Tall stories _ Tom Holt

Tall Stories is an omnibus that contains two tales: Expecting Someone Taller and Ye Gods!. The first story is about young Malcolm Fisher, who has accidently run over and killed Ingolf (who transformed himself into a badger, in case you’re wondering how one can run over a giant), the last of the Giants, with his car. Ingolf is the owner of the Ring, which makes the wearer the ruler of the world. Malcolm is now the owner of the ring, which does not make the other gods too happy. In this hilarious tale, the modern versions of the Norse gods, including the chief god Wotan, try to steal the ring from Malcolm, a mere mortal.

The second tale, Ye Gods!, includes another hilarious pantheon of the gods, but this time the Romans. Jason Derry, a modern Hero, is the son of none other than the Supreme Being, Jupiter, and a female mortal. Jason gets tired from being ordered around by his father without a say of his own. He conspires with some powerful beings, including Gelos, the Personification of Laughter, and Prometheus, the Titan who is hated by Jupiter. Will Jason shake off his father’s grip on him or will he continue to be a mindless servant?