Fart Quest

Author: Aaron Reynolds
Illustrator: Cam Kendell

© Date: 2020
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Pages: 278
Chapters: Yes
Illustrations: Many – most page layouts have an illustration
Publisher Recommended Age: 8-12
Bonus Activities at End of Book: No

Summary from Book: After their masters go POOF in a goblin battle gone bad, Fart, Pan, and Moxie-three lowly apprentices-decide to become fearless adventurers of great renown. But first, they must take a crack at a quest!

Young Fart and his friends catch wind that the Great and Powerful Kevin is sniffling around for the coveted golden llama and its magical fart. The hapless heroes embark on a journey that will test their courage, their wits…and their noses.

Page Pig Thoughts: Ah, Fart Quest…come for the fart jokes, stay for the witty banter and loveable/relatable tale of Fart as he discovers if he has what it takes to be a hero. He does…well…maybe…if he finds the confidence. The action is fast moving, which keeps the pages turning. There are some parts that could be a little scary/suspenseful, but the story moves along quickly, so you are not left concerned about the main characters for very long. Maybe just a few pages or chapters at the climactic finish.

While I enjoyed another Fart Quest, I am thankful this wasn’t the first book in the series that I read. If it were the first book that I read, I’m not sure if I would have read any more in the series. This book was a little more simplistic in the focus on potty humor, and the characters weren’t as developed in their personalities yet. While the more narrowed potty humor focus could have worked for further books, I appreciate how the author developed the characters in the series and added layers of intrigue in the subsequent books. The mythical characters (e.g. tuskins) and Man-Bun Brotherhood were amusing, but there also was an element of creepy with the rotting ooze that engulfs and devours victims.

Family Unit:

Fart was a farmer’s kid, but he was clumsy and not built for farming. Overall, he was very average at farming. He believes that his parents realized that if he took over the farm, they would all starve. So his dad took him to the gates of Krakentop Academy of Heroes, and left him. He was the only student that was given away by his parents.
Moxie was a four year old dwarf orphan when Master Redmane found her and became a father figure to her.
Pan the elf was prepared for entry into Krakentop Academy since birth, not much mention of her family.
TickTock is a phibling, not a frog or a man. The other phiblings called him a weirdo, muckbrain, and gearhead. TickTock has been working for Kevin, but longs to be given his own title and appreciated. TickTock is touched to be called a friend and respected by Moxie, Pan, and Fart.

Conflict/Social Issues:

Fart, Pan, and Moxie have to decide what to do with themselves after their masters are lost.
Pan is disappointed that Fart chose an immature joke of a spell as his first spell, she initially does not think that he takes his magic or the responsibility of it seriously.
Pan admits that she is challenged to make friends because elves live for thousands of years and other beings come and go.
TickTock longs friendship and looks for respect from Kevin, he does not want to be considered a lackey or servant, he would like to be “Assistant in Charge of Creative Engineering.”
Fart, Pan, and Moxie consistently test their inner strength, courage, wits, and abilities on their quest to become true heroes.

Positive Items:

Fart, Pan, and Moxie learn how to trust one another and work together as a team.
Fart shows that sometimes you can complete serious jobs while using spells that seem more fun than serious.
The value of good handwriting and spelling is demonstrated, a llama is very different from a lamia. This mistake could have been very costly to those taking a quest not knowing what they were up against.
TickTock’s story line shows us how important it is to appreciate everyone for their special skills. Everyone can play an important part if their skills are allowed to shine through.
Moxie learns to hold herself back and not just rush into every situation.
Pan learns not to take herself so seriously.
Fart finds confidence in himself and his skills, his goal changes from being above-average to being impressive.

Items of Interest:

Yes, there is potty humor. The main character, Fart, can cast a flatulence spell that can turn him into a gassy fart and float around.
Fart’s real name is Bartok, Master Ellmore gave him the name Fart when he chose his first spell based on its similarity to turning enemies into a fart.
Fart’s father’s farmworkers called him Porkchop, and his dad referred to Fart’s arms as the Noodle Twins.
In chapter 3, Fart, Pan, and Moxie were apprentices watching from a distance and learning as their masters attacked a goblin cave. A goblin casts a spell that goes wrong and all of the goblins disappear from the cave. But the masters also disappear, with only their armor, robes, books, and other varied belongings left behind. Fart, Pan, and Moxie use their masters belongings throughout the story. Once they return heroically from their quest, they can buy themselves new armor, robes, and such. Then they make graves, bury most of their masters’ belongings, and say a few words of goodbye.
Fart, Pan, and Moxie decide not to return to Krakentop Academy and admit to losing their masters. They opt to forge their own path and become impressive heroes.
The trio battle mythical creatures on their way to find a quest.
The Man-Bun Brotherhood refers to Fart, Pan, and Moxie as children and diapered infants when their paths initially cross. Fart, Pan, and Moxie wind up saving the Man-Bun Brotherhood at the end of the story. The Brotherhood tries to take credit for Fart, Pan, and Moxie’s successes. Fart turns three of the Brotherhood members into puppies, which sends the fourth scampering off with his puppy pals. Turns out the spell will not last long, but that was the last mention of the Brotherhood.
Fart, Pan, and Moxie get a quest from the Great and Powerful Kevin. The trio think that they are looking for a llama fart, but in the end, discover that they were looking for a llamia, which is much more powerful and scary. They later point out Kevin’s handwriting/reading mistake.
Tuskins have been killing giant bees to steal their honey for the ogres. The trio works together to take down the tuskins, but TickTock saves the day with one of his gadgets. He makes pretty wind up robots that encourage the bad guys to pick them up, then the toy explodes. Without the tuskins finishing their job, one bee is spared its life. Bizzy the bee then becomes Fart’s companion.
Moxie gets injured battling ogres, but Pan has been working on her elf healing magic and can bring Moxie relief.
The word “crap” appears in chapter 22. Fart “menaced the crap” out of an ogre.
The trio avoid the bad magic that would transport them to their death (winding up in a cage to be devoured by the lamia). They also avoid the rotting ooze which dribbles onto its victims and devours them. Bones and other parts of previous victims can be seen in the ooze as they are still being digested. The trio does wind up luring the two headed giant ogre-like ettin into the part of the cave to be devoured by the ooze.
The trio reaches the lamia, not a llama, which is half woman and half snake. The lamia has been sending the ogres to steal the potatoes from the nearby villagers. Then the lamia has been eating the heroes sent by the villagers, but the villagers have no idea.
The lamia enchants Pan. The lamia has Pan attack Moxie, then has Pan walk toward her so Pan can be eaten. Fart makes a plea to be eaten instead because he is more plump. Moxie, TickTock, and Pan have to watch Fart walking toward what seems to be his doom. The lamia is not a deal maker and makes plans to do what she wants, but it turns out that Fart has a plan. As the lamia unhinges her mouth to devour him, he unleashes his gas attack spell and turns the lamia to a cloud of gas.
The trio takes their hero tour back to receive their reward from Kevin, go on a shopping spree, say a final farewell to their masters, and await their next quest. Fart is content having friends for the first time because he knows that his new adventures will be with Moxie and Pan.

Other Books in Series (At Time of Posting):

Fart Quest (Book 1) [review]
Fart Quest: The Barf of the Bedazzler (Book 2) [review]
Fart Quest: The Dragon’s Dookie (Book 3) [review]
Fart Quest: The Troll’s Toe Cheese (Book 4) [review]

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