Rating: 4.5🌈
“It’s a simple old story—princess, dragon, knight—simple unless they’re all the same person”
— The Anti-Quest (The Pudding Protocol Universe) by Angel Martinez
And just like that , we’re wonderfully, imaginatively, wandering, narratively, through another Angel Martinez universe.
It’s a urban fantasy, fairytale of a f/f sci fi romance! Uh , got that? Bumblebee dragons, a Royal advisor called Kipcup, a discouraged post doc Professor needing field work on probably extinct Tarrabotian dragons who calls herself after a ancient earth cheese, and half human/half Dzedek Palladin Snillek, who never thought she’d be the heir to inherit a planet.
Into the mesmerizing Martinez mixing bowl goes all sorts of wild and crazily authentic sounding elements to bring about a journey of self acceptance, personal exploration, and love.
It also has its share of the Palladin being strong, shiny scales awesomeness! She is a warrior after all. And Gruyère gets to be the wonderful researcher she is , all while trekking through splendid back territory full of surprises.
With gentle tweaking, and a couple of subtle twists, the author’s characters and plots show how quickly assumptions are formed, what judgements the characters (and readers) might make based on appearance, actions, even names.
The story flies by quickly. It’s so entertaining and I throughly enjoyed it. I loved the couple, each with their amazing personalities.
I enjoyed getting caught by an assumption or two of my own making. So much fun in overturning faulty thought processes!
Love Angel Martinez? Love any or all those elements I mentioned? The Anti-Quest (The Pudding Protocol Universe) by Angel Martinez is the book for you.
Pudding Protocol Universe
🔹Safety Protocols for Human Holidays
🔹The Solstice Pudding
🔹The Anti-Quest
https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Anti-Quest by Angel Martinez – Goodreads
Synopsis:
Brave paladin. Royal princess. Fierce dragon. Simple. Bring all three at once? Way too complicated.
Paladin Snillek’s mother was human and ruled a planet. That’s about the extent of her knowledge since they didn’t see each other much. When her mom dies in a freak accident, her father tells Snillek she’s inherited the title, and she has to learn how to pass as the mostly human Princess Siel for a planet she never thought about much. The dresses alone are horrifying and the courtiers aggravating.
In a moment of frustrated rage, Snillek’s princess persona slips and frightened palace staff misinterpret what they see. Now Paladin Snillek has been called upon to rescue Princess Siel…from herself.
Gruyere wants desperately to journey into the wilds of Tarribotia, but it’s too dangerous to go alone and so far, everyone’s laughed at her for suggesting it. When she spots a Dzedek paladin sulking in a tavern, she offers her services, hoping to pass herself off as a rogue guide.
Two women with secrets and possibly opposing goals head out into the hinterlands of a planet neither one of them knows well. They might both make it back by Winterfest if nothing eats them first.
This book contains one out-of-her-element paladin, the perils of academia, deadly cake, and unconventional dragons.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 