Review of Fish Wielder

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 01 Sep 2021, 07:23

[Following is a volunteer review of "Fish Wielder" by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Many in the land of Grome have heard of the blond barbarian, Thoral Mighty Fist, but, despite his peculiar accent, no one knows where he is from, not even his devoted friend, the walking fish Bradfast. Together they embark on an epic adventure after the other, thus earning their living.

After defeating the evil sorcerer Necrogrond, Thoral finds Nalweegie, the beautiful princess of the Elves, imprisoned in the fortress. She falls deeply in love with her savior and leads Thoral and Brad to her realm, where King Elfrond asks the barbarian to help him vanquish the mysterious force that’s been killing his people.

Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison is a surprisingly enjoyable epic fantasy novel. I was completely hooked after just a few lines and it kept getting better with every page. The humorous mood of the narrative reminds of authors like Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett: it is absolutely hilarious to read and keeps you engaged till the end. On multiple occasions, I had to stop reading and have a good laugh out loud.

There are various Easter eggs referencing pillars of fantasy fiction (e.g., The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, or The Wizard of Oz). The lovers of the genre will certainly appreciate it. The worldbuilding is very good and some features, despite the book being mostly parodic, are quite original. I love the diversity that you can see in the creatures inhabiting Grome: elves, gnomes, talking animals, sorcerers, and completely made-up monsters. Plus, there is a map included in the first pages that was really helpful to track the characters’ travels.

You could divide the story into a series of adventures, but there is a consistent subplot that keeps everything together. The pace is fast and gripping, and action scenes are amazingly described.

Our protagonist, Thoral, is one of the few humans that we come across. His character is very credible and likable. He rarely is completely sober, but we get to know what hides in his past and, hence, to understand his behavior. I was pleased to see that there were also more hushed and serious tones in this book: certainly, it made the reading experience more complete.

I highly recommend this book to readers interested in the fantasy genre, both teenagers and adults. The book was exceptionally edited, the writing immersive and the plot was brilliant. There is nothing I disliked about this novel: Fish Wielder easily places between the best books I have read this year, and I would be thrilled to have a second one. My rating is then: 4 out of 4 stars.

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Fish Wielder
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Ruchi Raina · Post by **Ruchi Raina** » 12 Sep 2021, 12:10

I loved loved loved this book. The whole tale was woven in a way that one can envision everything playing out. It was hilarious to know why Elford was leading all of them to the pie

Thanks for the amazing review.

Post by **kandscreeley** » 12 Sep 2021, 12:28

I really need to read this. I've read anthem book by this author that I thoroughly enjoyed. I know I would like this too. Thanks for the review.

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 12 Sep 2021, 17:42

Ruchi Raina wrote: ↑12 Sep 2021, 12:10 I loved loved loved this book. The whole tale was woven in a way that one can envision everything playing out. It was hilarious to know why Elford was leading all of them to the pie Thanks for the amazing review.

Oh yes! It reminded me of when I am about to get out of the house and "something" suddenly disappears

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 12 Sep 2021, 17:45

kandscreeley wrote: ↑12 Sep 2021, 12:28 I really need to read this. I've read anthem book by this author that I thoroughly enjoyed. I know I would like this too. Thanks for the review.

Thank you for stopping by! I am certain you will enjoy this!

Ellylion · Post by **Ellylion** » 13 Sep 2021, 08:31

This book is a must-read for all fantasy lovers and not only

Thank you very much for this amazing review!

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 13 Sep 2021, 09:11

Ellylion wrote: ↑13 Sep 2021, 08:31 This book is a must-read for all fantasy lovers and not only Thank you very much for this amazing review!

It is! Thank you for commenting

Katie Blackmore · Post by **Katie Blackmore** » 13 Sep 2021, 14:18

This sounds like a really interesting and fun read. I really enjoy Terry Pratchett and from your glowing review, I am definitely adding this to my list. Thank you for sharing your review with us, it was beautifully written.

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 14 Sep 2021, 04:28

Katie Blackmore wrote: ↑13 Sep 2021, 14:18 This sounds like a really interesting and fun read. I really enjoy Terry Pratchett and from your glowing review, I am definitely adding this to my list. Thank you for sharing your review with us, it was beautifully written.

Oh, thank you! I hope you like it as much as I did

Priya_Singh · Post by **Priya_Singh** » 14 Sep 2021, 21:15

This seems Like some amazing fantasy work. I would love to read this book. Thank you so much for your wonderful review!

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 16 Sep 2021, 02:33

Priya_Singh wrote: ↑14 Sep 2021, 21:15 This seems Like some amazing fantasy work. I would love to read this book. Thank you so much for your wonderful review!

Thank you for commenting

Mtibza eM · Post by **Mtibza eM** » 16 Sep 2021, 12:44

I have been postponing reading this book, but I love that you have nothing but praises for it, so I will definitely check it out.

Kaushiki Parihar · Post by **Kaushiki Parihar** » 18 Sep 2021, 00:51

I have read this book and can't agree with you more. It was such an entertaining and delightful read with amazing story plot and characters. Thoral and Brad's friendship was adorable. Excellent review!

marta baglioni · Post by **marta baglioni** » 18 Sep 2021, 04:08

Kaushiki Parihar wrote: ↑18 Sep 2021, 00:51 I have read this book and can't agree with you more. It was such an entertaining and delightful read with amazing story plot and characters. Thoral and Brad's friendship was adorable. Excellent review!

Thank you for commenting! I am glad you liked it