The Adventurers Guild is a series of high fantasy middle-grade books written by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos, two friends who play Dungeons & Dragons together. In the first novel, readers meet best friends Zed and Brock, who, through unexpected circumstances, find themselves members of the dangerous Adventurers Guild. There Zed and Brock meet Liza, Jett, and Micah, who join their quest to stop a sinister evil from taking over Freestone, their home.
Twilight of the Elves picks up where Book 1 left off. Elves have come to Freestone seeking sanctuary after their city has been overrun by the undead. Zed, Brock, and their friends, including their new elven friend, Fel, work with the elves and their other guild members in order to help the elven people take back their home. Along the way, they encounter the unexpected and learn more about one another and themselves.
I received a copy of both books in this series, and while I really liked the first one, I absolutely loved Twilight of the Elves. The authors have seriously raised the stakes in this installment in the series, and the twists and turns reveal fascinating information about the world they have created. Zed, a half-elf who grew up with his human mother, learns more about his father and the lives of the elves. Brock continues to struggle with the bargain he made with the Merchants Guild in the first book. Liza is still awesome, and I loved pretty much every scene she was in. Jett still doesn’t have much to do in this book, which is unfortunate since he was out of action for almost all of the first novel, and Jayna has only a few small moments in which to shine.
But really, the main characters are Brock and Zed (the chapters alternate between their points of view), and both characters do a great job of carrying the plot. Brock’s story continues to be somewhat stagnant, and it’s not until the end of the novel that he really takes action to change his situation, but his involvement in the adventure is vital and at times hilarious. Of the two, Zed is by far my favorite. His background is very interesting, and since this book was focused on the elves, he has a lot of great moments and some fun surprises. You can’t help but root for Zed. The big twist at the end had me gasping out loud, and I cannot wait to see what happens.
Twilight of the Elves successfully takes this series to a new place, introducing fun new characters and creating exciting changes in the characters’ lives and their world. If you enjoy high fantasy, Dungeons & Dragons, or just friends on an adventure, you will definitely enjoy this series and this novel in particular. I personally can’t wait for the third book!
Twilight of the Elves comes out November 18.
A copy of the book was provided by the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, for review.
