Wikipedia

Search results

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

My review for the book : The Quest: Search for a lost brother by Dorothy Mbori

 


Language

English

Link

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55532907-the-quest-search-for-a-lost-brother

Rating (stars)

4 / 5


Tolkien in his THE LORD OF THE RINGS says -  "For where am I to go? And by what shall I steer? What is to be my quest? Why did I come on this Quest? Little did I know where the chief peril lay!"


I am reminded of these famous lines when I read Dorothy Mbori's debut novel "The Quest: Search for a Lost Brother"! It is indeed an impressive fantasy story. Its cover-art and blurb kindled my interests. 


Fatherless Eli always enjoys his association with his three dearest teen friends Zuri, Iddah and Jeremiah. He considers his younger brother Blankie as a nuisance; but for Blankie, Eli is a hero. In a prank, together with friends, Eli offends Blankie instigating his disappearance. Now they feel guilty and hence take on the responsibility to restore him to Eli's mother. It becomes their chief mission. For that, they have to undertake an adventurous quest -- an activity-filled shocking journey, through a dangerous forest and are forced to pass through intriguing territories. That's on the surface. Underneath, though, there are startling revelations - Eli and his friends don't know what's in store for them, surprises after surprises coming and then, alas, it's there hitting them straight on their face!


Never having ventured far from their village, the friends discover things they would have never dreamt of. They realize their hidden unconventional abilities, new individualistic skill-sets when they face new challenges in various forms. The friends face their battle of life and death while trying to save the life of Blankie as they cross each barrier. They encounter formidable mythical animals -- and worse than that -- unpredictable human enemies! The friends get trapped, confront risks at every corner and do feel insecure. But like Tolkien says in his novel - 'they harden their hearts unflinchingly... the road must be trod.' 


The nightmarish deathly ordeals await them which pose threats to their objective. What are those painful trials? Who are the villains? What lifestyle changes happen in their desperate quest? How they resolve every new challenge and succeed in each step to realize their daring mission is the storyline. Indeed, their commitment to their objective keeps the story pleasant, as it rests on the slender shoulders of Eli and his friends. Now, it's for the readers to unravel some unpredictable twists and secrets!


Dorothy has captured our imagination with the main theme - to restore the lost brother, come what may. She has never compromised it throughout the course maintaining the chief purpose. The book is simple, clean and lean but has an effective storyline without any major plot holes. It has entertainment value and beautiful depictions for the readers to easily construct the story in their minds with straightforward narratives. It has a smooth flow, good pace, picturized scene settings, intriguing events and some touches of humour - "The smell itself is enough to kill an army."


Dorothy has etched rock-solid characters, carving their individuality. She has brilliantly portrayed the natural emotions and the determination among the friends to discharge the responsibility. The depictions of understanding among friends, their quarrels, pranks, moral support when one needs the other during the battle are superbly captured. The team's conflicts during their plans and their team-spirit have been well-conveyed -- "he was sure they could win this fight if they kept their heads straight and worked together as a team." Dorothy has added liveliness by creating mythical creatures. She has rendered a visual treat through supporting characters -- Smytie -- the saviour, Marguerite -- the healer, etc., Some characters turn out to be not what they seem and that's where you get glued to the story! There are intriguing twists, unfathomable politics as the narrative slowly unwinds the mental challenges overriding the physical strains of the friends and betrayals -- "They help you and treat you so well only to come back and betray you."


I did find certain illogical, unconvincing and unclear descriptions due to which the story was not self-explanatory in some places. I found that the editing needs to be worked on. I was a bit disappointed with the ending, as I had some unanswered questions. But, these are trivial.


I did feel part of the story as I was wholly drawn in, as the plot gradually unfolded. It was worth investing my time as I wanted Eli and his friends to succeed. As a writer, I found the story was quite engaging. I consider the book is appropriate for all age groups, not just for YA, because the story is a notch above normal fantasy stories in the marketplace. Dorothy has done meticulous homework.


Personally, amid the flood of fantasy novels, I liked the book as it captivated me and gave me a good break from my priorities and other routines; most importantly it gave me some happy moments as I accompanied Eli on his perilous journey when Dorothy describes: a) Eli's firmness in planning to face the challenges -- "When we are out of danger, then you can feel free to compete and argue about who is the better fighter, but for now, this is the plan"; b) Eli in simplistic terms -- "Eli had never considered himself a lucky person. He never thought he was the unluckiest person, either."; c) Eli's practicality -- "Eli had a lot of faith in people. He believed that there is always a reason behind every decision that people make. Good or bad, there’s always a reason why people are driven to act the way they do." 


I look forward to the author unfolding some more secrets in book Two. In essence -- I didn't feel like it's a debut novel -- commendable maiden effort by Dorothy to give a quality read is amply visible, and hence it appeals to me to give a 4-star rating. For those readers looking for relaxation -- indulge in your exclusive fantasy world through this book; with one word - Enjoy!

No comments:

Post a Comment

My popular posts