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Mabel the Notorious Dwarf
Will Mabel finally find a way to live her life of infamy on her own terms?
It’s been three years since her tango with the Dwarven and Elven Mafias, and Mabel Goldenaxe has been busy. Her movie making career has soared, she has the support of her friends, and has even found love. She’s the dwarf who has it all—or does she?
Mabel’s relationship with art-dealer Brent is on the rocks. The bond with her famous Mam, Frerin, has been more than tense, especially after what happened with Sevrin. Aramis, the now-Elven king, seems to regret his part in Mabel’s troubles and wants to be back in Mabel’s life. And her brother Max, her only connection to home, has stopped writing to her.
In the dramatic conclusion to the Ballad of Mabel Goldenaxe, Mabel must navigate her lingering love for axe-throwing, tumultuous relationships, and sidestep betrayal before it bites her in the battle-axe.
It’s been three years since her tango with the Dwarven and Elven Mafias, and Mabel Goldenaxe has been busy. Her movie making career has soared, she has the support of her friends, and has even found love. She’s the dwarf who has it all—or does she?
Mabel’s relationship with art-dealer Brent is on the rocks. The bond with her famous Mam, Frerin, has been more than tense, especially after what happened with Sevrin. Aramis, the now-Elven king, seems to regret his part in Mabel’s troubles and wants to be back in Mabel’s life. And her brother Max, her only connection to home, has stopped writing to her.
In the dramatic conclusion to the Ballad of Mabel Goldenaxe, Mabel must navigate her lingering love for axe-throwing, tumultuous relationships, and sidestep betrayal before it bites her in the battle-axe.
163 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 8, 2017
8 people want to read
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October 22, 2018
Several years into settling into making movies and having her wooden carvings featured in her boyfriend Brent's Gallery, Mabel has hit a creative dry spell and finds herself confronting her past as well as taking up another of her passions: axe throwing. This path eventually leads her from her hustle and bustle big city life back to her conservative home town for a competition. Who says you can't go home?
If I were to describe this series, basically it's about a young woman who is going against the grain in what her community has in mind for her, eschewing tradition to follow her own path. She leaves the comforts of home and sets out into the 'real world' where it's not all as idealized as she assumed - her estranged mother isn't quite the victim she assumed, and even the progressive world where she can rub shoulders with wizards and elves means she has to deal with their nonsense as well.
My big personal drawback in the series is that it's very character driven, to the point where pretty much everything centers around Mabel and her feelings. I'm not against stories that delve into characters psyches, but as a reader you're going pretty much forced to identify with Mabel. If you're looking for silly dwarven antics or quests, you're not going to find it here.
Mabel's wood sculpting career takes a nose dive, and she breaks up with her boyfriend. She meets another female axe-thrower from her brother's past and realizes placing first all the time isn't everything. If she meets a group of frazzled adventurers at the tavern, she might wish them well and get inspiration for a film, but that's about it.
She's not forgiven her best friend but there's closure and it's easy to see she's moved on, she realizes that even though her dad might have disowned her, her brothers are still got her back. To me, this was the most satisfying part of the book.
The least satisfying is how the world seems to revolve around Mabel. Granted the novel is written in the first person, so it's understandable as to she can't tell us what she doesn't know, but I thought it was a little heavy handed in the first book when other dwarves were making her out to be a hero because she was defying tradition. Fortunately, things don't always go her way and Reede, her Axe-Throwing coach, tells her that's the reality of competition. We don't get as much development for Reede as I would have liked, but it makes Mabel realize it's not about constantly winning. It makes for some decent character growth on Mabel's part, anyway.
It's considered a YA book and I definitely think there's some coming of age stuff, but if you're looking for the next Narnia or even Discworld, this isn't it.
If I were to describe this series, basically it's about a young woman who is going against the grain in what her community has in mind for her, eschewing tradition to follow her own path. She leaves the comforts of home and sets out into the 'real world' where it's not all as idealized as she assumed - her estranged mother isn't quite the victim she assumed, and even the progressive world where she can rub shoulders with wizards and elves means she has to deal with their nonsense as well.
My big personal drawback in the series is that it's very character driven, to the point where pretty much everything centers around Mabel and her feelings. I'm not against stories that delve into characters psyches, but as a reader you're going pretty much forced to identify with Mabel. If you're looking for silly dwarven antics or quests, you're not going to find it here.
Mabel's wood sculpting career takes a nose dive, and she breaks up with her boyfriend. She meets another female axe-thrower from her brother's past and realizes placing first all the time isn't everything. If she meets a group of frazzled adventurers at the tavern, she might wish them well and get inspiration for a film, but that's about it.
She's not forgiven her best friend but there's closure and it's easy to see she's moved on, she realizes that even though her dad might have disowned her, her brothers are still got her back. To me, this was the most satisfying part of the book.
The least satisfying is how the world seems to revolve around Mabel. Granted the novel is written in the first person, so it's understandable as to she can't tell us what she doesn't know, but I thought it was a little heavy handed in the first book when other dwarves were making her out to be a hero because she was defying tradition. Fortunately, things don't always go her way and Reede, her Axe-Throwing coach, tells her that's the reality of competition. We don't get as much development for Reede as I would have liked, but it makes Mabel realize it's not about constantly winning. It makes for some decent character growth on Mabel's part, anyway.
It's considered a YA book and I definitely think there's some coming of age stuff, but if you're looking for the next Narnia or even Discworld, this isn't it.
Displaying 1 of 1 review