An Epic Series of Failures #2: The Curse of Greg by Chris Rylander

My name is Bloodletter, and I am the most fearsome battle ax of all time. As a legendary weapon, I chose Greg to wield me in the Dwarves' war against the Elves. Unfortunately, he sometimes lacks the stomach for the bloody attacks needed, because he thinks I only want to destroy the Elves. What's wrong with destroying your enemies? His team is a little distracted right now due to the increase in monster sightings. However, a rock troll told Greg about Elves planning something big in New Orleans, so the team snuck down there to investigate. Greg also hopes to discover a remedy for his father's illness, and he might find out what happened to his "best friend" Edwin, that stinking Elf! I haven't seen Greg for days, and there's going to be a lot of stabbing and destruction when we're reunited. 

I recommend you read The Legend of Greg first in order to better understand the background story. However, I honestly forgot I'd already read the book, as memories of it slowly came back to me. The essence of the conflict is that Elves and Dwarves don't like each other. Most of them are stuck with prejudices toward the other, but Greg is willing to rethink those ideas. Being able to see both sides of an issue is a valuable quality. Fairies took magic away long ago, but it's slowly seeping back. The question of magic being good or bad is another conflict that will continue in the next book. The fact that Greg's former best friend is the new Elf leader with a radical idea about magic creates an ongoing internal conflict for Greg. Again, he understands what Edwin is thinking and wonders if he might be correct, but it goes against everything Greg has been taught. You may find yourself pondering your own ideas about the real world after seeing how the characters handle their own issues. Don't get me wrong, this is not a philosophical story, and lovers of mythical or fairy tale beings should enjoy this book. I believe there's one more book in the series, and I recommend you give the series a shot.