The Palace Job - Patrick Weekes

I used to think that adding a unicorn to a story (especially if it's already fantasy) could never be a bad decision. Now however, I'm no longer so sure...

 

Because the horny unicorn that roams this book really had me confused. All the while I was reading I thought it was meant as a story for older MG or young YA (is that even a term), but I'm not sure any more. If not, than I think the writing is not chosen correctly to fit the audience.

 

Imagine an unlikely band of people (and a unicorn) teaming up to solve a quest. I know - it's hard to imagine such an original concept, but try. They have, as the title suggests, a job in the Palace. Why? Because main character Loch has been thrown in prison by the man in charge so he could steal her inheritance (and her sister). So, add some wronged nobility - I've never seen that before, either.

 

There isn't too much worldbuilding, but the glances we get to see are actually pretty cool. The city is a floating city (which I always think is quite), and the magic seems to depend heavily on illusions (and unicorns and talking warhammers). How this all works precisely isn't told.

 

One thing that did annoy me were the weird names everything was given. I know that it was probably just me, but I don't think that just typing a seemingly random set of consonants makes something a name. It doesn't add a special sense of a 'new' language, it's just annoying to read (and impossible to remember when writing a review).

 

The story itself is a fast, easy read, and I can really see that if you're looking for something uncomplicated this is nice choice. It was however, not really what I expected it to be.

 

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.