This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Ugh. I wish the eARC didn't say I needed to hold off any quotations until I could compare it with the final copy -- or maybe, I wish I had noticed that very tiny print before I got half a draft of this finished. On the other hand, I was having trouble narrowing down which of my lengthy options to use, because, if nothing else, this is one of the more quotable books I've read in the last couple of years.

Kill the Farm Boy is a comedic fantasy, a satirical look at fantasy and even a parody of the genre. But what makes it effective is that for all the comedy, there's a decent story and some solid characters throughout. It's be easy for it to be a collection of jokes, with no story; or a tale full of character types, not characters. But Dawson and Hearne avoid those pitfalls.

The titular farm boy, Worstley, is going about his typical day, full of drudgery when an inebriated pixie shows up to announce that he is a Chosen One -- one who is destined to save, or at least change, the world. To demonstrate her power, the pixie gives one of his goats, Gustave, the power of speech. The goat isn't too happy about being able to speak, but since he was destined to end up in a curry in a few days, decides to travel with the newly appointed Chosen One, his former Pooboy. The pixie, having Chosened Worstley, disappears. Worstley the Pooboy (hey, Taran, worse things to be called than Assistant Pig-Keeper, eh?) and Gustave head off on a quest for glory.

Despite the book's title, we don't spend that much time with Worstley -- instead the focus shifts (for good reason) to a band of hero--well, a group of companions. There's Fia -- a fierce warrior from a distant land, who just wants to live a life of peace with some nice roses -- and some armor that would actually protect her (not that there's anyone who minds seeing here in her chain-mail bikini). Argabella, a struggling bard who is cursed to be covered in fur -- she's basically Fflewddur Fflam and Gurgi combined (last Prydian reference, probably). Every adventuring party needs a rogue/thief, this one has to settle for the klutzy and not necessarily bright, Poltro, and her guardian, the Dark Lord magician, Toby (though some would only consider him crepuscular), of dubious talents. I can't forget Grinda the sand witch (no, really), Worstley's aunt and a magic user of considerable talent.

There are no shortage of villains -- and/or antagonists to this party. There are some pretty annoying elves; a hungry giant; Løcher, the King's chamberlain and mortal enemy of Grinda; Staph, the pixie behind the Chosening; as well as several magical traps, Lastly, there's Steve. We don't meet him (I'm betting it'll be in Book 3 when we do), but throughout these adventures we how much this world, and our heroes lives, have been turned upside down my the worst Steve since one (allegedly) unleashed the preposterous hypothesis that Jemaine was a large water-dwelling mammal. Steve . . .

The writing is just spot-on good. Dawson and Hearne have taken all these various and disparate themes, tropes, characters and surrounded them with a lot of laughs. There's some pretty sophisticated humor, some stuff that's pretty clever -- but they also run the gamut to some pretty low-brow jokes as well. Really, these two are on a tight comedic budget, no joke is too cheap. The variation ensures there's a little something for everyone -- and that you can't predict where the humor will come from. I will admit that early on I got annoyed with a few running jokes, but I eventually got to the point that I enjoyed them -- not just in a "really? they're trying it again?" sense, either.

For all the comedy -- Kill the Farm Boy hits the emotional moments just right. There's a depiction of grief towards the end (spoiler?) that I found incredibly affecting and effective. There are smaller moments -- less extreme moments -- too that are dealt with just right. Maybe even better than some of the bigger comedic moments. This is the reward of populating this book with fully-realized characters, not just joke vehicles.

I have a couple of quibbles, nothing major, but I'm not wholly over the moon with this (but I can probably hit sub-orbital status). There was a bit about a fairly articulate Troll being taken down by a female using (primarily) her wits that could've used a dollop or five of subtly. Clearly they weren't going for subtle, or they'd have gotten a lot closer to it. But it bugged me a bit (while being funny and on point). Secondly, and this is going to be strange after the last 2 posts -- but this seemed to be too long. Now, I can't imagine cutting a single line, much less a scene or chapter from this, but it just felt a little long. I do worry that some of Poltro's backstory is too tragic and upon reflection makes it in poor taste (at best) to laugh about her -- which is a shame, because she was a pretty funny character until you learn about her.

This is probably the best comedic/parody/satire fantasy since Peter David's Sir Apropos of Nothing -- and this doesn't have all the problematic passages. I've appreciated Dawson's work in the past, and you have to spend 30 seconds here to know that I'm a huge Hearne fan, together they've created something unlike what they've done before. Well, except for their characteristic quality -- that's there. I cared about these characters -- and they made me laugh, and giggle, and roll my eyes. This is the whole package, folks, you'll be glad you gave it a chance.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this.

Kill The Farm Boy (The Tales of Pell, #1)
by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne

I love the premise of the book, and the humour just made me giggle throughout the book. I love the idea that you don’t always have to have Tolkin’s formula for the regular adventure book. I found Gustave hilarious and his reactions were classic Terry Pratchett. If i was in contact with the bloke that started me on Pratchett i would be sending this book to him.. Cause he showed me a new world of reading would love to show him that it continues. Thank your Kevin and Delilah for bringing to life that coffee delayed idea.. I am enthralled. I would love to me the Dread Steve, just because he sounded so much like a the creep you have got to know just to hate him more. I hope this book leads to more just like it.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Strap yourself in, make sure your sense of humor is safely nestled in the crook of your arm, this nonstop ride is about to leave the station without nary a rest stop in between, which may or may not be necessary, depending on how well you can hold your puns.

Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Ahearne are running an author tag team with satire fantasy and the quips are flowing like a chocolate fountain at the All-You-Can-Eat buffet. KILL THE FARM BOY leaves no stone unturned when it comes to tongue-in-cheek, off-the-wall storytelling and it all began with a quest…but so does every fantasy. And that where this one veers far off the beaten path…

Loads of laughs, tons of fun and with a cast of the most unlikely heroes and villains ever, the land of Pell makes an hour in the Funhouse mirror maze seem absolutely dull.

That said, perhaps best read in doses to avoid “quirk” overload, this tale sometimes gets to be juuuuusssst a little too much, too often and loses that “riding the edge” of hilarity and entertainment feel!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Del Ray!

Series: The Tales of Pell - Book 1
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: July 17, 2018
Genre: Fantasy | Comedy
Hardcover: 384 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

A some aught entertaining satire of the fantasy genre and more particularly of the "chosen one" trope. Many of the jokes were funny, although not enough by themselves to sustain the narrative. I realized about 70% through (much earlier tbh, but I accepted it at 70%) that I just didn't care enough about any of the characters to bother finishing the novel. There was a lot of telling and not showing when it came to narrative and character development, often because the narrative voice was too busy making sarcastic quips and asides instead of using the characters themselves for comedic value. While this occasionally led to some funny jokes, I felt this made the novel much longer than it needed to be and was a deficit to the development of the story line and the characters themselves.

I started and stopped this book a few times before abandoning it at 10%, when I noticed that I still had 4.5 hours left in the book (according to my Kindle) and realized that I was dreading the next 4.5 hours of puns and cliches.

Doesn't appeal to my sense of humor, oddly enough, considering Mr Hearne's other works are some of my favorite in the genre.

Hi, I'm the one person is the world who finds puns irritating -- nice to meet you.

Eh, what are you gonna do. Not every book that exists has to cater to me. I'm sure plenty of people will love this book, but I thought it was kind of a drag.

This reminds me of the comic fantasy books of the 80s & 90s. It tiptoes right up to the edge of Piers Anthony's Xanth series and then, thankfully, backs off just enough to retain the over the top humor and dispense with the grossness. Also it has a talking goat and do you really want to miss out on that?

I'm sorry - I didn't like this book at all. I'm a fan of Kevin Hearne and was excited to read this book. I was very disappointed. Some of the characters were downright revolting and I found myself almost physically ill. The story was told in a arch, sarcastic way with lots of asides and puns. I normally appreciate that - if its done subtley and well. In this book it was completely overdone and detracted from the narrative. I got what the authors were trying to do, they just didn't do it well. I appreciate the opportunity to read the book and I hope they try again - just dial it back a lot.

This book is a great humorous fantasy! It also skewers classic fantasy tropes which made it unpredictable. I loved the characters. I loved the unconventional chosen ones. If you love Terry Pratchett and Piers Anthony then you might love Hearne and Dawson. Here's to a cloud of angry garlic naan!

This book is worth the time. I was feeling a bit blue but this book perked me up. This is a fun adventure where the fairies are drunk, the goats can talk and fear a good curry recipe, there are wizards, and heroes and it's just hilarity all around. Read this book!

I received a galley of this book via Netgalley.

So a rogue, a bard, a warrior, a wizard, and a goat set off on a quest... and things happen. Weird, wacky things. Note that the titular farm boy isn't mentioned in that list. That's because he does pretty early on in a tragic way. Co-authors Kevin Hearne and Delilah Dawson subvert fantasy tropes in many amusing ways--I was pretty fond of the Dark Lord wizard who is best at creating rains of bread--though like all humor, it can be pretty subjective and hit-or-miss. I wearied of poop jokes pretty early on, but I did enjoy the book's great reverence for the glories of cheese.

DNF - I love Kevin Hearne's other series, but I could not get into this story.. The humor was very over the top, pratfall style. The humor reminded me of Mel Brooks but just like Mr. Brooks' movies, sometimes it works and somtimes it does not.

I had been looking forward to this and was very disappointed.

Kevin Hearne and Delilah Dawson are amazing together! This book was funny and very well written. It was a seriously refreshing take on some overused fantasy tropes. The characters were all hilarious, and I was laughing out loud at some of the situations they faced.

I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

This is truly awful, forgettable, and altogether boring book. I had to labor through its pointless plot machinations and unfunny jokes, and I somewhat regret that I did. But, I was excited to start this read: a modern take on The Princess Bride? A hilarious romp in the spirit of Monty Python and the Holy Grail? I was sold!

That marketing hyperbole falls short as the book doesn't quite deliver on the sales pitch. What you get is a vague shadow of this comedic classics, but instead of witty humor and clever banter you get grammar jokes about the silent K and eye rolling bodily references straight from an elementary school playground.

Mostly, I'm not sure who this book is for. It's certainly not adults or middle grade readers. Maybe this will appeal to teens? I know that the teens in my library, even with their love of low brow humor, will certainly see right through the drudgery that is Kill the Farm Boy.

Funny and quirky. It felt like The Princess Bride done by Terry Pratchett. Cross appeal for teens and adults.

I finished 'Kill the Farm Boy' by Kevin Hearne and Delilah S. Dawson. It is a quirky fantasy adventure with lots of modern one liners thrown in to give you a bit of a giggle. We follow along with the adventurers Fia, Argabella, Dark Lord Toby, Poltro and of course Gustave, a talking goat. They are on a quest to cure Argabella's affliction and waken her village. In course of their journey, feelings grow and our adventurers form a bond. Having read some of the Iron Druid Chronicles, you can sense Kevin Hearne's wit. Delilah and he have created a fun little romp through the country side. There is still unfinished business. We can only hope that they will continue the adventures of our little band in future volumes.

The basic formula of farm boy/chosen one fantasy is turned on its head in this book. Kevin Hearne and Delilah S. Dawson have crafted a crazy romp through all of the familiar fantasy and fairytale tropes, from talking animals to chainmail bikinis, poking fun at them along the way. The comic tone in the beginning kept the main characters at a bit of a distance, but I warmed up to them as the story went along, and by the end I was rooting for a happy ending. There were a handful of times that the story and the jokes fell a bit flat (some tropes have been done so many times, even parodying them is old), but for the most part it was a fun, cheerful send-up that made me laugh several times.
I would recommend this book for fans of the fantasy genre who are looking for a laugh, in the vein of Terry Pratchett's Discworld or other comic fantasy novels. I'll be mostly curious to see what a second book is like, and how these characters grow and develop as a serious.

I usually give myself to page 100 if I am struggling with a book and want to give up. I made it to the 101st page and just couldn't do it anymore; It was so exhausting to read. In the 100 pages I read there were 21 words that I had to look up. That is an absurd number, and four of them were on the first front-and-back page. It was also just too punny for me - I think this was the most exhausting part for me. It took me about a week to get though what I did because I kept avoiding it. There were too many millennial quirks, such as using "even" (I can't even, etc.) and "literally" (when it is in fact not literal). Arabella was the worst character for me. By page 100 she had turned into a timid, sniffling weakling that I had no interest reading about and the budding interest between her and Fia felt forced and showy.

The story itself was okay. I can see how one might enjoy this book but it is definitely not the book for me.

These days I’m on a Kevin Hearne reading spree (see my reviews of A Plague of Giants and The Squirrel on the Train) so I dove into Kill the Farm Boy, discovering to my delight that Hearne’s co-author, Delilah S. Dawson, is none other than another of my recent favorites, as Lila Bowen author of the excellent “The Shadow” series. Delight rapidly gave way to hilarity as this story unfolded, tackling one fantasy trope after another, turning them on their heads and planting petunias between their toes.

The titular farm boy is Worstley, younger brother of Bestley, who had been stabbed in the heart by Lord Ergot (if you don’t know what ergot is, pause now and look it up) for being too handsome. When a malicious pixie named Staph (aureus?) casts a spell to change Worstley into the Chosen One (and gives Gustave the goat the ability to speak, which he does in smart-ass style), it does not set well with The Dark Lord Toby (whose most powerful spell causes baked goods to rain from the sky). Opposing The Dark Lord Toby’s nefarious, yeastly plans are Fia, a 7-foot tall barbarian warrior, and her sweetheart, Argabella, a woman enchanted to be a half-rabbit, who incidentally is the world’s worst bard:

She … sang an improvised song of obfuscation:
We are not food
No sir Mister Monster
We taste super bad
Oh gods we are not food
Really really really

You gotta believe me

It’s hard to beat that.

The silliness isn’t restricted to spooks of characters from pose, verse, and film (although familiarity with J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis Carroll, The Princess Bride, The Wizard of Oz, Grimm’s fairytales, Conan the Barbarian, and Norse mythology, to name a few, enhances the humor).

I found that I couldn’t read too many chapters at a sitting, but the play of tropes, not to mention the puns, kept me coming back for another fun visit to the Lands of Pell.

The usual disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book, but no one bribed me to say anything about it.

Kill The Farm Boy is a wonderful adult fairy tale filled with witticisms and themes sure to spur the imagination. No baby language here, the dialog and depth of the writing and use of words may have you heading to the dictionary a time or two.

Poor Worstley, is a lowly farm boy with a non-existent future until a ragged looking pixie named Staph visits him in the barnyard to tell him he is the Chosen One. To prove her powers, she zaps his goat, Gus, sending him into convulsions before he recovers and begins to talk. Then she sends the stunned Worstley, and his goat, off on the adventure of their lives to save the world. What transpires from there is a fun and remarkable adventure that only an imaginable pair of writers could concoct.

Some reviewers have compared this book to others they have read. I believe this tale of magic deserves to stand on its own based upon my complete enjoyment of the writing and wit.

My first foray into fantasy was when I read The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander in elementary school. I ate it up and soon read all the stories that followed about Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper. And on I went to other authors in the genre, and their knights, dragons, and magic. This love of the many fantasy tropes is what brought me to read a great parody of all those tropes, Dawson and Hearne's Kill the Farm Boy.

I won't say much about the plot or the characters... Only that there's a quest and a couple curses and some cross-kingdomly conflicts. There's a talking goat, a not-so-stealthy rogue, an agoraphobic wizard, a plastic-surgery-addicted witch, a "chosen one" and many other amusing characters filling our favorite roles.  The crew traipse through a witch's palace, a goblin market, an elf's bedroom, a giant's kitchen, and many other dark wooded "demesne" of creatures of the night, morning, afternoon, and all the other times of day.

Full of witch wit, ghost gags, and wizard wisecracks, the novel slays in its discussions, arguments, and light conversations debating important topics like cheese, forks in the road, and the nature of orb magic. Even though the narrative tends to the episodic, the fun word play, physical comedy, and constant allusions to the main kings and queens of the genre kept me reading. 

Overall, Kill the Farm Boy is a whimsical yarn, a jesting jape... A fun read that plays homage to the best of Piers Anthony and Terry Prachett. I recommend it to those looking for a quest for some good laughs and a desire to rekindle that first love of fantasy. 

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House/ Ballantine, Del Rey Books, and the authors for an advanced copy for review.