4.0 out of 5 stars Guyquest, August 24, 2007
By Amanda Richards "Modest to the extreme" (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews

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A funny book about a guy
And Guy's also his name
Your standard goof-off slacker-dude
Without a claim to fame

And then one day a phone call came
That sent him on a quest
He's forced to leave his dirty home
(More like his filthy nest)

There's something wrong with little Seth
At least he's not himself
In no time flat, Guy's pals become
A sor-cer-er and elf

It seems your quest is not complete
Without a certain mix
So they recruit a warrior
Stacked like a house of bricks

There's something evil chasing them
And monsters everywhere
Look out for buzzing little flies
And plumber's derriere

The truth of telemarketing
The huge attorney plot
All made as simple as the choice
To supersize, or not?

It's just as crazy as it sounds
With potty jokes and worse
A madcap world of fantasy
Reviewed by me in verse

A warning to you, friends of mine
And you, my dear consumer
Don't bother picking up this one
If you've no sense of humor



Amanda Richards, August 25, 2007
4.0 out of 5 stars  Guyquest too - The Power of the Unbeliever, September 12, 2007
By Amanda Richards "Modest to the extreme" (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
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We're back again with our guy, Guy
A born under-achiever
He's on another goofy quest
And still an unbeliever

He won't accept his friend's an elf
Scoffs at the wizard's powers
He won't believe that aliens
Will end our world in hours

The warrior's lost her taste for war
But there's a substitute
The four and little brother Seth
Are soon in hot pursuit

It started with a grain of sand
And that one was Knob's fault
Then some twit renamed a planet
Which provoked the said assault

Potty humor, Nike's Swoosh
The price of milk and crude
It's all here in this funny book
By that Norm Cowie dude




Amanda Richards, September 13, 2007

 
4.0 out of 5 stars Laugh-out-loud fantasy with all the best elements, August 31, 2007
By armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
Every fantasy fan knows that there are certain elements a quest must have. There's always a sorcerer, a warrior, an elf, and some pretty cool special effects. They also usually have sequels, which is where The Next Adventures of Guy comes in. It's the sequel (though it stands alone quite well), complete with all the required elements-plus the suddenly helpful younger sibling, in the form of Guy's kid brother, and a replacement for their out-of-commission warrior.

This time the threat is aliens and big oil, somehow (sort of) working together to bring the world to an end. Guy and his friends are the only ones who know about the impending invasion, and if they can't stop it, the aliens-and big oil-will win.

That's a tragedy Guy has to prevent even though he doesn't believe it's really happening.

Cowie deftly takes the group through a series of crazy encounters, deftly exposing real-life absurdities with every step. Everything is outrageous, yet it all rings true. You'll nod and laugh at the exaggerated absurdities. You'll cheer as Guy and his buddies do the things that most everyone wants to do yet no one dares. You'll live vicariously through the characters and wish that Guy could "unbelieve" some powers for you as well.

The Next Adventures of Guy is humorous fantasy at its best, with that little twist of wackiness that will make it appeal to fans of writers like Christopher Moore. Eating or drinking while reading this book is not recommended. Neither is reading it in a public place, unless you don't mind the strange looks you'll get from passers-by as you laugh out loud.

This is a funny book, but more importantly, it's a fun book, one that is a delight to read and leaves you smiling long after you've set it down. I'd love to see more from Cowie and hope that he brings us back to this humorous universe. Guy and his buddies definitely need more adventures.

Armchair Interviews says: A fun and funny book rolled into one excellent fantasy.