Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights

Less Valued Knights #1

by Liam Perrin

Whimsical and poignant, Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights tells the story of Thomas Farmer who dreams of becoming a knight, sets out to save his brother from the hands of an evil Baron, and uncovers a plot that threatens Camelot itself. Along the way, he befriends a series of misfits including an allegedly reformed evil wizard, a shrinking giantess with a latent gift, a veteran knight with a dark secret, and his best friend Philip the Exceptionally Unlucky. In the end, his friends must all join forces and Thomas must come to grips with what it means to be a true hero if they are to outwit the evil Baron. At its heart, Sir Thomas's tale is the story of a young man growing up and learning what it means to be a hero in a world that doesn't always make sense.

Genres: Fantasy, Humor, Comedy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Childrens, Mythology

267 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2013

About the author

Liam Perrin has been roughly geosynchronous for more than a few decades and likely will remain so. Most recently, he orbits the center of Earth from a position outside of Phoenix, Arizona where he tries to avoid high speed collisions with his wife, one daughter, a miniature Australian shepherd, a Russian tortoise, and a cat which turned up uninvited.

AWARDS
Liam is no stranger to storytelling. He worked for half a decade on the legendary Myst series selected by the Smithsonian American Art Museum as one of five featured games out of 240 in the Renwick Gallery's standing Art of Video Games exhibition after 3.7 million votes were cast in 175 countries. Liam worked on the series in various roles including technical art, technical game design, and finally as the Live Content Director on the beloved Myst Online (formerly Uru: Ages Beyond Myst).

REVIEWS
Liam's debut novel Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights has been described by readers as:

Very enjoyable - a pleasure to read
"...one of the most enjoyable, light reading books I have read for some time. A little like Lemony Snicket meets TH White..." -- Amazon reviewer Daniel Jaye

Great read for the entire family
"...a fantasy tale with relatable, imperfect heroes...an inoculant [sic] to all the Disney princess [expletive deleted]..." -- Amazon reviewer Chip Smith

...face-meltingly talented...dumbfoundingly good...
"...the first book I've read in years where I found myself laughing out loud. Not the offhanded grunt or titter either. Huge public-humiliation grade guffawing laughter." -- Facebook reviewer Michael Conn

CONTACT LIAM
Liam's Blog | Liam's Web Site | Liam's Facebook | Liam's Twitter
Liam's email: liam (at) lessvaluedknights (dot) com

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can get this great book for FREE by subscribing to the author’s newsletter here: http://liamperrin.com/free-sir-thomas/

A break. We all need a break from our daily activities once in a while; I got mine from this book.

Let me elaborate on this. If you’ve been following my reviews, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that adult fantasy/sci-fi/historical fiction is my favorite books to read. Most of the times, the plot surrounding these books are full of war, magic, violence, death, politics, betrayals; overall, complex and serious in tone. I wouldn’t trade it any other way. No matter what the genre is, these are my favorite kind of books. However, I will have to take a break from it once in a while. As I always said, anything that’s too much is never good. Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of the Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin gave me the needed break from my usual read.

“To win, all evil needs is for good people to do nothing. Well, we’re not doing nothing are we?”

This doesn’t mean that the novel itself didn’t have an engaging or threatening plot, it does. The setting takes place in Camelot. Combining fantasy and Arthurian legend, the story revolves around Thomas Farmer as he tries his best to follow his dream of becoming a knight and saving his brother from an evil Baron. But at its core, this is a story about growing up, following your dreams, perseverance, and to play the hand you’re dealt with like it was the way you wanted.

“The difference between a blessing and a curse is whether or not a person decides to want the thing.”

I had a great time reading this book. Displaying the strength of beauty in simplicity, Perrin’s prose never fails to keep its charm and it was continuously engaging. The positive messages supplied in this book were delivered effectively through the charming cast of misfits and the humorous tone of the novel. I have seen some of my friends said that reading this book reminded them of Terry Pratchett. Allow me to pronounce my sin right here, right now. I haven’t read a single page of words written by Terry Pratchett. The good thing though, now I’m seriously considering adding Pratchett to my TBR after reading Sir Thomas the Hesitant’s tale.

“If I learned one thing in Camelot, it’s this: the only way to fail is to stop trying. There’s always another chance.”

Charming, fun, and endearing, instead of a typhoon of destruction and violence, Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights conjured a calm breeze to relax in. If you’re ever in need of an easy short read (it took me less than four hours to finish) that’s full of wit and memorable phrases, or maybe you’re just looking for a palate cleanser from your darker and serious tone books, I highly suggest giving this book a read. Although it didn’t make me laugh as I expected it would, it certainly made me smile. And guess what? Sometimes, a genuine smile is all you need to last the day.

“The first step in becoming something is deciding you are the thing already. The rest is just polishing.”

You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[MagretFume · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story follows Thomas Farmer in journey to Camelot in his attempt to free his brother and his land from the evil Baron. 

It's a cute, cozy fantasy where the underdog finds friendship and his courage. 

It's a pretty short read, and a good modern adaptation of a very classic tale. 

I had a good time.

[Samir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, I like it. Another!

[Wol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an absolute delight from beginning to end. I have always loved it when a novel focuses on the characters who would be overlooked by most writers and that’s exactly what Sir Thomas does. It’s absolutely packed full of witticisms, wry observations and oddly thought-provoking asides. Thomas is overlooked even within his own family, who favor his older brother. William has been imprisoned for the heinous crime of suggesting to the local baron that perhaps hoarding their village’s supply of grain and leaving the peasants to starve is a bit counterproductive. When Thomas sets out to Camelot, it’s to beg the soon to be married King Arthur for the boon of his brother’s release – however, Thomas has some grander ideas. If he becomes a Knight he can right other wrongs! While waiting for his turn with Arthur, Thomas meets Philip, a fellow hopeful. They quickly become friends and try to navigate the strange world of Knighthood together.

Their first challenge will decide where they stand in the hierarchy of things, which turns out to be a ridiculous LARPing pseudo-tournament where the spells are thrown eggs with “fireball” written on them and they find themselves in a group with the odds stacked against them in order to make the nobler knights look good. They’re the “Less Valued Knights” and basically their job is to be a bit rubbish, which they’re not entirely sure about.

I’m not sure what I expected when I went into this novel, but I can tell you it exceeded my expectations on every level. One thing I occasionally deal with as a blogger is Grimdark fatigue – I don’t dislike that genre, but there’s an awful lot of it out there and it can get a bit depressing. Sir Thomas is the anti-grimdark. It’s light and whimsical and sparkling, with a magic system based on love and self esteem, a Giant who’s shrinking because she doesn’t believe in herself, a reformed evil wizard, and a sulky sword. It’s a charming, sweet novel that gave me warm fuzzy bunny slipper feelings and a lot of laughs. Now, I know with comedic fantasy there’s always that temptation to compare it to Pratchett – it’s not a thing that I do lightly, and in fact I agonized over this with Steve Thomas (who buddy read with me), but we agreed that it was inescapable. While it’s not as rapid fire as Pratchett’s humor, nor always laugh-out-loud funny so much as it just consistently makes you smile, there is much in common between them. I don’t normally do this, but at this point I’m going to let a few quotes speak for themselves.









These are by no means the only memorable quotes, or even the funniest. They’re just great examples of why the book tickled me throughout. The plot is surprisingly tight and clever, with just the right amount of foreshadowing when necessary. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and the prose and worldbuilding is on point. It’s not just a good comedic novel, it’s a good story.

I find that I have very little to say in terms of downsides. I will say that I think this is a fantastic novel that is being let down by its cover, which is lackluster. I’ve seen a couple of people who think that it’s priced a little high for an obscure self-published novel and that’s a real shame. If you enjoyed the quotes I have posted I’d really urge you to give this one a go – I had an absolutely wonderful time with it and I think you will too. I don’t say this too often, but the next installment will be a day one purchase for me.

[Esme · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of mine, BookWol (known for her famous fantasy book drinks – go check it out if you haven’t! https://tomeandtankard.com ) tipped me off to this book, describing it as Pratchett-esque. She liked it so much I was inundated with silly quotes and tidbits from the book.

So, naturally, I had to pick this one up. This is a shorter review because the book itself is pretty short.

It’s a rather simple tale, there’s a village and the land around it is dying, there’s barely any crops and the livestock animals are getting skinny and dying. The villagers are at a loss on what to do until Thomas’s brother takes it on himself to go and confront the Baron of Fogbottom and ask for provisions to feed the villagers.

Naturally, he gets imprisoned for that.

His brother Thomas hears the town crier announcing the wedding of King Arthur to his soon to be wife, Gwenoviere. The proclamation stated that the King is offering one boon per family if they show up to the court in Camelot and request something reasonable.

So, Thomas sets out on his journey to go to Camelot and ask for the release of his brother. He’s sent out with a ridiculous set of ‘armor’ that’s really just pots and pans from his families kitchen. He wins a magical sword to aid on his journey, but it smells terrible because it’s a cursed sword. Along the way, he ponders his mission and how he’s going to go about it. What’s troubling him is that he really wants is to be a knight and this may be his one chance as a lowly commoner to become a knight of the court of Camelot – so which should he chose?

Along the journey, he meets some friends, and some enemies, and goes on a bunch of adventures – including collecting Giantess tears for a healer which didn’t go at all to plan.

Thomas is a very likeable character, he always seems to be in the middle of some kind of trouble and it’s very rarely his fault. He has a lot of dreams and a good heart making for a noble bright character you root for the entire time. He’s sort of the outcast in his family, his brother William, the one who gets himself imprisoned, is the favorite child. William is everything Thomas isn’t, he’s handsome, he’s well built, and he’s charming. Thomas is sort of an awkward young fellow, and definitely doesn’t have the charisma of his brother. He’s dreamed of making something of himself for a while, and of getting out and into the world outside of his village.

It’s written in the third person and has a lot of clever writing, I laughed a lot throughout this book and it’s very Pratchett-esque without coming across as an imitator. There are some more flowery passages, but it’s laced with humor, akin to the metaphors and similes that Terry used.

The world building is kind of on the backburner for this, it’s there, but it’s as a backdrop/setting and less so at the front of the story. It makes things read pretty quickly since you’re not bogged down trying to figure out which Major House is mad at the other Major House with tons of geography to try and pin down. It’s an Arthurian satire, so if you’re vaguely familiar with Camelot and King Arthur you’ll find your footing quickly.

The writing style is what makes this book original. Comedy is a less common subgenre of fantasy, and most of the ones I come across I chuckle a few times and then promptly forget most of the book. The characters aren’t there enough for me to get attached to them, the writing is hit and miss, and the plotlines aren’t always there for me. This one though, I really enjoyed.

This would be a perfect book if you’re getting bogged down with sprawling epics, or grim dark, or if you’re just in the mood for something fun that’s also short and sweet. It would work great as a palate cleanser.

Audience:
For people who like:

Light hearted books
Noble bright characters
comedy in fantasy
Arthurian legends
shorter faster paced books
single POV
less intense world building
Ratings:
Plot: 11/15

Characters: 13.5/15

World Building: 11/15

Writing: 14/15

Pacing: 13/15

Originality: 12/15

Personal Enjoyment: 10/10

Final Score: 84.5/100 – 5 stars

[Liam Perrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi Everyone :)

Goodreads suggests that authors go ahead and rate their own books and then use the review section to say something about the book that readers can't find out from the other blurbs and biography sections. I thought I'd share the impetus for this (hopefully first) book (of many in the series).

I was reading some of the original Arthurian corpus a decade or so ago and I came across this paragraph:

"Know that there were three kinds of tables there. The first was the Round Table. King Arthur was companion and lord of this one. The second table was called the Table of Errant Companions, those who went seeking adventure and waited to become companions of the Round Table. Those of the third table were those who never left court and did not go on quests or in search of adventures, either because of illness or because they had not enough courage. These knights were called the less valued knights."

The idea of a Table of Less Valued Knights stopped me short. I scoured the web certain someone had taken this idea and run with it, but I found nothing. It seemed like a great source of humor, and as I thought more about who these knights might be I started to realize they were probably a lot like you and me: We struggle daily to do the right thing. We fight battles that are heroic in our worlds that largely go unnoticed by the people we think matter. We may be an arm's length from where we want to be, but we feel like that arm's length may as well be half way to the moon. In short it was too fertile a soil to pass up, and now ten years later I give you Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights.

Yours Truly,
Liam

P.S. If you're curious, the quote above can be found in Lancelot-Grail: 8. The Post Vulgate Cycle. The Merlin Continuation: The Old French Arthurian Vulgate & Post-Vulgate in Translation (and you thought my title was long!)

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a witty, feel-good tale. Perrin has an almost conversational prose which makes you feel a part of the story. His characters are fleshed out and you feel quite attached to them. His use of vocabulary is brilliant, I learnt new words.

Book two has recently been released, I will be reading it.

[K.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, entertaining, fun book...a coming-of-age comic fantasy with hints of William Goldman and Terry Pratchett. Well-paced, with a great cast of lovable characters. Recommended for anyone looking for a light read.

[Steve Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights by Liam Perrin is a story about the unsung heroes of Camelot. These are the knights who do the legwork and investigate ne’er-do-wells so the more famous knights can sweep in and hog the glory. They’re the ones who fight in a mock tournament smashing eggs on each other’s heads so the more prominent knights look all the more impressive when they joust. They aren’t the heroes of the story. They’re here to make the heroes look good. It’s right there in their creed.

Thomas of Fogbottom becomes a LVK after his brother is wrongfully imprisoned by a malicious and greedy Baron for the high crime of asking the Baron to stop hoarding the entire town’s food stores in a time of famine (this being a King Arthur parody, the land is withering and all that). To celebrate his upcoming marriage to Guinevere, Arthur is offering a boon to anyone who comes to ask for one, and just about everyone there asks to become a knight. While waiting in line, Thomas becomes fast friends with Phillip the Disadvantaged (who has an impressive thesis to share about bad luck) and together they navigate their new knighthood while Thomas looks for an opportunity to help his brother and his town.

This is a light, wholesome book. The magic system runs on how self-esteem makes a difference, and problems are solved by helping people find their dignity (or, failing that, a good clobbering by a Knight of the Round Table). There’s an excessively cute romance. Thomas embraces his role as a contractually-mandated underdog and background character.

As to the humor, the narration does the heavy lifting. Perrin is quick with a long and pointless aside to flesh out the world, such as a whole chapter about a rock’s backstory. He loves to point out narrative subversion and the whole thing is written in jaunty, amusing prose. It’s hard to describe, so I’ll give an example.

Thomas and Phillip spent the night in a grove of trees outside the city walls. A stretch of lush green grass ran down from the city walls to a clear stream flowing between hills flowered yellow and, further out, forested with thick old oaks and maples. Butterflies flitted about haphazardly and birds sang to each other merrily about things like cats and where to find the best worms and who had the best nest. The evening was comfortably cool and required no fire. A magnificent expanse of stars spread out overhead as night deepened, and every so often a shooting star arced across the heaves. Lying on his back amidst it all, the sum of all this wondrous natural beauty had absolutely no effect on Thomas whatsoever.

The humor isn’t subversive, crass, zany, or lowbrow. It’s this lush, charming wit that permeates the whole book. Look, I hate when people compare any funny fantasy book they come across to Pratchett because there are as many styles of humor as there are authors, but this one really comes across as G-rated Pratchett. The strength of the narration and the love for the unsung heroes strikes the same notes as a Discworld book, and it is just lovely to read.

Sir Thomas the Hesitant didn’t have me laughing out loud too often, but I was smiling the whole way through. Hesitant that there’s no room in your heart for a wholesome book like this in a sea of grimdark recommendations? Nonsense. You’ll be fine.

[Carole-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

So utterly entertaining and brilliant and funny and thoughtful (I have a number of 'quotes' I'd like to repeat!) and (Sir) Thomas Farmer is lovely :)

I simply adore all Thomas is subjected (!) to; but he rises above it. His friends are heroic (Philip, especially - but Dedric, Edgar and Ox are there too!) Oh, and not forgetting Pyralis (a reformed (?) wizard), and Gorgella, a redeemed giant :)

I love how his love/regard for his family (Mum, Dad, Grandma & Elizabeth) is important; how his friends matter; and how much his (innocent) acceptance of Marrock ultimately helps an important outcome.

There are some 'good' Baddies, in Bane and his father; a 'worldly' view of Arthur, Merlin, and Camelot; but nothing to detract from a good "Arthurian" legend; and a worthwhile 'ending'.

So definitely continuing with this series!! :)

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a hero saves the town or rescues the princess, the accolades come from far and wide. The hero's name is recorded in the annals of history, and his namesake is revered for generations to come. But what about the other men or women behind the scenes that have risked life and limb to ensure the hero's victories? In many cases, they might be the ones most responsible for saving the day, but are never honored or shown the respect they deserve.

Until now.

Liam Perrin's "Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights" was a pleasure to read: a fun and funny romp through Arthurian times centering on Thomas of Fogbottom and his motley crew of ne'er-do-wells living in the shadows of the Knights of the Round. Thomas is already used to living in the shadow of his older brother William as the story begins, but a twist of fate forces Thomas to journey to Camelot to help change the fate of his brother, and perhaps his whole town. He embarks on several mini-adventures along the way, crossing paths with a wide range of characters great and small (and sometimes both!) on his quest to restore honor to his family and his town.

One of the biggest surprises of reading this novel was how well-plotted it turned out to be. Perrin did an excellent job of feigning seemingly obvious plot twists while launching into others. There were several instances of story threads that deftly wove together as the book progressed, and I was impressed at how easy it was to root for Thomas' team when the stakes were raised.

I also enjoyed how the author emphasized working out the many conundrums the group came across through non-violence as often as possible, turning to battle as a very last resort. It was a breath of fresh air to see knights and wizards use their wits before weapons.

The book is relatively short, but there was quite a lot of story packed in, and quite a bit of heart as well. I wish we were able to spend a little more time getting to know the back stories of some of the characters (Marie, Gorgella, Pyralis) but it seems like Perrin left the door wide open for future entries to this series, which I will definitely be checking out.

I can easily recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Arthurian legends with a dash of magic, plenty of comedy, a healthy dose of poignancy, swiftly-moving prose, and emotional moments that sneak up on you. I've heard some compare Perrin to Terry Pratchett, and though I'm mostly unfamiliar with Prachett's work, I feel that is quite a high compliment. Why not decide for yourself?

[Rusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sent a digital copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review. I had heard some very positive reviews and I was very excited to read this.

Over the past 18 months I have read quite a few books that were more dark and grim. While they often have compelling conflicts or struggles where the characters have with difficult choices, I can get weighed emotionally after a while with grmidark. That is why I was very eager to dive into this book.

To simply call this book fun, light-hearted or a book to “cleanse the palate” would do it a disservice. Certainly the book was chock-full of chuckle-worthy moments (especially the scenes with Thomas’s magical sword), and I found myself picturing the author laughing at his own jokes as he wrote it.

To go no farther with my review and focus only on the humor would miss how well the author worked with and even featured flawed characters. And then, he didn’t just make the zero into the hero overnight; instead, he had the flawed characters succeed with their flaws in tact.

I also loved that Thomas in particular demonstrated a well-developed moral code. With every choice he had to make, Thomas considered (and usually did) what was right. He valued family. He was a man of his word. He aspired to uphold the values of the knighthood. And many more.

I definitely enjoyed this book. I knew it would be funny (and it was). I was pleasantly surprised with the use of flawed characters that aspire to be the real heroes in the story.

Thank you, Liam, for sending this to me. Well done! 4.5 / 5

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sir Thomas the Hesitant?" "Aye," said Thomas hesitantly, "I suppose that's me."

Absolutely loved this knightly tale, with all its humour and goodness - perfect distraction from the misery of a Winter flu! Really engaging cast of characters including such gems as a 'formerly' evil wizard and a giantess with self-esteem issues.

Really appreciated all the positive underlying messages;

"Let me tell you a secret Thomas, the first step in becoming something is deciding you are the thing already. The rest is just polishing."

And the sage advice;

"The jousters who live the longest, joust the least."

I've already purchased the next book in the series, Faycalibur, and I can't wait to dive in!

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable.

There are different types of heroes. The most common is the hero who's brave and goes looking for opportunities to prove himself. Another is the hero who's not very brave (and he knows it) and perhaps not very skilled, but when he finds himself in a situation where something needs to be done, well, he does it. Not because he's brave, but because it's right.

Both kinds of heroes feature in Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights, but our protagonist is Thomas.

And Thomas is the second type. He's sweet and bumbling and clever all at the same time, and he's determined to help. Our hero, like any good hero, is supported by his own heroic brand of misfits: the wise-cracking sidekick (oh, Philip, I have such a soft spot for him), the reformed evil wizard, the Giantess Formerly in Distress, and the beautiful, quick-witted love interest. And let's have a word about Marie, shall we? Because she is not the pretty but useless, sincere but dumb girl who tends to show up in these stories and only manages to cause more problems. She's smart, she's snarky, and she's firm where Sir Thomas the Hesitant is (shockingly) hesitant. Thank God for that, too, because one Mary Sue can blacken an entire book for me.

And this read was too good to be marred in such a way. The writing is light and witty, the tale is clever, the characters are well-sketched, the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. The story is epic in scope, interweaving with Arthurian legend, and yet Perrin keeps it acutely personal: Thomas isn't motivated by glory, he's motivated by family and by deep feelings for home. By having the story expand throughout and then retract to the focal point--home--for the climax, the effect resembles something like a punch to the gut when everything comes together.

And I mean that in the best possible way. The whole story is enthralling, engaging on an individual level, and I finished the book with a silly grin. I just felt so good after reading this, which is sorta the point, isn't it?

Also: the portrayal of Gawain during his brief appearances made me giggle. I honestly think I found them funnier than I really should have, but whatever. "I canna feel me rrrump. I didna leave it behind did I? That wouldna do at all." Cue giggling. Don't judge me.

So enough of my rambling. Here's the entire point: I loved this. So much.

Perrin's novel was my "I'm placing an order on Amazon anyway and hey, free shipping if I add a little more to the cart and sure, I'll take a chance on this item" read, one I saw originally on a GoodReads giveaway but was too late to enter. Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights is easily the best "Hell, why not?" purchase I've made in recent memory.

Go read it. Thomas hesitates, but readers shouldn't.

[Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights was, quite simply, fun. Set in Arthurian times, this is the story of Thomas Farmer of Fogbottom as he adventures outside of home on his quest to become a knight.

Setting

Sir Thomas meets and interacts with a lot of legendary figures from Arthurian England. The characters are parodied which participates to the humour in the book. The whole book is spaced over the course of a week or two while King Arthur and Guinevere are marrying each other.

Other Thoughts

I’m scraping my normal sections because I really don’t know what to put in them. My enjoyment of this book derives strongly from the light, comedic tone; and more than anything else, that’s what makes it a great read. It started off a little bit slow, but after a few chapters, it really hit its stride. So much so that I read 80% of the book in one night, only stopping because dinner was required.

Sir Thomas is one of the more endearing protagonists I’ve recently read about. He may not be a typical knight, but he wants to help everyone and he takes his duties very seriously. He might be a Less Valued Knight, but he’s still a Knight.

Situational humour is also used by Perrin, as characters often find themselves in ridiculous positions. For example, the freshly-knighted have their skills tested in a LARP scenario where they’re role-playing themselves.

Secondary characters are easily very interesting and can be a bit ridiculous too. Pyralis, for example, is a former evil wizard and baker turned healer and often has some very unusual/wacky magical gadgets which would fail most workplace health and safety tests.

All in all, Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights is a very enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone looking for a more lighthearted tale.

Audience

This book is probably best for people who like:

* Comedy
* Ridiculous situations
* Arthurian Legends
* Parodies

For more reviews, check out my blog, The Fantasy Inn

[Tnkw01 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story. All I could think was "am I sure this is not Terry Prachett". It was funny, heart warming, enjoyable and had a very satisfying ending. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, light-hearted read. We, as the reader, don't get dragged into the trivial details on the last hundred years of history of the region that produced the cloth that made the cloak being worn by the guard that walked past the main character on the street. That was refreshing, along with the tongue-in-cheek, laugh at yourself type of humor with a genuinely likeable and relatable character.

Definitely worth a read.

[Sibil · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Questo libro è rimasto penalizzato dalle mie aspettative un po' troppo alte. Non è stata una brutta lettura, anzi è un libro molto scorrevole, originale e divertente. Il senso dell'umorismo dell'autore mi è davvero piaciuto parecchio. Però mi aspettavo qualcosa di più. Ad essere onesta mi aspettavo troppo, ma se siete in cerca di un libro che vi tenga compagnia facendovi vivere qualche avventura e divertire, beh, direi che questo fa al caso vostro.
A tratti mi ha anche ricordato Terry Pratchett, e questo è un grosso più. Certo, Sir Terry è inarrivabile, ma qualunque libro riesca a farmelo venire in mente è comunque un buon libro. E oltre al senso dell'umorismo e alla satira, c'è di più tra queste pagine. Anche se la storia di per sè rimane abbastanza canonica, quello che rende speciale questo libro è la cricca di personaggi che lo abita (oltre all'umorismo... l'ho già detto questo??). Il punto è che Thomas potrà non essere il migliore (e ok, non è il migliore praticamente in niente), ma è determinato, ha un forte senso di cosa è giusto e cosa è sbagliato e, cosa da non sottovalutare, riesce a circondarsi delle persone giuste!
La gigantessa in primis, ma anche il suo migliore amico, Phillip, e l'ex mago oscuro ora convertitosi a guaritore/inventore, tanto per citarne alcuni, sono personaggi favolosi. E la storia procede spedita con scenette divertenti sparse qui e là, a ravvivare una storia che è un classico tra i classici del fantasy (piccola nota: la scena della nomina dei cavalieri da parte di Artù e Merlino è qualcosa di semplicemente geniale e mi sono divertita davvero tantissimo a leggerla!)

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, pleasant read; a funny and good-natured book. I enjoyed making the acquaintance of the likable misfits of the title.

[Nom · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sanity is overated" said Pyralis.


This is a review of Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights (from here simply 'Sir Thomas') by Liam Perrin. I've read the book just in time as the sequel, Faycalibur is planned to launch in February!

Sir Thomas is about, well, Thomas, who sets out to become a knight. I would probably describe it as a comedy, although it is not without its serious, dramatic moments.

When you write comedic fantasy you will inevitably be compared with Terry Pratchett. This is alsmost always unfair. And although Sir Thomas doesn't quite reach the level of PTerry, it does have its brilliant moments. Most of the jokes aren't as on the nose as PTerry's jokes and this makes it that when a joke doesn't completely land, it doesn't take you out of the story. That Sir Thomas is a comedy also makes it an easy and light-hearted read, perfect to read between some more meatier books.

The beginning of the book was a bit rough for me. For example, it wasn't clear to me that we were supposed to like William. With the limited introduction and interaction, he seemed like a bully to me. The story seemed also haphazardous to me, with meeting random people and having random effect that don't seem to progress the story in any particular way. However, this changes as soon as Thomas reaches Camelot, from there the story not only becomes more coherent, but all previous meetings and events also comes together in a satisfying way. I only wished that Less Valued Knighthood would play a bit more of a central role. It not like it's meaningless, but I feel like there was more that could have been done with it.

Liam Perrin generally manages to write fun characters. The three most important characters are written very well, they are flawed but likable, and especially Thomas has a very pleasant character growth. I find that some of the other imporant characters have a very good set-up but could benefit from a bit more pay-off (e.g. Pyarilis) and some the secondary characters feel a bit one-dimensional. However, these comments are only minor, as I said, Liam Perrin writes fun characters.

So, bottom-line. After a bit of a rough start I really liked the book. It has fun characters, fun and funny moments (interspered with some serious and dramatic moments). It is a great light-hearted read, and I'm looking forward to the sequel!

On my rating ranging from 'bottom of my to read list' to 'next book to read' I would place this book Top half of my to read list.

[Ciaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable fun read, had me cracking up more than I expected, well worth checking out.

[Dianthaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty and heartwarming

This book feels like a warm hug from a dear friend. It left me feeling so good. Take on the world, start a rebellion, do anything you set your mind to good. Anyone in need of a pick me up, read this book now. My only real complaint is that there aren't 10 more volumes to follow up.

It's classic tale of a young man setting off on a great quest to prove his worth and save his better-at-everything-brother. Except he's not really all that sure going is such a good idea, and can't really figure out how to go about his quest, which is really just an average sized quest, when you think of it. He's a knight without much shiny armor at all, that gets by more due to his kind nature and good friends than strength.

My favorite parts:

The Characters : Liam Perrin's characters are lovely, colorful and sweet. In a book centered around Less Valued Knights, my favorite was a less important character, Sir Thomas' Grandma, who kept nodding off whenever anything was happening, but was very clever in between her nap, she reminded me of Nanny Og.
As Thomas sets out he's helped, as would only be appropriate in any fairy tale, by a mysterious wizard and a magical creature. The wizard is a recovering evil wizard turned healer, and the magical creature is a giantess with huge self esteem issues. He also get a powerful magic sword, that stinks, impressively so. In Camelot he makes friends with Sir Phillip the Disadvantaged, a fellow young Less Valued Knight, who is a loyal and supportive a friend as anyone could dream of.
Though Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table are rather unimportant in this story, I found them all fun, and I liked that we saw a more human side to them as well.

The Humor : There's all kinds of funny in this book. The language is witty and great to read, the names and the reasons behind them made me giggle, I will be naming a future a cat after Sir Cuddlington. All the sweet little stories like the shrinking giantess and the evil wizard with a passion for baking delicious biscuits. And the ridiculous parts, like the tournament held at Camelot to assign each new knight to their appropriate table, which involves little actual combat and lot of throwing around bags of flour and trying to break eggs on people's heads.

The Story was a lot more elaborate than I'd expected in 260 pages, and with plenty of twists and turns to keep it all interesting. There are two main ideas that pop up a lot: "I don't think this is a good idee" quickly followed by "Nonsense, you'll be fine" and the idea that you can only be what you imagine yourself to be. The first funny, the second what made the book so endearing to me. I'm weary of giving out spoilers, but there's adventure, a lovely lady with a good head on her shoulders that's by no means a damsel in distress, a dastardly plot by an evil Baron, and unlikely hope in the darkest of times.

We got to see the less glamarous side of Camelot, which come to think of it must have made up most of the city. Sir Tuttle the Authorized's rules for the LVK are really just good sense rules that we could abide, and Thomas only gets into trouble when he forgets about them.

I only wonder how long to wait until I can re-read this.

I got a review copy of this book from the author through The Weatherwax Report's project matching indie authors and reviewers .

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review is here on my blog!

I really liked this book right from the start. It’s often quite hilarious (in a faintly reminiscent way to Monty Python and the Holy Grail) to start, but nevertheless is plotted out well, with fun characters who I had a great time reading about, and tells a fun, original, and rather unique (for a story within the realm of King Arthur) story.

The story follows Thomas Farmer, who is… a farmer (gasp!) in the village of Fogbottom. The Baron of Fogbottom is letting all the people starve, despite having a pretty big store of grain, so Thomas’ older, much handsomer, much more popular brother William decides to go to the Baron, demanding that he use his stores of grain to feed the people. He’s then imprisoned, because the Baron is, well… a dick.

At the same time, Arthur Pendragon (KING OF THE BRITONS! …okay, sorry >.>) is getting married to Guinevere, and it’s such a happy occasion that he’s offering a boon to one person from every family in his kingdom. With his brother imprisoned, Thomas’ parents tell him to go and ask the king to pardon his brother. So, Thomas goes to Camelot, and asks Arthur to make him a knight… because follow your dreams, guys! :D But really, if he’s a knight, then he can solve that problem and many more!

Along the way, Thomas meets all kinds of interesting characters, including his new best friend, Philip the Exceptionally Disadvantaged (it means unlucky), an ex-evil wizard, and a shrinking giantess with self-esteem issues.

It’s well written, quickly paced, not overly long, funny as hell and really quotable. I highlighted many, many quotes that made me laugh over the course of my 4 or so hours with this book. It had legitimate twists and turns that I didn’t see coming, and a really satisfying ending too!

I do hope there will be more stories of the Less Valued Knights, because they’re awesome!

I got a free copy of this book from the author, and in exchange, here is my honest review of it! :D

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book in a First Reads contest.

I found this book to be a very entertaining read. Written by someone who has clearly read many Arthurian works, this book tells the story of an original character, Sir Thomas the Hesitant. Interspersed throughout the tale are many references to Arthurian literature; however, you do not need to have read any stories about King Arthur in order to enjoy this book.

This book has a large array of interesting characters, both original (like Thomas' family), and Arthurian (like Sir Gawain). The plot is well-woven, and the author includes many humorous side-stories, some of which interweave in surprising ways.

The plot occurs during the early days of the Round Table, and the author leaves room for possible sequels (which I would be delighted to read). With an entertaining plot, interesting characters, references to classic Arthurian literature, and humor, I find this book to be a good read for children and for adults.

[Steve Kimmins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A marvellous, light hearted Fantasy tale for all ages. Easy to read, wittily written, this is the classic Camelot with knights in plate armour, tournaments, Merlin, Arthur and Guinevere. Along the lines of Monty Python and the Holy Grail but with less mud.
The hero is a peasant lad, Thomas, who stumbles upon knighthood in a hesitant way. But he’s not an idiot, just inexperienced in the ways of knighthood, and he pursues a genuinely heroic path in this tale doing just as well in his own way as any of the nobler knights on the more elevated tables at Camelot.
I read the ebook, but I didn’t like the cover shown with the book on the websites, including Goodreads, of a cartoonish knight’s horse. It gives a more goofy view of the book than it deserves. Thomas despite being hesitant, is genuinely a hero!
5* because I thought it was good fun, well written and I couldn’t see how this pleasant tale could be improved.

[Mick Gillies · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story of innocence, blind heroism and the need to succeed. From the opening paragraph I was drawn to this Arthurian tale of the adventures of Thomas.
Such skilled writing enveloping clever wit, old age story telling and character building all into a must read bundle.
All the adventures are so original and the band of characters so true to everyday life and how simple events have more "spiderweb" connotations.
This book has gained first choice as a bedtime story for my children. After a few chapters of fun its off to sleep to dream of odd questlike adventures.
Also a special thankyou to Liam Perrin for signing the book for my eldest son Aaron and he so loved your special and very apt inscription

[Tay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not to say that I didn't have high hopes for this book (after all, it does have some great reviews), but I must admit, I was blown away by how awesome it was! Others have described its merits already, so I'll just say that the characters were memorable and unique, the story was well-paced, and Liam Perrin is amazingly clever. Like, Pratchett and Gaiman clever. Sir Thomas the Hesistant is definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year, and I can't wait to see what other stories Liam Perrin comes up with next.

[Tom Loock · Rating 4 out of 5]

(amended 12 Sept 2014)
Wonderful book, great cast of characters, nice 'modernish' take on Camelot (pubs that have wash-rooms with towels, knights that lead old ladies across the street during heavy traffic, Dickensian pickpockets that hang about in public parks etc.), that might, but shouldn't upset Arthurian Traditionalists.
Oh, and it's funny in a unique way - for those who insist on comparisons, Pratchett rather than Douglas Adams or Tom Holt.

I was delighted to learn from the author that we may expect sequel(s).
I'll be on board!

[Jon Daley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's sense of humor hasn't changed over the years (and that's a good thing), and this book was quite enjoyable.

There were some good phrases sprinkled throughout the book that were not particularly relevant to the story, but were funny and not distracting, and so were good additions to the story.

Most stories around the feudal times focus on the big shots, and it was neat to hear about the common people and what things they might have thought about.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was concerned that this book would not be for me, initially. Mainly because it started as a series of jokes, rather than a story. Novels and joke books are entirely separate genres and cannot overlap. Fortunately, a narrative escaped and ran off, trailing comedic scenes and dialogue behind it. (These are funny, but not the same thing as jokes at all.) At that point it became an entertaining, page-turning romp, albeit one that needed a competent proof-reader rather desparately.