Warning: To be extra careful, this book deals with some triggers that sometimes can be triggering even to be read in content warnings – so if you have some of those – please be extra forewarned! They are mentioned in this review, so please be extra careful!

The first book in this series “Them Old Bones,” was a surprising front runner in top books for this year earlier this month. And this one kept the trend going.

About the Book

There will be dragons…

With Donnowan’s expedition lost to a dragon, Miriam Huckerpucker gathers a ragtag band of undeads and sets off to the fringes of the known world to rescue the remnants. And also find the true villain behind the dragon attacks and why dragons suddenly appeared in this world.

Could the villain be the same one who makes old and new enemies show up on the road? Like the old hag who comes haunting from her past or the new hag who comes hunting her in the present?

Miriam doesn’t have time to ponder as she hurries along, but with painted barbarians, disfigured corpses and wanted criminals by her side she has to stay clear of the main roads, losing valuable time sidetracking through the wilderness.

But it is the same wilderness that Donnowan’s expedition travelled through. On her way she stumbles on vital clues and learns an odd thing or two.

Like accidents happen.

And dragons too, apparently.

My Thoughts

When I pick books, I do so assuming I’ll like them. I just didn’t realize I’d like this series this much! I love fantasy. Harry Potter was my favorite series for a long time, and The Time Quintet (A Wrinkle in Time being the most famous) is something I hope to introduce my daughter to. But, I think, this author will earn their spot amongst those great stories.

I love dark humor, something I used to be embarrassed about, but now that we’re all embracing the darker sides of our nature – hello dark romance girlies! – it is okay to admit it, right? I don’t mean to be morbid, but I’ve also seen a lot in my life, and sometimes you gotta laugh or else you’ll cry. I don’t know if that’s what happened in this story, but it is hilarious. So many fantasy stories take themselves so seriously, but this one adds just enough humor and reality – because unalive things have certain quirks that are unavoidable – to make it nearly knee-slapping funny.

It is also adorable. I don’t know how old the characters are, but they almost seem like they’re in their late teens or early twenties. In reality, some of the undead ones are hundreds of years old, I think. Either way, some of them, whether recently or long undead, have little experience in living issues, like a love life. While some of them have been running around dating, others have not. And watching romance bloom between some of the characters is just adorable. It’s very clean – as far as undead romance can be clean – romance and I’m here for it.

The author has developed the relationships between the characters beautifully. The ones that have had to live with each other for decades, centuries, (or longer?) have the hallmarks of long-suffering siblings and friends who are comfortable and just a little annoyed. Sometimes, a lot annoyed. But, for the most part, they all work together for the goals of the collective, like the family they are. And, the newcomers, while disciplined like newcomers usually are, are still watched over and viewed like a family unit normally would. It’s such an interesting and lovely thing to read and watch. Of course, the dysfunction is there as well. Almost no familial unit exists without it. The method of joining this particular family is dark and brutal. There are groups that go against the norm and try to fight the status quo. All of it is equally well done.

I’m so grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me in this tour. I can’t wait to dig into Book 3!

Who’s It For?

If you enjoy dark humor and fantasy, this is a great book – and series for you. I’d personally start with the first one – Them Old Bones, but you do you. I don’t like to pick up in the middle of a series. The series deals with some very mature and intense topics, so please check the warnings. If the content warnings are ones you can handle, this is a great read for fantasy and comedy lovers! If you’re a fan of D&D, dragons, and undead creatures, I especially think you’ll enjoy this one!

Content Warnings: Murder, Death, Suicide, Gore, Adult Situations, Adult Language, Fear, Dark Humour, Domestic Violence, Animal Violence/Death,

About the Author

From the Author:

Everybody makes a story about themselves. Here is my take:

I started out

1) as a kid telling myself stories using my imagination, then

2) growing up to tell stories to others as a gamemaster (which I still do), then

3) getting sucked most unwilling into occult stuff (the flip side of quantum physics?), escaping that to

4) hesitantly get an education in programming, then

5) surviving dull years surrounded by the machines that go ping and keeping the weekends occupied by reading and being artful and conjuring exhaustion for the work week, then

6) saying enough is enough and submitting myself to another long streak of education, this time in art, where I started out painting (and still do) but graduated in spontaneous storytelling (or bearing witness to my imaginary worlds if you want a fancy way of saying it) then

7) start writing down these stories instead of telling them to an audience, ending up like

1) the kid I began as, telling myself stories using my imagination…

…which is the nation I prefer to be in (after doing my stint of travelling abroad) and where I go by the name of Astor Y Teller.

The rest of me can be gleaned from the books and if not, it’s not worth telling.

Amazon US: https://a.co/d/gOuTvOT
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/2B0kyen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209656832-accidental-dragons
Author Website: www.astoryteller.art