Pippin Took, the Shire Hobbit's Reviews > Majordomo: A Novella

“Does your heart make a sound when it breaks? Mine did it silently.”

This was a rejuvenating read. I had had a couple of disappointing reads and was falling into a reading slump. But right before the slump could overwhelm me, I was bullied (affectionately) into starting this novella. It is exactly what I needed to rediscover my love of reading. It is so very good. I only found out after I finished the book that the author was also the writer behind one of my absolute favorite video games - sleeping dogs.

This book was excellent. It is a short, cozy, funny D&D romp with a lot of heart. From the very first chapter, the author sets the tone and lulls the reader into comfort before expertly subverting all the tropes. The balance with which it is done is so good that one doesn’t even feel the subversion and decides that yes- this is indeed where the story was always going. Masterful. It is very easy to be invested in the main character. Within 10 pages, I was hooked enough to keep following the MC despite some very despicable behavior.

I want to rave more about the writing, the plot, the characters, but this novella is sincerely best enjoyed going in blind. So I’ll simply say that this book is chock full of fantasy elements- kobolds, ghouls, spider gods, necromancers, undead skeletons, basilisks, paladins, orcs, gnomes, archers, thieves, bards, ogres, but most of all it has that emotional gut punch that accompanies all great epic fantasies. It is spectacular skill to weave so much fun, magic, and make the reader feel the feels in just 100 pages. If that is not enough, I’ll add one more hook- people with daddy issues, or people who know people with daddy issues will love this book.