Ratings16
Average rating3.3
In an irreverent series in the tradition of Monty Python, the bestselling authors of the Iron Druid Chronicles and Star Wars: Phasma reinvent fantasy, fairy tales, and floridly written feast scenes. “Ranks among the best of Christopher Moore and Terry Pratchett.”—Chuck Wendig “When you put two authors of this high caliber together, expect fireworks. Or at least laughs. What a hoot!”—Terry Brooks Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, a hero, the Chosen One, was born . . . and so begins every fairy tale ever told. This is not that fairy tale. There is a Chosen One, but he is unlike any One who has ever been Chosened. And there is a faraway kingdom, but you have never been to a magical world quite like the land of Pell. There, a plucky farm boy will find more than he’s bargained for on his quest to awaken the sleeping princess in her cursed tower. First there’s the Dark Lord, who wishes for the boy’s untimely death . . . and also very fine cheese. Then there’s a bard without a song in her heart but with a very adorable and fuzzy tail, an assassin who fears not the night but is terrified of chickens, and a mighty fighter more frightened of her sword than of her chain-mail bikini. This journey will lead to sinister umlauts, a trash-talking goat, the Dread Necromancer Steve, and a strange and wondrous journey to the most peculiar “happily ever after” that ever once-upon-a-timed. Praise for Kill the Farm Boy “A rollicking fantasy adventure that upends numerous genre tropes in audacious style . . . a laugh-out-loud-funny fusion of Monty Python–esque humor and whimsy à la Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.”—Kirkus Reviews “Dawson and Hearne’s 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.”—Library Journal “Will have you laughing out loud until strangers begin to look at you oddly.”—SyFy “A smart comedy . . . nuanced, complicated, and human.”—Tordotcom “[Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne] 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.”—Publishers Weekly
Featured Series
3 primary booksThe Tales of Pell is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2018 with contributions by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne.
Reviews with the most likes.
(Audiobook listener)
I really wanted to love this book. I haven't read any other work from these authors but I have met them at a fest and follow them on Twitter. I love their dynamic at the Con panels and really think they're great writers. I've heard them talk about the writing process for this book and how it came about and how they put it all together and though it sounded really fun.
After about 50-60% through I zoned out through the rest. But I did finish!
This is definitely a ‘mood' book and you have to be ready for constant jokes and references to poop and sex. (now, i'm all for that here and there, but it was a little over-the-top. Which I do realize that's exactly what this book was going for.)
I did like it for the most part and thought the originality and wittiness of these writers really shone through.
William Dufris on the narration really kept this book afloat for me. It adds such a great layer to everything and the amount of accents and vocal imitations this guy does is astounding.
A lot of the jokes were overdone and the plot line was thin. Very thin. There were some parts that were fun, and others (when talking about food) that were not. I often was reading and asking myself what the characters were trying to accomplish. Where are they going and why. It was as if when writing the book an idea came up for a joke so the story twisted to fit that in, instead of fitting jokes into the story.
Ugh, I hate to give a “It was OK” 2 stars to Kevin Hearne but apart from some really pretty good puns and witticisms the story is just does not click. Back to Oberon and the Iron Druid series for light relief.
I'm pretty sad that I didn't like this book more. I love Kevin Hearne and I love comedic fantasy, but this one fell flat. The concept was exciting, but it didn't work for me. The jokes are pretty lowbrow and repetitive and I just didn't laugh. In another setting, I probably could've gotten behind the characters, but the tone just didn't allow me to take character development seriously. I think it needed more heart and less poop to really match up with Pratchett, Adams, and other genre masters.