Book Review: Quest for the Twins (The Traveler)

Reviewed by Alexandria Ducksworth

A surefire attention-grabber with suspense, adventure, and mystery

It’s been years since Aylon has seen her beloved Aunt Beesha. But as soon as it seems like she’ll have the chance to meet with her, she learns that Beesha and her husband have long since passed away. However, her children are still alive.  

And yet, they’re missing. When Aylon and her travel partner, Goonta Black, arrive at the village Beesha once lived, they learn that the children were last seen living in a distant swamp. Aylon isn’t going to leave it up to chance. She swallows her fears and treads through the Lowlands to meet the souls that Beesha left behind. 

Fans of The Last of the Mohicans are going to love Quest for the Twins. The protagonist must leave their familiar, peaceful surroundings to save those who are dear to them. For Aylon, it’s family. Stories like these ask the readers, “What would you do for love?” Some people would give away an arm, a leg, or their soul to someone they care about. Aylon would cross land and sea for her cousins, even though she’s never met them. It really shows how much the heart will put you through even when the mind warns you to stay safe in one place. 

Schütz takes us on a fun tour through the Lowlands and the cultures that inhabit them. He’s really put in the work with his worldbuilding. The Lowlands is greater than Aylon has ever known. There’s so much action too. Danger lurks around every corner. Aylon faces monstrous wild bears, traps, and enemy kingdoms. Each chapter reveals another obstacle, and it fiercely holds our attention. The suspense is a killer! All we want as readers is to find relief in the missing twins’ safety, but it never feels certain.

Despite the alluring plot, a good amount of set-up covers up the chance for early action. Set-up and lore information is useful but not if it causes us to lose much sense of the story. Fortunately, Schütz always makes his way back to the intrigue of the narrative. 

Schütz illustrates a real knack for writing fantasy adventures, hitting all the right beats and creating a world readers will want to escape to. When the story gets good, it gets really good. With a wide cast of characters, readers have the chance to follow the story from some distinct POVs: Aylon, Goonta, the twins, and more. This one’s got some characters that every reader can grow fond of. Schütz deserves some real praise for this exciting novel.

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