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Triumff
Vivat Regina!
It is the year 2010, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth XXX sits upon the throne of the Anglo-Hispanic Empire. Fuelled by alchemy and superstition, the Elizabethan era has endured unchallenged for almost 450 years. But now, a shadow conspiracy threatens to bring it to a violent end...
Unfortunately for roguish adventurer Sir Rupert Triumff, lately fallen from favour at court, he makes the perfect scapegoat. If Triumff is to uncover the plot, save the Queen, and clear his name, he'll need all his wit, skill, and charm, and every tool in his magical Coutteau suisse. Even the nail buffer.
From the madcap mind of multi-million selling author Dan Abnett comes a furious maelstrom of incredible swordfights, wild invention, and truly awful puns.
FILE UNDER: Buckle Your Swash - Ebony Serpent - Do You Feel Opportune? - As You Like It
It is the year 2010, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth XXX sits upon the throne of the Anglo-Hispanic Empire. Fuelled by alchemy and superstition, the Elizabethan era has endured unchallenged for almost 450 years. But now, a shadow conspiracy threatens to bring it to a violent end...
Unfortunately for roguish adventurer Sir Rupert Triumff, lately fallen from favour at court, he makes the perfect scapegoat. If Triumff is to uncover the plot, save the Queen, and clear his name, he'll need all his wit, skill, and charm, and every tool in his magical Coutteau suisse. Even the nail buffer.
From the madcap mind of multi-million selling author Dan Abnett comes a furious maelstrom of incredible swordfights, wild invention, and truly awful puns.
FILE UNDER: Buckle Your Swash - Ebony Serpent - Do You Feel Opportune? - As You Like It
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2009
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730 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
May 14, 2013
Originally posted at FanLit. http://www.fantasyliterature.com
It’s 2010 and Queen Elizabeth XXX is on the throne of a magical alternate England. When the throne is threatened, Sir Rupert Triumff, discoverer of Australia, comes to the rescue.
I’ll make this short. I didn’t get very far with Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero. The story is a comedy of the sort that has no appeal to me. It’s written in a self-consciously long-winded style where extensive detailed descriptions and explanations of every minor person and place keep interrupting the plot in order to provide background trivia and to crack jokes. Unfortunately, the trivia isn’t interesting or relevant and the jokes aren’t funny. By the end of the first chapter I felt buried under minutiae and puerility. Here’s just one example (read the first chapter at Amazon to get more of the sense of it):
Gonzalo would attempt to distract Her Majesty with discourses on the correct stringing of the composite bow, the training of the dog pack, the pros and cons of the frog-crotch barb, crossbows for pleasure and profit, detecting grot-worm in the stools of bow-hounds, and sundry other secrets of the huntsman’s art. Frequently he would invite the Queen to join him for an afternoon in the Park. She always declined, having pressing business of national import to attend in the Star Chamber. Elizabeth XXIV’s private diaries reveal that the “pressing business of national import” was almost always a game of tiddlywinks with members of the Privy Council. They also related that she referred to Gonzalo as “that smelly maniac with the arrows”.
Pretty much every paragraph is like this. I was unamused and bored. I skipped ahead to see if things got better, but they didn’t. So I gave up. Life’s too short…
By the way, I was listening to Simon Vance read the audio version produced by Brilliance Audio. I doubt there is any audio reader who would deny that Simon Vance is one of the best narrators in the business. But even Simon Vance couldn’t save Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero for me.
Readers who enjoy puns and bathroom humor will probably like Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero better than I did.
It’s 2010 and Queen Elizabeth XXX is on the throne of a magical alternate England. When the throne is threatened, Sir Rupert Triumff, discoverer of Australia, comes to the rescue.
I’ll make this short. I didn’t get very far with Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero. The story is a comedy of the sort that has no appeal to me. It’s written in a self-consciously long-winded style where extensive detailed descriptions and explanations of every minor person and place keep interrupting the plot in order to provide background trivia and to crack jokes. Unfortunately, the trivia isn’t interesting or relevant and the jokes aren’t funny. By the end of the first chapter I felt buried under minutiae and puerility. Here’s just one example (read the first chapter at Amazon to get more of the sense of it):
Gonzalo would attempt to distract Her Majesty with discourses on the correct stringing of the composite bow, the training of the dog pack, the pros and cons of the frog-crotch barb, crossbows for pleasure and profit, detecting grot-worm in the stools of bow-hounds, and sundry other secrets of the huntsman’s art. Frequently he would invite the Queen to join him for an afternoon in the Park. She always declined, having pressing business of national import to attend in the Star Chamber. Elizabeth XXIV’s private diaries reveal that the “pressing business of national import” was almost always a game of tiddlywinks with members of the Privy Council. They also related that she referred to Gonzalo as “that smelly maniac with the arrows”.
Pretty much every paragraph is like this. I was unamused and bored. I skipped ahead to see if things got better, but they didn’t. So I gave up. Life’s too short…
By the way, I was listening to Simon Vance read the audio version produced by Brilliance Audio. I doubt there is any audio reader who would deny that Simon Vance is one of the best narrators in the business. But even Simon Vance couldn’t save Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero for me.
Readers who enjoy puns and bathroom humor will probably like Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero better than I did.
September 17, 2017
Not as funny or as clever as it thinks it is. The dialogue is laboured, the characters are very two diamentional and the plot is incoherent,
The ending kind of brings it all together which is why it's 2 stars instead of 1. But I still wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
EDIT as of 17th September 2017. I've amended this to a 1 star review. I really disliked it, and it doesn't belong amongst the other 2 star books on my shelf. That's correct- this is worse than Twilight.
The ending kind of brings it all together which is why it's 2 stars instead of 1. But I still wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
EDIT as of 17th September 2017. I've amended this to a 1 star review. I really disliked it, and it doesn't belong amongst the other 2 star books on my shelf. That's correct- this is worse than Twilight.
August 15, 2010
Just stumbled across this at the library and it looks fun. First page:
How can I resist?
Well, it was a fun idea, but I wasn't impressed by Abnett's style. There was no character development at all, they were all sketches. (Abnett does comics, doesn't he? I imagine this would be lend itself to great illustrations.) All those puns, all that faux-Elizabethan slapstick; not my cup of tea.
The Anglo-Hispanic Unity, the longest-lasting and most powerful Empire ever to arise upon this terrestrial stage, was founded in the year Fifteen Hundred and Seventy-Five, following the marriage of Queen Elizabeth the First of England to King Philip the Second of Spain. Said union of power and lands, including as it did the virginal tracts of the New World, soon eclipsed all other nations of the globe, and has persisted since, through a worthy line of potent female monarchs, all styled "Elizabeht Gloriana".
How can I resist?
Well, it was a fun idea, but I wasn't impressed by Abnett's style. There was no character development at all, they were all sketches. (Abnett does comics, doesn't he? I imagine this would be lend itself to great illustrations.) All those puns, all that faux-Elizabethan slapstick; not my cup of tea.
May 29, 2011
A blast to read! Full of fart and poop jokes, crazy swashbuckling antics, magic, mysteries and riddled with awful puns. I'll definitely be reading more about Triumff should the author continue his story. Anyone who enjoyed George MacDonald Fraser's Pyrates would probably enjoy the heck out of this one.
August 29, 2012
A swashbuckling, comedic alternate history adventure should be exactly my kind of thing, so Triumff was a disappointment.
It was dense, slow, and easy to put down every few pages. The pace stalled from descriptions and digressions that weren't worth the word count, and the gags that worked were run into the ground. References were often passed off as humor. Every time that Serjeant Clinton Eastwoodho arrived on the scene, whether sprouting his catchphrase ("Do you feel opportune, punk?") or introducing the hero to a gadget-man named Kew, I came close to sticking this on my "didn't finish" shelf.
The frustrating part is that the setting has potential. I don't buy into the idea that a British Empire fueled by magic rather than technology would have become so culturally stagnant, but I loved the thought of their explorer finding a civilization that gave up the occult for industry. Unfortunately that setup, more promising than the actual plot of the novel, was relegated to the background.
There are a ton of people, most with several names and titles, to keep track of, and few of them are that important. We get a plotters-eye view of the conspiracy, which made me more frustrated with watching the loyalists bumble around in the dark. The book was named for Triumff, but he shared focus with a handful of other characters that I didn't care about.
I really, really wanted to like this. The description made me think of some bizzaro blending of Terry Pratchett, Rafael Sabatini, Blackadder, and The Phoenix Guards, and maybe that raised my expectations too high.
It was dense, slow, and easy to put down every few pages. The pace stalled from descriptions and digressions that weren't worth the word count, and the gags that worked were run into the ground. References were often passed off as humor. Every time that Serjeant Clinton Eastwoodho arrived on the scene, whether sprouting his catchphrase ("Do you feel opportune, punk?") or introducing the hero to a gadget-man named Kew, I came close to sticking this on my "didn't finish" shelf.
The frustrating part is that the setting has potential. I don't buy into the idea that a British Empire fueled by magic rather than technology would have become so culturally stagnant, but I loved the thought of their explorer finding a civilization that gave up the occult for industry. Unfortunately that setup, more promising than the actual plot of the novel, was relegated to the background.
There are a ton of people, most with several names and titles, to keep track of, and few of them are that important. We get a plotters-eye view of the conspiracy, which made me more frustrated with watching the loyalists bumble around in the dark. The book was named for Triumff, but he shared focus with a handful of other characters that I didn't care about.
I really, really wanted to like this. The description made me think of some bizzaro blending of Terry Pratchett, Rafael Sabatini, Blackadder, and The Phoenix Guards, and maybe that raised my expectations too high.
April 5, 2017
I didn't finish this book, life is too short to read poorly written book. Someone told the author that the most important literary device is alliteration.
October 18, 2021
I cannot honestly tell you how good or bad this book is, as I could not get past the first two chapters, or even be bothered with the plot when I skipped some 50 pages ahead. Any book (but especially a fantasy book) that tires me to the point of giving up so soon, gets one star for future reference.
It is verbose unto annihilation, unfunny unless you are British in a very esoteric way, and the plot is just an excuse to crack jokes that fall into the aforementioned category. I *guess* that Pratchett fans may find it funny, but then Pratchett is not really my cup of tea (sic), even though I can recognize his merits.
The problem with this book is that it is ALL caricature, delivered in faux-Shakesperean style, with soul-crushingly detailed descriptions of insignificant things.
Just... no.
It is verbose unto annihilation, unfunny unless you are British in a very esoteric way, and the plot is just an excuse to crack jokes that fall into the aforementioned category. I *guess* that Pratchett fans may find it funny, but then Pratchett is not really my cup of tea (sic), even though I can recognize his merits.
The problem with this book is that it is ALL caricature, delivered in faux-Shakesperean style, with soul-crushingly detailed descriptions of insignificant things.
Just... no.
June 29, 2022
This book felt like Abnett was trying really, really hard to be Terry Pratchett, but ended up coming off as Dollar General off-brand STP, with a dent in the can, mixed with all of the most tedious parts of the puns from Andre Norton. It's like -- hey I thought it was funny when the Time Monks had an inventions-handing-out-guy named Qu, I'll do that bit myself but change it so that no one thinks I'm lifting from the Great Pterry -- and it comes off as just a boring rewrite instead of its own thing. This book might be much funnier for folks who have never read Pratchett, honestly.
At 30 pages, I was looking forward to getting to page 50 so I could say I gave this book and honest try and quit. Now here I am at the end of Triumff, having actually read the whole thing. Techincally. Kind of.
Especially in the beginning, the writing feels like that tiktok parody of science fiction writing where every other word is made up; only in this case I don't think Abnett was making up the words, just using words so antiquated no one in their right mind knows them at this point. Same effect. He does this less as the book goes on, and also I learned to just ignore it.
Ignoring was key to me finishing this book. I skipped over fight scenes. I skipped all the bits about Giuseppe getting to London. If things were getting boring I skipped ahead. Weird digressions about the longest and shortest duels ever fought, like some kind of mini sewer chapter from Les Mis -- SKIPPED! If I got confused, I skimmed back a little. This way I made it through Triumff having a mostly good time.
The titular Triumff himself is rather boring. I did not care if he died. I kind of wanted him to die at many points. Doll, Agnew, Uptel... even Wllm himself... are much better and more interesting characters. In a book that had so many unnecessary explanations (see aforementioned sewer bits), some of the big things -- how magic worked, why people from Beach (Australia) did not need magic and what their tech was like, how exactly Uptil pretending to be an ignorant savage was supposed to be helping this "ploy" of Triumff's to keep the Queen out of Beach -- none of this ever got explained. Not enough systems thinking. Way too many random details.
At 30 pages, I was looking forward to getting to page 50 so I could say I gave this book and honest try and quit. Now here I am at the end of Triumff, having actually read the whole thing. Techincally. Kind of.
Especially in the beginning, the writing feels like that tiktok parody of science fiction writing where every other word is made up; only in this case I don't think Abnett was making up the words, just using words so antiquated no one in their right mind knows them at this point. Same effect. He does this less as the book goes on, and also I learned to just ignore it.
Ignoring was key to me finishing this book. I skipped over fight scenes. I skipped all the bits about Giuseppe getting to London. If things were getting boring I skipped ahead. Weird digressions about the longest and shortest duels ever fought, like some kind of mini sewer chapter from Les Mis -- SKIPPED! If I got confused, I skimmed back a little. This way I made it through Triumff having a mostly good time.
The titular Triumff himself is rather boring. I did not care if he died. I kind of wanted him to die at many points. Doll, Agnew, Uptel... even Wllm himself... are much better and more interesting characters. In a book that had so many unnecessary explanations (see aforementioned sewer bits), some of the big things -- how magic worked, why people from Beach (Australia) did not need magic and what their tech was like, how exactly Uptil pretending to be an ignorant savage was supposed to be helping this "ploy" of Triumff's to keep the Queen out of Beach -- none of this ever got explained. Not enough systems thinking. Way too many random details.
March 17, 2014
Buddy read with Sam
3.5 stars
I read this book with a smile plastered across my face and I often laughed out loud lots. It's humour is a mixture of Blackadder (one of my favourites - the Elizabethan one) and Terry Pratchett.
My introduction to Rupert was totally laugh aloud funny. He, his sword and his henchman were the perfect antidote to my sore spirit. What he got up with a Swiss army multi tool was hilarious. Once again Abnett has created an object in his book which I absolutely want. I want a Couteau Suisse and I want it now. The same happend to me with Embedded, there it was the shades, which I still dream about having.
Abnett's writing is irreverent, funny and his metaphors are the creators of new brain synapses. The writing ebbed and flowed a bit, but the plot was good and I loved the characters especially, Triumff, Agnew, Quincey, Mother Grundy, Callum Gall. I also loved the whole concept and what was done with Australia.
May 11, 2015
Not a bad book by any means but quite clearly an homage to Black Adder II
Other inspiration was probably drawn from Granny Weatherwax from Pratchett's books
Decent effort but nothing to write home about....
Other inspiration was probably drawn from Granny Weatherwax from Pratchett's books
Decent effort but nothing to write home about....
September 3, 2023
Just an enjoyable adventurous read with a pun on every other page that had me grinning foolishly and groaning... the best kind.
October 10, 2009
Full review online HERE
The year is 2010. Queen Elizabeth XXX (Vivat Regina!) is in the throne of England which along with Spain forms the Unity. In this alternate version of the world, Elizabeth I married the heir to the Spanish throne and their descendents, all of them Elizabeths have reigned ever since and the Renaissance saw the rebirth of Magick. More than the Elizabeths, Magick is what holds the Unity together but also what eventually prevented the scientific and industrial revolutions from happening. Thus, England stopped in time and language, fashion, technology are stuck in the Golden Age of Elizabethan England.
But something is afoot in the Kingdom of Elizabeth XXX (Vivat Regina!) . Not only her majesty’s life is being threatened by conspirators, but the entire Unity and Magick are being challenged. Who could help?
Cue to Sir Rupert Triumff, one of her majesty’s favourites, discoverer of the lands of Australia and an altogether dandy fellow. Whilst trying to keep his very own mysterious Ploy, his personal enemies at bay and his girlfriend satisfied, he is caught in this web of political intrigue and is enlisted by The Powers That Be to help thwarting the Unthinkable Plot. Can England be saved? Can Triumff…..triumph?
I am SO conflicted about this book. On one hand, Triumff is a quaint read, a cracking adventurous non-stop romp intercalated with quite a lot of funny moments. I was entertained for most part, I liked the main character, Triumff and I thought the overall plot was rather interesting and deftly dealt with in the end. I thought the premise which upheld that Magick prevented England from progress was intriguing, especially when it was disclosed that the newly Australia was much like the Australia we know today, because they did not rely on Magick.
On the other hand, I had several issues that prevented me from enjoying it completely. I wasn’t a fan of the writing or the narrative choice. I thought the prose, in Old English style was not very accessible and I kept having to re-read paragraphs to be able to understand them. Even though the very use of said style is somewhat amusing:
Water rattled off slopes of broken slates, streamed like horse-piss from split gutters, cascaded from the points of eaves, boiled like oxtail soup in leaf-choked drains, coursed in foamy breakers across flagged walks, and thumped down drainpipes in biblical quantities. For the same measure of time that it had taken the Good Lord God to manufacture Everything In Creation, the entire city was comprehensively rinsed. There was water, as the Poet had it (the Poet, admittedly, was wont to have it mixed with brandy), everywhere, and every drop of it was obeying Newton’s First Law of Apples.
In the rents of Beehive Lane, near Boddy’s Bridge, un-potted chimneys guzzled in the rain and doused more than a score of ailing grates. The steep cobbled rise of Garlick Hill became a new tributary to the Thames, and the run-off that washed down it from the foundations of the spice importers’ hilltop barns had loose cloves floating in it and tasted like consomme. At Leadenhalle, the rapping of the rain upon the metal roof drove several market traders temporarily psychotic, and deprived many more of their usual cheery dispositions, and so the cheap was suspended until the inclement weather subsided (“if sodden London don’t subside first” remarked more than one tired and emotional stall-holder). Many worried that, if the fantastically grim weather persisted, the Great Masque that coming Saturday might itself have to be abandoned. And that didn’t bear thinking about.
As for the narrative choice: the book is narrated by one Wllm Beaver who is at the same time third person narrator (although not an omniscient one, as the story has been relayed to him by the main character) and first person narrator when he happened to be present in the events he narrated. The first time the narrative jumped from third to first person, I admit to being startled and I remain not entirely convinced that it works that well. Although I will also concede that this in fact, can be seen as ingenious – please refer to the part where I mention I was very conflicted about the book.
But I think that in the end, probably the main issue for me was that Triumff is a strictly plot-driven book with the characters existing at the service of the plot. I knew very little about Triumff, the character, and what moved him and there is little alteration to what I could perceive him to be by the end of the novel. Plot-Driven novels are literary equivalents to Macdonald’s Meals for me, I am willing to enjoy them from time to time but generally speaking, it is just not for me.
So, yeah. Conflicted.
The year is 2010. Queen Elizabeth XXX (Vivat Regina!) is in the throne of England which along with Spain forms the Unity. In this alternate version of the world, Elizabeth I married the heir to the Spanish throne and their descendents, all of them Elizabeths have reigned ever since and the Renaissance saw the rebirth of Magick. More than the Elizabeths, Magick is what holds the Unity together but also what eventually prevented the scientific and industrial revolutions from happening. Thus, England stopped in time and language, fashion, technology are stuck in the Golden Age of Elizabethan England.
But something is afoot in the Kingdom of Elizabeth XXX (Vivat Regina!) . Not only her majesty’s life is being threatened by conspirators, but the entire Unity and Magick are being challenged. Who could help?
Cue to Sir Rupert Triumff, one of her majesty’s favourites, discoverer of the lands of Australia and an altogether dandy fellow. Whilst trying to keep his very own mysterious Ploy, his personal enemies at bay and his girlfriend satisfied, he is caught in this web of political intrigue and is enlisted by The Powers That Be to help thwarting the Unthinkable Plot. Can England be saved? Can Triumff…..triumph?
I am SO conflicted about this book. On one hand, Triumff is a quaint read, a cracking adventurous non-stop romp intercalated with quite a lot of funny moments. I was entertained for most part, I liked the main character, Triumff and I thought the overall plot was rather interesting and deftly dealt with in the end. I thought the premise which upheld that Magick prevented England from progress was intriguing, especially when it was disclosed that the newly Australia was much like the Australia we know today, because they did not rely on Magick.
On the other hand, I had several issues that prevented me from enjoying it completely. I wasn’t a fan of the writing or the narrative choice. I thought the prose, in Old English style was not very accessible and I kept having to re-read paragraphs to be able to understand them. Even though the very use of said style is somewhat amusing:
Water rattled off slopes of broken slates, streamed like horse-piss from split gutters, cascaded from the points of eaves, boiled like oxtail soup in leaf-choked drains, coursed in foamy breakers across flagged walks, and thumped down drainpipes in biblical quantities. For the same measure of time that it had taken the Good Lord God to manufacture Everything In Creation, the entire city was comprehensively rinsed. There was water, as the Poet had it (the Poet, admittedly, was wont to have it mixed with brandy), everywhere, and every drop of it was obeying Newton’s First Law of Apples.
In the rents of Beehive Lane, near Boddy’s Bridge, un-potted chimneys guzzled in the rain and doused more than a score of ailing grates. The steep cobbled rise of Garlick Hill became a new tributary to the Thames, and the run-off that washed down it from the foundations of the spice importers’ hilltop barns had loose cloves floating in it and tasted like consomme. At Leadenhalle, the rapping of the rain upon the metal roof drove several market traders temporarily psychotic, and deprived many more of their usual cheery dispositions, and so the cheap was suspended until the inclement weather subsided (“if sodden London don’t subside first” remarked more than one tired and emotional stall-holder). Many worried that, if the fantastically grim weather persisted, the Great Masque that coming Saturday might itself have to be abandoned. And that didn’t bear thinking about.
As for the narrative choice: the book is narrated by one Wllm Beaver who is at the same time third person narrator (although not an omniscient one, as the story has been relayed to him by the main character) and first person narrator when he happened to be present in the events he narrated. The first time the narrative jumped from third to first person, I admit to being startled and I remain not entirely convinced that it works that well. Although I will also concede that this in fact, can be seen as ingenious – please refer to the part where I mention I was very conflicted about the book.
But I think that in the end, probably the main issue for me was that Triumff is a strictly plot-driven book with the characters existing at the service of the plot. I knew very little about Triumff, the character, and what moved him and there is little alteration to what I could perceive him to be by the end of the novel. Plot-Driven novels are literary equivalents to Macdonald’s Meals for me, I am willing to enjoy them from time to time but generally speaking, it is just not for me.
So, yeah. Conflicted.
January 16, 2011
Why I read it: received review copy
The Plot: I really have no idea how to describe the plot to this one, and since I like the synopsis on the publishers website, I'll just post that here:
Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero is a ribald historical fantasy set in a warped clockwork-powered version of our present day … a new Elizabethan age, not of Elizabeth II but in the style of the original Virgin Queen. Throughout its rollicking pages, Sir Rupert Triumff drinks, dines and duels his way into a new Brass Age of Exploration and Adventure. Find more about the book HERE.
The Characters: You know, the characters are so secondary to the plot that they're almost not worth mentioning. There's quite a variety of characters, but the reader has no idea what motivates them, what they're thinking or anything. It's all very surface stuff with the characters.
The Setting: This is England in 2010, but it doesn't feel anything like the one we know. Because of Magick, there is really no technology, at least not where the story takes place. Again, the plot drives the story, so while there are some (long) passages of place descriptions, like two pages describing a lodge, the world building overall is fairly minimal.
A sample of the writing:
Some fourteen miles west of the Palace, the timbered Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park shook with the sound of tramping boots and yapping bow-hounds, those robust, lugubrious, liver-spotted retrievers from Abyssinia, noted for their reliability as hunting dogs, their extensive dewlaps, and their copious spittle. "Drooling like a fine bow" is a common expression across the Unity. Almost every physical aspect of a bow-hound seems to loll.
Who Should Read This? I have only read one book by Terry Pratchett, but from what I've seen around, fans of Pratchett should really like Triumff. If you're into humorous fantasy, this might be for you.
Final Thoughts: There were parts of this book that made me laugh, a few bits of action that I really enjoyed, but for the most part the style is just not for me. It felt like the story got sidetracked at least once every page, so that we were given the history of every character, every place, some of the props--in great detail. I think there's definitely an audience for this kind of story, but I generally wouldn't count myself among them.
Grade: C
Cover Thoughts: I love the cover. It's quite possibly my favorite thing about the book. I love that we have Triumff on the front, looking like the swashbuckling hero that he is, and we even have a swordfight. It fits the story very well.
The Plot: I really have no idea how to describe the plot to this one, and since I like the synopsis on the publishers website, I'll just post that here:
Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero is a ribald historical fantasy set in a warped clockwork-powered version of our present day … a new Elizabethan age, not of Elizabeth II but in the style of the original Virgin Queen. Throughout its rollicking pages, Sir Rupert Triumff drinks, dines and duels his way into a new Brass Age of Exploration and Adventure. Find more about the book HERE.
The Characters: You know, the characters are so secondary to the plot that they're almost not worth mentioning. There's quite a variety of characters, but the reader has no idea what motivates them, what they're thinking or anything. It's all very surface stuff with the characters.
The Setting: This is England in 2010, but it doesn't feel anything like the one we know. Because of Magick, there is really no technology, at least not where the story takes place. Again, the plot drives the story, so while there are some (long) passages of place descriptions, like two pages describing a lodge, the world building overall is fairly minimal.
A sample of the writing:
Some fourteen miles west of the Palace, the timbered Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park shook with the sound of tramping boots and yapping bow-hounds, those robust, lugubrious, liver-spotted retrievers from Abyssinia, noted for their reliability as hunting dogs, their extensive dewlaps, and their copious spittle. "Drooling like a fine bow" is a common expression across the Unity. Almost every physical aspect of a bow-hound seems to loll.
Who Should Read This? I have only read one book by Terry Pratchett, but from what I've seen around, fans of Pratchett should really like Triumff. If you're into humorous fantasy, this might be for you.
Final Thoughts: There were parts of this book that made me laugh, a few bits of action that I really enjoyed, but for the most part the style is just not for me. It felt like the story got sidetracked at least once every page, so that we were given the history of every character, every place, some of the props--in great detail. I think there's definitely an audience for this kind of story, but I generally wouldn't count myself among them.
Grade: C
Cover Thoughts: I love the cover. It's quite possibly my favorite thing about the book. I love that we have Triumff on the front, looking like the swashbuckling hero that he is, and we even have a swordfight. It fits the story very well.
November 22, 2017
It is the year 2010 and Queen Elizabeth XXX sits upon the golden throne. A world run on alchemy and where magick and superstitions rule. Sir Rupert Triumff has discovered a nasty plot to dethrone her majesty and throw Great Britain in to chaos. He’ll have to sober up long enough to find the culprit and save the empire, that is if Lord Gull and the Royal Guard don’t find him first.
I loved this book. Stephen Baxter said ‘[Triumff] reads like Blackadder crossed with Neal Stephenson…’ and I couldn’t agree more. Though the book takes place in 2010, because the Renaissance occurred slightly differently with an emphasis on magicks and alchemy, the setting is more like 1710. Fights are still done with swords and fists, ruffs and codpieces are all the fashion. It’s almost reminiscent of the Discworld novels, of which I am a major fan.
Like Terry Pratchett, Abnett uses a good deal of verbal puns and wordplay with the story. Having a bit of knowledge of how history actually went definitely helps with some of the jokes. Having a crude sense of humor is vital otherwise you’re not likely to enjoy this.
The copy I got from the library had an excerpt of the next novel called ‘The Double Falsehood’. It definitely grabbed my attention and I’m keen to try and track it down.
I gave this book a great rating over on Good Reads for good reason. I loved this book. It was quite enjoyable and I found myself laughing out loud several times. A definite recommended title – check it out!
I loved this book. Stephen Baxter said ‘[Triumff] reads like Blackadder crossed with Neal Stephenson…’ and I couldn’t agree more. Though the book takes place in 2010, because the Renaissance occurred slightly differently with an emphasis on magicks and alchemy, the setting is more like 1710. Fights are still done with swords and fists, ruffs and codpieces are all the fashion. It’s almost reminiscent of the Discworld novels, of which I am a major fan.
Like Terry Pratchett, Abnett uses a good deal of verbal puns and wordplay with the story. Having a bit of knowledge of how history actually went definitely helps with some of the jokes. Having a crude sense of humor is vital otherwise you’re not likely to enjoy this.
The copy I got from the library had an excerpt of the next novel called ‘The Double Falsehood’. It definitely grabbed my attention and I’m keen to try and track it down.
I gave this book a great rating over on Good Reads for good reason. I loved this book. It was quite enjoyable and I found myself laughing out loud several times. A definite recommended title – check it out!
February 25, 2011
NOT BAD! SURPRISINGLY.
to be honest, this is not a book i would have picked up on my own. simply because the alternate-history-british-political-intrigue isn't my usual genre, and this goes a little further into alternate-universe-esque shenanigans than i am usually comfortable with.
but this was lent to me by a friend when i expressed interest in some psuedo-victorian steampunk books. and i am PRETTY GLAD that she recommened this.
it's pretty damn good. once you get the entirety of the giant cast down (helpfully listed in the front, too!), and the plot really picks up, it REALLY picks up. this was a book i was like "meh" to reading, and just started it because it was a MM-paperback (and easier to carry around than the QP-trades i just bought)... but it's so CHARMING.
very actiony, and full of snark. it's magicky without being SUPER magicky, and not that weirdly AU if you just don't think about it too hard? (which obviously, is easy for me. ha.)
so yeah. i am pleasantly surprised! hooray!
June 22, 2017
There have been plenty of attempts to break in to the entertaining fantasy fiction genre and although numerous authors have been successful, their success is marginalised by the towering stature of Pratchett. Dan Abnett is about to be a contender with Triumpff, a tale about a swashbuckling gung-ho man, his companions and a dastardly plot to overthrow The Unity. The setting is an alternate history, where Britain rediscovers magic at the cost of science and education. It's well thought through, with incredible attention to detail and the lavish humour, wit and quantity of puns make Triumff a blast. There is a flaw which presents itself very early and is sustained throughout - the vocabulary. At some points even the author jests about the unlikely words used within, for even those with an extensive vocabulary will find themselves in need of a comprehensive dictionary to fully keep up. That aside, Triumpff paints a wonderful new scenario, with plenty of likeable heroes and dastardly villains. More please.
January 24, 2012
Quite fun. Ever read a Christopher Moore book, laugh all the way through, reached the final couple chapters, and prepared your self for a rushed and confusing ending? Abnett is like that, but with an ending that doesn't suck! (Honestly, this is the guy best know for Warhammer books?)
This is an alternative British history in which the Renaissance produced not a scientific revolution, but rather a magical one. In it, our hero, discoverer of The Beach(Australia) finds himself in the middle of a plot against country and queen.
Allusions to the Princess Bride, Clint Eastwood, and countless others galore, the references were not so contemporary as to fall flat.
Truly a funny book, fans of Pratchett or Moore should read this. Even the chapter titles are funny(such as when the author starts to lose tract of them).
This is an alternative British history in which the Renaissance produced not a scientific revolution, but rather a magical one. In it, our hero, discoverer of The Beach(Australia) finds himself in the middle of a plot against country and queen.
Allusions to the Princess Bride, Clint Eastwood, and countless others galore, the references were not so contemporary as to fall flat.
Truly a funny book, fans of Pratchett or Moore should read this. Even the chapter titles are funny(such as when the author starts to lose tract of them).
April 22, 2014
Könnyed, néhány órás kikapcsolódásra vágytam, mikor a regény elolvasása mellett döntöttem, ráadásul nagyjából biztos voltam benne, hogy nem ütközök majd semmiféle váratlan problémába, mert a szerző stílusa biztosan jó lesz - kiindulva a tizensok már elolvasott Warhammer 40K könyvéből -, az akció-jelenetek szintén, a mágiában gazdag viktoriánus világ koncepciója pedig érdekesnek tűnt. Nos, az ajánló megírása valóban nem okoz sok nehézséget, de sajnos semmiféle lelkendezésre nem futja most tőlem.
Jóval bővebben a blogon:
http://profunduslibrum.blogspot.hu/20...
Jóval bővebben a blogon:
http://profunduslibrum.blogspot.hu/20...
did-not-finish
October 19, 2019I ended up DNFing this one because (as lots of other reviewers have said) the humourous tone is one that won't suit everyone. Think Blackadder homage but... long, without recourse to visual gags, and generally a bit less funny than it thinks it is being. Excessive paragraphs of over-description injected with weird (presumably witty) observations dragged every incident out to painful levels. It just wasn't the sort of thing I could find amusing.
No rating because I could barely finish the first 50 pages, but sense humour is very individual.
No rating because I could barely finish the first 50 pages, but sense humour is very individual.
June 24, 2013
A strange book, one of the few that can be said to "galumph." The opening is something like 20 pages of description about a rainstorm, which sounds horrible but was gut-bustinglypo funny in places. Set in an alternate 2009 in an England that never knew science, only magic, and populated by characters with a "Pirates of the Carribean" sensibility. Rushed in spots and scant in others. A good cellphone book.
May 22, 2015
This book tries to be both adventurous and humorous at the same time. It mostly succeeds; for a first original effort"," it's very good.
July 4, 2015
Enjoyably silly alternative history plus fantasy. Perfect for airports, hospital waiting rooms, visiting relatives or other situations where you need to escape via a book.
December 17, 2017
It is the year 2010 and the Anglo-Hispanic Unity is the greatest force on Earth. Ruled over by Her Divine Majesty Gloriana, Queen Elizabeth XXX, the Unity is defended by a mighty army and navy and also by the forces of the Magickal Arte, rediscovered five centuries ago by Leonardo of Vinci. Technology has stagnated, but the Arte has flourished under the control of the Church.
Sir Rupert Triumff, lately returned from a mission of discovery in which he discovered a land named Australia, is a noted adventurer and consumer of alcohol. Curiously reluctant to make a formal report to the Queen about his newly-discovered continent, Triumff is soon drawn into an attempt to thwart a murky conspiracy with a most foul goal. For the safety of the country, Triumff has to go undercover, aided by allies unlikely and most redoubtable, as he attempts to discover who is planning to use sourcery most foul to endanger the life of the Queen...
Triumff: Her Majesty's Hero is the first original adult novel by noted comics and Warhammer 40,000 author Dan Abnett. One of the launch titles for HarperCollins' new imprint, Angry Robot, Triumff is a flamboyant alternate-history story with elements of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books mixed together with a slice of Blackadder and left to simmer over the stove of Very Bad Puns.
Abnett has created a rollicking world (neo-Elizabethanpunk?) which is basically a mash-up of our own and that of the Elizabethan period. Gentlemen fight duels of honour, but may choose to employ Swiss Army swords (which have an unfortunate habit of replacing the sword blade with a potato peeler at inopportune moments during combat) in lieu of a standard rapier. Firearms are around, but still relatively primitive, whilst those versed in the Arte may employ significantly more powerful magical weapons as well.
Triumff himself is a splendid hero, a colourful man of action perhaps a little too fond of the bottle but generally out to do the right thing. Interestingly, whilst the central character he does not exist in a vacuum and a number of other major characters feature throughout the book, such as Mother Grundy the witchlock (independent witches and warlocks have been outlawed, but there's a loophole), Triumff's girlfriend Doll, a 'noble savage' named Uptil who is more than he seems and the book's narrator, Wllm Beaver, esq, a stalwart fellow whose assistance to our heroes is laudable but who also suffers from perspective confusion (unsure whether to refer to himself in the first or third person, and settles for both, to much hilarity).
Events unfold at a rattling pace, although rather than charging straight through the reader is advised to savour the comical lines, the almost-missed references to movies and other stories and the increasing prevalence of puns, which at times arrive at such a velocity that they batter the reader's cultivated stoicism to such a degree that they must eventually surrender and find themselves laughing to references to a religious order named the Exeter Terrestrials and a young London musical artiste known as the Diseased Rascal.
The book ends on a triumphant note with a promise that Sir Rupert Triumff will return for further adventures, which I find myself looking forwards to immensely.
Triumff: Her Majesty's Hero (****½) is a superior slice of amusement and is available now in the UK from Angry Robot. Those of a Colonial persuasion can enquire for copies via Amazon.
Sir Rupert Triumff, lately returned from a mission of discovery in which he discovered a land named Australia, is a noted adventurer and consumer of alcohol. Curiously reluctant to make a formal report to the Queen about his newly-discovered continent, Triumff is soon drawn into an attempt to thwart a murky conspiracy with a most foul goal. For the safety of the country, Triumff has to go undercover, aided by allies unlikely and most redoubtable, as he attempts to discover who is planning to use sourcery most foul to endanger the life of the Queen...
Triumff: Her Majesty's Hero is the first original adult novel by noted comics and Warhammer 40,000 author Dan Abnett. One of the launch titles for HarperCollins' new imprint, Angry Robot, Triumff is a flamboyant alternate-history story with elements of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books mixed together with a slice of Blackadder and left to simmer over the stove of Very Bad Puns.
Abnett has created a rollicking world (neo-Elizabethanpunk?) which is basically a mash-up of our own and that of the Elizabethan period. Gentlemen fight duels of honour, but may choose to employ Swiss Army swords (which have an unfortunate habit of replacing the sword blade with a potato peeler at inopportune moments during combat) in lieu of a standard rapier. Firearms are around, but still relatively primitive, whilst those versed in the Arte may employ significantly more powerful magical weapons as well.
Triumff himself is a splendid hero, a colourful man of action perhaps a little too fond of the bottle but generally out to do the right thing. Interestingly, whilst the central character he does not exist in a vacuum and a number of other major characters feature throughout the book, such as Mother Grundy the witchlock (independent witches and warlocks have been outlawed, but there's a loophole), Triumff's girlfriend Doll, a 'noble savage' named Uptil who is more than he seems and the book's narrator, Wllm Beaver, esq, a stalwart fellow whose assistance to our heroes is laudable but who also suffers from perspective confusion (unsure whether to refer to himself in the first or third person, and settles for both, to much hilarity).
Events unfold at a rattling pace, although rather than charging straight through the reader is advised to savour the comical lines, the almost-missed references to movies and other stories and the increasing prevalence of puns, which at times arrive at such a velocity that they batter the reader's cultivated stoicism to such a degree that they must eventually surrender and find themselves laughing to references to a religious order named the Exeter Terrestrials and a young London musical artiste known as the Diseased Rascal.
The book ends on a triumphant note with a promise that Sir Rupert Triumff will return for further adventures, which I find myself looking forwards to immensely.
Triumff: Her Majesty's Hero (****½) is a superior slice of amusement and is available now in the UK from Angry Robot. Those of a Colonial persuasion can enquire for copies via Amazon.
February 7, 2023
I don’t know about you but nothing quite wins the elevator pitch for me more than an alternate history steampunk England where Magik has been rediscovered thanks to those artistic scamps during the renaissance mucking about.
I mean that alone wins it for me but you throw in a dashing and noble rogue, some spy genre goodness, a mostly reliable if not questionable narrator and a tongue in cheek humour that is reminiscent of Pratchett.
Well, if that doesn’t sell it for you, then I don’t know what will.
Triumff by Dan Abnett sees the titular Rupert Triumff stuck in a game of political intrigue after having the misfortune to have ‘Discovered’ Australia and now must find a way to ensure the crown and church don’t decide to raid the continent for new sources of Magik.
A problem compounded further when a sinister conspiracy begins to unfold that might not just swallow the ‘Unity’ but the whole damn world and Triumff is the only man who can stop it.
I went into this book expecting a fairly serious affair but was pleasantly shocked to find it a far more tongue-in-cheek piece, that is to say it’s damn bloody funny.
While it doesn’t skimp on the action, Triumff really shines in its humour and the relationships between its characters. Be it Rupert and his inner circle, the conspirators and their disdain for one another or indeed the true highlight for myself. The random interactions between the minor players in the book.
Guards, tavern punters or indeed in one case the ‘concerned’ trio of council elders who are boasting of just what they’ll do if a demon does stumble by their vigil. All of them have a wonderful repertoire with each other that keeps the pace jogging along even if its only for a page or two.
You combine this with the world building going on with the technology inspired by Da Vinci drawings, the wider political inferences with the Unity ruling most of the world through the use of sorcery and other little details that help add to the whole.
What I particularly enjoyed though was the transplanting of modern sensibilities into a steampunk Elizabethan setting, a tricky manoeuvre but one Abnett pulls off with ease.
One complaint I would have to say is there isn’t as much delving into the characters, mainly Triumff himself. This doesn’t derail the book or harm it as such, I just wished we got more time or insight into Triumff particularly during his voyage to Australia or maybe even his time there but alas.
Overall, I recommend this to most fans of fantasy particularly if you’re looking for a nice and easy read. Funny, thrilling and easy to thumb through, thoroughly recommended.
I mean that alone wins it for me but you throw in a dashing and noble rogue, some spy genre goodness, a mostly reliable if not questionable narrator and a tongue in cheek humour that is reminiscent of Pratchett.
Well, if that doesn’t sell it for you, then I don’t know what will.
Triumff by Dan Abnett sees the titular Rupert Triumff stuck in a game of political intrigue after having the misfortune to have ‘Discovered’ Australia and now must find a way to ensure the crown and church don’t decide to raid the continent for new sources of Magik.
A problem compounded further when a sinister conspiracy begins to unfold that might not just swallow the ‘Unity’ but the whole damn world and Triumff is the only man who can stop it.
I went into this book expecting a fairly serious affair but was pleasantly shocked to find it a far more tongue-in-cheek piece, that is to say it’s damn bloody funny.
While it doesn’t skimp on the action, Triumff really shines in its humour and the relationships between its characters. Be it Rupert and his inner circle, the conspirators and their disdain for one another or indeed the true highlight for myself. The random interactions between the minor players in the book.
Guards, tavern punters or indeed in one case the ‘concerned’ trio of council elders who are boasting of just what they’ll do if a demon does stumble by their vigil. All of them have a wonderful repertoire with each other that keeps the pace jogging along even if its only for a page or two.
You combine this with the world building going on with the technology inspired by Da Vinci drawings, the wider political inferences with the Unity ruling most of the world through the use of sorcery and other little details that help add to the whole.
What I particularly enjoyed though was the transplanting of modern sensibilities into a steampunk Elizabethan setting, a tricky manoeuvre but one Abnett pulls off with ease.
One complaint I would have to say is there isn’t as much delving into the characters, mainly Triumff himself. This doesn’t derail the book or harm it as such, I just wished we got more time or insight into Triumff particularly during his voyage to Australia or maybe even his time there but alas.
Overall, I recommend this to most fans of fantasy particularly if you’re looking for a nice and easy read. Funny, thrilling and easy to thumb through, thoroughly recommended.
March 18, 2021
Set in England in 2010, but not the England we know, it is an England little changed from Elizabethan times, an England where Elizabeth XXX reigns, an unbroken succession of Elizabeths since Elizabeth I. The rebirth of Magick at the time of the Renaissance in turn prevented the incidence of the Industrial Revolution; however this alternative England still benefits from many of it own versions of our modern day conveniences.
Set against this background, we soon learn that there is a treasonous plot afoot, a plot to do away with the Queen and change the whole structure of life. Here Sir Rupert Triumff, adventurer, discover of new worlds*, playboy, drunk, and the Queens favourite comes to the rescue (we hope).
(*The new world Triumff discoveres being Australia, an Australia as we know it today, Magick not being practised there it has advanced technologically, although Triumff wants to keep this information to himself)
So much for what the book is about, but how does it read? Firstly it is very funny, it is written in quasi Elizabethan English, but readily understandable, there is much play on words and much amusement to be had from among other things the alternative conveniences of modern day life. But while I found it very amusing, it did not find it a compelling read. I think the reason for this is the shallow nature of the characters, more comic strip than fully fleshed out. Despite the often flowery prose the plot moves swiftly enough, and there is plenty of action, yet this was not enough to sustain my interest, in truth I found that each time I had to make an effort to pick the book up to continue reading.
I should mention to that the book is written mostly in the third person, but sometimes in the first person. The reason: it is “written” by the self-effacing Master Wllm Beaver, a civilian, who writes in the first person when he is there to witness the events, and in the third when these events are otherwise relayed to him.
I am sure there are readers who will find this book very much to their taste, but I like a book where I can identify with the characters, can warm to the characters, or at least some of them, but I did not find this so with Triumff.
Set against this background, we soon learn that there is a treasonous plot afoot, a plot to do away with the Queen and change the whole structure of life. Here Sir Rupert Triumff, adventurer, discover of new worlds*, playboy, drunk, and the Queens favourite comes to the rescue (we hope).
(*The new world Triumff discoveres being Australia, an Australia as we know it today, Magick not being practised there it has advanced technologically, although Triumff wants to keep this information to himself)
So much for what the book is about, but how does it read? Firstly it is very funny, it is written in quasi Elizabethan English, but readily understandable, there is much play on words and much amusement to be had from among other things the alternative conveniences of modern day life. But while I found it very amusing, it did not find it a compelling read. I think the reason for this is the shallow nature of the characters, more comic strip than fully fleshed out. Despite the often flowery prose the plot moves swiftly enough, and there is plenty of action, yet this was not enough to sustain my interest, in truth I found that each time I had to make an effort to pick the book up to continue reading.
I should mention to that the book is written mostly in the third person, but sometimes in the first person. The reason: it is “written” by the self-effacing Master Wllm Beaver, a civilian, who writes in the first person when he is there to witness the events, and in the third when these events are otherwise relayed to him.
I am sure there are readers who will find this book very much to their taste, but I like a book where I can identify with the characters, can warm to the characters, or at least some of them, but I did not find this so with Triumff.
May 16, 2022
I really, really wanted to like this a lot more than I did. It ticks all my boxes - an amusing swashbuckler of a story set in an alternative timeline, where the Elizabethan Age is still dominant, written by the author of the fantastic Sinister Dexter (OK, and Guardians of the Galaxy)? Yes, please! And... it was fine. I read it through to the end, but it was definitely put-downable, and I wasn't expecting that!
Blurb:
Vivat Regina! It is the year 2010, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth XXX sits upon the throne of the Anglo-Hispanic Empire. Fuelled by alchemy and superstition, the Elizabethan era has endured unchallenged for almost 450 years. But now, a shadowy conspiracy threatens to bring it to a violent end....
Unfortunately for roguish adventurer Sir Rupert Triumff, lately fallen from favour at court, he makes the perfect scapegoat. If Triumff is to uncover the plot, save the Queen, and clear his name, he'll need all his wit, skill, and charm, and every tool in his magical Swiss Army knife. Even the nail buffer.
From the madcap mind of multi-million selling author Dan Abnett comes a furious maelstrom of incredible swordfights, wild invention, and truly awful puns.
As a panel of vignettes, this was great. It didn't hold together as a novel. I wanted more characterisation, or, rather - more depth to the characterisations. That might have linked things through a bit better. As it was, it was a perfectly acceptable read (and, yes, that is damning with faint praise). I expected more, and am left somewhat disappointed.
Thank you to A Box of Stories #ABoS for sending this to me in my latest sci-fi / fantasy box, as I definitely never saw sight of this in a book shop. However, now it has been read, it is going on the charity pile. Not a keeper.
Blurb:
Vivat Regina! It is the year 2010, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth XXX sits upon the throne of the Anglo-Hispanic Empire. Fuelled by alchemy and superstition, the Elizabethan era has endured unchallenged for almost 450 years. But now, a shadowy conspiracy threatens to bring it to a violent end....
Unfortunately for roguish adventurer Sir Rupert Triumff, lately fallen from favour at court, he makes the perfect scapegoat. If Triumff is to uncover the plot, save the Queen, and clear his name, he'll need all his wit, skill, and charm, and every tool in his magical Swiss Army knife. Even the nail buffer.
From the madcap mind of multi-million selling author Dan Abnett comes a furious maelstrom of incredible swordfights, wild invention, and truly awful puns.
As a panel of vignettes, this was great. It didn't hold together as a novel. I wanted more characterisation, or, rather - more depth to the characterisations. That might have linked things through a bit better. As it was, it was a perfectly acceptable read (and, yes, that is damning with faint praise). I expected more, and am left somewhat disappointed.
Thank you to A Box of Stories #ABoS for sending this to me in my latest sci-fi / fantasy box, as I definitely never saw sight of this in a book shop. However, now it has been read, it is going on the charity pile. Not a keeper.
February 20, 2018
Wavered between two and three stars, as it wasn't unenjoyable, but ultimately it's not great. Sub-Pratchett isn't necessarily an insult - after all, Sir Terry's a giant in the field - but this very much keeps you in mind of Pratchett, in the sense you're constantly aware you could be reading TP and it'd be so much better.
Two of the biggest flaws for me are the fact there seems no reason it's set in 2010, as the discovery of 'the Arte' hasn't so much set England on a different historical path, as the premise has it, as just frozen it in Elizabethan times, with the odd anachronism to jar you out of the story. Nothing about why history has changed as it has is explained or makes sense. Why would magic Mean Australia isn't discovered until now?
And Triumff himself is neither heroic enough, or comic enough, to carry his own story. De Quincey is a more compelling lead, and equally as important.
Essentially, weak jokes, poor premise and though a likeable enough romp, you're always wanting it to be better. Which is a shame, as I like Abnett as a writer. This is a misfire though.
Two of the biggest flaws for me are the fact there seems no reason it's set in 2010, as the discovery of 'the Arte' hasn't so much set England on a different historical path, as the premise has it, as just frozen it in Elizabethan times, with the odd anachronism to jar you out of the story. Nothing about why history has changed as it has is explained or makes sense. Why would magic Mean Australia isn't discovered until now?
And Triumff himself is neither heroic enough, or comic enough, to carry his own story. De Quincey is a more compelling lead, and equally as important.
Essentially, weak jokes, poor premise and though a likeable enough romp, you're always wanting it to be better. Which is a shame, as I like Abnett as a writer. This is a misfire though.
May 17, 2023
Well, I tried to read this last month. I got about 30 or so pages in, and even that was a slog. This book is trying very hard to be clever and funny, and it is sadly neither. I've only ever read Abnett's comics, and I've enjoyed those, so I thought I'd give this a shot as it sounded like a sort of medieval mixup of Hitchhiker's Guide and Terry Pratchett mixed in with Blackadder, and it…isn't.
What it ends up being is a flat, dull, extremely verbose tale whose characters - if you can even call them that - are so thin they are barely even caricatures. The most minute details get described in such tedious length that you can't help but skip ahead, and when you do you don't miss ANYTHING. I gave up on this one and took it to Half-Price books to get rid of. I can't recommend it at all. Zero stars.
What it ends up being is a flat, dull, extremely verbose tale whose characters - if you can even call them that - are so thin they are barely even caricatures. The most minute details get described in such tedious length that you can't help but skip ahead, and when you do you don't miss ANYTHING. I gave up on this one and took it to Half-Price books to get rid of. I can't recommend it at all. Zero stars.
December 9, 2023
I did something I highly regret with this book.
I read some of the reviews before I picked it up.
It was full of one stars and comments that weren't exactly encouraging
But then I opened the book and all I saw was astounded creativity, cunning plot twists, exciting characters, flourishing words and a hero of the story I really enjoyed getting to know. Rupert Triumff was a great hero, not the only one but he made a really good front man. The odd swear word popped up which made me giggle! - not the only thing to do so! We had a villain who I hated from the first moment and very funny and elaborate describing of scenes.
I loved it and I really felt it deserved more than a one star.
I read some of the reviews before I picked it up.
It was full of one stars and comments that weren't exactly encouraging
But then I opened the book and all I saw was astounded creativity, cunning plot twists, exciting characters, flourishing words and a hero of the story I really enjoyed getting to know. Rupert Triumff was a great hero, not the only one but he made a really good front man. The odd swear word popped up which made me giggle! - not the only thing to do so! We had a villain who I hated from the first moment and very funny and elaborate describing of scenes.
I loved it and I really felt it deserved more than a one star.
January 30, 2024
Abnett is a prolific author and while he wrote some amazing stories, Triumff isn't one of them. The start is great, where the author really shows you what he can do. The setting of the scene, the worldbuilding is something Abnett is particularly good at and it shines through in this book as well. The next part however runs a bit shabby and murky. The plot is not particularly thought through, the witty tone somewhere between Pratchett, Gaiman and Douglas Adams yet uniquely Abnetts fades away a bit and it's all a bit run of the mill. The ending picks up again but all in all an average work at best.
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