Wednesday 30 May 2018

Grum: Barbarian Barista - Book Review


Grum: Barbarian Barista
by John Rickett


What is it about:
Grum

Defiler of Corpses.
Butcher of Balor.
God Stomper.

…Minimum-wage Barista at Tarbean Café—home of the darkest, strongest, most expensive coffee on planet earth.

And Grum’s most difficult quest yet.

The vortex. The feeling of being ripped apart. When he’d awoken after the fight with Albatross, he was in this realm. A realm filled with tall buildings and small people—with no way to get home.

And nothing to kill… except time.

Then he saw the quest marker.

HELP WANTED

There had never been a quest that Grum hadn’t smashed his way through. He’d looted every dungeon, butchered every end-game boss, ravaged the entire map in a crashing wave of blood and glory.

Totally unhelpful in whipping up a cappuccino.

Grum learns that his quest cannot be won though face-smashing, murder, and intimidation. If he is to become The Legend of Latte, his new adventuring party, Gabe and Candice, must teach this old barbarian to embrace patience. Embrace finesse. Embrace cooperation.

And that he can’t kill and smash his way through everything.


What did I think of it:
This is a hilarious short story best enjoyed by people who are into tabletop or computer roleplaying games.

Grum is a hero in a Fantasy Roleplaying World who gets transported to the normal world. He is used to seeing everything as a battle or challenge to overcome and to get rewarded after in experience points or valuable loot. Being a junior Barista in a cafe isn't something he can understand, let alone handle without making a mess of things.

I very much enjoyed the way Grum sees the world and seeing him struggle to complete mundane tasks. He is very determined to fulfill his quest, but in his enthusiasm he makes a lot of mistakes and brings disaster on him and the people he works with. I rooted for him and his new friends to survive their shift and to find a way to bring Grum's quest to a satisfying conclusion.

All in all a fun and funny read. I will investigate what other books Rickett has written.

Why should you read it:
Barbarian Barista!!!


Buy from Amazon

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