Book Review: Beast Be Gone, by A L Billington

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I came across this via an interview on The Protagonist Speaks, and it looked like a fun read.

Quick aside: did you know that two of my short stories have been published in the just-released anthology It Takes A Village? Two stories, one sci-fi and one fantasy, about the meaning of caring for others. If you care about social justice, you owe it to yourself to check it out!

What to Expect

Light-hearted fantasy, pitting a sensible pest-control guy against hordes of violent adventurers, dark lords, and corrupt officials. The story follows Eric as he tries to keep his business alive — as well as his apprentices and, often, the monsters — as well as some of those adventurers and monsters.

What I liked

Loved the humour, with lots of references to D&D and online RPGs. Billiongton spins a good yarn, speculating about anything from monster living arrangements to the economy of fantasy kingdoms. The story has a good pace with enough action, pleasant characters to read about, and enough twists to keep one engaged.

What to be aware of

It’s humorous fantasy, nothing heavy or demanding. Though not necessary to understand the story, the allusions to D&D monsters and tropes are a lot of the fun of the book.

Felix’s Review

Felix identified well with Eric, as he often finds himself dealing with similar situations: cases the ‘official’ magical community won’t deal with leaving him to solve problems for regular people. He appreciate Eric’s no-nonsense, non-flashy ways of evacuating monsters, only wishing he could do the same with the ghosts and spectres he often needs to deal with. He’d happily share a drink with Eric and swap tales.

Summary

Entertaining read, would go well with fans of J. Zachary Pike’s Orconomics (for the financial aspects) or Drew Hayes’ NPCs (for the jokes and tone).

Enjoying the reviews, but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow? Glad you asked! He’s the protagonist of the Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome.

Come meet Felix and his world on the free short stories and novels!

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