Review: The Questmaster's Trap by Frank L. Cole

Today's read is for RPG fans and takes place in a fantasy simulation. I'm falling back into my old habit of starting a series with book two instead of the first one, so we'll see how this one goes. It's for middle graders, which is refreshing, since I've only had RPGs like this for the young adult audience on here before. 

THE QUESTMASTER'S TRAP

Champion's Quest, #2

by Frank L. Cole

Shadow Mountain

Middle Grade Fantasy / RPG

288 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

OCTOBER 4th!!!

Another role-playing game of Champion’s Quest awaits our young champions, but this time they are tricked into leaving the real world and tossed into the fantasy game that is a dangerous trap filled with new and challenging foes.

Teammates Lucas, Miles, and Jasmine—known as the Wild Crows—have been summoned by the wizard Gamemaster, Hob, to play another magical, adventurous game of Champion’s Quest. When the three friends are ambushed and forced into their second game, Lucas and his friends are ill-prepared to face what feels like an impossible quest—confront an evil centaur and outsmart a villainous, shapeshifting Questmaster to rescue a powerful magical ally. 

An unexpected team member, Sierra, joins the Wild Crows to complete their band of champions. Can she be trusted or is she a spy? But Lucas has bigger problems to worry about. For starters, he struggles to keep his panic attacks in check as he leads his friends on a journey across unexplored lands filled with shadow elves, wyverns, hobgoblins, giants, and evil trees. 

Using their wits, their powerful weapons, and hoping for some luck when rolling the magical game dice, the Wild Crows know what’s at stake: Complete their quest before time runs out, or the world of Champion’s Quest will be destroyed.

GOODREADS   /   AMAZON    /  B&N

MY TIDBITS

Note: I read this one without diving into the first book in the series, and while there were a few references, which I was missing out on, it was no problem to get lost in the adventure.

With the air of Dungeons & Dragons, this world and characters draw in and weave as much friendship into the tale as action.

The Wild Crows, a group of friends, managed to complete their first round in the exciting game world and are back in normal life. But when they are suddenly forced into another round with a new member, things get more interesting. Not only will the new quests stretch them to new limits, but no one is sure what to think of this new team member, especially since the only way to make it through is to give complete trust...considering she may be a spy, that might be what brings them down.

The author has created a rich world, which is easy to visualize and get lost in. While I assume most of this was set-up in book one already, I was pleasantly surprised that there was more to discover, right along with the characters. And what an enjoyable bunch of characters these are! The friends are enjoyable to accompany, and it's not hard to wish to be right there with them. My favorite character is actually the 'new' one, but then all of them have something to offer. 

There's a great contrast with the good and evil. While the wizards are unique and not always transparent, it's the evil characters, which really grab. Plus, there's a large variety of imaginative creatures, including an evil centaur (which seemed unique). All of them create gripping scenes and make the world that much richer.

While action keeps the pages turning, there's also the message of friendship and trust. The Wild Crows share a close bond, and this gets tested over and over again, especially with the introduction of the new character. In order to make it through this adventure, this trust is key and trust isn't always easily won and held.

I really enjoyed this adventure and am looking forward to see where it is going next. 

Review: Champion's Quest: The Die of Destiny by Frank L. Cole

Today's review is for young fantasy friends. This one enters a gaming world, but instead of offering characters who can fight and, at least one, who knows how to play, these kids really are just thrown in without a clue. Action and friendship? Battles and problems? 

Let's take a peek!

CHAMPION'S QUEST:

THE DIE OF DESTINY

by Frank L. Cole

Shadow Mountain

Middle Grade Fantasy 

304 pages 

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

AUGUST 3rd!!!

Lucas Silver’s life is about to change. He thinks it’s because he’s made plans to escape from his foster home and make his way to New York, but then he and his friend Miles and two girls they’re acquainted with—Jasmine and Vanessa—find Hob and Bogie’s Curiosity Shoppe and agree to play a game of Champion’s Quest.

When the four kids walk out the front door of the Curiosity Shoppe, they immediately discover they’re no longer in West Virginia, but transported into the game and a wild fantasy world of dangerous goblins, brutish ogres, and a powerful witch.

They must work together as a team, overcome their real-world weaknesses, and believe in themselves and each other if they are to outwit, outplay, and survive their foes in this ultimate quest to defeat a treacherous monster.

GOODREADS   /    AMAZON    /    B&N    /     BOOK DEPOSITORY

MY TIDBITS

Adventure and fantasy reign making it hard not to want to jump right in with the characters and battle right along with them.

Lucas wants to run away from his latest foster home. Hoping to have a chance to ditch his friend, he enters a curiosity shop, but instead, he, his friend, and two girls related to the foster home (and ones he wants nothing to do with) step out of the shop to find themselves swept into another world. Here, they find themselves in the game...one they aren't sure of the rules and don't really know how to play. But if they want out, they're going to have to play and win.

When I read the blurb on this one, I knew I had to get my hands on the ARC. It's fantasy pure with tons of imagination, action, and impossible odds. The author does a wonderful job at building the scenes and creates a rich world, and that without rambling into long descriptions. The pacing is well placed and keeps the action rolling, but characters aren't forgotten, either.

One of my favorite things about this read is that the characters aren't perfect. While the idea of a kid running away from a foster home does draw in an immediate amount of sympathy, this one doesn't rely on that alone. Each character has things they are dealing with, and each one needs the unexpected and odd friendship which forms between them. These kids are not awesome fighters, nor do they have any clue what to do when they are thrown into the 'game'. They make tons of mistakes, since they don't know the rules, and have to learn as they go along. And they do learn as well as discover different ways to handle things then what might usually be expected. 

Then, there's the friendship. That's probably one of the main themes in this one. They aren't exactly the kind of kids, which normally would ever get along. And yet, they have to and learn to stretch beyond their own borders. The character arcs are strong, and the development is hard to miss. There's humor, frustrating scenes, ones that pull at the heart, and plenty of great moments of action and victory. It's a wonderful mix and a fun read.

And here he is...

FRANK L. COLE lives with his wife and three children out West. He is the author of ten books. He is an active promoter of reading and the power of imagination and has been to more than 120 schools presenting to kids.