Arestana 2 – Book Review

Arestana: The Defense Quest by Shawn P.B. Robinson is part two in the Arestana series for young readers. It continues the story of young Liam as he gets pulled into the world of Arestana for another adventure. This time he must lead the armies of Arestana in defeating an attacking enemy. Liam is only a boy and knows nothing about warfare but that doesn’t matter because most Earthly logic makes no sense in Arestana. Once back in the strange land, Liam joins up with his old friends and makes a few new ones. Everyone is just as silly as ever and Liam finds a host of new peculiar problems to work through in the crazy mixed-up world of Arestana.

Author Shawn P.B. Robinson’s humorous style of writing remains consistent through both books of his that I’ve read. Somehow he manages to keep each scene fresh with new gags that kept me smiling and laughing out loud throughout. Even running gags, like one character who is obsessed with making soup, remain funny because Shawn is constantly putting new twists on jokes, making the gag more and more absurd as the story goes on. There is also plenty of action and adventure in this story, just as there was in the first one. The colorful cast of characters engages in many battles with a host of unusual enemies. Parents can rest assured that the battle scenes are never violent or bloody in the least. Lots of danger is threatened but silliness always wins out over violence.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed both Arestana books but I have to say that book 2, The Defense Quest is even better than the first. There is more depth to the characters plus more intricacies in the plot that made it very satisfying. I heartily encourage fans of the first book, The Key Quest, to continue with book 2. The plot gets thicker, the characters get more interesting, and the humor gets even funnier.