All Frinzil ever wanted was to study magic, but with three years of back tuition due, she’s about to be kicked out of school forever. When she stumbles upon the location of a legendary scroll, she thinks her money troubles are over… until the adventurers she hires abandon her to snatch the treasure for themselves.

Now her ragtag band of spellmonkeys (a bumbling orcish summoner, a fog-headed druid, and a demon-worshiping nightmare—basically, the dregs of the adventurer’s tavern that no other party would take) must face the perils of Gluumwilde Forest and find the Temple of Unrelenting Evil before the professionals get there first.

Tavern Rats is a love letter to the fantasy role-playing games of yore, and to the new generation of players discovering them today. It’s diverse, casually queer and socially aware, lovingly skewering well-trodden fantasy tropes while looking ahead toward the genre’s future.

More importantly, though, it’s a whole lot of fun.

Tavern Rats

Spellmonkeys, book one

Author: Matt Youngmark
Genre: Fantasy / Humor
Trade paperback: $15.00 (U.S.)
ISBN: 979-8-4127-6194-7
Publication date: August 10, 2022
Page count: 186
Distribution: Ingram (55% discount; returnable in U.S.)
Publisher: Atherton Haight
Contact: Matt Youngmark, matt@youngmark.com