ATBOD Humour

ATBOD Humour

I know regular readers may be used to my brand of dry British humour by now, with my current three books that have a lot of banter and shenanigans...

But upcoming new book baby ATBOD is set in Medieval Era, and you'd be correct in assuming it is a different tone and pace altogether.

While our hero, Murad, is a no nonsense, straightforward type, he does make the occasional dry observation or remark, especially when the other characters lark about.

For me personally, I love a slightly grumpy hero! Like Batman, right? Kind of like that. Someone very competent and focused on completing the task at hand, and isn't interested in joking around. 

There's also a great deal of comedy to be had with a straightforward character who unwittingly stumbles into social dilemmas, because no matter how competent or skilled or analytical a character is, social dilemmas are another battle entirely, a battle that can be relatable and humorous, because who hasn't found themselves unexpectedly in hot water now and then? 

Here is an exclusive snippet of a moment during ATBOD that I think is cute and funny. Kestane (kes-tah-neh) is Murad's horse, by the way.

"Do you speak Latin like the priests?" the child asked.

"Latin, yes," Murad said. "And I speak horse."

The smaller children giggled but the older child demanded, "How do you speak horse?"

"Like this." Murad pretended to talk to the horses by making silly neighs and snorts. 

Kestane responded with her own snort. The children, even the eldest, squealed with laughter. 

It was only a harmless joke.

Unfortunately, this joke got Murad in trouble later with the adults. The children had inevitably told their parents that Murad, the godless, could speak to horses.

To them, it was innocent fun. To the parents, not so much. Murad watched two of the parents huff and puff their way over to Prince Aaron, pointing dramatically at Murad and accusing him of being a heathen who conversed with beasts.

To find out how Murad gets himself out of this particular pickle, you'll have to read the book, which is out on September 8th.

If you want to join the ATBOD ARC team, e-ARC signups are open now!

And if you are a queer book reviewer please get in touch with me for a review copy!

This book means a lot to me, and I really hope you enjoy the story. It's got vibes of classic fairy tale, classic adventure tale, because that's what I love and grew up with; heroic fantasy.

So if you want a romantic, gay fairy tale adventure, I hope you'll like ATBOD! 

Signing off, 

C. Quince.