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Kill School
Fans of Terry Pratchett and Robert L. Asprin will appreciate how Kill School deals with serious matters without taking itself seriously.
What do you do when the only way to save your life is to take the lives of others?
When Hobbes the goblin—nasty, brutish, and short, but totally not a hobgoblin—is involved in a tragic workplace accident, he gets sentenced to either take lives, or lose his own. Shuttled off to a school for assassins he is forced to learn to kill. Can he survive long enough to take his life back from his hobgoblin masters?
What do you do when the only way to save your life is to take the lives of others?
When Hobbes the goblin—nasty, brutish, and short, but totally not a hobgoblin—is involved in a tragic workplace accident, he gets sentenced to either take lives, or lose his own. Shuttled off to a school for assassins he is forced to learn to kill. Can he survive long enough to take his life back from his hobgoblin masters?
91 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2014
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 26, 2015
Have you ever read a book and thought, "that was good, but it was so close to being very good"? Because that pretty much sums up my reaction to Kill School. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with the story as it stands but I think it actually has the potential to be much better.
One of its strengths is certainly the goblin Hobbes himself who is just inherently likable (usually of benefit for a viewpoint character) but there are a couple of points where the events seemed a bit unclear to me and I also think it misses a trick on emotional development.
What's It All About Then?
Hobbes is a goblin of unusual size. He's good natured, but not particularly quick witted and when a fight between him and another rather bullying goblin ends in death, he quickly finds himself manipulated into attending a school for goblin assassins.
Which, when written like that seems a bit of a stretch but the story does a good job of making it seem quite plausible as you read along. The novella basically covers Hobbes time at this "Kill School" through to his graduation.
A Little Light Reading
At its heart this is a light hearted fantasy story with the sort of humor that brings a wry smile to my bitter and twisted countenance. I couldn't call it laugh out loud funny, but I can't actually remember the last book I read that was and I'm not sure that's even what it is trying to be.
The most obvious comparison here is Terry Pratchett, but Kill School is less inclined to directly parody other works and more interested in just telling its own story. The pace, rather like the protagonist, feels unhurried telling the story in it's own time and while that probably reduces the tension the reader feels it also makes for pleasantly non-stressful reading.
There's an interesting dichotomy at work here in that the pacing and the telling of the story is quite gentle, but the actions are at time brutal. We are talking about a school for goblin assassins after all.
Shouldn't He Care?
Humor is an effective way to reduce tension in a novel, but it also tends to undercut the emotional impact of scenes and that is something that presents a problem here.
After his first kill Hobbes reaction feels very real. He goes into a state of denial and afterwards seems rather like he's suffering from some sort of PTSD. But, at no point during the rest of the story does he really seem to feel the emotional consequences of his actions.
This is true later on as well when he has to perform additional assassinations. While those assassinations may or may not be real I couldn't help but feel he should be reacting to them in some way. Instead Hobbes remains largely even tempered (until pushed too hard) and placid.
There is a plot journey here, but there isn't an emotional one and I think that is what stops this from being a really good story in my eyes because it keeps me as a reader slightly detached from what is happening.
But What About The Larger World
This is the first of several novellas and there are hints at a larger story or at least significant future events, but we don't get too much insight into what is going on. For the purposes of this story we are entirely confined to the goblin caverns.
We do learn a little about the hierarchy of goblins with the regular goblins essentially slaves for the hobgoblins. There's also the open question of why it's been decided that goblin assassins are needed. Presumably that is for future stories.
The other noticeable thing about this particular fantasy world is how modern it feels. The cavern where assassinations are practiced is essentially a Danger Room/Holodeck and a lot of other references like the ever present spork play on modern concepts.
I don't know that I have a good picture of this world as a living entity. While each of the individual scenes work well, they feel a little like they are stitched together more than naturally growing out of each other, but that is something that exposure to further stories might take care of.
Who Is This For?
- Do you like fantasy?
- Do you enjoy some humor in your reading?
- Are assassins cool?
Give it a shot.
Did You Like It?
Yes I did like it, my criticisms aren't intended to point out what was bad about Kill School so much as what could have raised it up to a higher level. As it stands, it does exactly what it says on the tin and the result is some pleasant and relaxing reading.
Buy, Borrow or Skip?
It's $2.99 if it sounds remotely interesting to you, buy it. What have you got to lose?
One of its strengths is certainly the goblin Hobbes himself who is just inherently likable (usually of benefit for a viewpoint character) but there are a couple of points where the events seemed a bit unclear to me and I also think it misses a trick on emotional development.
What's It All About Then?
Hobbes is a goblin of unusual size. He's good natured, but not particularly quick witted and when a fight between him and another rather bullying goblin ends in death, he quickly finds himself manipulated into attending a school for goblin assassins.
Which, when written like that seems a bit of a stretch but the story does a good job of making it seem quite plausible as you read along. The novella basically covers Hobbes time at this "Kill School" through to his graduation.
A Little Light Reading
At its heart this is a light hearted fantasy story with the sort of humor that brings a wry smile to my bitter and twisted countenance. I couldn't call it laugh out loud funny, but I can't actually remember the last book I read that was and I'm not sure that's even what it is trying to be.
The most obvious comparison here is Terry Pratchett, but Kill School is less inclined to directly parody other works and more interested in just telling its own story. The pace, rather like the protagonist, feels unhurried telling the story in it's own time and while that probably reduces the tension the reader feels it also makes for pleasantly non-stressful reading.
There's an interesting dichotomy at work here in that the pacing and the telling of the story is quite gentle, but the actions are at time brutal. We are talking about a school for goblin assassins after all.
Shouldn't He Care?
Humor is an effective way to reduce tension in a novel, but it also tends to undercut the emotional impact of scenes and that is something that presents a problem here.
After his first kill Hobbes reaction feels very real. He goes into a state of denial and afterwards seems rather like he's suffering from some sort of PTSD. But, at no point during the rest of the story does he really seem to feel the emotional consequences of his actions.
This is true later on as well when he has to perform additional assassinations. While those assassinations may or may not be real I couldn't help but feel he should be reacting to them in some way. Instead Hobbes remains largely even tempered (until pushed too hard) and placid.
There is a plot journey here, but there isn't an emotional one and I think that is what stops this from being a really good story in my eyes because it keeps me as a reader slightly detached from what is happening.
But What About The Larger World
This is the first of several novellas and there are hints at a larger story or at least significant future events, but we don't get too much insight into what is going on. For the purposes of this story we are entirely confined to the goblin caverns.
We do learn a little about the hierarchy of goblins with the regular goblins essentially slaves for the hobgoblins. There's also the open question of why it's been decided that goblin assassins are needed. Presumably that is for future stories.
The other noticeable thing about this particular fantasy world is how modern it feels. The cavern where assassinations are practiced is essentially a Danger Room/Holodeck and a lot of other references like the ever present spork play on modern concepts.
I don't know that I have a good picture of this world as a living entity. While each of the individual scenes work well, they feel a little like they are stitched together more than naturally growing out of each other, but that is something that exposure to further stories might take care of.
Who Is This For?
- Do you like fantasy?
- Do you enjoy some humor in your reading?
- Are assassins cool?
Give it a shot.
Did You Like It?
Yes I did like it, my criticisms aren't intended to point out what was bad about Kill School so much as what could have raised it up to a higher level. As it stands, it does exactly what it says on the tin and the result is some pleasant and relaxing reading.
Buy, Borrow or Skip?
It's $2.99 if it sounds remotely interesting to you, buy it. What have you got to lose?
September 5, 2014
Skilfully balancing an inhuman morality with all too human frustrations, Lynn creates a protagonist who is sympathetic without being a man in a rubber suit.
Hobbes the goblin lives a brutish yet bearable life working in the mines. Hated for his resemblance to the Hobgoblin overseers but not feared, his habits of reading and thinking just a little too much only make him more of an outcast. When he accidentally kills one of his tormentors he is given a choice between receiving a cruel and unusual death and dealing it to others.
Although the core dilemma of the novel, how the thinking person responds to the casual brutality of killing strangers, is decidedly dark, Lynn adds a solid layer of comedy to counteract the horror. Mixing slapstick with lethality and irony with inevitability he crafts a world both callous and engaging.
The novel is narrated by Hobbes in a light dialect. While this quickly fades into the background, this does require the reader to persevere through a feeling of adjustment. Fortunately, this learning curve is shallow and the story is well worth the effort.
In addition to a distinctive voice, Hobbes personality is well developed. Possessing many of the symptoms of the bullied but also a more casual approach to violence than humans, he is both plausible and noticeably other.
This use of a narrator in the liminal zone allows Lynn to insert explanations for the reader veiled as commentary without descending into exposition of matters a character would already know.
The supporting cast are similarly well realised. Drawing on the familiar characters of the oppressed young villager finding his inner hero, but filtered through the lens of a race genetically nasty, brutish, and short, Lynn creates a cast entirely fitting for a world of goblin assassins and their mysterious masters.
I very much enjoyed this book. I recommend it to readers looking for comic fantasy with an underlying depth.
I received a free copy of this novel from the author with no obligation to review.
Hobbes the goblin lives a brutish yet bearable life working in the mines. Hated for his resemblance to the Hobgoblin overseers but not feared, his habits of reading and thinking just a little too much only make him more of an outcast. When he accidentally kills one of his tormentors he is given a choice between receiving a cruel and unusual death and dealing it to others.
Although the core dilemma of the novel, how the thinking person responds to the casual brutality of killing strangers, is decidedly dark, Lynn adds a solid layer of comedy to counteract the horror. Mixing slapstick with lethality and irony with inevitability he crafts a world both callous and engaging.
The novel is narrated by Hobbes in a light dialect. While this quickly fades into the background, this does require the reader to persevere through a feeling of adjustment. Fortunately, this learning curve is shallow and the story is well worth the effort.
In addition to a distinctive voice, Hobbes personality is well developed. Possessing many of the symptoms of the bullied but also a more casual approach to violence than humans, he is both plausible and noticeably other.
This use of a narrator in the liminal zone allows Lynn to insert explanations for the reader veiled as commentary without descending into exposition of matters a character would already know.
The supporting cast are similarly well realised. Drawing on the familiar characters of the oppressed young villager finding his inner hero, but filtered through the lens of a race genetically nasty, brutish, and short, Lynn creates a cast entirely fitting for a world of goblin assassins and their mysterious masters.
I very much enjoyed this book. I recommend it to readers looking for comic fantasy with an underlying depth.
I received a free copy of this novel from the author with no obligation to review.
March 2, 2016
Full disclosure: I know the author on social media. He's a fan of my books, and we've beta-read for each other (I beta-read this book). However, all of this is because we have a lot in common in our tastes and the way we think.
The voice of Hobbes the goblin, the narrator of this book, is Gregory Lynn's voice. I've always enjoyed that voice, and here I get a whole novella of it. It's snide, with the world-weary-decent-guy-just-trying-to-make-it-through vibe of K.J. Parker. It's not, however, just an amusing style with no substance. There's a plot, and a good one: Hobbes makes the mistake of defending himself too vigorously against a bully, with fatal results, and is faced with the choice of a horrible death or assassin school (without actually being told it's assassin school).
Something bad is about to go down, too, planned by the hobgoblin bosses. We don't find out what in this first novella, and if I had to quibble I'd say that the story is too evidently Episode 1, though the final test at Kill School is a good place to break it. I certainly didn't mind, though, and I look forward to the continuation of Hobbes' adventures.
I received a copy from the author as thanks for being a beta reader.
The voice of Hobbes the goblin, the narrator of this book, is Gregory Lynn's voice. I've always enjoyed that voice, and here I get a whole novella of it. It's snide, with the world-weary-decent-guy-just-trying-to-make-it-through vibe of K.J. Parker. It's not, however, just an amusing style with no substance. There's a plot, and a good one: Hobbes makes the mistake of defending himself too vigorously against a bully, with fatal results, and is faced with the choice of a horrible death or assassin school (without actually being told it's assassin school).
Something bad is about to go down, too, planned by the hobgoblin bosses. We don't find out what in this first novella, and if I had to quibble I'd say that the story is too evidently Episode 1, though the final test at Kill School is a good place to break it. I certainly didn't mind, though, and I look forward to the continuation of Hobbes' adventures.
I received a copy from the author as thanks for being a beta reader.
March 10, 2015
I wanted to like this, but I'm sorry to say I can't even bring myself to award it three stars ...
Kill School has nothing whatsoever in common with Terry Pratchett and Robert Aprin - maybe later volumes will, but it would take an awful lot of persuading for me to find out.
Maybe because it's just a novella, the very straightforward story can be told in one short sentence: Following a work accident the unlikely hero is sent to a finishing school for assassins.
Or: Harry Potter's 'half-brother' Dudley Dursley joins Ender's Battle School.
It's probably meant to be - and certainly starts as - fantasy, but apart from books (fiction, no less), the school uses slides in the class room and a highly elaborate hi-tech training room that puts in firmly in the realm of SF.
There are glimpses of humour, but neither in the slapstick-style of Asprin nor the sophisticated, philosophical style of Pratchett.
Kill School has nothing whatsoever in common with Terry Pratchett and Robert Aprin - maybe later volumes will, but it would take an awful lot of persuading for me to find out.
Maybe because it's just a novella, the very straightforward story can be told in one short sentence: Following a work accident the unlikely hero is sent to a finishing school for assassins.
Or: Harry Potter's 'half-brother' Dudley Dursley joins Ender's Battle School.
It's probably meant to be - and certainly starts as - fantasy, but apart from books (fiction, no less), the school uses slides in the class room and a highly elaborate hi-tech training room that puts in firmly in the realm of SF.
There are glimpses of humour, but neither in the slapstick-style of Asprin nor the sophisticated, philosophical style of Pratchett.
November 23, 2014
When I first saw the cover of this little gem it was on my feed at Google+. My very first thought was that the ‘goblin’ bore a striking resemblance to a certain ‘elf’. I said as much in my response to the post, for which I got an honest reply from the author that was so good natured and humorous that I thought perhaps this little book would be a worthwhile read. So off I went and put it on my Kindle.
From the start I was reminded fondly of a certain bedraggled WiZard named Rincewind (Discworld). Not that Rincewind and Hobbes are anything alike mind you, but the style of writing and the chuckles it got out of me put me in mind of Terry PratchettTerry Pratchet right away. I found myself late getting back to work from break…. At least I didn’t have to kill anybody! The characters are engaging, the world intriguing, and I really wana know what those nasty Hobgoblins are up too!
Mia
From the start I was reminded fondly of a certain bedraggled WiZard named Rincewind (Discworld). Not that Rincewind and Hobbes are anything alike mind you, but the style of writing and the chuckles it got out of me put me in mind of Terry PratchettTerry Pratchet right away. I found myself late getting back to work from break…. At least I didn’t have to kill anybody! The characters are engaging, the world intriguing, and I really wana know what those nasty Hobgoblins are up too!
Mia
July 7, 2015
In terms of a story narrated by a goblin, it's quite good. I liked the elements of the story, and the pacing was good. However, the inside of this goblin's head is ... well, repetitive. I would find a joke to be amusing, and then the narration would kill the joke by over-explaining it. I found myself grimacing more than once saying, "Yeah, I get it. Move along, please?" But I chalked that up to being "just how the goblin thinks" rather than a problem with the writing. And if that's the case, I don't think I'll continue with this series, because of the POV. Even so, it was a mostly enjoyable read, and other readers might not find that as difficult to get through, so I'd recommend checking it out.
December 3, 2014
I really enjoyed the sarcastic-but-human narrator in this series. Gregory Lynn knows how to craft a character that is put upon, time and time again, and still manages to keep a sense of humor about it all. This was an enjoyable novella to read, and I'm looking forward to others in the series.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews