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Dungeons & Drag Queens
What happens when a small town drag queen gets sucked into a realm of sword and sorcery and forced to do much more than lip-sync for her life?
After a weird wizard transports Sleazella LaRuse to the realm of Houmak, Green Bay's number one diva must battle to save her life and protect the lip-syncing, potty-mouthed persona she's worked so hard to cultivate. Will her bones be devoured by the gnawing nipple-mouths of slavwolves or crushed by the brutal Blada Femma? Worse yet, will she find love amongst the scum sailors and slopulating sky serpents? Will she win this glamorous game of thrones? The answer is clear in the most fierce and fabulous fantasy epic ever.
After a weird wizard transports Sleazella LaRuse to the realm of Houmak, Green Bay's number one diva must battle to save her life and protect the lip-syncing, potty-mouthed persona she's worked so hard to cultivate. Will her bones be devoured by the gnawing nipple-mouths of slavwolves or crushed by the brutal Blada Femma? Worse yet, will she find love amongst the scum sailors and slopulating sky serpents? Will she win this glamorous game of thrones? The answer is clear in the most fierce and fabulous fantasy epic ever.
150 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
December 4, 2016
When Sleazella LaRuse, Green Bay's top drag queen, gets whisked away to another realm to marry a demi-god, she finds herself in deep trouble. What Dravor, the man who summoned her, do when he finds out she is in fact a he?
While I'd been aware of this book for years, I couldn't resist snapping it up for ninety-nine cents on Bizarro Monday.
Dungeons & Drag Queens is a fun bizarro romp featuring the most fabulous of drag queens in a D&D type fantasy realm. Sleazella struggles to keep things together while having crazy adventures, leading up to marrying a god.
MP Johnson does a good job of weaving the drag queen lifestyle into the story. It didn't feel forced to me and Sleazella was hilarious. I thought the fantasy elements left a little to be desired, though. Either some elements needed to be fleshed out or the book needed to be about thirty pages shorter. Still, Sleazella handling monsters in her own fabulous manner was a nice change of pace. The ending was pretty spectacular, as was the epilogue.
At the end of the day, I'd say I liked the character of Sleazella way more than the actual story. I don't think the tale lived up to the awesome title slapped on it. It was a fun Bizarro tale but by no means the best Bizarro book I've ever read. Three out of five stars.
While I'd been aware of this book for years, I couldn't resist snapping it up for ninety-nine cents on Bizarro Monday.
Dungeons & Drag Queens is a fun bizarro romp featuring the most fabulous of drag queens in a D&D type fantasy realm. Sleazella struggles to keep things together while having crazy adventures, leading up to marrying a god.
MP Johnson does a good job of weaving the drag queen lifestyle into the story. It didn't feel forced to me and Sleazella was hilarious. I thought the fantasy elements left a little to be desired, though. Either some elements needed to be fleshed out or the book needed to be about thirty pages shorter. Still, Sleazella handling monsters in her own fabulous manner was a nice change of pace. The ending was pretty spectacular, as was the epilogue.
At the end of the day, I'd say I liked the character of Sleazella way more than the actual story. I don't think the tale lived up to the awesome title slapped on it. It was a fun Bizarro tale but by no means the best Bizarro book I've ever read. Three out of five stars.
August 15, 2014
Let me tell you about Dungeons and Drag Queens, the bizarro-fantasy-crossdressing-epic:
A drag queen named Sleazella LaRuse is whisked away from her Green Bay drag-bar into a magical realm, where she is expected to marry Houmak, the serpent king of the sky. But what the serpent king doesn’t know is that she’s packing sausage underneath her slavwolf fur mini-skirt. Of course, what’s a little extra flap of skin in the way of true love?
Look, if the title of this aptly-named book alone didn’t sell you on it, then I don’t know what to tell you. Go read War and Peace or something equally boring with your lit-nerd friends, and leave the cool books to us cool kids. This shit was made to be FUN. And it lived up to every expectation I had.
The most surprising thing in this whole novel is how respectfully Johnson treats both his protagonist and the world she finds herself in. There could be a lot of cheap shots taken when your main character is a drag queen. And the fantasy genre as a whole is just ripe for parody. And don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of humor in this book. But never at the expense of Sleazella’s choice of lifestyle, and never in full mockery of a Dungeons & Dragons-esque world she's in. Sleazella is a chick with a dick, yes, but she is treated as a person. The fantasy realm in which she finds herself is full of ridiculous and nonsensical races of ‘people’ and plants and animals, but they are handled with dignity, as if they were real. It’s a delicate balance that is written here with grace.
Now, that said, anyone who read MP Jonhson’s last book The After-Life Story of Pork Knuckles Malone, knows that when he goes off the rails, he really goes off the rails. This book is no exception. As Sleazella makes her way from drag queen to actual queen, we are treated to a world of strangeness and a cast of characters who are just too fucking weird to exist in any place outside of these pages. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t go into specifics, but every chapter layers up the odd, the violent, and the inexplicably affecting, into a tiramisu of originality that is sure to hit the spot on any discerning bizarro reader’s palate.
A drag queen named Sleazella LaRuse is whisked away from her Green Bay drag-bar into a magical realm, where she is expected to marry Houmak, the serpent king of the sky. But what the serpent king doesn’t know is that she’s packing sausage underneath her slavwolf fur mini-skirt. Of course, what’s a little extra flap of skin in the way of true love?
Look, if the title of this aptly-named book alone didn’t sell you on it, then I don’t know what to tell you. Go read War and Peace or something equally boring with your lit-nerd friends, and leave the cool books to us cool kids. This shit was made to be FUN. And it lived up to every expectation I had.
The most surprising thing in this whole novel is how respectfully Johnson treats both his protagonist and the world she finds herself in. There could be a lot of cheap shots taken when your main character is a drag queen. And the fantasy genre as a whole is just ripe for parody. And don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of humor in this book. But never at the expense of Sleazella’s choice of lifestyle, and never in full mockery of a Dungeons & Dragons-esque world she's in. Sleazella is a chick with a dick, yes, but she is treated as a person. The fantasy realm in which she finds herself is full of ridiculous and nonsensical races of ‘people’ and plants and animals, but they are handled with dignity, as if they were real. It’s a delicate balance that is written here with grace.
Now, that said, anyone who read MP Jonhson’s last book The After-Life Story of Pork Knuckles Malone, knows that when he goes off the rails, he really goes off the rails. This book is no exception. As Sleazella makes her way from drag queen to actual queen, we are treated to a world of strangeness and a cast of characters who are just too fucking weird to exist in any place outside of these pages. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t go into specifics, but every chapter layers up the odd, the violent, and the inexplicably affecting, into a tiramisu of originality that is sure to hit the spot on any discerning bizarro reader’s palate.
May 5, 2014
Sleazella LaRuse, a drag queen, is kidnapped by the magician, Dravor.
Dravor thinks he has found a queen for his king, and that she will have his babies, but he his sorely mistaken. Sleazella doesn't have the necessary girly bits.
Sleazella flees from the weird magician, bumbling through a world she knows nothing about. However, Dravor is not giving up. He's a great magician and he will find a spell that will allow her to have the king's children.
This was a fun read. I was concerned that the author might not be able to sufficiently explore the drag queen theme, but M.P. Johnson succeeded on every level. The main character's back-story was real and heartwarming and Sleazella's personality shined no matter what predicament she was in.
I was carried along on this disturbingly adventurous read and will be looking out for more of this author's work.
Check out www.HorrorAfterDark.com
Dravor thinks he has found a queen for his king, and that she will have his babies, but he his sorely mistaken. Sleazella doesn't have the necessary girly bits.
Sleazella flees from the weird magician, bumbling through a world she knows nothing about. However, Dravor is not giving up. He's a great magician and he will find a spell that will allow her to have the king's children.
This was a fun read. I was concerned that the author might not be able to sufficiently explore the drag queen theme, but M.P. Johnson succeeded on every level. The main character's back-story was real and heartwarming and Sleazella's personality shined no matter what predicament she was in.
I was carried along on this disturbingly adventurous read and will be looking out for more of this author's work.
Check out www.HorrorAfterDark.com
January 30, 2015
In this parody of the high fantasy genre, an audacious drag queen by the name of Sleazellla LaRuse gets whisked away against her will to the realm of Houmak—a land of swords and sorcery. Sleazellla must attempt to get back to her homeland of Green Bay, Wisconsin—where she enjoyed status as the reigning mc of the Bar Belle nightclub—or else figure out how to enjoy a new sort of queendom in this D&D-inspired place of magic and monsters. If you’re looking for a fun, funny, fast, fanciful, and fabulous read packed with action, gore, drag queen humor, gross-out humor, strange beasts, stranger sex, and bizarro hijinks galore, then look no further than Dungeons & Drag Queens. Shit's totes bonkers.
November 14, 2018
Dungeons & Drag Queens is fabulous! Seriously, the best fantasy epic ever. And besides that, it is one of the strangest bizarro books I have read. If you aren't sure you like bizarro because it's too weird, stay away. If you like weird things, drag queens, awesome stories, and/or great writing, then read away!
With that said, I don't really want to review this book. I feel the title alone is enough to get anyone to read, and if I get into details, I won't be able to keep myself from handing out spoilers....
With that said, I don't really want to review this book. I feel the title alone is enough to get anyone to read, and if I get into details, I won't be able to keep myself from handing out spoilers....
November 29, 2014
I got this purely based on the title. I was really hoping for a humourous but sincere fantasy epic with drag queens as protagonists. I was very disappointed to find how short it is, and just how little real sincerity is in the book. It's too caught up in being "irreverent," which often comes down to attempts at gross-out humour. Characters are all one-note, and get tiring fast, including the protagonist. What little attempts at drama there are usually end up feeling obligatory, something that has to be there but which are pushed through as quickly as possible to get get back to Sleazella saying something sassy.
I wanted a fun fantasy adventure. I got a girl sticking her finger up a spider's ass. This wasn't a good book.
I wanted a fun fantasy adventure. I got a girl sticking her finger up a spider's ass. This wasn't a good book.
September 28, 2014
A bizarre little book and loads of wacky fun. The hero, after all, is a small town drag queen. And the adventures upon which Sleazella embarks have more twists than a pretzel, if that pretzel harks from demented gender-be-darned fantasy. I love this kind of quirky story, and the nonstop action, along with sharp snark and laugh out loud characters left me with a big smile on my face. Recommended for readers who love the bizarre tradition of science fiction and fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons style adventures, explosions of imagination, dark twisted fantasy, and good laughs with a bit of social commentary.
January 31, 2016
This is really bad, and not in a fun way. Even absurd stories need coherent world-building. Gross out humor is fine, but after a point it's just boring. And, if I'm bored with it in a book that's under 150 pages long, that's really not a good thing. I wanted to like this. I really did.
April 24, 2016
This novel is set partly in a strange and totally bizarro land, so weird that it is like nowhere else on this earth. The author of this novel grew-up in this realm known as Green Bay Wisconsin. MP Johnson is a one in a million person/ author who grew-up a punk rocker and an aspiring drag-queen in this small town that is known as the Vatican city for american football. It was worthy of winning the wonderland award for the best novel because it is personal and empowering.
Johnson is a talented writer, and has been for a long time, even early in his career when he was prolifically releasing his zine freak tension or writing for the well known punk zine razorcake. I first discovered his work when he submmitted a short story to an anthology I co-edited called the Vault of Punk Horror. This was pre-bizarro movement, but the story (Gone to Seed) while closer to mainstream horror was crazy weird enough to get my attention.
With this novel Johnson is getting well deserved praise. The story of SLeazella La Ruse, Green Bay's top Drag Queen who is pulled by a wizard into a high fantasy realm. You see the wizard was looking for a super glamorous queen for his king and really who is more glam than Sleazella? The only problem is the proposed future queen has a dick. Once there she hooks up with warrior women Blada Femma, and that leads to an amazing training sequence.
This is high concept Bizarro that really delivers on the concept while telling an important story. Only Johnson could have brought the quality story telling and sensitive portrayal to it. You see this author is not tourist, I think that is important. this book developed an audience already but it deserves a bigger one. If I have any complaints with the book is it's short length, I almost never say this but another 50 pages or would have helped the story breathe a little.
Word is Johnson is working on a sequel. Can't wait.
Johnson is a talented writer, and has been for a long time, even early in his career when he was prolifically releasing his zine freak tension or writing for the well known punk zine razorcake. I first discovered his work when he submmitted a short story to an anthology I co-edited called the Vault of Punk Horror. This was pre-bizarro movement, but the story (Gone to Seed) while closer to mainstream horror was crazy weird enough to get my attention.
With this novel Johnson is getting well deserved praise. The story of SLeazella La Ruse, Green Bay's top Drag Queen who is pulled by a wizard into a high fantasy realm. You see the wizard was looking for a super glamorous queen for his king and really who is more glam than Sleazella? The only problem is the proposed future queen has a dick. Once there she hooks up with warrior women Blada Femma, and that leads to an amazing training sequence.
This is high concept Bizarro that really delivers on the concept while telling an important story. Only Johnson could have brought the quality story telling and sensitive portrayal to it. You see this author is not tourist, I think that is important. this book developed an audience already but it deserves a bigger one. If I have any complaints with the book is it's short length, I almost never say this but another 50 pages or would have helped the story breathe a little.
Word is Johnson is working on a sequel. Can't wait.
November 30, 2014
Dungeons & Drag Queens brings things to the table. It brings many things to the table. Things that my mother would have never allowed me to bring to the table. You have a kidnapped gal from Green Bay who will do anything she can to keep her title of number one drag queen in Green Bay, but it ain’t easy for a gal in Green Bay and it’s even worse for a gal in Houmak. You have a world full of beasts that would make Jurassic Park look like a petting zoo, and you have a story full of heart as our heroine makes her way through this crazy world to get back to the normalcy of her life back in Wisconsin.
Johnson handles a character who some may use as a gimmick or as a stand in and puts her right in the action from the get go. You will laugh when Sleazella escapes, you will cringe when she is in danger… which is often, and you will find yourself cheering her on as you turn the pages in this fantasy adventure that leaves nothing to the imagination.
Bizarre? Gross? Funny? Yes,yes,yes. As soon as you soak up one image, Johnson is slapping you in the face with another, like he’s in control of a strobe light in a dark room. There were, perhaps, a few times I had to wipe spittle off the page from trying to stiffle a laugh, but I’ll never tell. It’s my book, and I can do what I want to it!
On top of all the humor soaked gore and inappropriate humor lies a story with a character who handles her sword as well as Conan handles his, and Johnson has created a character just as vivid and hard to forget. Bizarro fans will love this, sword and sorcery fans will be setting up tents in anticipation of the next installment and anyone who lives in Green Bay will wish that their life was half as awesome as Sleazella’s.
Johnson handles a character who some may use as a gimmick or as a stand in and puts her right in the action from the get go. You will laugh when Sleazella escapes, you will cringe when she is in danger… which is often, and you will find yourself cheering her on as you turn the pages in this fantasy adventure that leaves nothing to the imagination.
Bizarre? Gross? Funny? Yes,yes,yes. As soon as you soak up one image, Johnson is slapping you in the face with another, like he’s in control of a strobe light in a dark room. There were, perhaps, a few times I had to wipe spittle off the page from trying to stiffle a laugh, but I’ll never tell. It’s my book, and I can do what I want to it!
On top of all the humor soaked gore and inappropriate humor lies a story with a character who handles her sword as well as Conan handles his, and Johnson has created a character just as vivid and hard to forget. Bizarro fans will love this, sword and sorcery fans will be setting up tents in anticipation of the next installment and anyone who lives in Green Bay will wish that their life was half as awesome as Sleazella’s.
February 13, 2015
I generally don't take fantasy authors seriously unless they use initials for their first name. So when I saw this book was penned by a gentleman by the name of MP, I could hardly resist it. I would describe this book as posi, progressive, whacky, funny, and made of paper.
What we have here is the next great work of fantasy that we've all been waiting for. Imagine if Robert Jordan (my favorite author despite his lack of initials, I know, I'm such a hypocrite) was a closet drag queen and decided to take some funny mushrooms. I'm pretty sure he'd come up with something like this in such an instance. But he's dead now, and sadly we'll just never know.
If this review hasn't made you go straight to amazon and purchase this book, you're just simply dead inside. I'm sorry that things have gone so horribly wrong for you. Trust me when I tell you, Dungeons and Drag Queens is the first step to getting your life back on track.
What we have here is the next great work of fantasy that we've all been waiting for. Imagine if Robert Jordan (my favorite author despite his lack of initials, I know, I'm such a hypocrite) was a closet drag queen and decided to take some funny mushrooms. I'm pretty sure he'd come up with something like this in such an instance. But he's dead now, and sadly we'll just never know.
If this review hasn't made you go straight to amazon and purchase this book, you're just simply dead inside. I'm sorry that things have gone so horribly wrong for you. Trust me when I tell you, Dungeons and Drag Queens is the first step to getting your life back on track.
September 30, 2014
That book was a blast, highly recomended to those who ever played D&D and if you haven't played D&D but you are in for some twisted shit this is the book to read and if you try to read it in a Drag Queen voice it's even funnier.
December 24, 2014
Super empowering tale of a drag queen that can do any-fucking-thing! Wonderful little story of what anyone can be capable of with some serious determination (with loads of panache thrown in for good meaure). I'm sure I'll re-read this sometime in 2015, and when I do, a better review will follow!
July 29, 2014
5 motherfucking stars, bitch! Review to come. :)
October 28, 2015
This book had me laughing throughout the entire story. Sleazella is one of a kind and we should all aspire to have a little bit of her spunk in all of us.
May 6, 2016
One of the funniest reads of the year. This is how I like my bizarro: dirty yet beautiful and absolutely glamourous!
My first MP Johnson book and won't be the last.
My first MP Johnson book and won't be the last.
August 13, 2016
The best Drag Queen in Green Bay is transported into a different world where she must fight and prove herself. Solid read and will read more by this author
September 8, 2019
Amazingly fun! This is a serious fantasy story twisted to make you laugh and gat perplexed with Sleazella adventures. All the elements are there: the healms, the quests, the wigs, the rhinestones... ❤️
May 11, 2018
A fenomenal book. I enjoyed every page, the story is really well written and so original! Characters perfectly characterised, Sleazella is awesome! I hope that the writer decides to write another book with another drag queen as main character because the world needs more drag queen literature!
September 27, 2016
Interesting. Weird.
May 26, 2014
MP Johnson should be writing for television or film; a lot of writers get this compliment from reviewers, but Johnson has found a comfortable niche. It’s a rare gift for a writer to be able to sustain a consistent level of humor and originality through a narrative without losing a reader’s interest. While some of the best bizarro novellas are parodies and satires, MP Johnson proves that he is among the best in the new wave of bizarro fiction writers. (In case you’re wondering, MP Johnson’s book is pretty gross, with lots of swords and sorcery action).
The challenge many bizarro novels face is the “bizarre” factor; how long can a story retain its sense of originality without devolving into a relatively boring story, once the bizarre has worn off on the reader? The secret is this: an infusion of heart and character in the storytelling, and Johnson delivers. The best comedies are able to keep their audience in the same fashion, and it is here where I should draw comparisons between MP Johnson and the folks who directed Napoleon Dynamite (they made another cool movie but I can never remember the name, and I refuse to Google it). We have a genuine “weird” factor, but at the heart of the story the protagonist faces an internal struggle. It is here that I must also compare MP Johnson to Carlton Mellick III, who has also applied this mechanism to good effect in his bizarro work.
MP Johnson has transformed the “hero’s journey” concept into an entertaining, hilarious ride that gives you a chance to experience something new on every page, something that only a few bizarro authors can achieve. Johnson managed this same feat in his previous novel, but the difference is the neatly-characterized quips and struggles Sleazella experiences, which continues to lend the story a sense of authenticity without losing its ability to keep the reader involved. Johnson is an entertainer, storyteller, and bizarro craftsman. The other reviews and the synopsis will tell you what this book is “about”; my intention was to tell you what you would experience.
The challenge many bizarro novels face is the “bizarre” factor; how long can a story retain its sense of originality without devolving into a relatively boring story, once the bizarre has worn off on the reader? The secret is this: an infusion of heart and character in the storytelling, and Johnson delivers. The best comedies are able to keep their audience in the same fashion, and it is here where I should draw comparisons between MP Johnson and the folks who directed Napoleon Dynamite (they made another cool movie but I can never remember the name, and I refuse to Google it). We have a genuine “weird” factor, but at the heart of the story the protagonist faces an internal struggle. It is here that I must also compare MP Johnson to Carlton Mellick III, who has also applied this mechanism to good effect in his bizarro work.
MP Johnson has transformed the “hero’s journey” concept into an entertaining, hilarious ride that gives you a chance to experience something new on every page, something that only a few bizarro authors can achieve. Johnson managed this same feat in his previous novel, but the difference is the neatly-characterized quips and struggles Sleazella experiences, which continues to lend the story a sense of authenticity without losing its ability to keep the reader involved. Johnson is an entertainer, storyteller, and bizarro craftsman. The other reviews and the synopsis will tell you what this book is “about”; my intention was to tell you what you would experience.
November 7, 2014
4.0 of 5 stars – Good Fantasy, Good Fun … Good God.
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, M.P.!)
I love fantasies and sword and sorcery, especially with some glbtq in it, but have read very little along the humorous or bizarro vein. Not only did this deliver on that, but the bizarro twist with the attitude of Ru Paul’s Drag Race (of which I’m a fan) also made it intriguing and entertaining. And you couldn’t ask for a better cover to represent.
This was an easy-to-read novella, which actually had nice, larger print to help with the quick read. On the fantasy side, M.P. Johnson had an imaginative plot and creative/crazy world building. The action was believable and well paced; and the characters as well drawn as might be at this length, with the MC LaRuse particularly likable, making me root for her all the way.
On the bizarro/drag queen side, the parody was over the top but not out of bounds. The humor and story worked most of the time, only occasionally getting old or off the mark. And just so you know, the adult-level humor will not be for everyone – it’s not just satirical but also edgy, weird, irreverent and at times obscene. I especially appreciated that Johnson treated LaRuse and the subject with respect but was still able to have fun with it without insults. A fine line deftly walked, partly done by making this also a sympathetic, personal story of self-discovery and acceptance.
This was a fun sunny Sunday read, and now I’ll be watching Drag Race to see if Ru Paul lifts anything out of this for one of her challenges.
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read – so thanks, M.P.!)
I love fantasies and sword and sorcery, especially with some glbtq in it, but have read very little along the humorous or bizarro vein. Not only did this deliver on that, but the bizarro twist with the attitude of Ru Paul’s Drag Race (of which I’m a fan) also made it intriguing and entertaining. And you couldn’t ask for a better cover to represent.
This was an easy-to-read novella, which actually had nice, larger print to help with the quick read. On the fantasy side, M.P. Johnson had an imaginative plot and creative/crazy world building. The action was believable and well paced; and the characters as well drawn as might be at this length, with the MC LaRuse particularly likable, making me root for her all the way.
On the bizarro/drag queen side, the parody was over the top but not out of bounds. The humor and story worked most of the time, only occasionally getting old or off the mark. And just so you know, the adult-level humor will not be for everyone – it’s not just satirical but also edgy, weird, irreverent and at times obscene. I especially appreciated that Johnson treated LaRuse and the subject with respect but was still able to have fun with it without insults. A fine line deftly walked, partly done by making this also a sympathetic, personal story of self-discovery and acceptance.
This was a fun sunny Sunday read, and now I’ll be watching Drag Race to see if Ru Paul lifts anything out of this for one of her challenges.
February 15, 2017
Drag Queen, Sleazella, finds herself teleported into another dimension/alternate reality where she is destined to be a real queen, mated to a flying slug who rules the land.
Sex battles (literally) and disgusting, oozing creatures with a bit of torture thrown in. What can I say. Funny as hell and never a dull moment.
Thanks, Dawn, I really needed a laugh and this book hit the spot.
Sex battles (literally) and disgusting, oozing creatures with a bit of torture thrown in. What can I say. Funny as hell and never a dull moment.
Thanks, Dawn, I really needed a laugh and this book hit the spot.
February 22, 2016
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
That being said, I was fearful of this book. Don't have any drag queens around here, never met one, and while I don't judge them, I don't understand them either. So I was afraid I won't like this book because I won't understand the main character's motivation.
But there was so much blood, gore, and other biological secretions in this book, that the drag queen's character was the least of my problems.
Just to make things clear. I have never read a bizarro book before. That might explain why I was so shocked by this book. Shocked and amused. I might even say I liked this book, because of its witty humor and ironic style.
Not being a fan of the genre (didn't know there is such a genre) I can't give it five stars. Won't give less then four either, because I can't decide how good this book actually is, without proper comparison to other similar books.
PS: It's not a really tedious reading, so if you get your hands on it, read it. Especially if you haven't read this kind of fiction before (like me).
That being said, I was fearful of this book. Don't have any drag queens around here, never met one, and while I don't judge them, I don't understand them either. So I was afraid I won't like this book because I won't understand the main character's motivation.
But there was so much blood, gore, and other biological secretions in this book, that the drag queen's character was the least of my problems.
Just to make things clear. I have never read a bizarro book before. That might explain why I was so shocked by this book. Shocked and amused. I might even say I liked this book, because of its witty humor and ironic style.
Not being a fan of the genre (didn't know there is such a genre) I can't give it five stars. Won't give less then four either, because I can't decide how good this book actually is, without proper comparison to other similar books.
PS: It's not a really tedious reading, so if you get your hands on it, read it. Especially if you haven't read this kind of fiction before (like me).
October 21, 2014
Loved this bizarro fantasy novel by MP Johnson.
Dungeons & Drag Queens is the story of Green Bay’s reigning drag queen, Sleazella LaRuse. LaRuse has been transported by a crotchety old wizard into the realm of Houmak, the mighty serpent god.
Though LaRuse has been chosen for a special task, she’s driven to get back to her home world to keep her rivals from dethroning her as queen diva. She must battle nipple-mouthed monsters, hungry clouds and oversexed troll disciples among other oddballs if she is to escape the serpent lord’s strange land.
The book could have been a shallow spoof of sword-and-sorcery (a subgenre of fantasy) and transvestites. Instead it portrays a fun-loving, sympathetic character doing her best to maintain her larger-than-life identity in a surreal alien world that means to enslave and redefine her body. It’s been said that brawny pulp protagonists like Conan the Barbarian appealed to young men as a sort of idealized self; what a twist this gets when you find yourself rooting for a swashbuckling hero wearing fur knee pads and a wig of silver scales with blond locks two feet long.
Johnson melds a dated macho genre with gender-bending culture into a hilarious story of empowerment. I laughed out loud on just about every page. If you want your swordsmen with some glitter on their loincloths, this is a must.
Dungeons & Drag Queens is the story of Green Bay’s reigning drag queen, Sleazella LaRuse. LaRuse has been transported by a crotchety old wizard into the realm of Houmak, the mighty serpent god.
Though LaRuse has been chosen for a special task, she’s driven to get back to her home world to keep her rivals from dethroning her as queen diva. She must battle nipple-mouthed monsters, hungry clouds and oversexed troll disciples among other oddballs if she is to escape the serpent lord’s strange land.
The book could have been a shallow spoof of sword-and-sorcery (a subgenre of fantasy) and transvestites. Instead it portrays a fun-loving, sympathetic character doing her best to maintain her larger-than-life identity in a surreal alien world that means to enslave and redefine her body. It’s been said that brawny pulp protagonists like Conan the Barbarian appealed to young men as a sort of idealized self; what a twist this gets when you find yourself rooting for a swashbuckling hero wearing fur knee pads and a wig of silver scales with blond locks two feet long.
Johnson melds a dated macho genre with gender-bending culture into a hilarious story of empowerment. I laughed out loud on just about every page. If you want your swordsmen with some glitter on their loincloths, this is a must.
October 2, 2017
Not my favorite thing ever. I found that Sleazella embodied all the things that I don't love about gay and drag culture, without really capturing what I do love about it. I'm also biased because I haven't been in a good place with fantasy lately. If you're a high fantasy fan you might find this a lot more enjoyable then I did.
July 24, 2015
Being a Queen isn't a drag in this bizarre fantasy adventure.
When Drag Queen Sleazella LaRuse is transported to the realm of Houmak by a wizard who thinks she's a real queen, she begins her quest to find her way home to Green Bay before she has to become queen to the god Houmak. MP Johnson brings us another exciting bizarre tale with scene after scene where the reader says: "What just happened?" There is no predictability to this story since MP Johnson possesses a twisted mind that can't be compared by any sane or insane person dead or alive. Sleazella dances her way into our hearts. If you haven't read any of his fiction before, this is the perfect story to start with. From humor to excitement, this is a fun exciting read worth reading over and over again. Let's all sing: "I Bleed Pink"!
When Drag Queen Sleazella LaRuse is transported to the realm of Houmak by a wizard who thinks she's a real queen, she begins her quest to find her way home to Green Bay before she has to become queen to the god Houmak. MP Johnson brings us another exciting bizarre tale with scene after scene where the reader says: "What just happened?" There is no predictability to this story since MP Johnson possesses a twisted mind that can't be compared by any sane or insane person dead or alive. Sleazella dances her way into our hearts. If you haven't read any of his fiction before, this is the perfect story to start with. From humor to excitement, this is a fun exciting read worth reading over and over again. Let's all sing: "I Bleed Pink"!
May 7, 2014
You should read this. Not because I told you to, but just because.
While there are no kobolds lurking in the shadows waiting to ambush you, and very little mention if any of orcs, MP did a completely awesome job on this tale.
Upon the first few pages, I realized I'm not gonna be able to put this down, as I was brought along on a pretty twisted and fun adventure, unlike any I ever experienced when I played Dungeons and Dragons years ago. If you are expecting D&D as you remember your own role playing adventures keep in mind that this is not Dungeons and Dragons, but DUNGEONS and DRAG QUEENS !!!!
A very good read and alot of fun !
Open the pages ..... and your adventure too, will have begun.
While there are no kobolds lurking in the shadows waiting to ambush you, and very little mention if any of orcs, MP did a completely awesome job on this tale.
Upon the first few pages, I realized I'm not gonna be able to put this down, as I was brought along on a pretty twisted and fun adventure, unlike any I ever experienced when I played Dungeons and Dragons years ago. If you are expecting D&D as you remember your own role playing adventures keep in mind that this is not Dungeons and Dragons, but DUNGEONS and DRAG QUEENS !!!!
A very good read and alot of fun !
Open the pages ..... and your adventure too, will have begun.
January 13, 2015
Take Conan, all right? Replace him with a drag queen from Green Bay named Sleazella LaRuse. Put her into Conan's world, except give it a makeover by, say, GWAR and John Waters. Got that picture in your head? Good. Because that's how awesome this book is. Every time you think you've reached the deepest depths of Johnson's depravity, he surprises you again and again until the over-the-top ending which will change your life. Or you can look at it from another perspective: it's the journey of a young drag queen to learn how to be a wife, a mother and a warrior. Seriously, is there some way we can get John Waters out of retirement to write and direct this book as a movie?
November 2, 2015
I really thought I was going to love this, I have liked other MP Johnson stories, however I just didn't connect with the main character. She wasn't very likeable and didn't have any real qualities that would make me root for her, there was a part when I thought she was a 'goner' I was disappointed that it wasn't the case. The story was really good though, I enjoyed everything else and it read really well.
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