Hobgoblin Boots

Mocklore Chronicles

by Tansy Rayner Roberts

At the age of thirteen, half-hobgoblin Bounty Fenetre found herself on her own, which was fine by her. There was a cute chainmail number at the smithy's she had her eye on, once she figured out how to fix it so it bared her midriff. Then Ma Fortuna adopted her and she met Luc, her new foster brother. Four years later, at the age of seventeen, Bounty is older and wiser, and really wants to Seek Her Fortune. She and Luc ambush a hero and steal his armor, because as everyone knows, the first step to becoming a hero is to look like one. The second step is to be recognized as a hero by the world at large, which surprisingly, isn't as hard as it sounds. Mocklore is a land where magic crashes and smashes through the landscape, exploding with abrasive sounds and colors, the ideal place for a clever half-hobgoblin fosterling and a charismatic hero-in-progress to make their names. But what happens when your reputation gets too big for your boots?

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories

40 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2004

About the author

Tansy Rayner Roberts is a fantasy and science fiction author who lives in southern Tasmania, somewhere between the tall mountain with snow on it, and the beach that points towards Antarctica.

Tansy has a PhD in Classics (with a special interest in poisonous Roman ladies), and an obsession with Musketeers.

You can hear Tansy talking about Doctor Who on the Verity! podcast. She also reads her own stories on the Sheep Might Fly podcast.

Reviews

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice YA short fantasy tale, about a girl who is part hobgoblin (but other kids are part vampire so that's okay then) and wants to run off for adventures, but the goodwife who takes her in won't hear of it. When she's grown up a bit she has a few fun escapades with a partner in crime, before heading to the realm of fairie to claim her birthright.
The sardonic and sometimes funny local lore is what distinguishes this tale from others; it's called Mocklore so what do we expect. At times the tale feels like a narration of an RPG. Enjoy.

I downloaded a copy from Instafreebie. This is an unbiased review.

[Tsana Dolichva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hobgoblin Boots by Tansy Rayner Roberts is a short novella set in the world of the Mocklore chronicles. It stands alone and you do not have to have read any of the other books to pick this one up. I previously reviewed Ink Black Magic and I’ve also read Splashdance Silver, but more than a decade ago, long before this blog came into existence.

The story follows Bounty as she grows up (reaches her late teens) and goes off to seek her fortune. First with her adopted brother, then alone. She encounters a variety of fantasy world scenarios and experiences somewhat of a coming of age narrative.

This was a short and entertaining read. The author doesn’t shy away from mocking fantasy tropes, but without mocking the entire fantasy genre. It’s a little reminiscent of early Pratchett, or perhaps Douglas Adams, but also not quite. Roberts has a voice all her own.

I recommend this novella to fans of Roberts’ writing and particularly the Mocklore books. If you haven’t read any of that series, this is a reasonable introduction and sample.

4 / 5 stars

You can read more of my reviews on my blog.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bounty has a plan; she will make Luc a Hero and he will be set for life, then she will go of adventuring and see the world. A well laid plan; you know what they say about the best laid plans. Bounty and Luc are orphans but grew up together in Ma Fortuna's home. When Bountys' plan fails she stumbles into another world. This is a short story to introduce the Mocklore universe. The book is interesting, well written and well edited. Read it to get the flavor of Mocklore. 4.0 stars because it's a cliffhanger.

[Anna Hepworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a stalwart fan of Roberts, but this story just didn't quite gel for me. There are lots of fascinating details, Roberts' trademark messing with fairy tale tropes, and a generally feel good tone, and yet. I suspect that in part it is because it is an earlier work, and what I'm seeing is the developmental stages of her characteristic style. Recommended for a bit of a light read, and for some background on Bounty Fenetre and her Hero friend Luc, but just don't expect it to grab hold and not let go the way her more recent work does.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting set of characters set in a fun mashup world used to comic effect. If you like comedy in your fantasy, you are likely to enjoy Hobgoblin Boots. I appreciate TRR letting me read this off Instafreebie. Now I just need to find a place in my to-read pile for the continuing tales Bounty and Luc.

[Sarah]

DNF. Made it a quarter of the way through before I decided none of the characters were doing anything interesting. Something about the main character's voice made her someone I didn't enjoy listening to. It's a damn shame, because the plot description seems right up my alley.

[Milana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just plain fun. Such an easy, whimsical read. Lots of familiar elements, but still lovely and inventive.

[Ceillie Simkiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet little story. Hobgoblin Boots is a fun fantasy that I'd love to read more of.

[Tracey Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book ,can't wait to read more of this series and more books by this author.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was enjoying this story so much, but then I found the ending really abrupt and unsatisfying, so now I'm not sure how I feel about it

Edit: I discovered there are more stories about these characters, which makes the ending make more sense to me. I'll definitely be checking them out!

[Debbie is on Storygraph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this for years and finally got around to reading it. And now I want to read all the Mocklore books. Fun!

[Yolanda Sfetsos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this story for a while and decided to finally read it. I'm glad I did.

Bounty is half-hobgoblin and when her flighty mother leaves her, she gets adopted by the kind Ma Fortuna. She becomes part of the big family, and when she's seventeen takes off with one of the Fortuna kids to find their own way.

Since Bounty is full of ideas and mischief, she convinces Luc to steal from a hero so that he can become one. Although their adventure starts together, it doesn't take long for them to find separate paths.

I really enjoyed this quirky, well-written fairy-talesque story. It was a lot of fun and Bounty turned out to be a very interesting character.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want a sequel!

[Sidsel Pedersen]

That was fun :)