Book Review: The Malachite Quest by Aerin Apeltun

If you’ve read The Amethyst Talisman, the first book in the Cursed Weapons series, you’ll be

familiar with the world of Aerba (if you haven’t, stop reading this and go get the first book!).

You’ll know the protagonist, Amethyst, and her group of companions – dare I say, her

adventuring party? Because the first book read a lot like a game of Dungeons and Dragons

(which is no bad thing), and happily, so does the second.

The gap between the two books was thankfully not too long, but even so starting The

Malachite Quest feels like coming back to old friends. The relationships between the

characters are well established by now, so Aerin plunges us straight back into the middle of

this (mostly) functional band of friends as they continue on their quest to find the Fire Opal and rescue Amethyst’s brother. During the course of their journey they encounter

more strange creatures, explore more vibrant and vivid landscapes and make new allies, all

while fending off the ever-present threat of the assassins’ guild. The lands of Flos and Mere are

beautifully described and wonderfully distinct from each other, and while the plot creeps

slowly toward large scale war, it doesn’t detract from the personal feel of the characters’

objectives.

This is an adventure story, but it is also a romance. The relationship between

Amethyst/Samphire and Valerian deepens, but events conspire frustratingly to keep them

apart even while they’re together. I can’t say more than that without giving spoilers, but the

frustration and insecurity between the two is a constant torment. Sometimes I wanted to

bash their heads together; sometimes I wanted to hug them! Either way, it had me rooting for

them to find a way around this latest obstacle.

Magic becomes more prominent in this book too. With the first book being rather low fantasy

with hints of a more magical past, history becomes present in book two as various

characters discover more about themselves and more fantastical creatures are encountered,

and the full extent of the characters’ destinies becomes evident. Going back to the

Dungeons and Dragons analogy, it’s almost as if they’ve levelled up! I’m excited to see what

comes next for them, and who they’ll all be by the time they reach the conclusion.

All in all, this was a great, fun read, with all the romance, adventure and wonder you could

hope for. Highly recommended if you enjoyed book one!