THE LAST BEST QUEST EVER
by F.T. Lukens
Available now
17-year-old Ellinore the Brave is her kingdom's most decorated quester, having brought everything from golden dragons to giant spiders. But as she takes the top prize in the most recent quest, once again outperforming her attractive rival Princet Aven, she has an announcement: she is retiring. Or at least, she was retiring. Unfortunately, her brother Zig has made a deal with a pair of mages, wagering his literal heart against his sister's ability to claim the horn of a godlike Elder Beast. Now, she has just over two weeks to complete an impossible quest.
There's just one problem: Ellinore's whole CV, save for her first unlikely battle, is a lie. All her alleged monster-slaying has been more a series of negotiations with the Folklores and Ancients of the kingdom — including that golden dragon, who is alive and well and named Dave. The goal had been to set her family up with a comfortable home by the sea. But now she has a party around her: Zig, Aven, Aven's adventure-hungry cousin, and a bard eager to fact-check the songs about Ellinore. Before Zig's life is snuffed out, they'll have to thwart a rival quester and defeat a literal god; all while Ellinore desperately hides the truth and tries to process her feelings for the Princet.
Between us, reader, I have a problem with a lot of modern D&D-coded fantasy: that is, I love a story that reads like a campaign (with the wild swings of drama, comedy, and stakes), but I cannot stand litRPG with its crunchy numbers and levels. And it feels like the former is packaged with the latter standard these days. Fortunately, The Last Best Quest Ever feels like an antidote to the modern state of litRPG. Or, perhaps, it's a return to what these party-based, quest-based fantasy adventures used to be. Either way, it feels good to read: believable characters, worldbuilding that's unique but accessible, and a storyline that's deeper than one simple misunderstanding.
This is a strong stand-alone fantasy that still paints a big, broad picture that could support multiple installments but doesn't need to. It's a story where there are no simple answers, where there's no one "bad guy" when it comes to the emotional stakes (but about three bad guys when it comes to actual life-or-death stakes), and where communication counts for something on an almost cosmic level. If you're that RPG player who is invested in in-game romance and problem-solving that isn't automatically combat, you'll feel right at home here.
TEA PAIRING: Letters of Lavender
While Ellinore may resent the bouquets she's constantly handed for her victories, they turn out to be much more important (and cherished) than she realizes. This new tea blend is a gorgeous lavender Earl Grey, quickly making its way to the top of my tea blend list. Use my code KARA15 for 15% off this and other literary-inspired teas from Chapters Tea & Co.!
FEATURED CANDLE: Game Master's Guide
A previous monthly candle, this blend of leather and mead smells like adventure. This candle is currently out of stock, but there are tons of bookish candles in stock with more being added all the time! Use my referral link and get 20% off your order.
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