Okay, a quick disclaimer here. I know the author, Graeme Smith, through an online writing group and I did read one of the earlier versions of COMEDY OF TERRORS.
It made me laugh out loud then. When I reread it this weekend, it made me laugh out loud again.
The hero is the Royal Idiot who works for Queen Sonea. Anytime wine's spilled on a visiting dignitary at a state banquet or anytime the army loses a battle... It's always some idiot's fault. And Segorian is that Idiot. He shows up in the right uniform (servant or general or whatever) and gets banished from the kingdom. Then he sneaks back through the back door, ready to be blamed again the next time an idiot is needed.
The queen kind of likes Segorian, though Segorian's a little too dense (he admits women are an open book to him but he never learned to read) to understand the situation, and sends him off on a dragon-slaying mission with some trepidation. No worries. The dragon's too smart and Segorian's too...
Let's just say the dragon turns out to be a main character who helps Segorian and Sonea tackle the bad guy who's coming to eat up all the people of the kingdom.
Oh, yeah. There's always a villain in these things. So in COMEDY, we have mayhem, murder, misunderstandings and misanthropy. All rolled up in one book.
Readers who enjoy the Myth series of Robert Asprin or the Xanth series of Piers Anthony will delight in discovering a new comic fantasy author. I know I did.
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Monday, January 24, 2011
THE HUNGER GAMES
We've been traveling so I downloaded several samples of books onto my Kindle. I zipped through the beginning excerpt from this book by Suzanne Collins and immediately bought it.
It's YA - though not for preteens because it's so brutal - but anyone who likes sci fi, fantasy, and/or postapocalyptic fiction will enjoy it. It grabs you and keeps moving.
The heroine lives in a disintegrated United States where there are 12 districts - the 13th once rebelled and was absorbed into the rest - and an authoritarian government. Much like ancient Rome used the gladiators to keep the population entertained and quiescent, this government uses the Hunger Games. Twenty-four young people are chosen for the games; at the end only one will live. Our heroine takes the place of her beloved young sister whose name was pulled.
The contestants are wined, dined, styled, dressed, and interviewed before being pitted against each other in an arena (which can be plains, forest, islands, volcanic rock formations, etc.). Cameras follow their every move, but the footage is edited each day to make sure none of the actions foment unrest.
The populace may be poor and starving but viewers of the Games are thrilled, titillated, fascinated and absorbed. Huge TV sets blare each day's hunt to the crowds. Gamblers bet huge sums on the winner. Sponsors offer gifts to favorites. Sound familiar?
Collins doesn't preach. She focuses on the heroine and the boy from her district who was chosen. But the slivers of truth in this story mean readers will never again view American Idol or Survivor or any other reality show in the same way.
I could hardly wait to finish the book. The concept is fascinating, the plot is interesting and the pace is perfect. And that makes it a great read.
It's YA - though not for preteens because it's so brutal - but anyone who likes sci fi, fantasy, and/or postapocalyptic fiction will enjoy it. It grabs you and keeps moving.
The heroine lives in a disintegrated United States where there are 12 districts - the 13th once rebelled and was absorbed into the rest - and an authoritarian government. Much like ancient Rome used the gladiators to keep the population entertained and quiescent, this government uses the Hunger Games. Twenty-four young people are chosen for the games; at the end only one will live. Our heroine takes the place of her beloved young sister whose name was pulled.
The contestants are wined, dined, styled, dressed, and interviewed before being pitted against each other in an arena (which can be plains, forest, islands, volcanic rock formations, etc.). Cameras follow their every move, but the footage is edited each day to make sure none of the actions foment unrest.
The populace may be poor and starving but viewers of the Games are thrilled, titillated, fascinated and absorbed. Huge TV sets blare each day's hunt to the crowds. Gamblers bet huge sums on the winner. Sponsors offer gifts to favorites. Sound familiar?
Collins doesn't preach. She focuses on the heroine and the boy from her district who was chosen. But the slivers of truth in this story mean readers will never again view American Idol or Survivor or any other reality show in the same way.
I could hardly wait to finish the book. The concept is fascinating, the plot is interesting and the pace is perfect. And that makes it a great read.
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