I would like to thank Hanna from Rebellion for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Publisher – Rebellion

Published – 14/9

Price –£10.99 hardback £5.99 Kindle eBook

What if your pets could play D&D? And what if they were kind of jerks about it?

If there are two things all geeks love, it's roleplaying games, and their pets. So why not fuse the two? It's time to grab your dice, dust off that character sheet, and let your cat or dog (or guinea pig, or iguana, or budgie) accompany you on an epic adventure!

It'll be great!

...unless your pets are jerks.

Written by comics and videogames writers Andi Ewington ( Forty-Five45) and Rhianna Pratchett (Tomb Raider), Campaigns & Companions is edited by Alex de Campi ( Madi) and beautifully illustrated by Calum Alexander Watt ( The Rise of Skywalker).

Fantasy can of course be about big serious things and explore life death and serious questions of morality. But let’s face it after the years we have had recently some laughter helps too. So gentle reader imagine, if you will what would happen if pets had the ability to play D&D games. Things will get very interesting fast. This is the delightful concept behind Campaigns & Companions – The Complete Role-Playing Guide for Pets by Andi Ewing & Rhianna Pratchett that was edited by Alex de Campi and illustrated by Calum Alexander Watt which should definitely bring your face at the very least.

This small novella is comprised of a series of illustrated scenes where an animal has donned a character and entered a D&D game, and their long-suffering GM then tries to escape the inevitable chaos often with little success. If you have ever wondered (and who has not) what would happen if

-          A cat invaded an orc tower

-          Why gerbils are good for attacking

-          What happens when a cat finds a treasure chest

-          Why hamsters need to be watched carefully

-          What advantages a guinea pig can provide to the party

-          How to give a rabbit berserker rage

Then this is the book for you! With many more important questions like those finally answered. The team have made for each scenario a short precis of the game dialogue and the animal’s reactions then opposite a suitably funny and well-illustrated picture of what is going on. The humour comes from the juxtaposition of game rules and animals less than human responses. Well-crafted gags with kernels of truth abound and this will have something for everyone (even I a non-D&D player with only limited pet access had a good laugh).

This could make a perfect read for those looking for light D&D entertainment or a good future stocking filler for the game players/pet lovers you know. I suspect Critical Role fans may also enjoy this. As a great Doctor once said Small Beautiful Things are what life is all about but sometimes small beautiful funny things are even better! Recommended and hope you enjoy this as much as I did