Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One!
by Ronit J

Kunal is forced to adventure…
Because his dog is the Chosen One!

Kunal is just your average guy living on rent in Mumbai, working from home, and suffering from anxiety. His world is turned upside down when his girlfriend asks him to foster a rescued street dog. Despite his qualms, he agrees because ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’

That’s when the extra-dimensional dark lord attacks.

The dog is the only one who can stop the dark lord, but he can’t do it without Kunal’s help. Can Kunal overcome his many anxieties or will our world suffer for eternity?

4 out of 5 fairies

I was intrigued from the outset by the premise of this book, and I wasn’t disappointed! As someone who has been dealing with extreme anxiety since I was young, I loved the idea of an anxious MC being thrust into the spotlight unwillingly because their animal companion (and not them) are the chosen one. I would’ve liked to see a little more time with Kunal and Burfi, I enjoyed the dynamic between them quite a bit. Overall, I thought anxiety was represented pretty well without taking over the story entirely. The descriptions were great and really brought everything to life. Even though I’ve never been to Mumbai, I felt like I was right there with Kunal. A great magical adventure! 

Guest Post: 10 SFF Series That Inspired Me To Write Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One!

If you’ve read Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One!, you’ll notice that every chapter title is a pun on some SFF property. Whether it’s Star Wars, Wheel of Time, or even Attack on Titan, the book is full of pop culture references, especially SFF. 

Well, those references aren’t just ornamental. I’m a huge fantasy nerd, and I thought of adding all of them as a nod to every book, series, manga, anime, film and game that has inspired me. 

I decided I’d make a list of 10 SFF series that inspired me the most! How many of these have you read? 

Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

The influence isn’t very evident in Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One! but this series’ impact on me as a reader and a writer has been monumental. It’d be impossible for me to make a list of top series without including Malazan in the number 1 spot. 

It’s true. Every single chapter of every single book in this series is chockful of magic, world-building, character development, and philosophy. This was the hardest series I’ve read so far, but also the most satisfying and enriching of the lot. 

While the Malazan references in my book aren’t overt, I did take inspiration from some of the more absurd elements of Malazan (goofy characters like Kruppe and Iskaral Pust, the visual absurdity of the K’Chain Che’Malle, etc.) and added a lighthearted spin to them. 

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

I wrote a post about my writing journey on my website. In it, I talk about how I was inspired to start writing fantasy books at the age of 11 because of this one particular book – Eragon. I know, Eragon has heavily borrowed from Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, but in my opinion, it is a great example of The Hero’s Journey Done Right! And Paolini wrote it at the age of 15!

Even my book is structured like The Hero’s Journey, and I can see some parallels between Eragon & Kunal, maybe even Saphira & Burfi. 

Eragon’s influence on me as a writer might not be the strongest today, but this is the book (and series) that made me want to become a published author. 

The Cosmere by Brandon Sanderson

This is probably the most influential series on this list for me. I’ve watched Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube lectures at least twice, and have learned more about writing and plotting from him than anyone else. 

His books are a masterclass in plot development and world-building, and you can see his influence on my plot as well. In fact, I even attempted a Sander-lanche of my own in Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One!

I identified how he structures them and tried to imitate them. From whatever feedback I’ve received, I know I’ve succeeded. 

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Of all the SFF protagonists out there, I relate the most to SecUnit. I’m not joking. Reading this series has been an absolute delight.

Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One! deals with mental health, anxiety, and trauma in its own way. I was inspired to use anxiety because of my own struggles, but it was SecUnit that made me shed my reluctance. I hoped to write a relatable character like SecUnit, one who is introverted but also goes out of their comfort zone to do the right thing. 

Discworld by Terry Pratchett

Discworld needs no introduction. Terry Pratchett’s unique brand of humour and writing prowess has inspired more than many writers in the world. And I happen to be one of them. 

Another absurdist exploration of the human condition, Discworld doesn’t shy away from being goofy or weird, but it is always profound. How he managed to balance the two is still inspiring for me. 

Pratchett’s humour is the reason I didn’t hold back from being goofy in my book. 

The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie

Another indirect influence, Joe Abercrombie’s writing is one of the finest I’ve read in recent years. I aspire to write characters as well as he does, and I tried my best to bring my POV characters’ personalities to the forefront in every chapter. 

The way Abercrombie is able to bring in humour and wit at the darkest of moments is another thing that few authors can pull off without seeming insincere or forced. 

Where Pratchett taught me to be goofy, Abercrombie taught me to embrace the dark humour. 

Cradle by Will Wight

Someone said that reading this series feels like reading on cocaine. Having read enough of Will Wight’s books, I can confirm. 

The breakneck pacing of Wight’s writing is something I will forever be in awe of. Given what I wanted to do with Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One! I tried my best to study ‘Unsouled’ to identify how Wight manages to keep the pace so fast, teaching you so much information whilst never overwhelming the reader. I guess that’s Progression Fantasy for you. 

Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One! isn’t Progression Fantasy. It’s not even a series (unless I decide otherwise later). But, given what I was aiming for, I had to give it a breakneck pacing, with the narrative snowballing into the finale. From the reviews and feedback I’ve received so far, I know I’ve achieved what I set out for. 

Harry Potter by J K Rowling

This was the first series I ever read. The first full-length novel I ever read. 

Harry Potter inspired my generation to read, and it sparked my love for SFF. I was still years away from wanting to become a writer, but the earliest seeds of that passion were sowed when I picked up that paperback copy of Philosopher’s Stone. 

Now, Harry Potter’s influence on me isn’t as strong as any of the other series mentioned here, but I’d be remiss not to acknowledge and include this series in my list of influences. 

One Piece by Eiichiro Oda

There’s only one series that rivals Malazan to be at the top of my list, and that is One Piece. 

I am dead serious when I say this – One Piece is one of THE BEST SFF series ever written. 

The absurdist treatment, the epic scope, the balance of goofy humour with serious and mature themes—One Piece is gold-standard writing which is currently in its final arc. 

Take Pratchett, take Erikson, take Wight, and you’ll find a flavour of either in One Piece. 

Someday, I will write something as epic and influential as One Piece. 

For now, I’ll settle for including it in my list of influences. 

Berserk by Kentaro Miura

And to end this list, I’ll include a series that I started (and caught up with) in 2023.

Berserk’s influence on the manga and gaming industries is very much strong. The entire Souls franchise is inspired by Miura. I even read The Eleventh Cycle, another Berserk-inspired grimdark epic. 

Reading Berserk, I realised what an in-depth, empathetic and raw exploration of trauma this series is. The creepy, terror-inducing imagery only adds layers to the narrative of Berserk, which is so full of human suffering and perseverance. 

Originally Help! My Dog Is The Chosen One! wasn’t going to explore trauma, but reading Berserk inspired me to include some very small elements of cosmic horror and trauma. Luckily, those additions made my book a much richer experience. 

Conclusion:

Every author is inspired by their predecessors, as well as their contemporaries. So was I. 

I hope that my list of inspirations, and explanations on how these influences affected my book and writing, inspire you to either pick up one of these books or to write your own! 

How many of these have you read? What series have influenced you like these?

Let us know in the comments!

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