THE LAST BEST QUEST EVER

Legendary quester Ellinore is forced out of early retirement to complete one last quest to save her troublemaking twin brother, Zig.

Ellinore considers herself a fraud—the bards sing of her valorous beast slaying, but it’s all a ruse, perpetuated to win the gold her family needs. As she admits to herself, “I was an actor, and I was at my breaking point.” Seventeen-year-old Ellinore hoped to stop questing before anyone discovered her secret—especially nonbinary Princet Aven, who, despite their yearslong rivalry, she finds particularly cute. When, after a few tankards of mead, Zig makes an unbreakable bet with some mages, Ellinore must kill the Elder Beast—“the god-king of all creatures”—and retrieve its horn to save Zig’s life. Accustomed to questing alone, Ellinore isn’t pleased when both Zig and Aven tag along. With her tavern-loving brother and flirty nemesis in tow, she’s soon joined by Farrah, Aven’s annoyingly chirpy cousin and Ellinore’s ardent fan, as well as “bard-mage kid” Rylan. Ellinore sets out to do the impossible—while hiding the truth that Ellinore the Brave doesn’t really exist. The fairly generic fantasy world is a boon, allowing the quippy characters to shine while pleasantly making their way through an adventure that maintains suspense despite predictability. The romance between the white-presenting leads is charming, unfolding as Ellinore seeks her identity and battles imposter syndrome.

A high fantasy romp with delightful characters and a sweetly compelling romance.