in a battle in a confrontation between feeble and sophisticated weapons;Francis courting danger throwing away caution out the window;change of Fortune as thing begin to go well for Fergus,Dothie,Arrant,and Sylvalla;Dothie and Arant quest for their reward making do with the Kings one horse; juvenile deliquesce;Kings protection of his army;premonition and being taken unawares in battle;a Kings pride in his army and foot soldiers;attack underestimation;high resistant to attack with tenacity;ambush;blame and counter blame at misfortune and evil plight;revenge by Assumgeld by attacks on villages for murder of her only child;running out of time to save the princess;temptation on the king of Avondale to sacrifice his only daughter; Sylvalla's fury out of injustice calling on the god of war and death;Mr goofellow be loyal to royalty as a peacemaker as opposed to fighting wars despite being of age; Sylvalla's confusion on drawing the sword at the last moment or not at all; ungrateful followetship and guards; amongst others
BOOK REVIEWER-OKOKO AYEZU TAMARAPREYE
SYNOPSIS
The book through a prose style writing speaks of the intricacies involved in every quest and the truth of sometimes unexciting beginnings.The story looks at animal cruelty on poor defenseless animals;Lecturer bullying of students and making the encounter setbacks;managing weather conditions;;threats of children (chilled reign eating);boat mishaps;farmine and conservation of funds with hope of manna or Providence;; an eye for an eye fight;struggle and murder amongst captors;thurgles rules and capture;slave market profitability;submission to enemy forces;quest to Initiate a revenge to warrant a sport of princess rescuing;parting goodies to avoid continued chase by farmers ; obtaining forcefully;Sylvalla's need of a good quest to be a hero;preferring harm over been saved and loading cash;turn from the path of the princess to the path where villany ,looting,pillaging and arson thrived in the night; Sylvalla's going on a quest to be famous as a hero and swords woman;threaths of fate and threath to human life;;the joy of procreation and its link to life and generational preservation;Outburst and it's hindrance to Tistlle occupying the throne;the public perception of having a son in a royal family;tension of the three friends of Fergus,Dolhie, and Avant and their dream of seizing the princess; prophecy of the destruction of Piebald Mopholag;threat of trust issues that plague the children eating Mopholag monsters;Francis mission to save the princess to escape the stable life;Assumgeld fear for thieves symbolising a female as inT-eves;Francis confrontation with the soldiers in a battle in a confrontation between feeble and sophisticated weapons;Francis courting danger throwing away caution out the window;change of Fortune as thing begin to go well for Fergus,Dothie,Arrant,and Sylvalla;Dothie and Arant quest for their reward making do with the Kings one horse; juvenile deliquesce;Kings protection of his army;premonition and being taken unawares in battle;a Kings pride in his army and foot soldiers;attack underestimation;high resistant to attack with tenacity;ambush;blame and counter blame at misfortune and evil plight;revenge by Assumgeld by attacks on villages for murder of her only child;running out of time to save the princess;temptation on the king of Avondale to sacrifice his only daughter; Sylvalla's fury out of injustice calling on the god of war and death;Mr goofellow be loyal to royalty as a peacemaker as opposed to fighting wars despite being of age; Sylvalla's confusion on drawing the sword at the last moment or not at all; ungrateful followetship and guards; amongst others
March 14, 2023
While this book has some charm, I think the whole “rebellious princess” thing is insanely played out and unoriginal at this point. You’re only really told she dislikes her life because “reasons” and you don’t have enough time to experience it, so when she runs off, you hardly have a reason to care.
The story is told in a narration format, which is interesting, to say the least. I like the character bios for the supporting cast as they’re introduced. The supporting cast is more interesting than the supposed main character, but it also starts to feel a bit crowded at times. After a while, it’s difficult to know who you’re supposed to care about, or even remember them because there are so many.
The audiobook narration doesn’t help with this issue and leaves something to be desired. While the overall narration is alright at best, there’s very little inflection in his tone or variance in his voice, if any. The only real exceptions to that are the character voices, and even then, they’re not done particularly well. None of them have distinct or unique voices that make them recognizable.
One example of the narration falling super flat is during a combat scene (Chapter 43 on Authors Direct.) where you’d expect to be engaged and on the edge of your seat. It’s read in the same boring voice that the rest of the book is. A character supposedly yells to another that he’s cumming to help, but the character’s voice doesn’t convey that AT ALL.
The final issue I noticed with the audiobook is the seemingly random pauses in dialogue. It must have been the end of one recording session and the beginning of another, or something akin to that. Because there will be this awkward 5(ish) second pause between dialogue or scene setting that’s incredibly distracting. I was listening at 2x speed and noticed it.
I’m unsure who the intended audience for this book is. I think a middle school kid would get tired of it after a while, as it’s not that exciting. And anybody more mature would have a plethora of other fantasy novels to choose from. It’s alright if you want a more comedic, slow-paced story. But if you’re looking for something engaging or exciting, keep looking.
NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.
The story is told in a narration format, which is interesting, to say the least. I like the character bios for the supporting cast as they’re introduced. The supporting cast is more interesting than the supposed main character, but it also starts to feel a bit crowded at times. After a while, it’s difficult to know who you’re supposed to care about, or even remember them because there are so many.
The audiobook narration doesn’t help with this issue and leaves something to be desired. While the overall narration is alright at best, there’s very little inflection in his tone or variance in his voice, if any. The only real exceptions to that are the character voices, and even then, they’re not done particularly well. None of them have distinct or unique voices that make them recognizable.
One example of the narration falling super flat is during a combat scene (Chapter 43 on Authors Direct.) where you’d expect to be engaged and on the edge of your seat. It’s read in the same boring voice that the rest of the book is. A character supposedly yells to another that he’s cumming to help, but the character’s voice doesn’t convey that AT ALL.
The final issue I noticed with the audiobook is the seemingly random pauses in dialogue. It must have been the end of one recording session and the beginning of another, or something akin to that. Because there will be this awkward 5(ish) second pause between dialogue or scene setting that’s incredibly distracting. I was listening at 2x speed and noticed it.
I’m unsure who the intended audience for this book is. I think a middle school kid would get tired of it after a while, as it’s not that exciting. And anybody more mature would have a plethora of other fantasy novels to choose from. It’s alright if you want a more comedic, slow-paced story. But if you’re looking for something engaging or exciting, keep looking.
NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.
March 2, 2022
I was sent a copy of this book for review.
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Sylvalla is not your typical princess. She doesn't want to find her prince, get married and live happily ever after. She longs for adventure and to be seen as a hero (which seems to be only offered to men in the realm). The Queen confines Sylvalla to the castle after her most recent unprincesslike escapades determined to have her daughter behave properly at last. Sylvalla decides to run away from the castle in Avondale in the search of the glory of a quest and to become her kingdom's champion.
Sylvalla meets up with Dirk, who reluctantly joins her on this quest (really he just wants a quiet life). Together they run into fights, unusual creatures and meet an assortment of oddball companions. At first, most of these companions are only interested in retrieving the princess for the reward money or to escape some unfortunate and deadly circumstances they find themselves in but as they journey together, they become a motley band of heroes. Sylvalla and her comrades find their way in and out of an escalating series of chases, run-ins with monsters and escape from danger as they head towards the ultimate showdown with a dragon.
🌟🌟🌟🌟. With action, monsters, magic and a princess focused on fighting the good fight rather than finding her prince, Quest provides everything you want in a fantasy novel while making you laugh out loud at the silliness of the characters' antics. While all the characters start a little shallow and unlikable, as the plot develops each one shows their true worth. I found the story thrilling and hilarious as it offered an alternative to the usual quest narrative. The humour was clever and worked both on a YA level and an adult level. I loved the sarcastic/snarky banter between the characters which made me love them all by the end. The pacing slowed at times while making the plot feel dragged out in the middle but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the next book in the series. The audio narration was lively, engaging and added depth to the story.
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Sylvalla is not your typical princess. She doesn't want to find her prince, get married and live happily ever after. She longs for adventure and to be seen as a hero (which seems to be only offered to men in the realm). The Queen confines Sylvalla to the castle after her most recent unprincesslike escapades determined to have her daughter behave properly at last. Sylvalla decides to run away from the castle in Avondale in the search of the glory of a quest and to become her kingdom's champion.
Sylvalla meets up with Dirk, who reluctantly joins her on this quest (really he just wants a quiet life). Together they run into fights, unusual creatures and meet an assortment of oddball companions. At first, most of these companions are only interested in retrieving the princess for the reward money or to escape some unfortunate and deadly circumstances they find themselves in but as they journey together, they become a motley band of heroes. Sylvalla and her comrades find their way in and out of an escalating series of chases, run-ins with monsters and escape from danger as they head towards the ultimate showdown with a dragon.
🌟🌟🌟🌟. With action, monsters, magic and a princess focused on fighting the good fight rather than finding her prince, Quest provides everything you want in a fantasy novel while making you laugh out loud at the silliness of the characters' antics. While all the characters start a little shallow and unlikable, as the plot develops each one shows their true worth. I found the story thrilling and hilarious as it offered an alternative to the usual quest narrative. The humour was clever and worked both on a YA level and an adult level. I loved the sarcastic/snarky banter between the characters which made me love them all by the end. The pacing slowed at times while making the plot feel dragged out in the middle but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading the next book in the series. The audio narration was lively, engaging and added depth to the story.
January 20, 2022
*review of audiobook edition*
Quest is a fun little side quest of a read that doesn't take itself too seriously.
It has jokes sprinkled throughout by a Douglas Adams style narrator, character intro's that read like D&D character sheet summaries, with gimmicks that could have carried the novel if they had to.
Which brings me to this book's one major flaw.
There are too many characters. They are not together as a party either. They are separate and unrelated to each other. The constant jumping from one character to the next makes it hard to care about any of them and also keeps them from developing.
There is a wizard named Goodfellow who is trying desperately to reconnect with his adult son, Johnathan. These two are about the only characters that I connected with and felt like their plot thread was never fully developed to it's fullest potential. There was an opportunity for some real deep feels here.
The rest of the characters felt like stereotypes of D&D classes. I suspect this book maybe a novelized D&D campaign. Or several. I think a Dungeon Master was trying to bring several campaigns together in one story.
The narrator Benjamin Fife was amazing as he always is. He handled the large cast of characters the only way he could, by giving each one a different voice. He even reads subtext and emotion into the really underdeveloped relationship between Johnathan Goodfellow and his father.
If you do pick up this book, I really hope you choose the audio version.
*Thank you to Story Origin and the author for providing me with a free reviewer code. This review is my own honest opinion.*
Quest is a fun little side quest of a read that doesn't take itself too seriously.
It has jokes sprinkled throughout by a Douglas Adams style narrator, character intro's that read like D&D character sheet summaries, with gimmicks that could have carried the novel if they had to.
Which brings me to this book's one major flaw.
There are too many characters. They are not together as a party either. They are separate and unrelated to each other. The constant jumping from one character to the next makes it hard to care about any of them and also keeps them from developing.
There is a wizard named Goodfellow who is trying desperately to reconnect with his adult son, Johnathan. These two are about the only characters that I connected with and felt like their plot thread was never fully developed to it's fullest potential. There was an opportunity for some real deep feels here.
The rest of the characters felt like stereotypes of D&D classes. I suspect this book maybe a novelized D&D campaign. Or several. I think a Dungeon Master was trying to bring several campaigns together in one story.
The narrator Benjamin Fife was amazing as he always is. He handled the large cast of characters the only way he could, by giving each one a different voice. He even reads subtext and emotion into the really underdeveloped relationship between Johnathan Goodfellow and his father.
If you do pick up this book, I really hope you choose the audio version.
*Thank you to Story Origin and the author for providing me with a free reviewer code. This review is my own honest opinion.*
June 1, 2022
Sylvalla is a princess who doesn't know how to be a princess. She wishes she could be a hero, though. In this beginning of an epic story, told with the comedic timing similar to Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams, Sylvalla runs away from home in search of a quest; not just any quest, but an Epic Quest that will make her a hero. Unfortunately, not everyone supports her in this cause. Her father, the king, sends many out after her, charged with bringing the princess home. Will Sylvalla be able to find - and complete - her quest before she is dragged back to her castle home?
This story was so much fun to listen to. I particularly liked the way new characters were introduced - with a character sheet very much like those of an RPG. The cast of characters that we meet throughout Sylvalla's search for her Quest are quirky and fun, and they add quite a bit of color to the story. I really enjoyed the way the author used the traditional tropes of epic fantasy stories to provide a satirical look at said epic fantasy stories. It was fun and inventive, and I will definitely be continuing the story with the sequel, Prophecy.
For this book, I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Benjamin Fife. This was my first opportunity to listen to him as a narrator and he did a wonderful job. It sounded like he had fun narrating the story, using just the right tone throughout the novel such that he pulled me right into the story. Given the choice, I would definitely choose to listen to the sequel over reading it, and I will likely listen to Quest again when I want/need a good laugh.
This story was so much fun to listen to. I particularly liked the way new characters were introduced - with a character sheet very much like those of an RPG. The cast of characters that we meet throughout Sylvalla's search for her Quest are quirky and fun, and they add quite a bit of color to the story. I really enjoyed the way the author used the traditional tropes of epic fantasy stories to provide a satirical look at said epic fantasy stories. It was fun and inventive, and I will definitely be continuing the story with the sequel, Prophecy.
For this book, I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Benjamin Fife. This was my first opportunity to listen to him as a narrator and he did a wonderful job. It sounded like he had fun narrating the story, using just the right tone throughout the novel such that he pulled me right into the story. Given the choice, I would definitely choose to listen to the sequel over reading it, and I will likely listen to Quest again when I want/need a good laugh.
January 22, 2024
A sweet YA quest story about a princess who runs off in search of adventure that's even suitable for Middle Grade readers. I found the narrative style a little dry, but with a wry humour that was interesting and different. The story itself is a solid high fantasy with nothing all that unique, which meant it was a decent read but came with no surprises for me. I think it may be more fun for readers testing the waters of the Fantasy genre.
I was a little mystified by the overbearing maleness of the cast. Apart from princess Sylvalla, all important characters are male and the novel does alternate between their points of view. As a result, in a weird way, Sylvalla with her all-male party of heroes ends up slanting to reverse harem, not that there are actually any love interests. It just felt odd to me, and since neither Sylvalla nor any of the other characters discuss it, or even think about it, I have no idea why the author decided to do things that way. There is absolutely no social commentary to expand the reader's understanding of the society Sylvalla grew up in nor for the reader to extrapolate any ideas about our own society by contrast. I also thought the ending was a little odd as it will definitely not appeal to teen girls who've grown up to think a certain way about "the Patriarchy".
It's a cute story and made for an interesting read. I'll probably get to the remaining books in the trilogy, as this was good enough for an entertaining couple of hours.
I was a little mystified by the overbearing maleness of the cast. Apart from princess Sylvalla, all important characters are male and the novel does alternate between their points of view. As a result, in a weird way, Sylvalla with her all-male party of heroes ends up slanting to reverse harem, not that there are actually any love interests. It just felt odd to me, and since neither Sylvalla nor any of the other characters discuss it, or even think about it, I have no idea why the author decided to do things that way. There is absolutely no social commentary to expand the reader's understanding of the society Sylvalla grew up in nor for the reader to extrapolate any ideas about our own society by contrast. I also thought the ending was a little odd as it will definitely not appeal to teen girls who've grown up to think a certain way about "the Patriarchy".
It's a cute story and made for an interesting read. I'll probably get to the remaining books in the trilogy, as this was good enough for an entertaining couple of hours.
March 4, 2022
Quest reads like a tongue-in-cheek critique of the traditional fantasy genre, while also clearly being rooted in a love for the genre. Does this sound oxymoronic? Maybe it is, but this is definitely the vibe I got.
A ragtag group of would-be found family are united in a Quest. The only thing is, they all have different motivations and none of them like the others very much.
There is some character growth in Sylvalla who commences the Quest as quite spoiled and unlikable but slowly grows into something more. There's gender critique as she ponders why it is that a princess can't achieve greatness. I've seen some reviews that have misunderstood this as it's stated as fact that princesses and women can't do these things - with clear irony and satire - which the tale is full of.
There were some jarring uses of old-fashioned language that I wasn't so sure of, and by the end the Pratchettian tone was, for me, wearing out my patience (but I do think this is the case of me not being the ideal reader and not a flaw in the book).
I'd rate this a solid 3 stars and would read more from the author (although perhaps not this series).
A ragtag group of would-be found family are united in a Quest. The only thing is, they all have different motivations and none of them like the others very much.
There is some character growth in Sylvalla who commences the Quest as quite spoiled and unlikable but slowly grows into something more. There's gender critique as she ponders why it is that a princess can't achieve greatness. I've seen some reviews that have misunderstood this as it's stated as fact that princesses and women can't do these things - with clear irony and satire - which the tale is full of.
There were some jarring uses of old-fashioned language that I wasn't so sure of, and by the end the Pratchettian tone was, for me, wearing out my patience (but I do think this is the case of me not being the ideal reader and not a flaw in the book).
I'd rate this a solid 3 stars and would read more from the author (although perhaps not this series).
December 18, 2018
An entertaining comic fantasy in the spirit of Sir Terry Pratchett's "Colour of Magic". "Quest" delights in turning the cliches on their toes. With a large cast of oddbod PoV characters, I did struggle somewhat to connect with any individually, but it still made for a somewhat madcap adventure that should be well enjoyed by the younger reader.
Princess Sylvalla dreams of adventure and thus she runs away from home, to undertake her Quest. Along the way, she encounters the scantily-clad barbarian hero, Dirk the Quirk, and tricks him into accompanying her as she seeks a monster in need of slaying. Meanwhile, we have a disgraced wizard, a not-so dimwitted village idiot and an ogrish thug all seeking to thwart her endeavours. Can her mismatched bunch of heroes save the day and rescue the realm from the dreaded ravages of the giant ... rodent?
Princess Sylvalla dreams of adventure and thus she runs away from home, to undertake her Quest. Along the way, she encounters the scantily-clad barbarian hero, Dirk the Quirk, and tricks him into accompanying her as she seeks a monster in need of slaying. Meanwhile, we have a disgraced wizard, a not-so dimwitted village idiot and an ogrish thug all seeking to thwart her endeavours. Can her mismatched bunch of heroes save the day and rescue the realm from the dreaded ravages of the giant ... rodent?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2022
Fun Middle Grade Questing Adventure
It's a light-hearted read and though it was trying to be like Princess Bride in tone and feel, the humor felt a bit forced.... Overall it's a fun read, I just think I had my expectations or hopes for this one were a bit too high from the summary. I do think a younger reader will find it more entertaining (3rd grade and up). There's a good plot with a couple different group's stories to follow and I can see my kids enjoying it. In terms of content there's very little bad language, the violence is normal to light for the genre and there's no warnings in the sexual content area.
The narrator does a fantastic job and really made this more entertaining to listen to. I did prefer listening at 1.25x speed.
—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
It's a light-hearted read and though it was trying to be like Princess Bride in tone and feel, the humor felt a bit forced.... Overall it's a fun read, I just think I had my expectations or hopes for this one were a bit too high from the summary. I do think a younger reader will find it more entertaining (3rd grade and up). There's a good plot with a couple different group's stories to follow and I can see my kids enjoying it. In terms of content there's very little bad language, the violence is normal to light for the genre and there's no warnings in the sexual content area.
The narrator does a fantastic job and really made this more entertaining to listen to. I did prefer listening at 1.25x speed.
—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
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