4 out of 4 stars
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Everyone knows that barbarian heroes in fantasy worlds have flowing blond hair, massively oversized muscles, a huge sword, a noble steed and a faithful sidekick who is usually much smarter than they are. When they are not beating someone up, they are crying into their beer.
In Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R (Jim) Hardison, Thoral Mighty Fist fits the description perfectly, except for his towel. He needs it. Blood, guts and gore are part of the working environment, but the author adds in grit, grunge and downright icky. When a monster vomits on you, you definitely need a towel.
This is a gentle spoof of the stereotype. The better you know your fantasy worlds, the more you’ll find to enjoy. References to The Lord of the Rings are obvious, except that our valiant party of assorted heroes are looking for the Pudding of Power, chocolate pudding naturally, but no less lethal as every dieter can tell you.
There are lots of smelly monsters and a sorcerer who refuses to die even when his head is cut off. It is most inconsiderate of him, as Thoral has to do three times as much work. There is also, inevitably, a beautiful and spirited elf princess with a crush on our hero. Does he return her ardour? It’s complicated.
It all races along at a great pace. A reference to The Wizard of Oz is also obvious and I’m sure I picked up a nodding acquaintance with Terry Pratchett.
About half way through there is an unexpected twist in the tale which brings our hero close to home and sets this madcap adventure up for a sequel. It’s a nice change of pace and, of course, reason for a few more tears in the beer. To give Thoral credit, he always gets upset when his friends die. By the way, there is a fish. His name is Brad and Thoral saved him from drowning. How about that?
The author deserves a Nobel prize for names, which are either yucky (Glurpgrond), inappropriate (Tampon) or sweet (Tyncie CheeChaw CheeChee WeeWaw), and descriptive geography, such as the Briny Sea, the Great Wavey Ocean and the Sinister Tower. Really?
The colorful cover in Discworld style could lead you to hope for Terry Pratchett reborn. I’m afraid not, but it’s good fun. It will appeal to fantasy fans and those who like a touch of wry humour with their guts and gore. I didn’t spot any grammatical errors; perhaps I was too busy reaching for my towel. I give this 4 out of 4 stars.
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Fish Wielder
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