★★★
Now for something totally different... tongue in cheek humour with a mistaken identity and a noble quest. I've been hearing about this book for quite a while. It is a different style of writing from talented Ms. Henry as she pairs up with Ms. Honey. H&H bring on the humour and this book will keep you either laughing or incredulous at the shenanigans.
I did enjoy the book despite disliking the main character, Loth. Loth rubbed me all the wrong ways. Near the end of the book, I sort of grew to like him, but not really. I just felt bad for Grub. What really distracted me and kept me amused are the cast of clowns, er heroes on their quest to FREE the lost prince of Aguillon. Dave the troll is my favourite. I kept imagining him as Shrek's not so bright cousin, bumbling along. Dave stole the show with his singing and the points he made. Plus, he has a DRAGON. I want a pet dragon! And I loved how the dragon is venomous not poisonous. Fantastic.
The other character I adored wasn't even in the group to save the prince. It was actually a distant relative... Benji the elf. Wow. He is hilarious and apparently not bashful and completely licentious. I loved that about him. I hope he shows up in the next book. Or perhaps Dave and Benji each receive their own little one-off book.
The premise of this story is pretty straightforward. The path to complete their quest is best described as an homage to Monty Python. When I visualized this story in my mind's eye, I saw it in the same vein as the Monty Python and the Holy Grail. At one point, I was wondering when the coconuts were going to show up. Or perhaps a rabbit with pointy teeth. Instead, we have a lovely pet dragon which is the same as the rabbit in the Holy Grail. Brilliant! This comedy fantasy is recommended to readers who enjoy m/m romance look at the bright side of life.
