The Legend of Hobart – 4 Star Book Review

Tired of being teased about his name and his stutter, twelve-year-old Hobart sets out to do a few heroic deeds and earn a place in Knight School.

Welcome to one of the July 26th stops on the blog tour for The Legend of Hobart by Heather Mullaly with Lola’s Blog Tours. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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About the Book

The Legend of Hobart
by Heather Mullaly

Published 26 July 2021
Favored Oak Press

Genre: MG Fantasy
Page Count: 66
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Tired of being teased about his name and his stutter, twelve-year-old Hobart sets out to do a few heroic deeds and earn a place in Knight School. But the local damsels he hopes to save assure him that the last thing they need is rescuing. The runaway bull he tries to catch wears him like a hat. And don’t even ask about the ogre.

Finally, in desperation, Hobart sets out on the most daring quest he can think of–he will slay a dragon. Or that’s his plan anyway.

The Legend of Hobart is a hilarious, heart-felt adventure, for the would-be hero in all of us.

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Excerpt

By the time I finished my stew, I was sure. If I still wanted to make it into knight school after this latest debacle, there was only one possibility left. I was going to have to slay a dragon.

It was risky, I know. But I saw no other choice. I was desperate. (When minstrels tell their tales, they always seem to dwell on heroes’ sense of duty. They completely overlook the equally powerful driving force called desperation.)

I took my bath and went to bed. When my brothers came into the loft, I pretended to be asleep, but I was actually thinking and planning. At least as much as you can really plan an epic adventure.

The very next morning, I set out. I had no horse, no sword or shield. The only things I carried were my eating knife and a small sack of food that Maude had packed for me.

“Safe journey, child,” she said as she handed me the satchel.

My parents stood in the doorway watching us.

“Have fun playing dragon slayer,” my mother called after me.

She and Father smiled knowingly as I left. I’m sure they thought that I would be home by dark. They were wrong.

My Review

My Rating: 4 Stars
Consider liking my review on Goodreads

I was granted complimentary access to The Legend of Hobart as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Lola’s Blog Tours. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

The Legend of Hobart is a really cute little fantasy adventure about a little boy who dreams of being a heroic knight, despite his current status as the nervous little boy who gets picked on by his peers daily. That opportunity comes knocking, and Hobart sets about earning his way into Knight School with a few hard-earned wins to his name.

This was a cute, quick read, and I really think it will capture young imaginations. This is exactly the sort of book I’ll be offering to my daughter when she’s looking for fantasy reads at around 8-10 years old. I do appreciate the fact that this book addresses kids being made fun of by their peers for things they can’t control, like their given names, and I hope this will be one of those stories that make kids feel better about themselves and perhaps even teach them to stand up to their bullies.

This book isn’t without its flaws. As another reviewer pointed out before me, there are definitely deus ex machina plot events that wouldn’t feel so convenient if the magic of this world was better explained. Since it’s for middle-grade readers, I’ll be gentle, but there are going to be some very bright Type-A 8-year-olds who will bring it up with their teachers and parents when a forest fire starts during heavy rainfall and quickly gets out of hand.

Overall this is a great middle-grade level high fantasy novella that can be enjoyed by all ages, and for us adult readers who sometimes stray into younger material, it’s an afternoon of light reading. Check it out!

About the Author

Heather Mullaly is a passionate believer in the power of story. When she isn’t writing them, reading them, or listening to them, she can usually be found baking something that involves chocolate, thinking up new story ideas before she’s finished the two she’s currently writing, or hanging out with her family, who happen to be even more fantastic than the characters in her head. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their three teenagers.

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Giveaway Alert!

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Legend of Hobart. Three winners will each win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.