Review Detail

THE ADVENTURERS GUILD: NIGHT OF DANGERS by Zack Loran Clark and Nick Eliopulos is the culmination of a Middle Grade Fantasy series about two best friends, Zed and Brock, who will do anything to save each other. The story picks up after Zed has been possessed by an evil witch, Makiva, who is bent on bringing an end to Freestone forever. Without his body, Zed’s spirit floats around trying to warn Brock of impending doom, but the longer it takes, Zed begins to think evil’s going to win this time.

Having not read the first two books in this series, I can confidently say this novel also works perfectly well as a standalone. I was never confused or unsure about what was happening, nor did I feel like I was missing critical information from earlier events. However, because I love this story so much, I want to go back and read the first two installments just to spend more time in this world.

The cast of characters is fairly large, but they all are unique in their own ways, and each one contributes to the plot. My favorite character is Liza and her knight gender-bending— I certainly would trust her to protect me! The authors also do a great job at shaping the tone of the book for their target demographics. It’s humorous, light, practical, and honest— and it matches the energy of most kids I know. In addition, the way the authors portray the story romances is appropriate and representative, which I can only assume most parents will appreciate.

Overall, THE ADVENTURERS GUIDE: NIGHT OF DANGERS is a brilliant tale of friendship, betrayal, destiny, and monsters—there are a lot of those. I’d highly recommend this book to people of any age, but adults can feel safe giving this novel to a middle grader, especially because it’s so much fun. As an added plus, the artwork is fantastic.