Fast, funny, and bursting with satirical energy…
Ball’s latest is a riotous, fast-talking fantasy romp that blends pulpy wizardry with modern-day absurdity. Told through a collection of short stories, the book follows Martin Lightsword, a self-deprecating Light Wizard living in Las Vegas who juggles stage magic with fending off deadly mythical beasts, bureaucratic nonsense, and his lifelong nemesis, Blaine Bonefoot. Divided into several story arcs; “The Lightsword Chronicles,” “The Blaine Bonefoot Experience,” and “The Hellbent Casefiles,” the book reads like a serialized sitcom-meets-supernatural procedural. Each story introduces a new magical nuisance, from ogres with marital grievances to legendary assassins with Excalibur. These self-contained episodes are strung together by Martin’s ongoing feud with his arch-nemesis, Blaine.
The heart of this book is its voice: sarcastic, breezy, irreverent, and wholly modern. Martin, the book’s narrator and guide through this magical misadventure, is a cross between a world-weary stand-up comic and a reluctant fantasy hero. He riffs on everything from bureaucracy in the magical world to the quirks of his slovenly roommates. Ball’s writing echoes Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett but maintains a distinctly American irreverence. Caleb is a stark contrast to Martin. He is brooding, morally ambiguous, and deeply scarred, and his cases delve into darker territory. His presence grounds the book’s chaos in emotional weight, particularly in stories like “The Portrait” and “The Silent Man,” which reveal a man haunted not just by demons but by his own past. The shift from Martin’s manic comedy to Caleb’s grim detective work is jarring in a good way, expanding the book’s emotional range and anchoring its more supernatural elements in noir grit.
Ball has a knack for parodying the conventions of both high fantasy and real-world bureaucracy. Whether it’s a gnome Herald delivering death threats with Civil War-era decorum or a demon assassin interrupting a Vegas magic show, Ball skewers the idea that fantasy has to be solemn and noble. There’s a lot of cultural referencing, and the book often reads like a nerdy comedy roast with a wand in hand. The pacing is snappy, often veering into frantic. Though the humor can occasionally overwhelm narrative depth. Still, the book is a wildly entertaining collection, full of clever subversions, genre-bending playfulness, and a genuine affection for its chaotic magical universe. If you’re in the mood for light fantasy with a punchline in every paragraph, this collection of magical misadventures is a fiery, spiky-gloved blast.
Pub date October 26, 2024
ISBN 979-8344024936
Price $17.00 (USD) Paperback, $1.39 Kindle, $0.00 Kindle Unlimited