M T McGuire - funny fantasy

M T McGuire's style of humour is right up my street.  It can be gentle, wry, sarcastic and even hysterical, all rolled into one story. 

Few are Chosen (K'Barthan Trilogy #1)

Amazon.com  Few are Chosen (K'Barthan Trilogy #1)

My review -

This fantasy book, the first in a trilogy, introduces us to an unlikely hero, The Pan of Hamgee. The Pan is a young person living under a despotic regime, who has managed to remain uncaptured for 5 years (the average is a month or so) by dint of being a devout coward. His specialism is running away. We meet many other memorable characters, Big Merv (a Swamp Thing and The Pan's employer) and the wonderful elderly lady keepers of the local tavern (and Their Trev). There is a fabulous section towards the end where The Pan is fighting off a strong dose of Truth Drug which had me laughing aloud at times.

The writing was clever, witty, wickedly good in places and the story kept me turning (clicking?) page after page when I should have gone to bed! The Pan is a wonderful character and one I look forward to reading more about. He is destined for higher things (if he can keep his tongue under control!) An excellent story, well told.

The Wrong Stuff (K'Barthan Trilogy- #2)

Amazon.com  The Wrong Stuff (K'Barthan Trilogy #2)

My review -

I can't believe I have come so late to this trilogy that I only read Part One when Part Two was published. Here I am now, with this second, unbelievably good book under my belt and tapping my fingers waiting for the third! The characters we came to know, both good and bad, in Book One are here fleshed out even more and I really came to care about them. Big Merv's softer side is gorgeous to read and of course, The Pan (we find out his real name!) and Ruth are absolute stars. Hard to believe, in the face of so much evidence, how thick the Pan is regarding his destiny - the daft lad!

This story is really well plotted and I love the fast-action pace of it all. It's an exciting and engaging tale and I was rather gutted to read that it's going to be 18 months until I can read more. The ending was a bit of a cliff hanger. Will my finger-nails stand the test of time? I can thoroughly recommend this book which combines, a wry, sarcastic humour and some really deep insights into human nature (even though technically all the characters aren't human!) If you love fantasy, this series is a must.