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Synopsis (From Goodreads):
The Skyr is a rich, verdant land claimed by both halflings and gnomes. For centuries, the halflings have worked to undermine gnomish power structures and seize total control--through legal means, certainly, but more insidiously through their extensive organized crime network. Now, threatened with being pushed out entirely, the gnomes are desperate and ready to fight back. Gustave the Goat King faces his first test as a leader: Can he bring peace to a fraught region or will a civil war consume the entire kingdom?
Review:
The first book in this series, Kill The Farm Boy, was a fun romp incorporating several fairy tales. No Country for Old Gnomes continues the pun-filled collaboration of
authors Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne. Although both books are set in the same universe, only a few of the characters from the first book appear in the second.
I enjoyed the many fascinating characters and the quest they embarked on. Plus, as is often the case with fantasy novels, the authors cleverly wove in issues relevant to real-life such as immigration, and political corruption.
But with so many different characters and story lines occurring, I got a bit lost trying to keep all everything straight in my mind.
What I Liked:
Audio Narration:
With the vast array of characters in this book, narrator Luke Daniels does a stellar job of making each person distinct. He achieves this with the use of many hilarious accents. Halflings have a stereotypical French accent, while the dwarves seem to all sound like they live in Minnesota (don'cha know). I don't know how many takes it must have taken, but reading this book must have been exhausting!
Characters:
There were a LOT of characters in this story. Each character has an issue that makes them question themselves.
via GIPHY
A few of the characters I really like are Båggi, Agape, and Offi.
Båggi, a dwarf, must rid himself of his violent tendencies, but is all violence bad? What if he kills someone while defending others? Shouldn't he feel remorse when this happens?
Agape, an Ovitaur (a character with a human head and torso, but has a sheep's legs), has been belittled by her parents for so long, she has zero self-worth.
Offi, an "emo" gnome, is a twin who can never measure up to his perfect brother's reputation. Black is his favorite color, is sullen, and he likes to think of creative new inventions.
Story:
The story is basically a fairy-tale road trip!
via GIPHY
As the new king of The Skr adjusts to being human (he was a goat, after all), various factions in the kingdom try to consolidate power. The ensuing violence leaves death, destruction, and refugees in its wake.
The characters all come to the realization that they must find King Gustave and set off to find him. Along the way they encounter characters that reference mermaids, ghosts, vampires, and witches, with clever takes on stories such as Hansel and Gretel. I love the road trip concept. These stories always incorporate ways for the characters to learn about themselves and others.
Themes:
What happens when there's a regime change in the Skyre? Pretty much what goes on in real-life: Chaos. I found the use of a refugee crisis in the story to be a very effective way to comment on the current mass migration of people fleeing violence in various countries throughout the world.
What I Didn't Like:
Confusing array of characters:There were so many different types of characters (some with very similar names), that it was hard to keep track of who everyone was to each other. There were gnomes, halflings, dwarves, elves, gryphons (note: these are how they are spelled in the book), and many more! There were so many story lines that I found it very confusing.
Rating:
Release Date: April 16th, 2019
Genre: Fantasy/Parody
Authors: Delilah S. Dawson & Kevin Hearne
Audio Book Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Audio book Length: 14 hrs, 8 min
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Print Publisher: Del Rey
Print Length: 352 Pages
Source: Publisher
Format: Audiobook
Recommendation: If you enjoy pun-filled humor, silly situations, with a bit of social commentary mixed in, then this is the book for you! Very fun.
I still need to read this one! I enjoyed the first book as well, the puns were just so funny and the story was a goofy one, but still entertaining. I was sort of expecting the same idea to be happening here with just a new story. Sad to hear that the previous characters aren't around so much, but then maybe that will work in my favor with a poor memory about the first book! Lol. Nice review!
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