I so enjoyed Mort the Meek and the Ravens' Revenge. The zany narratorial humour reminded me of Andy Stanton's Mr Gum series, which was a big favourite in our house. I loved the fantasy setting - Brutalia is brilliantly awful - and Mort makes for a great relatable hero. Who can resist a pacifist executioner?! I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

This was very funny in places and generally quite a hoot.  But I did feel that it's not for everyone and some children may find the guts and gore a bit much, even though it's supposed to be funny.  Also, it dragged a bit and I think this was to enable it to be a series, which is what publishers seem to want at the moment. Although I did enjoy this on the whole, I can't envisage myself being desperately keen to read another one.  But some children may be hooked and eagerly await the next one.

This is a funny story seen through the wry eye of the narrator.  At its heart there is a sympathetic character in Mort who is more grown up and knowing in some ways than anyone else on Brutilia as he can see their senseless violence for what it is-senseless.  I found this story funny and engaging and I liked the character development as 'Mort the Meek' becomes 'Mort the Bold'.  There is plenty of slapstick humour to appeal to kids here as well as some wry observations that may appeal to a more grown up reader.

We love Rachel Delahaye at school and have done ever since she was our Book PenPal so I had been following news of this book on Twitter and was very excited to be approved to read it through NetGalley. 

It did not disappoint!

Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop, even to explain to anyone quite why I was laughing so much. The ravens at the beginning of each chapter are especially hilarious!

The book tells the story of Mort, who lives in Brutalia, a kingdom ruled by a king and queen who love nothing more than tormenting their subjects and thinking up the worst punishments - wasp baths and spiky underwear, for example- for crimes such as playing in the sun or growing fruit. Things get worse for Mort, a pacifist, when he accidentally becomes the new Royal Executioner and is instructed to kill his best friend.

The story is brilliant and the humour will appeal to both adults and children. I can't wait to read this aloud to the children at school.

I didn’t really know what to expect going in to this. Mort lives on the island of Brutalia, a terrible, rough and tumble nation, where being horrible and fighting is the way of life. Except, Mort is a pacifist. So when he becomes the official executioner, he has to work out a way to save his best friend and avoid breaking his pacifist vows. Full of action, humour, and really terrible told by the resident ravens of Brutalia, this is a hilariously dark adventure for anyone who wants to stand up for what’s right.

Brutalia is a horrible place full of raging and fighting folk, rampant ravens and one pacifist! Mort the Meek is the island’s only pacifist, though only he knows this fact!

To survive in Brutalia, you must be strong, eager to fight and willing to do whatever the King and Queen wish!  The island’s motto is Live or Die- simply put and all are expected to follow this one rule!  The King and Queen delight in the executions, fighting and general misery of their island.

Mort’s best friend is falsely accused of a crime .and is facing an unfair trial and execution- with Mort at the helm as newly appointed executioner...the plot thickens!

Mort is Meek, mild and yet mighty! He makes a brilliant character and as we learn more about him and see the tale unfold, he is one I would wish to have as a friend.  Willing to risk life and limb for his best friend, Mort faces some interesting situations.

He must prove his worth in a few ways and it takes his considerable knowledge, skill and new friend Ono to ensure all goes to plan!

There are secrets worth holding on to within this tale, ones that turn the plot around and make Mort question all he has ever known- Don’t we just love that in books!

Mort is the new hero and I hope for plenty more adventures with him!

A laughter-inducing read!

Brutalia is a brutal place rubbing off on its inhabitants, but there is one person who does not enjoy the brutality all the others seem to love: Mort is dubbed ’the Meek’ by his family. When hMort’s uncle the executioner dies he is given the most brutal task of all. His first execution is that of his best friend and he only has a week to figure out how to stop it, he is a pacifist after all...

This book dealt with some great themes in a funny lighthearted way. I sped through the book, loved the illustrations and the funny narrative style. I can imagine it not being everyone’s cup of tea, but would definitely recommend giving this a try!

Recommended to an audience of MG and adults, as this book addresses  important themes as meekness, pacifism and truth to personal values. Mort is forced to take on a role in society that he does not want, and which is against his personal pacifist values. He has to work against this new role without people realising what he is planning. Trying to change his whole society’s outlook and beliefs whilst working undercover. Full of brilliant and sometimes shocking twists and turns, this is an excellent read by an excellent author. Well done Rachel Delahaye. 
thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review. 

Officially given 4.5 stars by the ten year old son.

This is such a fun book! Mort is unexpectedly tasked with being Brutalia’s executioner. However, as the only pacifist on an island that has the motto Live or Die, Mort struggles with this. Especially as his first victim is to be his best friend. This book is a wonderful and fun read that pulls the reader in by talking directly to you. I really enjoyed it. Thank you, NetGalley.

A rip-roaringly funny read from the queen of comedy, Rachel Delahaye. Mort the Meek and the Ravens’ Revenge is a totally bizarre, yet hilarious read which will be enjoyed by children of all ages.

Mort is a pacifist living on Brutalia, an island where violence is celebrated and only the toughest survive. An unfortunate turn of events sees him being appointed as Royal Executioner. Will it really be survival of the fiercest or can this peace-loving protagonist find a way to cheat death?

I loved the brilliantly bonkers narrative style of this book - each chapter begins with talking ravens full of very bad puns and the author speaks directly to the reader in a very knowing, tongue-in-cheek way throughout the story. It’s a refreshing take at the comedy genre and has almost a Dahl-esque quality to it. It’s a silly, laugh-out-loud book which doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC - I look forward to purchasing a copy as I know it will be enjoyed by many children in my class.

The kingdom of Brutalia is known for its brutal and violent king and queen. There are horrible punishments like cutting off a toe or even worse, death. They were against everything that was beautiful, like celebrating a birthday. They invent a lot of rules just to punish their people. Yes, living on Brutalia was a nightmare. For Mort, it became even worse when he became the new Royal executioner. Can he outwit the King and Queen? 

The first thing I noticed was that the writing is using a lot of caps lock words. After a while is getting quite annoying to read. The way the author writes is not my thing, but I think a lot of younger readers would enjoy it. It is a fun read, but it was a bit disappointing for me. There are talking ravens in the story which is quite fun, and the illustrations make reading even more enjoyable.  This is the first book of a series and I am curious to see how the story will develop. 

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc.

Things are different in Brutalia but not in a good way, and they are only getting worse as no one is brave enough to challenge the Queen. You can’t be a pacifist in such a violent place, and you certainly don’t want to get stuck being the Royal Executioner who is expected to kill your best friend.  Unfortunately Mort is such a person and he needs to quickly come up with plan or he’s doomed. In fact, he’s worse than doomed, he’s likely to be the next one to be sentenced to death.  
 
The first in a series of books that will entertain and amuse the target audience with its interesting characters & names and the delightful ways that Mort manages to outwit the menaces on his community.  The illustrations are fantastic and work well with the story. I loved the raven’s at the start of the chapters which made the story seem a bit more unique.

Mort the Meek and the Ravens' Revenge is simply hilarious. Rachel Delahaye cuts straight to the point with her writing to deliver a quippy and amazingly bizarre narrative that had me laughing out loud. I loved Mort and his pacifist outlook on life. I loved Brutalia and the ridiculousness of the island and the situation Mort finds himself in. I will definitely be purchasing this - I think many of my students will love it!