A middling entry in a very fun series

Firstly, while the author had only been signed on for a three book deal, it is my sincere hope that they sign him up for another three as soon as possible, as I thoroughly enjoy this series.
The audio books are especially enjoyable, and the narrator's performance has a great range, and comedic timing to support the story.
This entry had a few systemic problems, in that the cast of protagonists spends almost the entire novel seperated into a few groups, which caused me to miss some of the enjoyable banter, especially between Phillip and Martin. Secondly, These groups are chasing each other, which sometimes leads to some enjoyable differing takes on situations and misunderstood aftermath, but too often feels repetitive. Thirdly, the villain is rather bland despite being hyped and foreshadowed in the previous two books. Finally, this entry had a more somber subjects than the previous volumes, with less gee-whiz wonderment, and more ruminations on loss of trust, the many faces of sexism, and toiling labor, which sometimes was at odds with the tone of the writing.
Overall, I still enjoyed Unwelcome Quest. The secondary cast gets more time to shine, especially Tyler, who became very enjoyable. The changeups are not unwelcome, the characters remain enjoyably true to who they are, and the writing is still amusing.
Please continue this series, I look forward to seeing what comes next.

16 people found this helpful

takes on serious premise while keeping it light

I loved the previous two installments of Wizard 2.0; Off to be the Wizard and Spell or High Water. The storytelling is great, they are packed with thoughtful, (mostly) likable characters with great chemistry, and they’re hilarious. Plus, Luke Daniels is fantastic in his performances. Listening to this was a no-brainer and I was thrilled when I saw it was next on my to-read list. Now, I’m just upset I didn’t give it a listen sooner. In my opinion, this is the best of the three. Scott Meyer hit a home run.

It’s movie night in 12th century England and the Wizards are about to start their second feature. Suddenly, four of the wizards disappear in a blink, leaving Martin and Roy dumbstruck. Phillip, Tyler, Jeff, and Gary along with Jimmy was who was not present for movie night, are teleported to the peak of a mountain. The first wizard that was ever exiled is back and he wants revenge. He has created a deadly game in which the wizards must overcome “perilous” obstacles, complete quests, and journey to their destination: The Chasm of Certain Doom (insert thunder and lightning here). Meanwhile, after discovering their friends have had there powers stripped, Martin and Roy seek advice from Gwen and the Brits. Assuming the worst they teleport to the same location as Phillip and the others hoping to help them. Both groups set off on the same adventure taking on the same hazards, overcoming the hurdles in different and extremely entertaining ways.

As with the first two, this volume takes on serious premise while keeping it’s trademark humor. It’s still a lighthearted read, poking fun at the tedious mechanics of a bad game you inexplicably must finish, or not so subtly pointing out, and living up to, cliches you see in so many novels and video games. As always, the dialogue between the characters is fantastic; complete with witty banter and serious conversation, it adds depth to the characters. Which is key because this is definitely a character driven story, and those characters drive a Porsche. Characters brought to life and made even better thanks to the performance.

Luke Daniels takes the helm again as the narrator or, more accurately, performer. His range is incredible, whether it’s a man, woman, or child the voice is always distinctive and fitting for the character. His delivery is phenomenal nailing emotion and emphasis uniquely for everyone. I’ve had the pleasure of listening to a couple other of his works and have been impressed every time.

This humorous series is well worth your time if you’re in the mood for something fun and lighthearted. Scott Meyer and Luke Daniels have a great rapport that shines through every sentence, leaving you involved and immersed throughout the entire series.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

[If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]

31 people found this helpful

I LIKED YOU TWO BETTER WHEN,

YOU LIKED EACH OTHER LESS.
Their is some science fiction in this, but it is mostly about having fun. There is some fantasy, but is more about fun. There is a lot of gaming, but also a lot of fun. This whole series was a blast. I liked this book better then number 2, but not as good as number 1 and that is the way most trilogies go. One ironic situation, that I am not sure the author realized, was when he as making fun of movies these days and how they are all sequels. He complains about it in his third book of a trilogy.

This book was more about gaming than the others. The whole story is a game within a game. Similar to Player One.

Luke Daniels is to Scott Meyer, as Frank Muller is to Stephen King, Ray Porter is to Jonathan Maberry, Wil Wheaton is to John Scalzi. He is great.

44 people found this helpful

An Unwelcome Storyline…

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Honestly, I'm actually a bit surprised that the overall consensus is positive for Book 3. That being said, most folks that I know personally would've also been disappointed, so I don't know who would enjoy it more than I.

Has An Unwelcome Quest turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not at all... It all started with Ready Player One & now I'm off to Critical Failures (which despite its name) is FABULOUS...

What three words best describe Luke Daniels’s voice?

Luke Daniel's is a wonderful storyteller. Zero complaints...

What character would you cut from An Unwelcome Quest?

It's funny... I didn't like the initial introduction of Ron, but he was by-far the least annoying in Book 3. Even funnier? Neither was Jimmy... I was actually rooting for Jimmy & am glad he moved on. If I were to cut anyone, it would be either be Brit the Younger or Gwen (but ONLY in Book 3).

Any additional comments?

I've never felt anger/annoyance with a book. I felt so disappointed with how Book 3 played out as it took these wonderful characters & turned them into annoying morons in Book 3. Scott Meyer truly needs to take another shot at redemption as it CANNOT end this way...

9 people found this helpful

Happy to see more, but not as fun as the first two

Good laughs, GREAT narration, just not as enjoyable as the first two. I'm sure it's hard to recreate the wonder of discovery when the file is first discovered, but that, and the cultural comparisons are what I enjoyed the most in this series, and those elements were a little thin in this one. Still looking forward to more!

15 people found this helpful

meh

Nowhere near as engaging as the first 2 books in this series. still an entertaining story.

11 people found this helpful

A Letdown

Which character – as performed by Luke Daniels – was your favorite?

Luke Daniels did an amazing job of reading this story, as he did with the others in this series.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

This book was a letdown. I enjoyed the prior books, but this one made me think he had run out of ideas. The gaming scenario was a step back. I would have thought it written by a teenager. It was a disappointment after having read the other books.

2 people found this helpful

I welcomed this quest

I was happy for another book, and especially happy that we still had the same narrator. I wish this wasn't the end of the series, but I really enjoyed it, and I would strongly recommend the whole series to anyone

5 people found this helpful

SOOO DISAPPOINTED!

I LOVED the first two books. This one just dragged. I was so disappointed in the lack of real content. There was so much filler it took me ten times longer to finish it than normal. Too bad. Decent ending though if you can get to it.

11 people found this helpful

Fun but empty

Story gave us little reason to care about the characters or their journey. no major character development.

4 people found this helpful