The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True

HARDCOVER RE-RELASE OF THE #1 BESTSELLING COMIC FANTASY PHENOMENON COMING ON 4/4/2023! That gorgeous cover will look amazing while the book sits unread on your shelves!<br /><br /><b> <i>25% of author royalties will be donated to Impact Justice (impactjustice.org).</i> </b> <br /><br />Is this the best mediocre comic fantasy about a self-styled legendary bard and four neophyte adventurers aiming to take on a very unusual dragon on behalf of a bunch of dim-witted villagers? Mos def. I’m not saying I’m a literary supernova or the voice of a generation, but if you want to, I guess I’ll allow it because I am polite and don’t like to disagree. <br /><br /><b>Now available on Audible for you ear readers--narrated by the amazing Haley Catherine; check it out!</b><br /> <br />Here’s some praise from real, actual people: <br /><br />“Sean Gibson’s The Part About The Dragon Was Mostly True is the rare book that is full of action and excitement but is also a natural, effortless extension of the writer’s humor and personality. I felt like I was reading a version of Lord of the Rings, by way of Joss Whedon, only funnier, and with more Rock Giant poop jokes.” – <i>Scott Weinstein, Author of Team of Steves and Weekend Update Co-Producer - "Saturday Night Live"</i><br /><br />“Friends and foes alike, what we have here is a genuine ripsnorter! Come hither, lords and ladies, and revel in the hijinks-laden misadventures of the strangest band of bumbling heroes this side of a discarded Monty Python sketch. Think Pratchett and Tolkien, only with an avalanche more puns and potty humor; enter for the comic fantasy, and linger for the playful tone, winking asides, and obscure, geek-approved references. Long live Rumscrabble Tooltinker and his merry mates!” – <i>Eric Liebetrau, Managing Editor, Kirkus Reviews</i><br /><br />"Sean tells stories with the smirk of a mischievous child--a child that's smarter than you and somehow knows every word in the English language (and probably a few others he made up). The strange and funny fantasy world he creates in The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True is full of puns and smirks and gentle elbows in your ribs. You'll be charmed and drawn in from the first few pages." - <i>Peter Martin, Former Editor, Esquire, and current Senior Editor, The Strategist, NY Magazine</i><br /><br />“Seriously, this is why you got an English degree? You know you have a real job, right?” – <i>My mom, the person who co-created me</i><br /><br />Check out <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www.seangibsonauthor.com">www.seangibsonauthor.com</a> for more Heloise hijinks.

I was really struggling with this book, and I couldn’t quite figure out why, until it hit me (the realization, not the book) — it’s full of funny bits and paragraphs and quotable lines, but I just apparently lack patience to tolerate all those in a long form. Those jokes are great by themselves, in shorter chunks, but when strung over dozens of pages they start feeling tiresome.<br><blockquote> <i>“Nadi’s response was strangely intense, and she gave me a look that indicated either fierce conviction or long-term constipation (though I suppose those two things aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive).”</i> </blockquote><br>But most of my GR friends who read this book would disagree, so most likely I’m just the Grinch with a questionable sense of humor.<br><blockquote> <img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1640747888i/32375493.jpg" width="400" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"> </blockquote><br>Yet I refuse to give this book anything less than 3 stars because (1) I read most if it when sick with a fever, and it reads easily, and (2) I took a GR detour and read the author’s autobiography on GR page and then a few of his hilarious reviews, and obviously Sean Gibson is a nice and fun guy who would probably be a hoot during a drinking session in a bar, and I’d be laughing at these jokes and puns pretty hard. <br><blockquote> <i>“So read on, brave souls…adventure awaits. And shenanigans. There will definitely be shenanigans.”</i> </blockquote><br>What didn’t quite click for me was a bit too much of surface-level humor, relying pretty heavily on slapstick and bodily function jokes, and not giving any breathing room between the funny bits. I see many comparisons to Pratchett in reviews (probably fueled by the byline on the book cover — <i>“If Tina Fey and Terry Pratchett co-wrote a fantasy epic … it would be way better than this”</i>) but those are not quite fair to this book and actually set your expectations at the level that does not help the enjoyment. What it led me to do was take a break and actually read a Pratchett book. <br><br>And yet I feel I really can’t blame this book for not aligning with my sense of humor of my current mood — or maybe I was just too sober when trying to read it. <b>So rounding up to 3 stars it is. I rated <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/15823480.Anna_Karenina" title="Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy" rel="noopener">Anna Karenina</a> the same, so it’s in good company.</b><br><blockquote> <i>“I’m all in favor of using the people’s vernacular, but sometimes the people should get a bigger vernacular and know what words mean.”</i> </blockquote>

This is not the first work I'm reading by my friend Sean. Yup, that's right, I'm totally flashing about my I-know-the-author card. I could go on to brag about our friendship being as epic as Heloise's adventures but that might <s>not be a good idea</s> make you guys too jealous.<br><img src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1595848589i/29864994._SX540_.jpg" width="400" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>I first met Heloise along with some of her entrepid friends here on GR in a series of adventures where we readers could choose how the story would continue. I had heard of games doing that but not of books so I was intrigued. So when I heard about the half-elven bard getting her own, well-deserved book, I had to sign up for an ARC of course.<br><br>Despite the jealousy-invoking friendship between me and Sean, my opinion of this book is brutally honest (anyone knowing me knows that the adjective "brutal" basically describes everything I do) and in no way a bought opinion (Sean only now got the book deal, he wouldn't be able to afford me).<br><br>For those here, who are living under a rock somewhere behind the moon, the book is about an adventure the aforementioned half-elven bard Heloise has - and let me tell you that the ... ahem ... dragon ... is not the worst here as we also get downright stupid human <s>village</s> <s>town</s> councils and other encounters that are deliciously ridiculous. Gandalf might have famously said "Flee, you fools" but the name of the game here is "LAUGH at the fools!" :D<br><br>And laugh I did. Not only is Sean's writing here crisp and full of zingers, it also has a very nice flow to it that transports us from one mishap to the next, letting us witness certain ... people ... stumble from here to there and back again. No, it is not high fantasy. Instead, it is the kind of story you share with friends around the fire until you all suffer from APITBFLTM (acute pain in the belly from laughing too much - look it up, it's a certified ailment). <br><br>So, do I recommend this book? And if so, to whom? No. The word recommendation won't cover what I'm gonna do to anyone refusing to buy, read and praise Sean's book (and I don't even get "protection money" ... hm, my Italian side of the family must be very disappointed right now). <br>No, seriously, if you like humour - sometimes light, sometimes silly, sometimes wonderfully evil - as well as a wild assortment of what fantasy creatures are ACTUALLY like when there is no PR making them appear like uber-heroes, this book is for you. Read it. I know you'll love it ... or else! ;P

A rock giant, a Ratarian wizard, a half-elf, and a dwarf-halfing walk into a bar . . . <br /><br /><i>The Part About the Dragon was (Mostly) True</i> is another humorous romp from Sean Gibson. I would expect nothing less from an author whose worlds are layered and whose affinity for fecal jokes knows no bounds. <br /><br />Follow a ragtag team of adventurers on their semi-perilous quest to stop a red dragon from terrorizing the town (village!) of Skendrick, narrated by the vain and condescending bard, Heloise, who holds nothing back in her amusing quips. <br /><br />Here there be dragons and orcs and the promise of attractive dwarf butts.

Sean's an amusing guy. A deal on this book and, honestly, a case of mistaken memory led me to give it a try. Alas; I think I lasted until chapter 8 before calling it quits. Mostly, I was reminded of one of those Saturday Night Live skits that goes on about seven minutes too long, or a toddler after someone let him drink a six-pack of Mt. Dew. To illustrate:<br /><br /><b>Ultimately, our job is to entertain patrons whom the owners of the taverns in which we ply our trade would prefer to drink heavily... To do that, we obscure and ignore certain facts, particularly the mundane and boring parts of adventuring (with rare and generally perverted exceptions, no one wants to know how and where heroes pee), while taking a little creative license to jazz things up. In this instance, though, I think the boring and mundane parts are pretty entertaining, and you're still welcome to drink heavily while I tell it.<br /><br />The adventuring group that would eventually answer Skendrick's call for help was undeniably brave, but they were far from legendary, or even particularly experienced. In fact, the group had only recently come together through circumstances that, in and of themselves, would make for an interesting tale, though I'll save it for another occasion. (That's right, printers--there's already a prequel ready and waiting for you; I'm the kind of woman who thinks ahead... or, behind, I guess...and maybe occasionally about behinds, but only if they're really spectacular, and generally only if they're dwarven.) I will, however, tell you about an incident that happened just before they took up the quest to slay the dragon, which will give you some idea about both the group itself and the adventuring life in general." </b><br /><br />The narrator switches between the 'bard-epic-retelling;' a what actually happened third-person story; a fourth-wall-breaking, 'bard-telling-the-truth' narrative; followed by (eventually) the actual adventures of the adventuring party. Unfortunately, the tone is what did me in. It's Pratchett, exponential and unrelenting, and sacrifices genuine emotion for laughs. The adventuring party is the least exaggerated and most straight-forward of the styles, and I was hoping the book would settle into their story and leave the framing of the bard behind. When it continued, I didn't. <br /><br />I included a second of the 'bard-truth' narrative so you can get a feeling for the style.<br /><br /><i>Many, many thanks to Nataliya who gamely came along on this book adventure.</i>

You know those times when you come back from a hard night of singing for your beer, having flashed a smile to melt not just your cohort's hearts, but whole drunken villages?<br /><br />Yeah, me either, but Heloise does.<br /><br />At least, that's what she keeps telling us. <br /><br /><br />This book is exactly what I needed. <br /><br />Funny, smart, and enough made-up words like turdkey (complete with a full etymology) to keep me roaring with barely concealed snickers and a belly-full of bad puns... not to mention a desire to go back and watch some more Monty Python. :)<br /><br />LOVE these zingers. It's like MP had a baby with JRRT but without all the endless fascination with food and alcohol.<br /><br />OH. Wait. It IS endlessly fascinated with food and alcohol. And pronouns. Giants are sensitive, you know.

Writing a review of a book can sometimes be as daunting as heading out on a quest to slay a dragon so I’m going to approach this one like the 38-year-veteran gamer I am and write it with the assistance of my trusty gaming dice and a pre-prepared set of reviewing statements!<br /><br />Right, let’s do this.<br /><br />This book is a... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... deeply affectionate parody of the sword and sorcery fantasy genre. While it’s... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... not quite in the same league as Terry Pratchett, I would... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... definitely place it head and shoulders above any other works of comedic fantasy I’ve read.<br /><br />The author is a... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... master wordsmith with a... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... hilarious turn of phrase that will leave you... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... chuckling mirthfully into your small beer.<br /><br />The characters are... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... instantly recognisable to any fantasy lover and you will... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... definitely enjoy spending a few days in their company.<br /><br />My favourite character was... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... Rummy the half-dwarf/half-halfling and master prestidi... presgit... pretisdi... amateur magician. He’s like... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... everybody’s favourite, slightly tiresome uncle.<br /><br />The plot... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... moves along at a cracking pace without ever feeling rushed.<br /><br />The dialogue is... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... no, Paul, that’s too mean, even for you... &gt;rolls dice again&lt;... sparkling with a sly, worldly-wise wit.<br /><br />I would... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... wholeheartedly recommend this book to any fan of fantasy and/or humour and give it an overall rating of... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... 5 stars! (Note to self: don’t tell anyone you’re rolling D20s...)<br /><br />I would say that author Sean Gibson is a... &gt;rolls dice&lt;... oh, dear... &gt;rolls dice again but gets the same result&lt;... a sexual deviant who definitely shouldn’t be left alone with small children. Sorry, Sean, but you know you have to go with what the dice say!

My main issue with this genre of fantasy-comedy is that, more often than not, all the promised wit shines at you from the very first line. I know, wow, look who's here to bitch about too much of a good thing. But this can't just be me, can it? I'm going to try a bad analogy here, stay with me. It feels like staring at your cell screen at max brightness, lying in the bed at night, with the lights switched off. It takes a while to adjust. The comedy here kicks in well before the plot and you have no breather between all that humor. I prefer medium humor and more fantasy/plot. <br /><br />I prefer to be somewhat invested in the story before the humor kicks in, especially in fantasy. I've laughed far more watching "Pirates of the Caribbean" than "Guardians of the Galaxy." I'm not sure everybody will get the difference but that's the best example I can give. Another review of the book mentions that it displays a very Brookly 99 humor, and I agree. It does. Now, this is a very popular sitcom, so I'm certain this book will appeal to the vast majority, sadly I've not quite managed to develop a strong enough taste for this.<br /><br />Having said that, about 30% into the book, I really started enjoying the ride. I laughed enough to wake up my roommate in the middle of the night reading the swamp bits. And Whiska and Borg are a MOOD. I can so imagine some of these scenes play out on the big screen and it would be legit funny. It's a mad group but you might have to give them some time to grow on you if you belong to my corner of this reading world. But if you're in it for the plot, you're gonna find it thin.<br /><br />P.S. Also, I'm quite certain we all know a Farmer Benton. And we say we put up with him for the same reasons the townfolks do, he's old and inappropriate and nobody else will. But deep down we know it's because he's a riot.<br /><br />Thank you, Sean and The Parliament House Press for this ARC.

Flipping loved this fun and sarcastically witty story!<br /><br /><b>Hear, hear, the tale of unfathomable bravery!</b><br /><br />First off, Sean Gibson wrote an immensely funny story for us and I think he did a grandiose job with it, and secondly, from my perspective as a reader, I just ate it up laughing and loving it to bits! It is my semi sound notion to tell you that this book is flipping hilarious and amazing! <br /><br />The Part about the Dragon Was Mostly True tells the story of a town or village (it is a debatable term hashed out numerable times in this book) that is pestered by a dragon destroying fields and the likelihood of Skendrick. What the townsfolk or villagers need is a solution and there are two choices for debate: <br /><br /><b>Option 1:<br /><br />Assemble a band of hearty villagers to confront the dragon, or <br /><br />Option2: <br /><br />Hire brave adventurers to seek the dragon’s lair and defeat him cold-heartedly. </b><br /><br /><br />Without giving away too much of this fantastic tale, this is how it went down.<br /><br /><b> ↓↓↓↓↓↓↓</b><br /><br />There are two versions of this funny nonsensical adventure. One is told by the renowned storyteller and brave Heloise the Bard in italic format, in which the heroes and actions are depicted as such: <br /><br /><br /><i> <b>“The noble and humble bard recognized that the group before her was formidable indeed, and so she raised them up their prostrate positions, comforted the suffering Nadinta with a gentle touch on her shoulder, and told them that she would lead them to Skendrick, and that she felt deep in her bones that worthy adventurers would prove mighty enough to slay the dragon.”</b> </i><br /><br />And then there is the side of the parts of the reality of it all, as the town has chosen option 2 and sent Goodman Drunkman and Goodman Youngman to sell the deal to Heloise in search of the brave!<br /><br /><b>“The two men looked at each other. The younger one, clearly deferential, nodded to his older companion. “Well, said the older man, draining the rest of his ale, “I’m Goodman Drunkamn, and this is Goodman Youngman. We’re from Skendrick.”<br />“Seriously?”<br />“Skendrick is a fine town, a fine town!” bristled the younger man. <br />“Skendrick is mildly less boring than Borden, which is one of the five most boring places I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to a lot of places,” I replied. “Though it’s a perfectly valid place to be from. I wasn’t seriously-ing your place of origin; I was seriously-ing your ridiculous names.”<br />“Well, now, Ms. Heloise,” replied Goodman Drunkman, “it may not be so in other areas you frequent, but ‘Goodman’ is a pretty common form of address in many towns around .“<br />“Oh, come on! You can’t possibly be this thick.”<br />The two men looked at each other. Youngman’s eyes were wide, and Drunkman just shrugged.<br />“Or maybe you are.” I sighed, but Drunkman’s attention was on the barmaid, attempting to get her to bring more ale, and Youngman was looking down as he fiddled with a button on his tunic.”</b><br /><br />Oh, the reality of it all! <br /><br />A song is to tell the story of the aid needed in Skendrick and convince adventurers of the greatest opportunity the lands have ever heard of. And so, Heloise the Bard took it upon her to write a jaunty and catchy melody to convince!<br /><br /><i>(on my blog there is the song listed here.)</i><br /><br />And so, a rag-tag team of wanna-be heroes with brave hearts who run into Heloise at an Inn is hired for the heroic deed. <br /><br /><i>(on my blog there are character cards listed for the heroes here.)</i><br /><br />As all wanna-be heroes are in need of coin and fame and possess a natural thirst for adventure, Heloise entertains the notion of taking on this gullible team of misfits and joins them on the way to slaughter the dragon. <br /><br />Their adventure takes them through swamps and poses mindblowing riddles to get to the dragon, on to encounters with orcs, minataurs, chitinoids, and apelike gormalons (cave dwellers) among the long and treacherous path. And all the while Heloise is beginning to chime in less and less. With every new segment in the adventure, the novel takes on a sense of real fantasy. Left aside most of the initial and hilarious silliness, the characters are beginning to actually work together! They may not be the wiser and keep their silly personalities, but the actions they perform start to resemble that of teamwork. The question is, is that all it takes to save the citizens of Skendrick?<br /><br /><br />***<br /><br />I really don’t want to give away much more. This story simply was fantastic. From the cover to the content, I loved everything about it. The premise of Heloise telling the story in italic with chapters that follow about the real deal and the crazy catastrophes was such a neat concept and it perfectly came together. I loved reading about the story once so heroic as in classic tales told, and then wind my way through parables of Monty Python style moments. Simply hilarious. <br /><br />There are so many funny characters to love and read about. I had such a laugh at the Drunkman’s and enjoyed Gibson’s overall witty and sarcastic humor he brought to this novel. Farmer Benton and Widow Gershon of the town of Skendrick were the first to set the tone of what was to come in this novel during the first town’s meeting and from there it just continued. <br /><br />From the first moment I feasted my eyes on that awesome cover of that book on Instagram to now, it has become one of my favorite reads this year. If I can tell everyone how funny this book is and make them read it, I will be a happy person. Who doesn’t need a bit of silliness and humor in their life?<br /><br />So, highly recommended reading by me. ?<br /><br />ENJOY<br /><br /><i>All opinions are my own. Thank you!</i><br /><br />More of my reviews here:<br /><a href="https://scarlettreadzandrunz.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Through Novel Time &amp; Distance</a><br />

<blockquote>Every once in a while, though, the truth turns out to be far more interesting than the tales bards tell in taverns; it’s just rare that bards actually know the truth behind the songs they sing, and so the ale-swilling public misses out on some truly epic—or, at least, epically weird—stories.<br />…<br />So read on, brave souls… adventure awaits. And shenanigans. There will definitely be shenanigans.</blockquote>A reading challenge to read a book connected to the phrase “Here (There) Be Dragons” inspired me to finally read <i>The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True</i>, written by Goodreads reviewer extraordinaire, Sean Gibson. Seriously, check out his review for <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1362693620" rel="nofollow noopener">Ice Planet Barbarians</a>. If I ever write a review that great, I’ll drop the mic and retire from the reviewing game.<br /><br />The village of Skendrick (or maybe it’s a town—it’s a running joke throughout the book) is under constant attack from a dragon. The villagers/townspeople put out a desperate plea for help from adventurers willing to take up the quest. What they get are a group of wannabes: an elf named Nadi; Whiska, the rude, aggressive Ratarian wizard; Borg, a rock giant reminiscent of Drax from <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i>; Rummy, the half-dwarf, half-halfling, all-charming street performer and thief; and Heloise, the half-elf Bard and legend in her own mind, who recruits them and then joins them to witness and later tell their story of triumph.<br /><br />As you would guess from the title, <i>The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True</i> is much more comedy than drama. The narrative is driven by the word play and often sarcastic banter between the characters. The storyline hits beats you’d expect in a fantasy quest novel—wizards and orcs, swamps and bog men (bog people?), impossible riddles and labyrinths, and of course, the dragon. But the novel works better than most similar stories for two reasons. First, it’s constructed so that there are occasional italicized chapters that tell the romanticized, exaggerated, heroic version of the story, while the rest of the novel tells the unromanticized that actually happened. It is a cleverly subversive reminder that much of our “history” has been similarly made over. Second, and probably more importantly, this book is very, very funny, with jokes on literally every page. Recommended.