• An Unwelcome Quest

  • Magic 2.0, Book 3
  • By: Scott Meyer
  • Narrated by: Luke Daniels
  • Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (20,811 ratings)

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An Unwelcome Quest

By: Scott Meyer
Narrated by: Luke Daniels
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Publisher's summary

Ever since Martin Banks and his fellow computer geeks discovered that reality is just a computer program to be happily hacked, they've been jaunting back and forth through time, posing as medieval wizards and having the epic adventures that other nerds can only dream of having. But even in their wildest fantasies, they never expected to end up at the mercy of the former apprentice whom they sent to prison for gross misuse of magic and all-around evil behavior.

Who knew that the vengeful Todd would escape, then conjure a computer game packed with wolves, wenches, wastelands, and assorted harrowing hazards - and trap his hapless former friends inside it? Stripped of their magic powers, the would-be wizards must brave terrifying dangers, technical glitches, and one another's company if they want to see Medieval England - and their favorite sci-fi movies on VHS - ever again. Can our heroes survive this magical mystery torture? Or will it only lead them and their pointy hats into more peril?

©2015 Scott Meyer (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I LIKED YOU TWO BETTER WHEN,

YOU LIKED EACH OTHER LESS.
Their is some science fiction in this, but it is mostly about having fun. There is some fantasy, but is more about fun. There is a lot of gaming, but also a lot of fun. This whole series was a blast. I liked this book better then number 2, but not as good as number 1 and that is the way most trilogies go. One ironic situation, that I am not sure the author realized, was when he as making fun of movies these days and how they are all sequels. He complains about it in his third book of a trilogy.

This book was more about gaming than the others. The whole story is a game within a game. Similar to Player One.

Luke Daniels is to Scott Meyer, as Frank Muller is to Stephen King, Ray Porter is to Jonathan Maberry, Wil Wheaton is to John Scalzi. He is great.

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45 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

takes on serious premise while keeping it light

I loved the previous two installments of Wizard 2.0; Off to be the Wizard and Spell or High Water. The storytelling is great, they are packed with thoughtful, (mostly) likable characters with great chemistry, and they’re hilarious. Plus, Luke Daniels is fantastic in his performances. Listening to this was a no-brainer and I was thrilled when I saw it was next on my to-read list. Now, I’m just upset I didn’t give it a listen sooner. In my opinion, this is the best of the three. Scott Meyer hit a home run.

It’s movie night in 12th century England and the Wizards are about to start their second feature. Suddenly, four of the wizards disappear in a blink, leaving Martin and Roy dumbstruck. Phillip, Tyler, Jeff, and Gary along with Jimmy was who was not present for movie night, are teleported to the peak of a mountain. The first wizard that was ever exiled is back and he wants revenge. He has created a deadly game in which the wizards must overcome “perilous” obstacles, complete quests, and journey to their destination: The Chasm of Certain Doom (insert thunder and lightning here). Meanwhile, after discovering their friends have had there powers stripped, Martin and Roy seek advice from Gwen and the Brits. Assuming the worst they teleport to the same location as Phillip and the others hoping to help them. Both groups set off on the same adventure taking on the same hazards, overcoming the hurdles in different and extremely entertaining ways.

As with the first two, this volume takes on serious premise while keeping it’s trademark humor. It’s still a lighthearted read, poking fun at the tedious mechanics of a bad game you inexplicably must finish, or not so subtly pointing out, and living up to, cliches you see in so many novels and video games. As always, the dialogue between the characters is fantastic; complete with witty banter and serious conversation, it adds depth to the characters. Which is key because this is definitely a character driven story, and those characters drive a Porsche. Characters brought to life and made even better thanks to the performance.

Luke Daniels takes the helm again as the narrator or, more accurately, performer. His range is incredible, whether it’s a man, woman, or child the voice is always distinctive and fitting for the character. His delivery is phenomenal nailing emotion and emphasis uniquely for everyone. I’ve had the pleasure of listening to a couple other of his works and have been impressed every time.

This humorous series is well worth your time if you’re in the mood for something fun and lighthearted. Scott Meyer and Luke Daniels have a great rapport that shines through every sentence, leaving you involved and immersed throughout the entire series.

Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing lack of growth

I was a fan of the first book in this series. Scott Meyer stumbled upon a really interesting premise, and showed a lot of imagination. His execution was lacking, but I gave him a pass.

When his second book came out, I was extremely disappointed to see that he had not grown as an author. His writing hadn't improved at all, and the story was really, really small, considering that the premise of this story universe was infinitely big. Our main characters can do/be/see/change literally ANYTHING, but they ALL choose to dress up like wizards for hundreds of years and hang out in the distant past. Fine for one book... but two? Come on.

Now the third book comes out, and we're still stuck in story that is very, very tiny. Everyone is still playing wizard, goofing off for decades, doing nothing of substance, despite having god-like powers.

My complaints about the writing remain the same as in the previous two books:

1. Everyone, regardless of age, acts like a petulant, social-awkward, nerdy teenager. None of the characters feels even remotely real, because they all react to sexual situations by giggling like school girls. They react to mortal peril nearly the same way.

2. Scott Meyers thinks his audience are idiots. He doesn't trust us to figure anything out, so he explains (sometimes multiple times) every curious thing that happens. Basically he's spending half the book saying: "Did you get that? Did you get that guys? Do you understand what just happened? Are you sure? Let me tell you again, just to be certain..."

3. Zero character development. No matter what happens to these people, their relationships and attitudes never change.

4. The story is way too small. We have a cast of characters who know that reality is a simulation, and have the power of gods. Scott Meyer tells us about how they all enjoy playing pranks on each other and having movie night. Okay? But where is the part where they cure cancer with a wave of a wand? Or where they try to figure out the nature of their reality? Or where they visit the future? Or any interesting time in history? Nope. Movie night.

The imagination that pulled me into this story is becoming less and less evident which new episode, and Scott Meyer is making no effort to be a better writer.

I don't know if I'm going to bother picking up any future books in this series.

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A middling entry in a very fun series

Firstly, while the author had only been signed on for a three book deal, it is my sincere hope that they sign him up for another three as soon as possible, as I thoroughly enjoy this series.
The audio books are especially enjoyable, and the narrator's performance has a great range, and comedic timing to support the story.
This entry had a few systemic problems, in that the cast of protagonists spends almost the entire novel seperated into a few groups, which caused me to miss some of the enjoyable banter, especially between Phillip and Martin. Secondly, These groups are chasing each other, which sometimes leads to some enjoyable differing takes on situations and misunderstood aftermath, but too often feels repetitive. Thirdly, the villain is rather bland despite being hyped and foreshadowed in the previous two books. Finally, this entry had a more somber subjects than the previous volumes, with less gee-whiz wonderment, and more ruminations on loss of trust, the many faces of sexism, and toiling labor, which sometimes was at odds with the tone of the writing.
Overall, I still enjoyed Unwelcome Quest. The secondary cast gets more time to shine, especially Tyler, who became very enjoyable. The changeups are not unwelcome, the characters remain enjoyably true to who they are, and the writing is still amusing.
Please continue this series, I look forward to seeing what comes next.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Happy to see more, but not as fun as the first two

Good laughs, GREAT narration, just not as enjoyable as the first two. I'm sure it's hard to recreate the wonder of discovery when the file is first discovered, but that, and the cultural comparisons are what I enjoyed the most in this series, and those elements were a little thin in this one. Still looking forward to more!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

meh

Nowhere near as engaging as the first 2 books in this series. still an entertaining story.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

SOOO DISAPPOINTED!

I LOVED the first two books. This one just dragged. I was so disappointed in the lack of real content. There was so much filler it took me ten times longer to finish it than normal. Too bad. Decent ending though if you can get to it.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

An Unwelcome Storyline…

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Honestly, I'm actually a bit surprised that the overall consensus is positive for Book 3. That being said, most folks that I know personally would've also been disappointed, so I don't know who would enjoy it more than I.

Has An Unwelcome Quest turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not at all... It all started with Ready Player One & now I'm off to Critical Failures (which despite its name) is FABULOUS...

What three words best describe Luke Daniels’s voice?

Luke Daniel's is a wonderful storyteller. Zero complaints...

What character would you cut from An Unwelcome Quest?

It's funny... I didn't like the initial introduction of Ron, but he was by-far the least annoying in Book 3. Even funnier? Neither was Jimmy... I was actually rooting for Jimmy & am glad he moved on. If I were to cut anyone, it would be either be Brit the Younger or Gwen (but ONLY in Book 3).

Any additional comments?

I've never felt anger/annoyance with a book. I felt so disappointed with how Book 3 played out as it took these wonderful characters & turned them into annoying morons in Book 3. Scott Meyer truly needs to take another shot at redemption as it CANNOT end this way...

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

please sir, I don't want anymore

Any additional comments?

grade: C-
I decided to listen to this book for two reasons; it was free with my kindle unlimited account and I had already listened to books 1 and 2. This book is similar to book 2. I was hoping for something new and fresh but that isn't going to happen. There's no growth in the characters. There isn't much that was funny. Time travel and file manipulation has worn thin. This could have gone the way of the matrix in trying to break free of the file or trying to go forward in time like back to the future but, alas, we're stuck with the same old stuff.

Luke Daniels is a pleasure to listen to with his variety of voices. He is a truly talented actor.

Summary: Do yourself a favor. Listen to book 1 ASAP and skip books 2 and 3.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Unwelcome Quest is welcome addition to the series

The Magic 2.0 series is the most fun series I've read in ages. This third installment brings back all your favourite characters and sets them off on a new, nerdy adventure.

The story was great fun and the main characters are very likeable. The narration is excellent and makes the story even more enjoyable.

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