Item: Questland
Rating: 4.00
Author: quirkycat

by Carrie Vaughn

"Questland is a thrill ride…Richly imagined, action-packed, maximum fun."
—Charles Yu, New York Times bestselling author of Interior Chinatown

YOU FIND YOURSELF IN A MAZE FULL OF TWISTY PASSAGES...

Literature professor Dr. Addie Cox is living a happy, if sheltered, life in her ivory tower when Harris Lang, the famously eccentric billionaire tech genius, offers her an unusual job. He wants her to guide a mercenary strike team sent to infiltrate his island retreat off the northwest coast of the United States. Addie is puzzled by her role on the mission until she understands what Lang has built: Insula Mirabilis, an isolated resort where tourists will one day pay big bucks for a convincing, high-tech-powered fantasy-world experience, complete with dragons, unicorns, and, yes, magic.

Unfortunately, one of the island's employees has gone rogue and activated an invisible force shield that has cut off all outside communication. A Coast Guard cutter attempting to pass through the shield has been destroyed. Suspicion rests on Dominic Brand, the project’s head designer— and Addie Cox's ex-boyfriend. Lang has tasked Addie and the mercenary team with taking back control of the island at any cost.

But Addie is wrestling demons of her own—and not the fantastical kind. Now, she must navigate the deadly traps of Insula Mirabilis as well as her own past trauma. And no d20, however lucky, can help Addie make this saving throw.

“Gamers rejoice! Carrie Vaughn has conjured up a fun and fast-paced story filled with elves, d20s, and Monty Python riffs.”
—Monte Cook, ENnie Award-winning creator of the Numenera roleplaying game

Fans of Carrie Vaughn and games should rejoice, as the two merge beautifully for Questland. This is her latest novel, one that is fun, chaotic (in the best ways), and full of that iconic RPG aesthetic.

Dr. Addie Cox is a literature professor, and she loves her job. She loves everything about her quiet life. So she certainly never expected to be approached with a job offer from somebody like Harris Lang – an extremely wealthy tech genius.

Yet, that is the turn her life has just taken. She's been tasked with entering a secluded island, one full of experimental tech. Tech that is specially designed to mimic a fantasy world that gamers would give anything to dive in. That's the goal, after all.

Only, something has gone wrong, and apparently, Addie Cox is one of the few people who actually stand a chance of getting onto the island alive. Insula Mirabilis here we come.

“Fantasy is about what you can't patent. Honor and heroism and... and... hope.”

Picture D&D fantasy meeting Jurassic Park, and you'll find Questland happily tucked into the folds of that merger. This is a wild ride, one that is full of intrigue and some very iconic vibes, which I couldn't get enough of.

I'll confess that it did take me a little bit of time to get into Addie's character. Her personality is a quiet one, and it shows. Yet once I found myself connected to her story and everything happening around her, I was sold.

Actually, I take back my earlier comparison. On further thought, it would be more accurate to say that this novel is the child of Ready Player One and Jurassic Park. There's a lot of chaos, running, and so many references and fun tropes.

If that is the sort of book that you enjoy diving into, then you're absolutely going to adore Questland. If that isn't your cup of tea...well, at least you know what to expect! Still, it was a fun read, one that I'm happy to have picked.

Thanks to John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Questland

by Carrie Vaughn

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Jun 28, 2021

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