The Other Hamlet Brother by Luke Swanson
Meet Tim Hamlet, the identical twin brother of the famously melancholy Danish prince. Tim has abandoned royal life and is trying (and failing) to make it as a playwright in London. But then, tragedy rears its ugly head—King Hamlet dies, Claudius takes the throne, and young Hamlet dons an “antic disposition.”
Tim charts a course for home despite his better judgment, setting sights on Denmark for the first time in years. On his journey, he crosses paths with Nick Bottom, Romeo Montague, Prospero, and other familiar faces, all the while on a collision course with fate. This tragically funny and funnily tragic adventure will keep you on your toes every step of the way, never knowing what exactly will happen next.
My Thoughts
Fantasy fiction is serious business, until it isn’t. While we love our multi-volume doorstoppers and grimdark epics as much as the next reader, sometimes it’s fun to let loose and look for a laugh. I mean, I love serious fantasy as much as the next guy, but sometimes you need to take a step back and acknowledge that sometimes elves and magic and omens can come across as just a little silly.
There are high fantasy parodies, taking on tropes of faux-medieval fantasy worlds, sometimes with a meta-fictional twist. Then there are satirical takes on urban fantasy and the paranormal, tongue-in-cheek updates of myths and fables, and books that are just plain funny and weird. So if you need a break from the grittier end of the fantasy spectrum, you must consider this masterpiece of fantastical humor.
Enter comedic fantasy. There are plenty of contemporary fantasy writers who know their way around a joke, and if you’re looking for a laugh, then you’ve come to the right place. The other hamlet brother by Luke Swanson is an amazing piece of art with Shakespeare's stuffings above it for the humor-hungry bookworm.
Do you like a hearty dose of laughter along with your magical writing? While some people may not head to fantasy novels for the laughs, there are a whole bunch of fantastical and funny fantasy books out there that provide some escapism and comic relief. Luke Swanson’s fantasy novel The other hamlet brother is one of the funniest contributions to the genre that I’ve read in the last few years.
If you're a fantasy fan looking for something a bit on the lighter side, or if you're intimidated by serious tomes about orcs and chosen ones, check out this delightfully funny fantasy book that shake up the genre.
Highly Recommended!
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