Started: 09/06/21
Finished: 28/06/21
Spoilers: No
What a wonderfully flamboyant read. And a delightful surprise too. This wasn't what I expected at all, but in the best possible way.
Characters
I suppose I was expecting a serious book with characters that likewise took themselves seriously. But what I got instead was a good old fashioned piece of swashbuckling fun narrated through Kinch's energetic and colourfully skewed perspective.
What an animated character he turned out to be. So brimming with life and cheeky attitude. An absolute delight to read. Galva and Norrigal were also brilliant characters. Both brought something entirely different to the table. All the characters complimented each other so well, and the banter between them all was fantastic.
I really loved the budding affection between Kinch and his blind cat Bully Boy. The little passage about him at the very end actually made me emotional. Having three cats myself, I tend to feel deeper feels when a cat is involved, especially when it involves a character's love for said cat. And the picture in the acknowledgements of the author's own blind cat is wonderful. The things he says about his own cat made me even more emotional. I can't help it, I just really fucking love cats.
Plot
Honestly, what a fantastically wild ride this is. It took me ages to read, not because it was slow or boring, but because I didn't want it to end, so I savoured it. There's something almost quirky and absurd about the scenarios Kinch finds himself in, but always laced with humour.
There's always something happening and never a dull moment. It's a pretty short book, compared to most fantasy books, and I actually appreciate that. It was the perfect length with perfect pacing.
Even though for a long time I didn't know why they were travelling to Oustrim, I found I didn't care, I was just having such a blast journeying with this misfit group that it didn't matter what the destination was.
And a shout out to the excellent narration by the author himself. I had both the physical book and the audiobook. I was going between the two but found the narration so good, and so comedically well-time that I stuck with the audiobook in the end, listening while I read long. With the number of songs in this book, I'd highly recommend the audio, it makes it a whole experience.
Setting
Highly creative world-building. Very detailed and thought through. Very fresh in its delivery too.
Looking back, I loved every second of it, but I do remember feeling overwhelmed in the beginning. In the first two chapters alone, we get a page description of the different types of churches and which gods they're dedicated to, a play by play breakdown of a card game, and a whole seven verse song. I love this kind of world-building, but within those opening pages, I knew more about the world than the main character, including his name. I'd say that if you're easily intimidated by thrown-in-the-deep-end world-building, please just keeping going with this one. It'll become clearer and I promise you won't regret it. It may be the deep end, but just ride that wave.
Once I adjusted to the ways of this world I found it absolutely fantastic. I just loved the way we the readers are shown the world through Kinch's eyes and his dry, sarcastic perspective. It paints it in such a more colourful way.
Writing Style
It made me laugh out loud on numerous occasions. Pretty much every chapter had me laughing about something or other. Really quick-witted and clever writing. I loved the humour and banter between Kinch, Galva and Norrigal. Had the widest smile on my face whilst reading.
I love how conversational the writing style is too. Like it's just Kinch having a chat with the reader as he goes, explaining things. It's a lot of fun and feels very inclusive. This is such a voicey narrative style and packed full of attitude and sarcasm. Loved it. This is now one of my favourite styles of narrative.
Final Impression
This is a solid book filled with brilliant laughs and a lot of heart. Such a pleasant surprise. Not at all what I expected but also turned out better than anything I expect. Very excited for the next one. Will definitely be buying.
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