CHAR!

"Witty, whimsical, and wonderfully weird, CHAR!: THE CHAR GRIMOIRES flips fantasy on its horned head with a magic-wielding Troll, a Chupacabra sidekick, and a hilariously bureaucratic kingdom-perfect for fans of Discworld and Good Omens." - NewInBooks.com

"CHAR! is a wildly imaginative, laugh-out-loud satire that skewers fantasy tropes and real-world institutions in equal measure. At once a high-fantasy quest, a coming-of-age tale, and a biting satirical comedy, this novel manages a rare tonal feat-balancing playful irreverence with moments of real emotional weight.

But CHAR! isn't just clever-it's fresh. Trolls are reimagined as bridge-obsessed structural engineers. Catacombs are less malevolent maze and more HOA-managed living complex. The world is full of magical absurdities that somehow feel lived-in and logical. From the dungeon hierarchy to the goblin-run kitchens, every detail enriches a setting that feels both delightfully strange and strangely plausible.

The satire on bureaucratic nonsense is so fun and on-point, the author must have worked at the DMV. Nowhere is this more evident than in the government agency known as GODDAMNIT (Government Officialdom Directorate of Direct Administration for Individual Taxes). The notion of a road that leads nowhere, repeatedly taxed through "Propositions," is hilariously cynical-and uncomfortably familiar. An entire bureaucratic council debates the etymology of the word "breakfast," ultimately canceling it due to linguistic reinterpretation and political spin.

There's a joyful cleverness baked into the prose-wordplay, naming gags, and acronyms that make you grin mid-sentence. Every page has a language-level gag just waiting to catch you off guard.

And through all the jokes and monsters and bureaucrats and pegasi, there's a heart to the story. CHAR! is, at its core, a story about finding purpose-about leveling up in ways that matter. The protagonist's journey to understand his magical Class feels like a witty metaphor for self-discovery, handled with warmth and wit.

In short: it's weird, it's wonderful, and I wasn't ready for it to end. If you're a fan of Discworld, The Princess Bride, or just smart, inventive storytelling, CHAR! should be on your list. I sincerely hope this is only Volume One - because I'd like more." - Rob Dubnick