And Don’t Forget to Rescue the Other Princesses-Marc Bilgrey

And Don’t Forget to Rescue the Other Princesses
Marc Bilgrey
Five Star, Mar 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 9781594147449

It has been a year since thirty-one year old Al Breen has had a visit from a talking cat, who yanked him into another dimension where the feline turned into a wizard. Master wizard Merv, the advisor to Castle Furley in the land of Flemp, explained to the bewildered out of work actor that he had been summoned as a great knight to travel to the kingdom of Mornnnnnnn to rescue the king’s kidnapped daughter Megan. After mission accomplished with the help of Sir Nigel the nervous, Al was sent home (see AND DON’T FORGET TO RESCUE THE PRINCESS).

However his idyll time of respite abruptly ends when Merv yanks him back to Flemp with the same choices of losing his head or rescuing Princess Deirdre. Once again with Nigel the Nervous as his sidekick, Al the mighty couch warrior journeys to the northern citadel atop of the treacherous mountains where the evil sorceress Sorchaaaaaaaa is hatching plans to conquer the lands making her ruler of the world. To begin her unholy quest, she must sacrifice Deirdre to the Dark Gods. After fighting off an ogre, wild boars, fighting to get out of a fairy ring, and taken prisoner by a giant, the reluctant heroes are taken to the leader of the resistance who escort them up the mountain where the real danger awaits them as Sorchaaaaaaaa looks forward to the encounter.

Readers who like the wackiness of the Xanth tales without any puns will enjoy this fun farcical fantasy starring an earthly couch potato turned reluctant Don Quixote saving a world filled with magic. His companion on the trek Sir Nigel the Nervous is constantly whining about everything and anything when they are not in a dire predicament which is rare; otherwise he is wisecracking about their dilemmas as a means to keep from losing his bladder. Fans will enjoy Marc Bilgrey’s tale of the absurd.

Harriet Klausner