The Philosophical Strangler

The Philosophical Strangler (2001) is the first fantasy novel in the Joe's World series. It is set in a milieu of sorcerers, abbesses and stranglers, not to mention a militant church. These adventures occur mostly in the town of New Sfinctr on the continent of Grotum, although side trips happen now and then. In this novel, Greyboar is a professional strangler. He is very tall and built like an ox. He is a member of the Guild of Stranglers and strictly follows their code of professional ethics. His weapons of choice are his hands. Greyboar likes to say that it is all in the thumbs. Gwendolyn is Greyboar's sister. She is built like her brother, but shorter and voluptuous. They grew up together, but parted when Greyboar left the slaughter house to become a strangler. Gwendolyn is an agitator for dwarf's rights and objects to Greyboar becoming a well paid thug. Ignace is an old friend of the siblings. He is short, red-headed and freckled and looks like a dwarf compared to Greyboar. He was rescued by Gwendolyn as a child and then grew up with Greyboar. He worked with Greyboar in the slaughter house and then left with him. Now he is Greyboar's agent and financial manager. Benvenuti Sfondrati-Piccolomini is an artist, He is also very handsome and graceful; women fall in love with him at first sight. Benvenuti is totally unfair competition to any male. Shrodinger's Cat is a woman with a sword, thick glasses and a vague manner. She is looking for Shrodinger, probably with malice afore thought. Cat is a very ineffectual swordswoman, except that she is never where you would expect her to be. She hacks away here and then somewhere else until her opponent is slashed to pieces or flees the scene. In this story, Ignace arranges an engagement for Greyboar to choke the King of the Sundjhab. They force their way through the elite soldiers, the Grand Sorcerer, and the master of martial arts. Then the King catches Greyboar's attention by claiming to be a philosopher. After a pleasant discussion of entrophic philosophy, Greyboar reluctantly strangles the King. He has professional ethics, don't you know. Afterward, Greyboar and Ignace leave town for a while to allow Queen Belladonna III time to cool down. They have a very exciting time in Prygg and Blain, but don't talk about it much. But Greyboar does meet Cat while he is away and, after returning to Sfinctr, he invites her to the Sign of the Trough for a drink or three. Greyboar also meets Benvenuti in the Sign of the Trough. Ignace hates him on sight. Benvenuti wants advice from Greyboar on a painting of one of Greyboar's targets. The heirs claim that the painting belongs to them and insist on its completion and delivery. Benvenuti has an idea and would like Greyboar's assistance. Later, Greyboar learns that Benvenuti had been Gwendolyn's lover. She had left him to attend to Underground Railroad business. He still pines for her and takes out his sorrow by painting portraits

Greyboar is the world's greatest strangler ("Have Thumb, Will Travel") and Ignace is his manager. During the course of this hilariously chaotic book they have such adventures as: visiting Abbess Hildegaard, who regularly corresponds with God (he insists on using the postal service); helping steal a Rap Sheet (a Joe relic) in Prygg; breaking into a high-level cleric's house (after setting him up to be kidnapped) and breaking into The Pile (high level security prison) to break out Schrodinger's Cat, who is Greyboar's girlfriend; and descending into the Place Worse than Hell and facing Hands Worse Than (the CEO of Hell's) to rescue Benvenuti, who is Greyboar's sister's ex-boyfriend. Along the way, in the various courses of their adventures, they meet such characters as: a fallen angel (and learn the differences between a fallen angel and a devil); a troll (and learn the differences between a troll and an ogre); and various types of snarls. It is almost impossible to define the plot of this book; it wanders, it rambles, it carries on. But it is WONDERFULLY fun! Eric Flint is one of the best at writing humorous fantasy/science fiction/military science fiction (and if you don't believe me, check out Rats, Bats & Vats and/or The Rats, the Bats & the Ugly (The Rbv Series)) and is sure to keep you coming back for more. I can heartily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good laugh!

This one really is a lot of fun and highly entertaining. Booklist called it "Monty Python let loose in Tolkein's World" but its even more fun than that. Not too much can be said about the story line that would make a lot of sense...you have to read it to get the full effect... but I'll give it a try. Greyboar is a professional strangler at the top of his game. He is universally recognized as the best in the business. He is what you would expect with such a character: big, brawny, strong, mayhem personified. He is also surprising in that he loves philosophy. On one of his assignments, he is commissioned to strangle the ruler of a foreign land. While doing so, he becomes enamored with that ruler's philosophical system. It doesn't save the ruler but it does change the strangler's life as he tires to come to grips with his new perception of reality. The result is amusing to everyone except the strangler's business agent. No one is more horrified than he when they lose their standing at the top of the rich assassin's guild and wind up in the impoverished hero's guild. It's lots of fun and makes for a pleasant afternoon.