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Rotten Company
Join the Rotten Company. Meet exciting, exotic people, then punch them in the face!
All his life, Jack Somewhat has desperately not wanted to be a hero. He may be the worst apprentice the Alchemists Guild has ever known, but the last thing he wants to have to worry about is dungeons, treasure, monsters and damsels in distress. In fact, he'd rather have a sneaky pint or twelve with his no-good mates than save the day, and in a city full of magic, mystery and villainy, there are plenty of pubs where they'll still let him in the front door. Being thrown out the back door is a problem for when he's no longer sober... Unfortunately, destiny is not the kind of thing that asks permission. When an accident gives you super strength, shiny white teeth, and the unnatural urge to give speeches about justice, you could find yourself flying in tights and a cape, whether you like it or not. Jack is about to discover that there is more than one kind of hero, and being the wrong kind can land you in rotten company!
All his life, Jack Somewhat has desperately not wanted to be a hero. He may be the worst apprentice the Alchemists Guild has ever known, but the last thing he wants to have to worry about is dungeons, treasure, monsters and damsels in distress. In fact, he'd rather have a sneaky pint or twelve with his no-good mates than save the day, and in a city full of magic, mystery and villainy, there are plenty of pubs where they'll still let him in the front door. Being thrown out the back door is a problem for when he's no longer sober... Unfortunately, destiny is not the kind of thing that asks permission. When an accident gives you super strength, shiny white teeth, and the unnatural urge to give speeches about justice, you could find yourself flying in tights and a cape, whether you like it or not. Jack is about to discover that there is more than one kind of hero, and being the wrong kind can land you in rotten company!
428 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 31, 2021
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
“But He knew the power of stories, and what they could do for those who grabbed hold of them with both hands. They were a wave you could surf if you angled yourself just right in the flow of time and causality. But there was always an undertow, and a riptide which led out into the dark waters of madness.
Hmm. Dark waters of madness, He thought. That was good. Better write it down…”
“Rotten Company” is a genre-crossing sci-fi/fantasy/comic book romp, featuring dozens of loveable characters with amazing names (Multhazar Threck takes the cake). The book takes place on a reality-defying planetary formation called the Archipelago, in the city of Grand Sepulchre, ruled by the evil undead Urzoman Emperor in his Malevolith tower. We follow Jack Somewhat, an unremarkable orphan teen who stumbles across an extremely remarkable alien power source that soon has him and those close to him developing superhuman powers and the sudden urge to be a hero. Thrown together with a mad Guild Errant trainer, a fierce would-be assassin and her genetically modified mantis shrimp crossbow, and a fashionable dandy with superspeed, Jack starts listening to that voice in his head that encourages heroism. They are soon joined by more enhanced citizens; the Naked Flame, the Unstoppable It, Slag Iron, the Grimshadow, and Double Vision, all with powers (and costumes) of their own. Countless monsters and demons and gods are stacked against them, and allegiances can switch at any time, but this Rotten Company is more than up to the task.
Drew Bryenton has an incredible imagination, and the vocabulary to go with it! “Rotten Company” reads like a mash-up of Douglas Adams, Marvel movies, and Dungeons and Dragons, but still emerges as a voice all its own. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it, though I sometimes had trouble following the crazy twists and turns; there is such a thing as too much backstory, which runs the risk of muddling the main plot. I also found that the footnotes after each chapter hinted at adventures and histories that remained only as asides.
Overall, I was just along for the ride, giggling at all the cheeky sci-fi and comic book trope references, gasping through each epic fight, and heaving a satisfied sigh when I finished the book.
3.75/5
Thank you so much to sci-fi-cafe for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“But He knew the power of stories, and what they could do for those who grabbed hold of them with both hands. They were a wave you could surf if you angled yourself just right in the flow of time and causality. But there was always an undertow, and a riptide which led out into the dark waters of madness.
Hmm. Dark waters of madness, He thought. That was good. Better write it down…”
“Rotten Company” is a genre-crossing sci-fi/fantasy/comic book romp, featuring dozens of loveable characters with amazing names (Multhazar Threck takes the cake). The book takes place on a reality-defying planetary formation called the Archipelago, in the city of Grand Sepulchre, ruled by the evil undead Urzoman Emperor in his Malevolith tower. We follow Jack Somewhat, an unremarkable orphan teen who stumbles across an extremely remarkable alien power source that soon has him and those close to him developing superhuman powers and the sudden urge to be a hero. Thrown together with a mad Guild Errant trainer, a fierce would-be assassin and her genetically modified mantis shrimp crossbow, and a fashionable dandy with superspeed, Jack starts listening to that voice in his head that encourages heroism. They are soon joined by more enhanced citizens; the Naked Flame, the Unstoppable It, Slag Iron, the Grimshadow, and Double Vision, all with powers (and costumes) of their own. Countless monsters and demons and gods are stacked against them, and allegiances can switch at any time, but this Rotten Company is more than up to the task.
Drew Bryenton has an incredible imagination, and the vocabulary to go with it! “Rotten Company” reads like a mash-up of Douglas Adams, Marvel movies, and Dungeons and Dragons, but still emerges as a voice all its own. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it, though I sometimes had trouble following the crazy twists and turns; there is such a thing as too much backstory, which runs the risk of muddling the main plot. I also found that the footnotes after each chapter hinted at adventures and histories that remained only as asides.
Overall, I was just along for the ride, giggling at all the cheeky sci-fi and comic book trope references, gasping through each epic fight, and heaving a satisfied sigh when I finished the book.
3.75/5
Thank you so much to sci-fi-cafe for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
January 6, 2022
An excellent fantasty comedy. Perfect if you're a fan of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams and the like.
Choc-full of clever references to the fantasy and DC comic book genres and an intense pace all the way through.
Choc-full of clever references to the fantasy and DC comic book genres and an intense pace all the way through.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews