Emmanuel M. Arriaga’s Elevator Quest is a fast-paced fantasy adventure that drops a group of office workers into a deadly, game-like world. What starts as an ordinary workday quickly becomes a survival quest, with the team forced to fight through hostile environments, gain unfamiliar powers, and work together if they want to make it back.
The book leans into classic dungeon-crawl energy: distinct “zones,” escalating threats, and a party dynamic where different personalities and skill sets matter. The cast is large, but the core group comes through, and the action moves quickly from one set piece to the next.
I appreciated the mix of modern characters and high-fantasy stakes. The contrast between office life and brutal combat gives the story a fun, almost RPG-like vibe, and the stakes steadily rise as the team realizes how unforgiving the quest really is.
I have just one tiny critique: some of the battle scenes seemed a bit repetitive – in several places I thought my audiobook app had lost my place and then heard an unfamiliar detail and realized this was, in fact, a new battle. Still, the momentum and inventive scenarios keep the story moving forward. Also, since this is a fairly new genre for me, I have a feeling that I might have this same critique of other books in the genre.
If you enjoy portal fantasy, team-based adventures, or stories that feel like a video-game campaign brought to life, this is a solid, entertaining read.
I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Aure Nash and John Joseph Rogers. The performances added energy and distinction to the characters, enhancing the immersive experience.
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