Book Review: Death and the Dragon

Death and the Dragon by David Hankins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This eagerly-awaited sequel to author David Hankin’s Death and the Taxman picks up the pace as we continue the absurd but believable adventures of the Grim Reaper himself. If you haven’t yet read the first book, do that now!

I hope I’m not the only one that noticed a parallel to The Wizard of Oz in Grim’s journey. Hear me out. Dorothy, I mean Grim, is off to see the Devil, the wonderful Devil of Hell. He needs to follow the yellow bri— seven-ish levels of Hell to reach the goal. His companion is a little dog, er, dragon named Conrad, who does not ride to Hell in a handbasket. But like a small yappy dog, Conrad is rather adorable in an annoying way. Grim’s goal is to thwart a coup and find the Wizard, er, Devil and get everything set to rights again. Along the road, there are delays, detours, and distractions galore, just like Dorothy faced in Oz. And like Dorothy, Grim gathers friends along the way. I think I’ve played the comparison out now, but I really did feel the Oz vibe more than once.

If you’ve ever struggled with a telemarketer, or had to grapple with IT support, or lost your mind to elevator muzak, or had to fill out a government form, or paid taxes, or taken a number and stood in line, or maybe you just really like cats – if you nodded your head at any of these situations, this series is for you. It’s both a salute to the annoyances of modern life and a well-researched deep dive into religious concepts mankind has held dear for centuries.

And it’s really, really funny.