Go big or go gnome. The New York Times bestselling authors of Kill the Farm Boy welcome you to the world of Pell, the irreverent fantasy universe that recalls Monty Python and Terry Pratchett.
“A complete delight, as fluffy and fun as The Lego Movie and as heartfelt as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”—Locus
War is coming, and it’s gonna be Pell.
On one side stand the gnomes: smol, cheerful, possessing tidy cardigans and no taste for cruelty.
On the other side sit the halflings, proudly astride their war alpacas, carrying bags of grenades and hungry for a fight. And pretty much anything else.
It takes only one halfling bomb and Offi Numminen’s world is turned upside down—or downside up, really, since he lives in a hole in the ground. His goth cardigans and aggressive melancholy set him apart from the other gnomes, as does his decision to fight back against their halfling oppressors. Suddenly Offi is the leader of a band of lovable misfits and outcasts—from a gryphon who would literally kill for omelets to a young dwarf herbalist who is better with bees than with his cudgel to an assertive and cheerful teen witch with a beard as long as her book of curses—all on a journey to the Toot Towers to confront the dastardly villain intent on tearing Pell asunder. These adventurers never fit in anywhere else, but as they become friends, fight mermaids, and get really angry at this one raccoon, they learn that there’s nothing more heroic than being yourself.
In No Country for Old Gnomes, Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne lovingly tweak the tropes of fantasy and fairy tales. Here you’ll find goofy jokes and whimsical puns, but you’ll also find a diverse, feminist, and lighthearted approach to fantasy that will bring a smile to your face and many fine cheeses to your plate.
Narrated by Luke Daniels, I once again found myself in the land of Pell a fantastical kingdom filled with mystical creatures as a group of quirky characters band together on an honorable quest. We will meet many new faces beginning with Offi, a gnome whose land is under attack and see some familiar faces like King Gustave.
From their play on words, to twists on beloved tales such as Macbeth, Dawson and Hearne quickly pulled me in once all the players joined up. As with the first, I found it best to listen to only one or two chapters a night.
Be warned their quest meanders a bit from side quests to personal growth slowing the pace down and at times it was a bit disjointed, but it also played in my favor as I listened at a slower pace picking up on all the clever bits.
I found the story to be tighter than the previous book and enjoyed the characters. The humor and puns was toned down, but there were plenty of fandom references including Star Wars.
A war is waging between a sector of halflings and gnomes. The quest is to go to the Great Library and find the original documents of the gnomeric and halfling civilizations. Joining the gnomes on their quest are an ovitaur named Agape. Agape is mostly human except for the bits that are sheep. I loved Daniels voice for her. We’ve got Halfling Faucon who loves upholding the law and toe rings. Then there is an outcast gryphon, named Gerd, and a dwarf named Båggi Biins. Each seeks answers to questions from the library. Omelettes, an automaatti, side-quests and dangers await them!
Luke Daniels completed this tale with his array of unique voices. Honestly, I do not understand how he kept them all straight. I laughed aloud at his antics. I generally listen to Daniels at 1.3x but slowed this down, as the story is meaty and requires through chewing. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Reading updates
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Started reading
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15 April, 2019:
Finished reading
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15 April, 2019:
Reviewed