Thisby Thestoop and the Wretched Scrattle

Thisby Thestoop #2

by Zac Gorman, Sam Bosma (Illustrator)

Thisby Thestoop, gamekeeper and unlikely hero, would do anything to save her home—even enter the Wretched Scrattle, a death-defying race through the Black Mountain. Don’t miss the second installment in this rollicking fantasy-adventure series by Zac Gorman, contributor to the hilarious  Rick and Morty  comic series, with illustrations from award-winning artist Sam Bosma. In the wake of their harrowing victory against the forces of the Darkwell, Thisby Thestoop, gamekeeper and sometime friend for all creatures gruesome, grotesque, and uncommon, has found herself in the usual position of running the Black Mountain dungeon. Under her watch, the resident monsters, from the hordes of merpeople to drooling trolls, are all well-fed, content, and far from the reach of other kingdoms—or so Thisby thinks. With unrest growing between the Kingdom of Nth and Umberfall, rumors of a conspiracy have caught the ears of the king. And control of the dungeon has been wrenched from the hands of those who have cared for it best. Wasting no time in ruining all of Thisby’s hard work, the royally appointed overseer throws the dungeon into chaos—the fire bats are out of their cave, the trolls are wide awake, and, most telling of all, the dire rats are acting strange . What’s worse is that every day more and more monsters—everything from tiny imps, to banshees, to a full-grown wyvern—are turning up dead and Thisby can’t discern any pattern to the fatal attacks. But there may be a way to put things back like they were—the Wretched Scrattle. Beginning in the very deepest tunnels of the dungeon, the Wretched Scrattle’s tournament victor will claim the ultimate prize of becoming the new Master of the Black Mountain. No one knows the dungeons quite like Thisby, and if she wins she’ll have it back to running like dünkeldwarven automata—that is, if she can make it out alive. Join Thisby on another adventure in the second book from the beloved fantasy-adventure series by master storyteller Zac Gorman.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Childrens, Adventure

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 23, 2019

About the author

Zac Gorman is an author and cartoonist from Michigan. He received an Emmy for his work on Over the Garden Wall (Outstanding Animated Series, 2015) and was nominated for an Annie Award for his character design work on Welcome to the Wayne.

For some reason, his webcomic Magical Game Time was archived by the Library of Congress.

Reviews

[Jessica F · Rating 5 out of 5]

It can't end here! I need to know what happens next! 😲😭

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two in the series takes place a year after Thisby first led Iphigenia to safety through the Black Mountain. Since that time, she's become an adept gamekeeper, she knows all the short cuts, dangers, and monsters that call the dungeon their home. Everything has always run smoothly under her capable hands. But now that the King has appointed Overseer Marl to run the Black Mountain dungeon drastic changes are headed her way. Suddenly the dire rats are acting strangely, there's a mysterious monster on the lose in the dungeon killing the other creatures and there are even rumors that Umberfall is planning to attack the Kingdom of Nth. One of the Overseer's first decree's is to reinstate the Wretched Scrattle, a race to the top of Castle Grimstone where the winner will become the new leader of the Black Mountain Dungeon. At first, Thisby isn't interested in competing to become the dungeon's new master, her heart after all lies in being its gameskeeper, but when it becomes evident that she's needed to save the mountain, Thisby does step up for the challenge.

I quite enjoyed Thisby's adventures in the dungeon, exploring the underground winding river while avoiding the giant albino alligators and other monsters. I especially love Mingus, Thisby's slime advisor/friend by her side. Book two sees the addition of a few new characters that keep things interesting, like Jono the skeleton who is assigned as Thisby's personal assistant in the dungeon and the twenty-four ghouls put in charge of helping to feed the monsters. Once the competition gets underway Thisby also meets some of the competitors like Vas the noble who brought along his own hunter, Donato, and conjurer, Bero. And although Iphigenia isn't helping Thisby directly with the competition, she still has a prominent role in the story. Overall a highly entertaining story, with beautiful illustrations, especially the full page ones, and a story that is filled with creative twists and turns, and an ending that will have you wanting more.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't say much without any spoilers as to the overall plot, but I think I had a bit more fun out of this volume than the last. Iphi is growing into a character I'm loving more and more, though we saw very little of her, and Thisby is being forced out of her comfort zone. The characters seem to be gaining dimension the more I read and I loved that.
Damn cliffhanger ending though, now I have to wait for book three!

[MaryEllen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I'm turning into a Thisby fan! Such a great adventure with lots of fun characters, monsters, and the villains were pretty horrible (in a good way) as well. There were a few unexpected twists and I can't wait to see what the author does with those because this book left so many questions unanswered, that I'm sure Zac Gorman has more books planned (I hope!). The artwork was fun too and really spurred on my imagination...although one picture was depicted incorrectly from what the author wrote which is kind of a pet peeve of mine; when pictures don't match up from what is described in the story. But, other than that, the pictures were well drawn and fun to look at. I love Thisby and her personality - she's such a fun character! I also like Princess Iphigenia too and the growth of her character. And of course their friendship reminded me of my grade school days when I too had that one best friend with whom I could depend on. This book also introduced a few new characters, most memorable for me was Jono - the cute little skeleton boy. Overall an enjoyable read. Would definitely recommend to those who like quirky characters and 'scary' monsters in their books.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

ATTENTION: ZAC GORMAN

YOU MUST FINISH THIS SERIES!

These are fantastic books that have not gotten the attention they deserve. The books are fun, full of adventure, and shockingly, the characters are all very likable. There are a great many twists and turns, and you never know exactly what you're going to get. A lot of stories are so often predictable, but I didn't feel like these were (particularly the second book). Little to no romance so far with a strong female lead. The monsters are generally the most well behaved characters with the humans causing most of the bother (go figure...) It would be a shame for this series to go unfinished.

[Darren Vogt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible follow-up to the first book. Fresh and fun new characters are introduced, the ones from the previous book become further fleshed out and individualized, and lots of really good world building. All of this while still holding on to the fun adventurous qualities that made the first book so good. The setup for a possible third book is incredible and just makes me want to read more!!!

[Heather Smoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome sequel!!!! Think I enjoyed it more than the first. Such a fun, fast paced read!

[Manon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the first one.

[Carol Stirling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

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