Service Goat
By Piers Anthony
Published by Dreaming Big Publications
Reviewed by Amy
ABOUT THE BOOK
Orphaned and blind seven-year-old Callie has a service animal – a goat with extraordinary powers.
Ben Hemoth is a down-on-his luck news reporter facing prison. Needing to save his job and his reputation, he teams up with Venus, a young seductress caught up with a teenage drug gang.
When a mysterious letter arrives detailing a top-secret investigative operation, Ben and Venus think they’ve found their chance for redemption. The mission? Investigate a goat.
In exchange for an extravagant paycheck, Ben and Venus must piece together the wild rumors swirling around Callie, her supernatural goat, and a possible UFO visit.
Piers Anthony’s “Service Goat” is an extraordinary tale rich with adventure, extraterrestrial visitors, secrecy, dangerous governmental operations, and the classic hints of mischief that readers have come to expect and love from the New York Times bestselling author of the Xanth series.
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
98 pages
MY REVIEW
3 out of 5 stars
I was immediately intrigued by the concept of this book—a young girl who does not have a service dog, but rather a service goat as an aide. As with his other works, Anthony takes this concept and transforms it into a fun, fantastical story with a fast pace and lots of intrigue. I enjoyed the science fiction tendencies of this novella, especially its inclusion of mysterious UFOs and aliens, as well as its inspection into empathy and what truly makes us human. In contrast to its many strengths, I found the writing of “Service Goat” fairly sexist at times, especially in regard to Venus, who seemed to exist only to serve Ben sexually.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Piers Anthony is one of the world’s most prolific and popular authors. His fantasy Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and have been on the New York Times Best Seller list many times. Although Anthony is mostly known for fantasy and science fiction, he has written several novels in other genres as well, including historical fiction, martial arts, and horror. Piers lives with his wife of 60 years in a secluded woods hidden deep in Central Florida.
DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
https://www.amazon.com/Service-Goat-Piers-Anthony-ebook/dp/B01MDJ0DDQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1476478230&sr=1-1&refinements=p_27%3APiers+Anthony