Kill the Farm Boy

by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne

No one ever really expects the presumed main character to die — at least, not within the first 30 pages.

But Kill the Farm Boy delivers on its titular promise immediately, warning readers up front that, while this book may be about a faraway land in a faraway time, it’s far from your run-of-the-mill fairy tale. Instead, the lighthearted satire pokes fun at classic fantasy tropes with pun-filled adventures and endearing (if unusual) characters.

This first installment in The Tales of Pell series deviates from the white farm-boy-turned-hero cliché in favor of a less explored path in the genre of classic fantasy, one that tackles more serious social issues but stylistically resembles Monty Python and The Princess Bride.  

Worstley (not to be confused with his older brother Bestley) is a humble farm boy who spends his days shoveling hay and his goat Gustave’s excrement. When Staph, a slovenly and disheveled pixie, visits Worstley, his life changes forever, as she first declares him the “Chosen One” meant to rescue a sleeping princess in a tower and then grants Gustave the gift of speech.

Sadly, Worstley’s life changes are literally short-lived when Fia, a chainmail-bikini-clad warrior, accidentally crushes him to death. Along with a chatty Gustave and half-rabbit, half-human bard Argabella, who can’t seem to finish a single song or rhyme, Fia sets off to save the land of Pell from a plot to overthrow the king.

Along the way, Fia and her merry band are joined by a chicken-phobic rogue named Poltro, the Dark (or at least Crepuscular) Lord Toby with a penchant for cheese, and Grinda the sand witch. They face perils from the likes of a mansplaining troll, troublesome elves, and a giant with a refined palate. We get the quest-oriented elements of classic fantasy — but with witty twists.

Part of Kill the Farm Boy’s appeal is its impressive dedication to wordplay. You can only guess how many times coauthors Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne consulted a thesaurus in writing this book — nearly every sentence contains a pun, or sets up a joke.

But it’s not all fun and games in Pell. Threads of genuine sincerity permeate the humor and coalesce into heartwarming moments, providing much-needed balance. A sweet romance develops between two of the female characters, normalizing elements of feminist and LGBTQ themes in the genre. As the gang’s journey progresses, several characters experience a parallel personal journey in which they question who they are and what they thought they knew. Constantly facing imminent danger, they reflect on death. On their adventure, as the band meets secondary characters, they recognize pervasive inequality and oppression in Pell.  

Kill the Farm Boy is a delight. It is no small feat to interweave satire and genuineness — and to do so in a collaborative novel, but Dawson and Hearne blend comedy and gravity to produce a book that is refreshingly unique and, most importantly, a pure joy to read.