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Pigs Don't Fly #2
Pigs Don't Fly
Left an orphan with a small dowry and a magic ring, Summer longs for domestic tranquility with a husband, until she meets a ragtag band of supernatural animals who need her help. Original.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
5 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
About the author
Mary Brown
9 books71 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 19, 2018
Content Warnings: harsh fat shaming
Mary Brown’s fantasy novel Pigs Don’t Fly (1994, Baen Books) is part of a trilogy or quartet, depending on how you look at it. The first book, The Unlikely Ones, is completely separate from this book — by hundreds of years, setting-wise — except there is a ring made from a unicorn horn created in The Unlikely Ones that comes back in Pigs Don’t Fly. All you need to know is that it warns the wearer of danger by tingling and allows them to think-speak to animals. Therefore, I vote we’re dealing with a trilogy, starting with Pigs Don’t Fly and dismiss The Unlikely Ones as a separate novel. Furthermore, Brown published The Unlikely Ones in 1986, whereas the next three were published 1994, 1995, and 1999. I’ve spent time on this question because readers on Goodreads seem unsure where to start in the little series and wanted to be helpful to those interested in picking up Brown’s novels.
Pigs Don’t Fly begins with Summer’s life with her mother, who is the village prostitute, which keeps them in money. Summer gains a bit of an education when each man who regularly visits her mother teachers Summer a bit of what he knows or does. The setting is unclear, but it’s something Europe-ish, everyone is a Christian, and there are mostly small villages and knights that own castles. You get the classic fantasy setting as a result. When Summer’s mother suddenly dies, her former clients decide they’ll kick Summer out of the house so a new prostitute can move in — she’s too fat to be a whore. Thus, Summer gathers up her stuff, sets the house on fire in the middle of the night, and runs away with some coins for a dowry. Like classic fantasy, she picks up a rag-tag group of creatures that rely on her: a flea-ridden dog, a blind knight, a pigeon with a broken wing, a turtle whose owners abandoned him, a horse that’s been abused, and a runty pig . . . with wings. The entire book is narrated from Summer’s perspective.
Mary Brown suggests she’ll stick to fantasy tropes: the animals will heal and find their perfect homes as they travel, the knight and Summer will fall in love, and they will have children who will carry on the story in the next book. But Brown deftly dodges our expectations of traditional fantasy. After traveling hundreds of miles by foot and facing challenges along the way (fantasy is set up like Nintendo games in which you must face mini bosses to get to the next level), she realizes she’s a different person who can’t go back to her old way of thinking. I was happy to be surprised and see a character grow organically.
There’s a lot of humor that made me give a small laugh — not riotous, but more charming. The dog is always hungry (even after he’s eaten), so he’s constantly getting caught with his face in the food dishes. The pig with wings is able to save himself and Summer from a high castle window when they’re held captive by filling himself with air and farting them to safety, like a balloon. There’s also a ghost boy that petulantly demands to be told a story or he’ll kill everyone.
The problem is this: Mary Brown made Summer a fat girl and totally belittles the character for no reason that helps the plot. Summer admits:
At one point, a street child calls Summer “fatty,” and she thinks, “I flushed with anger — but then I was fat wasn’t I . . .?” Here, I was proud of her! Recognizing that being fat is just a descriptor is hard to do, and she’s done it. I thought the character was growing emotionally. Summer even uses her size to push people around as she escapes and saves the pig’s life in one scene.
Given that classic fantasy involves a journey, typically on foot, I wasn’t surprised that Summer started to lose weight. You walk about 15 miles per day and that tends to happen. When she first notices that she has to take in her dresses a bit, she calls it “a small victory.” What, I wondered, did she “fight” to make her a victor?
The ultimate punch to the heart, though, was Mary Brown’s choice to make being fat the component that would keep Summer from happiness — because when she was fat she was disgusting. At the end of the book, Summer is thin, radiant. “Radiance” is unrealistic. A person who walks hundreds of miles and is nearly starving the whole book would definitely lose weight (and be malnourished), but she would also have excess skin all over her body. If you look at the cover image, that’s Summer, and Brown sells readers some weird fantasy-diet-self-help book of sorts. While there is a pig with wings in the book, the title may also be a way of saying that Summer won't be successful (able to fly) as long as she's a pig (e.g. fat). The actual pig, who seems to know things from the past, think-talks to Summer to explain how Summer went from gross to gorgeous:
This review was originally published at Grab the Lapels.
Mary Brown’s fantasy novel Pigs Don’t Fly (1994, Baen Books) is part of a trilogy or quartet, depending on how you look at it. The first book, The Unlikely Ones, is completely separate from this book — by hundreds of years, setting-wise — except there is a ring made from a unicorn horn created in The Unlikely Ones that comes back in Pigs Don’t Fly. All you need to know is that it warns the wearer of danger by tingling and allows them to think-speak to animals. Therefore, I vote we’re dealing with a trilogy, starting with Pigs Don’t Fly and dismiss The Unlikely Ones as a separate novel. Furthermore, Brown published The Unlikely Ones in 1986, whereas the next three were published 1994, 1995, and 1999. I’ve spent time on this question because readers on Goodreads seem unsure where to start in the little series and wanted to be helpful to those interested in picking up Brown’s novels.
Pigs Don’t Fly begins with Summer’s life with her mother, who is the village prostitute, which keeps them in money. Summer gains a bit of an education when each man who regularly visits her mother teachers Summer a bit of what he knows or does. The setting is unclear, but it’s something Europe-ish, everyone is a Christian, and there are mostly small villages and knights that own castles. You get the classic fantasy setting as a result. When Summer’s mother suddenly dies, her former clients decide they’ll kick Summer out of the house so a new prostitute can move in — she’s too fat to be a whore. Thus, Summer gathers up her stuff, sets the house on fire in the middle of the night, and runs away with some coins for a dowry. Like classic fantasy, she picks up a rag-tag group of creatures that rely on her: a flea-ridden dog, a blind knight, a pigeon with a broken wing, a turtle whose owners abandoned him, a horse that’s been abused, and a runty pig . . . with wings. The entire book is narrated from Summer’s perspective.
Mary Brown suggests she’ll stick to fantasy tropes: the animals will heal and find their perfect homes as they travel, the knight and Summer will fall in love, and they will have children who will carry on the story in the next book. But Brown deftly dodges our expectations of traditional fantasy. After traveling hundreds of miles by foot and facing challenges along the way (fantasy is set up like Nintendo games in which you must face mini bosses to get to the next level), she realizes she’s a different person who can’t go back to her old way of thinking. I was happy to be surprised and see a character grow organically.
There’s a lot of humor that made me give a small laugh — not riotous, but more charming. The dog is always hungry (even after he’s eaten), so he’s constantly getting caught with his face in the food dishes. The pig with wings is able to save himself and Summer from a high castle window when they’re held captive by filling himself with air and farting them to safety, like a balloon. There’s also a ghost boy that petulantly demands to be told a story or he’ll kill everyone.
The problem is this: Mary Brown made Summer a fat girl and totally belittles the character for no reason that helps the plot. Summer admits:
The fact was I was fat. Not fat, obese. No, admit it: gross. I was a huge lump of grease, wobbling from foot to foot like ill-set aspic. I couldn’t see my feet for my stomach, hadn’t seen them for years. . . . I had lost count of my chins and got sores on my thighs with the flesh rubbing together.The knight in the story was recently wounded in a battle, causing blindness and amnesia. Summer is thankful he can’t see how fat and plain she is. Wouldn’t he be grateful for the help of a stranger who promises to return him to his home, when he can’t actually remember where home is? Summer asks people they meet to not tell the blind knight that she’s fat because she’s in love with him and doesn’t want to ruin things.
At one point, a street child calls Summer “fatty,” and she thinks, “I flushed with anger — but then I was fat wasn’t I . . .?” Here, I was proud of her! Recognizing that being fat is just a descriptor is hard to do, and she’s done it. I thought the character was growing emotionally. Summer even uses her size to push people around as she escapes and saves the pig’s life in one scene.
Given that classic fantasy involves a journey, typically on foot, I wasn’t surprised that Summer started to lose weight. You walk about 15 miles per day and that tends to happen. When she first notices that she has to take in her dresses a bit, she calls it “a small victory.” What, I wondered, did she “fight” to make her a victor?
The ultimate punch to the heart, though, was Mary Brown’s choice to make being fat the component that would keep Summer from happiness — because when she was fat she was disgusting. At the end of the book, Summer is thin, radiant. “Radiance” is unrealistic. A person who walks hundreds of miles and is nearly starving the whole book would definitely lose weight (and be malnourished), but she would also have excess skin all over her body. If you look at the cover image, that’s Summer, and Brown sells readers some weird fantasy-diet-self-help book of sorts. While there is a pig with wings in the book, the title may also be a way of saying that Summer won't be successful (able to fly) as long as she's a pig (e.g. fat). The actual pig, who seems to know things from the past, think-talks to Summer to explain how Summer went from gross to gorgeous:
“[Your mother, the prostitute,] didn’t want a pretty daughter to rival her, so she did the only thing she could short of disfigurement: she fattened you up like a prize pig, so that only a pervert would prefer you. Now you are all you should be.”Never mind that Summer was the leader of a group of broken creatures, kept them safe, saved their lives, brought in money, and found them all homes. Never mind that she is a dreamer and adventurer who never settles when there are so many chances to do so. And that quote just above is why I keep looking for positive representations of fat women in fiction. We deserve better.
This review was originally published at Grab the Lapels.
July 20, 2017
So why am I reading a 20-year-old book when there are so many new ones to read? Re-reading, no less? Because I finally got the sequel and decided I needed to refresh my memory. In this medieval/early Renaissance fantasy, Summer is the daughter of the village whore and a mysterious traveler who died before she was born. Her only gift from her father, aside from a dowry of foreign coins, is a ring from a unicorn's horn that allows her to communicate with animals (something she learns only as she starts on her journey).
When her mother dies, Summer sets out on a journey, without much direction, until she starts accreting companions: a scruffy dog, a blind, amnesiac, but gorgeous knight, a broken-down horse who claims to be a princess (not a human in horse form, a princess of horses), a homing pigeon with a broken wing, a tortoise who's a long way from home, and a weird little pig with wings. Thinking herself in love with the knight, Summer tries to help him regain his memory and his home, and in the journey helps the others find what they're looking for as well. But she doesn't discover what she wants until it's too late.
The details in this book are incredible. They're occasionally overdone, but you really feel what life was like for someone who had no wealth or powerful protector. Summer is well-educated, thanks to her mother's clients, but ignorant of the world, and makes the kind of mistakes you'd expect someone like her to make. Unfortunately, she also makes unforgivable mistakes, like not trusting her companions or doubting the ring, which make her annoying at times. She's also a naïve narrator, to the point that it was frustrating rather than clever. Fortunately, the animals are all bright in their own way, and kept me interested.
This is a quest fantasy, which means the plot is a series of encounters strung together. I felt it would have been stronger if Summer's emotional journey had been more fluid and overt. She doesn't really change until the end, when her beloved knight finally reaches his home and Summer starts to question at that point whether what she's believed this whole way is true. Good character development, but too late.
The ending would have been a surprise (I mean, to anyone reading it for the first time) had not the cover tagline COMPLETELY ruined it. If I were Mary Brown, I'd be pissed about it.
I'm dropping this a star on re-reading partly for the occasional overwriting, but mostly for the extreme case of fat-hate. One of the things Brown lavishes her descriptive powers on is Summer's obesity at the start of the book. I was going to copy a portion of it here, but I don't think I can bear to. Suffice it to say that her rolls of fat, her enormous thighs, and her inability to rise from a reclining position without having something to pull herself up by are explained in detail.
Now, the reason for Summer being fat is that her mother feared competition from her own daughter and fed her up so she'd be so fat no one would find her pretty. On the one hand, having your body distorted by someone else is wrong whether it's being fat or skinny, and I'm on board with that. But on the other hand, the idea that being fat means you are unattractive (later someone tells Summer that her mother wanted her so fat only a pervert would want her!) is disturbing. Summer sheds all that weight once she's out from under her mother's thumb, and again, I'm fine with that. But I also don't believe that anyone who works as hard as Summer does would be so weak she couldn't rise without help. I can see where Brown was going with this, but the underlying assumption of beauty being a function of slenderness bothers me.
I'm not sorry I re-read it. The sequel is about on a par (review to follow), if not better, except for one thing. But that's another review.
When her mother dies, Summer sets out on a journey, without much direction, until she starts accreting companions: a scruffy dog, a blind, amnesiac, but gorgeous knight, a broken-down horse who claims to be a princess (not a human in horse form, a princess of horses), a homing pigeon with a broken wing, a tortoise who's a long way from home, and a weird little pig with wings. Thinking herself in love with the knight, Summer tries to help him regain his memory and his home, and in the journey helps the others find what they're looking for as well. But she doesn't discover what she wants until it's too late.
The details in this book are incredible. They're occasionally overdone, but you really feel what life was like for someone who had no wealth or powerful protector. Summer is well-educated, thanks to her mother's clients, but ignorant of the world, and makes the kind of mistakes you'd expect someone like her to make. Unfortunately, she also makes unforgivable mistakes, like not trusting her companions or doubting the ring, which make her annoying at times. She's also a naïve narrator, to the point that it was frustrating rather than clever. Fortunately, the animals are all bright in their own way, and kept me interested.
This is a quest fantasy, which means the plot is a series of encounters strung together. I felt it would have been stronger if Summer's emotional journey had been more fluid and overt. She doesn't really change until the end, when her beloved knight finally reaches his home and Summer starts to question at that point whether what she's believed this whole way is true. Good character development, but too late.
The ending would have been a surprise (I mean, to anyone reading it for the first time) had not the cover tagline COMPLETELY ruined it. If I were Mary Brown, I'd be pissed about it.
I'm dropping this a star on re-reading partly for the occasional overwriting, but mostly for the extreme case of fat-hate. One of the things Brown lavishes her descriptive powers on is Summer's obesity at the start of the book. I was going to copy a portion of it here, but I don't think I can bear to. Suffice it to say that her rolls of fat, her enormous thighs, and her inability to rise from a reclining position without having something to pull herself up by are explained in detail.
Now, the reason for Summer being fat is that her mother feared competition from her own daughter and fed her up so she'd be so fat no one would find her pretty. On the one hand, having your body distorted by someone else is wrong whether it's being fat or skinny, and I'm on board with that. But on the other hand, the idea that being fat means you are unattractive (later someone tells Summer that her mother wanted her so fat only a pervert would want her!) is disturbing. Summer sheds all that weight once she's out from under her mother's thumb, and again, I'm fine with that. But I also don't believe that anyone who works as hard as Summer does would be so weak she couldn't rise without help. I can see where Brown was going with this, but the underlying assumption of beauty being a function of slenderness bothers me.
I'm not sorry I re-read it. The sequel is about on a par (review to follow), if not better, except for one thing. But that's another review.
August 6, 2020
One of my favorite books, read it when I was teenager. It draws you in from the first line. I loved all the characters and the growth of the main character over the book. Wonderfully done ^^
February 18, 2009
This book was enjoyable and entertaining. It has a lot of classic elements of fantasy - magic, maidens, talking animals, adventure, narrow escapes, epic journeys, knights, castles, and even a few fantastic creatures.
At the same time, it's a bit more tounge-in-cheek than a lot of fantasy I've read, almost like it doesn't take itself too seriously. With an opening line reading, "My mother was the village whore, and I loved her very much," it's clear that this isn't typical fantasy right from the start. And our heroine is not quite the gripping, brave, intelligent victor that you see in other fantasy novels, but she certainly does grow on you.
The only thing that marred this book for me was not realizing there is a sequel, and quite a cliff-hanger at the end there. I had that horrible moment where there are 2 pages left and I thought, "They'll never wrap this up in time... oh no."
At the same time, it's a bit more tounge-in-cheek than a lot of fantasy I've read, almost like it doesn't take itself too seriously. With an opening line reading, "My mother was the village whore, and I loved her very much," it's clear that this isn't typical fantasy right from the start. And our heroine is not quite the gripping, brave, intelligent victor that you see in other fantasy novels, but she certainly does grow on you.
The only thing that marred this book for me was not realizing there is a sequel, and quite a cliff-hanger at the end there. I had that horrible moment where there are 2 pages left and I thought, "They'll never wrap this up in time... oh no."
April 16, 2015
As an adult fairy tale this is a nice bit of escapism. The vocabulary stretches my own, and I especially enjoy the heroine's relationship with her animal companions.
April 2, 2020
Light-hearted fantasy adventure that twists some well-known tropes unexpectedly. Dropped a star cos it dragged in the middle, and the character growth revolved around our protagonist losing her 'disgusting' weight. Fatphobic language and message that I can't overlook.
November 2, 2018
The first few chapters of the book I really thought I would not like it and would probably not finish it. But as I read on through the book I became more and more interested in the story. Turned out to be a very nice and enjoyable read. Recommended
September 29, 2015
More of a 2.5...okay so read this years ago, probably about 12 or so, and had fallen. in love with everything about it. Not enough to add it to my annual reread list, but well enough to keep it for possible reread in the near future.
I quite forget what I loved about this, though I can speculate based on what I do know of 20something Lexie's preferences.
It was a quest, with magic and folklore and a girl who had troubles with her mother but always found the right answer to save the day. Except...that's not true upon rereading as a full adult. Summer rarely finds the solution---if she does she nearly kills them all by bungling it.
Trusts the wrong people. Says the wrong thing. Hardly listens...
It's Whimperling (the eponymous flying pig of the title) who almost ALWAYS saves the day. Contrast that with THE UNLIKELY ONES wherein Thing did make mistakes but had many clever solutions and her companions by in large were useful much of the time.
Meanwhile I find it interesting that unlike TUO that Summer's companions here all settle or compromise on their greatest wish for life. I wonder if it's because Thing's friends were far better creatures? Though to be truthful Summer is nowhere near as close to her friends as Thing was.
All in all I'm disappointed...even in Jasper...hopefully the next 2 books are better and I didn't misremember.
I quite forget what I loved about this, though I can speculate based on what I do know of 20something Lexie's preferences.
It was a quest, with magic and folklore and a girl who had troubles with her mother but always found the right answer to save the day. Except...that's not true upon rereading as a full adult. Summer rarely finds the solution---if she does she nearly kills them all by bungling it.
Trusts the wrong people. Says the wrong thing. Hardly listens...
It's Whimperling (the eponymous flying pig of the title) who almost ALWAYS saves the day. Contrast that with THE UNLIKELY ONES wherein Thing did make mistakes but had many clever solutions and her companions by in large were useful much of the time.
Meanwhile I find it interesting that unlike TUO that Summer's companions here all settle or compromise on their greatest wish for life. I wonder if it's because Thing's friends were far better creatures? Though to be truthful Summer is nowhere near as close to her friends as Thing was.
All in all I'm disappointed...even in Jasper...hopefully the next 2 books are better and I didn't misremember.
March 1, 2012
Summer leads a cushioned existence until she is suddenly thrust into a life on the road and on the lam. She is accompanied by an odd assortment of animals (with whom she can talk) and a really hot blind guy with amnesia.
The setting is some sort of medieval world where magic is real, and it's a wonderful mix of absurd and realistic. Summer is educated and liberated and usually outsmarts the people around her. However, that doesn't mean that she doesn't still have a lot to learn, and she struggles with the same things we all do: What do you do when life throws a wrench into your plans? Toward the end of the story, each character ends up living a parable of sorts, and there are plenty of scenes where I teared up and thought "Yes! Exactly! I've felt the same things!"
The setting is some sort of medieval world where magic is real, and it's a wonderful mix of absurd and realistic. Summer is educated and liberated and usually outsmarts the people around her. However, that doesn't mean that she doesn't still have a lot to learn, and she struggles with the same things we all do: What do you do when life throws a wrench into your plans? Toward the end of the story, each character ends up living a parable of sorts, and there are plenty of scenes where I teared up and thought "Yes! Exactly! I've felt the same things!"
Read
March 31, 2016One of the best fantasy books I've read in a long, long time.
This book breaks all the tropes and cliches.
A strong female protagonist who doesn't act like a man.
Refreshing!
While this is, apparently, the second of a trilogy, it is the only book I've read of the series and it stands alone quite well.
She has a linear series of adventures, collecting animals needing help along the way, and in the end, she learns some life lessons, and not a single sword fight between the covers of the novel.
I recommend it!
This book breaks all the tropes and cliches.
A strong female protagonist who doesn't act like a man.
Refreshing!
While this is, apparently, the second of a trilogy, it is the only book I've read of the series and it stands alone quite well.
She has a linear series of adventures, collecting animals needing help along the way, and in the end, she learns some life lessons, and not a single sword fight between the covers of the novel.
I recommend it!
September 2, 2011
'my mother was the villiage whore.' it's been a really long time since i read this book, but that opening sentence has always stuck with me. i loved this book. great magic, halrious dog, and stupid knights. loved the rest in the series and was disappointed the author died before finishing the series.
February 10, 2024
Ummmmmm…. WOW.
I have soooo many thoughts about this book!
There were some really good things about this book, but there was sooooooo much that was just BAD, that unfortunately, it overshadows the good.
First, the good.
I loved the dog! He was my favorite character and he was very entertaining.
The relationship and bond that Summer made with the animals was very good. I really enjoyed reading about the adventures and mishaps of their little chosen family.
Now, for the not so good/bad/icky/weird.
This is NOT a true fantasy. I would consider this cozy fantasy.
After the half way point it did become slow and rambly, which I didn’t love.
I also could have done without such long descriptions of the landscape and would have much preferred more adventure or character development.
And there is sooooo much talk of food! Every single meal they eat is described in detail 🙄😤👎🏻
I *really* hated the Christianity and religious aspects of this world. It didn’t fit and it didn’t make any fucking sense. It had no place in a medieval fantasy novel and every single time it was mentioned, it not only made me angry, it took me completely out of the world and out of the story.
But that’s not even the worst thing about this book by a long shot.
The amount of fat shaming in this book is on another level!
I lost count of the number of times Summer was called FAT - either by herself or other characters. Not only was it fat shaming and offensive, but it was just redundant.
Oh yeah, and she’s ugly. Fat and ugly.
And the author NEVER lets you forget it.
She was SO FAT that “only a PERVERT would want her”!!!!!! 😡😡😡
We get it. She was plump and due to lifestyle changes, walking endless miles daily and literally starving… she lost weight. Big surprise.
And each time she had to take in her clothes she seemed utterly baffled and shocked 😡
And only when she lost weight did she become beautiful 😡
She was only as worthy as her looks.
Beauty and good looks are the ONLY thing of value.
No man would DARE want her when she was fat, but after she lost weight, only THEN was she beautiful and EVERY man wanted her 🤬🤬🤬
I understand that she was fed and fattened up by her mother, but that is not made clear until the last 30 pages of the book.
*IF* the author had wanted the reader to feel sympathy for Summers’ mistreatment and understand her deep seated hatred for herself, then there should have been more time and scenes dedicated to showing that toxic relationship.
Even a quick overview of her upbringing, showcasing examples of her being fed or mistreated by her mother would have given the reader more understanding and made sense for SOME of her internal fat shaming and self hatred.
But that was not the case.
And you would *think* that would be the worst part, right???
But oh, you would be so WRONG, my friend!
The ending went off the fucking rails!!!!
I was speechless.
And NOT in a good way 😧😳🤔
It went straight to beastiality.
This bitch fucked a mother fucking PIG!
A pig that she KNEW was a PIG, that turned into a dragon, that shapeshifted into a human for less than five minutes.
That was NOT the relationship they had built throughout the entire rest of the book. They were friends. Companions. And he was a PIIIIIIIG!!!!!!!!!
And then she was IN LOVE with the pig/dragon “man” and apparently book 2 is her searching for him sit they can be together?!?!?!?
I just don’t even k ow what else to say.
I’m giving it 3 stars for the things I did enjoy, but a good chunk of the book was a 1🌟 for me.
I already own books 2 & 3, so I’m going to start book 2 and decide if I want to continue.
As of now, I don’t have high hopes.
I have soooo many thoughts about this book!
There were some really good things about this book, but there was sooooooo much that was just BAD, that unfortunately, it overshadows the good.
First, the good.
I loved the dog! He was my favorite character and he was very entertaining.
The relationship and bond that Summer made with the animals was very good. I really enjoyed reading about the adventures and mishaps of their little chosen family.
Now, for the not so good/bad/icky/weird.
This is NOT a true fantasy. I would consider this cozy fantasy.
After the half way point it did become slow and rambly, which I didn’t love.
I also could have done without such long descriptions of the landscape and would have much preferred more adventure or character development.
And there is sooooo much talk of food! Every single meal they eat is described in detail 🙄😤👎🏻
I *really* hated the Christianity and religious aspects of this world. It didn’t fit and it didn’t make any fucking sense. It had no place in a medieval fantasy novel and every single time it was mentioned, it not only made me angry, it took me completely out of the world and out of the story.
But that’s not even the worst thing about this book by a long shot.
The amount of fat shaming in this book is on another level!
I lost count of the number of times Summer was called FAT - either by herself or other characters. Not only was it fat shaming and offensive, but it was just redundant.
Oh yeah, and she’s ugly. Fat and ugly.
And the author NEVER lets you forget it.
She was SO FAT that “only a PERVERT would want her”!!!!!! 😡😡😡
We get it. She was plump and due to lifestyle changes, walking endless miles daily and literally starving… she lost weight. Big surprise.
And each time she had to take in her clothes she seemed utterly baffled and shocked 😡
And only when she lost weight did she become beautiful 😡
She was only as worthy as her looks.
Beauty and good looks are the ONLY thing of value.
No man would DARE want her when she was fat, but after she lost weight, only THEN was she beautiful and EVERY man wanted her 🤬🤬🤬
I understand that she was fed and fattened up by her mother, but that is not made clear until the last 30 pages of the book.
*IF* the author had wanted the reader to feel sympathy for Summers’ mistreatment and understand her deep seated hatred for herself, then there should have been more time and scenes dedicated to showing that toxic relationship.
Even a quick overview of her upbringing, showcasing examples of her being fed or mistreated by her mother would have given the reader more understanding and made sense for SOME of her internal fat shaming and self hatred.
But that was not the case.
And you would *think* that would be the worst part, right???
But oh, you would be so WRONG, my friend!
The ending went off the fucking rails!!!!
I was speechless.
And NOT in a good way 😧😳🤔
It went straight to beastiality.
This bitch fucked a mother fucking PIG!
A pig that she KNEW was a PIG, that turned into a dragon, that shapeshifted into a human for less than five minutes.
That was NOT the relationship they had built throughout the entire rest of the book. They were friends. Companions. And he was a PIIIIIIIG!!!!!!!!!
And then she was IN LOVE with the pig/dragon “man” and apparently book 2 is her searching for him sit they can be together?!?!?!?
I just don’t even k ow what else to say.
I’m giving it 3 stars for the things I did enjoy, but a good chunk of the book was a 1🌟 for me.
I already own books 2 & 3, so I’m going to start book 2 and decide if I want to continue.
As of now, I don’t have high hopes.
February 8, 2018
Quite enjoyed this story. It felt like a very 'old fashioned' type of high fantasy novel, so I was surprised to see the copyright date of 1994. I do feel like the ending is a little rushed. Part 1 is four chapters, Part 2 is pretty much the rest of the book, and Part 3 is the last 4 pages. Makes the whole thing feel pretty unbalanced.
My biggest complaint is that the cover's tagline: "But dragons do..." is a huge spoiler! I had a sinking feeling the whole book as we got closer and closer to the end, thinking "That can't be the real answer, right? They wouldn't have put it on the cover if that was it." But yes indeed, in the end the titular pig turns out to be a dragon in disguise. Surprise, surprise. Of course, I can't fault the author for that; it was clearly the decision of the publisher. I don't know what they were thinking. As if the cover image of the pig with large green bat wings wasn't hint enough.
My biggest complaint is that the cover's tagline: "But dragons do..." is a huge spoiler! I had a sinking feeling the whole book as we got closer and closer to the end, thinking "That can't be the real answer, right? They wouldn't have put it on the cover if that was it." But yes indeed, in the end the titular pig turns out to be a dragon in disguise. Surprise, surprise. Of course, I can't fault the author for that; it was clearly the decision of the publisher. I don't know what they were thinking. As if the cover image of the pig with large green bat wings wasn't hint enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2019
I originally read this book many, many years ago, when I was just discovering the grownup sections of the library. A couple months ago I found it, along with a sequel I haven't read yet, in the used bookstore. I bought them both, eager to revisit this strange story from my youth. It was a reminder that I love journey narratives, even when they don't seem to know exactly where they're going. I doubt I'll ever be a big fantasy reader, but this is a humble sort, one that doesn't quite admit what it is till pretty much the last couple scenes. And it was nice to feel like that young reader again, the one that didn't care about quality or longevity, that read for the possibility of story alone.
December 3, 2019
While the premise was entertaining enough- young girl with a mysterious ring goes on a quest and picks up a menagerie of traveling companions along the way- I never really got into the story. Aside from the dog and the titular pig, none of the other companions had much of a separate personality. The heroine played out much like an inexperienced young person would- most decisions are impulsive and often end up going poorly, but she never really learned from her mistakes as quickly as I would have expected. To top it off, the amount of body shaming and sexism was tough to look past. I doubt I'll keep up with the story.
December 31, 2020
I can't stand this character and story line. The heroine is a grossly weight challenged teenager (fine, I am a teacher and I understand the need for characters teens can identify with and that is a good starting point for non-athletic teen readers.) However, this one gives even troubled teens a bad name. She is so stupid.... I have taught teens for 40 years and I have seen everything, every behavior, every obstinate type of pattern, students who will not listen and do it their own way or not do anything, no matter how foolish.... Students who will NOT heed warnings.... This one takes the cake in refusal to think and instead rushes to do more stupid things to endanger the others around her. On top of this, the book is so predictable. Did I really finish the entire book? No I threw it down just over 1/3 of the way into the story in total disgust since I ket giving it, from the inept beginning, another chance. (I am careful to not mistreat books, but this one does not deserve to be a book much less three.) The girl's foolishness reached a new low in bad choices that there was no point in continuing to read this dysfunctional story line. Sometimes upon not finishing a bad book I check the end to see if it comes out like I figured. (They do.) This book is not even worth that effort since the main character is one that the author has made the reader not even care about. One star is to high a rating for this book. My recommendation is for you to find something else to read. This one is not worth more words telling you it is bad....
August 12, 2020
This is an oldie found in local bookshop BookBusters (Queens Road, Hastings) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I find fantasy a bit hit-and-miss, but I think this is the first I've read with a female protagonist which was actually written by a female author and it makes such a difference. I really warmed to the character Summer and loved the overall theme of not settling for a certain life when the world offers so much more. Now I need to hunt out the sequels...
September 15, 2020
The Unlikely Ones was a favorite book from childhood, and upon revisiting it I decided to try more by this author. I wish I hadn’t. This book is way to similar to The Unlikely Ones for one thing (but vastly inferior). The fat-shaming is relentless. And the protagonist is just plain stupid, far beyond what could be explained away by inexperience. I will not be reading the sequel.
June 8, 2017
Fun read. Nice to see the young character develop over time, and her band of merry companions keep adding interesting plot elements, with a unifying theme towards the end. I like this book better than the sequel.
Caveat Emptor: I enjoy a witty, irreverent tone in my stories.
Caveat Emptor: I enjoy a witty, irreverent tone in my stories.
April 17, 2024
Came so close to 5 stars. I'm sorry, you're not getting five stars when you imply that only a pervert would love a fat woman. The four stars stay for the storyline and the genuine love in this book but holy frick you did not do a good job with the body image stuff here.
August 21, 2018
Didn't realize this was a series! starting book one now!
December 1, 2019
Loved it!
January 2, 2020
Many time reread of the trilogy. Comfortable, familiar fantasy book. I'm a sucker for a journey, animal friends, and strong main female lead that grows.
November 24, 2020
This was a fun quirky read. I liked it, I didn't love it.
June 3, 2023
Did not know until the end that this was part of a series. Now I can't wait to read the other 3 that go with this one.
February 20, 2024
A charming fantasy road trip novel. Interesting characters. Takes place somewhere in France sometime in the Middle Ages. I’m interested in continuing with the next one.
January 12, 2023
Rating: 3.2/5
This is an interesting little fantasy book. It's a funny and endearing tale of a young woman, Summer, with no home left to return to, goes on a journey (while wearing a magic ring) to find a husband and settle down. She encounters a bunch of different animals, who she can speak with mentally due to her magic ring, as well as a handsome man who has amnesia and becomes blind after a hit to the head.
Now this is a charming, fairly low-stakes fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously. The character do encounter some dangerous things and some crazy goings-ons, but fairly low-risk compared to more serious fantasy novels. The characters are mostly lovable, though Summer's inability to read the hints or vibes around her to avoid danger, sometimes even after being literally told something is wrong, can be a bit annoying at points. Otherwise, the animals are all charming and have their own little (or big, lol) personalities. The story is interesting and kept my attention throughout and how the ending actually came about sort of surprised me.
Now, I did have one major issue with the book, and that was the character was fat/obese and was really self-loathing about it. Now, it did mostly come across as her own mental hang up, which is more understandable to me as someone with my own issues with confidence, but there were instances where it wasn't and really did feel like fatphobia. I also get that this was written in the 90s when it was (incorrectly) more accepted to be fatphobic. In addition, by the end of the book she realizes she's beautiful, not because she gained confidence because of all she had accomplished, but because she had lost all of her weight and was now thin. This rubbed me the wrong way a bit. Not a dealbreaker, I still recommend the book, but just thought it should be mentioned here in case it could be triggering for somebody to read.
In conclusion, I did enjoy the book overall, but took off a star for the fatphobia and ick that it gave me. Elsewise, it was enjoyable and I recommend it for somebody looking for a low-stakes, more classic/vintage feeling fantasy with interesting characters and a plucky heroine.
This is an interesting little fantasy book. It's a funny and endearing tale of a young woman, Summer, with no home left to return to, goes on a journey (while wearing a magic ring) to find a husband and settle down. She encounters a bunch of different animals, who she can speak with mentally due to her magic ring, as well as a handsome man who has amnesia and becomes blind after a hit to the head.
Now this is a charming, fairly low-stakes fantasy that doesn't take itself too seriously. The character do encounter some dangerous things and some crazy goings-ons, but fairly low-risk compared to more serious fantasy novels. The characters are mostly lovable, though Summer's inability to read the hints or vibes around her to avoid danger, sometimes even after being literally told something is wrong, can be a bit annoying at points. Otherwise, the animals are all charming and have their own little (or big, lol) personalities. The story is interesting and kept my attention throughout and how the ending actually came about sort of surprised me.
Now, I did have one major issue with the book, and that was the character was fat/obese and was really self-loathing about it. Now, it did mostly come across as her own mental hang up, which is more understandable to me as someone with my own issues with confidence, but there were instances where it wasn't and really did feel like fatphobia. I also get that this was written in the 90s when it was (incorrectly) more accepted to be fatphobic. In addition, by the end of the book she realizes she's beautiful, not because she gained confidence because of all she had accomplished, but because she had lost all of her weight and was now thin. This rubbed me the wrong way a bit. Not a dealbreaker, I still recommend the book, but just thought it should be mentioned here in case it could be triggering for somebody to read.
In conclusion, I did enjoy the book overall, but took off a star for the fatphobia and ick that it gave me. Elsewise, it was enjoyable and I recommend it for somebody looking for a low-stakes, more classic/vintage feeling fantasy with interesting characters and a plucky heroine.
July 26, 2014
Second in the Pigs Don’t Fly fantasy series with the focus on the naïve and newly orphaned Somerdai.
My Take
It's a life’s journey undertaken as Summer finds herself, blossoming from the waddling duckling to the graceful swan in her year of travel and adventures.
For the most part, it’s a lively, adventurous, and fun tale as Summer learns more about herself and begins to take charge of her own happiness. My one niggle is how stupid she keeps being, never seeming to learn from her mishaps with larcenous travelers.
That mother. What a mother of a mother, she was! I find myself wishing that Summer had left while her mother was alive and was forced to care for herself. Sir Gilman. Well, that was definitely the best decision she could make, although I could wish she would warn the poor boy.
As for the villagers . . . what a bunch of scumbags! My god, the things they said, their timing, their utter callousness. I gloried in that blaze that Summer set!
The Story
Her mother’s unexpected death results in Summer being thrown out of the only home she’s ever known, and she takes a masterful revenge on these greedy buggers.
As part of her escape, Somerdai accumulates a parade of misfits who want only to find their homes. With her kind heart, Somerdai does her best to help them all, even as her heart breaks.
The Characters
Somerdai is the name she learns she was gifted with at birth.
Sir Gilman was the beautiful man she finds broken, blinded, and being tortured by the next village. Sir Robert and Jeanne de Faucon are his parents. Rosamund is his duplicitous fiancée.
Growch is the scruffy little dog with the filthy mind she first picks up as she leaves her village; Mistral is a badly used horse stolen from her family; the Wimperling is a pig with vestigial wings; Traveler is a unique pigeon; and, Basher is the lonely tortoise.
Matthew Spicer is the kindly merchant who takes Somerdai in that winter's afternoon. Suleiman is Matthew's fellow merchant who heals. Saffron is Matthew's ginger cat.
The Cover & Title
The cover reminds me of the fairytale, The Bremen Town Musicians, with its stack of critters in this colorful and fantastical collage of palatial pillars, the olde worlde banner across the top showcasing both title and series name, and the blind Sir Gilman holding Mistral’s tail as Somerdai leads them along.
The title is Somerdai’s own discovery and subsequent astonishment, because, as we all know, Pigs Don’t Fly.
My Take
It's a life’s journey undertaken as Summer finds herself, blossoming from the waddling duckling to the graceful swan in her year of travel and adventures.
For the most part, it’s a lively, adventurous, and fun tale as Summer learns more about herself and begins to take charge of her own happiness. My one niggle is how stupid she keeps being, never seeming to learn from her mishaps with larcenous travelers.
That mother. What a mother of a mother, she was! I find myself wishing that Summer had left while her mother was alive and was forced to care for herself. Sir Gilman. Well, that was definitely the best decision she could make, although I could wish she would warn the poor boy.
As for the villagers . . . what a bunch of scumbags! My god, the things they said, their timing, their utter callousness. I gloried in that blaze that Summer set!
The Story
Her mother’s unexpected death results in Summer being thrown out of the only home she’s ever known, and she takes a masterful revenge on these greedy buggers.
As part of her escape, Somerdai accumulates a parade of misfits who want only to find their homes. With her kind heart, Somerdai does her best to help them all, even as her heart breaks.
The Characters
Somerdai is the name she learns she was gifted with at birth.
Sir Gilman was the beautiful man she finds broken, blinded, and being tortured by the next village. Sir Robert and Jeanne de Faucon are his parents. Rosamund is his duplicitous fiancée.
Growch is the scruffy little dog with the filthy mind she first picks up as she leaves her village; Mistral is a badly used horse stolen from her family; the Wimperling is a pig with vestigial wings; Traveler is a unique pigeon; and, Basher is the lonely tortoise.
Matthew Spicer is the kindly merchant who takes Somerdai in that winter's afternoon. Suleiman is Matthew's fellow merchant who heals. Saffron is Matthew's ginger cat.
The Cover & Title
The cover reminds me of the fairytale, The Bremen Town Musicians, with its stack of critters in this colorful and fantastical collage of palatial pillars, the olde worlde banner across the top showcasing both title and series name, and the blind Sir Gilman holding Mistral’s tail as Somerdai leads them along.
The title is Somerdai’s own discovery and subsequent astonishment, because, as we all know, Pigs Don’t Fly.
July 14, 2014
How could I not want to read this book? There's a horse, a winged pig riding said horse, a dog, a blindfolded man clutching the horse's tail, and a woman with a staff. Plus, the horse isn't wearing a bridle, which suggests some sort of mystical force at work- or a gross oversight. Either way, it's fun, right?!
Pigs Don't Fly begins auspiciously: "My mother was the village whore, and I loved her very much," states Summer, the novel's protagonist. After her mother dies, Summer isn't keen to pick up her mother's trade and instead takes her dowry and a magical ring left by her dead father and hits the road to look for a husband.
Summer's magical ring enables her to communicate with animals, which is how she picks up a dog, a horse, a bird, and a winged piglet. She also find a blinded, amnesic knight. Together, the unlikely group searches for the knight's home; various members find their true homes along the way. The winged piglet undergoes a dramatic transformation toward the end of the novel, and forces Summer to reconsider what it is she wants from her life.
Brown's writing is good, and the characters are likable. (I could have done with some more of the talking horse, but that's just personal preference.) The story is interesting and isn't so full of fantasy tropes that it's boring or trite. The book is part of a series, but it isn't necessary to read the previous book. I haven't read subsequent books, but as Pigs Don't Fly ends on something of a cliffhanger, I'll be searching for its sequel.
Pigs Don't Fly begins auspiciously: "My mother was the village whore, and I loved her very much," states Summer, the novel's protagonist. After her mother dies, Summer isn't keen to pick up her mother's trade and instead takes her dowry and a magical ring left by her dead father and hits the road to look for a husband.
Summer's magical ring enables her to communicate with animals, which is how she picks up a dog, a horse, a bird, and a winged piglet. She also find a blinded, amnesic knight. Together, the unlikely group searches for the knight's home; various members find their true homes along the way. The winged piglet undergoes a dramatic transformation toward the end of the novel, and forces Summer to reconsider what it is she wants from her life.
Brown's writing is good, and the characters are likable. (I could have done with some more of the talking horse, but that's just personal preference.) The story is interesting and isn't so full of fantasy tropes that it's boring or trite. The book is part of a series, but it isn't necessary to read the previous book. I haven't read subsequent books, but as Pigs Don't Fly ends on something of a cliffhanger, I'll be searching for its sequel.
February 10, 2017
Quite an enjoyable "old-school" fantasy novel that I picked up on a whim. Not a perfect book by a long shot -- the half-examined fatphobia and sexism was a bit much in places -- but if the bastard child of Mercedes Lackey and David Eddings sounds like a good time to you, you might enjoy it nonetheless.
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