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Sam Hooker

Peril in the Old Country (Terribly Serious Darkness) Paperback – June 5, 2018

by Sam Hooker (Author)

22 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Terribly Serious Darkness

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What terror lurks in the shadows of the Old Country?

Well, there are the goblins, of course. Then there are the bloodthirsty cannibals from nearby Carpathia, secret societies plotting in whispers, and murder victims found drained of their blood, to name a few. That's to say nothing of the multitude of government ministries, any one of which might haul one off for "questioning" in the middle of the night.

The Old Country is saturated with doom, and Sloot is scarcely able to keep from drowning in it. Each passing moment is certain to be his last, though never did fate seem so grim as the day he was asked to correct the worst report ever written. Will the events put in motion by this ghastly financial statement end in Sloot's grisly death? Almost definitely. Is that the worst thing that could happen? Almost definitely not.

Print length

302 pages
Language

English
Publication date

June 5, 2018
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

0999742302
ISBN-13

978-0999742303
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From the Publisher

Review

"Hooker demonstrates a delightfully firm grasp on absurdist fantasy . . . a gleeful caper rife with literary influences." —Publishers Weekly

"Five stars . . . the best kind of bad fun." —Foreword Reviews

"A kaleidoscope of absurdist humor, stunning imagery, and a fantastical plot. Hooker is an expert when it comes to dark humor, and it clearly shows." —Booktrib

"Darker than the Douglas Adams universe, but lighter than Game Of Thrones, Peril In The Old Country hooks you in with its intriguing world-building, compelling characters, fantastical elements, interesting twists on the supernatural, and perfectly absurd dark humor." —Geeks of Doom

"Hooker spins a very funny tale with some fairly complex characters, tense conflicts, philosophizing, a nicely realized setting, and line upon line of funniness. It’s also chock full of nasty goblins, secret societies, ancient wizards, undead armies, wizards, and a little of the stabby stuff.” —Grimdark Magazine

"A unique, deftly crafted, inherently fascinating, entertainingly riveting fantasy — the kind that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf." —Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Sam Hooker is a writer of darkly humorous fantasy novels about things like tyrannical despots and the masked scoundrels who tickle them without mercy. He knows all the best swear words, though he refuses to repeat them because he doesn't want to attract goblins. He is the author of The Winter Riddle. He lives in Mission Viejo, California.

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Product details

Publisher : Black Spot Books; None ed. edition (June 5, 2018)
Language : English
Paperback : 302 pages
ISBN-10 : 0999742302
ISBN-13 : 978-0999742303
Item Weight : 12.3 ounces
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,282,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,753 in Norse & Viking Myth & Legend
- #3,737 in Dark Humor
- #3,994 in Humorous Fantasy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
22 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		63%
4 star		22%
3 star		15%
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Cassondra Windwalker

Charming Fantasy Doused in Sneaky Brilliance

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2018

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A rollicking fantasy replete with biting political commentary and whimsical snark, Peril In The Old Country positively pushes the reader from page to page. Even the dutiful funk I've clung to of late could do nothing to prevent me from laughing out loud on at least every other page. Hooker creates a familiar world whose woes and - sorry, can't resist - perils are all too well-known to the modern reader although the magical elements are entirely original. Possibly my favorite part of the book is the delightfully inventive swearing which leaves the blue-tongued sailors of the "real" world sadly ashamed of the drabness of their own efforts. Strongly recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy, humor, and a healthy swig of sarcasm.

One person found this helpful

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Ann Manes

Another can't-put-it-down from Sam Hooker.

Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2018

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One of the best things I have ever read, and I have read a whole, whole lot. As full of humor as the best chocolate chip cookie you have ever had was full of chocolate chips; the author has a style that won't quit. The plot is intriguing and the characters engaging, and while the ending is admittedly abrupt, it does not disappoint. Cannot wait for the next one!

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Jessica West

Fans of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett will enjoy

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2019

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Absolutely loved the main character and writing style! Extremely funny, reminds me very much of Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams. Can’t wait for the sequel!

One person found this helpful

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Shelly

Amusing and enjoyable journey!

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

Really liked this book! Funny, even laugh out loud at times! Ridiculous characters reminds me of Terry Pratchett. The stuff about bureaucracy was so spot on, and I enjoyed the love interests!

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Sandra

kind of weird

Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2020

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Can't decide if I want to finish it. Did stop in the middle to read a different book so that should tell you something.

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Jen

So much wit and intrigue!!!

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2019

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This book is a wildly hilarious and exciting tale from start to finish! Sam Hooker uses clever imagery and razor sharp wit to keep his story moving, creating a rollercoaster sure to leave all of the readers breathless and eager for the sequel. A wonderful read, 5 stars!!!

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Sheela

Darkly whitty

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2019

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A very amusing fantasy read that will remind you a lot of the kind of whitty humor used in Monty python or hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.

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BookWol

An entertaining dark comedic fantasy.

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2018

Sloot Peril is my favorite sort of protagonist – the kind who comes from a place of honesty. In much the same way that most of us would find ourselves sorted into Hufflepuff if we were totally honest with ourselves, the majority of us have more in common with Sloot than we do the real heroic heroes of fantasy, like Aragorn or Conan. Sloot is a tightly wound accountant with a strong survival instinct and a deep love of bureaucracy and routine. He’s anxious, cowardly and somewhat haughty – sort of an interesting mix of all the negative qualities of a pre-tower Thomas Senlin, Bilbo Baggins and Rincewind.

In this dark comedic fantasy there are echoes of a great many influences, a little of everything from Edward Gorey to George Orwell. This is a dystopian tale that covers a number of fairly heavy subjects in a light and satirical fashion. While there is definitely a hint of the Discworld in its tone, Pratchett’s rage against injustice was never far from the surface. Hooker opts for a more darkly amused, fatalistic approach. It’s gallows humor done very well indeed, and while for me there weren’t always big laughs, it was consistently amusing and I chuckled a lot. The plot at its most basic is a standard reluctant-hero-thrown-into-an-adventure story, but there are none more reluctant than Sloot Peril, and therein lies the comedy.

The pacing of the story is a little inconsistent, but the author’s voice is strong enough to carry it through the lulls, and the characters are great fun. The secondary characters are pretty well developed for the most part and they are each given the opportunity to shine through the excellent dialogue. Lord Wilhelm and Nan in particular are absolutely hilarious – Willie’s naive ignorance and lack of self awareness was the highlight of the novel for me, and Hooker’s deft commentary on people who have more money than sense was hugely enjoyable. It reminded me quite strongly of Hugh Laurie’s portrayal of Prince George in Blackadder, just the right blend of well-meaning and dimwitted that comes with having been born too rich to really need to learn anything. I also found that despite some obvious foreshadowing, I genuinely believed the narrative was heading in a certain direction, and then, it… didn’t. It did exactly the opposite of what I expected, and I was absolutely delighted. I don’t want to go into detail because it would ruin one of the fun surprises of the book, but Hooker did a great job of turning my expectations on their head despite having signalled well in advance that he was going to do so.

However, sometimes there has to be a bit of bad with the good. While the prose, setting, dialogue and character development were all very strong, there was a failing that unfortunately means I have to dock it a star, and I’m truly sorry to do so because it was otherwise excellent. The ending that was not an ending. Perhaps it was a deliberate choice, but from my point of view it felt like the author didn’t know how to end the novel and so chose a cliffhanger in order to give himself some breathing room to sort the mess out later. Rushed, abrupt and unsatisfying. There was no resolution of any kind to be had – and while I am dying to know what happens next, I feel this could have been handled better. However, the good most definitely outweighs the bad. I know I’ll still recommend this to several people I know, but I’ll have to give them a heads-up about the ending and I do hope that this won’t be a hallmark of the series. Outside of this flaw, it’s genuinely wonderful and I look forward to book 2.

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