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iono's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Death, Murder, Violence, Addiction, and Racism
totallyshelfaware's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Whip-smart social commentary and a celebration of the fantasy genre rolled into one, this is the easiest five stars I've given a book in a long, long time. And Doug Tisdale, Jr.'s brilliant narration really brings this cast of adorable misfits to life.
If you like satire, found families and rooting for the underdog — this one's for you!
If you like satire, found families and rooting for the underdog — this one's for you!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide and Death
kellyhady's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
bookwyrmknits's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is an amusing satire that is also a sword & sorcery adventure novel and is also social commentary. On the one hand it is quite enjoyable, and on the other I think it might have been even better if it were tightened up a bit. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun romp. But there were sections I felt ended up being unnecessary. One example is the section near the beginning where a big treasure is being divided and we spend a lot of time with minor characters as who gets what is all argued about as if it were the reading of a will. It was amusing (and I suspect it was the inspiration for the novel) but I don't feel it was really needed. Same with the training-montage-style section in the middle. And the bit that set up one of the MC's addiction at the beginning. I enjoyed the book, but I feel it could have been even tighter.
The humor was a mixed bag for me. I usually enjoyed it, but it got a little over the top on many occasions. The concept of D&D economics was amusing enough that I picked up the book, and there are lots of good bits in there, but some of the jokes missed their mark with me. Overall I did enjoy it, and I grew to like the characters (especially the goblin squire) but you have to be ready for the puns if you pick this series up.
I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator did a great job with the voices. It was enjoyable to listen to, and it really enhanced the book to have the different languages spoken. The one exception to this was a section where some shadowkin (goblins and orcs) are speaking to one another, so what we hear is the shadowkin language overlaid with the English translation. I appreciated what they were trying to do (make it obvious that they were not speaking English) but I didn't like the way it worked. It appears that the direction was for the narrator to put emotion into the shadowkin part and then translate it completely flat without inflection, and I didn't like that. However, that's just one part of an 11.5 hour audiobook, so overall the narration was a win.
The humor was a mixed bag for me. I usually enjoyed it, but it got a little over the top on many occasions. The concept of D&D economics was amusing enough that I picked up the book, and there are lots of good bits in there, but some of the jokes missed their mark with me. Overall I did enjoy it, and I grew to like the characters (especially the goblin squire) but you have to be ready for the puns if you pick this series up.
I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator did a great job with the voices. It was enjoyable to listen to, and it really enhanced the book to have the different languages spoken. The one exception to this was a section where some shadowkin (goblins and orcs) are speaking to one another, so what we hear is the shadowkin language overlaid with the English translation. I appreciated what they were trying to do (make it obvious that they were not speaking English) but I didn't like the way it worked. It appears that the direction was for the narrator to put emotion into the shadowkin part and then translate it completely flat without inflection, and I didn't like that. However, that's just one part of an 11.5 hour audiobook, so overall the narration was a win.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, and Racial slurs
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