What do floating pigs, children's car seats, and a disappointingly polite dragon have in common? Well, not very much, to be honest, unless your name is Gidion and you are the unlucky hero of The Learning Curve- a charming fantasy novel brimming with satire, absurdity, and Brobdingnagian amounts of silliness, held together with strong characters, sharp writing and a compelling story. Gidion, a young wizard in training forcibly ejected from the Tain Pek Academy of Magic and Advanced Gardening, encounters all of the above and much more on an epic quest to redeem his name, awaken his latent powers, and, ultimately, save the land of Nud from a dire fate. Along the way he befriends a brownie with a Napoleonic complex and a friendly troll who had only recently stopped consuming humans (for health reasons). The three of them embark on an adventure that tests their courage, resolve, and friendship in the face of difficult and increasingly nonsensical situations. This novel, eight years in the making, is both a loving tribute to and delightful satire of the time honored tropes that inhabit the realm of fantasy.