R.P. Lauer Reviews: Highland Court Chronicles: Almendra's Quest by Farida Mestek - Distant Web
R.P. Lauer Reviews: Highland Court Chronicles: Almendra's Quest by Farida Mestek
(This is a republished post. You can view the original posting HERE.)
The following is primarily a backup of the review I left on Goodreads and Amazon for the book, Highland Court Chronicles: Almendra's Quest by Farida Mestek.
Google Search
Blurb from the author:
Almendra Ravenlock, a seventeen-year-old ruler of the Upper Kingdom, has never set foot outside the grounds of the royal castle, believing that beyond its gates lies a deadly curse left behind by the same group of rebels that attacked her kingdom and sent her mother to her early doom fifteen years ago. Isolated from the rest of the realm, with only her cranky granny and her loyal wolf for company, she waits for Prince Frederick of the Lowland Kingdom to come and set her free. There is a prophecy that strongly suggests that he is the one to win her heart and save her kingdom.
However, when an unexpected messenger arrives and tells her that the prince is at death's door after an attempt on his life and that she is the only one who can save him, Almendra grabs at the chance to fulfill the prophecy on her own terms. As she travels through the realm with her wolf and her new friend, Almendra unearths a horrifying secret buried deep under the rebels' lair, discovers that her life and her kingdom are in as much danger from them as ever, and that the prince she is determined to save might not be the one meant to save her or her kingdom after all.
However, when an unexpected messenger arrives and tells her that the prince is at death's door after an attempt on his life and that she is the only one who can save him, Almendra grabs at the chance to fulfill the prophecy on her own terms. As she travels through the realm with her wolf and her new friend, Almendra unearths a horrifying secret buried deep under the rebels' lair, discovers that her life and her kingdom are in as much danger from them as ever, and that the prince she is determined to save might not be the one meant to save her or her kingdom after all.
Highland Court Chronicles: Almendra's Quest by Farida Mestek is a YA fantasy novel in a similar vein as say, Harry Potter. I wish I could give a better compassion title, but YA is not my strong suit; to be honest, when I think of YA, I tend to think of either teen romance, or dystopian future sagas, neither of which strike my fancy. So I have probably unfairly avoided the category all together, leaving my knowledge rather lacking.
With this being my second YA 'fantasy' this year, I am seeing that there is a section of this classification that I absolutely need to explore, because just like Highland Court Chronicles: Almendra's Quest, this novel was a real pleasure to read! Farida does an excellent job of setting up a very rich world, with extended lore and extremely likable characters; the star of this tale being a true gem! Lady Almendra of the Upper Kingdom is sassy, sweet, compassionate, somewhat awkward, and ultimately a character I cannot help but want to root for.
I would classify this as a true fantasy adventure, with the bulk of the story being a journey from one point to another; though there may be a detour or two along the way. Lady Almendra has a companion in the form of a wolf, and she is also accompanied by a really solid, and equally likable messenger (of sorts). There are plenty of exciting moments, reveals and turns along the way.
My only criticisms are a few typos and other minor editing errors, and there is a slight anti-climatic nature to the story, but none of this disrupted my overall enjoyment in reading. There is clearly more that this author has to say in the universe she setup, and I hope with all of my heart that she continues on; I absolutely want to read more in the future!
There is a companion piece to this in a free novelette, Nermina's Amulet, which I did read and will also review. I read that first, but have since been told that it was intended as further reading, not pre-reading. Ooops.
Please check out Farida Mestek on her Homepage, Amazon Page, Goodreads or Twitter
Thank you for reading my post! Please consider checking out my debut novel, The Scars of Gaia, here on my website! The entire novel can be downloaded for free in multiple digital formats.
dWeb Systems v2.0 Beta - ©2006-2024 Distant Web
Some icons/graphics used were created by Yusuke Kamiyamane or Smashicons, DinosoftLabs, FreePik from Flaticon
Some icons/graphics used were created by Yusuke Kamiyamane or Smashicons, DinosoftLabs, FreePik from Flaticon
[ Last Updated: Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:58:42 GMT ] [ Executed in 0.1425 seconds ] [ DB Queries: 18 ] [ Req Code: 200 ]