purechaos's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
stephbookshine's review
This is a brilliant middle-grade read, for youngsters who like a bit of (non-graphic, cartoonish) violence and a lot of laughs!
Packed with puns, jokes, wordplay and witty asides that break the fourth wall, Mort’s adventure as he attempts to challenge and change Brutalia’s brutal regime is both humorous and very cleverly conceived and written.
There are some grisly details, involving organs, entrails and eyeballs, which had my two (8 and 5) gleefully chorusing “Eeeeeeewwww!” and “Groooooss!” with great relish, and the raven conversations at the start of every chapter were a particular highlight for all of us.
Mort’s character shows good values, against a lot of opposition and peer/societal pressure, and also displays some excellent problem-solving skills in dire situations.
We can’t wait to return to Brutalia for another instalment… er, although, none of us ACTUALLY want to go there!
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
Packed with puns, jokes, wordplay and witty asides that break the fourth wall, Mort’s adventure as he attempts to challenge and change Brutalia’s brutal regime is both humorous and very cleverly conceived and written.
There are some grisly details, involving organs, entrails and eyeballs, which had my two (8 and 5) gleefully chorusing “Eeeeeeewwww!” and “Groooooss!” with great relish, and the raven conversations at the start of every chapter were a particular highlight for all of us.
Mort’s character shows good values, against a lot of opposition and peer/societal pressure, and also displays some excellent problem-solving skills in dire situations.
We can’t wait to return to Brutalia for another instalment… er, although, none of us ACTUALLY want to go there!
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
anakuroma's review
4.0
TW: fatphobia and ableism (not called out)
Alice in Wonderland meets How to Train your Dragon in this hilarious middle-grade fiction about a pacifist boy living in the most brutal kingdom being given the job of Royal Executioner. Also ravens!
Alice in Wonderland meets How to Train your Dragon in this hilarious middle-grade fiction about a pacifist boy living in the most brutal kingdom being given the job of Royal Executioner. Also ravens!
10lewis2011's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
pipandbooks's review
3.0
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher with providing me with an e-arc.
I really loved the world of this book and I found that it was very interesting and I'm excited to explore more of that in the sequel. I'm very interested to find out what will happen in the sequel because I think we left off on an interesting place. While I was reading, you could tell that the author had spent a great deal of time on the worldbuilding and it really shows while reading! I did find some of the characters hard to connect to though, I did really connect to our protagonist but not really our side characters. But there were circumstances to why I couldn't connect to the side characters that readers of the book will understand. Overall, this book was a good book with a great world and solid characters. I'll be picking up the sequel in 2022 when it's released!
I really loved the world of this book and I found that it was very interesting and I'm excited to explore more of that in the sequel. I'm very interested to find out what will happen in the sequel because I think we left off on an interesting place. While I was reading, you could tell that the author had spent a great deal of time on the worldbuilding and it really shows while reading! I did find some of the characters hard to connect to though, I did really connect to our protagonist but not really our side characters. But there were circumstances to why I couldn't connect to the side characters that readers of the book will understand. Overall, this book was a good book with a great world and solid characters. I'll be picking up the sequel in 2022 when it's released!
readingrara's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
4.0
Mort the Meek- Hilarious MG fantasy.
luftschlosseule's review against another edition
3.0
Unfortunately, Mort is a pacifist. And he's to be the next axeman, known in this city as the Brutal - to make matters worse, his first job should be his best friend.
This is geared towards the younger end of the middlegrade spectrum, with very, very short chapters, fast-paced plot and not too fleshed out characters.
So most of what I'd usually have to critique in a book is already taken care of by genre and target audience.
I liked how Mort stands out from his home crowd, but for a good reason - and how he has to rely on other abilities than strength to accomplish his goals.
But to be honest, what appealed mostly to me were the ravens who had their time to shine on the first page of each chapter, with jokes like "I am on a seafood diet - I see food, I eat it.", and discussing which part of a human brain are most delicious. That's the content I am here for.
This is slightly grisly and never gory. I probably won't look out for further installments, but that is more about me being a tad too old for this than about the book itself. I am sure the reader it's meant for will get great joy out from this.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
This is geared towards the younger end of the middlegrade spectrum, with very, very short chapters, fast-paced plot and not too fleshed out characters.
So most of what I'd usually have to critique in a book is already taken care of by genre and target audience.
I liked how Mort stands out from his home crowd, but for a good reason - and how he has to rely on other abilities than strength to accomplish his goals.
But to be honest, what appealed mostly to me were the ravens who had their time to shine on the first page of each chapter, with jokes like "I am on a seafood diet - I see food, I eat it.", and discussing which part of a human brain are most delicious. That's the content I am here for.
This is slightly grisly and never gory. I probably won't look out for further installments, but that is more about me being a tad too old for this than about the book itself. I am sure the reader it's meant for will get great joy out from this.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
chrisseyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
3.25
Mort lives on the island of Brutalia, the most violent nation on the high seas. When his best friend, Weed, is sentenced to death by their brutal queen, Mort doesn't think things can get any worse...but then he's made executioner and he has to battle with the choice of killing his best friend or being killed himself.
This is a brilliantly funny middle grade novel. Mort is self-deprecating and intensely likeable, with all the childlike wonder that you wouldn't expect from a child in a violent society. There are plenty of great illustrations and this, plus the varying word sizes, make this perfect for confident younger readers and struggling older ones alike.
My main issues with this book stem from the two 'big bads'. The Queen and King are depicted as 'ugly'and 'fat' respectively. Not only do I find this lazy storytelling (they are both tropes that are used far too often in children's books), but it's also pretty offensive - as if being fat or ugly are the worst things you could be - and plays into the idea that disfigurement = evil.
I did love those crows though!
This is a brilliantly funny middle grade novel. Mort is self-deprecating and intensely likeable, with all the childlike wonder that you wouldn't expect from a child in a violent society. There are plenty of great illustrations and this, plus the varying word sizes, make this perfect for confident younger readers and struggling older ones alike.
My main issues with this book stem from the two 'big bads'. The Queen and King are depicted as 'ugly'and 'fat' respectively. Not only do I find this lazy storytelling (they are both tropes that are used far too often in children's books), but it's also pretty offensive - as if being fat or ugly are the worst things you could be - and plays into the idea that disfigurement = evil.
I did love those crows though!
Content Warnings
Minor: Fatphobia
queenmackenzie's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
What a ride! This was a quick read for me, being a children’s book full of illustrations and big type, but no less enjoyable for that. It was definitely as funny as advertised in the description, which was inevitable in a story about the only pacifist in a kingdom called Brutalia. The narrative follows Mort, who is forced to become Royal Executioner after his uncle dies, and his first victim is his best friend Weed. Can Mort come to terms with his violent task, or, better yet, can he find a way to save his friend?
It definitely has an element of violence, which I sort of expected, but it sometimes surprised me. There might be parents who wouldn’t feel it’s appropriate for their children, but I have a feeling that most children would enjoy it, because the humour and the characters make you view all the horrible things going on as just another funny slapstick, and the text is certainly not condoning it.
My favourite aspect of the story was probably the narrator, and the way they would continually have asides, speaking to the reader directly. This worked very well and didn’t interrupt the flow of the story, and younger readers will love it, I am sure. The other fun thing was the way each chapter began with a little conversation between the ravens of Brutalia, lamenting the lack of shipwrecked bodies for them to feed on and usually throwing in a pun or two for good measure. All in all, it’s a feel-good romp for younger readers that will have them laughing out loud. I am certainly going to read the next book, and recommend the series to others!
Thank you Little Tiger and Netgalley for the eARC
It definitely has an element of violence, which I sort of expected, but it sometimes surprised me. There might be parents who wouldn’t feel it’s appropriate for their children, but I have a feeling that most children would enjoy it, because the humour and the characters make you view all the horrible things going on as just another funny slapstick, and the text is certainly not condoning it.
My favourite aspect of the story was probably the narrator, and the way they would continually have asides, speaking to the reader directly. This worked very well and didn’t interrupt the flow of the story, and younger readers will love it, I am sure. The other fun thing was the way each chapter began with a little conversation between the ravens of Brutalia, lamenting the lack of shipwrecked bodies for them to feed on and usually throwing in a pun or two for good measure. All in all, it’s a feel-good romp for younger readers that will have them laughing out loud. I am certainly going to read the next book, and recommend the series to others!
Thank you Little Tiger and Netgalley for the eARC
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence