Review: A beloved ensemble presses on and reaches new heights
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 17, 2013
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions below are entirely my own."The Quest" is the fourth and penultimate book in the PSIONIC series, so I (and the author, and the characters) strongly advise reading the first three books. There isn't much detailed catch-up in the book, so again, definitely read the others first. This review may contain spoilers for the previous books, so if you'd rather skip it (or my ridiculously long reviewing style!) head on down to the last full paragraph, my "bottom line". It'll be safe there, honest!Picking up almost directly after "Lesser Gods", "The Quest" wastes little time as the plot picks up with a bang (several, in fact) and big changes are made for our cast. Carrying on prior themes, as Adrian reaches his mid-teens the reader will hopefully be in the same age range, as darkness and violence lurk around every corner. The plot moves rapidly and excitement abounds.The pacing hardly slows, and while at some points locales blur past without much description, the overall effect is pleasing as there's not a dull moment in the whole book. The main characters continue to evolve and grow into new roles, demonstrating their ongoing journey, and indicating that it may soon be reaching an end. A few new faces join in as well a surprising blast from the past. Mysteries begin to come unraveled and generate further questions, creating callbacks to the past that make for a very satisfying reading experience.Stylistically, Mr. Howell maintains his usual level of writing quality, adapting deftly to the mind and style of a teenager. His language is succinct but generally descriptive, managing complex ideas with an economy of wording.As to the editing and layout of the book, I received a .pdf for review, so I can't speak to layout of the Kindle Edition in practice, but it certainly looked good in theory. I noticed some minor errors, but nothing of concern especially since the author has assured me that the books will be re-proofed.The bottom line? "The Quest" is the PSIONIC Pentalogy's strongest entry yet, and leaves one waiting with bated breath for the final installment. This series will appeal greatly to fans of the YA fiction, especially fantasy. However, if you don't like the genre, you won't like the series. Finally, remember that things are getting dark in the PSIONIC series, so you may want to keep this in the hands of the PG-13 crowd.If anything needs clarifying, please feel free to use the comment box below, or contact me at SeanOnAmazon@gmail.com