McGirt, Dan Books

Jason Cosmo (Signet)

Dan McGirt

List Price: $3.95 By: Roc Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Well-balanced humor enhances a solid story 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

There's a fine line to be walked with respect to writing humorous fantasy; how much of the formula should be simple light-hearted situational humor, and how much of it should be given over to blatant punnery? In my estimation, it's more difficult to take humor "seriously" when internal logic and consistency are pushed aside in favor of too much of the latter (though I'm not sure which is worse; a writer who tries to mitigate his punning and fails, or one who abandons all restraint and builds his entire milieu on a foundation of puns). There are puns in Jason Cosmo; however, Dan McGirt limits them to the names of places and people, and thus his puns, rather than defining his world, are simply influenced by it. This leaves the way open for the reader to fully enjoy the novel's true humor, which is to be found in the situations, the interaction between Jason and Mercury, and the skewering of fantasy archetypes.

McGirt's world has politics (the nations and their past and present relationships are inherent to the plot), extrapolitical intrigue (two warring factions of wizards), history (the five ages), and mythology (the relationships between, and powers and limitations of, the gods and demons)-in other words, the major factors that contribute to a well-crafted fantasy world. On top of all this, McGirt overlays likeable characters (the titular Jason Cosmo, in particular), self-aware archetypes (He Who Sits On The Porch, a version of the classic wizened soothsayer), and offhand references to odd legends (an all-powerful race of pink bunnies), making this tale of destiny and divine providence into a little something more.

It isn't perfect by any stretch; I found isolated bits to be a little clumsy and heavy-handed. In particular, the sisters Sapphrina and Rubis seem to have no motivations of their own, other than to be dragged along behind the heroes (though, cleverly, their names suggest their status as simple adornments); Sapphrina's constant fawning over Jason Cosmo is a little overdone as well (at least to this reader). Likewise, the portrayal of the goddess Rae is just silly; I understand that she is supposed to be a caricature of contemporary "sun-worshipper" culture (especially of the 1980s, when this was written), of course, and one expects vanity from goddesses, but not unrelenting vapidity.

All in all, it's quite good for a first novel, especially a first novel that falls within that most treacherous of terrains called "humorous fantasy," a subgenre that proves challenging even for experienced writers. Despite some missteps, Jason Cosmo provides an entertaining few hours, which is all that we have the right to ask from any novel. I must echo the sentiments of other reviews and lament the fact that this novel (and its sequels, which I have not read) are no longer in print. McGirt's website (http://www.sff.net/people/mcgirt/) makes a vague reference to a "relaunch" of the series, and provides sample chapters of new adventures, but is vague on details and offers no timeline for the release of any of it, nor what form it will take. If you're interested, it's probably best to grab any copy you happen across.

Editorial Review:

When a simple woodcutter is mistaken for the Mighty Champion, the gods decide he must really become the legendary figure. journey to wrest the magic Superwand from evil hands in order to restore the kingdom of good. First in the series from the author of Dirty Work. Reissue.

Royal Chaos

Dan McGirt

List Price: $3.95 By: Roc Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Write more books 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I noticed that nobody has reviewed this book, so I decided to add my cent (I'm not quite bright enough to have TWO cents). Royal Chaos was a brilliantly funny book, and the entire Jason Cosmo series is the fantasy equivalent of The Hitchhiker (5 book) trilogy. I've read this book 3 times, and I still can't help but laugh at the imagery. I frequently had to be held back as I tried to push one hilarious passage after another under the nose of friend after friend. Sad to say, they never got used to those midnight calls. It was also very well-written, and I highly recommend it. Note: if you're looking for some serious fantasy, lighten up, it's FANTASY. Read this book. (Helpful hint to you students out there, english teachers do NOT appreciate book reports that begin with the words "Dan McGirt blows Charles Dickens out of the water with this one).

Editorial Review:

Dan McGirt once again proves himself a master of the comic-heroic fantasy with his second novel--an engaging tale that returns to the adventures of the unforgettable Jason Cosmo. Can the famous woodcutter-turned-champion slash his way to victory against a wizard's quest to enslave the world? Reissue.

Dirty Work

Dan McGirt

List Price: $4.50 By: Roc Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $1.59

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

What are you up to, Dan McGirt? 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Having read all three of the "non"-trilogy as the author puts it, I found all of the stories exceptionally humorous. While sitting in bed reading this book, there was more than one occasion where I found myself laughing hysterically (enough to attract the painful elbow from my wife who was intent on reading her own fiction.) This is an author that us readers need to support! Put out more books Dan!

The worst of the series 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

"Dirty Work", the story of an unwilling hero, is a disappointment. Dan McGirt's first two books about Jason Cosmo are funny and entertaining, but with his third book, he fails to continue what had been a winning trend. His tongue-in-cheek humor goes over the top, with the characters being far too aware that they are in a story, and his best supporting character, Mercury Boltblaster, only appears in a small portion of the book. Read the first two books, but skip this one. It's not worth the money.

Editorial Review:

Tired of being the most feared man in the realm, Jason Cosmo plans to turn in his armor, but not before locating his kidnapped twin girlfriends and obtaining the Superwand before the Demon Lord can possess it.