The very silly and subtly wry version of pretty much every fairy tale stereotype ever told is written through the lens of Roger Zelazny, one of the best fantasy authors of the 20th century. Zelazny's unique perspective brings a fresh and humorous take to the familiar tropes.

The plot centers on a minor devil who enters the once-every-thousand-year contest between good and evil for control over people. His almost slapstick plot of love, betrayal, and murder seems set to fail spectacularly. However, as the story progresses, it starts to work in the most unexpected ways, and everything sort of falls apart in a chaotic and entertaining manner.

This is a fun book that is full of word-play and color. It makes a great distraction from the stresses of daily life. While it may not be considered high-art or even art in the traditional sense, not all books have to be. This is brain candy, the yummy kind that you can enjoy without having to think too deeply. It's a light-hearted and enjoyable read that will leave you with a smile on your face.

I'm not entirely certain as to why this particular work has received such low ratings here. One possible explanation could be that it may not be considered the absolute *best* of Zelazny's oeuvre. After all, in any body of work, something has to hold the top spot, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the rest are of poor quality. Perhaps this is also one of the points that the book is trying to make.

Nevertheless, I firmly believe that it doesn't deserve such a low rating. Zelazny is truly a master when it comes to poking fun at fantasy tropes. He has the remarkable ability to simultaneously utilize these very same tropes to his advantage, creating a unique and engaging reading experience. This book is not only hilarious but also displays great intelligence with its sharp and incisive observations on the natures of Good and Evil.

I must admit, however, that I found the ending to be a little lackluster. It could be that I personally had higher expectations and wanted more from it. However, it should be noted that the last 5 pages are precisely in the ending style that I have come to expect from Zelazny.

It is not my thing.

If I had read it 20 years ago, probably I would have liked it.

Now it seems rather naive and superficial to me.

This might be because our perspectives and expectations change over time.

What might have been appealing in the past no longer holds the same charm.

Perhaps as we grow older and gain more life experiences, we look for deeper and more meaningful content.

However, it's also possible that the work itself has not aged well and simply doesn't resonate with our current sensibilities.

Nevertheless, it's interesting to reflect on how our tastes and evaluations can shift so significantly.

It makes us wonder what we might think of the things we enjoy today in another 20 years' time.

This book was, at best, mediocre.

It is the second Zelazny book that I have attempted to read and have not liked.

Consequently, I suspect that this author simply is not to my taste.

The concept seemed interesting initially.

However, I firmly believe that Good Omens presents a far superior "demons vs angels using human pawns" narrative.

In Good Omens, the characters are more vividly drawn, the plot is more engaging, and the overall story-telling is more captivating.

While Zelazny's book had some potential, it failed to live up to my expectations.

Perhaps others may find more enjoyment in his work, but for me, it simply did not hit the mark.

I will likely not be picking up another Zelazny book in the future.

Instead, I will continue to explore other authors and their works in search of those that truly resonate with me.

I really liked the writing style of the authors.

The plot is nice and funny. It was easy to read on its own.

I had a great time and I was eager to know what the story had in store for us. I admit that I was more than once surprised by the turn of events, and it was very pleasant.

The article seems to be a review of a book or a story. It expresses the author's enjoyment of the reading experience. The use of words like "liked", "nice", "funny", and "pleasant" shows a positive attitude towards the work.

The link provided at the end might lead to more information about the book or the story being reviewed. It could be a website where readers can find out more about the authors, the plot, or other related details.

Overall, the article gives a good impression of the work and might encourage others to give it a try.

https://psylook.kimengumi.fr/2021/04/...

Good fantasy and a great laugh.

It's silly, but it serves as a wonderful diversion.

I read it when I was much younger, and I'm certain that I'm reviewing it with a sense of nostalgia in my eyes.

However, I decided to give it another try, and to my surprise, it really holds up.

The story is filled with imaginative elements that transport the reader to a world of fantasy and make them forget about the real world for a while.

The characters are also quite charming, each with their own unique personalities and quirks.

Despite its silliness, there is a certain charm and appeal to the book that makes it a joy to read.

Whether you're looking for a lighthearted read or simply want to relive the memories of your childhood, this book is definitely worth checking out.

It's a great example of how a simple and silly story can still have a lasting impact and bring a smile to your face.

So, if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend giving it a go. You might just be pleasantly surprised.

To be honest, I expected more considering the recommendation.

It's not bad reading material, but the style is a bit choppy.

Short sentences, at times long and detailed descriptions, but then short and abrupt again.

I liked the story as a whole.

I also found several extremely funny quotes that are worth remembering.

Overall, it has its pros and cons. The choppy style might make it a bit less smooth to read, but the interesting story and great quotes make up for it to some extent.

Maybe with a bit more refinement in the writing style, it could be an even better piece of work.

Nevertheless, it's still an enjoyable read that can provide some entertainment and food for thought.

Puff-pastry light,

yet entertaining enough if you don't take it too seriously.

Interestingly, another reviewer pointed out (much to my surprise as I had guessed it to be published earlier) that it came out a year after Good Omens.

Overall, Good Omens is the better book.

It is cleverer, funnier, and has more vividly drawn characters.

Good Omens has a more ambitious scope.

In contrast, Charming doesn't pretend to be anything more than fluff.

However, Good Omens also has its more obvious flaws.

It has uneven pacing, an uneven tone, tries to be a bit too serious in some spots, and has rather bland child characters.

On balance, I rate Charming a 3.5.

I found myself sufficiently entertained, but I doubt I'll bother to read the sequel.

It was a pleasant enough read, but not one that left a lasting impression.

Perhaps it's best enjoyed as a light and fluffy diversion.

But for those seeking a more substantial and engaging read, Good Omens would be the better choice.

The book's premise is as amusing as one might expect from the title.

It's the year 1000, and the millennial contest between the forces of Good and Evil to see who will control the fate of mankind for the next thousand years is shaping up. The demon Azzie comes up with the idea for a perfect winning entry: a fairy-tale gone badly wrong. However, assembling all the pieces (and the characters--literally, Frankenstein-style) doesn't go so well for him either.

This book was pretty much as funny as I hoped, with lots of anachronistic jokes and just general silliness. But the problem is that, once the plot has played out, the authors don't seem to know what to do with Azzie. Their efforts at that point are just...sad (not weepy sad; bad sad). As a result, the book left a rather blah aftertaste. Consequently, I'm rating this 2.5 stars and rounding down. It's a depressing thing to have to do to a Zelazny novel, but there it is.

Overall, while the initial concept and the humor in the beginning were enjoyable, the lackluster conclusion really detracted from the overall experience. It's a shame because Zelazny is known for his great works, but this one just didn't quite hit the mark. Maybe with a different ending, it could have been a much better read.

Bring Me The Head of Prince Charming commences just prior to the dawn of the millennium, specifically the very first one, not the much-hyped Y2K one. Here, the forces of Darkness and Light are engaged in their momentous millennium contest, vying to determine who shall reign supreme over the next 1000 years. The anti-hero in this tale is the demon Azzie, who devises a jumbled rendition of the classic fairytale 'Sleeping Beauty' in an attempt to prove the case for evil. His only genuine competitor is Good's entry, Gothic Cathedrals. Despite being hindered by the very essence of evil, Azzie still stands a remarkable chance of emerging victorious.

I have an abiding love for fairytales, and when I discovered that this particular one was penned by the unlikely pair of Zelazny and Sheckley, I simply couldn't resist the urge to read it. Given the subject matter, Zelazny and Sheckley might easily have fumbled and gotten it all wrong. However, they have not.

Bring Me The Head Of Prince Charming is delightfully light and sublimely subversive. It preserves all the hallmarks of a warped fairytale, with the wisdom and wit of all ages permeating throughout. It is truly a captivating read that anyone, regardless of whether ichor courses through their veins or not, can't help but enjoy.

I won't be reading the sequels.

The best part of this book was undoubtedly the title. It had my imagination running wild with the possibilities of a brave fairytale prince being chased by all kinds of evil. Oh, the excitement that filled my mind as I envisioned the heroic prince fighting against the odds!

But alas, my hopes were quickly dashed. There are no good characters in this book. The prince and princess were just average humans, out for their own good and completely uncaring for the good of others. Their actions were self-centered and lacked any real nobility.

Also, the representative of the forces of good, some angel, actually helped the evil demon guy in setting up his play. Willfully risking a thousand years of misery for humanity! How could such a supposed "good" being do something so unthinkable?

The plot was a bit hard to swallow as well. All those body parts the demon collected didn't really seem to matter much in the end. They weren't extra hurdles for the prince to overcome at least. It felt like a pointless addition to the story.

Cheesy as it may be, I would have liked a love-conquers-all story much better than this lackluster attempt at humor. A story where true love prevails and the characters are heroic and selfless. That would have been a much more satisfying read.

Overall, this book was a disappointment and I have no desire to continue with the sequels.

I planned this reading according to the challenge point of "a book in co-authorship" and had high hopes for it. Shekly and Zelazny - are among my favorite authors, so I expected something amazing from their cooperation.

The book turned out to be just good, well-written, quite interesting, without that "breathless" feeling as I had, for example, from Zelazny's "Lord of Light" or from the Chronicles of Amber.

Perhaps, this book was quite innovative at its time: the struggle between light and darkness during the time when a demon and an angel fell in love - the plot of a later famous book on which a series was filmed. A magical fairy tale that became even more magical when it was populated by people who feel and think - in general, now a popular trend. I think that the love of the demon and the angel, from which the angel did not become evil, and the life and personality of the demon improved significantly, was definitely somewhere around, I just haven't read it yet.

There were several scenes in the book that I really liked: about the casting for the service of evil, catching a demon and a bunch of others.

This text is very good for relaxation: it entertains, holds attention, has a certain degree of irony.

I give four stars only because I expected an "earthquake and a solar eclipse", but instead I just relaxed and had a good time.