Review: All Things Huge And Hideous, by G. Scott Huggins

After nearly a century of epic fantasy tropes, we know what happens to noble knights, prophesied heroes, plucky sidekicks, and dark villains.

But what about the working men and women of these realms? The ordinary joes who are put upon to do extraordinary things?

When the Dark Lord wins the war and rules the world, what does that mean for ground-level workers like a veterinarian and a barmaid?

Time to find out.

The story

The writing moves fast and without much navel-gazing, aimed at readers who are familiar with the staples of Tolkienesque fantasy. There's a Dark Lord, he rules the world, the good guys lost, and now there's a dreary status quo where hope scarcely resides. But we get to look at this world through the unconventional eyes of a magical veterinarian and his assistant, a former student of witchcraft.

The chapters work rather episodically at first, like a chain of short stories based on individual cases that a fantasy veterinarian might handle in a fallen world. Then, after a few strange cases of sick animals and unique challenges in his field of medicine, Dr. James starts to find ways to solve larger problems using his skills as a healer.

The stories are as humorous as they are imaginative, and I was pleasantly surprised by the number of twists in each case. When Dr. James is stumped at first, he keeps trying. A few times he comes close to giving up, but in a Poirot-like fashion, his brain eventually tells him what he missed. This book is nothing if not satisfying, from the mystery angle.

The characters

They are many, but the primary characters are the aforementioned Dr. James DeGrande, magical veterinarian. and his assistant Harriet, a former barmaiden and expelled student of a witchcraft school. He's a grumpy drunk, she's a hunchback, and they're a great team.

The world

If you're a fantasy reader or gamer, it's basically any pseudo-medieval setting with a technology level just preceding engines and other mechanical advancements.

The politics

Compared to our world? Just about nonexistent. Under its own bubble? Post-war devastation under a despotic totalitarian.

Content warning

All profanities up to the F-bomb, and a sex scene between a hunchback and an elf woman that--while relevant to the plot, for once--could have been left out.

Who is it for?

Fans of fantasy and humor, who like to see the conventions of the genre turned on their heads.

Why read it?

Because it's a great load of fun and imagination in a fantasy genre that runs too short on either.