Quests for Glory

Lore & Background

In their fourth year, students are sent on Quests for Glory to graduate. Tedros and Agatha quest to restore Camelot as king and queen, while Sophie becomes Dean of the School for Evil. Tedros cannot pull Excalibur from a stone, preventing his kingship. Sophie and her coven initially seem to fail, but after Chaddick's death, Professor Dovey gives them a new quest to stop attacks on the Endless Woods. The group sets off with Hort and Agatha, and the Storian begins writing a new story about Nicola.

During their journey, Agatha tells the story of the Lion and the Snake, where a lion and a snake fought for Camelot's throne. The group is captured at Jaunt Jolie, where Sophie and Agatha are taken to a snake covered in eels. The snake reveals his own pen that tells stories from villains' perspectives. They are saved by a mysterious lion who kisses Sophie. Back at Camelot, Tedros chooses his mother over Lady Gremlaine, who leaves. Tedros receives a letter from the lion to meet at Sherwood Forest; they find Lady Gremlaine and Lancelot killed. They capture the snake, but he escapes using Kei, who tricked Dot into giving him keys.

The snake threatens an attack. Rhian gains popularity while Tedros is unpopular. Tedros fights the snake but is weakened; Agatha commands Rhian to kill the snake. After killing it, Rhian proposes to Sophie, who accepts, and asks for the key to Excalibur's case. Agatha discovers Rhian and the snake were working together. Rhian pulls Excalibur from the stone, claiming to be Arthur's eldest son. Tedros and his friends (except Sophie, who marries Rhian, and Agatha, who flees) are thrown into dungeons.

Reader's Guide

Quests for Glory marks a tonal shift in The School for Good and Evil series, beginning the Camelot Years trilogy with increased instability and uncertainty. Chainani wrote the book after the 2016 United States presidential election, intending for characters to be more sophisticated and intense as they age. The novel introduces a new villain, the snake, and a rival pen that tells stories from villains' perspectives, complicating the series' moral framework. The book's themes of truth and lies, noted by NPR, and its structural similarity to Harry Potter are deliberate, with Chainani replacing warm safety with unease. The novel sets up a major betrayal: Rhian, revealed as Arthur's eldest son, seizes power, leaving Tedros imprisoned and Sophie aligned with the antagonist. This cliffhanger leads directly into the sequels A Crystal of Time and One True King. The book was promoted with a trailer and character introductions by actors, and Kirkus Reviews praised its illustrations, humor, and horror.

Did You Know?

• Chainani began writing the book in Winter and Spring 2016–2017 after the 2016 United States presidential election.
• The novel features a pen that tells stories from villains' perspectives.
• A trailer for the book was released on June 14, 2017, introducing the Camelot Years.
• The book was followed by A Crystal of Time (March 5, 2019) and One True King (June 2, 2020).