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timinbc's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as #1 IMHO. The plot was a little better, and the character develop0ment quite good.
The humour seemed to be aimed at a slightly younger audience than last time, and some of it just seemed to be trying too hard. This would have been better with a third of the jokes removed.
I've never known what to think when authors introduce modern real-world cool-kids language into fantasy, but I suppose if it's ever going to be OK this is the kind of book for it.
The humour seemed to be aimed at a slightly younger audience than last time, and some of it just seemed to be trying too hard. This would have been better with a third of the jokes removed.
I've never known what to think when authors introduce modern real-world cool-kids language into fantasy, but I suppose if it's ever going to be OK this is the kind of book for it.
cheye13's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
These premises always hook me and then the actual text turns out to be show over substance. I read the first two books in this series on the power of this "gnome vs halfling" war and neither were hits. Yet I'm looking at the third book like... pirate princess, you say?
What I was expecting was an exploration of fantasy prejudice and nuance in political conflict and instead got some superficial hygiene jokes and a pigeon. The "war conflict" is immediately explained as a fringe group of racist halflings attacking all gnomes, which paints a black and white of good and bad guys while tacking on a very heavy-handed "not all halflings." Yes, this book is a comedy first and foremost, but I strongly believe comedy and nuanced commentary are complementary.
Maybe it's the scale of the storylines or the spread of an ensemble cast, but the stories stay too shallow for my liking. I never get truly attached to characters because they're all presented as stereotypes – because they're in direct conversation as anti-stereotypes. I never get a grasp on the large-scale politics because they're happening in some far-off land until they affect the ragtag heroes. And maybe above all, it boils down to the style of humor just not being to my taste. I definitely think it's funny! But the comedy isn't enough to carry the narrative for me.
What I was expecting was an exploration of fantasy prejudice and nuance in political conflict and instead got some superficial hygiene jokes and a pigeon. The "war conflict" is immediately explained as a fringe group of racist halflings attacking all gnomes, which paints a black and white of good and bad guys while tacking on a very heavy-handed "not all halflings." Yes, this book is a comedy first and foremost, but I strongly believe comedy and nuanced commentary are complementary.
Maybe it's the scale of the storylines or the spread of an ensemble cast, but the stories stay too shallow for my liking. I never get truly attached to characters because they're all presented as stereotypes – because they're in direct conversation as anti-stereotypes. I never get a grasp on the large-scale politics because they're happening in some far-off land until they affect the ragtag heroes. And maybe above all, it boils down to the style of humor just not being to my taste. I definitely think it's funny! But the comedy isn't enough to carry the narrative for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Minor: Xenophobia, Alcohol, and Slavery
slavery in the context of some nymphs being sold/bartered(?) into indentured servitude to a fratbro demigod; it's a very brief and non-explicit storyline with a lot of direct blanket discussion of consent.tildy08's review
5.0
I picked this book up on a whim as I thought it sounded hilarious. Needless to say, it did not disappoint! It was humorous and ridiculous but also heartwarming. Definitely a recommend if you like fantasy novels!
canaanmerchant's review against another edition
4.0
Bottom Line Up Front: I gave this four stars (like a 3.5 but I'm rounding up) but my feelings are a little more complicated than usual. Caveat, I did not read "Kill the Farm Boy".
THE GOOD:
1. There are some good jokes and cleverness afoot.
2. More importantly, the story is good. A lot of fantasy parody usually chooses a joke or a bit over a story (which is usually just ironic retellings of fairytales) and very few (okay, only Terry Pratchett) have really mastered an ability to actually tell a good story.
3. The characters. I like a world with a lot of sapient species and this one has it in spades. Their cultures all feel fleshed out and its neat to see the mechanics of how the world works even underneath the ridiculousness.
THE "I DON'T KNOW":
1. Some of the jokes really aren't going to last beyond 2019. As in, someone 10 or 15 years from now is really going to have to remember some of the minutiae of pop culture from this season to really 'appreciate' the joke. And knowing this made the joke harder to appreciate.
2. While the story is good it takes a while to get going and since the jokes come on so fast and heavy its hard to keep up. Especially since I was in a weird space where I couldn't read more than a few pages at a time and that made the story harder to follow. Ostensibly it's a story about a gnome on a quest but you're 1/3 of the way through the book before the group even meets and actually gets on the road.
THE GOOD:
1. There are some good jokes and cleverness afoot.
2. More importantly, the story is good. A lot of fantasy parody usually chooses a joke or a bit over a story (which is usually just ironic retellings of fairytales) and very few (okay, only Terry Pratchett) have really mastered an ability to actually tell a good story.
3. The characters. I like a world with a lot of sapient species and this one has it in spades. Their cultures all feel fleshed out and its neat to see the mechanics of how the world works even underneath the ridiculousness.
THE "I DON'T KNOW":
1. Some of the jokes really aren't going to last beyond 2019. As in, someone 10 or 15 years from now is really going to have to remember some of the minutiae of pop culture from this season to really 'appreciate' the joke. And knowing this made the joke harder to appreciate.
2. While the story is good it takes a while to get going and since the jokes come on so fast and heavy its hard to keep up. Especially since I was in a weird space where I couldn't read more than a few pages at a time and that made the story harder to follow. Ostensibly it's a story about a gnome on a quest but you're 1/3 of the way through the book before the group even meets and actually gets on the road.
yilishabai's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Like reading a dnd campaign.
markijbema's review
3.0
While I still don't like this series as much as I like Discworld I think it does carve out it's own niche. It does feel a bit like The Hitchhikers Guide set in a Fantasy. The story is predictable in one way (a group of adventurers sets out on a quest), but its more about the journey than the goal. And it's a wild journey. If you like silly fantasy, you'll like this
PS. This book has capybaras, which I think is a great plus, I don't see capybaras that often in fantasy and I think that's a shame
PS. This book has capybaras, which I think is a great plus, I don't see capybaras that often in fantasy and I think that's a shame