I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

It’s a classic story of a man selling his soul to the devil for world domination. Yet when a mix up at the home office delivers the three imps sent by the devil himself to help the man’s ambitions to his daughter instead, comical chaos ensues as the young girl’s innocence clashes with the imps evil nature in Luci Phurr’s Imps by Dale Mettam, Celina Paquette (Editor), Courtney Huddleston (Illustrator), Tracy Bailey (Illustrator). Here is the synopsis.

The Synopsis 

Local TV weatherman Lou C. Phurr (not the brightest bulb in the newsroom, having once predicted 12 inches of snow during an August heat wave, curiously this turned out to be the closest to an accurate prediction in local weather forecasting in the past sixteen years) has made a deal with the Devil. Well, being as he works in media, he made a deal with the Devil’s people but the net result is the same. In exchange for Lou’s soul, he’ll be granted ultimate power. To help steer Lou towards world domination and ultimately a sulfur-pit-side apartment with a great view of the lesser tortured souls being…well, tortured, the Devil has sent him three imps to serve and provide for Lou’s every need. While they say the Devil’s in the details, he’s also occasionally out hunting, entering fiddle-contests in Georgia, and has a regular tee-time every Friday morning at the most elite golf courses across the globe. And unfortunately, a combination of mistakes, misadventures and a liberal dose of pepper-spray resulted in the imps ending up in the hands of Luci Phurr, Lou’s daughter. Now a small girl holds the power to bring about the End of Days…or get that pony she always wanted. 

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The Review

This is a truly genius work of fiction. A blend of classic children’s illustration with a mixture of adult and youthful humor and a splash of classic mythology surrounding good and evil, heaven and hell, and heroes vs villains, this unique tale is unlike anything I’ve read before. The way the villainous imps relate their tales of evil throughout history and their influence on the world (call waiting, phone chords, etc), was so funny to read, and the comic strip style of imagery really helped bring this story to life in a whole new way.

While Luci Phurr is a huge part of the story, the real heart of the hilarious tale has to be the imps themselves, Pain, Tears and Misfortune. Their unique chemistry and the struggle they go through trying to bring about the apocalypse while tied to the whims of an innocent 8 year old girl are what make this story so unique and fun. 

The Verdict

Overall this is a must read novel. Filled with hilarious tales of mischief and a fantastic cast of supporting characters, Luci Phurr’s Imps is a truly otherworldly read that you have to read to believe. If you haven’t yet make sure to preorder your copy of this amazing book today.

Rating: 10/10

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About the Creative Team

Despite both possessing gender-neutral names, neither Dale Mettam nor Courtney Huddleston are girls (though it should be stated that one is significantly more manly than the other… they both know which one this is).

Both possessing a creative edge, which if exhibited a hundred years earlier would have likely resulted in them being recognized alongside such visionaries as Tesla, Edison & Sporkerssen* (in fairness, it could also have led to them being committed to an Home for the Criminally Insane).  When this craziness… um… creativity is combined, you get something like Luci Phurr’s Imps… or an explosion.

Having worked together on several projects (and avoided killing each other despite provocation), Luci Phurr’s Imps seemed like a natural next project to explore, mixing humor, storytelling and a generous portion of evil.

However, what you see in the adventures of Luci and her impish associates would not be anywhere near as amazing were it not for the incredible ebon-brushed talents of Matt Keltner, Tracy Bailey’s profusion of perfect pigment and the eagle eyes of Celina Paquette.

As of Jan 2012, Tracy stepped up and took over all the art duties, this caused some initial shock, alarm, teeth-gnashing and not a little wailing in the streets.  When not performing heroic piece of art, she enjoys hunting wild fire-places (occasionally suffering injuries along the way) and provides Color Commentary for SumoTV.

She also makes awesome baked goods.

You can find more about Dale here, Courtney here, Matt here and Tracy here.

* Now lost to the annals of history, Ingmar Siggersen Sporkerssen (1864-1902) was a Scandinavian naturalist, naturist and breeder of Whooping Alpacas.  While traveling in the foothills of the Andes, he sketched a design for a utensil that combined a fork, a spoon and a knife into one handy unit.  Unfortunately, in his prototype, after working the spoon and fork elements on one end, he added a razor-sharp blade to the handle end.  In its first test-run, Sporkerssen found the blade easily able to handle the tough leg meat of a recently captured wild Rhea; however, when he attempted to fork a mouthful, he slashed his own wrist and bled-out in the wilds of Peru.