DreamQuest [Paperback]

Bill T. Pottle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2003

A young boy in a small village has a mysterious dream that hints of the fantastic power of the Water Orb, one of the four elemental forces that has been lost to the world for nearly three centuries. Heeding the advice of the powerful wizard Zelin, Tarthur sets off on a quest to understand his dream and its consequences for the fate of civilization.Join Tarthur and Derlin as they travel through the land, learning not only about the world but also about themselves and what it means to pass from boyhood into the world of men.Journey to the mystical lands of Daranor-see a sunrise on the shoals of the merfolk, ponder the powerful evil of the Death Lord Darhyn, feel the hope of Freeton, the serenity of the lands of the elves, and the cunning of Queen Marhyn. Meet a mysterious shapeshifter, the twin heads of the Guild of Thieves, and the stunningly beautiful princess of the elves. Whether you are a child, teen, or adult, the lands of Daranor have something for you.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Splendid!" -- Lloyd Alexander

There is no doubting Bill Pottle's wizardry as he paints DreamQuest's setting. Cheer as you join them in battle. -- Donna Bedrick

There is no doubting Bill Pottle's wizardry as he paints DreamQuest's settings. Cheer as you join them in battle. -- Donna Bedrick

This imaginative and entertaining fantasy is a winning combination of action, romance and magic. A witty tale for all ages. -- April Chase, The Fiction Forum Review

About the Author

Bill Pottle was born and grew up in Denver, Colorado. He attended Cornell University and he currently lives in Philadelphia, where he works on gene therapy research and practices the martial art of Taekwondo. He began to develop the idea for this, his first novel, in sixth grade.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 274 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (March 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595268048
• ISBN-13: 978-0595268047
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,161,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous Adventure!, December 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: DreamQuest (Paperback)

General impressions of the novel:

I loved reading this book- I hated any reason I had to put it down. Marvelous adventure! Bill Pottle has created a wonderful new world for this novel. I'm glad to see that there will be more stories in this series. One book just isn't enough!

Specifics:

"DreamQuest" is a very good name for this novel. There is a certain dream-like quality that flows through the entire book. As if it were a vision being imparted rather than a tale being told. I can't put my finger on exactly how this is achieved, but it is a wonderful effect that adds to the reader's enjoyment.

I thought the characters were quite well written. They were complex and realistic even as the story started, and they changed and grew as the adventure continued. Very nice work. The reader will soon come to care about these characters as if they were old friends. A clear image of each character arose in my mind from within the story, woven together from many scattered segments of descriptive text. A much more subtle effect than the use of large chunks of exposition. After only a few pages, I could see the story unfold before my mind's eye as if were a play or movie. Very vivid writing, highly enjoyable, brought each character to life as I turned the pages.

If the book has a flaw, it would have to be that the characters occasionally slip into a phrase or two of modern-sounding expressions. My reading always came to a full stop whenever I reached one of these few instances. I could never decide if Bill wrote them in purposly or if they just slipped in by accident. In either case, they slowed my reading down and interrupted the flow of the story.

Dan Hollifield, Senior Editor, Aphelion Webzine

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars DreamQuest, May 30, 2004

By 

Joanna Cheney "joannabfg" (Milwaukee, Wisconsin United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DreamQuest (Paperback)

DreamQuest will fascinate children new to the fantasy genre. Its style is easy to follow for anyone not yet in high school and its wit will grab a chuckle or an amused smile even from older readers. Pottle treats his characters with the kind of mirth and mayhem that makes his writing comic as well as dark.

The only caveat is that the large amount of characters and different viewpoints can grow confusing at times.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this Book!, August 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: DreamQuest (Paperback)

Having committed myself to writing this review, it would be a shame if I had to tell you that it was a horrible piece of writing and it was a horrid waste of my time. I might choose to lie instead and tell you that it was an "interesting book" or that I liked the parts that had words. But to tell such a lie would not let me sleep at night. Fortunately, I can say that DreamQuest is a wonderful novel that I finished promptly after I bought it and then proceeded to lend it to a friend the next day.
Pottle has weaved together a story with an endearing protagonist, a sense of adventure, a loyal sidekick/best friend, touching and amusing romances, entertaining pranks, and magic. The reader will follow Tarthur as he goes on a journey from town prankster to young hero. Along the way, Tarthur and Derlin encounter mermen, elves, dragons, ninjas, loyal friends, and deadly enemies.
Dreamquest carefully constructes the world of Daranor. Like most fantasy novels, it contains magic, elves, and dragons, but Pottle has taken the familiar and added a unique twist to it. Included are: a ShapeShifter that can split himself into a ninja and a dragon, the legend of the Eternal Vale, and a pretty pickpocket that is the head of the Thieves Guild.
The plots are intricately woven and, even the minor characters in DreamQuest are well developed. Pottle introduces each new character with such personality so that I found myself reading about Warren (a pawn of the Death Lord) and Addyean (farmer/Royal Spy) as if they were old friends.
Dreamquest tells the story so vividly that I have no trouble imagining certain scenes like a comic book. Scenes are painted so vividly that they are easily imagined and comical parts made me chuckle. Thank you, Bill Pottle for writing an engaging tale! (Now, I can go to sleep.)