Hierophantasy: A Satirical Saga of Dungeon(s) & Dragon

by Kyle James, Kyle McCormick

In a land where knights tremble at the mere rustling of leaves and goblins are more interested in recruiting members for their upcoming poetry slam than terrorizing villages, comes a tale that turns high fantasy on its pointy-eared head.

Meet towering knight, living legend, and—though he’ll die before he admits it—terrified imposter cowering within a suit of shiny armor. Marvel at the sheer misfortune of Artie, a protagonist so rash that he managed to pick a fight with the cruelest, most sadistic prince ever to have lived. If he’s very lucky, he might just survive long enough to make it to his own execution. And beware their ruthless pursuers on the high seas (who would probably prefer a moment of quiet romance, if we’re being honest).

With a narrative so engaging you’ll wonder if the author accidentally stumbled into the wrong genre, this masterful parody hikes unperturbed through a forest of fantasy tropes, leaving a trail of laughter and utter bewilderment in its wake. Let the author guide you through this riotous adventure with wit, wisdom and a sly wink, occasionally pausing to sidestep his horrified editor who is desperately trying to rein in the chaos!

Prepare for a quest like no other – and a hero like none at all...

Fans of Terry Pratchett's Discworld Chronicles, Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the Dungeons & Dragons TTRPG will find themselves fighting through tears of laughter as they relive the fantasy tropes of their glory days.

Scroll up and one-click to start reading this endlessly funny fantasy adventure today.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

255 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2024

Reviews

[bee ⭑.ᐟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

after getting back into playing baldurs gate and occupying my thoughts 24/7 i really wanted a fantasy to itch the spot bg left, and this definitely did the job. i stumbled upon this searching through kindle unlimited books and mainly added this because of the cover alone, simply stunning. this was a fun, lighthearted read with a great amount of fantasy. i’m quite picky when it comes to humour and often find myself cringing with references to the real world but often times i found myself giggling and rolling my eyes at the silly jokes.
an easy, enjoyable read with a classic adventure plot with some easily likable characters. i recommend if you’re a fantasy/dnd enjoyer.

[Donna Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn to this from the off by the stunning cover art - it just fits the brief perfectly and the colour scheme is amazing. And then I opened the ebook and only saw it in black and white for a while, which really sucked, so I’ll definitely have to purchase the physical copy, funds permitting, to add to my trophy case.

This is D&D if Terry Pratchett had DMd while drunk. Or possibly high. He even quotes Pratchett in the opening pages, which I thought at the time to be a bold move. You’re setting the bar pretty high by quoting the king of the sub genre you’re writing in. But by god does Kyle James earn it.

There are so many Pratchett-isms here - the physics of the world James has created, the cynicism of the characters, the way it subverts so much of the classic dnd tropes, the one-liners - it’s like he’s been reincarnated into Kyle James. I have questions. If you see this, Kyle James, are you Terry Pratchett reincarnated? Were you actually born or did you just materialise, fully formed, the day Sir Terry left us? Most importantly, do you have a beard and a hat? Kinda wanna look him up now to see if he looks like him as well.

A few of the jokes didn't quite land with me, but that's a subjective humour thing rather than a criticism of the work. To me, about 90% of the jokes worked for me, so I call that a win.

DnD fans will like this. Discworld/Hitchhiker's Guide fans will LOVE this.

[Irene (formerly Lacrymosa) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Eng below*

Il libro viene presentato come una divertente avventura Dungeons & Dragon in salsa Pratchett. Due delle cose che preferisco, per cui che potevo chiedere di più? Un lucano?
Ebbene, grandissimo flop.

Pratchett è stato, se non il primo, tra i primi autori fantasy che ho letto da bambina per cui il Mondo Disco per me avrà sempre quel sentore di casa. Ciò che mi ha sempre fatta tornare lì è soprattutto il senso dell'umorismo di Pratchett, che da bambina non sempre capivo ma che comunque nel 90% dei casi riusciva a strapparmi se non una risata, almeno un sorriso.
Detto ciò, probabilmente sono partita a leggere questo libro con aspettative troppo alte e, si sa, più è alto il piedistallo più farà male la caduta.
Tutto sommato è un libro divertente, ma c'è un utilizzo troppo pesante di situazioni o citazioni da altre opere (Il signore degli anelli, per dirne uno) che mi fa chiedere quanto sia effettivamente merito dell'opera in sé e quanto invece dipenda dalle altre.
In un libro di 200 pagine, è una cosa che per me ha pesato parecchio e mi ha fatto dubitare dell'originalità dell'autore.
Altro lato negativo, i personaggi sono spessi come carta velina. Capisco che in 200 pagine non si possa approfondirli così tanto, ma appena si inizia a conoscerli un pochino meglio il libro finisce e si resta con un pugno di mosche in mano.

Nota a margine: troppe maledettissime note.
Sono passati anni da quando ho letto la trilogia della Lunganotte di Jay Kristoff ma sono ancora profondamente traumatizzata e allergica all'uso smodato delle note.
Trovo che siano uno strumento utile (e gradito) quando vengono utilizzate per approfondire sistemi magici, ambientazioni particolari, eventi storici, flora e fauna, insomma tutto ciò che è originale dell'opera, così da supportare l'immersione del lettore in un mondo nuovo. Tuttavia, non sopporto commentini e battutine dall'autore. Per quanto possano essere divertenti sul momento (in un paio di casi ho effettivamente riso) sono eccessivi e tremendamente deleteri, spezzano il ritmo della narrazione e soprattutto mi fanno perdere il filo.

In conclusione:
- leggerò altro dell'autore? Probabilmente sì, anche solo per capire effettivamente il suo stile;
- lo consiglio? No, al mondo esistono racconti più brevi ma più accattivanti.

ENG
I read this book because it was presented as a fun Dungeons & dragons adventure in a Pratchett-esque style. I love both. I didn't love the book, sadly.
I grew up with Pratchett. Discworld was probably my introduction to fantasy. Plus, I loved Pratchett humor, even though I didn't understand everything he said (since I was like 10 years old at that time).
With that in mind, I might have started this with too high expectations.
It actually is a fun read, but It's kind of a second-hand fun. There are a lot of mentions and literal quotes from other pieces (Lotr, to name the most obvious).
I probably wouldn't mind if the book was longer, but with a 200 pages story, it kinds of take away a large part of the author's originality.
And, since the book is so short, the characters are hardly sketched. As we start getting to know them, their motives, their past, the story ends and you're left thinking "That’s it??".

Plus: too-many-damn-notes. Even though it's been years since I've read it, I'm still traumatized from the Nevernight trilogy by Jay Kristoff and I'm allergic to unnecessary notes.
Don't get me wrong, I do like notes used to explain things like a magic system, a peculiar historical event, flora and faunas, the sort of things that allow you to delve into a new world, but I can't stand the author commentary. It might be fun (I laughed once or twice, I admit it) but it's unnecessary and, most importantly, they totally kill the narrative.

To conclude:
- am I going to read something else from the author? Probably
- do I recommend it? Nope, there are much better shorter stories out there.

[Laura Kassel · Rating 5 out of 5]

More like this please. An absolute masterpiece of comedic fiction.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a Pratchett rip-off, it knows it's a Pratchett rip-off, it's probably a kind of love letter to Discworld, which is a love letter to DnD, and it has some genuine laugh out loud moments. If he'd written it in his own style while tipping a hat to Pratchett, I'd have probably enjoyed it, but all I could do while reading was think "He just doesn't have what Pratchett had".

I didn't care about the characters - he tried to write a B&M Rincewind without the "Wizzardry", but Rincewind managed to be loveable without being likeable. Artie is neither, nor is he hateful. He's just there. Everyone is just there, really. There's no depth to anyone. The best chapters were Bea's, as that was the only sense of the character's inner world and backstory you truly got AND cared a bit about.

The story wasn't immersive because he breaks the fourth wall too much. Pratchett's footnotes are legendary and feel like he's taking a break from telling the story to a group to share a secret little joke with just you without breaking the magic. James' footnotes leave the fantasy world he's almost building and break into our world too much. No one reads fantasy to be reminded of the world they're actually in. And the world building just isn't there, because there's too much focus on silliness. I love silliness, but this was just daft. Within a few pages of The Colour of Magic, I felt like I was stood in the middle of Ankh Morpork. I could see, hear and, fortunately, not-quite smell it. I couldn't describe a single location in this book aside from the bad attempt at copying The Shades.

All in all, he's a good writer and a funny guy, but he needs to take the Pratchett and Adams stabilisers off and try riding along unaided. It's a shame, because I wanted to love it and thought I was going to for a short time. All it did was make me want to go read Discworld again.

[tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was fun and easy to read

[Matt McAvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not necessarily a big fan of high fantasy of the otherworld and dragons variety, so it’s great to see one like this, which doesn’t take itself seriously. Oh, I don’t doubt that behind this mocking façade Kyle is actually a huge fan of the genre – he is simply too knowledgeable and accomplished not to be – but you can see that he takes great pleasure here in dissecting its usual tropes and clichés in the name of satire. Despite that, though, and the Hitchhiker’s Guide-esque silliness to this book, the author has actually still managed to craft a pretty decent and engaging story about heroes and quests.

Of course it’s the usual fare: an unlikely protagonist on a reluctant quest to slay a formidable dragon, meeting an assortment of characters and facing grave personal risk on the way, but even though it is parody of sorts, the characters are actually very relatable and all quite pleasant. From an awe-inspiring, legendary knight who is actually just extraordinarily sensitive and timid, to the seafaring pursuers who just want to live in their own way, and actually think their client is something of a jerk, there are few characters in this story I wouldn’t actually describe as quite endearing. Artie is a likeable enough chap, who doesn’t really seem overly distraught by the mortal possibilities, and even the arch-villainous prince of the tale – a real Joffrey-like, nasty piece of work – is actually quite amusing, even when being at his most deranged and sadistic. You do find yourself rooting, quite contrarily, I suppose, for pretty much all of the cast members.

Kyle doesn’t feel the need to veer too far from formula here – apart from the obvious, that is, of addressing the reader directly in the first person as the writer, and using comedic interaction as a satirical mechanism (perhaps a little like Monty Python or Spike Milligan, though without swerving so far into the abstract). But there are some very nice surprises, in a book which is actually a good deal better than the premise might suggest. And I think, all in all, that “nice” is a word I would use to describe this book overall. It is fun, pleasant and inoffensive to read, and I think you’ll enjoy it – although, I will admit, all of Kyle’s endnote interjections became a touch distracting at times, and I felt like skipping them, but didn’t do so. He is a good writer, too, which helps. This is easy-paced easy reading, which is consistent and perfectly timed, written articulately and clearly, to the benefit of its humour and its accomplished genre credentials. Well worth a read – though the high-fantasy purists might scoff. Still, I think they’ll smile in spite of themselves.

[Erik Semenchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and Sidesplitting

Provided an ARC for a fair and honest review.

Hierophantasy is a quality debut into a comical and footnote-strewn fantasy world perfect for fans of Discworld, The Band, The Dark Profit Saga, TTRPGs and comedic fantasy in general. Kyle crafts a heartfelt and real story with such unique and captivating prose that I downed it in a few sittings. Only keeping it from perfect for me due to some bloat, plotlines that sort of just came up and dropped (though I hope to see more Red, Bea, and Pearl in the future if we have the pleasure of getting more books set in Dreem), and an almost overcommitment to some bits.

I had the pleasure of reading my first (of now many) Pratchett book thanks to Kyle (genuinely, it’s been a treasure), who lent me Equal Rites what seems like a lifetime ago, and seeing this story come to life and successfully capture the same vibe makes me excited for what’s to come. I cackled frequently during my time reading this which often got me weird looks from my students during my breaks and “why aren’t you working” looks from colleagues. I'm calling it early as the funniest book I'm going to read in 2024.

It’s not just funny too, I cared for many of the characters. I felt pangs of heartache each time I read more of Hjalmar’s story. I grew to appreciate the friendship between Artie and Hjalmar. I wanted to pummel Jakarse into a pulp so fine that it could be used to print this review. Kyle really made me feel the whole spectrum of emotions in such a short novel.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this one. Download it on your e-reader. Just enjoy. Kyle has the ability to write anything and make it captivating.

tl;dr
Pros: Likable main duo, unique and engrossing prose, genuinely good bits, fantastic new world, expanded my own vocabulary by like, 40%. Seriously, exsanguination?

'Cons': Characters coming and going after what felt like too short of a time, some bits I wasn’t too hot on

go read it.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heirophantasy is a fun, fast-paced adventure tale which engages the reader through witty, self-aware (and often parenthetical) writing. Each chapter had me wanting to read the next even more, and before I knew it, I was reading the epilogue wondering how long it'll be until the next adventure is written.

Some specific highlights:

* I really enjoy when an author presents the same event from several perspectives, specifically when characters experience the same event in drastically different ways. Kyle James incorporates this a handful of times throughout the book, and I believe it adds significant depth not only to the characters, but the connection between characters as well.

* Kyle James exhibits an artful mastery of referential humor throughout this book. I regularly had that glorious feeling of "ha, I get that," which is exactly what I'm looking for and I loved it.

* While this is a satirical and wonderfully humorous book, there is much to be said about the character development as well. I found myself genuinely rooting for these characters and watching them grow as the adventure unfolded.

All told, good times worth all five of the stars I can give.

ps read the footnotes!

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hierophantasy: A Satirical Saga of Dungeon(s) & Dragon, by Kyle James - Another book with a lot of Dungeons & Dragons references, this is the tale of Artie Quillwyrm, a low-level thief and con-artist who gets into a fight with the incorrigible Prince Jakarse, and chooses execution by quest as his punishment in hopes that he can wriggle out of it. He teams up with Hjalmar Stonefist, the Golden Bull, who's become the kingdom's greatest hero even though most of his adventures are exaggerated, and he's an admitted coward. The idea of a silly fantasy quest is hardly anything new, but the jokes are very frequent and of pretty much every sort of humor. The Prince's name is far from being a one-off corny gag, with others including a tundra called Phukit Scold and a mention of a heaven called Sa Ma Yam. There are several nods to Disney's The Little Mermaid, including a dinglehopper that's a creature, not just a fork. Some references were exceptionally ridiculous, like Dildo Saggins, hero of King of the Circles. Hjalmar wears armor with a Protective Layer of Thermoregulation, or P.L.O.T. Armor for short. And the dragon Artie is supposed to slay turns out to have a mutually beneficial arrangement with the kingdom.

[Aaron Aguirre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been playing DnD and other TTRGs for over a decade now as both a GM and player. And as an avid reader of the fantasy genre, this book may be the most accurate representation of an actual DnD campaign. You can register every nat 1 or critical hit from the assortment of charismatic, caricature characters. The writing is a constant dispensary of wit and humor, poking fun at tropes that permeate fantasy while getting within a hysterical micrometer from trademark and copyright regulations. I'm also a sucker for the little lore annotations that are very reminiscent of a Dungeon Master sprinkling in bits of lore that they wrote despite their players not asking (we work hard on these worlds!) Highly recommend this book if you're a fan of the genre and looking for laughs alongside a compelling story.

[Gretchen Eternick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Hierophantasy. I gave it four stars, and the only reason I didn’t give it five is because I wasn’t “can’t put it down to save my life” OBSESSED. I thought it was fun, silly, an easy and quick read, and the plot kept me hooked (even if I did roll my eyes at a few of the jokes). The D&D references killed me, and I saved a lot of the words for a silly game my friends and I play called Contact (although I was told “puissant” was too hard of a word and I needed to pick easier ones!).

I also appreciated the few serious moments that were thrown in. The characters were relatable, and I sympathized with Hjalmar’s character development throughout the book. I also enjoyed the narrator/author’s self-awareness & political awareness.

Overall, I would (and did!) recommend this book to friends and others looking for a fun fantasy-filled adventure.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun to read! It is so cleverly written, I definitely want to read it again to be sure I caught all of the jokes. Besides an enthralling adventure storyline, the book is well written with lots of wit, subtle wordplay and hysterical asides to the reader that had me laughing out loud so often some people at the park started staring at me! It reminds me of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. I sure hope the author makes a series of this storyline, I look forward to the further adventures of Hjalmar and Artie. Hierophantasy: A Satirical Saga of Dungeon(s) & Dragon

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a amusing tongue and cheek D&D story

This is a amusing and entertaining adventure with a D&D theme and a mix of modern references.

Anyone familiar with the D&D genre will enjoy this book. "Saga" is a bit of an exaggeration but a fun campaign anyway.

Readers are introduced to characters that are flung together as any adventurer would, an order from a king. And later in a drinking establishment.

The author uses footnotes to add humor into the mix. At times, the jokes are outright laugh out loud while others seem to deter from the prose. For the most part, they work.

It was very much like Princess Bride is that humor is thrown in a comical way.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would read more about these intrepid adventurers.

[creepy bug · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't even know how I stumbled across this book- maybe on Instagram? I was a little turned off by the AI cover, but man, the book MORE than made up for it. I haven't laughed out loud while reading a book in YEARS, but the witty footnotes, references to other literature, names you sometimes have to read out loud to understand the pun of it, and hilarious narration were super entertaining and definitely got more than a few laughs out of me. The changing perspectives kept things interesting, and I loved hearing about Bea and Pearl. I have never branched out into the comedy side of fantasy, but I think I need more of it after finishing this!! It was a great lighthearted read that I have already recommended to my friends.

[Kristina Uyeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! If you are a fan of fun, fast paced fantasy books in the witty and semantically unpredictable style of Terry Pratchett then give this a try! I was hooked right away with the clever prose, lines like:

Sometimes Time is a bit slow getting out of bed in the morning, or the first few sparks of life are so discouraged by the sheer improbability of their own existence that they decide to pack it in...

Plus, dragons, cat people, and epic quests going awry, what's not to love?

[Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lighthearted iteration of the classic fantasy trope that pauses to gawk incredulously at itself each step of the way.

If you’re into ludicrously clever wordplay and so many jokes that you’ll overlook half of them at first glance, you won’t be able to put this down!

Get ready for people in your life to constantly ask you a confused “…what is it…?” each time they catch you randomly giggling to yourself.

I can’t recommend more highly!

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not usually someone who reads fantasy, but after picking up this book I wasn’t able to put it down! The narrative is very cleverly written, with jokes interwoven into nearly every sentence. When reading in public I must have looked crazy to other people chuckling to myself🤣 The plot is still clear and engaging as well. I already look forward to reading it again, as I’m sure I will notice more funny quips that I missed the first time!

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hilarious. Do not forget to read the footnotes as you go! (I made this mistake for several chapters and sincerely regret it). This book has humorous pop culture references, on-point commentary on the state of society, fourth wall breaks, and an enticing fantasy adventure to boot! I’m going to call it months ahead of time, this book will be my best read of the year for sure. 

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what an amazing ride! This book is an absolute delight from start to finish. It's filled with hilarious twists on traditional fantasy tropes that had me laughing out loud. The characters are so well-written and endearing, especially Hjalmar and Artie, who stumble through their adventures with both bravery and sheer incompetence. Recommend 100%

[Jake Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very clever, whimsical book

It took a few chapters to get used to the writing style and the whimsy, but I really enjoyed the book. There are many small easter eggs and subtle nods to fantasy tropes and I'm sure I didn't get them all.

I would agree that it's like a fusion between D&D and Hitchhiker's Guide, but you don't have to be familiar with either to enjoy this book.

[Josh Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fantasy lover, I enjoyed this book immensely.

It's genuinely funny, satirizing everything diehard fantasy fans hate to love and love to hate about the genre. Come for the laughs, stay for the sneaky-good emotional character arcs.

[Fumi M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! This book is a perfect mixture of satire and epic fantasy. And you’ll never be able to guess how the story ends! I would absolutely recommend this book to my friends who likes Terry Pratchett!

[Ashley Rojas Mehta · Rating 4 out of 5]

hilarious and stress free entertainment

A very enterprising satire. Witty funny and all around good time. Plot was OK- i cared about the characters and the writing had me keep reading

[Heather Ruderian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun! A little rough around the edges in terms of humor and plot but so was Strata and The Color of Magic (Terry Pratchett being an obvious influence) 😊 A good heart and enjoyable characters held it together and I will certainly be keeping an eye on this author.

[Nevaeh Ruegger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full five here read why at Nevy's Bookshelf

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMIGOD that was such an unexpected but delightful ending?? Awe, mah bois!

Forsooth, I really do need to get I to Terry Pratchett’s stuff.

[Maggie]

Rokp

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just wasn’t for me. The book was well written and the story was fine, the humour aspect of the book just didn’t hit the mark for me.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy, lighthearted read with characters I found myself attached to very quickly. A fun adventure!