2 out of 4 stars
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Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
The author has a risky style about the names for his character’s and locations and actually admits and explains that in the opening pages of the book so it can be a bit affronting to a seasoned or adult reader but once you muddle through the juvenile names challenge, the book is acceptably written for a “fantasy” story.
The book is about the exploits of a barbarian warrior, Thoral Might Fist, a muscle bound somewhat oafish hero and his sidekick Brad, a talking Koi fish, that fares fine outside of water. Thoral, independently swift at times, generally fairs better when he takes the advice of his partner Brad and harbors a singular and overwhelming interest in righting wrong where ever he can find it in the land of Grome. To that extent, Thoral is willing and anxious to go out of his way to find it.
Combined, the two set out to defeat the Heartless One, who with the help of the Bad Religion, seeks the lost pudding that would allow him total control over the land of Grome. Failure means utter oppression and destruction for the inhabitants of Grome.
But with the help of Brad, a dazzling, elfin damsel and not a small amount of magic and mayhem, Thoral may just have a chance.
There is considerable action and a very definitive hero with a style similar to “The Princess Bride” Westley character, mixing light humor and inconceivable results. There is also minimal descriptive violence and a (not some) well handled romance suitable in my opinion, for teens to read.
The story line is fast and light and detail is kept at a minimum so it reads easily. The locations are suitably described with enough detail to help you envision them but without being overly embellished and there really are no long, dull winded sections between action sequences. It moves fairly fast from one encounter to another.
The action engagements are swift and morbid detail is minimized or left out completely making it suitable for a young audience. The foes are devious and at times, seemingly overwhelming but the hero always fares through by some thin tweak that generally comes as a surprise to the reader.
The arch villain identity is a bit of a deceptive surprise and typically is far superior in deception and ability compared to the hero and his cohort. The cliff hanger ending leaves you wondering how and if the hero will be able to save the land from him.
I would call this cliffhanger book a fast reading fantasy story suitable for children and adults and great for airport waiting gates, bus rides and exceptionally dull car travel. It may not keep you up at night but you’ll certainly enjoy reading it if you like fantasy stories.
I would rate this book at 2 out of 4 stars.
Two stars for this book and not 3 because it is a somewhat juvenile style for a more adultish theme and not 1 because it is entertaining and kept my attention.
The editor did a good job. There were few errors that I noted and none stood out.
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Fish Wielder
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