Breaking the Lore by Andy Redsmith – 4 Star Book Review

How do you stop a demon invasion… when you don’t believe in magic?

I was granted audio ARC access to the new Audiobook edition of Breaking the Lore through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

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About the Book

Breaking the Lore
Inspector Paris Mystery Book One
by Andy Redsmith

Print/eBook
Published 15 April 2021
Canelo
Page Count: 321

Audiobook
Publishing 1 September 2021
Saga Egmont
Narrated by John Last
Length: 10 Hours 31 Minutes

Genre: Humorous Fantasy
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

A magical, mischievous mystery perfect for fans of Douglas Adams and Ben Aaronovitch

How do you stop a demon invasion… when you don’t believe in magic?

Inspector Nick Paris is a man of logic and whisky. So staring down at the crucified form of a murder victim who is fifteen centimetres tall leaves the seasoned detective at a loss… and the dead fairy is only the beginning.

Suddenly the inspector is offering political asylum to dwarves, consulting with witches, getting tactical advice from elves and taking orders from a chain-smoking talking crow who, technically, outranks him.

With the fate of both the human and magic worlds in his hands Nick will have to leave logic behind and embrace his inner mystic to solve the crime and stop an army of demons from invading Manchester!

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My Review

My Rating: 4 Stars
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Breaking the Lore is an absurdist comedy flavour fantasy novel featuring an inspector main character and a detective-on-the-case sort of plot. This was a whole lot of fun! It’s billed as being for fans of Douglas Adams, and I can definitely see that influence here, but the dynamic between inspector Nick and the other characters really reminds me of Kevin Hearne’s writing, specifically his newer Ink & Sigil series and the interactions between Al and Buck.

I love the tongue-in-cheek references to other popular SFF media, such as: “These are not the druids you’re looking for.” “What? I saw it in a film!”

If you’re in this for the Adams/Pratchett style humour and the frequent nods to other beloved properties, this book does exactly what you’re hoping it will, and it’s an easy, quick read. If you’re looking for something that stands on its own merit with a strong plot and characters that are well rounded and relatable underneath all the references… it falls a little short. It’s a little cookie-cutter. I get the impression it’s meant to be a bit of a satire on the procedural plot structure, but while doing that it definitely trips over the same plot holes and conveniences that genuine procedurals trip over. On its own, this is a 3. With all the nods and references, as the loving satire of the genre it is, it’s a solid 4, maybe a 4.5!

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I reviewed a similar book recently on tour! Check out The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex.