Title: The Ratastrophe Catastrophe
Series: The Illmoor Chronicles, #1
Author: David Lee Stone
Publisher: Open Road Media
Publication Date: February 25, 2014
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Humor
Reviewed by: Angie Edwards
Source: From publisher via NetGalley
My rating: 3/5
SUMMARY
Diek Wutspah is a normal shepard boy. That is
until a dark, evil magic roots itself within him instilling him with the power
to charm man and beast with his magic flute. When the ancient town of Illmoor
is plagued by an infestation of giant rats, Diek offers to lead the rodents to
their doom. But when the dim-witted Duke of Illmoor refuses to reward him, Diek
seeks revenge by kidnapping the town's children. Just when it seems the
children are gone for good, a team of misfit mercenaries - Groan, a buck-toothed
Giant, Gordo, a wise-cracking dwarf, and Tambor, a has-been sorcerer - set out
on a bumbling journey to stop Diek, and save the children. But will it be too
late?
REVIEW
I was both hesitant and excited to read this retelling
of a favorite classic. But in the end, I was happy with how it turned out to be
something distinctively different from the original, yet still doing justice to
the much-loved fable on which it is based.
Dullitch is a fascinating city, richly imagined and
elaborated upon. Filled with humans and all sorts of creatures such as trolls,
sprites, pixies ogres, dwarves, elves, giants, and gnomes, it ensures an
interesting plot that would keep the fantasy fanatic riveted. The story also
has its fair share of humor, and whatever it lacks in other areas –
specifically the disjointed writing - it makes up for with a few hilarious
scenes. Here’s one that had me laughing right at the start.
“What is it, lad”?
The boy turned and looked up at his father, his smile was apprehensive. “I
thought I heard something, Dad.”
“That’ll be the cattle cart,” said his father, quietly grateful that his
son had stopped playing; Diek’s musical ability suggested possible employment
in the torture trade.
Mr. Wustapha looked out over a broad expanse of west-country farmland,
his brow creased. A few cows in the field opposite had wandered over to the
gate and were mooching idly about.
“No, it was more like a feeling than a sound. I thought I felt
something.”
“Well, that’ll be your dinner,” his father continued, reflecting on
years of terror at the dinner table. Mrs. Wustapha was one of a long line of
cooks on her mother’s side of the family. He hoped fervently she would be the
last.
Even though I found the writing to be a little
off-balance with sudden scene transitions, I was impressed by the amount of
work the author put into fleshing out each character, as well as the in-depth
world building that made me feel part of the realm of Illmoor. The characters
are what drive this hilarious spin on the classic fable of the Pied Piper. Each character is uniquely
flawed, and stands apart from the rest. The plot is filled with twists and
surprises, and the ending is not what you’d expect.
Overall, this was a fun read which reads so
effortlessly I finished it in no time. Apart from the very simplistic writing
which was sometimes more a miss than a hit, I still had a great time reading The Ratastrophe Catastrophe (try saying
it five times really fast, I dare you)! I might actually read the rest of the
series sometime.
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