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A terrible sect has arisen in Illmoor. They're dark, they're
deadly and they're even more hell-bent on the destruction
of the city than the citizens themselves. All that stands
between total chaos and the return of the dark gods are Duke
Modest (who doesn't like the place anyway) Jareth Obegarde
(a vampire on his mother's side) and Jimmy Quickstint (who
is about to do the wrong favour for the wrong man)...
I
have to come clean and admit that I was not a huge fan of
David Lee Stone's first book in this series (The Ratastrophe
Catastrophe). It's not that book one was bad, far from
it, it's just that it offered nothing incredibly new in a
marketplace already swamped with Terry Pratchett clones.
However,
Stone's follow-up novel, The Yowler Foul-up, is another
kettle of fish altogether. Obviously still set in the same
universe the writing has matured considerably since the first
instalment. No longer did I feel like I was reading the work
of any one of a thousand wannabe Pratchett students - Stone
has certainly managed to carve an impressive niche for himself.
Written
for children, I'm assuming, this book is sure to find a welcome
home amongst a more mature audience. Who could fail to warm
to the characters of Jimmy Quickstint, Duke Modest, Angustus
Vrunak, Jareth Obegarde and Viscount Curfew. Okay,
you may not warm to all of the characters, but for very good
reasons - you're not supposed to.
This
book is incredibly difficult to put down. Once you open The
Yowler Foul-up, you will be compelled to read straight
through to the end... and then pick it up and read it again.
I
also loved the line drawings that head the top of each chapter.
I couldn't see who was responsible for them, but they really
helped to add that little extra something to Stone's work.
Stone
is a genius, his style is fresh and original, and he knows
how to spin a good yarn. This is certainly one author to watch
closely in the future.
Nick
Smithson
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