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sallytwibbles's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
shelleyrae's review against another edition
3.0
This is not the sort of book I would usually read but I was amused by the sample chapter supplied by the author. It's a chance I am glad I took because this quirky piece of fantasy adventure fiction was a lot of fun.
The Pan of Hamgee is a fugitive on K'Barth, blacklisted by the Gronglians who are taking over his world,he has a special knack for getting into trouble. When he accidently burns down a local thug's apartment block he is blackmailed into using his skill as getaway driver. For The Pan, who has managed to stay on the run longer than any other GBI (government blacklisted indiviual)his role in Big Merv's crew is both a Niminism blessing and a Grongolian curse.
The Pan is very likeable, he has an artless charm and endearing lack of self esteem. He is convinced its cowardice and luck that has allowed him to outmaneuver those pursing him, rather than taking credit for his skills and sense. I enjoyed his spirit of adventure and determination as well the sense of fun McGuire has infused him with
Despite the physical oddities of McGuire's characters, Grongrolians have green skin and Big Merv is an orange Swamp Thing, they have human traits which are easy to relate to. One of the things I struggle with in this genre are books where the setting, history, technology, character descriptions etc., require or are given, extensive detailing. K'Barth may be an alien world, but what is 'other' is intergrated neatly into the plot. For me, this grounds the story so that the characters and events are the main focus of the tale.
The pacing is good, there is plenty of action, though I feel the plot could have been tightened a little more to maintain impetus in the middle. The style is fluid and comfortable with neglible copyedit errors.
As I don't read a lot in this genre, I can't compare Few Are Chosen to a similar title but I think anyone who enjoys a humourous fantasy adventure that includes a magic thimble, a [flying and submersible] car chase and a pair of concrete boots will appreciate this debut of the K'Barthan Trilogy. I am looking forward to reading McGuire's sequel.
The Pan of Hamgee is a fugitive on K'Barth, blacklisted by the Gronglians who are taking over his world,he has a special knack for getting into trouble. When he accidently burns down a local thug's apartment block he is blackmailed into using his skill as getaway driver. For The Pan, who has managed to stay on the run longer than any other GBI (government blacklisted indiviual)his role in Big Merv's crew is both a Niminism blessing and a Grongolian curse.
The Pan is very likeable, he has an artless charm and endearing lack of self esteem. He is convinced its cowardice and luck that has allowed him to outmaneuver those pursing him, rather than taking credit for his skills and sense. I enjoyed his spirit of adventure and determination as well the sense of fun McGuire has infused him with
Despite the physical oddities of McGuire's characters, Grongrolians have green skin and Big Merv is an orange Swamp Thing, they have human traits which are easy to relate to. One of the things I struggle with in this genre are books where the setting, history, technology, character descriptions etc., require or are given, extensive detailing. K'Barth may be an alien world, but what is 'other' is intergrated neatly into the plot. For me, this grounds the story so that the characters and events are the main focus of the tale.
The pacing is good, there is plenty of action, though I feel the plot could have been tightened a little more to maintain impetus in the middle. The style is fluid and comfortable with neglible copyedit errors.
As I don't read a lot in this genre, I can't compare Few Are Chosen to a similar title but I think anyone who enjoys a humourous fantasy adventure that includes a magic thimble, a [flying and submersible] car chase and a pair of concrete boots will appreciate this debut of the K'Barthan Trilogy. I am looking forward to reading McGuire's sequel.
clairelm's review against another edition
5.0
Disclaimer: I was given this book by the author in return for an honest review
This is a comedy science fiction which follows a slightly bumbling and hapless criminal as he tries to navigate the underworld of an oppressed people. I really grew to like The Pan, and the friends he picks up along the way, and I loved the progression of Big Merv.
I can't wait to get started on the next one and find out what happens next, to both The Pan and his friends and the girl from the world a lot like ours!
This is a comedy science fiction which follows a slightly bumbling and hapless criminal as he tries to navigate the underworld of an oppressed people. I really grew to like The Pan, and the friends he picks up along the way, and I loved the progression of Big Merv.
I can't wait to get started on the next one and find out what happens next, to both The Pan and his friends and the girl from the world a lot like ours!
emesskay's review against another edition
2.0
I decided to read this book because it (or the author) was compared to Douglas Adams. When that is in a blurb, I of course think of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (one of my favorite books of all time), so it sets the bar REALLY high. Alas, I did not feel that this book lived up to its blurb. The author has some interesting ideas, and there were humorous moments, but overall this book just wasn't for me.
In HHGTTG, it is the character Arthur Dent who has no idea what is going on most of the time. However, with "Few Are Chosen" I felt like I had no idea what was going on most of the time.
Generally, when reading a book, you don't want to be thinking "how much longer until it is over?" and unfortunately, that is what I was thinking with this book. That is also why it took me so long to read this book - it was very easy to put down and read something else instead.
In HHGTTG, it is the character Arthur Dent who has no idea what is going on most of the time. However, with "Few Are Chosen" I felt like I had no idea what was going on most of the time.
Generally, when reading a book, you don't want to be thinking "how much longer until it is over?" and unfortunately, that is what I was thinking with this book. That is also why it took me so long to read this book - it was very easy to put down and read something else instead.
rebeccacarter's review
5.0
I loved this book and stayed up until almost 5 am to finish it. It is full of humor (dry humor, perhaps?) and action. It is well-written (always a plus for an indie author) and does much to build the world of the K'Barthians and other species that populate this alternate-Earth dimension. The story continues in the next book, which in some ways can be annoying, since this story was not complete in itself. However, in the case of this book, I did not find this a problem, as I would like to read more. The one problem I noted was a lot of information about places and people was included in large chunks (info dumps). This is hard to avoid in this type of novel in order to build the world a little more, but if it was important, it could have been worked into the story a little better. But I enjoyed reading this and would highly recommend it to others.
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