Nock Loose

by Patrick Marlborough

Joy is a gifted archer, a retired Olympian and former stuntwoman on a cult Japanese tokusatsu show. Raised by a feckless grifter, her home is Bodkins Point, a tiny country town which annually hosts an ultra-violent medieval festival called "Agincourt." There, the town and the townsfolk's reality is in a constant state of tug-of-war with their elaborate, 150 years running, parallel fiction. In the aftermath of a terrible fire, Joy's past and the town's dark history are set on a collision course as she takes the furious road to revenge. Game of Thrones meets Wake in Fright meets Kill Bill meets The Simpsons — Nock Loose is like nothing else in OzLit.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2025

About the author

Patrick Marlborough is an underemployed writer/comedian/musician/drongo living with their parents in Walyalup, Western Australia. They have been published in Vice, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Slate, Gawker, Meanjin, Crikey, Kotaku, The Lifted Brow, Kill Your Darlings, Cordite, Going Down Swinging and various other forgotten blogs, magazines, and anthologies. The manuscript for their first novel, A Horse Held at Gunpoint, was shortlisted for the Fogarty Literary Award in 2021 and is still looking for a publisher. They are the founder and editor of The Yeah Nah Review, as well as Wharf Rat Press. They co-author all of their work with their bad dog, Buckley, who is solely responsible for any problematic elements therein.

Reviews

[biblioceraptor]

Cute archery themed cover with an unhinged blurb, set in a medieval fair and written by a Perth-based author? Say no more & sign me up.
is it Balingup medieval carnival x the purge or is it just me

[Travis Fitzgerald · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book made me hate reading.

[Kerran Olson · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5*

Copied from bookclub notes so I don't have to spend any more time thinking about this book to write a full review:

Some nice writing but it's lost amongst a lot of pretentious wordiness most of the time.

Quotes I liked:
-Drunk on cider and violence
-She filled the hall with a sound borrowed from the animals at the abbatoir: agony, outrage, shock.
-an acquired head injury has scuttled his childhood while sealing him within it forever
-picking through the ashes of her life...had exhausted her.
-she strolled with the shadow of his ghost through town
-Weaving the towns proud history seamlessly into prouder fantasy
-She had slotted the Rubik's cube of his soul in to place a long, long time ago
-Joy felt like a controlled burn was happening in her soul. The detritus of years of hurt and confusion were being burned away.
-If someone as beautiful as Nobuko could live her for who she was, why couldn't she love herself? It was a realisation she struggled to keep alight once she found herself in Bodkins.
-she didn't wnat to correct the path of anyone who'd put in the effort of carving out their own (Ginnys transition)
She love Artemis, and Aryemis loved her, but no force on Earth could make Artemis love herself.

The majority of the time, the book feels like it's trying to be clever and witty, but I found it really hectic and not funny. Just not my kind of humour and it felt like it was trying too hard.

There are a lot of very very detailed descriptions of the characters and their backstories, and the towns history, and it feels like it bogs down the narrative. I feel like I don't actually get to know the characters or gain a perspective of the town because I'm being bombarded by constant lengthy descriptions and a bulk of information at a really fast pace which I actually found quite stressful but also a bit boring because I just don't care about anyone.  Too much history but it also relies on assumed knowledge of the area.

Don't love the language-  cunt, wander, drongo- lots of swearing and slang. It definitely sets the scene but it was just a bit much for me and was extra bogan. Felt like a parody of a country town, like it was poking fun but it went too far.

Interested in readership outside of Perth- a lot seems to rely on already having prior knowledge of and understanding of the area such as the South West, places nearby like Donnybrook and Balingup, what it means to work on St Georges Terrace, the use of Fremantle Limestone, the area of Peppermint Grove, etc.

Detailed description of the Anime Joy had worked on did feel like it connected to something the author was trying to say, but it also felt disconnected to me from the story of the town, like it was just chucked in there to add some difference. The manga creator was "disappointed by the fact that no one understood he was making fun of the mediums tripes and cliches and fed up with the manganese publishing industry itself" self insert?

I feel like I wanted to like Joy, and there was a lot about her history and relationships that could have led to an emotional connection- like her relationship with Nobuko feleing so natural, but then he returned to Bodkins and her 'fire goes out' and she just marries Glen and that's really glossed over and he just disappears?

I liked the brief appearances of Ginny and would have been interested in more of a connection to her, especially as her transition and her connection at the end with Ophelia were just mentioned really offhandedly.
The very end where there are just brief updates on some of the characters was one of the nicest parts to read and made me wish we'd got to known them more as more fleshes out characters and not just caricatures or part of the joke of the town.

Writing skill is there, but the author has chosen to lean into a style that I personally don't find clever or particularly funny. It feels overdone and a bit forced, and kind of all over the place with a strong sense of self-insert especially in regards to the anime aspect. I get the feeling the author is just trying to be "not mainstream" but beyond that I'm not sure there's a lot of direction to the book as a whole. This kind of humour will probably appeal to some but it doesn't to me, and I wouldn't have finished this if it weren't a BC pick

[Amy McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure I fully understand but this was super fun

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Monty Python and Frank Gallagher had a literary baby that said cunt a lot. Patrick Marlborough I will read everything you consider shit lit. J’adore.

[Brodie Wilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOUT TIME SOMEONE WROTE SOMETHING FUN!

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this in the break room at work #bookshop perks. Truly phenomenal. So incredibly readable and compelling; feels like you are living in the story and I loved every second!!!!! I hope it gets its flowers once released. As a fellow OzLit cynic it was so refreshing. Maybe there’s hope in this sad industry. I have no qualifications to say this book was great but wow this book was really great.

[Holly Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d with 100 pages left. Tried my best to persevere but this felt unreadable to me, not a fan (to put it mildly).

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

had me at balingup medieval festival

[Elliot Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great book overall, but a very enjoyable silly, fun read. Very much appreciated the intent of the author and the authors note is powerful.

If anyone would find a list of characters useful, here ya go. I only started counting midway, sorry.

Alfredo Nunzi, cellmate of Jo
Alison Bodkin
Alistair Langdon
Amanda Duncan
Apollo Robyn, apple farmer
Artemis, Arty
Arthur Bodkin
Asuka Mizuchi, Yasuko
Ben Chuffed, union leader
Bernie Fletcher
Bert Gecko
Bjorn Butter, the Belly
Bobby "Young Banjo" Karney
Bobby Jessup
Brett Mencken
Callum Bodkin, the wanker king
Captain Marion Bodkin
Cara Walker, butterfly knives
Casca Morgan
Chip Hassel, Velch Media
Clive Shandy, the family lawyer
Colin O'Henry
Constable Rinds
Conway Robyn, father, The Bugger Bandit
Cropper Wheatly
Diana, not aunt
Don Coyotes
Donald Panzer
Donny Tungsten
Dr Bulc
Dr Lichten, optometrist
Dr Mander
Eragon Panzer
George Bodkin, The Nutter King
Ginny Menken
Glenda Tungsten
Glenn
Gobbler
Godwin Panzer, 46 screwdrivers
Grant
Guy Humphries
Haldir (Robyn?), grandfather
Hannah
Harlan Panzer, Coyote leader
Henry Harrihan, hedge wizard
Herman Panzer, banished
Ira Bodkin, the Orc
Iz Olf, DJ
James Gala, Jimbo
Jebediah Morgan
Jeff, mysterious
Josef "Saint Jo" Panzer
Joy Robyn, Fujita
Kelsey Gala
Larry Chuckhold
Lauretta Bodkin
Laurie Holtfoot
Liam Bodkin, The Usurper
Linda (Shandy?)
M.L. Hencken, editor of Bokin Bulletin
Mark Macktree, roof tiler
Martin Brunt
Mima Shiko, Sukeban Yumi
Mr Britton who sold glassware
Mr Gregson the psaltery player
Mr Jaffer who sold sweets
Mr Johannes
Mr Petersham, the royal hangman
Mr Philip, school principal
Mr Rightson, the accountant
Mr Roppert
Mrs Gaffney who sold honey
Mrs Porter, stew
Mrs Roseworthy
Ms Morgan
Ms Rita Lollop
Ms Stonson, with scoliosis
Nelson (Ron's little brother)
nobuko
Ophelia Morgan
Pipper
Pucker Puck?
Puff Panzer
Ringo Ame
Rob Stitches
Ron Fletcher, the blacksmith
Sawtooth Wheatley, Wheatley Carriages
Sensi Tametomo
Shepard "Shep" Powcat, marriage celebrant
Stephen Rogers, cidery manager
Terry Rogers
Viviane
Walter Henderson, the drunk
William Bodkin, the Long King
William Tell
Woody Barr
Ying Ming, Blue Moon Dragon
Yumi

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an unexpected delight.

Going into it, I had little idea of what to expect, but it quickly won me over with its ample cast of eccentric characters, Vonnegut-esque madcap narration, generous use of the word cunt, and rich world building.

It’s nice to read a book set somewhere you’re familiar with. I myself have never been to the Balingup Festival (which is what I assume the author is paying some homage too), but I am in WA and spent some time in country towns like Narrogin and Wickepinnwith my cousins during school holidays, so it was a delight to read about personalities you have definitely come across in your day to day life.

The book is absolutely bonkers. It’s glorious. I can’t express enough how much I enjoyed the unrestrained use of the word cunt (“Can’t a cunt just enjoy ‘imself for a single goddamned minute!” Or “Sure, sure I’ll bash that cunt”) and the almost flippant tone in which the continual orgy of violence is described. By the end of the book I was deeply attached to all the (good) characters and the wider cast of Bodkinites.

The author never goes into explicit detail on certain plot elements: he sets up enough detail for you to infer what has happened, and it makes it all the more interesting and emotionally heavy.

Also this book is downright hilarious - for example:

“David Bowie had attended in 1993, but this was at the height of the anti-Elf sentiment, and the Bodkinites had catapulted (literally) him into the bush.”

Plus the Peppermint Grove bikie chapter (lol).

I would highly recommend giving this book a crack.

“People who can, move on with their lives.
People who can’t, sit and wonder about the people who can until they go mad.”

[Ada See · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had a huge amount of fun with this one. I've been on an unprecedented run of reading Australian books (four in a row?? from THIS snooty cultural-cringe cosmopolitan??), so it was fitting to cap it off with this deranged fireball of deep-fried Australiana. I feel like Patrick shares literally all of my criticisms of this country – the all-contaminating colonial violence, the revelled-in ignorance, the brittle humourlessness underlying all our fake 'larrikin' shit – but whereas I mostly turn away and cosset myself in art from elsewhere (the coward's path?), they're *obsessed* with Australia, and have channelled a lifetime of perceptiveness about this place into an orgiastically violent revenge epic starring Magda Szubanski. (A book can star an actor if you believe.) It's bonkers and funny and righteous and you should buy it full price!!!!!!!!

(P.S. The description of the final episode of Sukeban Yumi brought a completely unironic tear to my eye. 🥲)

[Lara VL · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent satirical book, bloody, violent but also quite ridiculous. Beautifully written passages combined with wacky fake histories, insane characters, but also dives into community and how they rally together. Really enjoyed the South West WA setting and happy to read a Fremantle based author !!!

[Liz]

hell yeah 😎

(king hat bit mentioned ❤️)

[Anna Saxon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 rounded up
There is a particular type of humour and insanity found only in small south-west country towns that was baked all through this novel in a way I couldn't help but love. It wasn't perfect, but hellova ride. Also shout out Ballingyup, never change.

[Mars · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not for the faint of heart - all of the swearing alone would send my mum into a coma, and the violence was so fantastical and gory I struggled to enjoy it as a contemporary novel, however! Definitely has earned it's place on my bookshelf of recommendations!

[Caroline Capes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off brilliantly. Unfortunately did not continue in this vain. Too many plot threads that were confusing to follow and did not make sense. In some instances the writing itself was not very sophisticated disappointing.

[Eleanor Waight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well it’s different. Life in a country town filled with eccentric characters and bloodthirstyness.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Really enjoyed my time with this book. The writing is distinctively Australian and full of little 'huff laugh' moments. I initially thought things felt slightly disjointed, but as the story progressed little puzzle pieces kept slotting into place making the history and characters come to life. A fun tale full of chaos and vengeance.

[Michelle Saffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure what made me reserve this book at the library, and I had in my head it was going to be a representation of Australian history in a fictional presentation. Instead I got a medieval, dark humour, cartoon style wild story with at least 100 characters (could be 200 individuals mentioned according to the author). I didn’t hate it but I think that’s because I was waiting for the big reveal of the meaning or it to all come together (think: 1984) but alas it was what it was, and what it was didn’t impress me much.

[Gavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant. Very sharp, very loud, very weird. Love the concept and the "out there" writing. For me, not quite 5 stars because maybe a little confusing with so many characters and trying to get all the back-stories covered. But very very good. Great commentary on many Australian themes - sport, alcohol, the monarchy, country towns, the media, even "sports" drinks! Oh, and anime.

[Jared Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this would be witty, funny and a breath of fresh air in australian lit but i didn’t expect it to be so instantly moving. beautiful characters, an incredibly realised world that puts so much slop masquerading as imaginative to shame.

love this book!

[Laurena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hectic

[Sam]

I have no clue how I feel about this book. Imagine Sharon from Kath & Kim is an ageing archery master who once starred as an apple-themed Power Ranger in a Japanese TV show in the 80’s exacting vengeance on the Nazis of her tiny little Western Australian bogan country hometown, a place known for annually hosting a week-long medieval version of The Purge.

Most of the book is spent recounting the history of Bodkins Point and its notable residents, including the kings, rogues, and fools of Agincourt, the aforementioned medieval festival. There are glimmers of earnestness in Joy/Sharon’s story—she’s lived a pretty bleak life wherein she’s lost just about everybody who’s ever been close to her—but the book on the whole stays firmly in a darkly absurdist kind of comedic irony that’s difficult to stick with amidst all the chaos and gore and Australiana. I sometimes felt like Yahoo Serious was coming at me with commentary on colonialism.

I really like the author’s journalistic writing and ultimately enjoyed this book a lot despite feeling thoroughly bewildered by it. I don’t think it’ll be for everyone, and that’s probably their whole point. I’m definitely excited to see what else their brain can come up with.

[Lisa Ikin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do I start? I think I will start by saying I'm glad I read it and I thought it was clever (all the way through) and funny (most of the time). I think the book probably relies heavily on a local knowedge and is definitely 'of an era' feeling at times like I had stepped into one of my, now adult, children's video games.

Bodkins Point is distinctly Western Australian, but at the same time it could be any small country town in Australia. It makes sense when you know the story was based on an article the author wrote for Vice about the Balingup Medieval festival. I went back and read that article; it's pretty funny.

I loved Joy and found her story sad and relatable, in a weird way. The ultra violence and heavy language was appropriate to the story and gave me shades of Irvine Welsh, while the chaos, satire and sketchy time lines, definite Vonnegut vibes.

I also enjoyed the author note at the end, that clarified some parts of the story and the driving force behind it. Patrick's vision of Magda Szubanski as Joy completed this for me. A book with heart and guts (literally).

[Brittany Dorrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't normally gravitate towards this kind of book, but this is exactly why book clubs exist and I'm so glad that this was my book club's choice. This was such a hilarious but also heavy in the feels read. I really feel for the main character Joy and I appreciated some of the other characters who stuck by her side. What she went through in life was a lot but I love the sense of community present in this book. I also love how Patrick Marlborough managed to depict how often community events get written into or is a huge part of the history of a community, place or people (especially with this instance of Agincourt). As someone who is from Perth Western Australia, this book felt both very real but also like, huh, this really happens here?!?! I devoured this book and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to read anything community-based, hilarious, all in the feels but with a side of violence washed down with a can of Captain Bodkin's Cider.

[James Whitmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fittingly for a story that has the idea of "Australia" in its scope, this ambitious novel starts with an inferno. Five men in costume, "drunk on cider and violence", start a week-long blaze in the fictional town of Bodkins Point that consumes the home of former Olympian archer Joy. It also kills her granddaughter Hannah. As the grief-stricken and long-suffering Joy ("fuckwits had plagued her her whole life") collects herself and prepares for vengeance, the town prepares for its annual Agincourt, a "muddle of Shakespeare, Robin Hood, King Arthur and footy teams" (you could add: Lord Of The Rings, Game Of Thrones, and a dash of Kath And Kim). Read more on my blog.

[Az Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Wick by way of He Died With A Felafel In His Hand. A true "Great Australian Novel" that tackles our culture and history and refuses to pull punches, a story that lambasts itself and our nature in the laid-back larrikin way that Australians pretend to strive for when the reality is the uptight and unwilling to accept change or criticism nature the book attacks.

I'm going to need to do multiple re-reads to hunt down all the references I missed, my favourite in this read was definitely the fate of the newspaper cartoonist, thank you so much to Patrick for bringing a smile to my face with that one.

[Allyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been over a month and I’m still not sure how I feel about this book.

The writing itself is strong, there are lots of interesting (read:unhinged) characters & it’s very entertaining. It’s also a bit of a slog to get through and gets so bogged down in developing entire backstories for characters that I feel like it loses the pace of the story a bit.

I really like how specifically WA it is. You can read it as an East Coaster and still get most of it but unless you’re from WA you won’t understand some of the really niche references. Anyone not Australian is reeeaallly going to struggle with the slang & other nonsense.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it, hilarious from start to finish. I bought this on the strength of the author’s extremely funny takedowns of Dutton in his newsletter during the recent election. Nock Loose did not disappoint. Off the wall, loose, weird, just amazing to see Aus Lit providing something genuinely fresh and not Serious Literature…who knew we could do something fun?? Such a balm. Well done to Fremantle Press for not editing the bejeezus out of this, this is an author who needs to do their own thing!

So…when’s the next one coming out?!!