FIRST REVIEW for ALMENDRA'S QUEST

Book Review by Shaziya Khan

I definitely have a lot to say about this book beginning from the structure of characters in it. The story centers around the High Lady, Almendra, a High Lady of the Upper Kingdom, locked up inside the castle. I found Almendra’s character to be very unique and different from many cliché princesses I had come across. Her character was innocent yet smart and brave yet obedient. She lacked arrogance but possessed a sense of pride of that of a High Lady. Her innate bravery made her different and it could be seen throughout the story. She didn’t let her title meddle with her responsibilities and was always ready to put herself upfront at times of danger. Her way of analyzing life and love was different from the other spoilt princesses. The following statement proved it so, “…I’m not looking for a marriage of convenience, Joanna! I’m sure it may be enough to help Prince Frederick to hold onto his throne, but it won’t fulfill the fateline, and it certainly won’t save my kingdom!”

The other characters in the book played their roles perfectly too. Her grandmother, Lady Mildred, was the wittiest woman that played a huge role in the upbringing of Almendra, and by default, she knew her granddaughter the best. “I’ll keep in mind everything that you’ve taught me.” “I doubt that very much, Almendra, but I do appreciate the sentiment.” This exchange of dialogues between the two sums up their relationship perfectly well.

Woo, her wolf, and her new friend Joanna are other characters that deserve appreciation as they accompanied her in her journey as her companions and helped her shape herself and adjust in the outside world.

The plot itself seemed fairly simple on the outside, but as I read the story, I found out it was not so. The twists and turns made it so much better and I was excited to see how Almendra’s lacking experience in the outside could protect her from the dangers. The book was filled with many surprises and heart touching scenes that illustrated her bond with her loved ones. The writing was highly detailed and made justice to every scene in the book. I was thoroughly immersed in the book because of the elegant style of the author’s writing. I could imagine every plot to perfection, thanks to her powerful narration in the story.

The book was the lengthiest I have ever read till now. It described each and every action of Almendra throughout the book. However, the book could make do without more than a few scenes and dialogue exchanges: like the repeated narration of truths and descriptions of every magic used. I also hoped for the journey to begin a lot sooner on the book than it did, which could have been possible without excessive addition of rather unnecessary scenes. The ending was a little abrupt, compared to the whole journey, and Almendra seemed to play a little role than necessary.

After I have completely read and reviewed the book, I give the book four stars out of five.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the book, and if you want to read a not so cliché royal historical fiction, with a High Lady owning her destiny, then this is it.

Will I read the next book in the series of Almendra’s Quest? Definitely. There are a lot of amazing riddles in the book that I want to see undone in the next book of the series. I, especially, want to read about Almendra’s development as a High lady of the Upper Kingdom, and how she will be able rule her kingdom, with enemies waiting for their chance to arrive again.