Gilbert Betters is not the Chosen One. He doesn’t know magic. He’s never participated in a heroic quest. He is, in a few words, just some kid from Nebraska. But when he’s unceremoniously pulled into a bizarre fantasy world—complete with magic, dragons, and sandwich generators—a suspicion arises, and it only grows when he learns that a world-threatening tyrant is quickly rising to power. When the strange truth about Earth is revealed, Gilbert is all but certain. He’s a protagonist. He’s read fantasy books before, and he knows his way around a story. This is clearly some kind of inciting incident. He has all the makings of a Hero…or at least, he has the backstory of one. The rest is a work in progress. Thrown into a baffling new land, as lively and eccentric as it is relentless, Gilbert befriends wizards, librarians, and one exceptionally intelligent butterfly to combat the looming threat of tyranny. All the while, he must confront questions of his own reality and decide just how much he’s willing to sacrifice to find a home again.
Still, as the tyrant Obble Dor Hobblebosh shuts down magic on his half of the world, Gilbert, drawing on his knowledge of how fantasy stories work, convinces wizards and leaders that maybe he could prove the hero they need. After all, Hobblebosh’s anti-magic spells only affect people on their world’s “roster”—not made-up interlopers. Sparrow excels at playful chatter, worldbuilding, genre-specific meta-fiction, and general inventive nonsense worthy of Terry Pratchett, such as a list of fantasy-world boy bands or a pygymy minotaur zipping about on a parakeet. The prose is crisp, fleet, and witty, often driven by truly funny dialogue.
What’s most surprising, though, is the depth this dauntingly long novel develops as the adventure goes on. Much like in the hobbits stories long loved by Gilbert—now Gigglebrit Maistowne Nebraska the Fictional—the quest will feature failure, loneliness, loss, hard choices, and the sundering of a fellowship. Sparrow commits to characters readers will care about, even if apparently ridiculous at first, and at making the magic system make sense. Some passages of protracted silliness, especially an early tour of a wizards’ tower, work against that urgency, though the balance is righted in the novel’s more gripping second half. Readers will not possibly guess at how much trouble a tree from our world can stir up in fantasyland.
Takeaway: Hilarious epic fantasy blending playful parody and a zest for adventure.
Comparable Titles: Terry Pratchett, Travis Baldree.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Goodness gracious this story.
I did enjoy it. Many times I felt it was long winded but also that it was necessary. There were several twists that I didn’t expect but was pleased with the ending. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was an excellent read. The story was well thought out and the characters were whimsical and interacted well together. I loved going on the journey with Gilbert and really enjoyed the story arc of Tree. There were twists and turns that kept the story fresh. I would love to read more by this author...especially if it is just a short prequel about the wizards.
Very rarely do I read a book that breaks the rating scales, and this is one of them! Easily in my top 10 reads this year, "Being Fiction" is the high-stakes YA fantasy that I have been searching for all year.
Imagine enjoying a beautiful day, leaning against a sturdy tree as you indulge in a new fantasy adventure novel, only to find yourself (and the tree) in a wizard's laboratory seconds later. Gilbert Betters, a young man from Nebraska, found himself in just that scenario, being confronted by wizards demanding to know his name and if he is the one from the prophecy. Gilbert, being just Gilbert, is sad to report that he is not the prophesied "Chosen One," but being an avid reader, Gilbert wonders if he could BECOME the hero of the story.
From the first page, I was hooked. It was the character names that got me: Mardulo Vot Ponterous the Brilliant, Bundersquash Borum Balbagoose the Studious, and of course, Gigglebrit. This book had all the elements of a great fantasy with a touch of absurdism. However, behind the fun, the deeper themes of friendship, perseverance, and found family kept me turning the pages.
It is rare that I finish a 600-page book fully satisfied and not criticizing that the book had too much chaff. This manuscript is so tight, there is not one scene that could be cut out because it didn't contribute to the story. I loved every moment in this world with these characters. T. G. Sparrow is a breath of fresh air in the YA Fantasy genre.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
