Publication Date: 9 May 2024

The Blurb

The Narzat lives in the Jumble Jungle Wood with his friends the LookyLizard (a feisty reptile who communicates through sign language) and the Chatty Chirper (a comically talkative bird who never shuts up). Little is known about how the Narzat arrived there, but he wears a necklace bearing a meaningful inscription. The Jumble Jungle Wood is full of animals you’d love to meet because they’re fun and friendly but some, like the roaring Ravenoserous are absolutely lethal. One day two villains arrive, Lord and Lady Snide armed with guns and a fierce desire for furs and the Narzat’s necklace. Can the Jumble Jungle Wood defeat the two awesome newcomers and their wicked plans?

The Review

A charming and captivating tale that will delight readers of all ages.

Our main character is both both endearing and mysterious, as we journey with him and his eccentric friends through a lush and fantastical world teeming with exotic creatures and untold wonders.

With villains you will just love to hate, their nefarious plans set the stage for a thrilling showdown between cruelty and kindness, where teamwork, friendship and love are highlighted as huge strengths.

With its lovable characters, vivid setting, and thrilling plot, The Narzat is perfect for anyone who loves delightful tale filled with whimsy, fun and plenty of giggles.

The Guest Post – Creating Funny Characters by Luke Marchant

My wife has a truly wonderful laugh. If a smile had a sound, it would be that.

When I was writing the Narzat, I would finish a chapter and would read it to my wife over a cup of tea. If I got a laugh from her, I knew I was on to a winner. If she spat out her tea, I knew that something was particularly good!

What I learnt was that my most humourous characters didn’t actually realise they were funny. Pertinax has no idea that his grumbling and grumpy demeanour is comical (in fact, he would be mightily miffed if someone told him). It was clear to me that the characters wouldn’t try to be funny or smart—they would just be themselves, and there was plenty of comedy in that!

In fact, the character I found most amusing to write was the Chatty Chirper. His babbling buffoonery is always unexpected and veers off course—sometimes, even I didn’t know what he was going to say. I was conscious of enjoying the silly nature of his monologues.

The Looky Lizard, meanwhile, provides a wonderful contrast to him and much of the amusement comes from their relationship. She is witty and concise with her humour, and her subtle asides provide a slightly more deadpan approach to the Chatty Chirper.

Behind their relationship, there’s more than humour—there’s heart. I like to think that when we laugh with the characters, there’s a bit of affection in doing so. The Narzat’s innocent and child-like approach is quite endearing; Pertinax’s grumbling (and unexpected softness) has a real warmth to it.

I guess that’s what I was aiming for with my funniest characters—I wanted to focus on the character part first. From there, I could build their relationships and friendships… and hopefully keep heart behind the humour.

And, if I can make more of you laugh, then that would be a real treat indeed. Now, I’m off to make my wife a cup of tea and read the next chapter…

The Narzat by Luke Marchant, published by Everything With Words is available from Amazon and all good independent bookshops.

Huge thanks to Everything With Words for sending me a copy of the book and inviting me to host Luke on the blog tour. Do make sure you check out all of the other stops.

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