A while back, I became a fan of K. J. Parker. I first heard the name of this author via Jo Walton’s monthly reading lists on Tor dot com. So I requested an eARC of A Practical Guide to Conquering the World by K.J. Parker and loved it! It was grabby (in a “can’t put this book down” kind of way) and it was thoroughly enjoyable. I said I’d be looking out for more books by K. J. Parker and I later really enjoyed an eARC of the Long Game and Pulling the Wings off Angels, which were both delightful books! After that, I went back and read Sixteen Ways to Defend A Walled City and How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It, which were also wonderful, and the Saevus Corax books, which were also a blast.
This story centers on a linguist in a university who is roped into a project by the current dictator to help gin up a nonexistent ancient language as part of a project to justify an impending invasion of a neighboring polity. Like most of Parker’s books that I have read, this one is also a first person tale in which the protagonist is a clever bastard (in a thoroughly enjoyable manner). The final twist genuinely surprised me and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This novella captured all of that Parker wit without overstaying its welcome. Thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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