Official Review: The Search for the King's Staff

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Search for the King's Staff" by Sophia Davidson.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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"To make matters worse, I was pretty sure I had fleas now. That was the last time I’d ever pet a monkey."

The life of the chosen one is not always glamorous. Cierra has known since she was five years old that she would one day embark on a quest to save the realms. As Keeper of the Key, she is the only one who can open the portals to the spirit realm, retrieve the pieces of the map to the King’s Staff, and recover the mighty scepter that can prevent the darkness from entering the realm of man. With the magic of the key, she has abundant power backing her mission, but only if she can learn to control the magic without destroying everything around her. With enemies ready to kill or capture her to prevent the recovery of the staff, will Cierra have the courage to continue the quest with all the odds against her?

The Search for the King’s Staff is the first novel in Sophia Davidson’s fantasy adventure series. The book provides the groundwork for Cierra’s character, and the reader comes to know and love her before her quest begins. She is tiny, but tough, fierce, and always ready to compete with her cousin in their ongoing sibling-like rivalry.

The author provides a solid foundation for the world that Cierra lives in as well as the nature of the quest, a little insight into the magic, and even some of the cultural traditions of Asrial. Davidson also did an excellent job of making Cierra very realistic. Unlike other chosen heroes, who instantly know the secrets of their magic or have perfect control, Cierra makes mistakes and doesn’t move on from combat unscathed. Early in the book, she experiences a traumatic event that continues to haunt her thoughts as the quest continues. Part of her journey becomes an emotional process of overcoming her fear and the PTSD-like symptoms that plague her. Cierra seemed more realistic to me because she didn’t simply walk away like she was invincible, and later had to come to a point where she trusted others for help.

There was nothing in particular that I disliked about the plot of the story, and I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series. Though I noticed less than ten errors throughout the 31 chapters of the book, I did stumble across a few awkwardly chosen synonyms, but I did not find them distracting enough to take off a full star. Therefore, a gladly give 4 out of 4 stars to The Search for the King’s Staff.

With action violence, magic use, and dragons of various species, this book is sure to appeal to fantasy readers of all ages. There were fantasy curses like “Vipen’s spawn!” used in place of profanities and no sexual content whatsoever. As the first of a proposed five- to six-book series, this book established a well-written plot with a lot of room for more character growth and adventure in the future books.

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The Search for the King's Staff
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[Miraphery]

The book seems to have a good plot and would be enjoyable. Nice review.

[Damis Seres Rodriguez]

I love fantasy books, and finding stories where the protagonist has flaws and actually develops throughout the plot is not always an easy task. Thank you for your review, it certainly caught my attention.

[NetMassimo]

This seems the beginning of a fantasy saga with a high potential for its plot and complex characters. I'll keep an eye on this series. Thank you for your great review!

[Laura Lee]

Ahhahaha! What a great, attention-grabbing opening! Is this suitable for mid-teens? It sounds like a really fun, well-written book. Thanks for your review!

[Dannyphery]

Cierra, keeper of the keys...
Her quest sound really intriguing.
I'm sure it'll be an interesting read.
Thanks for the review

[SunVixen]

Look like very interesting book. Thak you for great review!

[Erin Dydek]

I love fantasy books, and finding stories where the protagonist has flaws and actually develops throughout the plot is not always an easy task. Thank you for your review, it certainly caught my attention.

This seems the beginning of a fantasy saga with a high potential for its plot and complex characters. I'll keep an eye on this series. Thank you for your great review!

The book seems to have a good plot and would be enjoyable. Nice review.

Thank you all for your kind words! I hope you have a chance to check out the series and enjoy the book!

[Erin Dydek]

Ahhahaha! What a great, attention-grabbing opening! Is this suitable for mid-teens? It sounds like a really fun, well-written book. Thanks for your review!

Haha thank you! I thought I'd try something a little different with this review. And, yes, I think mid-teens would enjoy this. I can't think of anything other than some fighting scenes (martial arts and powerful magic), but they are not that different from something you would see in Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, or Lord of the Rings.

[Erin Dydek]

Look like very interesting book. Thak you for great review!

Cierra, keeper of the keys...
Her quest sound really intriguing.
I'm sure it'll be an interesting read.
Thanks for the review

Cierra's journey is just beginning and it seems like there are many great things to come! Thanks for your comments!

[Adina Lutinger]

The book seems really appealing, and I already feel attached to Cierra. I appreciate the author for making her realistic. Thanks for the great review!

[AvidBibliophile]

Realms and keys, magic and monkeys?! That first quote legitimately had me laughing out loud, so thank you for the flea-ridden forewarning. Sounds like this was a good one, and I'm gonna start using some fantasy curses like "Vipen's spawn" the next time some tricky moment calls for it! Lovely review.

[kandscreeley]

Well, I sure hope she DOESN'T have fleas. This sounds like a fun book with a dose of humor thrown in, which would be perfect for me. I'm always on the lookout for books to add to my list! Thanks!

[Prisallen]

This sounds like a fascinating fantasy series. It sounds like the author has a wonderful ability to bring his world to life. Thanks for the well-written and interesting review!

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I love fantasy. They let me to escape from this everyday world and travel into a whole new one. Thanks for the detailed review