Two gnomes, a dwarf, a gryphon, a half-sheep woman, and a halfling set out one morning from a gnome refugee center. No, that’s not the start to a joke, it’s the start of an adventure in No Country for Old Gnomes, the latest entry in the Tales from Pell series by Kevin Hearne and Delilah S. Dawson. Everything’s not fine and dandy in Pell even now that King Gustave (who was definitely not once a goat because wow wouldn’t that be silly) on the throne. The gnomes are in trouble because of some very cruel halflings and it’s up to our new band of heroes to find a way to save the day. Hopefully. What could possibly go wrong?
In all honesty, a heck of lot of things go wrong for our heroes but it would make for a pretty boring story otherwise. And if you think a book by Hearne and Dawson is going to be boring, boy do I have a lake on Tatooine to sell you. No Country for Old Gnomes has the same irreverent sense of humor as the first book, combined with the same heart and soul as a new set of heroes embarks on a crazy journey.
One of the nice things about this latest installment in Tales from Pell is that it can standalone. There are certainly references to the first novel but one could easily pick this book up first and not be terribly lost. (Okay, maybe King Gustave might need a little bit of an explanation…) I did find myself missing characters like Agrabella and Fia this go-round but it was nice to at least have multiple nods throughout the book towards their adventures and even get a few minutes with them (although the cameo did feel like a bit of a tease since I was so eager to see them). That said, it’s not fair to judge these characters by the ones in the previous one because many of them are a delight and it’s fun to watch them go through their own journeys. Krisi is definitely my favorite of this new batch of characters. She’s full of heart and pluck and takes a decidedly unexpected yet fantastic turn towards the end of her arc. I’d love to read another story about her.
Surprisingly, this book doesn’t feel like it turns the humor and reference dial up to 11 but rather turns it down a notch or two, something I certainly didn’t expect. There were fewer references to well known pop culture stories and even the humor seemed to be a bit subdued. I wish it hadn’t been. Part of Kill the Farm Boy’s charm (for me, at least) was with how over the top it was. That said, No Country for Old Gnomes features plenty of jokes including one that Star Wars fans will undoubtedly get a chuckle out of. This is a series that’s not afraid to poke fun at some of the standard tropes while also clearly loving the genre. It’s a breath of fresh, relaxing air that’s probably not the best thing to read on a plane because of how much it might make you laugh. (I may know this from personal experience…)
Bottom line is that if you enjoyed Kill the Farm Boy, you’ll almost definitely also like No Country for Old Gnomes and should certainly pick it up. If you want a little bit more levity in your life and to escape from the mess that is our own world for a little bit, run away to Pell. Their problems are far more entertaining. You can pick up a copy for yourself in your bookstore of choice next Tuesday, April 16, 2019.
Thank you to Del Rey for providing an advance copy of this book for review purposes.
