We’re celebrating the highly anticipated second novel in A. B. Finlayson’s Arthur Crazy Series, The Sword and the Hounds!
The Sword and the Hounds
Publication Date: July 23, 2024
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Parliament House Press
For lovers of Gaiman and Pratchett’s GOOD OMENS, SHAUN OF THE DEAD and THE WORLD’S END comes the exciting sequel to THE BOOK AND THE BLADE.
Arthur Crazy was drunk and seeing ghosts.
Now he’s just drunk. The dead are silent, and Arthur is worried he might be living up to the family name. But after going back to where the Crazy people live and spending months sleeping off hangovers in his childhood bed, it’s finally time to return to the land of the living.
Unfortunately, the dead are not done with Arthur.
The hounds are stirring.
The guardians are moving.
The Shadowmen are watching.
And the sword in Arthur’s possession is calling them all.
They’re on their way, but you know what Britain is like—public transport is a joke. Especially at Christmas, it could take some time.
Some people have skeletons in their closet. Arthur has ghosts in his dreams and a sword under his bed… and everyone wants it! The dead, the living, and those dancing on the edge.
Evil stirs in Yorkshire.
Britain needs a hero.
Arthur needs a coffee.
On the moors, the devil rises.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed the first book in this very funny series, and I recommend reading it first (The Book & the Blade) as what happens in this book follows straight on and will make a lot more sense out of this one as characters refer to past events and one character in particular’s back story is needed or it will get confusing (Steve, it’s Steve).
Arthur has fled York and the horrors he faced there, he’s grieving his lost friends and he wants the safety of home and his parents. It’s Christmas so ghosts are everywhere (they prefer it to Halloween, that’s why there’s so many ghost stories at Christmas – my theory) and even in Arthur’s small village in the moors, terrible things are coming. Hell hounds for starters – just one but it’s huge.
Luckily help is on the way in the form of a pair of bickering twins in a vintage Jag, a former Queen of England and a small dog called Steve.
Arthur’s parents are pretty laid back about his new powers and his mum in particular is fairly heroic – no evil monster is taking her son! I loved them, and the other slightly bonkers characters a lot. My favourite though is Steve, the bravest, tiniest terrier in all of Yorkshire!
This series is funny, clever and packed full of recognisable references (the first time Steve says “woof” I instantly shouted “Gaspode!” which any Discworld fan will get) and it’s lots of fun to read – not so much to be Arthur (last name Crazy, not Dent, but still an unlucky name in fantasy). Can’t wait for the next book!
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IG: @a.b.finlayson @parliamentbooks @rrbooktours
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*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 