Mike Norton’s Battlepug is a silly book. I don’t know where exactly to start, so I’ll go roughly chronologically. Battlepug starts by obviously referencing the origins of Conan, except for the giant baby seal. Also Santa. And then, there’s the evil witch toad. So yeah, it’s a weird book. But, is it good?

Holy Crom, yes. Now, part of the appeal is that this hit so many of the right notes for me. I love a good fantasy story, and the style of humor on display here is right up my alley.

Battlepug is a direct reference to Conan the Barbarian and Frank Frazetta’s work, seen through the lens of Terry Pratchet’s Diskworld.  I don’t want to get too into the details, because I would have to slap a big “spoiler warning” on this, and I am very, very lazy.  I just need to explain that this book works as an interesting fantasy story, even without the bizarre cuteness that is also thrown in. The cuteness is a huge part of the charm, though.

Normally, I would discuss the writing and the characters. It’s not that they aren’t on display, it’s just that they aren’t the focus. The barbarian is so similar to Conan, that he feels more like a plot device than the main character. This is not in any way a negative. This is a story where the comedy and the story itself are the reasons to keep going. The art is fantastic, though. It captures the goofy and the bada– equally well. The barbarian looks like he could take your head off without any effort, and the battlepug looks like he is the happiest dog ever. Norton captures the awesomeness of fantasy combat and the adorableness of puppies in the same page.

Four slobbery kisses out of five.