Fantasia Reviews Empireland

Empireland by Clive Culverhouse

Genre – Humorous Fantasy

Published 9/12/2017

Ages 12+

About the Book – Irreverent and it knows it

“Historical fantasy in this Douglas Adams Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy humour style story in a Game Of Thrones like setting.
Cedric of Golloth must flee his home and his people. The Brahgs are coming for him. Ced would be dead by the morning if he didn’t go right now.
Now Ced would take his work across the empires, hunted, but he has a plan. And a quill…” – Publisher’s Blurb

The Review – Empireland is About More Than Countries and Soil

We’ve had this sitting on our to review shelf for a bit, and we are excited to share it with everyone. Longtime readers may remember Mister Culverhouse’s name, the first book we ever reviewed was his The Legend of Heliodor. We have come a long way since then, and so has Mister Culverhouse. Empireland is smart and funny and the comparison to Hitchhikers Guide is apt. It is difficult to find anything to complain about at all in the contents of this tome, with perhaps the exception of a handful of small formatting issues which seem so common in self-published works that they’re hardly worth considering. Mister Culverhouse has outdone himself in this third outing and we are very glad to see it.

It is not difficult to empathize with Ced as he begins his journey. He could have been any one of us. Ced is a writer on a warrior’s quest, and we have to say, the way Mister Culverhouse twists traditional fantasy ever-so-slightly creates some of the humor all on its own. The names themselves are so fantasy, they’re humorous. Every detail of the world of Empireland has been meticulously chosen, and each choice is a resounding success.

Remarkable Humor in a Detailed World

Indeed, perhaps where Mister Culverhouse finds the most success is in the utilization of his incredible imagination. It was on full display in The Legend of Heliodor, and he has kept that here, creating a vivid and detailed world for this irreverent tale to take place. At the same time, the wit of the book is sharper, the use of language better, and the entirety of the tale is better for it. We can safely say that if you enjoy fantasy and enjoy irreverent stories, then Empireland is for you.

The Rating – A-

Empireland is a fun book, for those who don’t mind a little humor with their fantasies. While not perfect, the execution is strong, the characterizations solid, and the story holds up on its own. Putting these pieces together, you get a book that is everything it promises to be, and perhaps, a little bit more. Our only gripe is that the exposition could be a little pithier at times. That being said, sometimes the longwinded narration adds to the humoristic stylings, so it is a bit of a mixed bag. Overall, Empireland is the funniest book we have read this year, that we do not doubt. Thank you, Mister Culverhouse.

If you love funny fantasies, then Empireland is available here.

Checkout Clive Culverhouse on Twitter and www.cliveculverhouse.com