An enchanting story on friendship, love and self-discovery in a magical world. "This Will be Fun" by E.B. Asher follows three POVs that made it a little difficult to follow the plot. The story is light and fun. The characters are forthright and exuberant.
I listened to this book on audiobook after the release date and enjoyed the separate narrators for each POV.
I found myself favoring Beatrice because she is introspective and hopeful. Her intentions are often selfish and she tends to live in the past. Nonetheless, her experience resonated most with me. Beatrice's perspective would bring me back to the plot when I became lost from the different perspectives.
The idea for this book sparked from a friend group chat and felt just like one with a fun, fantastical twist.
I recommend this for anyone looking for escapism in fantasy.

*I did not finish this book, stopping at 24%. My review is of the portion I read.*

This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher is a medieval-modern fantasy about a group of heroes reuniting ten years after they saved their kingdom and lost one of their closest friends in the process. The heroes' lives are nothing like what they thought it would be. Instead they've gone their separate ways, not speaking since their last battle. Now they are summoned to the queen's wedding and forced to be together and face the choices they made long ago.

I really wanted to like this one. It was compared to The Princess Bride and People We Meet on Vacation, both favorites of mine. While I can see the comparison, it fell short. The story is told from Elowen, Beatrice, and Clare's points of view, each chapter flipping between them. Beatrice is recently divorced and struggling with the choices she made during their last battle, blaming herself for Galwell's death. Elowen has become a recluse, hidden away in the trees where no one can reach her easily. Clare has embrace the life of hero, signing autographs and living in fame. None of them want to go to the wedding, not with the hole in their friend group. None of them feel like true heroes, and yet that is what they are.

While all of this sounds intriguing and I was really excited to dig into the story, it was (to be bluntly honest) dull. None of the characters really held my attention. Their magical abilities were there but not really explained. The world itself while supposedly medieval (castles, no electricity, horse and buggy, etc) had modern day technology and stores attributed to magic which created an odd juxtaposition to the story that I personally couldn't wrap my head around. The writing itself was good, but the chapters going from one perspective to the next did not flow well together which made for a disjointed reading experience.

Overall, This Will Be Fun was just ok for me. It isn't one I would personally recommend. However, I have seen several reviewers who have enjoyed it, so I'll chalk this one up to just not being for me.

This Will Be Fun had a lot of promise, but was overall a little hit or miss. At times it was clever and fun, at others, too obsessed with its own jokes. But the general inconsistency could have been forgiven if it wasn't for that infuriating ending.

Ten years earlier, the Four saved their kingdom from an evil organization, losing one of their own in the process. Now the remaining three are forced to reunite to save the kingdom again - and are confronted with how little they've healed their old wounds.

I love a book that explores what happens after the big battle and the happily ever after. In this case, it was a lot of fights over stupid things, a lot of emotional betrayal, and a lot of burying feelings. All of this was an excellent setup for what came next - getting the gang back together for one last quest. But with the inconsistent pacing and inconsistent tone, the fact that this was a collaboration between three authors really showed, and not in a good way. There were plenty of fun and even heart-warming moments, but the book was also too entertained by its own jokes about fantasy-meets-modernity (the soap-opera-like shadow plays come to mind), many of which didn't add much at all. I was more interested in the characters and their arcs, but those were often obscured by all the extra set dressing.

But what really made me angry - like genuinely pissed off - was the ending. I don't want to get too spoilery, but the sudden growth and implementation of Beatrice's magic led to a deux-ex-machina situation in the final battle that was frustratingly conflict-avoidant. And if that wasn't enough, she used that same magic to basically undo the reason for all of the characters' growth and healing. The authors seemed to want to show that they could subvert rules and bring about a truly happy ending, but sometimes things can't be undone. Tragedy in stories exists for a reason and without it, emotional growth doesn't have nearly as much weight.

In the end, what could have been a fun read was undermined by a truly bad ending, taking this from a book I would have enjoyed and probably forgotten to one I'll be mad about for a long time.

3/5

E.B. Asher's This Will Be Fun is a delightful blend of fantasy and friendship. This cozy quest follows a group of diverse friends as they embark on a magical adventure, as well as come to terms with their individual trauma from their first quest.

The characters are endearing and relatable, each with their own unique quirks, strengths, and struggles. The world-building, while not overly complex, is imaginative and charming.

While the plot may not be groundbreaking, the book's true strength lies in its ability to evoke feelings for the reader as the characters overcome their pasts and work through their relationships.

"This Will Be Fun" is a cute fantasy about the after effects of saving the world. The traditional epic quest ended a decade ago, and since then the three remaining members of "The Four" (the heroes who saved the realm) have gone their separate ways, unable to deal with the way things ended. The bonds between them have frayed near to breaking, and they are all in some way stuck in the past and unable to move past their trauma. Of course as the story starts events contrive to bring them together and force them to face their fears, and each other.

I enjoyed this book, especially its angle in dealing with what happens after the world is saved. I didn't always agree with the characters or even like them very much, but what Asher was great at doing was getting inside each person's head and showing us why the way that they are acting is completely logical (to them) and coming from their different methods for processing trauma. The first half of the story is a bit light as events and characters are moved into place, but the second half moves along at a better pace and concludes with the expected happy ending. "This Will Be Fun" is a great choice for anyone looking for a light character heavy fantasy with just enough adventure thrown in to keep it moving.

Exploring the moments of a fantasy book that we don’t always get, This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher shows us the what ifs & the what nows that come after the quest ends & the heroes have to just somehow move on with their lives. This premise alone is what grabbed my interest, making me literally think, “Huh. Why don’t we get more of the ‘after’ in the adventure fantasy stories?”

And you know what? This book was indeed fun. I thoroughly enjoyed this book which had silly vibes similar to Ella Enchanted (the movie), Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Monty Python & the Holy Grail, & dare I say…Shrek. It has all of the fantasy vibes combined with fun elements like gossip magazines, side characters who often steal the show, & even conventions with cosplay. And because we bounce between various POVs, we really get a chance to learn about & experience quite a lot of the realm that is Mythria.

This is a story of adventure, grief, healing, & love. But the heart of the story is friendship & found family & all the many ways we can grow together & apart. In fact, it’s given me my new favorite quote about friendship & the vibe that I would like to embody more: “Your life isn’t a burden to me.”

I laughed, I cried, but mostly I just had a silly smile on my face while reading this book. It gave me all of the warm, cozy vibes that I needed in this time of my life & I know that I’ll definitely read it again in the future.

Thank you to Avon & NetGalley for providing an advanced digital copy of this book for review. All thoughts & opinions expressed are my own.

A fantasy book with a focus on friendship in this romantasy book. There were a lot of modern aspects that pulled me out of the story for a moment. One of the couples felt like it dominated the book and they could get annoying.

Best friends Beatrice, Elowen, Clare, and Galwell the Great defended the land from darkness many years ago. But they were devastated by what their quest cost them. They all receive an invitation to the Queen's wedding and end up reunited again.

Although there are a lot of fun elements in this book, it was lacking cohesiveness. The book relied too much on dialogue and character introduction was slow. It was fun at parts but I just could not get into it.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was another story where I was really interested in the idea for the book, but the execution was a bit boring. I feel like the relationships (even if they're technically drifted apart/no longer talking to one another) are never really developed at all--I was lost as to why they are angry with one another and why they aren't friends. Though it's possible I just missed something at some point. Despite this, I did like the characters--they were well-developed and the dialogue was witty but believable. Mostly, I think I ended up disliking this because of the low stakes present in the plot--there just wasn't enough to keep me sucked in. I also hate miscommunication--I'm someone who needs direct and clear communication and does their best to reciprocate that with others--so it always infuriates me when I read it in books. Not enough was revealed to the reader, and so the book just felt a bit boring because it was like picking up a show on season 8, episode 4 where all the action has happened and now you're left with the emotional reactions of characters and relationships you don't understand.

2.75 stars

Honestly most was just sort of boring. It has a lot of characters, but the focus is really on if two certain ones should get together or not. Rather than merging an older time period with modern elements, it just felt disjointed and the worse of both worlds. While I like the idea of this book, and some of the friendships, it was largely a miss for me.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netfalley for an advanced copy to form opinions from.

This ended up being not for me at all . I picked it up and put it down so many times. I ended up dnfing it at 20%.

This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher is a cozy quest romantasy following four past heroes who are reunited after 10 years of not speaking. While the journey they face during this book is much lighter than the feat they conquered in the past, each member of the group is struggling with the grief and trauma of losing their friend in their own way.

Throughout the book the reader is blind as to why the heroes are no longer friends and why many of the characters have anger/resentment towards each other. The reader is also blind to exactly what happened 10 years ago that lead to their friend's death. The character's personalities shine very clear through Asher's writing and the banter and dialogue that bounce between them is very entertaining!

I personally made it 45% of the way into this book and decided to DNF. I know many readers who would enjoy the low stakes quest of this book coupled with the mystery as the reader of not knowing why the past friends have fallen out. Personally for me, I struggle with a low stakes plot and combining that with both the intense level of miscommunication that seems to be going on between the characters and being 'in the dark' as the reader, I felt myself getting frustrated and not wanting to pick the book back up again.

Overall, if a reader enjoys a whimsical world with very light magic, a low stakes quest, and a character-driven story, this is likely a great book for them!

Do you like soap operas? How about medieval times with knights and ladies? If you said yes to both those things…This Will Be Fun….for you!

Told in the viewpoints of friends who had previously quested together but had a major falling out, This Will Be Fun takes them on a new quest, where maybe they’ll save their relationships along with their realm?

I really enjoyed this book and have already recommended it! The characters were funny and in multiple ways relatable (I definitely relate to the antisocialness of Elowen but the need to drink wine of Beatrice…) I loved how they make modern things like elevators seem feasible in a Renaissance type setting. There was a great balance of ridiculousness and seriousness. I would read a sequel, were there to be one.

The only downside, which makes it more of a 3.75 than a 4, is that I don’t think the straight relationship and gay relationship were given the same treatment. One was open door while the other was not, and I found that to be disappointing as I had really loved the diversity and inclusiveness prior to this realization!

But that’s just a minor complaint, all in all it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it for fans of Assistant to the Villain.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I had a hard time getting into this book and only made to 25%. It was a little hard to follow because the main story had already happened. I loved how quirky it was.

If you're really picky about modern elements in mideval times then this will bother you.

This was fun though. I appreciate that there was a lot of drama and tea in the unravelling of what happened before they all split. The angst there was everything I wanted it to be and more. Especially the Elowen and Vandra storyline, it was excellent. I've read a few of these "we used to fight together and the best of us died" tropes in both serious and unserious lights, and this was good. I think I prefer the unserious versions to be honest.

The character work was good, and I enjoyed the quippy time in their travels. The ending was ok, but I was mostly there for the vibes by that point.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an e-copy.

This Will Be Fun is exactly what the title describes, a heart-warming adventure filled reunion of an adventuring party. The world was very much a slightly more modern fantasy space with coffee shops & conjurations of soap operas but also a villainous order who seeks to control and dominate the world. We follow Elowen, Beatrice & Clare as they reunite as the only three left of the fabled Four who saved the realm ten years ago. They lost their leader in Galwell and the years have not been kind to them as there is a constant feeling of guilt about his death.

I particularly enjoyed the more mature characters, especially how they reflected on the way they acted on their original quest and how a lot of their interpersonal dynamics were impacted by their youth. So many of the issues that they had with each other once they got back together and actually talked about it did they seem so immature. The quest itself was a little lackluster but that was to be expected as the characters were the real meat and potatoes of the story. I also really liked the others we met outside the original group of Vandra, Thessia, and Hugh.

This was definitely fun. I think it lost its way a bit at times but overall it was still a good time. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

THIS WILL BE FUN by E. B. Asher has a fascinating premise - part romantasy, part adventure, part comedy - and it tries so hard to make it all work. While there are a number of really bright spots, it ultimately lacks cohesion and doesn’t quite live up to its potential.

Things that worked for me:
- I loved the friendship element between the characters and thought this was the strongest part of the book.
- The lighthearted moments and comedic banter kept me entertained.
- The characters were engaging and diverse.

What fell a bit short:
- The world building needed more attention. Some modern references seemed inconsistent with the setting.
- The romantic element was confusing; sometimes comedic, sometimes not.

The author shows significant potential and I’m interested to read her future work. Overall, this was an entertaining read on a gloomy day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

A wholesome fantasy with an emphasis on friendship.

I had high hopes for this one and while there were a lot of things I liked, it wasn't a slam dunk for me

Although I’ve never read People We Meet on Vacation, I LOVE The Princess Bride and that comparison is spot on.
The fun, campy, romantic adventure that we all know and love in The Princess Bride is the exact vibe we get in This Will Be Fun.
It made me laugh out loud while also feeling their heartbreak and healing throughout the story.
If you’re going into this book hoping for intricate world building in this fantasy you’ll be left disappointed. There’s very minimal world building and what world building there isn’t executed well.
But honestly, it’s not SUPPOSED to be that type of story. It’s campy and if you like that vibe, you’ll love this.
I did enjoy this book but it didn’t really keep my attention. I think there were just too many similarities to the real world and maybe just a bit too cheesy in that regard, that I was taken out of the story and unable to really immerse myself in the story.
I thought the writing was great and loved the second chance romances. As advertised it really was fun!
Ultimately, I just felt like it was lacking.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review