ogres, goblins, and orcs, oh my

Though some reviews of the book say that this novel is aimed at the younger end of young adult readers, I absolutely fell in love with Standard Hero Behavior by John David Anderson. The 2007 novel is Anderson's first and only, making me wonder if Anderson has fallen to the wayside like so many other talented mid-list authors, who lose publishing chances just because their books aren't bestsellers.

And, if you're interested in humorous light fantasy and read this book, you'll see just how not okay that is.

Protagonist Mason Quayle is a bard, and his best friend Cowel a door-to-door plume salesman, in a town devoid of heroes. Mason spends his time penning heroic ballads about average accidents (the story opens with Mason writing a dramatic poem about a farmer who managed to escape his fight with a chipmunk), while Cowel mostly gets doors slammed in his face. Neither make enough money to pay the bills, which is a particular problem in Darlington.

Situated near mountains just crawling with deadly beasts-- ogres, goblins, orcs, and more-- Darlington used to be a center for heroes. Now there's only one: Duke Darlinger, who charges an expensive protection tax that has bankrupted the once prosperous city, and made it so that Mason and Cowel can barely put food on the table. But when Mason discovers a secret about the Duke that puts the entire town in deadly danger, he and Cowel set off on a quest to find real heroes to save the day.

Mason is thrilled-- finally he'll be doing something, like the bards of old, who fought valiantly alongside heroes to record their stories. He may just achieve his dream to get noticed... and find out the answer to questions that have plaguing him his whole life: why did his father, one of the town's former heroes who left for adventure when Mason was little, never return? Is he still alive? And was he truly a hero?

Standard Hero Behavior is a gentle parody of quest stories, and Mason and Cowel's mission is filled with misadventure and bizarre characters, such as a retired hero-turned-shoe-salesman, a somnambulist swordsman, a swarm of deadly pixies, an attractive young witch, and a werewolf hit man. This ensures that the plot is almost as amusing as the tone (though it does turn serious at the proper moments). The story is written in typical, modern language, making the read quick and hilarious, due to the sharp commentary on the situations and the banter between Mason and Cowel.

Just as in Hilari Bell's Knight and Rouge series, it's the characters and their friendship that really make the book. Mason and Cowel are both quick-witted and sarcastic, and their observations and back-and-forth are fun and funny to read. Underneath it all, however, there's clearly a deep friendship, which is cute and endearing.

A clever, parodied premise (Duke Darlinger has sponsors who pay for advertising space on his horse, and for Darlinger to promote them during his victory speeches), an interesting plot (will the boys save the day?), great tone, likable characters, hilarious banter, a little bit of romance, and emotional stakes (will Mason find out about his father? Will Mason and Cowel discover what they want to do with their lives?) ensure that Standard Hero Behavior is a must-read for lovers of light fantasy.

And I would love to see another book by Anderson. So if you loved this book, like I did, spread the word. And remember, if you have a book by a mid-list author that you love, write and original review and email it to me at doingitwrite@gmail.com-- I'll post it!