July 26, 2021
A chance discovery of a gaming store leads to a fantasy realm quest in Cole’s (the Potion Masters trilogy) high-energy series starter. Lucas Silver, 12, who is implied white and experiences panic attacks, is fleeing his latest foster home with the help of book-smart foster sibling Miles Maldonado, 11, who has “dark brown skin”—that is, until the two are drawn into Hob & Bogie’s Curiosity Shoppe. Joined by Lucas’s troublemaking Filipina classmate Jasmine Bautista, and grumpy 16-year-old Vanessa Crowe, the implied-white foster home caretakers’ daughter, the group is soon coerced into starting a role-playing game called Champion’s Quest. The newly formed Band tries to renege, they find, upon exiting the shop, that they’re no longer in Bentford, W.V. Instead, they’re stuck in the world of Champion’s Quest and bound to strict rules, including rolling dice before combat, and taking on classes such as Artisan and Gamekeeper. Inconsistent world-building, contrived conflict, and a disappointing last-act reveal weaken the novel. Still, the game rules are mostly solid, each Band member has a defined personality, and scenes of cooperation particularly shine, making for a satisfying wish-fulfillment adventure that’s especially appealing for those interested in RPGs. Ages 8–11.