October 2022 Indie Book Review by Joseph Poopinski
The
Conjuring of Zoth-Avarox
By
K.R.R. Lockhaven
Men
in Black meets Lord of the Rings while Hitchhiking in the Galaxy
4
stars
We have much to learn about magic, dragons & the multiverse. However, only when the best bureaucratic & military minds somehow foul up a foolproof plan of summoning this great dragon to fight the USA’s battles, do we realize our lack of understanding. Perhaps Zoth-Avarox incepted the entire fiasco but certainly not the related anacronyms of the government’s agencies or their operations (one of which is BADIDEA). On the other hand, Zoth-Avarox demystifies a few puzzles for inquiring humans about his primary aims—treasure & princesses—as innate or instinctual, which makes sense. So a ragtag band of magicians & first responders quest hither & yon for swords, paperclips & whatnot with their loyal adorable imp companion to rescue the princess & save their homeland’s treasure.
Readers will appreciate the witty narration (“She shrugged. Her shrugging muscles were getting tired…”), themes of both independent thinking & teamwork, nonillion Easter eggs from popular fantasy, a jumble of ironic footnotes caution against meddling in cosmic affairs, the obligatory “oops, I dropped my weapon” scene & an alternate ending! Overall this is a novella with plenty of goofy gags, detours & fun for everyone. Additional notes: Contains some swearing. The author donates one dollar per book sold to a foundation for burn survivors.
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