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Land of Dis #2
Distopia
Set a thousand years (give or take) before the events of Disenchanted, Distopia tells the story of Wyngalf the Bold, the legendary hero renowned for ridding the land of Dis of the scourge of dragons. The story begins as Wyngalf, a young missionary for an obscure religious sect, arrives in the port city of Skuldred. Desperate to prove his worth to his superiors, Wyngalf finds himself drafted into leading a missionary voyage across the sea to the semi-legendary land of Dis. Accompanied by a beautiful stowaway named Evena and an oddball goblin who has been shunned by his clan, Wyngalf is continually thwarted in his attempts to proselytize by various practical concerns--chief among these being the fact that the land of Dis is being terrorized by a fearsome dragon. Wyngalf realizes that in order to prove his faith and get Evena home, he must summon the courage and resourcefulness to defeat the dragon. But what if his faith isn't enough?
302 pages, Paperback
First published June 10, 2015
139 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Robert Kroese
66 books629 followersRobert Kroese's sense of irony was honed growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan - home of the Amway Corporation and the Gerald R. Ford Museum, and the first city in the United States to fluoridate its water supply. In second grade, he wrote his first novel, the saga of Captain Bill and his spaceship Thee Eagle. This turned out to be the high point of his academic career. After barely graduating from Calvin College in 1992 with a philosophy degree, he was fired from a variety of jobs before moving to California, where he stumbled into software development. As this job required neither punctuality nor a sense of direction, he excelled at it. In 2009, he called upon his extensive knowledge of useless information and love of explosions to write his first novel, Mercury Falls. Since then, he has written 18 more books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
August 27, 2016
Very clever philosophy packed in a funny tale of a traveling preacher of a silly religion who meets a smart young woman and a troll who's intelligent and bashful. All must prove to be heroes as they accidently tip a dragon to the location of the girl's home and family. The first book was good, but this one was better, but in keeping the humor and plot engagement more consistent from beginning to end. I enjoyed the audiobook presentation. If you like light hearted stories with humor and strong story surprises, this is a series to pick up.
January 1, 2021
N. A. D. A.
Not Another Dis Adventure. If you feel you are always on the right side of any debate be it politics, theology, morality, ethics or philosophy this book might be offensive. It heavily lambasts herd mentality but openly welcomes polite discourse and independent thought at sword point. Humor, satire and sarcasm are to be found smeared through the pages. This is one of those books that justifies a Kindle Unlimited subscription. If that doesn't sell you then maybe this will.
Arrr ....thar be sea monsters, dragons and goblins in dem thar pages... matey
Not Another Dis Adventure. If you feel you are always on the right side of any debate be it politics, theology, morality, ethics or philosophy this book might be offensive. It heavily lambasts herd mentality but openly welcomes polite discourse and independent thought at sword point. Humor, satire and sarcasm are to be found smeared through the pages. This is one of those books that justifies a Kindle Unlimited subscription. If that doesn't sell you then maybe this will.
Arrr ....thar be sea monsters, dragons and goblins in dem thar pages... matey
November 27, 2016
Political and Religious Allegory
Mr Kroese is an exceptional storyteller. His wit and imagination are a pleasure to read. As with all of his stories I really enjoyed this tale of Dis, and only knock it one star for its overly overt political and religious skepticism. Wait...after re-reading my own review I'm giving it the full 5 stars.
Mr Kroese is an exceptional storyteller. His wit and imagination are a pleasure to read. As with all of his stories I really enjoyed this tale of Dis, and only knock it one star for its overly overt political and religious skepticism. Wait...after re-reading my own review I'm giving it the full 5 stars.
May 29, 2017
Meh. It was okay. Not terrible, but not all that memorable or interesting either. Probably not going to re-read or get the sequel.
March 12, 2016
Distopia is a prequel to Kroese's fantasy novel Disenchanted, although other than the setting being the land of Dis the two books have little connection.
It begins with Wyngalf travelling around trying to spread the ideas of his minor religion. Before he knows it he ends up travelling to Dis with a young woman called Evena. After facing a sea monster, the pair meet a seemingly friendly dragon and a intelligent and elegant goblin called Tobalt. They soon end up getting caught up in the complicated politics of Dis where dragons rule and various factions having varying opinions on that fact.
It's fairly standard comic fantasy, although it uses a fair bit of modern politics within it. There's a lot of discussion about how places should be run and about religion as well as some fun ideas like locals demanding the right to carry swords. I thought that having so much politics in a silly fantasy book was unusual though it worked for the most part.
The characters here were quite good, especially the more fantastical ones. The hero of this book is the goblin Tobalt who speaks like an Oxford professor yet his regarded by everyone in the book as a lesser species who doesn't have a soul. There's also Verne, the crafty dragon, whose every line of dialogue is great, especially at the start.
It is quite funny but unlike some of his other books this is very plot-driven. It isn't simply a funny fantasy book, it's a fantasy book which has funny bits within it. The comedy is good, often quite subtle.
It's not quite up to the heights of Terry Pratchett in terms of fun fantasy but it's an enjoyable read.
It begins with Wyngalf travelling around trying to spread the ideas of his minor religion. Before he knows it he ends up travelling to Dis with a young woman called Evena. After facing a sea monster, the pair meet a seemingly friendly dragon and a intelligent and elegant goblin called Tobalt. They soon end up getting caught up in the complicated politics of Dis where dragons rule and various factions having varying opinions on that fact.
It's fairly standard comic fantasy, although it uses a fair bit of modern politics within it. There's a lot of discussion about how places should be run and about religion as well as some fun ideas like locals demanding the right to carry swords. I thought that having so much politics in a silly fantasy book was unusual though it worked for the most part.
The characters here were quite good, especially the more fantastical ones. The hero of this book is the goblin Tobalt who speaks like an Oxford professor yet his regarded by everyone in the book as a lesser species who doesn't have a soul. There's also Verne, the crafty dragon, whose every line of dialogue is great, especially at the start.
It is quite funny but unlike some of his other books this is very plot-driven. It isn't simply a funny fantasy book, it's a fantasy book which has funny bits within it. The comedy is good, often quite subtle.
It's not quite up to the heights of Terry Pratchett in terms of fun fantasy but it's an enjoyable read.
September 29, 2015
The second book in the Dis series, Distopia is a sort of prequel to Disenchanted, although the events of each books are separated by a thousand years and only very distantly related, so reading Disenchanted is not a requirement to reading Distopia. But please, do not let that stop you from reading Disenchanted as it is an excellent book as well.
So where was I? Ah yes! Distopia! Excellent fantasy adventure. It has everything you want: a hero (uh hum), a damsel in distress (not so much), a philosophical goblin (the book is worth picking up for this character alone!) and DRAGONS! Now who doesn't like dragons?
As with all Kroese's books, there's also lots of humor, this one with an added political and religious tongue-in-cheek subtext that can be easily ignored if you're just not in the mood for it.
All in all, a funny, entertaining tale. Don't pass it up!
So where was I? Ah yes! Distopia! Excellent fantasy adventure. It has everything you want: a hero (uh hum), a damsel in distress (not so much), a philosophical goblin (the book is worth picking up for this character alone!) and DRAGONS! Now who doesn't like dragons?
As with all Kroese's books, there's also lots of humor, this one with an added political and religious tongue-in-cheek subtext that can be easily ignored if you're just not in the mood for it.
All in all, a funny, entertaining tale. Don't pass it up!
September 17, 2016
Nominally this is a classic fantasy tale of a character thrust into an unfamiliar land on an ever evolving quest, with dragons and goblins and such.
But, in truth it is an examination of religion, racism, and bloated governments. If you want a straight fantasy tale, go read Terry Brooks or Robert Jordan. This is closer to Terry Pratchetts form of satire in the fantasy world reflecting something in our own.
We have the story of a travelling preacher who ends up across the sea in the land of Dis. He meets a dragon who tricks information out of him, a goblin who talks philosophy and politics and a fishmongers daughter.
Often humorous and topical, this is a fine work, but it should have been listed as 600 pages not 300 because it read a lot longer than expected.
But, in truth it is an examination of religion, racism, and bloated governments. If you want a straight fantasy tale, go read Terry Brooks or Robert Jordan. This is closer to Terry Pratchetts form of satire in the fantasy world reflecting something in our own.
We have the story of a travelling preacher who ends up across the sea in the land of Dis. He meets a dragon who tricks information out of him, a goblin who talks philosophy and politics and a fishmongers daughter.
Often humorous and topical, this is a fine work, but it should have been listed as 600 pages not 300 because it read a lot longer than expected.
December 27, 2020
Even though it's the first book in the series, Robert Kroese's 2015 novel "Land of Dis, Book 1: Distopia" was actually written after what's now the second book in the series: "Land of Dis, Book 2: Disenchanted." But, since the stories in the two books have almost nothing to do with each other and take place about a millennia apart, it really doesn't matter. Unfortunately, I can only rate this book at an OK 3 stars out of 5. The problem is that the book feels more like a vehicle for some heavy-handed philosophizing instead of a meaningful story (or characters). It's not a bad book. But, I'm not all that enamored of it. I'd recommend getting it from the library before making a purchasing decision.
June 26, 2017
A fun read
Kroese has a wonderful, querky sense of humor. It made for a fun and funny adventure with enough action to keep the story moving along. This book also made me very grateful for the dictionary feature in Kindle. I had to look up the meaning of much of what Tobalt said. I also wonder if it was intentional that the clergyman in the story was the self absorbed, clueless, fool. Didn't know whether to be insulted or not. But then, I did have trouble understanding the goblin's vocabulary, so...
Kroese has a wonderful, querky sense of humor. It made for a fun and funny adventure with enough action to keep the story moving along. This book also made me very grateful for the dictionary feature in Kindle. I had to look up the meaning of much of what Tobalt said. I also wonder if it was intentional that the clergyman in the story was the self absorbed, clueless, fool. Didn't know whether to be insulted or not. But then, I did have trouble understanding the goblin's vocabulary, so...
July 25, 2019
Do you like philosophy? Specifically, do you like philosophy as related to government and rule? If so, Distopia is the book for you. If not, or if you're looking for a story similar to Disenchanted, well, you might be left wanting.
Don't get me wrong: When Kroese steps away from the philosophy and focuses on the story, he brings us back to the humorous storytelling found in Disenchanted. The philosophical bits, though, take up huge chunks of the story. It's readable and enjoyable, but when I would put the book down, I would have to make myself come back to it to read the next few chapters.
Don't get me wrong: When Kroese steps away from the philosophy and focuses on the story, he brings us back to the humorous storytelling found in Disenchanted. The philosophical bits, though, take up huge chunks of the story. It's readable and enjoyable, but when I would put the book down, I would have to make myself come back to it to read the next few chapters.
July 29, 2018
I really loved the quirkiness of Robert Kroese's first book in this series so I couldn't wait to read Distopia. I haven't been able to get past the third chapter! I thought it would be more connected to the first book but that is not the case. It takes place at a different time period and area of Dis. The style of writing seems different and the characters didn't interest me enough to want to know what happens to them. I might pick it up again... maybe if there's nothing else to read.
July 26, 2017
Enjoyable read
A galloping romp that's fairly fast paced and fun. Unlikely bedfellows: a devout if dense priest, a savvy runaway girl, and a wise goblin. Not your everyday company, but one that has a fascinating collection of resources at its disposal. The adventures sail along at a sharp clip that keeps drawing the reader in. Lots of fun!
A galloping romp that's fairly fast paced and fun. Unlikely bedfellows: a devout if dense priest, a savvy runaway girl, and a wise goblin. Not your everyday company, but one that has a fascinating collection of resources at its disposal. The adventures sail along at a sharp clip that keeps drawing the reader in. Lots of fun!
May 27, 2023
too many distractions
The yarn was interesting and the writing was solid, but there were too many scenes of distracting philosophical and political preaching. It’s like the author is sublimating an agenda in the guise of a novel. This second book was far worse than the first so I won’t be continuing with the series or reading anything else written by the author.
The yarn was interesting and the writing was solid, but there were too many scenes of distracting philosophical and political preaching. It’s like the author is sublimating an agenda in the guise of a novel. This second book was far worse than the first so I won’t be continuing with the series or reading anything else written by the author.
January 16, 2018
A decent story. I was expecting it to be more related to the first one, but it was less of a series and more a second book set in the same universe. I enjoyed it, but it's not probably something I would re-read.
December 25, 2020
I really love the wit of this book. It has great sly humor about politics and religion. The one thing that’s unfair is for me to compare it to the first book in this series. I think I was expecting this to be more adventurous but it still is a great story on its own
July 15, 2023
A snide delight
Although this book starts out as a fantasy adventure, ultimately it ends up being a satire about political power, with jabs designed to offend almost everyone. But that makes perfect sense for a book named "Distopia."
Lots of fun.
Although this book starts out as a fantasy adventure, ultimately it ends up being a satire about political power, with jabs designed to offend almost everyone. But that makes perfect sense for a book named "Distopia."
Lots of fun.
August 17, 2017
I really love Rob Kroese's satirical if not sarcastic undertones that make the reader refrain from wholeheartedly love the main characters. Oh, unless they are a goblin.
May 9, 2018
Enjoy the series and wish there were more.
October 17, 2017
I like how this author manages to mix humor with some more serious topics.
January 20, 2019
Many jokes are drawn out too long, way too much use of deus ex, and quite a bit of unnecessary repetition. Also, the main protagonist's naiveté and pigheadedness becomes quite annoying...
March 14, 2019
I found this pretty tedious, I suspect because the humour didn’t work for me.
September 12, 2019
A very good audio book, the story was good and the narrator added interest to it.
October 8, 2019
Honestly I didn't really read the whole thing. I fell asleep listening to parts.
November 24, 2020
Ekkk
I can't quite put my finger on it but between the jargon and the fact that it has a very awkward start I just can't get through the first chapter.
I can't quite put my finger on it but between the jargon and the fact that it has a very awkward start I just can't get through the first chapter.
April 19, 2022
All the elements are there, and I do like humor, but Kroese's humor lacks any subtilty.
March 3, 2017
Fun adventure
I so liked this book. It had adventure and goblins (well 1 goblin) and dragons and action and deception and .....everything you need to make it just great. The characters were all well developed and the story flowed smoothly and will keep your interest. It was good fun to read and I absolutely recommend reading this book.
I so liked this book. It had adventure and goblins (well 1 goblin) and dragons and action and deception and .....everything you need to make it just great. The characters were all well developed and the story flowed smoothly and will keep your interest. It was good fun to read and I absolutely recommend reading this book.
March 15, 2019
A second entertaining installment in the Land of Dis series. Distopia didn't quite match up to its predecessor for me, but it kept me engaged for the majority of it. Phil Gigante narrates the audio version, and he is phenomenal! He truly brought the characters to life and made them memorable. The ending is a bit predictable - probably the weakest part of the book. Kroese spends a lot of time building tension only to let it ultimately fizzle out into a drab happily ever after. A stale note in an otherwise fresh adventure.
September 22, 2016
Fun novel that pokes at religion and politics. The protagonist wants desperately to succeed in preaching his religion, a bit too desperately.
August 11, 2016
The pace in this story is fast, balancing the introduction to characters well enough to allow the reader time to get to know them.
Unfortunately the goblin Tobalt was taken straight from Terry Pratchett's Nutt (Unseen Academicals) but Kroese's character is not as well-rounded as Pratchett's - Tobalt's skill with language is not allowed to stand out from the narrator's own skill: where Pratchett wrote an easy-to-read fun book with a single verbose character, Kroese has written a verbose book.
There are some clever word-plays, such as the resistance movement against dragons involving 'burn-ins' where the demonstrators pretend to be dead for three hours; and the outward love everyone professes for goblins while treating and abusing them like slaves is well-drawn and poignant.
Kroese's use of passive voice was too much in the action scenes (see being trapped in the alley with guards at both ends) and his descriptions were too complex to allow realism (see the jump in the dark over a hole in the bridge). I got lost in the description of a shipwreck where 'twenty or so' survived, 'many' were badly burned, 'several' were moaning while 'others' tended to them and 'those who were able ran' - the picture in my mind was full of vague numbers being subtracted from twenty and things weren't adding up. (The severals were cringeworthy when there five in two pages).
But for all that, there were insights to the human psyche that made me laugh: 'Yesterday, we repealed cumbersome environmental regulations that prohibit proprietors of inns and taverns from dumping raw sewage in the streets! And today we are making a stand against foreign invaders who violate our laws, disrespect our customs, and make us feel uncomfortable about ourselves!'
The book is worth reading and I didn't want to stop, but I recommend setting aside some peace and quiet to do it.
Unfortunately the goblin Tobalt was taken straight from Terry Pratchett's Nutt (Unseen Academicals) but Kroese's character is not as well-rounded as Pratchett's - Tobalt's skill with language is not allowed to stand out from the narrator's own skill: where Pratchett wrote an easy-to-read fun book with a single verbose character, Kroese has written a verbose book.
There are some clever word-plays, such as the resistance movement against dragons involving 'burn-ins' where the demonstrators pretend to be dead for three hours; and the outward love everyone professes for goblins while treating and abusing them like slaves is well-drawn and poignant.
Kroese's use of passive voice was too much in the action scenes (see being trapped in the alley with guards at both ends) and his descriptions were too complex to allow realism (see the jump in the dark over a hole in the bridge). I got lost in the description of a shipwreck where 'twenty or so' survived, 'many' were badly burned, 'several' were moaning while 'others' tended to them and 'those who were able ran' - the picture in my mind was full of vague numbers being subtracted from twenty and things weren't adding up. (The severals were cringeworthy when there five in two pages).
But for all that, there were insights to the human psyche that made me laugh: 'Yesterday, we repealed cumbersome environmental regulations that prohibit proprietors of inns and taverns from dumping raw sewage in the streets! And today we are making a stand against foreign invaders who violate our laws, disrespect our customs, and make us feel uncomfortable about ourselves!'
The book is worth reading and I didn't want to stop, but I recommend setting aside some peace and quiet to do it.
December 31, 2016
The best comedy presents some profound and insightful scenarios that play out logically, without disrupting the tone of throwing a wrench in the reader’s enjoyment, and this novel fits those qualities perfectly, and that’s the best summation I can give without spoilers.
A bumbling missionary stumbles upon a prime sucker (er…sponsor) to pay for a mission to the unknown country overseas. In doing so, our missionary ends up endangering his entire homeland when he encounters the terrifying dragon who reigns over all in the most beaucratic and by-the-book tyranny in many a fantasy world.
Joined by a lovely stowaway and a goblin with a bent for philosophizing and odd observations, our hero soon learns that victory can be as perilous as defeat…
A book that equals some of Pratchett’s work in the vein of aburdist fantasy, the author tackles politics, religion, economics, corruption, heroism, myth and reality, sacrifice and fanaticism in a way that’s both fun and fast paced, and completely logical to the chosen medium.
Because, if you were faced with cowtowing to a dragon, how would you reconcile to the situation? And what’s going to fill the vacuum if the tyranny is suddenly lifted?
A bumbling missionary stumbles upon a prime sucker (er…sponsor) to pay for a mission to the unknown country overseas. In doing so, our missionary ends up endangering his entire homeland when he encounters the terrifying dragon who reigns over all in the most beaucratic and by-the-book tyranny in many a fantasy world.
Joined by a lovely stowaway and a goblin with a bent for philosophizing and odd observations, our hero soon learns that victory can be as perilous as defeat…
A book that equals some of Pratchett’s work in the vein of aburdist fantasy, the author tackles politics, religion, economics, corruption, heroism, myth and reality, sacrifice and fanaticism in a way that’s both fun and fast paced, and completely logical to the chosen medium.
Because, if you were faced with cowtowing to a dragon, how would you reconcile to the situation? And what’s going to fill the vacuum if the tyranny is suddenly lifted?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews