Review by Sam Lauren -- Fish Wielder
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Sam Lauren
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Review by Sam Lauren -- Fish Wielder
[Following is a volunteer review of "Fish Wielder" by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison.]
Fish Wielder is the story of Thoral Mighty Fist and the fish who lives in his pocket. J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison wrote it with humorous intent, but he sneaks deeper meaning into his prose in much the same way that parents hide vegetables in gooey bowls of macaroni and cheese. Thoral battles depression, cultists, romantic advances, guilt, and the oppressive evil of Dark Lord Mauron. His best friend, the Koi fish named Brad, rarely gets any credit but continues to support Thoral as the quest develops from a distracting errand into a revolt against a system of corruption. Once Thoral learns how Dark Lord Mauron treats people, nothing will stop him from delivering justice. Not even his past.
I loved the depth in the two main characters. Thoral's depression made him say some dark things, but Brad was always there to cheer him (and me) up. He was a determined warrior for justice, yet it was Thoral's mercy and compassion that defined him. Thoral repeatedly chose to help people when neglecting them would have been an easier choice and even socially acceptable. Brad is the more logic-driven of the two, but even he has an emotional side. He feels overlooked when Thoral gets the credit he is due, threatened by the development of a love interest, and annoyed by his friend's theatrics.
Even the side characters are fleshed out. My favorite was a city guard whose confusion and friendly demeanor made for hilarious dialogue. He is seen only a handful of times in the book, yet I remember every scene.
There are so many good things to say about this book. The action was vivid, the plot grabbed my attention, and the twists surprised me more than once. Reading this book was like reading a transcript from a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. If you have not played that game, and you liked this book, you should give it a try. I would bet that the author has.
The only fault I found was that there was too much up and not enough downtime. That can be mentally exhausting to read. Toward the middle of the book, the jokes got a little too repetitive and the plot too obvious. Toward the end were some twists that piqued my interest again.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who plays RPGs or who enjoys adventure stories in fantasy settings. It is exceptionally well-written and edited. Usually, books in this genre lack this level of finesse and plot weaving. I hope there is a second installment and look forward to reading it.
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Fish Wielder is the story of Thoral Mighty Fist and the fish who lives in his pocket. J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison wrote it with humorous intent, but he sneaks deeper meaning into his prose in much the same way that parents hide vegetables in gooey bowls of macaroni and cheese. Thoral battles depression, cultists, romantic advances, guilt, and the oppressive evil of Dark Lord Mauron. His best friend, the Koi fish named Brad, rarely gets any credit but continues to support Thoral as the quest develops from a distracting errand into a revolt against a system of corruption. Once Thoral learns how Dark Lord Mauron treats people, nothing will stop him from delivering justice. Not even his past.
I loved the depth in the two main characters. Thoral's depression made him say some dark things, but Brad was always there to cheer him (and me) up. He was a determined warrior for justice, yet it was Thoral's mercy and compassion that defined him. Thoral repeatedly chose to help people when neglecting them would have been an easier choice and even socially acceptable. Brad is the more logic-driven of the two, but even he has an emotional side. He feels overlooked when Thoral gets the credit he is due, threatened by the development of a love interest, and annoyed by his friend's theatrics.
Even the side characters are fleshed out. My favorite was a city guard whose confusion and friendly demeanor made for hilarious dialogue. He is seen only a handful of times in the book, yet I remember every scene.
There are so many good things to say about this book. The action was vivid, the plot grabbed my attention, and the twists surprised me more than once. Reading this book was like reading a transcript from a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. If you have not played that game, and you liked this book, you should give it a try. I would bet that the author has.
The only fault I found was that there was too much up and not enough downtime. That can be mentally exhausting to read. Toward the middle of the book, the jokes got a little too repetitive and the plot too obvious. Toward the end were some twists that piqued my interest again.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who plays RPGs or who enjoys adventure stories in fantasy settings. It is exceptionally well-written and edited. Usually, books in this genre lack this level of finesse and plot weaving. I hope there is a second installment and look forward to reading it.
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: To love in vain by Pedro Merchant
