Copyright © 2005

$ 9.98 Paperback
$ 3.33 E-book 106 pages

ISBN: 9781411633155

It's time to let out your inner child and delight it with a fairy tale. Fairy tales were something that as a child I couldn't get enough of. A trip into the land of fantasy where there were kings and queens, witches and wizards, beautiful damsels and handsome knights, and where trouble lurked around every corner. Fairy tales were wonderful because good prevailed and evil always lost in the end, so you could be deliciously scared about what was happening, secure in the knowledge that the hero would prevail in the end. Bob the Dragon Slayer brings this storybook format back to us, and this time, the fairy tale is for the adult. Harry E. Gilleland, Jr. brings his unique sense of humor to us in this fairy tale, and it is a tale that will have you chuckling, chortling, and laughing out loud. Mr. Gilleland begins the tale in classic style.

     Long, long ago, in a place far, far away there was an age of chivalry, a time of royalty, of gallant knights and fair ladies who were always getting themselves into distress and needing to be saved (seems like a clever dating technique to me, but whatever), of wizards and magic, and of course, of dragons needing to be slain. It was a land of castles, fine clothing and jewels, great feasts, and live dinner entertainment with much dancing and music making. . .but not for Bob.

Bob, a peasant lad, is traveling the land just trying to keep himself fed through odd jobs and handouts. He had no hope of glory, and luxury is something he can not even imagine. Until he arrives in a valley where a dragon is terrorizing the people, and the king has declared that whichever knight slays the dragon will have his daughters hand in marriage. Bob, being curious, decides to scope out the problem of the dragon, never dreaming of fighting the dragon himself. But then he meets Stephen, self-proclaimed wizard extraordinaire, who has just graduated from wizarding school. Stephen tells Bob that he will help him slay the dragon and gives him the brother sword to Excalibur, whom Bob had never heard of. Since he is the first to wield the sword it is his duty to name the sword, so Bob names the sword Bruce, because he has always liked that name. Armed with Bruce, Bob goes into battle against the dragon and slays the dragon. When Princess Wendie realizes that she will have to marry the peasant, Bob, she whines to her father that she can not do it. Lawyers get involved and it is determined that Bob is not eligible to win the hand of the princess in marriage, because the terms of the proclamation state "whatever gallant knight slew the dragon", and Bob is merely a peasant.

     Bob turned to Stephen and implored, "Do something! Use some magic! They are robbing me of my future!"
     Stephen sadly shook his head. "Even wizards are powerless against lawyers and their fine print. I can be of no aid to you."

Bob decides at that point that he will have to become a knight and goes off in search of a damsel in distress to save. When none of the damsels in distress will let him save them because he is not a knight, Bob changes his plan to earning wealth by slaying dragons. In his travels seeking out dragons to slay, Bob meets Lord Wilfred, whom he quickly dubs Willie. Lord Wilfred is so relieved that Bob slew the dragon so he didn't have to make the attempt that he brought Bob back to his castle and teaches him to be a knight. After Bob leaves Willie, he rescues Lady Katherine, who is Willie's fiancée and travels with her back to her father's castle. Katherine's father turns out to be Edward, the Duke of Westmorland who has sworn to avenge the death of his best friend, the Duke of Westbury and rightful heir to the throne. A few more twists in the plot has Bob leading the army put together by the Duke of Westmorland into battle against the King, brandishing Bruce astride his faithful steed, Spot. This story has all of the fairy tale elements present and is delivered in a delectable tongue in cheek manner.

The only modification that I would make to the book would be to remove the prologue. In it Mr. Gilleland has the McClair family begging the patriarch to tell them a tale and he obliges with the tale of Bob. It is not necessary to the book and doesn't add any value to the work. Let the book start in the classic style of "Long, long ago. . . " and carry on from there. Bob the Dragon Slayer is a very quick read that will leave you smiling at the end. Though written as a fairy tale, this is definitely not a story for children as there are references to Kate's ample cleavage as well as other more adult themed comments which are scattered throughout the text. So, talk to your inner child and let it experience Bob the Dragon Slayer.

Originally reviewed for the Lulu Book Review

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LK Gardner-Griffie
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