Reviews of Quest of the Demon

As a teenage girl living in a modern era, the last thing that Darci expected was to be transported to an alternate world, one in which dragons, elves, and ogres live alongside humans. Drawn there through the ineptitude of an apprentice wizard, she finds herself embroiled in a battle against evil that will decide the fate of more realities than one. At least she gets a nifty weapon and some strong allies.

First off, I will say that Quest of the Demon has an interesting premise. The idea of dragons maintaining the balance between good and evil is intriguing, and yet the goal of the supposed balance seems to be skewed to the side of good. At least, it's supposed to be. Add to this unbalanced scale some impossible odds and a strong sense of urgency, and you're suddenly invested in Darci and company and their quest to save the world, so to speak. The author did think up credible background stories for most of the main characters, and they explain a great deal about current behaviors and motivations. Unfortunately, the plot itself is a little disjointed, with subplots that go nowhere and asides that add little to the story or the development of the characters.

Perhaps the story itself would have been easier to follow if it were more readable. Beyond the extensive array of grammatical errors, there was an abundance of proofreading gaffes that made reading the book almost painful at times. In all fairness, the writing quality improved dramatically in the last third of the story, as did the plot, but both flaws returned with a vengeance at the very end. There are only so many times that a reader can excuse the use of "bought" for "brought." Now, I received my review copy over a year ago, so hopefully the book has undergone some editing since then. If not, it sorely needs to undergo some revisions.

On the whole, Quest of the Demon had a lot of unrealized potential. Due to violent content and sexual references, I would not recommend it to readers under the age of thirteen.

(Review copy provided by the author)

Beneath the Moon adn Stars joint review

Jasmine's Review
This book was a perfect change for me. I haven't read a fantasy in forever. This started off exciting then around the middle it got kinda slow and then it picked back up around the end. I fell in love with the characters. Darci's just an ordinary human who gets sucked up into some other world and has no idea whats going on. Taslessian was cute in the beginning but around the middle he kinda got annoying. Lief I absolutely hated at first but by the end I adored him. He somewhat reminded me of the blond elf from lord of the rings :). Maledorian was hilarious and so was Defyance. Defyance's crush on Maledorian was super cute. I absolutely adored all the dragons. I love dragons and I haven't seen them very often in YA. One other thing I loved was how strong Darci became over the course of the book. It started with her always needing someone to protect her but she was incredibly strong by the end. Overall I loved this. I've heard rumors about a sequel and I'm hoping there is one. I highly recommend this :). 4/5 Stars
Jasmine :)


Marissa's Review
I really like fantasy but I don't read a lot of it. I also love books about quests. I love it when a group of characters who have almost nothing in common have to go on this adventure and it takes time and they change and by the time the quest is over they're almost different people. And I loved all the characters. The main character Darci is a normal human girl and she gets thrown into this new world and she handles is so well and I love how she became someone who can fight their own battles. I really liked Taslessian at first but he changes a lot during the book and by the end he's kind of distant. It was the opposite for me with Lief at first I really didn't like him but he was so sweet and he totally grew on me. Maledorian was so funny. He has been waiting his whole life for this quest but at the same time he didn't really know how to handle it at the beginning. Defyance was awesome she was this sort of mysterious warrior woman and I think her and Maledorian have a thing going on. But of course not everyone could live in the end but why did my favorite have to die :(.
I really liked the writing but it was a little confusing at times and there was some typos. Overall I really enjoyed this book there was dragons and ships and magic and it was awesome. 4/5 stars.

-Marissa

How it starts:
Darci wakes up in the middle of the night feeling as though something’s wrong, someone is in the house. Armed with only an old hockey stick she begins to investigate. Though she finds no one there, another world has appeared just outside of an open window. This portal transports her to the strange land of Nahaba, a whole other world filled with dragons, wizards, knights and other unfamiliar beings. All Darci wants to do is get home, but she did not arrive here by accident. Will she be able to win in an epic battle between evil and the light?

Characters:
I want to start by saying I’ve haven’t read a book with such strange names for characters since reading Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series. Taslessian, Maledorian, Defyance, Fritrence, Demolish, Trolog, and Domati are all featured in Quest of the Demon.

It took about 70 pages for the characters to take on form. It was a lot like trying to connect with characters from a fairy tale, you’re told what they are like but they don’t seem real. The characters began to come to life as the book progressed, but I still felt like I was viewing them from a distance.

Plot:
Having a group of characters go on a medieval quest is very unusual in YA today. But I’m glad to say that M.L. Sawyer pulled it off pretty well. The plot of Quest of the Demon did have some unique plot twists. I especially liked how original the ending was. That being said, there are a few over used clichés and some plot holes. There are a few parts of the book, specifically parts having to do with elves, which are rather reminiscent of Lord of the Rings.

Point of View:
Quest of the Demon is written in the Third person omniscient POV (“all-knowing; can include thought and perspective of all characters” *definition found here).

Overall:
Thought it got off to a rather slow start, I ended up enjoying Quest of the Demon. It’s classic medieval fantasy style was an interesting change from the normal YA fare. I’m giving it 3.5 of 5 stars.

3*

Home alone one night Darci was suddenly woken up by a strange noise, grabbing a hockey stick as a weapon she nervously searched the house. In one of the rooms she saw an odd green light behind a flapping curtain and cautiously went to investigate. The light was a portal into another world called Nahaba, which had accidentally been opened up by a young apprentice wizard named Taslessian. Of course Darci didn’t know this so when she got too close she was pulled into the other realm. Once Darci and Taslessian realised what had happened they went to see Belderon (Taslessian’s Master) in the hope he could send Darci back home but his magic wasn’t powerful enough so he sent them on a quest to see Grisham the most powerful dragon in the land. Getting to the Dragons lair was no easy feat there were warlocks and dragons determined to stop them and claim Darci as their own prize because ‘other worlders’ were a very rare and coveted possession. Things become more complicated for the pair when they finally make it to Grishams lair only to discover even his power isn’t enough to send Darci home and there is more the pair must endure before she can go back……

Darci has a very down to earth personality, she was stressed about what she was wearing just like any normal sixteen year old would be and she was amused by Taslessians embarrassment. Sarcasm and humour were a big part of her character making her very likable. Taslessian was a cutie, he was such a prude, every time he saw Darci in less clothes than was the norm’ in his world he blushed and that made me smile…….it was so endearing!!! In the beginning he kind of felt like a bumbling fool, after all initially we are led to believe it was his error that had brought Darci here but once Belderon had sacrificed himself to save Darci, Taslessian seemed to gain confidence in himself and actually appeared to know what he was doing. It was interesting to watch how both of them grew and learned from their mistakes. There was a hint of romance but it didn’t take off really which is fine for the age range that this book is aimed at.

It was really odd because when I started to read this book there was a distinct Enid Blyton feel to the writing and then blow me down did the author not make a reference to Enid Blyton’s ‘faraway tree’!!!….the irony!!!…I grew up reading ‘Naughty Amelia Jane’, ‘The Wishing Chair’ and ‘The Famous Five’ etc. and reading this book took me right back to those days. Writing styles have changed enormously since then so reading a story with that ‘feel’ about it made it seem dated somehow, it’s hard to explain…… the writing is very clean cut if you know what I mean not quite as gritty as the style we are used to today. There is action and humour and all kinds of typical other world creatures like elves and wizards and dragons that make this an interesting read and I think it is suitable for kids as young as eleven or twelve as well as YA.

Living the life of an average teen always seems like a challenge in itself. Becoming engaged in basketball and excelling at the sport, Darci can feel a burst in confidence. This is something she is good at. After spending the day with one of her friends, she returns home only to find her parents gone for the evening. Leaving a message to let Darci know that they expect to return after midnight, she settles in for the evening. When she does finally retire for the evening, her parents have not yet returned, so she is not at all surprised when a sudden noise wakes her up. Leaving her bed, she becomes concerned when she finds they have not returned. Fear replaces her initial surprise as she picks up her hockey stick as a weapon while she searches for the origin of the noise.
As she enters the main room, she sees light and motion behind a curtain. As she swallows her fear, she darts forward with her weapon only to find a strange vortex behind the curtain. Having ventured too close, she is sucked into the swirling mass, and finds herself deposited in a strange new world.
Suddenly, Darci realizes her whole life has changed. Rescued by a young Wizards apprentice, Taslessian, she quickly finds that all is not well in this strange, new world. Not only that, but she has been selected for a quest to rid this world of evil, before it finds a way into her own. Unaware of why she is chosen, she is afraid. Somehow, the evil presence of Domati is aware she is in the world and is now interested in finding her and learning the secrets of her own world. She is in over her head.
This world is full of magic, elves, wizards, warriors and dragons as well as the evil and twisted creatures that come from the darkness of evil. Her own world would not survive the presence of such perverted and twisted evil. When Taslessian’s mentor dies in battle, it is up to both Taslessian and Darci to find the means to defeat this evil. She cannot return to her own world, the magic is not available for such a feat, and she must follow her path. Chosen for a reason, she cannot fathom what she can bring to the fight.
As this young pair continues their quest with the help of a dragon, they began to gather a small group of heroes. Known as the five of light, they are informed that weapons will be awarded to help them meet the challenge. To begin their quest they must first find their courage, and then their way to the lair of the dragon that holds the weapons. Each step of their journey they must fight for their lives and that of their friends, as they begin to learn more about themselves and each other. Can they really be the ones to drive evil from the land, and save the universe, and all its worlds from the darkness?
M.L Sawyer has written a great story and while it tends to drag a bit through the middle, it picks up a head of steam and the flow evens out as the heroes begin their quest. I found grammatical errors throughout the book that tend to bog the story down, but the story and characters are quite superb.
Sawyer has set the stage for a follow up story, and I truly look forward to seeing what she does to continue her epic saga. She has done a great job with character enhancement; you can picture them quite well in your mind as you follow in their journey. Each has to overcome different flaws to become what they are capable of, and the quest is well written. Sawyer has put some thought into this work and a good grammatical edit would do wonders to put this work in the mainstream.
This story would be a great find for the YA reader; it has all the elements of a courageous and epic journey. Told with a view to the flaws and feeling often addressed by young teens, the journey that each travels helps builds their esteem as well as their courage. This is a fun and adventuress read.

The quest of the demon is an action packed story which I think will particularly appeal to the younger section of the YA market. It tells the tale of Darci who unwittingly finds herself being summoned into the land of Nahaba by an apprentice wizard called Taslessian who doesn’t know how he transported her into his land or for that matter how to get her home again. After meeting Taslessian’s master, Belderon, the action starts beginning with a battle between Belderon and the evil Domati which leads to the death of Belderon.

It soon becomes apparent that Domati is aware of the presence of Darci in Nahaba and is determined to capture her and acquire her knowledge of her own world in the hope that doing so will make him more powerful. As the plot develops we find that Darci, Taslessian and the friends they make on the course of their journey have been chosen to prevent a catastrophic battle taking place between north and south Nahaba which requires Darci to take on challenges she would never have dreamt possible. I shan’t give away any further details here as I don’t want to spoil the ending!

I like the way that this book reads. The characters are well defined and quite easy to envisage within the plot. There is also quite an easy flow to the story and the reason I say that I think the book is more suitable for younger reader is because of the simplicity of the storyline. There are occasions when I think Darci is blindly accepting of this new world and the creatures in it and as a result I think this would particularly appeal to a younger reader’s imagination.

That said the world that Sawyer creates is rich in detail. Every scene, creature and battle was easy to envisage and I loved the interaction between Darci and Taslessian, especially his naivety when it came to their budding relationship. His confusion at his growing jealousy towards Darci and their friend Lief was very sweet! There was a range of characters in this book that I enjoyed reading about and I think that they add another dimension to this story.

I’ll be interested to see where Sawyer takes Darci and Taslessian given the ending of this book and I think there are many more adventures lying ahead for the two main characters. I look forward to reading all about them.

It's been a long time since I read fantasy, and not fantasy in the sense of our world full of monsters or starcrossed lovers, but in the sense of actually getting away from our world and into some place new and exciting. And this story was the one.

One thing I will give this story is that it is full of action. Even in the first pages you already get the feeling that something big is going to happen. There is so much going on it's like a race is going on to see how much stuff can happen at once.

It holds to the classical fantasy story, where you have the main character who is thrust into an unknown world and has to find her way back home through a long journey that has her encountering friends and foes on her path to getting home.

I felt like the whole story line between Darci and Taslessian was a little obvious, though the added love triangle did add a little something to the story.

What I felt was wrong? I felt like some of Darci's reactions weren't very believable. Personally, if I were in her shoes I would not be as easily accepting of the things around me as she was, either that or she's more adaptable to her surroundings. Anyways, I just felt like everything was moving too fast and that she took everything in like it was just another day. I'll admit there were moments when even Darci was a little hesitant, but still.

And then in the beginning when Belderon did what he did for Darci, also had me a little skeptical.

But I love the originality, I love the world, and I have a soft spot for these characters. The ending was a little surprising, and you can keep a look out for the sequel.

Adventure, romance, fantasy, creativity, and mystery surround this tale. It is a never ending ball of excitement.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. This is kind of random, but I thought the map at the beginning was kind of cool. As much as I did enjoy the book, I had a few things I didn't like. There were some mistakes throughout the book, but I was expecting that because it's self-published.

*There will be some spoilers in the rest of the review*

Darci's relationships with Leif and Taslessian. At the beginning, it seems like there's something going on with Darci and Taslessian. They even kiss (granted they're both drunk). Then, at about the middle of the book, they just seem to stop talking to each other. Granted Taslessian has kind of shut himself off from everyone, but I still thought it was kind of weird. As for Darci and Leif, I was kind of confused with their whole relationship. It's hard to tell what's going on with them. It was just a bit confusing.

I was also a bit confused with the ending. It just seemed so abrupt. Darci just wakes up at home. I couldn't tell if that had happened right when her and the Demon disappeared or if something else happened that she just doesn't remember. Middle-aged Taslessian showing up at the end was also surprising. I really want to read the sequel. (I'm asuming there will be one based on that ending.) I'm hoping that will help make sense of the first one's ending a bit.

Regardless of all that, I did enjoy this book, and I found it very interesting. I definitely want to read the sequel. I want to see what happens between Darci and Taslessian. I found the world the author created very interesting, and I always love reading fantasy books with magic in them. I loved the dragons in this story so much. It was a great book, if a little confusing at some points. I was also a little surprised at how gory a couple of the scenes were. I wasn't expecting it, but I don't think it was a bad thing.

Sawyer has created a non-stop action piece in which Darci, accidentally transported to Nahaba, must go on a quest in order to get back home. What I really enjoyed about this novel was the immense characterization. All the characters are extremely in-depth and well rounded, giving the reader the feeling of personally knowing them all. I also enjoyed that this is not a traditional good versus evil story. I’m not going to give away the ending, but I will say that I was surprised by what transpired. This novel is refreshing and original, leaving the ending open for both interpretation and a sequel. Although lengthy at times, overall, I enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it for MG and YA readers alike. Three stars.

I hate to say this but I didn't really like this book. It is well written and all but I just was bored. I am not saying it is not a good book but maybe if I were a young adult/teen I might have enjoyed this book.