A review by toryhallelujah
The Rambling by Jimmy Cajoleas
5.0
4.5 stars, rounding up to five because I only felt like the pacing was slightly off at the end.
Oooh such great world-building! The Rambling takes place in a world that reminded me a lot of The Dark Tower's saloons and seedy parlors -- a swamp world with sparks of magic that fuel a card game called Parsnip, where each player draws player/location/journey cards and Orates the story to pull all those elements together. Buddy, ever-plagued by bad luck, has struck off to find his wandering-bard and Parsnip fiend of a father after accidentally burning down his mother's bakery. He falls into a deadly adventure much more dangerous than he'd ever expected, and uncovers long-buried secrets about his world and family. This is the second Cajoleas book I've read this summer, and I'm seriously digging his worlds!
Oooh such great world-building! The Rambling takes place in a world that reminded me a lot of The Dark Tower's saloons and seedy parlors -- a swamp world with sparks of magic that fuel a card game called Parsnip, where each player draws player/location/journey cards and Orates the story to pull all those elements together. Buddy, ever-plagued by bad luck, has struck off to find his wandering-bard and Parsnip fiend of a father after accidentally burning down his mother's bakery. He falls into a deadly adventure much more dangerous than he'd ever expected, and uncovers long-buried secrets about his world and family. This is the second Cajoleas book I've read this summer, and I'm seriously digging his worlds!