Blurb:

Sir Dashing Junior was only knighted because they couldn't knight his father twice. Now he's determined to prove he's worthy of his new title. With an aspiring ranger, an awkward friar, and a book-loving orc, DJ will venture across the territory of Uh to reach the Amulet of the Goddess, proving that he's truly worthy of knighthood. Along the way, he and his companions will encounter a cursed author, a violent noodle cult, democratic goblins, and a whole lot more. It's a journey fraught with danger and discovery, and the territory is rich with monsters and magic, so is DJ's quest for respect really worth the cost?

Review:

Gather your traveling companions and prepare to embark on an epic journey across the territory of Uh where you will encounter trickster hags, greedy goblins, temperamental dragons, and… a noodle cult? Dashing Junior, or DJ for short, is son to the grand Sir Dashing. Constantly living in his father’s shadow and being reminded of all the grand and heroic things Sir Dashing has accomplished, DJ sets out on his own quest to prove his worth; by reaching a temple that holds the Amulet of the Goddess. He is joined by a small party to assist him on his journey and soon discovers that a trek across Uh isn’t exactly as easy as he previously thought. 

“Ease your conscience, ugly human.”

The world in which readers are transported to is a vast land called Uh. From bustling taverns to expansive forests, vast mountains and gleaming cities, Uh is a diverse continent with many races and individuals. The settings writing style is descriptive, but not so much that readers feel bogged down by too much detail. Hall has found the perfect balance to keep readers ensnared and before you know it, chapters will have flown by. There are some familiar nods to Dungeons and Dragons and other RPG style games sprinkled throughout the book, all of which heighten the experience. 

The book kicks off with DJ’s knighting ceremony. It is quite an affair, however the only reason he is being bestowed the title is because they can’t knight his father twice. From the start you can feel the swirling range of emotions as DJ tries to figure out how he can make the town respect him as an individual, and how he can live up to his father’s image. The relationship between Sir Dashing and DJ at the start of the book is best described as blissfully unaware. Sir Dashing does care and love his son greatly; however, he is blind to the grief DJ feels. This changes throughout the book as there is dynamic growth and development for all our characters. 

As mentioned previously, Uh has a very diverse population. Our main cast of characters that travel with DJ are made up of one socially awkward friar, a young ranger in training, and a literature-loving orc. As the party travels together to the Temple of the Goddess, they slowly bond into a tight knit crew through various trials and side quests. We also see a wide range of adversaries throughout the story. How these adversaries are delt with is unique to the values DJ holds and calls for creative solutions to truly sticky situations. The flow of the book is set up so readers experience roughly one side quest per every one to two chapters. 

For magic, the story features what I would classify as a good old fashioned RPG style system. Having a set pool of magic reserves, spells and spell tomes, and schools of magic such as restoration, destruction, and illusion are all present in the plot. Some characters have an aptitude for magic and others not quite so. It is a craft that takes practice. Additionally, the mage stereotype is also present in that magic is seen as inferior to swordcraft. This makes for some hilarious dialogue between our characters and the general populations they interact with. 

“All magic, no maidens!”

My personal enjoyment of this book was immense. Reading this story was akin to traversing through Skyrim. Additionally, there were a few Skyrim specific dialogue Easter eggs, and Easter eggs to other big name RPG games and literature, sprinkled throughout the book that made me smile. There is magic, chaos, and wonder present on every page. The jokes are predictable (in a good way!) and the wordplay is so cheesy that you can’t help but laugh. I also highly recommend readers to pick up the audio version of this book. The narrator, Adriel Brandt, did a phenomenal job bringing the entire cast to life with unique voices, tone, and inflection. 

The Legend of Uh was a spectacular start to my New Year. From the laugh out loud moments to the cast of unforgettable characters, this book will stay with me for many years to come. This story is classified as a standalone and while it does wrap up nicely in the end, I do hope we can return to Uh in the future!

The Legend of Uh is scheduled to be released on February 25, 2025.