A very unusual story. I didn't think I would like it from the first chapters but once the main characters all meet and join in their quest it started making a great deal more sense. I found the characters to be most unusual but very represent of different people and the lessons imparted to be wise. #NoCountryForOldGnomes #NetGalley

★ ★ ★ ★ (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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As much as I loved 2018's Kill the Farm Boy -- and talked about it everywhere and repeatedly -- I wasn't sure how much I really wanted to pick up the sequel. There's no way it would be as good, the humor would be a little stale, and the whole approach wouldn't seem as novel. Still, I knew curiosity would get the better of me -- and it'd still have its moments. Also, I'm not at the point where I can live in a world with a Kevin Hearne book in print that I haven't read.

I was so, so wrong. Having established their off-kilter world, strong voice, and approach to the stories of Pell, Dawson and Hearne have come back to play in it. The result is superior in every way that I can think of. I lost track of how many times I said to myself while reading something along the lines of, "how did they improve things this much?"

So this book happens in different corner of the kingdom than Farm Boy did. The Skylar is a choice piece of the land that is home to two diminutive races --- halflings and gnomes. Gnomes want to live in their nice little homes, tinker with their little projects and inventions, and wear brightly colored cardigans (well, there was one gnome who wanted to wear a black cardigan, but let's leave that aside for now). The halflings have found their government hijacked by criminals and those particular halflings are waging a war of sorts on the gnomes, driving them from their homes for unknown reasons. Driven by desperation, two of these displaced gnomes are part of our questing party here. A halfling -- committed to (some may say obsessed with) the law that is being ignored by his people is another member of the party.

These three join themselves to an ovitaur named Agape -- an ovitaur is like a faun, but is humanoid with sheep characteristics (feet, legs, ears, etc). She's the last of a long family line serving as teh guardians of a rare treasure, and needs guidance. A gryphon, named Gerd, outcast from his people has been accompanying the halfling for some time, but is devoted to protecting Agape now. The last member of the party is a dwarf named Båggi Biins. Båggi is on his Meadschpringå -- a time when young dwarves leave their homes to purge the violence from themselves so they can return to their homes to pursue an ascetic life of creativity. He joins the others certain that journeying with them, protecting them along their way will provide all the outlet required to use his violence in a noble cause.

Their quest? To go to the Great Library, where the founding documents of the gnomeric and halfling civilizations are located -- which should prove invaluable to re-establish the peace and help the two societies get along. Agape should find resources to direct her in her guardianship, and hopefully provide Gerd with the proof that he broke no laws of the gryphons.

The fact that most people on Pell consider the Great Library to be a myth shouldn't be taken as an argument against this quest. What better place than a possibly mythical library to provide the answers they seek?

While these characters are on their quest, working for peace -- the king and his advisor are trying to solve the problems between the halflings and gnomes in a more direct approach. We also see (briefly in most cases) other characters from Farm Boy. We see just enough to know how things are going for them some months later -- and on the whole, it's just as you'd hoped/expected it to be for them. It is not essential to have read the previous volume to get 95% of this book. It's safe to hand this one off to family, friends and coworkers who are wondering what you're cackling about without making them do homework first.

Along the way, these characters meet a cult of cabbage worshipers, who have the ability to read prophecies in the vegetables; some very frightening mermaids (that look nothing like anything anyone expects); a very Tom Bombadil-esque character (and a few other Tolkien-inspired jokes). As in Farm Boy, the authors manage to use these ideas as sources of comedy and to propel the plot along in meaningful ways. Similarly, they use racial and personal characteristics of the characters to play with, play against and mock genre standards. But almost none of the characters are mere jokes, they're well-developed characters that happen to be able to comedic. This is not an easy balance to achieve -- and Hearne and Dawson are almost flawless on this front.

For example, gryphons are convinced that they perceive greater nuance and details in colors, sounds, tastes and the like and adjust their pronunciation of words via capital letters, umlauts and extra syllables. Gerd's dialogue is littered with these. It starts off as a joke that just won't stop, and instead of it getting tired or annoying (which I assumed it would), it becomes just part of the way that Gerd talks. His own particular dialect, that occasionally will strike you as amusing -- maybe even just funny occasionally. I wouldn't say it's because the authors show restraint with it, employing it just when needed to keep it funny. Quite the reverse, they seemingly take the approach of drowning you in the joke, figuring that it'll be funny often enough to justify it.

If you're like me, you have a tendency to skip chapter titles. Doing so with The Tales of Pell would be a mistake. The titles are long, fitting, and insanely goofy. The only thing better are the chapter epigraphs I imagine the drafts going back and forth between the authors, each trying to top the other with the next chapter title/epigraph. And generally succeeding.

These books are noted (as I've focused on) for their comedy -- as is right, because they are funny. But as anyone who's read other works by Dawson and Hearne know, they're about a lot more than comedy. The battle scenes are exciting. The emotional themes and reactions are genuine and unforced. And tragedy hits hard. It's easy to forget in the middle of inspiring moments or humorous aftermaths of battle that these kind of novels involve death and other forms of loss -- and when you do forget, you are open to getting your heart punched.

In case I haven't made it clear here, Dawson and Hearne knocked it out of the park here. I thought Kill the Farm Boy was outstanding, and No Country for Old Gnomes surpassed it on every front. I don't expect that the third volume of The Tales of Pell will continue this trend -- but I'm more than open to being proven wrong next year. But for 2019? I'm just going to revel in the goodness -- the laughs, the pathos, the excitement -- brought by this adventure and the wonderful cast of characters. Get your hands on this one.

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

Recieved an advanced copy from netgalley to review. I loved this book. I find myself laughing at every page and the nods to other books. The characters are well rounded. If you want read a great story that doesn't take itself too seriously you need this book.

This novel is stinkin' fantastic! I am not accustomed to a novel making me outright laugh out loud (you should have seen the looks I received from my family) but I laughed my toosh off through this entire book. The characters are amazing, the plot is quick moving and wonderful, and the book itself is impossible to put down. 5 Stars all the way, because it's just that brilliant.

Silly little gnomes, fantasies for kids! I am such a sucker for children’s fantasy books.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the copy!

The halflings have started a war against the gnomes. They're bombing their homes, killing random families, and attempting to run them out of their homes. They are also winning. The only ones brave enough to resist are the children. They begin their quest to stop it by starting out to visit the men in charge...

Del Rey and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published April 16th.

As the gnome begins his journey, a girl gnome with witch powers joins him. Then he comes across an almost sheep-like person who is also journeying and trying to stay away from the halflings. And, without planning it, they even end up with halfling helping them. The halfling comes with a gryphon so they're a formidable enemy. It seems one halfling is set on stealing gnome homes to sell on another world level. They intend to stop him. But he has spies everywhere and one King on his side. With this batch of misfits, will they manage to conquer him?

It's a great fantasy with lots of action. There are sad parts but there is only one casualty on the quest team. I'd like to see them all survive but his sacrifice has made him a hero and his father can now be very proud of him.

I'd be interesting in seeing how it all goes for them down the line. That makes it a good book to me.

I really enjoy the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Sometimes they are the best part.

I liked this one better than book one. It was sweet and funny and a nice tale about tolerance.

I received a free e-galley from netgalley.com

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book will be available for purchase on April 16th of this year.

I was so excited to receive this book, because I loved the first book in the Pell series (Kill the Farm Boy). I was hopeful that this would continue in the fun vein of the first, and I was not disappointed.

This fantastic book not only turns classic fantasy tropes upside down, it shakes their pockets for loose change. I loved it! It was chock full of puns, ridiculous situations, and hilarious characters.

Offi, the emo gnome might very well be my favorite. There’s nothing like a cute little gnome wearing gothic blacks, and rolling his eyes, to make a person chuckle. Reading his interactions with Onni was a lesson in how funny tweaking words here and there can be.

The writing was fantastic, the story was quick-moving and funny as Pell, and I honestly can’t think of a single thing I’d change. I enjoyed this book even more than the first, and that’s saying something. I’m still grinning, thinking about prophetic cabbages…

If you enjoy quirky books, word plays, and a healthy dose of humor, this book is for you.

*This review will go live on my blog (link posted below) on March 15th. It was also be posted on my Goodreads account at https://www.goodreads.com/WittyandSarcasticBookclub.

I’m going to start off with some honesty— I tapped out about a third into Kill the Farm Boy. The humor was just ridiculous enough to make me giggle, but I got fed up with the “Worstley is dead” plot device and skipped to the end to find out if he stayed that way. I enjoyed this book a lot more, and I’d recommend it to anyone who can suspend their disbelief and not take themselves too seriously.
This book started off a little slow, such that I almost gave up shortly before the characters’ plot lines converged. I’m so glad I kept going, because after our heroes meet, the story really picks up! I especially loved Offi and his goth gnome tendencies, Gerd and her love of flufee omlets (her spelling is that hilarious extra touch I needed), and Baggi and his efforts to excise his violence. I also want to be Kirsi when I grow up.
This is clearly a Lord of the Rings parody, but it’s a good one, with a charm all its own. I cringed at times, but I was highlighting one or two particularly funny or insightful phrases per chapter the entire book. I know that if I had finished the first book, Kill the Farm Boy, I might understand why Gustave the goat is now king, but I was willing to accept that and carry on.
I wasn’t 100% crazy about the ending— I guess someone had to have an unhappy end, but I was crossing my fingers that I was wrong. It didn’t spoil the book for me, though, and I honestly found myself a little bit touched by the fates of these characters I’d spent so many pages with.
I will probably pick up the next book in the series when it comes out, and I recommend this book if you liked Kill the Farm Boy, or if you liked its humor but wanted a little less aimless wandering and more of an Epic Quest.

Favorite Quotes:
“For the spirit is courageous but the legs are dainty and suffering from overproduction of lactic acid.”
“I don’t love it any less, and I don’t forget it. It’s always a part of me. But I carry it in my heart instead of my arms.”
“Different fritters for different critters.”
“Look, it is always impossible to outrun your own ass.”

This is the second book in the series, although most of it is with a different set of characters so if you haven't read the first one, you might be okay.
Skyr is a beautiful land split between the halflings and gnomes, but now a group of halflings want it for themselves. As gnomes are forced to leave their homes, two of them join up with a halfling, dwarf, gryphon, and ovitaur to set things right with King Gustave.

I was hoping for a new tale but with just as many laughs as the first, I was not disappointed. The Tales from Pell series has thus far been full of belly laughs, puns and plenty of mostly heroic tales. I highly suggest this new novel if you are a fan of Terry Pratchett or of just laughing in general.

Reading No Country for Old Gnomes feels as though we are in a dungeon and dragons campaign with Ms. Dawson, which really lends itself well to all ages.

I enjoyed this, but not quite as much as the first one. It just dragged a little in places for me.

I really enjoyed the references to the Lord of the Rings though! Those were the things that had me laughing the most.

I received this as an arc from NetGalley.

I'd give this book somewhere between 2.5 and 3 stars. I really wanted to like it more than I did in the end. There were parts that were fantastic - character development, the actual quest and adventures they run into along the way, and the dynamics between all the different characters. Offi and Agapa were my favorite characters. My biggest problem with the book was that I felt the authors were trying too hard to be clever which ended up really hurting the story. The characters are supposed to be on an important quest, but for much of it there did not seem to be any sense of urgency to their actions.

I just finished "No Country for Old Gnomes." Kevin Hearne and Delilah Dawson have again presented us with a tale fun of humor, adventure and puns. As someone who reads fantasy, we are usually quite familiar with the behavior of the creatures of Middle Earth. This is not your usual tale. The gnomes are reminiscent of David the Gnome from Nickelodeon. The halflings behave more like trolls and goblins. Then of course, there are the humans. King Gustave is unlike any human you have read about before because he wasn't always human. There are a few too many poo puns for my taste but still over all a quite enjoyable read.,

Yet another fantastic book from two HILARIOUS authors. I found myself literally laughing out loud so many times; this was a nice departure from the often serious plots in the fantasy genre. I'll certainly have to do a reread since I'm sure I missed some of the hidden gems. I was sad that the characters from the first book only come up as side characters in this installment, but it was still heaps of fun.

I felt that this book was close to being a very fun book to read. There were some issues that kept it from being completely enjoyable. Mostly, I felt that it was hard to connect with the characters and, in some cases, with the humor. I felt like the funnier punchlines at the beginning of the book were a little awkward, which made me notice some forced humor from then on. I think by about midway through the book, I could have been enjoying it better, but the poor first step undermined that enjoyment. Unfortunately, I did not finish the book, having lost interest about halfway through.

Groan-worthy tropes, lame jokes, and funny twists in plots are back in this sequel to "Kill the Farm Boy". If you like Monty Python and slapstick humor, this series will be right up your alley!

If you enjoyed Kill the Farm Boy, Dawson & Hearne's second tale of Pell, No Country for Old Gnomes, is even more enjoyable. But don't worry, if the premise of a dead poo boy doesn't interest you, reading the first book isn't a prerequisite to enjoy this story. This tale of misfits working together to save Pell grabs you right in the heart.

Why should you read it? It's fun. I enjoyed the characters evolution as they learned how it is important to trust your friends and choose your own family.

While the puns and fun it pokes at itself aren't as in your face as they are in Kill the Farm Boy, it's still a very enjoyable read that had me giggling on every page. Overall, it feels better polished than the first tale, thanks to the diligence that the gnomes take to perfection

No Country for Old Gnomes
The Tales of Pell
by Kevin Hearne; Delilah S. Dawson
The second book in the Kill the Farm Boy series is absolutely delightful. It is the continuing saga of Gustave the goat enchanted turned man turned boot eating King. We have a new motley crew of individuals thrown together for yet another quest both outwardly as well as inwardly. This book has a lot more depth than the first and was really fun. Nothing like goth emo metal gnomes to get you giggling. Looking forward to where the third book goes.

This is a wonderful tale like none other. There is so much humor and cliches in this book, it is just that wonderful. How could you not want to read this awesome piece of creativity. I laughed and laughed with this one.

If you are tired of the dark thrillers and depressing teen dramas, then you really need to pick up this book and just have a good laugh.