Review by Kensie B -- Fish Wielder
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Kensie B
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- Latest Review: Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
Review by Kensie B -- Fish Wielder
[Following is a volunteer review of "Fish Wielder" by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison.]
2 out of 4 stars
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Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. Hardison (or "Jim" Hardison) is, as you may have guessed from the author's name, a parody fantasy. It points to the work of writers such as J.R.R. Tolkein and Robert E. Howard, and laughs even as it applauds the epic fantasy genre. Hardison is following in the footsteps of Terry Pratchett and Terry Brooks, among others, but I am not sure Fish Wielder can truly be considered a competitor.
My first problem with this book is relatively minor, and it has to do with the name. The main character, a sort of beautiful-but-dim barbarian type named Thoral Mighty Fist, is often referred to as the Fist Wielder, and it's only at the end of the book, in a throwaway line, that he is finally called Fish Wielder instead. 'Fish Wielder' is also not a funny or interesting title. It is simply strange and vaguely confusing. Much like the rest of the book itself. That is not to say it was bad or even boring. But strange and confusing? Oh, yes.
Thoral starts out as a typically lovably stupid fighter with a penchant for drink and saving people. His best friend and sidekick is a talking fish named Brad. Three guesses at how this plays into the book title. There is a good reason for the way that Thoral acts (for the most part), but before that part is shared with the reader, he is an annoying protagonist. Brad, surprisingly, is the one who acts as the voice of reason when Thoral is about to make a stupid decision. There is a talking horse, too, who has a gimmicky tendency to only say 'neigh' as a pun on 'nay.' The plot is rife with tropes, such as saving busty elven princesses or defeating a dark wizard and his minions, but it also puts an odd food-based spin on a few things. For instance, instead of potions, there are magical puddings which grant the consumer various effects. And magical artifacts that are, more often than not, some sort of dessert. There is even a drawn-out joke around the climax of the book where multiple characters discuss historically famous gelato.
There were two Big Reveals in Fish Wielder. The first, which pertained to the central villain, was obvious right away, but the second was actually an interesting development for both Thoral and another character and made their stories far more compelling. You could also argue there was a third reveal, but it was so last-minute and yet again obvious that it barely is worth mentioning at all. The one other character whose past is slowly divulged over the course of the book, parallel to Thoral's, was the only character I truly enjoyed reading about. If Hardison had more similar story arcs, I might have been more inclined to read the next book.
Fish Wielder did have its shinier moments, during which I was hopeful that the promises of hilarity would prove true. And whenever they didn't, I was left with a distinct sensation of dissatisfaction and annoyance. It also was not clear that this was first book in an intended series. So the few plot points that were actually intriguing were left for the next book(s). This did not, however, leave me wanting to read the following installments, but instead shaved away the last bits of patience I had for this would-be series.
All in all, I would have to say this book was not bad, but in hindsight I also don't think I would pick it up again, given the choice. The book simply had too much to be desired and wasn't poking fun at the fantasy genre in an original enough way to keep its audience captivated. For all of these reasons, I rate it 2 out of 4 stars. If you go into it expecting Pratchett-esque levels of humourous writing, you will be let down. But if you are on the lookout for something light and silly, then it might be better suited for you.
******
Fish Wielder
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2 out of 4 stars
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Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. Hardison (or "Jim" Hardison) is, as you may have guessed from the author's name, a parody fantasy. It points to the work of writers such as J.R.R. Tolkein and Robert E. Howard, and laughs even as it applauds the epic fantasy genre. Hardison is following in the footsteps of Terry Pratchett and Terry Brooks, among others, but I am not sure Fish Wielder can truly be considered a competitor.
My first problem with this book is relatively minor, and it has to do with the name. The main character, a sort of beautiful-but-dim barbarian type named Thoral Mighty Fist, is often referred to as the Fist Wielder, and it's only at the end of the book, in a throwaway line, that he is finally called Fish Wielder instead. 'Fish Wielder' is also not a funny or interesting title. It is simply strange and vaguely confusing. Much like the rest of the book itself. That is not to say it was bad or even boring. But strange and confusing? Oh, yes.
Thoral starts out as a typically lovably stupid fighter with a penchant for drink and saving people. His best friend and sidekick is a talking fish named Brad. Three guesses at how this plays into the book title. There is a good reason for the way that Thoral acts (for the most part), but before that part is shared with the reader, he is an annoying protagonist. Brad, surprisingly, is the one who acts as the voice of reason when Thoral is about to make a stupid decision. There is a talking horse, too, who has a gimmicky tendency to only say 'neigh' as a pun on 'nay.' The plot is rife with tropes, such as saving busty elven princesses or defeating a dark wizard and his minions, but it also puts an odd food-based spin on a few things. For instance, instead of potions, there are magical puddings which grant the consumer various effects. And magical artifacts that are, more often than not, some sort of dessert. There is even a drawn-out joke around the climax of the book where multiple characters discuss historically famous gelato.
There were two Big Reveals in Fish Wielder. The first, which pertained to the central villain, was obvious right away, but the second was actually an interesting development for both Thoral and another character and made their stories far more compelling. You could also argue there was a third reveal, but it was so last-minute and yet again obvious that it barely is worth mentioning at all. The one other character whose past is slowly divulged over the course of the book, parallel to Thoral's, was the only character I truly enjoyed reading about. If Hardison had more similar story arcs, I might have been more inclined to read the next book.
Fish Wielder did have its shinier moments, during which I was hopeful that the promises of hilarity would prove true. And whenever they didn't, I was left with a distinct sensation of dissatisfaction and annoyance. It also was not clear that this was first book in an intended series. So the few plot points that were actually intriguing were left for the next book(s). This did not, however, leave me wanting to read the following installments, but instead shaved away the last bits of patience I had for this would-be series.
All in all, I would have to say this book was not bad, but in hindsight I also don't think I would pick it up again, given the choice. The book simply had too much to be desired and wasn't poking fun at the fantasy genre in an original enough way to keep its audience captivated. For all of these reasons, I rate it 2 out of 4 stars. If you go into it expecting Pratchett-esque levels of humourous writing, you will be let down. But if you are on the lookout for something light and silly, then it might be better suited for you.
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Like Kensie B's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
