• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Tahlia Newland

Editor, Author & Artist

  • Editing Services
  • Me & My Creative Life
    • My Books
      • Metaphysical Fiction
    • My Poetry
    • My Masks
    • My Hats
    • Permaculture, Forest & Garden
    • Performing Arts
  • Blog
  • Contact

Review: Quest for Celestia by Steven James

August 29, 2012 by Tahlia Newland

Title: Quest for Celestia; A Reimagining of the Pilgrim’s Progress
Author: Steven James
Publisher: AMG Publishers
Genre: Young adult  metaphysical fantasy

I decided to read this because I’ve never read The Pilgrim’s Progress (first published more than 300 years ago) but often wondered what it was about. So I can’t compare it to the original but I assume that all the elements are there. It’s basically a simple tale of a young man’s quest to reach a fabled city of peace and happiness, and is also a subtle analogy for a person’s search for God. But don’t get the wrong idea here; this isn’t a religious book. It’s a great tale for anyone who enjoys fantasy, and the wisdom in it is universal, important for everyone regardless of their religious persuasion.

The story begins when 18-year-old Kadin meets someone believed to be a dangerous wizard. The ‘wizard’ is run out of town, but not before he gives Kadin a book that is supposed to be evil. Kadin tries to get rid of it, but the book keeps returning until eventually he reads it. The words change his life. He learns that Celestia isn’t a myth, as he’s grown up believing . He also discovers that he has a nasty growth on his shoulder and so does everyone else in his town, though no one else can see it. The only way he can get rid of this disease, which grows more painful each day, is to travel to Celestia where it can be removed.

From the blurb – His quest leads him to a fantastical world of witches, dragons, giants, danger, and deception. Tracked by an evil lord and accompanied by only one friend, Kadin must face his greatest fear to find the healing he longs for most.

Kadin’s quest becomes more than physical journey, it becomes a search for truth, because evil and ignorance often don the disguises of good and understanding. Events reveal what is true and what is not, and Kadin learns, amongst other things, that he must follow the path as laid out in the map in the book, because the easy route is not always the right one.

I like the way people’s beliefs are shown to be merely beliefs about the world, not the way the world actually is, even though they swear that what they live by is the truth. In this book, the Christians (as in Kadin and his friends) are shown to have the real truth, but in our world, it could just as easily be Christians whose beliefs don’t match reality. I guess it depends on how you see reality, or perhaps which reality you believe in. Thinking about it may even lead you to believe that there is no absolute reality. Such is the thought provoking nature of this book.

The characters are well developed and easy to relate to. Their actions and relationships with each other are believable and their motivations are clear. The ending is inspiring and heart-warming. I would buy this for kids and teens of all ages because it is an exciting, well written story and has the added benefit of some real wisdom in it.

US Kindle store

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: 5 stars, Reviews, YA fantasy Tagged With: 5 stars, Book Review, Fantasy novels, Fantasy novels review blogs, Quest for Celestia by Steven James, young adult

« What’s in a star?
‘You Can’t Shatter Me’ blog tour Sept 1st to 11th »

Search

Recent Posts

  • Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin
  • Book Genres – What you Need to Know.
  • How to See Edits in Word Documents
  • Finding an Editor You Can Trust
  • Review of ‘The Guild Codex Spellbound Series’ by Annette Marie

View Posts by Category

Writing a novel? Feeling overwhelmed? Get new insight and inspiration with my FREE Novel Revision Checklist. 

DOWNLOAD  NOW

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Free Book Download  
Get Lethal Inheritance free when you sign up to my new release email list.  I won’t share your details and you can unsubscribe at any time.

My Latest Books

  • Fallout: Recovering from Abuse in Tibetan Buddhism
  • The Elements of Active Prose: Writing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine
  • The Locksmith's Secret
    Rated 5.00 out of 5

Alliance of Independent Authors

Alliance of Independent Authors

Click HERE to see all my books.

Books
Reviews, Writing, Cats & Contemplation
Editing

Click HERE to subscribe to my newsletter and get my fantasy novel Lethal Inheritance FREE. 

How to Meditate – the crucial points

See more

Hi I’m Tahlia Newland

I can help you express yourself and share your story with the world.

 

Do you want to write a really good story and have it professionally polished and published?

As an editor, I help you be the best writer you can possibly be. I strengthen your voice, support your vision and can assist you all the way to publication.

On my blog you’ll find book reviews, writer’s tips, contemplative articles on meditation and working with your mind, and occaisonally pictures of my Burmese cats.

If you’re interested mostly in my contemplative articles then  Sign up to the Living in Peace & Clarity Newsletter to get those articles delivered by email. And check out the resources on my Living in Peace and Clarity Page.

I do a lot of community work involving blogging and general support for Buddhist students processing revelations of abuse in their spiritual communities.  Please consider supporting me to continue this work.

Occiasonally, when inspired and not too busy with community work, I make masks.

All my books are

Visit my Mask & Steampunk Accessories Shop

2015-03-19 15.46.12
Blue Burmese
Like cats in stories? Check out my books. And click the photo to read the cat colomn.

Click Here for More Articles in This Series

Book reviews – sci fi, fantasy, literary fiction, Buddhist fiction and related non-fiction

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

The High Priestess: Persephone’s Return is the third book in Val Tobin’s Tales from the Unmasqued World Series, and in it she deepens and expands the stories from the previous two book. The book has two central story arcs based around characters we’ve met before. One arc follows Kelsey (a human) who is with Josh […]

More Posts from this Category

My gorgeous Burmese cats

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Yesterday I did a photoshoot for my renovated website. Take a look around, particulary at the home page (Click on my name at the top to go there). It’s designed for editing clients with my books secondary because I need to focus on the part of this publishing business that actually earns me more than […]

More Posts from this Category

Seven of my novels have an Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence

Four of my books earned BRAG Medallions

I abide by the ethical author code

I'm an Ethical Author
Alliance of Independent Authors

Copyright

All material on this website is under copyright to Tahlia Newland and cannot be shared without written permission.

  • Editing Services
  • About Me
  • My Books
  • My Masks
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Amoré Theme by Oh, Hello Designs on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

FREE Novel Revision Checklist

Written a book? Need some help reviewing and revising it? Download my Novel Revision Checklist for step by step guidance.  

DOWNLOAD NOW

no thanks

{"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"120","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"7","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}

Please note: I am closed for holidays from Christmas day until Jan 30th 2023. Dismiss