Things get worse for Frankie as soon as they arrive and she realises there’s no phone signal and grandad has no wi-fi! Frankie really doesn’t like Parallelia when she first steps into it, but her little brother Joel loves it so much! I found myself smiling all the way through the book and I absolutely adored the subtle Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit nods throughout, specially the “second breakfast “. Chris worked for many years as a newsreader and presenter on radio stations including Xfm and BBC Radio 1. When Grandad is kidnapped by a host of gnoblins (no that is not spelt incorrectly) it falls to Frankie and Joel to save the day.

Frankie Best Hates Quests is a love letter to the great sci-fi/fantasy epic novels, especially Tolkien. Chris Smith has wanted to be an author ever since he was eight and won a competition by writing a story about a baby dinosaur who loved biscuits. So I hadn't heard of this author before but a few of the books I have read recently have been quite dark plus just life in general so this was perfect book coming along at the perfect time. I particularly enjoyed Mrs Archer’s obsession with noodle pots and her favourite flavour ‘Mumbai Madman’. for me, I think this is a standalone, not sure if the author would revisit the world he created, I hope so.Even if readers hate quests as much as Frankie does, they will find the page-turning excitement on offer very hard to resist. no, that is not spelt incorrectly) Forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm.

Heroes perpetually leap from frying pan to fire and there is even a chapter entitled ‘There and Back Again’. Chris Smith is the author of the New York Times bestseller "The Daily Show (the Book)" and "Till The End" (with C.It is an effective device that adds humour and occasional respite from a thrilling pace but, at times, it feels unnecessary and somewhat undermines the story – which is genuinely tense and dramatic.

When their Granda is kidnapped by gnoblins they have to enter a magical realm to get him back embarking on a magical, dangerous and unbelievable tale like the games their parents created.Children who like fairytales and also those that don’t (like Frankie) will love this magical adventure - perhaps she can help convince a few more minds that quests are awesome! Smith even cites the rules of the genre explicitly to readers, reminding them, for example, that every villain has a whole in their plan. Instead, they have to stay with their grandad and Frankie is dreading it as they don’t know him very well.