Review: Tales of the Mongoose and Meerkat By Jim Breyfogle

Collected from the pages of Cirsova Magazine, Tales of the Mongoose and Meerkat by Jim Breyfogle is a through back to the carefree days when the good guys didn’t spend a lot of time moralizing. They showed up, killed the bad guys, got their reward and went out drinking.

The story

The book is actually a collection of short stories so there is not an overarching plot, but rather a series of adventures. However, they are presented chronologically, marked by how long it has been since the fall of Alness. There is also some progression in the relationship between the main characters was well as the growth of their reputation as adventurers.

It begins with Mangos regretting a bet he had made the night before to retrieve the helm of a legendary warrior. Still, he has a reputation as a self-described great adventurer to maintain so he can’t refuse. He’s joined by Kat, an attractive young woman who seems to know an unusual amount about history and adventuring. Mangos is suspicious of her at first but their relationship beings to become more relaxed after they face off a wolf pack together.

The two continue their adventures, taking on wizards, giant snakes, and thugs as they search for a Marin blade, precious jewels, and even a burning fish. As they go through their adventures, the pair clearly develop a genuine respect for each other. Mangos also can’t help but notice that Kat is very quiet about her past. Even more than that, pretty much every man they meet notices she’s pretty, yet no one, including Mangos ever pursues her. And it’s perfectly clear that Mangos likes the ladies.

The individual stories are not always mere treasure hunts or fetch quests. In their search for the burning fish, Kat and Mangos contend with a cult of dubious origins. When they are hired to forcefully resolve a dispute over some bushes they discover that things are much more complicated than they might have thought.

The collection ends with Deathwater, an unconnected tale involving an assassin, a seer, a king and bunch of very corrupt nobles.

The characters

Mangos starts off as a bit of a braggart, running around telling everyone what a great adventurer he is. He of course was busy proving it in the local tavern by arm wrestling and throwing darts at everything in sight. Yet, even in the first story, he surprises the more sophisticated Kat with an insight into magic. Throughout all the stories, he proves again and again that he is brave, though a little brash and thickheaded from time to time.

Kat, as has already been said is more mysterious. Given her fighting ability and her vast store of knowledge, she clearly has a past that is much more than meets the eye. Not that she ever intentionally calls attention to herself.

The real charm of the characters is their interaction with each other. The way they’ll verbally jab at each other in all of the tales, while also saving each other’s lives over and over makes it feel like a buddy cop story.

The world

The world of Mongoose and Meerkat feels very like a medieval fantasy. There are wizards, necromancers, demons, giant snakes, fallen kingdoms and all the great tropes that you love from the stories you grew up with. There is a well fleshed out geography full of lakes, mountains, and cities, all in places where it makes sense. There also clearly different kinds of societies that they come across. There is already the aforementioned cult centered around the burning fish, two warring factions of berry harvesters, and of course a few taverns along the way.

There are hints of more going on in the world such as Alness. What it is and how it fell are not entirely clear. Also somewhat mysterious are little hints here and there that suggest more modern technologies such as a brief discussion about a bridge constructed with rebar. Which only makes me want to read future installments to find out all that is going on.

The politics

There aren’t any clear politics in this world and Mangos and Kat seem pretty apolitical. However, the spirit of adventure without the politically correct moralizing that has infected most of the mainstream fare today could only come from a philosophy that respects merit and risk taking.

Content warning

There is of course violence throughout but never gets to be more than PG-13. There is a bit of magic, a couple of monsters and a momentary sex scene in Deathwater.

Who is it for?

This is for anyone who like a good buddy cop movie, and swashbuckling adventures featuring a morally ambiguous duo.

Why read it?

Because it’s just a good time. Though I typically read ebooks these days out of convenience, I ripped through the paperback edition faster than I’ve read any print book in years. If you want to read something with likeable characters who talk fast and fight faster, getting themselves into all kinds of impossible situations, then this is definitely a book for you.