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Checks, Balances and Proper Procedure in Monster Hunting
Welcome to The Wavering Plane. Home to many odd and wonderful nations; one of which is The Galzarian Empire. A proud, defiant and slightly paranoid realm - with plenty of paperwork to boot.
Here, every aspect of life has the requisite laws, forms and reports, overseen by Galzar’s many bureaucratical branches, known as Parliaments. And that includes monsters.
For Rella Trattle, clerk at the Monstrosity Parliament, horrid tales of bestial encounters are ordinary and mundane. Monsters kill folk, monsters get slayed, forms must be filled and reports completed. There is little to be surprised by.
That is until an unusual case lands on her desk, chucking centuries of Galzarian statute out of the window. She soon finds herself thrust into an administrative mess that is a beast of its own - with the complainants involved being the worst bloody part.
Here, every aspect of life has the requisite laws, forms and reports, overseen by Galzar’s many bureaucratical branches, known as Parliaments. And that includes monsters.
For Rella Trattle, clerk at the Monstrosity Parliament, horrid tales of bestial encounters are ordinary and mundane. Monsters kill folk, monsters get slayed, forms must be filled and reports completed. There is little to be surprised by.
That is until an unusual case lands on her desk, chucking centuries of Galzarian statute out of the window. She soon finds herself thrust into an administrative mess that is a beast of its own - with the complainants involved being the worst bloody part.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 27, 2025
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Sean O'Boyle
3 books24 followersSeán O'Boyle is an Irish, London-based, writer on his self-publishing journey. Since he was a young lad, he's loved creating stories; whether scribbling short fiction in his school copybooks, or creating dramatic home movies with his toys. He's even dabbled in the fine art of stand up comedy, with about half a dozen sitcom scripts rotting in the forgotten folders of his old laptops.
His love for fantasy grew during lockdown through reading the genre; epic, cozy and everything in between. And from this, his fantasy comedy adventure debut "The Ballad of Sprikit The Bard (And Company)" was born. Described as "Discworld meets Lies of Locke Lamora", he hopes readers will enjoy the characters, world and story he's been building for 3 years. Hopefully they might laugh too (or at least exhale sharply through their noses a few times).
His love for fantasy grew during lockdown through reading the genre; epic, cozy and everything in between. And from this, his fantasy comedy adventure debut "The Ballad of Sprikit The Bard (And Company)" was born. Described as "Discworld meets Lies of Locke Lamora", he hopes readers will enjoy the characters, world and story he's been building for 3 years. Hopefully they might laugh too (or at least exhale sharply through their noses a few times).
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 5, 2025
Bloody brilliant laughter inducing homage to Kafka's The Castle.
CB&PPiMH is a marvel of written comedy, full of great, memorable characters.
It's a little story about common folk, clerk-y folk and monster slaying folk that end up all mixed together in an absolute mess of forms and paperwork.
The absurdity of the premise is absolute credible from a form-filling perspective, paying the best homage to Kafka's The Castle, to the point of having one of the characters being nameless for the near entirety of the story, our very own Monster Slayer K.
The core of the book is about folk being folk, and that carries throughout the story and takes up to the last 4 chapters where all hell breaks lose and you find yourself laughing from page to page.
If you need a book to make you laugh, then this is the one.
I received an ARC with the simple request of writing an honest review. I also filled a form 47 declaring it is an unbiased review. And a form 48 to declare my undying appreciation for this book.
CB&PPiMH is a marvel of written comedy, full of great, memorable characters.
It's a little story about common folk, clerk-y folk and monster slaying folk that end up all mixed together in an absolute mess of forms and paperwork.
The absurdity of the premise is absolute credible from a form-filling perspective, paying the best homage to Kafka's The Castle, to the point of having one of the characters being nameless for the near entirety of the story, our very own Monster Slayer K.
The core of the book is about folk being folk, and that carries throughout the story and takes up to the last 4 chapters where all hell breaks lose and you find yourself laughing from page to page.
If you need a book to make you laugh, then this is the one.
I received an ARC with the simple request of writing an honest review. I also filled a form 47 declaring it is an unbiased review. And a form 48 to declare my undying appreciation for this book.
August 4, 2025
This review is available on Grimoire Ink Reviews
We're back in the Freelands and boy(le?) did I have fun the first time I went there with Sprikit the Bard (and Company).
Now if you clicked that link you'll see my raving (the boring without music and glowsticks kind) about Seán's first book, and my love for Sprikit is exactly why I was so excited to dive back into this world. After finishing Checks, Balances and Proper Procedure in Monster Hunting, there is no doubt in my mind Seán is a comedic author that can rival John Scalzi for making me laugh.
Our story centres around Rella Trattle who is no longer the bright eyed and bushy tailed clerk she once was. "That Rella Trattle had died a long time ago." Which, as a full time administrator to pay the bills, I get this. Anyone who works with paperwork and people will get this. We are, all of us, Rella Trattle.
But really in some ways Rella is the conduit for the real story, which comes from The Slayer, a monster slayer from the Free Lands, and Bek Prilek, a Galzarian citizen that would almost definitely be the kid that reminded the teacher before the end of class that they didn't collect the homework and also reminds you a bit of Ned Flanders. How are we first introduced to this chalk-and-cheese duo? Well they come bickering into Rella's office courtesy of her nepo-hired boss.
From the get go, it's obvious Seán has not lost his skill between finishing Sprikit and launching Checks and Balances. The argument about Slayer's mother had me in stitches. But Rella needs to get to the bottom of this and the many forms it comes with. And we need to get the wider story!
We jump between Slayer's and Bek's account of the incident that landed him and Bek in front of Rella, and have a few instances in the present, particularly where the two accounts leave off. A lot of the present instances are Rella shouting for various forms because, well that's literally her job. I'm not sure she ever needed a form for a tiny man being shoved into the stomach of a monster to retrieve a monster slayer's axe, but gotta stay on your toes as a Galzarian clerk....I guess.
Now I've already said Seán's skill in this is his undeniable talent for comedy in dialogue and depiction. This was never more obvious than 'We can't kill this little shite if ye're wandering around as a one-shoed loon!' Seán, this may be my most favourite sentence in literally ever. I laughed and cackled a lot through this book but that line really got me in a giggle fit. Unfortunately, I often choose to read in bed so my partner did not appreciate said giggle fit and I probably didn't explain it well based on his disappointed head shake. My bad? At least I didn't destroy his home and chuck him into the mouth of an unconscious beast. It's really about perspective, you know?
You may be thinking 'So you want me to read a book about clerical work and administration?' Which, ok yeah, the answer is kind of yes. But really what I want you to do is read an uproariously fun and funny book about how two stories come together to plague this one very fed up with her job clerk and maybe everyone involved learns a little something about how to do things going forward.
Plus it's Indie August, so go give it a try!
We're back in the Freelands and boy(le?) did I have fun the first time I went there with Sprikit the Bard (and Company).
Now if you clicked that link you'll see my raving (the boring without music and glowsticks kind) about Seán's first book, and my love for Sprikit is exactly why I was so excited to dive back into this world. After finishing Checks, Balances and Proper Procedure in Monster Hunting, there is no doubt in my mind Seán is a comedic author that can rival John Scalzi for making me laugh.
Our story centres around Rella Trattle who is no longer the bright eyed and bushy tailed clerk she once was. "That Rella Trattle had died a long time ago." Which, as a full time administrator to pay the bills, I get this. Anyone who works with paperwork and people will get this. We are, all of us, Rella Trattle.
But really in some ways Rella is the conduit for the real story, which comes from The Slayer, a monster slayer from the Free Lands, and Bek Prilek, a Galzarian citizen that would almost definitely be the kid that reminded the teacher before the end of class that they didn't collect the homework and also reminds you a bit of Ned Flanders. How are we first introduced to this chalk-and-cheese duo? Well they come bickering into Rella's office courtesy of her nepo-hired boss.
From the get go, it's obvious Seán has not lost his skill between finishing Sprikit and launching Checks and Balances. The argument about Slayer's mother had me in stitches. But Rella needs to get to the bottom of this and the many forms it comes with. And we need to get the wider story!
We jump between Slayer's and Bek's account of the incident that landed him and Bek in front of Rella, and have a few instances in the present, particularly where the two accounts leave off. A lot of the present instances are Rella shouting for various forms because, well that's literally her job. I'm not sure she ever needed a form for a tiny man being shoved into the stomach of a monster to retrieve a monster slayer's axe, but gotta stay on your toes as a Galzarian clerk....I guess.
Now I've already said Seán's skill in this is his undeniable talent for comedy in dialogue and depiction. This was never more obvious than 'We can't kill this little shite if ye're wandering around as a one-shoed loon!' Seán, this may be my most favourite sentence in literally ever. I laughed and cackled a lot through this book but that line really got me in a giggle fit. Unfortunately, I often choose to read in bed so my partner did not appreciate said giggle fit and I probably didn't explain it well based on his disappointed head shake. My bad? At least I didn't destroy his home and chuck him into the mouth of an unconscious beast. It's really about perspective, you know?
You may be thinking 'So you want me to read a book about clerical work and administration?' Which, ok yeah, the answer is kind of yes. But really what I want you to do is read an uproariously fun and funny book about how two stories come together to plague this one very fed up with her job clerk and maybe everyone involved learns a little something about how to do things going forward.
Plus it's Indie August, so go give it a try!
May 21, 2025
What a hilarious satirical premise on the burdensome processes of a bureaucracy! From a soul numbed clerk of the Galzarian Parliament, Rella Trattle, we are introduced to the myriad ways paperwork must be properly filled, filed, with each box ticked, and ensured it’s been submitted to the appropriate division.
The two characters who throw her whole precisely ordered world into utter chaos are a Beast Slayer of epic proportions from the Free Lands which have no oversight, and a slightly built normal sized fellow, Bek Prilek, who are in a heated debate as they are shown into her office. It seems our gargantuan and imposing Beast Slayer has fallen afoul of the proper procedures in hunting Monsters. And he’s put out because his axe has been confiscated, because in Galzar, forms and procedure take precedence over something as simple as common sense.
During the course of this very entertaining story, the silliness just keeps growing. Beast Slayer has caused mayhem on a grand scale, rather inadvertently, when his quarry runs amok in a small, perfectly tidy, farming village. Bek, who is a bit of a brown nosing goody two shoes, has his whole world turned upside down as the Beast Slayer and Monster lay waste to his home and multiple fields. I really liked the way that Seán O’Boyle alternated the chapters using the point of view of who was recounting the events. And it is done with such a great representation of each of their voices! I was cackling on multiple occasions as I read.
As the story progressed, it was really a nice touch to see how they each became a bit more tempered in their viewpoints. And the name of the Beast Slayer is finally, begrudgingly, given. Form filling purposes to retrieve his axe, of course! I’ll leave you to find it out for yourself, though.
I hope you give this wonderful, touching, and very funny story a go. And you won’t need to fill out a ridiculous form to get it, either.
The two characters who throw her whole precisely ordered world into utter chaos are a Beast Slayer of epic proportions from the Free Lands which have no oversight, and a slightly built normal sized fellow, Bek Prilek, who are in a heated debate as they are shown into her office. It seems our gargantuan and imposing Beast Slayer has fallen afoul of the proper procedures in hunting Monsters. And he’s put out because his axe has been confiscated, because in Galzar, forms and procedure take precedence over something as simple as common sense.
During the course of this very entertaining story, the silliness just keeps growing. Beast Slayer has caused mayhem on a grand scale, rather inadvertently, when his quarry runs amok in a small, perfectly tidy, farming village. Bek, who is a bit of a brown nosing goody two shoes, has his whole world turned upside down as the Beast Slayer and Monster lay waste to his home and multiple fields. I really liked the way that Seán O’Boyle alternated the chapters using the point of view of who was recounting the events. And it is done with such a great representation of each of their voices! I was cackling on multiple occasions as I read.
As the story progressed, it was really a nice touch to see how they each became a bit more tempered in their viewpoints. And the name of the Beast Slayer is finally, begrudgingly, given. Form filling purposes to retrieve his axe, of course! I’ll leave you to find it out for yourself, though.
I hope you give this wonderful, touching, and very funny story a go. And you won’t need to fill out a ridiculous form to get it, either.
June 5, 2025
Checks, Balances and Proper Procedure in Monster Hunting is my first foray into Sean O'Boyle’s The Wavering Plane, and let’s just say the the world is fun; so long as you're not stuck filling out Form D-42/C after slaying a hydra.
This satirical novella throws a monster slayer from the Free Lands into the bureaucratic jaws of the Galzarian Empire, where the real horrors involve permits, procedures, and paperwork. It made me chuckle more than once and immediately pushed The Ballad of Sprikit the Bard and Company onto my already teetering TBR pile.
It does get a little repetitive toward the end, which dulled the fun just a bit. But overall, it's a witty, sharp little read. A great way to visit The Wavering Plane (from a safe, paperwork-free distance).
This satirical novella throws a monster slayer from the Free Lands into the bureaucratic jaws of the Galzarian Empire, where the real horrors involve permits, procedures, and paperwork. It made me chuckle more than once and immediately pushed The Ballad of Sprikit the Bard and Company onto my already teetering TBR pile.
It does get a little repetitive toward the end, which dulled the fun just a bit. But overall, it's a witty, sharp little read. A great way to visit The Wavering Plane (from a safe, paperwork-free distance).
October 26, 2025
If you're looking for a cheerful and lighthearted read, you may enjoy this tale of Rella Trattle, a put-upon clerk who is a very small cog in an unimaginably big and byzantine government bureaucracy. Bored of her job, she is coasting on autopilot through her day until a small, self-important citizen and a very large and unruly monster slayer invade her peace. What follows is a comical retelling of the events that brought them to her office, all leading up to a crisis within the hallowed halls of her workplace that may jeopardize her position if not her life.
Pratchett fans will find a lot to love here from the pointed satire of a land where nearly every action of note has a complicated government form which must be perfectly and completely filled out to the charming, though often exasperated, interplay between our main trio of protagonists, not to mention some good old-fashioned axe-wielding action. Deep thinking is not required—and I mean that as a compliment. Sometimes you just want to take a mental break from the real world and ride along on a fun adventure. Recommended for lovers of cozy, humorous, and comforting fantasy.
Pratchett fans will find a lot to love here from the pointed satire of a land where nearly every action of note has a complicated government form which must be perfectly and completely filled out to the charming, though often exasperated, interplay between our main trio of protagonists, not to mention some good old-fashioned axe-wielding action. Deep thinking is not required—and I mean that as a compliment. Sometimes you just want to take a mental break from the real world and ride along on a fun adventure. Recommended for lovers of cozy, humorous, and comforting fantasy.
June 1, 2025
I was so excited to return to this world - its sense of humour, its instantly distinct characters and the vivid imagery it conjures. And this second installment did not disappoint!
Combining the recognisable bureaucracy of a particularly heinous broadband provider with a rich fantasy world is a genius idea and Checks pull off the combination with brilliant flare.
I raced through the book and would recommend it as a hysterical tonic to anyone who's ever been subjected to hold music followed by maddening contradictions. (I'm looking at you, Virgin Media customers - you need this!)
Combining the recognisable bureaucracy of a particularly heinous broadband provider with a rich fantasy world is a genius idea and Checks pull off the combination with brilliant flare.
I raced through the book and would recommend it as a hysterical tonic to anyone who's ever been subjected to hold music followed by maddening contradictions. (I'm looking at you, Virgin Media customers - you need this!)
December 31, 2025
Delightfully quirky!
⚠️Beware, you might laugh out loud here!Do you dare to do so without the right form?⚠️🤭
Meet Rella Trattle. She has been working at the Parliament of Monstrosity for a long, long time.
You see, one does not simply kill monsters without the right paperwork in the very proud Galzarian Empire.
Here, every aspect of life has the requisite laws, forms, and reports. Do not think the monster part is excluded from this.
No, my good person, it is not.
It is on one of these days that the head clerk, Lars, dumps a "routine" case at a desk... following two very different beings arguing about axes, stones, and stars know what else. Buckle up, my lovelies, you are in for a great adventure!
"That might be, Clite, but our weapons are shite."
You see, now the forms must be filled, so does our storytelling begin.
We must know their accounts of what happened...
"Blooded tears, the creature stank."
Stars know where this is going, and I could have listed half the book with the things that made me laugh. It is just that I do not want to spoil this for you, I have not sent in the form for permission to tell you, and I do not want to ruin the fun you will have, discovering this book for yourself.
"So this is what following rules feels like."
Yes, yes, it is. In this book, in a world you can only dream up, you still find character and heart alongside the forms and the logic of it all, and the most wonderful humour to go with it.
Stars shine on you, Seán.😊
⚠️Beware, you might laugh out loud here!Do you dare to do so without the right form?⚠️🤭
Meet Rella Trattle. She has been working at the Parliament of Monstrosity for a long, long time.
You see, one does not simply kill monsters without the right paperwork in the very proud Galzarian Empire.
Here, every aspect of life has the requisite laws, forms, and reports. Do not think the monster part is excluded from this.
No, my good person, it is not.
It is on one of these days that the head clerk, Lars, dumps a "routine" case at a desk... following two very different beings arguing about axes, stones, and stars know what else. Buckle up, my lovelies, you are in for a great adventure!
"That might be, Clite, but our weapons are shite."
You see, now the forms must be filled, so does our storytelling begin.
We must know their accounts of what happened...
"Blooded tears, the creature stank."
Stars know where this is going, and I could have listed half the book with the things that made me laugh. It is just that I do not want to spoil this for you, I have not sent in the form for permission to tell you, and I do not want to ruin the fun you will have, discovering this book for yourself.
"So this is what following rules feels like."
Yes, yes, it is. In this book, in a world you can only dream up, you still find character and heart alongside the forms and the logic of it all, and the most wonderful humour to go with it.
Stars shine on you, Seán.😊
May 20, 2025
Checks, Balances and Proper Procedure in Monster Hunting by Sean O'Boyle is the perfect antidote for a day when you feel like you are so wrapped up in bureaucracy and red tape that not even the Grim Reaper's scythe could cut you out of it.
Set in the Galzarian Empire, where form filling has become an art form and nothing happens without the appropriately stamped approval , clerk Relia Trattle is expecting another ordinary day at work in the Parliament of Monsters, instead what she gets are feuding neighbours, misbehaving monster slayers , a potential city destroying missing package, and not a correctly filled form in sight. This is shaping up to be a very bad day indeed for the intrepid and ambitious Trattle.
It may be a bad day for the clerk but it is a riotously funny one for the reader, the author skewers the ridiculous bloating of government and the state mercilessly with often hilarious results. I couldn't stop chuckling at the misadventures of the characters and in tone it reminded me , in a good way, of one of my favourite series of all time, Discworld. I really liked O'Boyle's previous book, The Ballad of Sprikit the Bard and company, which is also set in this world , but this book I absolutely loved from first page to last and I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you need cheering up after a bad day at work, this one will let you know it could always be worse.
I read an ARC courtesy of the author, all opinions are my own.
Set in the Galzarian Empire, where form filling has become an art form and nothing happens without the appropriately stamped approval , clerk Relia Trattle is expecting another ordinary day at work in the Parliament of Monsters, instead what she gets are feuding neighbours, misbehaving monster slayers , a potential city destroying missing package, and not a correctly filled form in sight. This is shaping up to be a very bad day indeed for the intrepid and ambitious Trattle.
It may be a bad day for the clerk but it is a riotously funny one for the reader, the author skewers the ridiculous bloating of government and the state mercilessly with often hilarious results. I couldn't stop chuckling at the misadventures of the characters and in tone it reminded me , in a good way, of one of my favourite series of all time, Discworld. I really liked O'Boyle's previous book, The Ballad of Sprikit the Bard and company, which is also set in this world , but this book I absolutely loved from first page to last and I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you need cheering up after a bad day at work, this one will let you know it could always be worse.
I read an ARC courtesy of the author, all opinions are my own.
May 31, 2025
If you are in a reading slump and need something to pull you out of it, then this is the perfect little novella for you! If you're a fast reader you can read it in one sitting, but even if you aren't you might just devour it because it is just so full of fun and whimsy and soul. I had high expectations since I fell in love with this world in the author's debut novel and this one didn't disappoint. Every new location and culture that O'Boyle shares with us in this world just feels so distinctive and unique, it's one of the most fleshed out fantasy worlds I have had the pleasure to experience and I can't wait for more novels or novellas in this setting! Just made me even more eager to hear what Sprikit and co have been up to since we last saw them in the debut novel. All the characters we met in this one were just as endearing as they were in Sprikit and I know I would squeal with excitement if I saw their names pop up again in the future. In a short book O'Boyle creates a very satisfying arc for our 3 main characters, and while they don't go through huge changes we see how they have rubbed off on each other a little bit by the end and it feels so natural. Sean remains on my insta-read list as a fantasy author!
July 25, 2025
This is one of those novels that will genuinely just make you laugh. It's daft, it's crazy and it's also great bloody fun from start to end. It's got larger than life characters, a fair bit of axe swinging, near death by root vegetable and a form for absolutely everything to be completed correctly.
Galzarian Parliament seriously does have a form for everything and Rella as a clerk is responsible for sorting them out. However when two upset individuals are dropped onto her by her supervisor, the number of forms becomes excessive to say the least. Who knew Monster Hunting could cause such chaos.
I really enjoyed this and genuinely wished it was longer. Rella is a great character to follow; world weary and tired of her job but also a stickler for the rules. So when the Monster Hunter and farmer enter her office, she figures it's just another standard documentation exercise. Instead we are taken on a hilarious journey of just how many ways Monster Hunting can go wrong and all the forms to document this.
It's funny, it's witty and yet there are also some poingant moments that sneak in when you least expect it. I'll certainly intrigued enough to have put The Ballad of Sprikit the Bard and Company onto my TBR.
Galzarian Parliament seriously does have a form for everything and Rella as a clerk is responsible for sorting them out. However when two upset individuals are dropped onto her by her supervisor, the number of forms becomes excessive to say the least. Who knew Monster Hunting could cause such chaos.
I really enjoyed this and genuinely wished it was longer. Rella is a great character to follow; world weary and tired of her job but also a stickler for the rules. So when the Monster Hunter and farmer enter her office, she figures it's just another standard documentation exercise. Instead we are taken on a hilarious journey of just how many ways Monster Hunting can go wrong and all the forms to document this.
It's funny, it's witty and yet there are also some poingant moments that sneak in when you least expect it. I'll certainly intrigued enough to have put The Ballad of Sprikit the Bard and Company onto my TBR.
July 4, 2025
It was a pleasure to return to Sprikit’s world with this hilarious tale set in the heart of the Galzarian Empire.
The story is told from the point of view of three main characters: Rella (the clerk), Bek (the farmer) and the Monster Slayer, who does not want to tell his name!
The Slayer is hired in the Free Lands to, well, slay a monster causing some trouble, but he ends up in a Galzarian village causing a lot more havoc than he had anticipated – and ending up with a pile of paperwork to sort out to set things right in the orderly empire.
I loved the unique style of this tale as we flashback to the “incident” that brought these three characters, who are absolutely unsuited to work together, in the same room.
Seán O’Boyle’s sharp humour brings comedy to fantasy in his own unique way, without forgetting to dive deep into the human heart.
A great introduction to Sprikit’s world, if you haven’t read it yet and a lovely return to it if you did. Expect cameos!
Warning: uncontrollable bursts of laughter might disturb non-readers (I am sure there is a form and a fine for that in Galzar!)
The story is told from the point of view of three main characters: Rella (the clerk), Bek (the farmer) and the Monster Slayer, who does not want to tell his name!
The Slayer is hired in the Free Lands to, well, slay a monster causing some trouble, but he ends up in a Galzarian village causing a lot more havoc than he had anticipated – and ending up with a pile of paperwork to sort out to set things right in the orderly empire.
I loved the unique style of this tale as we flashback to the “incident” that brought these three characters, who are absolutely unsuited to work together, in the same room.
Seán O’Boyle’s sharp humour brings comedy to fantasy in his own unique way, without forgetting to dive deep into the human heart.
A great introduction to Sprikit’s world, if you haven’t read it yet and a lovely return to it if you did. Expect cameos!
Warning: uncontrollable bursts of laughter might disturb non-readers (I am sure there is a form and a fine for that in Galzar!)
November 23, 2025
A hilarious fantasy tale that’s the perfect pace and length. Though it takes place in an established fantasy world, there is no required reading here. It’s very succinct all the way through. Still, there were a couple little references and callbacks that made me smile!
The story pokes a lot of fun at the excessively bureaucratic society of Galzar, and doesn’t miss its chance to take a few jabs at the dangerously carefree nature of the Free Lands.
The author continues his hot streak of filling each book with not just well-textured main characters, but vibrant and memorable side characters as well. It makes every scene all the more memorable.
Similar to the author’s previous book, the story is by-and-large very lighthearted, but there are hints here and there of some heavier themes underneath that quite surprised me. Even though it’s a short, fun read, it’s not without some substance to keep you thinking a bit.
If you’re in the mood for something short and fun, you won’t be disappointed with this
The story pokes a lot of fun at the excessively bureaucratic society of Galzar, and doesn’t miss its chance to take a few jabs at the dangerously carefree nature of the Free Lands.
The author continues his hot streak of filling each book with not just well-textured main characters, but vibrant and memorable side characters as well. It makes every scene all the more memorable.
Similar to the author’s previous book, the story is by-and-large very lighthearted, but there are hints here and there of some heavier themes underneath that quite surprised me. Even though it’s a short, fun read, it’s not without some substance to keep you thinking a bit.
If you’re in the mood for something short and fun, you won’t be disappointed with this
June 30, 2025
This was a spur of the moment purchase, recommended by another author.
I am so glad I read this - I have now discovered another world to get immersed in.
I did not realize this wasn't the first book set in this weird, wacky, oh-so-familiar rules, and laws, and forms... This one works as a standalone story.
Any story (even this short one) that starts with a map of the world, lets me know that the author is serious about writing stories in this world.
I am so glad I read this - I have now discovered another world to get immersed in.
I did not realize this wasn't the first book set in this weird, wacky, oh-so-familiar rules, and laws, and forms... This one works as a standalone story.
Any story (even this short one) that starts with a map of the world, lets me know that the author is serious about writing stories in this world.
May 27, 2025
Checks, Balances & Proper Procedure in Monster Hunting is so entirely charming in a Rashomon meets the School of Unintended Consequences meets Immovable Bureaucracy. Fun, snappy & cozy, this novella is a chuckle worthy winner amidst all the paperwork
July 16, 2025
So much fun!
Loved everything about this book! It was short and sweet and full of humorous moments. I'm looking forward to reading more from the author.
Loved everything about this book! It was short and sweet and full of humorous moments. I'm looking forward to reading more from the author.
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