School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-6-Everything was going well for Anne, if you don't count her ill-fitting uniform, and she was ready to receive the award for Best Illegal Quest That Nearly Destroyed the Entire World at the Quest Academy Awards. But then suddenly, Anne unintentionally activates another Quest. And this one might be worse than the last one, since it almost certainly means war: kill the dragon queen. Anne, with her fellow students from St. Lupin Quest Academy, Penelope and Hiro, has no choice but to embark on this new adventure. They begin a strange journey into places only dragons can travel and even find themselves inside specialized robot Copper Knights. As in The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes, there are strange turns and unexpected outcomes. Fans of the first novel will revel in revisiting the characters. Although this title is a stands alone, it returns to themes from the first installment, such as Anne's attempts to learn who she is and who her family was. Anne's past remains unresolved in the end, and more Quests are sure to come. The danger and suspense are tempered by humor and tongue-in-cheek commentary offered at the beginning of each chapter as "quotes" from official sources. Readers are reminded that this Quest is somewhat scripted, as characters pull out cards such as "official antagonist" and "emergency take command." This clever plot device adds a fun backdrop against which the story unfolds. VERDICT An entertaining, swashbuckling high adventure with dragons, huge insects, and giant robots wrapped up in a humorous worst-case scenario plot; a strong choice for fantasy collections.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.