Review: A Game of Groans / Author: George R.R Washighton / Format: Paperback / Publisher: Virgin Books / Release Date: Out Now

A Game Of Groans is a self-proclaimed parody of the Game of Thrones phenomenon that has forced itself into the entertainment zeitgeist. The problem with parody is that if it is even slightly off target, it fails miserably. Unfortunately for A Game Of Groans, that is what has happened.

An idea that would only just work as a one joke idea down the pub with your friends who are clued up on the subject matter that you are trying to lampoon, here we have a book that drags itself over two hundred pages. If ever there has been an example of a joke that has run on for too long, then this is it. The fact that it even makes it over that landmark page count is down to repetition. Characters and their dialogue as well as scenes are repeated over and over in an almost ‘nudge-nudge, wink-wink you get the gag don’t you?’ way to the reader until you are physically exhausted and longing for something with more meat to it.

Taking the Scary Movie series and the multiple offshoots of that template as an example, imagine a watered down and desperately dull and unfunny literary version based around sword and sorcery and then throw in characters from other genres and well known titles – including boy wizards and asthmatic villains who wear helmets – and mash them up, hoping that the result is edible. Well, it’s not. There is very little actual comedy to laugh at here and the only thing that you may take away from this title is the very basic Spanish lesson that you are given every time the Spanish character says something in his native tongue.

If you do pick this up, be warned that you will find yourself sighing and wishing for something more interesting to read. Even Twilight has got to be better than this! Avoid – you have been warned.