The Quest (Sonnet Books) [Mass Market Paperback]

Pam Binder (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sonnet Books | Publication Date: August 1, 2000

Scotland, 1328: Conjuring with all of her will. Ana de Dannon summons the greatest champion of the ages, Cuchulainn, the legendary Irish warrior. Only he could defeat Ana's evil half-brother, Roderick, and free her mother, Rhiannon, from Edinburgh Tower. In a perversely generous gesture -- as he knows no man in the land will face him -- Roderick has offered to release any prisoner whose champion can defeat him in a tournament.

But the powerful man Ana conjures is not Cuchulainn, though the word Warrior is written on his strange and colorful garment...and his face is hidden beneath a massive helmet. Ana has mistakenly called forth Kenneth MacKinnon, quarterback for the Seattle Warriors, and the greatest champion of his age -- the year 2000. But he may be the hero she needs after all, when he learns to do battle for something greater than his own glory -- the love of a fair maiden.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When young sorceress and healer Ana de Dannon uses an ancient spell to conjure the great Irish warrior Cuchulainn, she expects a legendary champion with the strength of 10 men to help her to free her captive mother, Rhiannon. What she gets, in this charming time-travel romance, is Kenneth MacKinnon (aka Mac), a professional quarterback for the Seattle Warriors fresh from the football field. Fed up with his life as a superstar, Mac is not sure what he wants anymore. But being magically transported to 14th-century Scotland to fight in a sword tournament he can't possibly win is definitely not it. Featuring a strong, independent heroine as fiery as her bright orange hair, this crisply written romance is lighthearted yet engaging. Binder (The Inscription) creates a colorful cast of characters, including Mac, a hero with courage, honor and intelligence to match his stature; Danu, Ana's aunt, a down-to-earth sorceress; and Colin, a battle-weary Scot set to the task of training Mac how to use a sword. Though at times the plot moves slowly and one of Binder's subplots is too quickly tied together, her solid historical detail and well-drawn period settings should please readers. Throughout she imaginatively and gracefully weaves elements of humor, magic and romantic tension. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Pam Binder lives in Issaquah, Washington, with her husband and three children. She is the author of The Inscription, also available from Pocket Books.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Pocket; 1st edition (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671774514
• ISBN-13: 978-0671774516
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,078,307 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet Romance, February 4, 2001

By 

Michelle - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quest (Sonnet Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

The story of Ana and Mac. She's a 14th century lady, he's a 21st century football player. Ana, desperate for her mother's release from her evil stepbrother, uses a spell to conjure a champion. Thinking she will get the great Irish Warrior Cuchulainn, she instead gets a 21st century professional football player. The two are instantly attracted to each other. Mac agrees to help her champion her mother and she agrees to train him in the ways of sword play and jousting. Together they travel to Edinburgh for the tournament. I liked this book and read it in an afternoon. I thought it was a sweet romance with a fun story. I'd recommend it!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent time travel fantasy, July 28, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Quest (Sonnet Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

During the reign of King Robert the Bruce of Scotland, Ana de Dannon worries about freeing her mother Rhannon. Ana's stepbrother Lord Roderick holds Rhannon prisoner. He will only free her in exchange for the Golden Sword that he believes will make him ruler of the country. A desperate Ana performs an incarnation from the Book of Spells that will bring forth the legendary Irish warrior Cuchulainn.

In the current age, Seattle quarterback Kenneth MacKinnon takes a hit from a linebacker. When he awakens he finds himself holding the football near Ana and her Aunt Danu in Stirling Castle. Ana thinks she conjured up Cuchulainn to battle Roderick and liberate her mother. Though he does not consider himself a warrior, Kenneth is brave and intelligent and begins to work on the game plan to free Rhannon. As he does so, he falls in love with Ana who reciprocates his feelings. However, both expect him to return to the future as soon as he completes his mission.

THE QUEST is an entertaining time travel romantic fantasy that will provide much pleasure to readers. The story line is filled with medieval pageantry and treachery augmented by Kenneth's confusion as he wonders if he took one hit too many. Fans of fantasy and romance will fully relish Pam Binder's spellbinding tale.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a good book, August 18, 2002

By 

Brenda Condit "satinskper" (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Quest (Sonnet Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

Well I was a bit leary about reading this book. I didn't care for the first book I read by this author but was pleasantly suprised by this one. I liked the plot line and the charactrs were well written. The discriptions of everyday life made it feel as though you were watching it happen.

This is a time-travel-historical. The heroine, Ana conjures a warrior to help save her mother. She is hoping for the legendary Irish warrior, Cuchuliann, but what she gets is a modern day man who plays footbal for a team called the Warriors. Kenneth MacKinnon, aka Mac, is suddenly taken from the middle of a game and thrown back in time to 1328. He is totally confused but quickly adapts to his new life. He soon finds himself training to do battle to be the hero that Ana needs. He also finds that he wants to be more than just a hero for Ana. he has fallen in love with her but with his future uncertain he is reluctant to make her his. She feels just as strongly for him but knowing that he must go back to his time she is afraid to let her heart feel for him.

There is action, humor, passion and love in this story. It is filled with many secondary characters that help tie it all together. I really enjoyed it and I hope her other books are as good.