DreamQuest :

Rating:
Summary: A heroic adventure
Review: Dreanquest is a fine epic full of colorful characters, drama suspense and action. The fate of the world hinge on the courage of two young men after a mysterious dream sets them on their destined paths. Will they succumb to the evil that wishes to control the forgotten powers of centuries past, and enslave the magical races of Daranor? Or will Tarther and Derlin rise above unconquerable odds and unite the Kingdoms in a final attempt to rid the world of evil?

A fluid and witty style set Tarthur and Derlin up on an enchanted ride to greatness. Though they hardly lack in confidence they will need all the support they can get. Elves, merfolk, wizards and the Creator himself have recognized the importance of their quest and make the ultimate sacrifice to insure that Daranor doesn't fall into the shadows.

A must read! Dreamquest has everything a fantasy lover needs!

Rating:
Summary: Marvelous Adventure!
Review: General impressions of the novel:

I loved reading this book- I hated any reason I had to put it down. Marvelous adventure! Bill Pottle has created a wonderful new world for this novel. I'm glad to see that there will be more stories in this series. One book just isn't enough!

Specifics:

"DreamQuest" is a very good name for this novel. There is a certain dream-like quality that flows through the entire book. As if it were a vision being imparted rather than a tale being told. I can't put my finger on exactly how this is achieved, but it is a wonderful effect that adds to the reader's enjoyment.

I thought the characters were quite well written. They were complex and realistic even as the story started, and they changed and grew as the adventure continued. Very nice work. The reader will soon come to care about these characters as if they were old friends. A clear image of each character arose in my mind from within the story, woven together from many scattered segments of descriptive text. A much more subtle effect than the use of large chunks of exposition. After only a few pages, I could see the story unfold before my mind's eye as if were a play or movie. Very vivid writing, highly enjoyable, brought each character to life as I turned the pages.

If the book has a flaw, it would have to be that the characters occasionally slip into a phrase or two of modern-sounding expressions. My reading always came to a full stop whenever I reached one of these few instances. I could never decide if Bill wrote them in purposly or if they just slipped in by accident. In either case, they slowed my reading down and interrupted the flow of the story.

Dan Hollifield, Senior Editor, Aphelion Webzine

Rating:
Summary: Read this Book!
Review: Having committed myself to writing this review, it would be a shame if I had to tell you that it was a horrible piece of writing and it was a horrid waste of my time. I might choose to lie instead and tell you that it was an "interesting book" or that I liked the parts that had words. But to tell such a lie would not let me sleep at night. Fortunately, I can say that DreamQuest is a wonderful novel that I finished promptly after I bought it and then proceeded to lend it to a friend the next day.
Pottle has weaved together a story with an endearing protagonist, a sense of adventure, a loyal sidekick/best friend, touching and amusing romances, entertaining pranks, and magic. The reader will follow Tarthur as he goes on a journey from town prankster to young hero. Along the way, Tarthur and Derlin encounter mermen, elves, dragons, ninjas, loyal friends, and deadly enemies.
Dreamquest carefully constructes the world of Daranor. Like most fantasy novels, it contains magic, elves, and dragons, but Pottle has taken the familiar and added a unique twist to it. Included are: a ShapeShifter that can split himself into a ninja and a dragon, the legend of the Eternal Vale, and a pretty pickpocket that is the head of the Thieves Guild.
The plots are intricately woven and, even the minor characters in DreamQuest are well developed. Pottle introduces each new character with such personality so that I found myself reading about Warren (a pawn of the Death Lord) and Addyean (farmer/Royal Spy) as if they were old friends.
Dreamquest tells the story so vividly that I have no trouble imagining certain scenes like a comic book. Scenes are painted so vividly that they are easily imagined and comical parts made me chuckle. Thank you, Bill Pottle for writing an engaging tale! (Now, I can go to sleep.)

Rating:
Summary: I met the author at my school
Review: I read Dreamquest after I met the author at my school. The website is
what got me interested in reading it. I also liked meeting Bill
Pottle.
He is really smart. I only have one question. Who is Valena?

Prairie Middle School Student

Rating:
Summary: Kept me on the edge of my seat
Review: If you like Tolkein, Barron, Brooks or McCaffery, then you'll enjoy
DreamQuest. It has adventure, magic, friendship, romance and tragedy.
It
kept me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait for the next book,
DreamQuest2: ProphecyQuest. I give this book four stars.

Prairie Middle School 8th Grader

Rating:
Summary: One of the most exciting books
Review: Sure everyone has heard about Harry Potter, Lord of the rings and all these big franchised books but there is one book that even though may not be big on the industry is still one of the most exciting and breath taking books I have ever read and the best thing is that there is going to be a sequel. That book is called Dream Quest.
Dream Quest is an exciting story that deals with friendship,battle,magic and my all time favorite, the rivalry between good and evil. The story begins with a mystical dream of a boy who uses some unspeakable power to destroy the death lord. From that little synopsis of only the first page or so of the book you are probably wondering many things about what is going to happen and that is just one of the many reasons that makes this book such a great adventure for this boy and for the soon to be reader, you!
I would recommend this book for ages 11 to 111. This book is long enough to get you in to the story and really get to love the characters but not too long that it will make you bored. I have given this book a 5 over 5 and I really mean it. This book is funny and quick paced while at the same time epic and adventurous. So if you fell like going on an adventure to last a life time read Dream Quest by Bill Pottle.

Rating:
Summary: From Orphan to Orpheus
Review: Tarthur was just another twelve-year old boy to everyone else in his village. Sure, he got into trouble, stealing pies and pulling pranks on the kids he didn't like, but boys will be boys.

Then he had the dream.

Tarthur and Derlin, his best friend, had spent long hours in heroic "battle" with legendary foes, saving the world thousands of times a week. They had faced the worst enemies imaginable, even the Death Lord himself, and vanquished them all. Was it odd, then, that Tarthur defeated the Death Lord in his dream using the magic from a scroll he found in the dream realm? Perhaps not, but the fact he brought a copy of that scroll back into waking reality and that scroll might prove to be the key to the actual defeat of the Death Lord was enough to set Tarthur apart.

So begins DreamQuest, a different coming-of-age story filled with mystery, magic, and mayhem. Tarthur and Derlin are caught up in the struggle between the forces of good, represented by the humans, elves, and mermen, and the forces of evil; monsters, the Death Lord, and his maniacal henchmen.

Falling heir to the scroll controlling the mystical Water Orb, Tarthur must learn how to deal with his fear, how to use his head in a crisis, and how to determine what is real and what is illusion. Aided by the elven Dalin, Tarthur and Derlin set out to help put together an army to stand against the Death Lord, whose goal is no less than the end of all life.

And no matter what they do, the Death Lord always seems to be one step ahead.

DreamQuest is a novel about growing up, about finding one's own identity, about courage in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, and about loyalty to friends, to family, to country, and to oneself. From simple beginnings in a sleepy village to the darkest depths of the dungeons of the Death Lord's fortress, DreamQuest takes the reader on a voyage that captivates and fascinates. As Tarthur grows, so does the narrative. As Tarthur learns about himself, the book expands to include new material, new characters, and an increasingly complex world unfolds as Tarthur matures.

Bill Pottle's writing style will delight young and old alike. His imagery and narrative carry seamlessly from one scene to another, carrying the reader along with ease from the unreality of dream into the harsh reality of impending disaster. DreamQuest is a winner.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: The book Dream Quest easily earns five out of five stars. Its plot is rich with unique characters, glorious and terrible places, and magic, the foundation of fantasy. Though the descriptions are always so realistic that they practically draw you in, you never find yourself reading the third page of a description of a building. This book is an appealing read to both obsessive fantasy readers, and those who can't tell a dragon from a lizard. This is because Dream Quest combines both well known fantasy components (Elves, Goblins, Wizards, etc.) and its own concepts (four elemental powers and the land of Daranor). In other words, I would highly recommend this book for any who dares brave the dangers the Death Lord, the evil of Marhyn, and the magic of the land of Daranor.

Rating:
Summary: Everything fantasy should be
Review: The importance of fantasy literature only becomes apparent when the real world becomes something we consider escaping for a while. DreamQuest is exactly everything fantasy literature should be. Young readers who feel threatened or marginalized by a complex world can sympathize with Tarthur (the protagonist), because he too is on a quest to find meaning. In this constructed world there is plenty of danger, but yet an undercurrent throughout this book is the knowledge that there is meaning in the world. The message is that a long difficult journey lies ahead, but no challenge is greater than one's determination to overcome it.

This is the experience of reading DreamQuest. When I finished reading this book the world wasn't any different, but it somehow seemed easier to deal with. I take that to be a good sign of the book accomplishing its goals. I would recommend DreamQuest firstly to young readers as a soaring introduction to fantasy literature. Young teenagers familiar with the bigger names in fantasy (Tolkien, Martin) who are looking for something new would also enjoy this as a fresh new voice.

Rating:
Summary: Imaginative and entertaining fantasy!
Review: This imaginative and entertaining fantasy, which according to the publicity materials, the author began writing while he was in the sixth grade, is a winning combination of action, romance and magic. It combines a bit of Tolkein, a bit of the Arthurian saga and a touch of Dungeons and Dragons into a witty tale that will appeal to readers of all ages.

The story begins with young Tarthur, an orphan who is a bit of a ne'er- do-well in his home village of Krendon. One night, he has a startling dream, in which he kills the evil Death Lord of Daranor and makes off with a magic spell. When he awakes, he is amazed to find that he has copied the spell down on a scroll. The writing is in a strange script he can't understand, and the ink is colored blue, red, brown and green - though his pen is black. Realizing that this is an odd and possibly important event, he takes the scroll to the village wizard, Zelin, who understands its significance immediately. It seems to be the key to recovering the lost Water Orb, a magical relic that controls the force of Water, stolen from mankind hundreds of years past. Believing that Tarthur may be the chosen one who can reclaim the Orb, Zelin sends him and his friend Derlin on a fabulous quest that changes their lives - and their world - forever.

Pottle's writing style is a treat. Quick-paced and funny, Tarthur and Derlin's coming-of-age adventures will keep readers eagerly turning the pages to see what is next. The support characters, including the wise mage Zelin and his wizardly cohorts, the good King Garkin and his Royal Knights, and the other friends the boys make along their voyage are well done, believable and likeable. There are an awful lot of them to keep track of, but that is to be expected in an epic of this scale, and Pottle does an admirable job of keeping them all straight.

Then, of course, there are the ladies - the evil Queen Marhyn; Yvonne, the co-ruler of the Guild of Thieves, who falls for Tarthur; and Valena, the beautiful Elven princess who secretly loves Derlin. Thank you, Bill, for giving us realistic heroines and not just model-perfect figures with no role in the plot!

There is plenty of action as the forces of good fight the goblins, ogres, black dwarves and dreaded Death Knights of the evil army. There is not much gore or gruesome description, though, so the book should be suitable reading material for just about any age. And I think I can safely reveal, without giving too much away, that good triumphs over evil in the end?at least temporarily. Pottle's website says that a sequel is planned!

April Chase- The Fiction Forum Review