Questland by Carrie Vaughn is about Professor Adrienne "Addie" Cox going to Insula Mirabilis where something has gone terribly wrong. Harris Lang created the island as a place to prove that once technology is advanced enough it is the same as magic. But when he losses all communication with the island and Addie's ex-boyfriend might be the cause, he has her join a team to restore communication with the island.
I feel that having the book told from Dominic's point of view would be better. Addie is not a bad point of view character as, like her, the reader is fascinated by the island. Insula Mirabilis is supposed to be a great place for nerds and nerds will be the ones most interested to read this book. But, at the same time, it never feels like she has an impact on the plot. She is needed for being a nerd, but she also tends to run into trouble. When she reunites with Dominic it is all because she wandered from the group to look at something pretty.
Dominic has a very big impact on the plot to the point the book couldn't have happened without him. His character is also very intriguing. He has a big heart and is more than ready to act on what he sees as being for the greater good. He feels that all technology invented on the island shouldn't be used for anything else but creating a fantasy setting. At the end of the book his big heart makes him make sure none of his co-workers get blamed for his various mistakes.
He isn't all good as his one fault is his ego. This makes him not think through things clearly and is what cause his various mistakes. As Addie broke up with him and we see from her point of view, we don't see a kind picture of the man.
The end of the book teases a possible sequel. By the end of the book we don't get that clear a picture of Harris Lang so a possible sequel could delve more into him. Was he a misunderstood genius? Did he want Insula Mirabilis for the technology and a fantasy tourist attraction was just a cover?
Insula Mirabilis is a fascinating place. There are unicorns, mazes, dragons, elves, and various other things that should make every fantasy lover extremely happy. Addie, unlike me, preferred unicorns. Lang was able to get her interest by showing her a unicorn his employees had created.
The island is broken into three factions and, of course, readers will get to visit every one of them. One faction is lead by "King" Arthur who is the most timid of the group leaders. Another faction is the dwarfs who live underground and use wargs as mounts. The final group are the elves who are lead by Dominic. They are the most extreme at playing into their roles which, I guess, makes them the 'bad' faction. This due to the book dismissing all of the employees as crazy for enjoying themselves on a fantasy island.
I would recommend Questland by Carrie Vaughn for those who enjoy all things fantasy.
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