The Axe & Grindstone | Book Review

Jun 4

THE AXE & GRINDSTONE

Paul Phipps-Williams | 2019 | 276p | Fiction

Mark Adams is a bit of a layabout. He knows how to manage a pub and that’s about the extent of the ambition he wants to have. When his previous job ends and he finds himself at the helm of an out of the way pub that seems inexorably linked to a tavern in another world - one filled with fantastic beings and a looming terror, Mark has to decide whether to step up or forget it all in a pint or two.

THE AXE AND GRINDSTONE starts out great. A bit of light fantastic, very British, a touch of humor and darkness, but as the novel progresses and Adams finds himself wrapped up in a massive prophecy regarding the pubs, a growing evil and the end of both worlds, it loses the plot. It remained enjoyable, but as the story got more complex, it became weighed down in an awkward mix of import and wackiness. In a strange bit of bravura, this is listed on Amazon as “The Axe & Grindstone: Like Terry Pratchett meets Stephen King... down the pub” as the title and I think that was a mistake – first time author Phipps-Willaims doesn’t have the deft hand at light and dark that he needs to deserve that awkwardly worded title addition. All the same, I do recommend it as a fun, rather quick read if you enjoy fantasy-meets-modern stories.

The Axe & Grindstone is available on Amazon

This review was originally published in the print and digital version of Issue One of Tabletops & Tentacles. Subscribe TODAY!

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