Stuff of Legends [Mass Market Paperback]

Ian Gibson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 27, 2010

View our feature on Ian Gibson's Stuff of Legends

A true legend rescues maidens...pillages temples...and slaughters evil hordes...
But what does he do when all the fun is over?

When an annoyingly eager young man by the name of Eliott, his Elvish guardian, and a bard-for-hire magically drop into the life of former hero Jordan the Red, the aged warrior wants nothing to do with them. He's had enough of battling the world. But Eliott wants an adventure with the legendary, sword-swinging soldier of fortune-and this hero is about to be forced out of retirement.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Old-school tabletop gamers wanting a bit of nostalgia are the only ones likely to enjoy this formulaic fantasy. Retired hero Jordan the Red is enjoying a peaceful game of chess with a fishing buddy when the peace and quiet is rudely disrupted by eager fanboy Eliott and his winsome elven babysitter, Kess. Jordan does his best to stay retired, but Eliott pleas relentlessly for a quest until the hero reluctantly returns to action. Gibson relies heavily on the standard and often tired tropes of fantasy, and if he'd managed to do anything new with them, this might have been a bright, appealing, and lively book. Instead, the reader is left with a cartoony world and a cast of two-dimensional characters in what comes off as a poor man's Terry Pratchett.
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Review

"A winning fantasy, this satirical, rollicking adventure . . . keeps a light, amused and snappy tone, with allusions to popular culture ("The Duke of Yorker" magazine, for instance), fun with names and an especially effective satire of Hollywood talent packaging. A satisfying and involved climax renders a fairy tale ending with an upward lilt, leaving the reader ready for new adventures."
-Publishers Weekly for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

"Laugh-out-loud funny. A send-up of scores of fantasy novels of time past. I''d certainly recommend it."
-Glen Cook

"If Conan the Barbarian met Entourage, you''d get Stuff of Legends. A pleasure to read."
-Jody Lynn Nye, co-author of Myth-Chief

"This debut novel is witty, creative, and completely enjoyable...Full of adventure, clever puns, and satirical characters, fantasy fans will love Gibson''s good-natured humor and smart writing. I was impressed with this strong debut."
-Scifichick.com

"If you like the early work of Pratchett, stories by Esther Friesner, or the Goblin books by Jim C. Hines, then Stuff of Legends is a work to add to your shelves. I, for one, am looking forward to more stories from Gibson''s pen."
-Graspingforthewind.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ace (July 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441019307
• ISBN-13: 978-0441019304
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #226,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #88 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > Historical

More About the Author

Ian Gibson is a new author at the start of his career. His first novel, Stuff of Legends, was a finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. He lives on Vancouver Island with his wife, where in his non-writing hours, he listens and attends to the human machinery that makes theatre happen.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ...and Nonsense, June 21, 2010

By 

S. Berner (Cocoa, Fl USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Stuff of Legends (Mass Market Paperback)

(What's this?)

Really good comic (not Comic BOOK, comic, ha-ha)sf/fantasy is a hard trick to pull off, mainly because it is so easy to do it poorly or mediocorely (which may or may not be a word) and get away with it. ANYONE with a modicum of talent can throw out the anachronisms, the "look, we all know we're in a story, wink wink" cliches, etc., and get at least SOME positive reaction. The real trick is to actually BE funny while telling a GOOD story. Without doubt the Master (yes! capital "M") at this is/was/will be Robert Aspirin. Following close behind, is Robert Sheckley, with, when he was of a mind to, Frederick Brown bringing up the rear. You will note that these are all writers who, to put it kindly (and with a sort of "pass" for Aspirin) are of a certain era that, well, ain't this one. That's because so many who have tried recently fall into the space described above. BUT there may be hope. In this, his debut novel, Ian Gibson manages to be, if not exactly fresh in his plotting,actually funny more often than not... MUCH more often. Further, he actually has characters, from Jordan The Red, HERO (ret.), to Cyral, BARD (hapless), to Young Eliott, YOUTH (hero?), that are actually both interesting and, for want of a better word, human. Will Gibson be able to grow into one of the better new voices Only time will tell. But this IS an interesting start and well-worth an investment of time and money for those interested in getting in on the ground floor of a (potentially) really good new voice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but Tiresome, August 16, 2010

By 

N. Bilmes "bookaholic" (Vernon, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stuff of Legends (Mass Market Paperback)

(What's this?)

Like John C. Moore, Jim Hines, and Peter David, Ian Gibson sets out to write a satirical farce of the fantasy genre. He has all the ingredients in place: hero, apprentice, singer, damsel, elf, goblin, witch, dragons, and then some There's lots of 'clever' dialogue, some action, and some suspense. However, the story is weak, and there is far too much cleverness.

The book reads like one of those Saturday Night Live skits which would be good if it was kept to three minutes, but when stretched out to a full-length movie just doesn't have the legs to stand on.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the great book is should have been, August 10, 2010

By 

Alice in Wonderland - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Stuff of Legends (Mass Market Paperback)

(What's this?)

Eliott has a bad case of hero worship - worshipping that greatest of all heroes, Jordan the Red. But, when his elvish babysitter, Kess, gives him a magic string that allows him to cast two wishes (well, three if you include the last strand which undoes the two wishes), his choice of where to go is obvious. But, Jordan has grown old, and he gladly left the hero business behind long ago. And so, when Eliott and Kess wish Jordan onto an adventure with them, they little understand just what they are in for. This is the story of Eliott and Kess's quest for adventure, and Jordan the Red's quest to AVOID adventure!

For the most part, I must say that I thought that the author did a great job of writing a book that is part Fantasy Adventure, and part parody of the genre. Just when the story gets too flippant and silly, it suddenly slips back into good, solid action and adventure.

But, if it's so good, then why did I only give it three stars? Well, my biggest problem with this book is its ending. I mean, with the inclusion of the third thread in the wishing string, you KNOW that in the end it will be used. But, when it is deployed it gives the book a sadly truncated feeling, like the author did not really know how to wrap the story up. Game Over.

I think that the author, Ian Gibson, has some real talent, and that in the long run he will become a great author...but he's not there yet. I liked this book, but it's not the great book is should have been.

(Review of Stuff of Legends by Ian Gibson)