Review by Engelrachael -- Fish Wielder

Engelrachael · Post by **Engelrachael** » 15 Jul 2019, 22:43

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

4 out of 4 stars

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Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison is an epic fantasy set in the realm of Grome, a mystical land filled with hero's, villains, and magical puddings. When a vile group known as The Bad Religion, lead by the Heartless One, plots to enslave all of Grome, by devouring the Pudding of Power, it's up to Thoral Mighty Fist and his companions to stop them. With love and life on the line Thoral must face his past to save everyone.

Thoral Mighty Fist is not your average handsome barbarian. A foreigner to Grome, his past is a mystery that seems to haunt him everyday. Never backing down from a fight, he defeats all opponents with his trusty broadsword, Blurmflard, but fails to drown his demons with ale. In an attempt to cheer him up, and give his liver a much-needed break, Thoral's best friend Brad, a walking, talking, koi fish, suggests they go on an adventure. Hoping to find something strong enough to finally defeat him, Thoral agrees and sets out immediately, but not before accidentally taking out some would be assassins.

What starts out as a simple journey through the Godforsaken Swamp, ends with a beheaded necromancer, a rescued elvish princess, and a conspiracy about world domination. After returning the princess Nalweegia to her father Lord Elfrod, Thoral and Brad, with their trusty steed Warlordhorse, set out to destroy The Bad Religion once and for all. Or so they hope if an ancient prophecy doesn't get in the way.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. The humor was ample and well placed, but the story was still serious when needed. The humor was also clean and witty, almost light-hearted, which balanced out what could have been a much darker novel without it. The characters were also very well-developed. You could feel Thoral's emotional turmoil throughout the story as he struggled with his depression and trying to find a reason to continue living. The characters just felt real.

Overall I would give this novel four out of four stars. J.R.R.R. Hardison could have easily made this into any other generic parody of fantasy novels, but instead he created something wonderful. While you can see most of his influences, mainly from The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R.R. Hardison has made something uniquely his own. You can also tell how much respect he has for these other great authors by taking his novel serious in a humorous way. This is how parodies should be written, and I suggest anyone who enjoys epics, like The Lord of the Rings or The Wheel of Time, should read this novel.

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Fish Wielder
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