So, I’m late to the party at the Wandering Inn, which is is good. Because there’s SO much to read. I’m not caught up yet, still only a few million words in.
To put the word count for Wandering Inn into perspective, the entire Harry Potter series is approximately 1 million words.
The Wandering Inn, as of mid 2021, has over 8 million words. That’s eight times the length of the entire Harry Potter Series. Blows your mind?
Does that word count make it too long? Not for what it is. Most stories in any format try to have a somewhat tight plot with a beginning and and end. While Wandering Inn does have a plot and you could break it into arcs, they are not as finite as the ones in the Harry Potter storyline. Mostly, it has the feel of an amazing fantasy epic that just grows and grows with time.
The Wandering Inn is much more immersive than many stories. Because there’s no word count restriction due to being printed, the author, Pirateaba, can write as much as she wants. For some writers, that’s a bad thing. They wandering and waste time and their work becomes boring. But this author has an amazing ability to make the reader feel like part of that world, and to experience it in detail, but also an enjoyable way. 20k word chapters just fly by and you think, how on Earth did I just read a fifth of a novel that fast?
We get to see the inns and outs of how to create and manage a fantasy inn. We get to experience the gritty details of being an adventurer in ways many other books never show because of time constraints. We get to delve into the lives of drakes and goblins and ant people and other species.
It’s just so much fun.
Main Plot
The main story revolves around a young woman being mysteriously transported to a new world (portal fantasy / isekai). She’s plopped down into the middle of nowhere and struggles to survive. She wanders into an abandoned inn and makes a home there, gaining magical skills and abilities.
As she settles in the inn, she befriends humanoid species, battles monsters, fights to pay her bills and make enough food for everyone to eat.
It’s charming. And funny. And heroic. And emotional.
My Favourites
If I have to pick favourite characters, they would be Erin and Ryoka (main protagonists), Ivoleth the fairy, and Rags the goblin.
I love Rags! I want her to become Goblin Queen and take over a continent. The underdog (undergoblin) plot is fantastic. In fact, I love most of the goblins. I think they might be the best overall cast outside Erin and Ryoka. Pyrite and the heroic five are heartwarming. If you want a story about goblins, the Wandering Inn is for you.
Read The Wandering Inn
Also on Amazon
The books are on Amazon. Audiobooks are out now, too!
Interviews with Pirateaba
First (2018)
Second (2021)