rosemaryandrue's review
4.0
An amusing read that plays around with fantasy tropes and the subjectivity of storytelling, populated with likable and entertaining characters.
marit_'s review
4.0
This was a refreshing book to read during lockdown. It combined some classic fantasy elements (dragons, elves, goblins, and more) with a pretty innovative way of telling a story.
I think it's safe to say that I have never read a book with the same style of narration, and after finishing this I am seriously wondering if I am missing out on more very good books. The narrator is pretty full of herself at times (which oddly enough I didn't really find annoying), but also lays bare the more human (okay, Heloise is actually half-elven) side of the epic quests you read about in most fantasy books. I had a good chuckle multiple times throughout the story, and was amused for (almost) all of it.
There's also a few spins on classic fantasy elements which I really enjoyed. One is the way orcs are portrayed in this book. It felt weird but okay at the same time? Which is a good thing, I think? I would love to tell you more but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Around the middle point of the book I found myself having to push through a little to get from one part of the story to the other. I think the pacing in those few chapters was a bit too slow for my liking. However, once I got through that hiccup, there was only enjoyment left. So bring on the sequels please, Heloise. I would love to hear more!
Edit: How could I forget Borg? He was by far my favourite character, such a sweet rock giant. Loved him.
I think it's safe to say that I have never read a book with the same style of narration, and after finishing this I am seriously wondering if I am missing out on more very good books. The narrator is pretty full of herself at times (which oddly enough I didn't really find annoying), but also lays bare the more human (okay, Heloise is actually half-elven) side of the epic quests you read about in most fantasy books. I had a good chuckle multiple times throughout the story, and was amused for (almost) all of it.
There's also a few spins on classic fantasy elements which I really enjoyed. One is the way orcs are portrayed in this book. It felt weird but okay at the same time? Which is a good thing, I think? I would love to tell you more but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Around the middle point of the book I found myself having to push through a little to get from one part of the story to the other. I think the pacing in those few chapters was a bit too slow for my liking. However, once I got through that hiccup, there was only enjoyment left. So bring on the sequels please, Heloise. I would love to hear more!
Edit: How could I forget Borg? He was by far my favourite character, such a sweet rock giant. Loved him.
nataliya_x's review
3.0
I was really struggling with this book, and I couldn’t quite figure out why, until it hit me (the realization, not the book) — it’s full of funny bits and paragraphs and quotable lines, but I just apparently lack patience to tolerate all those in a long form. Those jokes are great by themselves, in shorter chunks, but when strung over dozens of pages they start feeling tiresome.
But most of my GR friends who read this book would disagree, so most likely I’m just the Grinch with a questionable sense of humor.
Yet I refuse to give this book anything less than 3 stars because (1) I read most if it when sick with a fever, and it reads easily, and (2) I took a GR detour and read the author’s autobiography on GR page and then a few of his hilarious reviews, and obviously Sean Gibson is a nice and fun guy who would probably be a hoot during a drinking session in a bar, and I’d be laughing at these jokes and puns pretty hard.
What didn’t quite click for me was a bit too much of surface-level humor, relying pretty heavily on slapstick and bodily function jokes, and not giving any breathing room between the funny bits. I see many comparisons to Pratchett in reviews (probably fueled by the byline on the book cover — “If Tina Fey and Terry Pratchett co-wrote a fantasy epic … it would be way better than this”) but those are not quite fair to this book and actually set your expectations at the level that does not help the enjoyment. What it led me to do was take a break and actually read a Pratchett book.
And yet I feel I really can’t blame this book for not aligning with my sense of humor of my current mood — or maybe I was just too sober when trying to read it. So rounding up to 3 stars it is. I rated [b:Anna Karenina|15823480|Anna Karenina|Leo Tolstoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601352433l/15823480._SX50_.jpg|2507928] the same, so it’s in good company.
“Nadi’s response was strangely intense, and she gave me a look that indicated either fierce conviction or long-term constipation (though I suppose those two things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive).”
But most of my GR friends who read this book would disagree, so most likely I’m just the Grinch with a questionable sense of humor.
Yet I refuse to give this book anything less than 3 stars because (1) I read most if it when sick with a fever, and it reads easily, and (2) I took a GR detour and read the author’s autobiography on GR page and then a few of his hilarious reviews, and obviously Sean Gibson is a nice and fun guy who would probably be a hoot during a drinking session in a bar, and I’d be laughing at these jokes and puns pretty hard.
“So read on, brave souls…adventure awaits. And shenanigans. There will definitely be shenanigans.”
What didn’t quite click for me was a bit too much of surface-level humor, relying pretty heavily on slapstick and bodily function jokes, and not giving any breathing room between the funny bits. I see many comparisons to Pratchett in reviews (probably fueled by the byline on the book cover — “If Tina Fey and Terry Pratchett co-wrote a fantasy epic … it would be way better than this”) but those are not quite fair to this book and actually set your expectations at the level that does not help the enjoyment. What it led me to do was take a break and actually read a Pratchett book.
And yet I feel I really can’t blame this book for not aligning with my sense of humor of my current mood — or maybe I was just too sober when trying to read it. So rounding up to 3 stars it is. I rated [b:Anna Karenina|15823480|Anna Karenina|Leo Tolstoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1601352433l/15823480._SX50_.jpg|2507928] the same, so it’s in good company.
“I’m all in favor of using the people’s vernacular, but sometimes the people should get a bigger vernacular and know what words mean.”
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