Qing’s Quest
by Henrik Saetre
Two worlds on the brink of annihilation, an unlikely hero must rise to save everything he holds dear...
Isekaied into the terrifying world of Elrydisan, Qing Baker must quickly adapt and survive, armed only with his wits, a mysterious quest, and a growing set of powers from a system he barely understands. He becomes the last hope for Shadowgrove, a village beset by evil. Qing must level up his skills, conquer his fears, and make heart-wrenching choices to unravel the secrets of this new world and prevent a cataclysm.
But Qing is not alone in this fight. Joined in his adventures by a grizzled veteran and a fiery young warrior, he'll forge unbreakable bonds with brave allies and discover wells of courage he never knew he had. Yet even as he battles external threats, Qing must also grapple with his own inner demons and the heavy weight of leadership he never asked for.
Can an unlikely hero like Qing rise to become a beacon of hope in a land shrouded by darkness? Or will both Elrydisan and Earth fall to ruin?
Packed with intense action, emotional depth, and shocking twists, Qing's Quest is a riveting LitRPG portal fantasy perfect for fans of He Who Fights with Monsters and The Way of the Shaman. You'll be on the edge of your seat as Qing faces down undead armies, demons, grapples with agonising moral dilemmas, and discovers his true magical power.
An action-packed blend of LitRPG and Portal Isekai, with strong character growth and development.
SPFBOX – Our Reviews
Sofia Mauro
In Qing’s Quest, a LitRPG novel by Henrik Saetre, gamer Qing Baker is transported to Elrydisan, a world whose imminent destruction is inexplicably connected to the fate of Earth. He lands in a village called Shadowgrove, which is being invaded by the rising undead. As in the video games he plays, Qing now has access to a stats window, an inventory, and quests that give him the steps to carrying the burden of saving two planets.
Qing’s Quest is full of fight scenes that showcase Qing’s exploration of his new powers. Since there is so much action, often against similar opponents, I found the book a bit repetitive, especially in the latter half. This is compounded by the unchanging scale of the worldbuilding: Qing starts and ends the novel in Shadowgrove, a small and medieval-style town, and he never explores other areas of Elrydisan. I think Qing’s Quest would benefit from broadening its scope as the plot progresses, forcing Qing to adapt to new social and environmental surroundings as well as the physical challenges the book is already adept at presenting.
Often I found that Qing was not held accountable or questioned for actions I expected would lead to confrontation, i.e., choices that I don’t think certain side characters would be so quick to let slide like they do in the novel. This first becomes an issue at the beginning of the book, when a villager shows romantic interest in Qing almost instantly, romantic interest that’s presented as being deeper than seems reasonable, considering the way he fell out of nowhere and indirectly led to the deaths of her friends. This is just one example. I think part of what makes a dynamic between the main and side characters feel real is the way they clash against one another and work past their differences—the side characters in Qing’s Quest seem to accept many of Qing’s actions with much less protest than feels natural. As a result, they tend to feel contrived.
Overall, I was hoping for more intrigue and complexity, both from the characters (especially the antagonists) and from the RPG system itself, which frequently appears to be governed by convenience.
The greatest strengths of Qing’s Quest lie in the breakneck pacing and brutal, vivid imagery, especially the descriptions of the various horrific monsters. This book is easy to fly through, immersive, and very entertaining, and the RPG aspects complement the fast pace nicely. In addition, Qing’s character arc is quite compelling.
Although this novel is a cut from SPFBOX, I would recommend Qing’s Quest by Henrik Saetre to readers who like having fun with action-packed books and are fond of the LitRPG genre.
