Review--No Country for Old Gnomes by Delilah S. Dawson & Kevin Hearne

 

Go big or go gnome. The New York Times bestselling authors of Kill the Farm Boy return to the world of Pell, the irreverent fantasy universe that recalls Monty Python and Terry Pratchett.

The Skyr is a rich, verdant land claimed by both halflings and gnomes. For centuries, the halflings have worked to undermine gnomish power structures and seize total control--through legal means, certainly, but more insidiously through their extensive organized crime network. Now, threatened with being pushed out entirely, the gnomes are desperate and ready to fight back. Gustave the Goat King faces his first test as a leader: Can he bring peace to a fraught region or will a civil war consume the entire kingdom?

 

 

 

 

 

I've finally returned to The Tales of Pell with the second installment, No Country for Old Gnomes by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne! I remember really enjoying Kill the Farm Boy! It's a fantasy story with a flair of humor! It's compared to Monty Python, which works, but I like to think Mel Brooks too since they are of the same brand of humor! Lol.

While we are in the same world as last time, we have a cast of new characters, though we will eventually see some familiar faces. In this one we learn of an ongoing battle between gnomes and halflings. Halflings are trying to take gnome territory and since gnomes are smaller, they are fighting a losing battle, but they are not out yet! The gnomes are a peaceful bunch and aren't wanting to fight at all which makes them easy pickings for the halflings.

Offi is what you would call a "goth" gnome and he's always lived in the shadow of his twin brother, Onni. But when halflings force them out of their home and they are living is a safe house, Offi meets some new friends, along with old ones and they decide they are going to do something about it. Joining together, they decide to travel to a great library to find the old peace treaties that basically lineout where the gnomes territory lies and the halflings are encroaching on it.

We see quite the cast of characters here, a gryphon who loves eggs, a dwarf who likes his plants more than his cudgel, and a budding witch gnome who happens to have a crush on Onni, who Offi is pretending to be on this adventure.

You can expect the same comedy and heart from this book that rang true in the first one as well. This series definitely brings all the vibes of Mel Brooks and Monty Python. It's got humor, it's got fantasy, and there's just that spark you get when two worlds collide from modern day to fantasy land! I was also happy to see the great king Gustave again! It took a bit of remembering, naturally, but once things started clicking in memory, I was back to having a blast with familiar faces and new ones!

The book does take a few surprising turns in the end! I wasn't expecting some of the outcomes that we got, but they fit well within the story. I'll admit, I read this during a very chaotic week, so my reading times were sparse and spread out, so I might have lost a few details here and there when I picked it back up or tried to read during chaotic noise, but the overall feel of the story still gripped me tight and had me entertained for many hours!

If you're looking for a fun and funny fantasy read, I would highly recommend giving The Tales of Pell a try! I am now going to pick up the final volume of the trilogy for one last laugh!

 

Overall Rating 4/5 stars