I was both hesitant and excited to read this retelling of a favorite classic. But in the end, I was happy with how it turned out to be something distinctively different from the original, yet still doing justice to the much-loved fable on which it is based. Dullitch is a fascinating city, richly imagined and elaborated upon. Filled with humans and all sorts of creatures such as trolls, sprites, pixies ogres, dwarves, elves, giants, and gnomes, it ensures an interesting plot that would keep the fantasy fanatic riveted. The story also has its fair share of humor, and whatever it lacks in other areas – specifically the disjointed writing - it makes up for with a few hilarious scenes. Here’s one that had me laughing right at the start.“What is it, lad”?The boy turned and looked up at his father, his smile was apprehensive. “I thought I heard something, Dad.”“That’ll be the cattle cart,” said his father, quietly grateful that his son had stopped playing; Diek’s musical ability suggested possible employment in the torture trade.Mr. Wustapha looked out over a broad expanse of west-country farmland, his brow creased. A few cows in the field opposite had wandered over to the gate and were mooching idly about.“No, it was more like a feeling than a sound. I thought I felt something.”“Well, that’ll be your dinner,” his father continued, reflecting on years of terror at the dinner table. Mrs. Wustapha was one of a long line of cooks on her mother’s side of the family. He hoped fervently she would be the last.Even though I found the writing to be a little off-balance with sudden scene transitions, I was impressed by the amount of work the author put into fleshing out each character, as well as the in-depth world building that made me feel part of the realm of Illmoor. The characters are what drive this hilarious spin on the classic fable of the Pied Piper. Each character is uniquely flawed, and stands apart from the rest. The plot is filled with twists and surprises, and the ending is not what you’d expect. Overall, this was a fun read which reads so effortlessly I finished it in no time. Apart from the very simplistic writing which was sometimes more a miss than a hit, I still had a great time reading The Ratastrophe Catastrophe (try saying it five times really fast, I dare you)! I might actually read the rest of the series sometime.
I was looking for a light read with an uplifting effect after I read The Troll Mill by Katherine Langrish. I debated if The Illmoor Chronicles will give me this effect but to my utter surprise, it was not uplifting but it was entertaining and funny. There were so many things going on, so many characters but I enjoyed every bit and felt I was in a National Lampoon or something. The story was so crazy! The characters were so hopelessly valiant or not, but it just made me laugh. It was crazy out there, living in this Illmoor realm, that is. From the forgotten sorcery of the sorcerer, the accidental villain, the hopeful thief-to-be, the mercenaries-turned-heroes, everything's just insanely comical!The author's humor was original (I liked his style), there were bad things and good things and bad things again. The heroes didn't get their share of reward that makes it different from other stories. No, this was not a happy ending for the heroic characters, but It made you crave for more, wondering what happened to other characters who had his share of ludicrous lines. I felt, when I finished this book, that I need to read the second book.I was surprised to see other readers gave this book low ratings. But then again, everyone has their own taste. And I have a good feeling about this Illmoor Chronicles. I like the writing style. So different from other books. Again,it does not give you the happy ending, but it will definitely give you all the entertaining you need in a book, at least for me. Kudos to the author! I will definitely read on all of the Illmoor Chronicles. It may be a corrupted place to live in the capital, Dullitch, ill-governed by a Duke with a council of different creatures and infested with thieves , but hey this place is where the extraordinary events take place. Read on!
Do You like book The Ratastrophe Catastrophe (2006)?
Full review at http://thebookshelfgargoyle.wordpress...I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.Ten Second Synopsis:Things go pear-shaped when rats infest the city of Dullitch. Things assume the shape of a butternut pumpkin when Diek Wustapha turns up with a flute and an onboard ancient being of dark magic to help sort out the problem.I thoroughly enjoyed this new take on the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. On reading the blurb I thought that the story would be pretty dark with a lot of complicated and sinister goings on. What I didn't expect was a hilarious spin on an old story, with a bunch of amusingly flawed characters and plot twists aplenty.The great strength of this book is the humour in the dialogue. The humour is very dry, and there is some highly amusing satire based around the internal workings of petty bureacracy, as well as a parade of washed-up, worn out and otherwise unsavoury characters trying to make the best (and a lot of money) out of a bad situation.I can't imagine what kind of kid would be able to manage the language and some of the political satire in this book, but I really don't care because I enjoyed it so much. I'll be looking out for the others in this series to enjoy as an adult reader.Highly recommended for a good laugh.
—Bruce Gargoyle
