It was written in times long ago that the shwazzy would come to Unlondon and save them from the killing smog. She would lead the fight and complete harrowing quests in order to save their world of the obsolete.

But when the shwazzy is knocked out in her first fight it’s up to her “funny” sidekick, the pet milk carton (Curdle) and their friends to save the day, defeat evil and prove that destiny isn’t everything.

Taking a spin on the common fantasy ideal of the “chosen one,” Meiville creates a book that’s both hilarious and creepy. Combining word play (librarians tending the wordhoard pit are bookaneers) and an imaginatively unique world.

Fans of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline and Norton Juster’s The Phantom Tollbooth will enjoy.

More reviews