Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com

When I received this book in the mail I was immediately drawn to it. It looked like a fun book to read. Well, my intuition was right and I loved this book!

This is the story about a young girl named Root. She was brought to our world by someone from another and had to live with two grotesque women named Carblotta and Octavia. They reminded me of the aunts in JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH by Roald Dahl. Well, these aunts wanted Root to be their servant girl. When Root is fourteen she finds out that she is from Dre'amm, a land that is magical and is also troubled, and is to go on the greatest quest there ever was.

She and two others, the studious Liam and the charismatic Dwyn, make one team of many who have to see if they can find the Miist of Kalliope. There are six miist, so only six teams will win.

Root is a very well-written character and is very likable. She is smart, kind, and lovable. The boys on the quest have many layers. Liam is studious and, because he was raised in Dre'amm, very informative. He is also very loyal. Dwyn, like Root, was raised on Earth. He is also learning about how to be a good friend and is not what he seems to be.

While on this quest we learn along with Root and Dwyn the history of Dre'amm and also what magic they possess. We learn about hovermutts, road, chorm, simps, and many other awesome creatures. There are also villains here that are fantastic. You really want to hate them. Kor is just plain mean and is very cocky like only the rich can be. The main one, though, is Korkus, who is a powerful magician who is trying to take over Dre'amm.

There are also many questions that haven't been answered yet about this world and about Root and Dwym. I believe that there is more to their stories than meet the eye. There should be at least five more stories written in this series and I will be first in line to find out what happens to Root. ( )

http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/20... ( )

“It began in the lower left foot of the Cradle, a curving leaf of opulent design. As if someone had taken a brush, dipped it in liquid marble and spread its exquisite alabaster brilliance up along each ornate spindle, each detailed sun and moon and star that embossed the long surface of the railing, each luxurious baluster thickly detailed with angelic children. And when the entire Cradle was a radiant glow of gold and pearlescence, a sheer white veil of light drifted from an unapparent point overhead and draped over it.”

(”The Questory of Root Karbunkulus: Item One: Miist” pg 6)



When you’re searching for a new book to read, authors and publishers have only a few things they can do to influence whether or not you pick up that book. One is the cover art. I’ll admit, after picking up “The Questory of Root Karbunkulus” that it is hard not to compare it to Harry Potter. Think about it: three kids in cloaks- two boys (one with red hair and one with dark brown) and one girl, a giant castle in the background surrounded by a creepy forest and maybe a lake, with a large bird with red and yellow feathers framing the picture…. But I understand what they were going for. Essentially they’re saying, “hey if you liked Harry Potter, you’ll like this book!” Guess what? They’re right! Anyways, another factor in whether or not you’ll buy a book is the title. In this case, “the Questory of Root Karbunkulus” really stands out and I think it works well. (Although can I say it is a pain to type it out each time!!)

As for the writing, at times I was struck by the detailing. The excerpt above, for example, is strikingly beautiful. It reads like poetry. This is what creative writing teachers strive to bring of their students....

To see the rest of my review, and an interview with the author, please visit my blog. ( )

Imagine, if you will, a world of fantasy filled with such things as Chorm, hovermutts, Simps, magical potions, talking grave stones in the shape of the deceased’s heads, a Sea Wraith and evil beasts. This is the world of DreAmm. A world in which Root Karbunkulus finds herself in after suffering years at her “Aunties” beck and call. Root is excited to leave her “normal” world behind, to discover what this new magical world holds in store for her. Never did she imagine, however, just how great of an adventure she would find herself on.

After being taken to The House of Gub, along with several other orphans, Root befriends Lian - son of Lord Blick and a Nodmin (one who has always lived in this magical world). It is not long before the children are all informed of the Quest that they are about to embark upon and further divided into teams of three. The first item to be found is the Miist of Kalliope - a powerful potion, of which there are only six. With hundreds of teams and only six possible winners, the Quest heats up. Much to Root’s relief, Lian is on her team, as well as Dwyn - another orphan. The three decide to call themselves The Valadors, after a winged creature that seeks its true Self in the calm of the storm.

After the children are paired with new life long companions, their Hovermutts, they begin their journey. Not an easy journey from the beginning, Root, Lian and Dwyn are tested several times over. As they discover the magic they are gifted with, they must learn to rely on their inner courage and trust one another. The race to find the Miist is on as is the race to stay alive.

The Questory of Root Karbunkulus is a fabulous story. Highly engrossing and addicting, from page one. Filled with rich fantasy and magic, it will engulf the reader within the world of DreAmm and not release it’s hold until the very last page. I loved the characters and was very drawn to Root. A child who once lost all hope in her young life, discovers the magic and wonder of a world she never knew existed. There are so many fun elements within this story, from the clever hovermutts to the wonderful usage of palindromes, The Questory of Root Karbunkulus has it all - fantasy, intrigue, suspense, friendship and fun. Geared toward ages 9 -12, this is a perfect story to envelope children within a world of reading. As an adult, myself, I can say that this is also a story to extend that age range and reach an ageless audience.

The Questory of Root Karbunkulus: Item 1 - Miist, is the first in a series of six books. As each book comes to a close, a new item will be discovered and another team eliminated. I anxiously await the next installment and cannot wait to see what adventure is in store for Root, Lian and Dwyn. ( )

Root Karbunkulus: An orphan taken in by unscrupulous aunts that decide to raise her as a way of gaining cheap labor. She doesn’t quite fit in with her town or her family, and feels like something important is missing in her life. It all changes with the ringing of a phone…

The Questory of Root Karbunkulus is a delight for all ages. It is an excellent work of youth fantasy. It reminds me of a type of Cinderella story if Cinderella had been written by someone who felt women should be strong and make their own way in the world.

Read along and embark on Root’s adventure as she explores a newfound home, DréAmm, and follow the first of at least 6 quests. Cheer her on when she is triumphant and be caught up with indignation when things don’t go well for her. She is a likeable character that anyone can identify with – unless you were lucky enough to never feel awkward and out of place as a teenager.

An epic quest for a prize with competing groups narrowing until only 2 teams remain…

As the story unfolds lessons are learned, legends are overturned, and new ones are made as these young heroes quest for the hidden treasures of DréAmm. The world is fun of fanciful, whimsical delights; there is a smile at every turn. You find yourself “rooting” for Root as she tries to acclimate to a new environment and finally find something much more valuable than the treasure they are hunting: friends, mentors and a place to belong.

See the rest of my review, as well as my contest at my blog ( )

Summary: Part Harry Potter, part Alice in Wonderland, and part The Amazing Race, this book pits teens against each other on a treasure hunt for magical items through the world of DréAmm, a place of magic and monsters, weirdos and wonders. Root Karbunkulus lives in a "halfhouse" with her two grotesque adoptive aunts who treat her as their servant, until one day she receives an invitation to participate in the great Quest of DréAmm, a world "three feet above" this one. She soon learns that she was born in DréAmm, but sent to live on Earth for her own protection - which means that she, like everyone else in that world, has magical abilities (although they don't seem to be manifesting themselves yet.) The Quest is a magical treasure hunt where teams of three must race to find artifacts from legend - the first being Kalliope's Miist, a substance of incredible healing powers. Root, along with teammates Lian, son of a powerful government official, and Dwyn, a charming and talkative orphan, must follow clues, survive great danger, solve riddles and mysteries, and outwit the other teams if they want to find one of the vials of Miist - and stay in the game!

Review: First, I'd like to suggest that anyone interested in this book go check out Kamilla Reid's website - it's gorgeously done and full of information about the author and the book (beware of a few minor spoilers in the character listing, though.)

This book was an enjoyable if not particularly serious or meaty read. It's pretty standard quest/adventure story fare, with plenty of peril and danger and riddle-solving and feats of bravery and really creepy monsters, but the idea of having the quest be an actual competitive treasure hunt is a interesting twist. Root, Lian, and Dwyn are fun to watch interacting with each other and with the other teams, and there are charming bits of wit and humor sprinkled throughout the book. It's not a particularly subtle book - the moral lessons are all right out on the surface - but I think that it's appropriate for the age level to which it's aimed. There's also not much background or explanation given (presumably much of the backstory is being left for future sequels) and pertinent questions about why so many children were sent away, why is the Quest being held at all, why are only children participating, what's the big evil they're fighting, etc., etc. are never explained satisfactorily (if at all). That lack makes it feel a lot like an action movie - plenty of exciting adventure and visceral entertainment, but not a lot of complexity to provide satisfaction on an intellectual level. Again, understandable for the first book in a series, and probably fine from the perspective of middle-grade readers that make up the target audience, but for older readers, it keeps this book from having the impact of other ostensibly young-adult fantasy (like Harry Potter, for instance).

Additionally, older readers be warned that this book needed to spend some quality time in the loving arms of a copyeditor. It's got a distracting number of grammatical, punctuation, and usage errors (mostly a lack of commas where commas needed to be, although I spotted at least two its/it's mistakes as well), which is a shame. As exciting as the story itself was, I had a hard time losing myself in Reid's world, since I kept wanting to reach for my red pen. It's unfortunate, since I think this book depends on the reader getting swept up in Root's adventures, and the errors bothered me enough that I could never quite leave the real world behind for the imagination of DréAmm. 3 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Best suited for middle-grade readers who enjoy magical adventure stories. Older readers are likely to be entertained as well, even if it doesn't quite rival the greats of the genre. ( )

The Questory of Root Karbunkulus, Reid’s first novel, is a delightful YA fantasy book (with an awesome website). Anyways, we first meet Root, our hero, living in a halfhouse (a house split in half) with two horrid aunts that definitely bare a resemblance to the horrid aunts of James and the Giant Peach fame. As the book opens, fourteen-year-old Root finds that she is not related to the aunts (whew!) and is actually an orphaned citizen of DreAmm, a magical land. She, along with hundreds of other DreAmm kids have been called on a Quest:

“[T]his Quest is not for the faint of heart. . . . Each and every one of you will face inevitable hardship and peril. Most of you, after enduring these grueling tasks of great danger and sever loss, will fail. . . . But among you, from the depths of despair, pain and fear will rise heroes! This Quest will find you not beaten, not broken, but rebirthed. . . . You will earn a seat in the throne room of Legend where your courage, your loyalty, your determination shall be recorded for infinite glory.”

Whew! With a stirring speech like that, heck, I’ll join the quest. Root, our hero, does, of course, join the quest. She’s paired with Lian and Dwyn to find the Miist of Kalliope. They set off on their quest with only their unique talents, their guide Jorab, and . . . their Hovermutts!! Hovermutts were definitely my favorite part of the DreAmm world. Hovermutts are pony-sized puppies that hover (fly) and bond with only one magical personal for life, never allowing another on their back. I want one!

Anyway, this book was pretty fun and very creative (though very influenced by Harry Potter). The adventure was fun and unexpected. The elements of DreAmm (the Hovermutts in particular) were unique and yet familiar. My only complaint, if one is to complain, is that I wanted more background information. Why is this quest (one with a series of stages) being held? What are the stages (and how many are there)? Why were some of the quest participants raised on Earth? Who/what is the enemy? The enemy is not even mentioned until page 143 and then he is only partially and vaguely identified. Though I had questions, I was still caught up in the story and wanted to see how it ended.

I liked this book, and I think those who enjoy YA will too. I look forward to the next installment. ( )

“Rest assured, this is no ordinary treasure hunt. Each and every one of you will face inevitable hardship and danger. Most of you, despite your magic, will fail. But among you, from the depths of despair, will rise heroes! Indeed, the victors of this, DréAmm’s greatest Quest, shall earn a seat in the throne room of Legend!” The final note of Lord Blick’s speech rang like a distant bell of old, conjuring images of majesty and greatness.
In it’s opening, this book takes us straight to the strange but wonderful world of DreAmm, where we meet Argo Bumplekins, and his Wisteria Vine, Betty, who has a personality all of her own! We soon discover that Argo has been the guardian of something extremely special.
The next chapter takes us to another world, where we meet Root Karbunkulus, a rather unhappy girl, living with her aunts.. two funny but disgusting characters, who could have been written by Roald Dahl! Before long, Root finds a way to escape from this world, into the world of DreAmm, where she originally came from.
Once there, she has to quickly learn about her new home, along with all it’s wonderful characters, whilst preparing for a Quest.. along with hundreds of other teens.
The world of DreAmm is charming, a world very much like ours, but with some wonderful additions.. I loved the way the phones worked, and you won’t look at a dog in the same way after reading about the hovermutts! Oh.. and they have a very different way of making bandages!
The characters are also colourfully and yet deeply written, and you can’t help but warm to Root and her team mates, Dwyn and Lian. They have to learn about each other, and how to work as a team, to succeed in their quest.
For teenagers, there are themes of friendship, finding your way in the world, and developing your self esteem. I’m sure many can see something of themselves in the characters. However, this is definitely a book for adults to enjoy too.. loved escaping into the world of DreAmm, and now consider myself a huge fan. This book is bound to have a big future ahead of it, and I am very impatient for Quest II!