Quest of the Demon

By M.L. Sawyer

Darci is a popular sixteen-year-old girl who plays basketball and lives in an ordinary country town. But her life is changed forever when she is accidentally transported to the land of Nahaba by a young apprentice wizard called Taslessian.

Within hours of her unexpected arrival, both teens are thrust into a dangerous journey to the cave of Grisham the Great in the hope that he would be able to send her home.

Upon reaching the cave, however, Darci quickly discovers that there is no such thing as accidents, and that their journey is only just beginning.

The Quest of the Demon has begun.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.L. Sawyer
• Release date: Jan 28, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458092366

M.L. Sawyer

M.L. Sawyer is an avid reader and songwriter. She’s written poetry and copy, as well as lyrics that have appeared on nearly 40 albums. She has received many songwriting awards and has had radio airplay in major market stations. Enamored with the exotic, M.L. is excited to venture into new literary territories with her international romance compilation. She has three children and currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and youngest son.

Book preview

Quest of the Demon Smashwords Edition, published by Michelle Sawyer at Smashwords.

All characters and situations in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental, unless stated otherwise. The author assumes all responsibility for the content herein.

Quest of the Demon by M L Sawyer.

All original content copyright © 2010 M L Sawyer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author, the copyright owners.

Original cover image and map provided by M L Sawyer

To Mrs Hall, my high school librarian, who introduced me to my first fantasy novel at the age of 13.

To my parents for their unconditional support, my brother for his honesty, and my fiancé Rob, for putting up with my late nights in front of the computer, and my incessant ramblings.

Prologue

The mighty dragon heaved a great sigh as he used his mind’s eye to observe the world. Not the world as mortals see, but the world as a balance. Often, this is generalised and simplified for the less worldly as the balance between chaos and order, or good versus evil.

Darkness was coming. He could sense it in his weary, aching bones, as he had many times before. It was a burden that dragonkind had born since the dawn of awareness. He knew that other worlds existed, some void of life, while others were overrun with a myriad of strange and unusual species. Many beings on various stars considered themselves alone and all-knowing in the universe. The dragon’s teeth flashed in a grin. It was a vain assumption at best. No one truly knows what exists inside their own world let alone what possibilities exist outside of it, including him. The universe is infinite, and despite his considerable powers, even he could not see it all.

The classic, good versus evil is often simply a point of view from the victorious. Fortunately for him, he had always considered himself to be good. What he felt coming though was most certainly evil. When two worlds collide the beliefs and understandings of both can be hard to reconcile. To progress two different ways of life, cultures must change, live in harmony or be forgotten. The events to come, however, would not simply be an exchange in culture.

Evil was coming, and it threatened not only his way of life, but the life of all who inhabited his world. The wheels had been set in motion and the quest of the demon had begun.

Part One

Chapter 1

In a two-court basketball stadium in a small country town called Seymour, a pair of young, avid basketball players intently watched each other, trying to figure out who would do what next. The taller girl was trying to defend the other, constantly flicking her hand towards the ball, attempting to dislodge it. This did not phase the ball carrier, for she knew her opponent well; she was not as able to defend on the left hand. With speed that came of skill, she faked right with a twitch before driving the designated lane. Her face held a grin of satisfaction as she took the final step towards the goal. Just as the ball was about to leave the tips of her fingers, a powerful force hit it from behind to knock it soundly from its course towards the basket. The young girl’s overconfidence proved to be her undoing as she was rejected from behind.

Got you! yelled Kellie triumphantly. She hardly ever got the chance to reject her friend and she was planning to savour this moment.

Ah, cow! puffed Darci. Despite her slight humiliation, she gave her friend a sly smile.

Darci and Kellie were in the same basketball team, and they were both enjoying a friendly game after training ahead of the weekend basketball tournament in Bendigo. Normal training had already finished for that night; nevertheless, they had still managed to find the extra energy to continue their eternal game of one-on-one.

Both girls were sixteen, although that was where their similarities ended. Darci’s blue eyes were distinctive, as was her thick, light-brown hair, giving contrast to her friend’s deep, brown eyes and thin black hair. Darci was average height with an athletic build that attested to the fact that she took her sport somewhat seriously. Kellie on the other hand, was half a head taller than Darci with a slighter build, which often allowed the physically stronger Darci to push her out of the way.

Only two more points to go, Darci told her companion. It was almost time for them to head on home, not to mention the fact her stomach was grumbling, distracting her from the game.

You’re not going to win because it’s about time I kicked your butt, Kellie grinned, brushing a strand of wayward black hair out of her eyes so she would not miss any tricks from her sometimes devious friend.

Sweat formed on their brows as Darci and Kellie played hard for a couple more minutes, shoes squeaking on the floor as they dodged left and right in an attempt to get to the basket; no quarter asked or given. At last Darci hooked the ball in her hand, spinning swiftly around to float the ball up towards the basket. Kellie was defeated.

After placing the ball that they had borrowed back on the rack, they both grabbed their drink bottles before walking out the stadium back door towards Darci’s house. She lived only a block from the Seymour stadium so, because it was easier, Kellie’s parents always picked her up from there. A brisk five-minute walk to warm down after their exertion took them through a small town alley, into the street where Darci lived and down the concrete driveway.

Before they even reached the fence, it shuddered with force from behind. What’s up puppy dog? Darci asked as she opened the gate. The family Labrador’s tail wagged enthusiastically, as if it had a mind of its own yet felt no pain as it hit Kellie in the legs while sniffing Darci’s shoes.

Darci, though happy to see her dog, frowned at his spirited reception because this meant that her parents were either not yet home, or that they were out for the night. Like most Labradors, if Indiana was left unplayed with for more than a few hours, his enthusiasm knew no bounds.

Once inside, with Kellie close on her heels, the young girl checked the answering machine to find that her parents were doing the later of her thoughts, not to be back until sometime past midnight.

A knock at the door that was followed by a belated woof and Kellie left with her parents, leaving Darci alone in the house. Quietly she went about doing her various chores before sitting down to eat her favourite easy meal: toasted spaghetti and cheese sandwiches. Time passed swiftly and she soon found herself in bed, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

A noise… something on the edge of her hearing. It seemed like only moments after she had fallen asleep when Darci’s slumber was disturbed. Was it her parents’ arrival home that caused her to wake? She rolled sleepily out of her bed to go see how their business function had gone. It was not until she had pulled on her slippers and had her hand on her door handle that she realised that something was wrong. She could not hear her mother’s voice saying something to her father, the dog or to herself. Also, none of the lights had been turned on, which meant that her parents had not yet returned home, but something had woken her.

With a small trickle of fear down her spine accompanied by a rush of adrenaline in her chest, Darci became wide-awake. Her eyes peered into the darkness to find that her once familiar room had turned dark, with the shadows seemingly stretching off the walls to reach their sinister fingers towards her.

Gathering up her courage she quietly snuck around her room to arm herself with an old hockey stick that was collecting dust in her cupboard. I’ll be buggered if I’m going to let someone sneak into my house at night, she thought.

A cold silence, interrupted only by her breathing, surrounded her as she crept around the house, cautiously looking at any dark corner that could conceal anything. Anxiety had crept into her heart but she forced herself not to think about what could lie in wait for her in the large house that, hopefully, only she occupied. Darci had to quickly squash her imagination as it began to flick through all the horror movies she had seen. An axe murderer, hiding behind the next door; Freddy Kruger creeping up behind her; an alien hiding in the roof, all of them ready to get her… She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

From room to room she nervously opened cupboards and poked curtains. Suddenly she saw something in the corner of her eye. She jumped around, hockey stick knocking down her assailant!

The tense teenager gave a nervous laugh as she realised she had assaulted her mother’s hat stand. Gently placing it back where it belonged, she gave the hat stand a quick look-over, relieved to find that she had done no damage, yet something was still not right.

Like a frozen hand gently brushing down the back of her neck, Darci again felt fear as she turned around to face the rest of the house. She switched on the light for each room to look for the expected monster lying in wait, feeling a mixture of relief and anti-climax, and yet finding nothing to justify her apprehension.

In the last room, her parents’ bedroom, she again found nothing. Indiana had not barked a warning, and she was confused that she did not find anything to explain her awakening. She switched off the lights; the light peach curtains covering the window in the room were still illuminated with a soft glowing light. A barely audible swishing sound tickled her ears, a result of the curtains moving, as if there were a light breeze.

Darci audibly swallowed the new fear that began to rise up within her. She knew that all the windows were shut. Who, or what, could have moved the curtains? Quickly trying to rationalise what she saw, she knew that the light was not coming from outside. The streetlights in Seymour were not green.

Come out from behind the curtains or I’ll call the cops! she said in a quietly threatening voice, even managing a humourless smile. She sounded a lot braver than she felt.

When there was no answer, she squared her shoulders and then, with a karate like Ha! she lunged forward, swinging the hockey stick through the curtains, making sure of her length so that she did not accidentally break the window. She jumped back out of the way, in case of any counterattack, but she had hit nothing.

Confused, yet satisfied that there was no one there, she cautiously opened the curtains with the tip of the stick. Her mouth fell open. There was nothing… not even the window remained. Her eyes widened. She could not believe what she thought she saw. Where the window was supposed to be there was an eerie, green tinted light radiating from a centralised green sphere. Then, the small circle of soft glow that had caught her attention seemed to grow.

A small hole began to appear in the middle of the sphere of light causing the illusion of a tunnel. As she looked closer, the hole appeared to get bigger. Darci gazed around, falling over without actually landing on anything. Her parents’ bedroom was no longer behind her, in fact, the bedroom had disappeared altogether. Her feet touched nothing as she floated in limbo. Looking forward again as best she could, the light that surrounded her began to dissipate while the hole ahead was slowly becoming the same size as her.

In one bright flash, the light disappeared and Darci found herself standing on soft grass in her pyjamas with the hockey stick hanging lifelessly at her side. Abnormally large trees hid most of the bright blue sky from view, leaving only a circle of light shining on the small hill of a clearing that she was now standing in. One thing was for sure; she was no longer in her parents’ bedroom. In fact, Darci was no longer in Seymour.

Chapter 2

Darci was dumbfounded. Multiple questions kept flying around her head, slowing down enough for her to catch a glimpse; what had happened? Where was she? Was this just a dream? That was it; she had to be in a dream.

Suddenly, a twig snapped behind her. Quick as a flash she turned around, hockey stick held at the ready so that she could face whatever threat lay behind her.

Calm down, I do not wish to hurt you, said a tall, young man.

At the sight of the peculiar yet threatening stick he raised his hands to show the strange girl that he meant no harm. Combined with his smooth, sensitive-looking face and his gentle brown eyes, the frightened girl began to relax, if only slightly, as he allowed himself to be scrutinised.

Darci’s eyes began at the youth’s simple boots as she looked him over. A crude and cracked leather belt was holding up simple brown britches that barely covered his ankles. His dark green shirt not only revealed a lanky physique but also tell-tale patches of sweat that showed he had been working hard. He may have looked relatively truthful and harmless, but Darci was not convinced.

Where am I? Who are you? And how did I get here? she fired at him in quick succession, scanning her surroundings while keeping the youth in her peripheral vision, but nothing looked familiar.

You speak Nahaba. His hands fell to his sides as he breathed a sigh of relief.

I speak Na-what-ba? Darci had no idea what he was talking about. Also, why was he talking? It was impossible to really hear sound in your dreams unless there was noise actually being made… wasn’t it?

You speak Nahaba, he said again. It is the native tongue in this land. The youth waved one of his arms, encompassing the area, just in case his words were not understood. His brow creased and his expression became perplexed.

So I am in… Nahaba? Who are you? And how did I get here? Darci asked again, exasperated. The strangely dressed guy was talking to her as if she were a few kangaroos short in the top paddock.

I am Taslessian, and I am the wizard Belderon’s apprentice. Taslessian’s shoulders moved slightly back as his chest puffed up. However, the name and the position were lost on Darci. Perhaps, he thought to himself, she is a few branches short of a tree.

My name is Darci and I’m confused. Darci noticed Taslessian’s shoulders move as he silently snickered. Just five minutes ago, I was asleep in my bed and now…

Yes, well… Taslessian’s gaze lowered to the ground. You are in the Jungle Dragon, which is part of the land Nahaba and, unfortunately, your current situation has been brought about by my bunglings in magic.

Either not understanding, or still too shocked to answer, Darci made no response aside from a muffled Huh? She continued to stare at the wizard’s apprentice.

Er, he continued, for lack of better terminology, I accidentally zapped you here from whatever land you came from. Sorry. He placed both his hands together as if in prayer and inclined his head in apology.

Accidentally zapped me? The explanations offered to her were beginning to pierce the fog of confusion that clouded her mind. She was having one strange dream but she was willing to play along. Well, I think you’d better zap me back before my parents get home, otherwise there’s going to be hell to pay.

Darci stood squarely facing the apprentice wizard, placing one hand on her hip and digging the butt of her hockey stick into the ground to lean on while she waited.

Ahhh... Taslessian’s eyes continued to look at the ground as he found a stone with which to occupy his foot. I’m not exactly sure if I can. I mean, I’m afraid that I don’t even know how I got you here.

Darci’s knees folded as she plonked herself onto the ground. The action jolted through her body and bruised her knees with more shock than pain. How could she be dreaming when everything seemed, felt and even smelt so real? Her eyes rose from looking at the ground to see that Taslessian was still standing a couple of metres away from her, playing with that annoying stone.

I did not mean to zap you here, he said in way of further apology. I could try to send you back but I’m not making any promises…

No! Darci, not in the mood for forgiveness, cut his mumbling short. I don’t think so. You probably think you are a pretty good apprentice, but looking at this mistake, I’m not having a lot of faith here.

Taslessian did not deny this as he still avoided Darci’s attempted eye contact. Neither spoke. The breeze blew the grass against Darci’s bare legs, tickling her skin. Soon, the uncomfortable silence was broken. Taslessian was distracted from his stone as Darci began to laugh.

I thought that you would not find your situation funny, he said, somewhat haughtily. He looked at the young girl he had magically brought to his world. This time, it was his turn to be confused.

Huh? Darci looked up wiping a mirthful tear from her eye. I just realised that I was in my pyjamas, with a hockey stick, sitting in a strange land, talking to a wizard – what’s there not to laugh about? Small bubbles of laughter continued to shake her shoulders as one of her favourite thoughts in relation to difficult situations came to mind: if you don’t laugh, you cry.

I am an apprentice wizard and I find your humour… lacking. Snarling at his stone, Taslessian kicked it away before he caught upon what Darci had said, and curiosity began to break through his defensive reaction.

What are pyjamas? He had never heard of this foreign word.

Pyjamas are my nightclothes, she explained as she pinched her shirt, pulling it away from the skin. Quickly she placed it firmly back on her chest as she realised how low cut her summer pyjamas actually were. She had no idea about the morals her new associate possessed, figuring it would be better to play it safe. Cross-cultural communications she could deal with, interplanetary however…

Are colourful sticks also part of your sleeping attire? Taslessian asked.

Darci took one look at the hockey stick still in her hand, before being overtaken by a small, slightly hysterical, laughing fit, which caused the young wizard’s brow to furrow. By way of explanation, she eventually managed to tell him about going to bed and being woken up by something, thinking it was an intruder, grabbing the hockey stick and then going through the window into this world.

Taslessian held up his hand once she had finished. We should go to my master’s cabin. There we could get you some clothes and some food.

Darci’s stomach made an untimely grumble, causing her to blush slightly. Why she was hungry when she had only eaten dinner mere hours ago, she could not fathom, though once fed and rested, both of them would have time to compose themselves as well as figure out what they were going to do about the situation.

She rose from her position on the grass. Looking around, for the first time she really began to take in her surroundings. Soft shafts of sunlight pierced the giant canopy, revealing the wondrous world of flora and fauna beneath. A myriad of greens appeared to adorn every space with plants ranging from the familiar fern to the more exotic existence of unfamiliar species that could be compared to nothing from Earth – the closest being a tall plant climbing up the trunks of trees like a creeper, but it appeared to be living in harmony instead of killing its host. Her hair blew back from her shoulder as a gentle breeze passed by, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers from somewhere beyond her sight. She turned the way of the breeze to try and catch a glimpse of what caused such a sweet smell, but Taslessian had already turned around to face a small animal track she had previously not noticed. Without further conversation, he began to lead the way back into the forest to his master’s cabin.

* * *

Under every leaf and around every corner, fantastic varieties of life seemed to clear from their path. From a bug bright red in colour, scurrying out of their way, to a small bird, green with blue underwing to match its surroundings, that chased it. Sounds in every tree, shrub and burrow assailed Darci’s hearing, far greater a natural composition of sight and sound than any she had witnessed in the now seemingly plain rainforests on Earth.

A large gust of wind brought her out of her trance as she looked towards the sky. Through the cracks in the far-off canopy, flashes of scaly orange quickly flew over, making her stammer an awe inspired question to Taslessian. W… was that a… a dragon? It was the closest description that she could bring to mind.

Yes, was his simple reply. Taslessian had not even bothered to look up at the sound of the large animal.

Looking around to see if she could catch a glimpse of any other wondrous creatures, Darci nearly ran into the back of the apprentice wizard as they had reached their destination.

The cabin that now stood before them looked to be made completely of wood. It was three storeys high with a lookout poking out of its roof. For a moment, Darci thought that the lookout was pointless because it did not even reach half way up the forest of trees surrounding it. The young girl shrugged her shoulders. She was bound to come across stranger things than that.

The young wizard opened the roughly made door with a creek, motioning for Darci to enter. Watch your step, he said as he pointed to the stair from the ground to the wooden floor.

What an… interesting place, she commented, not wanting to offend her new acquaintance.

Ahead of her lay a dimly lit room cluttered with many things. Open books and pieces of paper lay strewn about the wooden table in the centre of the room. Next to it lay even more books in disorganised piles, topped with plates of half-finished food. At least with the furry growth sprouting from the lumps on the plates, that’s what she assumed it to be. All the furniture on the ground floor had obvious imperfections in the woods cut and symmetry but they appeared to be sturdy enough. Aside from the table, there were four, slightly uneven wooden chairs, a bench with various glass vials on it, and two tall stools.

It’s not that much, but it’s home, the wizard replied modestly, as he quickly went around, picking up dirty plates, bits of paper and the like, trying to make the place look a touch more respectable. Darci smiled as she remembered doing the same thing to her bedroom when someone dropped by unexpectedly, though her clean-up was limited to cleaner clothes and study material.

That’s strange, she thought, as she looked closer at the containers on the table. At first glance, she had thought of the bench as part of a kitchen, yet, none of the bizarre things on the bench looked edible. Noticing her glance, Taslessian actually smiled as he explained that all things in this kitchen were used for magic.

For example, he said, taking one of the jars from a shelf. He took the lid off and shoved it under Darci’s nose. She took a quick step back almost tripping on a stool as she recoiled from the open container. It was emitting a stench that smelt similar to a mix of dogs’ breath and her basketball shoes. This is only the toe of a dead Afrit, of course, but, if it is mixed with a couple of the other things around here, we could turn it into a cure for warts. To this the young girl screwed up her nose. If it was a simple cure for warts, then why did witches always seem to have them?

Taslessian then led Darci to the next floor, which, when they got there, looked like a hurricane had hit it. Definitely the bedroom, Darci thought as she noticed the clothes strewn all over the floor. The young wizard explained that he usually kept this room clean but since his mentor, Belderon, was away visiting a friend, he had not bothered to tidy it up recently, but it was on his list of things to do.

What’s up on the next floor? Darci asked, giving way to her curiosity. Wizards and apprentices, surely there would be more interesting places than a teenager’s room.

Ah, that’s the best place of all. When my master is home, he often goes up to the lookout. The young man paused, looking up to the roof as if he could see right through it.

To see what, the birds in the trees? she asked. Thinking about it, this was not such a bizarre thing, as Darci’s dad often enjoyed bird watching as a hobby.

Oh! He smiled. It goes much higher than the canopy. Though I have to admit that I have not yet mastered the skill, but the tower is magic. It simply takes a bit of spell conjuring to elevate the tower to the height required. Though he hasn’t been home in a while… Taslessian paused for a moment longer before returning to his cleaning task. It was obvious that despite the formality, he missed his master.

Darci knew how he felt. A sinking feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach. At home she kept her bedroom in a state like this when her mother was away. Home… Unless she was dreaming, she was in some strange guy’s bedroom far away from there.

Pinch me, Darci told Taslessian.

The young man shoved a pile of clothes behind the door turning around to look at her blankly.

Pinch me, now. She held out her bare arm in front of him. Not sure what strange thing his new acquaintance was up to, Taslessian lightly squeezed her skin between his fingers causing her to pull her arm away.

Crap, she said as she absently looked for somewhere to sit down. This was not a dream as there was no way she could have slept through that. Darci was out of luck because there were no stools in sight, unless they had been devoured by one of the piles of clothes. Eventually she slumped down on Taslessian’s bed.

What is… crap? Taslessian paused mid clean up to look at the young girl, but Darci did not even hear his question. She was too busy trying to get her head around the fact that she had been brought into a completely different world and so far, her only hope of getting home was an apprentice wizard who did not even know how he had brought her here in the first place. She bit her lower lip as her eyes began to fill with water. She took a shuddering deep breath as she tried to hold her tears at bay.

Taslessian dumped his latest pile of clothes on the floor where he then kicked them under the bed so that he could sit down next to Darci. He felt confused because he did not know what he should do. Since the age of ten, when he had been chosen to become an apprentice, he had not seen any members of the opposite sex, as he did not include the old crones who visited his master. How does one comfort another who is of different sex and from a different world? he wondered to himself.

After a few moments of indecision, the young wizard decided to try to do something he could remember his mother doing to him as a child when he was frightened. Tentatively, he placed his arm around Darci’s shoulders. To his slight satisfaction, she let herself melt into his arms.

Don’t worry, Taslesian told her. I may not be able to send you back home, but my master will be back soon, and I’m sure that he will be able to.

As if on cue, a door slammed shut on the ground floor, followed by thunderous, angry steps on the wooden stairs that seemed to shake the entire building. The door to the bedroom burst open, bouncing back slightly as it hit the pile of clothes behind it.

In the doorway stood a red-faced, grey-bearded little man. He wore a pointy hat of faded green that sat just above his thick, bushy eyebrows. Underneath, his eyes looked as if they were on fire. Darci thought she could almost see green electricity, seeping out the corners of his eyes, rising up to the sky before disappearing into the atmosphere. The expensive-looking, intricately designed cloaks that he wore were alive, green and then red, flowing around his feet, despite the absence of wind, giving him the presence of a powerful entity despite his diminutive size.

What have you done? he boomed at Taslessian. His voice made the very walls shake as he glared at his apprentice. Your little trick could be heard from miles around. You know that any competent mystic can feel magic! Belderon glared down at the ashen-faced teen. All the colour had drained from his face. Seated, he could look Belderon directly in the eye, yet in his master’s presence, he seemed half the size.

I am sorry… Taslessian tried to explain, but he was abruptly cut off.

Can’t you feel them watching? Anything from another world is greatly sought after. Everyone who is anyone will be on their way here to take a look at or simply take whatever you brought here!

Darci felt a slight rush of fear run up her

Reviews for Quest of the Demon

[hideandread · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

As a teenage girl living in a modern era, the last thing that Darci expected was to be transported to an alternate world, one in which dragons, elves, and ogres live alongside humans. Drawn there through the ineptitude of an apprentice wizard, she finds herself embroiled in a battle against evil that will decide the fate of more realities than one. At least she gets a nifty weapon and some strong allies.First off, I will say that Quest of the Demon has an interesting premise. The idea of dragons maintaining the balance between good and evil is intriguing, and yet the goal of the supposed balance seems to be skewed to the side of good. At least, it's supposed to be. Add to this unbalanced scale some impossible odds and a strong sense of urgency, and you're suddenly invested in Darci and company and their quest to save the world, so to speak. The author did think up credible background stories for most of the main characters, and they explain a great deal about current behaviors and motivations. Unfortunately, the plot itself is a little disjointed, with subplots that go nowhere and asides that add little to the story or the development of the characters.Perhaps the story itself would have been easier to follow if it were more readable. Beyond the extensive array of grammatical errors, there was an abundance of proofreading gaffes that made reading the book almost painful at times. In all fairness, the writing quality improved dramatically in the last third of the story, as did the plot, but both flaws returned with a vengeance at the very end. There are only so many times that a reader can excuse the use of "bought" for "brought." Now, I received my review copy over a year ago, so hopefully the book has undergone some editing since then. If not, it sorely needs to undergo some revisions.On the whole, Quest of the Demon had a lot of unrealized potential. Due to violent content and sexual references, I would not recommend it to readers under the age of thirteen.Hide and Read(Review copy provided by the author)

[chaysebwb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I always wondered what would happened if I got transported to another world. How would I act? Would I be scared? Probably. I think that any person who was transported to an unknown world would be scared just as much as me.When first reading this book and finding out that someone was going to be transported to another world, the first thought that crossed my mind was that this person was going to be fine and act like nothing was wrong. This girl was beyond fine. Throughout this story of adventue, you see the main character, Darci, grow from a girl scared of where she ended up to a girl who shows the strength to not let anything to stand in her way. For her, time travel is about to be redefined.A book filled with time traveling, and a destiny that must be fulfilled, and of course drgons. Can't leave out the dragon. This book is one that one must check out.I give this book 4 souls!

[bookswithbite · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Now, I know the cover is not all that, but the adventure in this book is awesome! I love reading about time travel (cause I so wish I can do that myself) but the action to follow is great!What I liked most about this book is the greatness of time travel. I loved that this girl pop into a different place, different time and really was confused. Most of the time, the books I read the characters always find their place right away. But not this one! She demanded to go back home, threw a fit and seriously thought she is crazy! I loved her sarcastic comments, but also like her wiliness to do what it takes to get back home.The main character, Darci, went through some major changes.I like that she went from break down to don't you mess with me. Along the plot line, the reader sees Darci become stronger and accept her fate. The love interest was not quite what I expected but still loved watching it. If you want a unique fresh take on dragons, time travel and destiny read this book. The pages in it are filled with legend, sorcerers and magic like I never seen before!