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The Illustrated Gnome News, by Mike Reeves-McMillan
This is a review I posted to Goodreads etc, so it's a bit more formal and less chatty than my normal fare on this site:
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The Illustrated Gnome News is another step on in a series of novels about a fantasy world (the subtitle is A Novel of the Gryphon Clerks). The general feel of these books is Steampunk, based on the level of society and technology, but there is no connection with the typical Victorian setting of Steampunk, and the presence of several intelligent humanoid species gives an added dimension.
It's a fair time since I read the early books in this series, and I had some concerns that I would have lost the thread of the overall story. Happily, this was not the case - Mike gives enough subtle reminders of back story that one is not lost. I think The Illustrated Gnome News could be read, and thoroughly enjoyed, even if you haven't encountered the other books, though you might well feel that you are missing out on clues and hints.
Mike clearly enjoys the world he has created, and the various races which populate it. It's a fundamentally optimistic world, but it is far from Utopian. There are both structural and personal injustices which cause pain and conflict, and the central characters must frequently tackle prejudice and the consequences of inequality. But for all that, it is a hopeful world, in which one feels that with personal courage, interpersonal support, and sympathetic leadership, obstacles really can be overcome.
Mike's writing has, to my eyes, improved and matured since he began this series. In The Illustrated Gnome News, he tackles issues which I suspect he would have skirted around before: the result is a stronger and more compelling novel. The plot is solid, but the main draw for me was the delineation of the various characters, together with their personal development. I did want to find out about The Illustrated Gnome News (a newspaper), but I wanted much more to find out what happened to the individuals associated with it.
All in all, a strong and very enjoyable addition to the Gryphon Clerks series, and one which has prompted me to go back and remind myself what happened in earlier books. If you like books in which personal and social change is considered more important than battles and violence, The Illustrated Gnome News could be for you.
