Kill the Farm Boy: The Tales of Pell
Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson
Paperback
(Del Rey, Feb. 26, 2019)
In an irreverent series in the tradition of Monty Python, the bestselling authors of the Iron Druid Chronicles and Star Wars: Phasma reinvent fantasy, fairy tales, and floridly written feast scenes.âRanks among the best of Christopher Moore and Terry Pratchett.ââChuck WendigâWhen you put two authors of this high caliber together, expect fireworks. Or at least laughs. What a hoot!ââTerry Brooks Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, a hero, the Chosen One, was born . . . and so begins every fairy tale ever told. This is not that fairy tale. There is a Chosen One, but he is unlike any One who has ever been Chosened. And there is a faraway kingdom, but you have never been to a magical world quite like the land of Pell. There, a plucky farm boy will find more than heâs bargained for on his quest to awaken the sleeping princess in her cursed tower. First thereâs the Dark Lord, who wishes for the boyâs untimely death . . . and also very fine cheese. Then thereâs a bard without a song in her heart but with a very adorable and fuzzy tail, an assassin who fears not the night but is terrified of chickens, and a mighty fighter more frightened of her sword than of her chain-mail bikini. This journey will lead to sinister umlauts, a trash-talking goat, the Dread Necromancer Steve, and a strange and wondrous journey to the most peculiar âhappily ever afterâ that ever once-upon-a-timed. Praise for Kill the Farm Boy âA rollicking fantasy adventure that upends numerous genre tropes in audacious style . . . a laugh-out-loud-funny fusion of Monty Pythonâesque humor and whimsy Ă la Terry Pratchettâs Discworld.ââKirkus Reviews âDawson and Hearneâs reimagining of a traditional fairy tale is reminiscent of William Goldmanâs The Princess Bride and William Steigâs Shrek! Irreverent, funny, and full of entertaining wordplay, this will keep readers guessing until the end.ââLibrary JournalâWill have you laughing out loud until strangers begin to look at you oddly.ââSyFy âA smart comedy . . . nuanced, complicated, and human.ââTordotcom â[Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne] make fun of the typical âwhite male power fantasies,â and in that, they succeed, with their heroes all characters of color and/or falling somewhere under the LGBTQ umbrella.ââPublishers Weekly