No Country for Old Gnomes

February 25, 2019
In this muddled follow-up to 2017’s Kill the Farm Boy, Hearne and Dawson continue to skewer epic fantasy tropes, this time focusing on the escalating conflict between cardigan-wearing, peace-loving gnomes and a rogue, warlike faction of halflings in the land of Pell. Amid the chaos and confusion, a small, unlikely band of allies from the assorted nonhuman races of Pell emerges, intent on restoring peace. Among them are Offi, a goth gnome masquerading as his more heroic brother; Gerd, a gryphon who speaks in umlauts; Agape, an ovitaur (half-human, half-sheep) charged with protecting an ancient mechanical construct; and Båggi, a dwarf eager to purge his soul of violence. On a trek across the land, the fellowship encounters everything from hostile monsters to a king who used to be a goat. Hearne and Dawson both uphold and subvert fantasy’s classic elements, with some blatant Tolkien riffs (including Tommy Bombastic, a singing, self-aggrandizing demigod). The story is solid and the characters fully realized. However, the first volume’s element of uplifting the marginalized is absent, and the heavy-handed humor is a series of nudges and punch lines that fail to engage. As a cute quest story, it suffices, but readers hoping for parody that upends their understanding of the genre or invokes wry fondness for it will find this novel does neither.

April 1, 2019
Dawson and Hearne present another puntastic adventure set in the universe of their Tales of Pell series. While some characters from Kill the Farm Boy (2018) make an appearance, this title follows the laugh-out-loud trials, tribulations, and wanderings of a completely new band of endearing eccentrics, meaning it can be read as a stand-alone. Follow along with a bearded teenage gnome witch who is good with curses, her neighbor gnome who harbors rather ungnomic tendencies, a dwarf pursuing a rite of passage to rid himself of his people's violence-prone nature, a knife-wielding halfling lawyer out for justice at all costs, a lonely, omelet-loving gryphon, and a sheep girl with a robot and a destiny. The chapters are laden with literary tributes and begin with expressive headings and matching comical epigraphs. The hilarious opening riff on Macbeth's three witches sets the stage for a droll tale of oddball companions on a hysterical journey of fate. Fans and new readers will giggle and guffaw and be pleased to discover a third book is forthcoming for this thoroughly entertaining series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

November 15, 2018

Neatly dressed in cardigans, the jovial gnomes don't have a mean bone in their bodies. Meanwhile, the halflings ride around on war alpacas, carrying grenades and spoiling for a fight. When it comes to war, it's not looking good for the gnomes, but goth-clad gnomish outsider Offi Numminen collects together other misfits (e.g., a bearded teenage witch and a dwarf herbalist who commands bees) to save the day. Second in the New York Times best-selling authors' extravagantly goofy "Tales of Pell" series (after Kill the Farm Boy).

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