Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold
by Mark LeiknesPublished by: Union Square Kids on September 13, 2022
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Humor
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Comics artist Mark Leiknes delivers a laugh-out-loud story set in a fantastic world of dragons, rock creatures, and golden loungewear.
The Quest Kids are ready for their first real quest. This time, they won’t oversleep, they won’t be put off by a little rain, and they won’t accidentally burn down the village that hired them. All they have to do is find the Golden-Fleeced Rage Beast, shave it, and make a really nice golden tracksuit to appease a furious dragon. Simple, right?
Meet the Quest Kids crew: Gil, a wizard (well, wizard in training . . . the beard isn’t his); Terra, a 700-year-old elf kid; Boulder, a rock troll who is more of a cook than a fighter; Ash, a flatulent pig-dog-maybe-lizard hybrid; and, Ned, the intrepid and overly optimistic leader with his own personal quest to find his missing parents. With humor, magic, mystery, and at least one acid swamp filled with skeletal alligators, Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold is a richly illustrated saga of fantasy friendship for readers from all kingdoms!
Content Tags:
Perfect for readers who want:
- A humorous adventure filled with fun and misfortune.
- A slightly incompetent squad who tries their best anyway.
- Mix of text and graphic novel style.
- Dragons! Well, one dragon . . . but it still counts.
- Adventure that doesn’t go quite as one might expect.
- Perfect story and style for reluctant readers!
- Fans of series like Max and the Midnights.
Many thanks to Union Square Kids and Rockstar Book Tours for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
From the moment I saw the cover of this book and read the blurb, I knew I had to read this one! Not only was I convinced that our library kiddos would love it (and rightly so, now that I’ve read it), but it just plain looked like fun. And who doesn’t like having a bit of fun when reading a book?
Quest Kids and the Dragon Pants of Gold is a mix between text and graphic novel that will appeal to kids . . . along with the not-quite-capable squad, lots of humor, plenty of adventure, and, of course, one giant dragon!
I would say that this book is about what you might expect when you invite a bunch of six-year-olds to a D&D session: utter chaos, where many mistakes are made, but it somehow works out in the end. No one’s quite sure how. This book was a ton of fun, and I hope there will be more! These kids were basically what would happen if my friends and I were thrust on quests. Repeatedly. Because technically, this is quest attempt six. But the sixth try is the charm, right?
The Quest Kids are a squad like you haven’t quite met before. They’re not particularly competent . . . or experienced . . . and okay, they make a ton of mistakes. But hey, they’re learning!
If you’ve ever read any sort of quest/adventure story before, you’ll be familiar with the makeup of this squad. There’s the magic user, of course, the leader/sword wielder, the archer/ranged, and the nonhuman. Okay, technically two of them are nonhuman, because one is an elf, but I was referring specifically to the giant rock beast. Formula for a perfect squad, right?
Except these particular adventurers are young. And not exactly successful. In fact, this is their sixth attempt at a quest, the others having gone awry in rather unique ways. So it’s all the more important that they get it right this time. Bad news is that they’re not all that competent, either. To be fair, this squad is basically what would happen if any random group of friends decided to go out and stop a dragon, but with the added excuse of being kids.
The little mistakes the adventurers make along the way is the most thrilling part of the adventure. Everyone says it’s really the journey, not the destination, right? Well, this journey is exciting and often unexpected, which makes it a joy to go on!
This is a quest like you haven’t seen before. Namely, one that subverts expectations. Because questing is unpredictable and doesn’t have to look any one way.
Leiknes plays with different tropes and ideas about what a quest should look like in this book. There are certain expectations about a quest . . . you know, like you complete them in a certain way. But guess what? The Quest Kids do what they want. Which sometimes includes finding creative ways to skip steps. Or, you know, make mistakes that create additional steps.
This quest, in particular, will take our intrepid young adventurers (and the reader, as well) to new and unique locales. Like the Invisible Forest of Madness. Which is invisible. And maddening? Perfect obstacle for an adventure, right? I loved discovering all the different facets of the world and the unique locations the Quest Kids travel to. Makes me almost disappointed that I can’t be there with them in person. Except, you know, Invisible Forest of Madness sounds . . . well, frustrating.
There are two particular highlights of this book: the dragon, for obvious reasons, and Ash, a pig-dog-thing. Both of which are marvelous for their own distinct reasons.
I feel like the dragon part of this goes without explanation. Duh. Dragons. Of course, dragons come in all sorts of types and incarnations, but this dragon is both fierce and cute, which makes him a double threat! Plus, he’s got pretty freaking awesome pants (hence, the title), which I’m going to add as a point in his favor.
As for Ash, Ash is the typical adorable sidekick who is a cute, fluffy enigma. I guess he’d have to be if he’s a pig-dog-thing, huh? As far as furry sidekicks go, Ash is killing it. I mean, he’s not always useful, but he’s always adorable, and that’s what matters most, right? If you won’t read this book for the dragon (which, to be honest, I’d be a bit disappointed in you if that were the case), then read it for Ash! He deserves it.
About Mark Leiknes
Mark Leiknes lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife and three kids. He produced a nationally syndicated comic strip for eight years and now he writes and illustrates books that he hopes his kids will enjoy. And most times they do!
1 winner will receive a finished copy of QUEST KIDS AND THE DRAGON PANTS OF GOLD, US Only.
Ends September 20th, midnight EST
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Week One
| 9/5/2022 | @jacleomik33 | IG Review |
| 9/6/2022 | One More Exclamation | Review/IG Post |
| 9/7/2022 | Ya Books Central | Guest Post |
| 9/8/2022 | The Bookwyrm’s Den | Review |
| 9/9/2022 | Nerdophiles | Review |
Week Two
| 9/12/2022 | Eye-Rolling Demigod’s Book Blog | Review/IG Post |
| 9/13/2022 | Nonbinary Knight Reads | Review/IG Post |
| 9/14/2022 | @froggyreadteach | IG Review/Read Part of Book Out Loud |
| 9/15/2022 | The Momma Spot | Review/IG Post |
| 9/16/2022 | @just_another_mother_with_books | IG Review |
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The illustration on the cover is so cute! I know kids who would love this!
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Yes! The illustrations inside are the same style. They’re absolutely charming.