Comedy adventure meets queer cozy romantasy in the immensely enjoyable, consistently funny, and friendship-filled The Last Best Quest Ever by F.T. Lukens (Love at Second Sight), about an adventurer who lied about her accomplishments and must now achieve the "nearly impossible" to save her brother's life.
Decorated quester "Ellinore the Brave" (17, fair-skinned) is ready to retire. She's bought her parents a house and knows she needs to quit while she's ahead--she doesn't want to push her luck with the whole "hero" charade. But Ellinore must postpone retirement when her wily yet reckless twin brother, Zig, wagers his literal heart on Ellinore killing the fabled, godlike Elder Beast. Zig demands to go questing with Ellinore; the pair is joined by Ellinore's rival, Princet Aven (18, fair-skinned), and two adoring fans: Farrah (Aven's "golden-brown"-skinned teen cousin) and Rylan (brown-skinned teen bard). Ellinore, unsurprisingly, lands the party in near-death incidents with mythical monsters, magical earthquakes, a haunted forest, and one particularly haughty lord. These setbacks, plus lying to the "unfairly attractive" Aven, send Ellinore spiraling to the conclusion that the real Ellinore can't save anyone.
The Last Best Quest Ever is a droll, high-stakes fantasy, a touching found-family story, and a satisfyingly slow-burn rivals-to-lovers romance. Ellinore's fear of being discovered a fraud and her budding relationship with Aven complicate her obstacle-ridden journey toward freeing her true self. This cleverly parallels the heavy burden of expectation on Aven, last in line to the throne, who longs to shed their "Pointless Princet" nickname and prove their worth. Lukens delivers a thoroughly entertaining escape that beautifully illustrates the boons of leaning on loved ones. --Samantha Zaboski, freelance editor and reviewer