Kill the Farm Boy

March 19, 2018
In this pun-laden quest, first in a trilogy, Hearne (A Plague of Giants) and Dawson (Star Wars: Phasma) skewer the traditional tropes of epic fantasy sagas. Though the field is already rife with parodies and satires, the authors execute their own unique twist by killing off the titular farm boy on page 31 before his hero’s journey can ever truly begin. Now it’s up to a ragtag band of unlikely heroes—including a seven-foot-tall horticulturalist in a chainmail bikini, a cursed half-rabbit bard, a bread-conjuring would-be dark lord, a clumsy rogue, and a boot-eating talking goat—to save the kingdom from magical misdeeds. As they face their greatest childhood fears, contend with gourmand giants, and negotiate with arrogant elves, these improbable heroes display surprising depths and complexities. There’s a Pratchettian humor at play here, manifesting in frequent pun wars, silly songs, and an underlying level of societal absurdity—everyone takes cheese rather seriously, for instance. The authors claim they wanted to make fun of the typical “white male power fantasies,” and in that, they succeed, with their heroes all characters of color and/or falling somewhere under the LGBTQ umbrella. Even so, there’s the feeling that they’re marching through familiar, previously conquered territory, putting this solidly in the middle of the field of humorous fantasy. Agents: (for Hearne) Evan Goldfried, Jill Grinberg Literary; (for Dawson) Kate McKean, Howard Morhaim Literary.

May 1, 2018

Combining the satirical fantasy of authors such as William Goldman, Terry Pratchett, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Tamora Pierce, Hearne and Dawson have written a thoroughly enjoyable, enormously ambitious novel. The authors state in their acknowledgements that their book specifically refers to killing off the "white male power fantasies," though they are substantially more successful at skewering the male-ness than the white-ness of the genre. The eponymous farm boy is anointed the "Chosen One" by a fairy in Chapter 2 (titled "In a Squalid Barnyard in Borix, Redolent of Feces and Angst") and is, as promised, dead after two more chapters. Readers are left to follow his (now) talking goat, Gustave; his accidental killer, Fia, a powerful warrior in a chain-mail bikini; an enchanted half-rabbit bard named Argabella; the Dark Lord Toby, whose magic primarily consists of causing bread products to rain from the sky; and a variety of supporting characters. Surprisingly, it is Dawson and Hearne's careful attention to their characters that proves the novel's greatest strength, much more so than their hit-or-miss puns or socio-politically minded satire. Fia and Argabella develop a tremendously touching relationship, Gustave steals many a scene, and the unexpected deaths of two traveling companions are genuinely moving. VERDICT The humor and empowerment theme should make this an easy sell for teens, and they'll stay for the well-drawn characters. Give this one to fans of Diana Wynne Jones, Terry Pratchett, or William Goldman.-Mark Flowers, Rio Vista Library, CA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2018
A rollicking fantasy adventure that upends numerous genre tropes in audacious style, the first installment of Dawson and Hearne's Tales of Pell series is a laugh-out-loud-funny fusion of Monty Python-esque humor and whimsy à la Terry Pratchett's Discworld.Worstley is a lowly farm boy who reeks of feces and angst. But when a nose-picking pixie informs him that he's the Chosen One and that he has a destiny, he sets off with a talking billy goat named Gustave to fulfill his glorious fate. Fia is a 7-foot tall warrioress who wears a chain-mail bikini and is on a quest of her own: to locate a rare flower allegedly high up in a magical tower. Poltro, the Dark Lord's inept huntswoman, who is deathly afraid of chickens, is sent to locate the Chosen One and bring his heart back to her master. Their paths eventually converge when Fia, attempting to climb the thorn-infested magic tower via a rope made of human hair, falls and lands on Worstley, quite possibly killing him. In an effort to somehow save his life, Fia takes the Chosen One's body and climbs back up the tower, laying him in a bed next to a princess who has been magically sleeping for decades. While exiting the tower, Fia meets Argabella, a female bard who has been cursed to look like a giant bunny. After collecting a Sand Witch named Grinda and Toby, the Dark Lord (who wears a fanny pack), the group of misfits sets off to rid the kingdom of the evil genius behind the terrible curses. The overturning of so many hackneyed fantasy conventions is a delight, as are the countless puns and jokes. But the narrative momentum suffers at times because the authors are so focused on the humor.Tolkien's Fellowship of the Ring on laughing gas.

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June 15, 2018

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Pell, there lived a farm boy, a talking goat, a semidark Dark Lord, a fuzzy-tailed bard, a peace-loving warrior in a chain-mail bikini, an assassin deathly afraid of chickens, and a sand witch with an affinity for bejeweled crabs. One of them is the Chosen One, and on a quest to awaken a sleeping princess from her tower and generally right the wrongs in the kingdom of Pell, all of them will encounter much more than they expected. This fairy tale's happily ever after is one readers won't see coming. VERDICT Dawson (Star Wars: Phasma) and Hearn's ("Iron Druid Chronicles") reimagining of a traditional fairy tale is reminiscent of William Goldman's The Princess Bride and William Steig's Shrek! Irreverent, funny, and full of entertaining wordplay, this will keep readers guessing until the end and eager for the sequel. [See Prepub Alert, 1/29/18.]--Elisabeth Clark, West Florida P.L., Pensacola

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2018

New York Times best-selling Iron Druid chronicler joins with Dawson (Star Wars: Phasma) to launch a witty, bighearted fantasy series starring Gustave the Talking Goat, Fia the Unusually Tall, Argabella the Ensorcelled Bard, and Grinda the Sand Witch, all intent on keeping LOCHER from stealing the throne.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.