Name: Game of Gnomes
Item: Game of Gnomes
Rating: 4
Author: Lorraine Geeky

Loved it! 😍

A hilarious, chaotic and quick read - perfect for fans of D&D and humorous fantasy.

Synopsis

‘As creative as it is absurd, Game of Gnomes is a wonderfully funny, fantasy adventure for adults.’

Life for a gnome isn't easy. Every hurdle in a gnome’s life is just a little bit too big. After years apart, the three gnomes, Gassy, Borty, and Turdlet, plan to scale the tallest challenge a thief can face: The Crimicompetition.

As they fight for the clout, against MagInc—a corporation of unimaginable influence—the gnomes are about to discover how small honour amongst thieves can get.

And so begins the Game of Gnomes.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I’ll start by saying, if you’re looking for a serious read, this is not it. From the very first line, the humour in this is clear, and it doesn’t let up throughout. In my opinion, that’s marvellous. I read a lot of dark fantasy, a lot of gruesome deaths, gore and destruction. This isn’t that. I mean, it is, there’s actually plenty of death and destruction, but it’s not got that heavy, sincere tone. It’s a pretty hilarious read from the start through to the end. It made such a change to read something lighter, something that had me smiling. For that alone, it’s worth it. It’s also worth mentioning, this book is still definitely adult, or at least, it’s not a kid’s book. There’s swearing, violence, death, chaos and… a gnome that loves erotica?

Game of Gnomes: The Necrognomicon (Once you figure out how to say it, it’s actually pretty easy) is a short and quick read too. I devoured it in less than 2 hours, so it’s also a book that’s easy to pick up, read and enjoy without too much thought about the time spent because you’re spending that time smirking and enjoying yourself. So why not?

One aspect that caught my attention, and particularly made me smile, is the “easter eggs” of sort. The fantasy or gnome versions of other popular items from the real world. One of the first being “The Rolling Gnomes” magazine. And shortly after that, there’s discussion of a certain bear that would break in and steal the main character’s honey.

Oh, and the character I’m referring to? His name is Gassy Bedchambers, and then we’re quickly introduced to Borty Beetle-Bowel. Which brings me back to my original point. None of this book is serious. Please don’t take it that way. If you do, you won’t enjoy it. Take it for the humourous, parody it is, because it’s not just in the naming. Nothing about this book takes itself too seriously. Even the style it’s written in, with a narrator that is a character within itself; a character that isn’t afraid to make a joke and self-deprecate.

Like I say at the start, it’s not my usual sort of book. And sometimes the humour felt a little too much. The section on why all the gnomes are named like they are for instance, was more eye-rolling than anything else. There were a few other points that felt a little OTT to me, but I still enjoyed the book as a whole and didn’t let the few odd moments interrupt an otherwise fun read.

I fear repeating myself, but it is again, so hilariously ridiculous I don’t even know where to begin. The story itself is almost like a chaotic D&D game where the DM is doing their best to keep the party on track, but the party is determined to blow something up or start a fight. It was also like the sort of D&D game where the DM is pretty chill, so they make sure everything works out for the party, no matter what completely insane thing might have to happen to make it work. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, if you remember the golden rule for this book: don’t take anything too seriously.

And finally, we end with a prologue, which lines things up nicely for the reader to wonder what’s happening next in this strange and wonderful world.

Reviewed by

I'm Lorraine, a 20-something book reviewer and blogger from South West England. I've been an avid reader and writer from a young age, much preferring to spend an evening curled up in a candle-lit room with a good book or video game than pretty much anything else!

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Game of Gnomes

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