The Legend of Greg (An Epic Series of Failures Book 1) Kindle Edition

Excellent story! What would you do if all your life you believed you were human and then one day found out that you were a dwarf, instead? That's what happens to poor Greg Belmont (his dwarven last name is Stormbelly.) After his dad's herb store is attacked by a Troll, Greg is forced to flee with his dad's clerk, Mr. Olsen (also a dwarf) down into the Dwarven colony under Chicago. There he meets other young dwarves and learns the true history of the world, from the dwarves point of view. It seems magic is on the rise, technology is starting to fade (magic and tech don't play well together), Elves are old enemies of the dwarves and, oh yeah, old monsters may be returning along with the magic to threaten both Dwarves and Elves.This is the first book of a new series and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Nice clean and crisp book, no imperfections! Great story for a young child!

Ever think you’ve been having a bad day? Well Greg Belmont certainly has had his fair share of them…especially on Thursdays. Otherwise, Greg lives a pretty normal life in Chicago playing chess with his best (and only) friend, Edwin, and supportive dad. That is until one particular Thursday when Greg is attacked by a polar bear while on a school field trip to the zoo; this attack sets off a chain of events where Greg drinks magic tea, his father gets kidnapped by a Troll, and he finds himself in a super secret underground world where he discovers he’s actually a Dwarf…as in a magic wielding, descendent of the earth kind. Between figuring out a plan to rescue his father, trying to cope with his new magical community, and trying to stop an all out war with Elves, Greg’s weekend plans are officially over. Chris Rylander’s The Legend of Greg is packed with adventure, action, and a good measure of puns. This is a book that was perfectly catered to the middle grade/young adult age group where Rylander delivers a fantastic story with original characters and creative chapter titles. Thirteen-year-old Greg Belmont really speaks you in the same light as Percy Jackson and Rylander’s sense of humor will be sure to have young readers chanting for more. I started reading this book on a Thursday evening and finished it early Friday; the irony is that the book warns you on the first page to not read it on a Thursday. Well, I can tell you that reading The Legend of Greg was the best thing that happened on Thursday. It had me laughing, smiling, and cheering for Greg and his friends throughout the story (spoiler: Greg makes friends!). Absolutely recommend!

The Legend of Greg, written by Chris Rylander, is a hilarious contemporary adventure involving elves, dwarves, trolls, and a few other mythical beings. The story is set in downtown Chicago, and the protagonist is a teenage boy with really bad luck, especially on Thursdays. After crisis hits, he discovers that he is a dwarf, and that his best friend knew all along. I enjoyed the relationship between Greg and his best friend, which really grows in depth and complexity as the story unfolds. Greg is recruited by the dwarf community who are training for an upcoming battle with their arch-enemies, the elves. He is instantly accepted into a tight-knit group of friends and experiences the feeling of belonging for the first time. Laugh out loud moments include descriptions of the bearded, mustachioed and muscular dwarf women, and the comical extremely long chapter titles. I also loved the idea of a giant hidden Dwarf community underground. There are some really neat moments involving the different dwarf trades, and I loved all the creative character names.I personally found this book difficult to get into, but I think it would be perfect for teenage boys and those of all ages who appreciate teenage humor. There are a few violent battle descriptions, so I'd place this at a middle school/high school level.

This is definitely the next Percy Jackson. I was starting to read this book, but immediately I fell in love with Greg. He is relatable to most pre-teens. Even though his dad has some quirks, he secretly loves those quirks and has a great relationship with him. Edwin is his best friend who is considered to be “perfect”, but he loves being able to be with Greg because it allows him to just be himself. His friends expect him to love sports, but he secretly loves chess and bad puns even more. A good portion of the book is spent explaining their friendship, which was important in my opinion. Middle schoolers sometimes try to be “perfect” and live up to what their friends expect. Greg is imperfect and has a quirky father, but he accepts this fact and doesn’t try to constantly change himself. He doesn’t have to wear a mask, because no one expects anything from him. Edwin is “perfect,” but because of this, his popular friends expect him to act a certain way. He likes being able to take off the mask with Greg.Back on track to the Dwarf story. It actually takes a bit of time before Greg is fully thrown into the main plot of “Yer a Dwarf!” This was important to me because it gave me the chance to see who he was as a person before he is given his powers. After he is told the truth about his heritage, he is thrown into the Underground, the world of Dwarves beneath Chicago.This is really where the world-building comes into play. It wasn’t amazing world-building as some things were just not described. For example, I could not easily visualize where Greg was when he was in the Underground. However, this is a middle-grade book. Most of these books contain little to no description of what isn’t action. I wasn’t drawn out of the book or bored, so this didn’t affect the quality of the book. However, if you are into heavy scenic worldbuilding, this might not be the story for you. If you are here for the building of the history of the world, this book will not disappoint you. You will receive knowledge of Dwarven history, just as Greg learns it from the adults in the Underground. I found this method of storytelling to draw me into the story better than Greg just stumbling upon random tidbits and facts because it gave the Dwarven community more of a family feel.I won’t spoil anything, but I have to say that I was shocked when Elves were included in the story. It felt like everything changed, and I could relate it to things currently going on in the world that Middle-Grade readers might be exposed to.The plot of this story is not slow by any means, but I did feel myself becoming connected with Greg and everyone he encountered along his journey. This is not a simple book just for middle schoolers, I found myself enjoying it as a mostly YA/NA reader!This book did not have any editing or formatting errors that I noticed even though I was reading an advance version. I would assume that your current copies will also be as spotless as mine!Get ready to be sucked into a world full of Dwarves, magic, Elves, and other creatures in Rylander’s new story: The Legend of Greg!I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new Middle Grade/YA fantasy novel with unique characters, action-packed scenes, and meaningful storyline.

I have just discovered my 11 year old daughter reading this well after lights out. She was Uber excited, telling me about Elf besties and coloured tea. She is truly captivated by Greg and his mates. Spellbound and wonderful to see my Minecraft obsessed girl alight over a book.

I loved this book, it was very reminiscent of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson series but with its own unique stamp on it.

Poking fun at all the fantasy clichés, this is refreshingly different with its setting in the modern world, and dwarves and elves bringing their ancient tradition to a head by being losers and the rich.Main persons being the rotund Greg kid and his elven friend, the rich kid.A bit tame at the start, this story did get me engrossed and smiling. Next one please!