Thisby Thestoop and the Black Mountain

Reviewed by: Sarah Cropley - Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: September 18, 2018

Review

Thisby Thestoop and the Black Mountain is the first in a new series by Zac Gorman. Thisby is the twelve-year-old gamekeeper for the Castle Grimstone, a destination for anyone who fancies themselves an adventurer in the Land of Nth. Thibsy takes care of dungeon after dungeon of dangerous beasts, monsters, and creatures with her careful notes and a lot of very hard work. Until, that is, Princess Iphigenia and her younger twin brother come to visit. Ingo is kidnapped, which leaves the princess and the gamekeeper to rescue the prince and find their way out before they fall prey to some kind of danger. As complete opposites and with magic, monsters, and mayhem behind every corner, that might be harder than it sounds.

Gorman weaves a quirky and entertaining adventure story for those readers who have tired of the usual fare. By calling on classic fantasy critters of a less known variety (kobolds, trasques, etc.), and subverting some tropes of the genre, Thisby's adventure will be a breath of fresh air to many readers. Those new to the genre might miss some of the more tongue and cheek moments, but any reader would enjoy Thisby, Iphigenia, and the dungeons of Castle Grimstone.

Overall Book Score: very good