Review: Humorous Epic Fantasy Parody with a Science Fiction Twist
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 30, 2011
THE WARDEN THREAT is a lighthearted epic fantasy parody with a science fiction twist that kept me engaged and entertained from page one.  The journey starts with prince Donald's initial foray into the wider world to "find out about the commoners", as ordered by his loving but overprotective mother, but proceeds through the country of Westgrove and into the border of neighboring nation Gotrox, home of the stoutfolk.  Despite the epic fantasy trappings, the story is humorous and fun, clearly not taking itself seriously as Donald struggles to define himself as a hero of the realm and stop an impending war with Gotrox.Here are a few choice quotes from early in the book:"Adventurers did not poop.  Well, they did, but they certainly never talked about it.""The gonds, the domesticated ones that could be ridden anyway, could, admittedly, travel long distances and carry a great deal of weight, but these assets paled when you considered their considerable lack of speed, an intellect approximately equal to that of overcooked asparagus, and their frequent flatulence."Characters: **** 4 StarsDonald is idealistic, young, inexperienced, and naive, but he tries hard to do what is right and make a difference in his father's kingdom.  He's not a dumb or ignorant young man, he's simply been sheltered from the real world for far too long.  Traveling with Kwestor, the unenthusiastic and pragmatic ranger, gives Donald a new perspective as he struggles to learn how to be a man.  Kwestor acts as Donald's mentor and advisor, albeit in a somewhat closemouthed way, and tries to help Donald throughout his journey. It doesn't take long in the story before they meet up with Muce, a sword for hire that's a bit of a simpleton and obsessed with potatoes.  Muce provides the comic relief during their travels, but the author does a good job of reigning him in when appropriate to keep the reader, and I suppose the other characters, from getting irritated with his long-winded anecdotes.Plot: *** 3 StarsThough humorous, the plot had a tendency to drag at times, slowing down the read. I wanted more action and danger, even silly danger, to keep the story moving. There was a lot of walking, and a lot of staying at inns, mixed in with a few abbreviated accidental fights and shenanigans. In addition, the ending was too abrupt for my taste. That being said, I enjoyed the story and the twists within the plot.  There are a couple of layers of intrigue, and a science fiction component that I'm sure will be explored in more detail in the second book, which kept me involved in the story.Setting: **** 4 StarsI imagined the world as a very rural earth, and pictured the gonds like the banthas from Star Wars. It was fun to combine both the science fiction and fantasy tropes in the story. The Westgrovian society was reasonably well developed, as was the cultural interaction with the Gotroxians. I look forward to spending more time in their culture in the next book.Relationships: **** 4 StarsBy the end of the story, Kwestor shined as a mentor for Donald. He's the young prince's sounding board, and despite his constant pessimism, Kwestor seems to really care for his charge, wanting him to succeed despite his perception that no matter what he does, the prince will fail. Kwestor provides strong advice and lays the foundation for a positive message throughout the trilogy."When all is said and done, success or failure, how you see yourself is really all that matters.""When you are sure, absolutely sure, you have done everything you could and you still can't succeed, you have to be willing to admit defeat and go on. Some battles you can win, some you can't. That's just how things are."Genre - Cross-genre Science Fiction and Epic Fantasy Parody: *** 3 StarsI love a good cross-genre novel, but THE WARDEN THREAT needed a little more science fiction to bring it all together. I imagine this will become more pronounced in future installments, but this first book read almost entirely as an epic fantasy parody until the last few chapters, and the fantasy was slightly muddled by the humorous tone and slow pacing. I could have used a bit more action, a bit more intrigue, or at least a bit more magic to bring it further into epic fantasy.