Review by JayRaams -- Fish Wielder
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JayRaams
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Review by JayRaams -- Fish Wielder
[Following is a volunteer review of "Fish Wielder" by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison.]
We first meet our barbarian hero Thoral in a bar, on a day when all he wants to do is to drown his memories at the bottom of a tankard of ale. Thoral is otherworldly, with his unreal rippling muscles, Fabioesk blond hair, and his piercing violet stare. Every piece of Thoral stamps him as a hero, right down to his magic sword Blurmflard, and his mysterious backstory. Thoral and his best friend Brad, a talking twelve-inch koi fish, set out on the adventure to end all adventures. Atop Thoral´s mighty steed, they rescue an Elvin princess, fight evil sorcerers, and try to save the world, without getting too dirty while they are at it. With the help of The Fellowship of the Pudding, be able to get to the Magic Pudding of Power in time. Or will shadows of grief from Thoral´s mysterious past destroy him? Can Thoral stay alive long enough to save the world, or will the ´Dark Brotherhood of The Bad Religion´ manage to kill him? Will their boss, the ´Heartless Ones´, finish their evil plan and destroy Grome?
I love the humour in the Fish Wielder, it is guaranteed to make you laugh, with funny names, pop culture references, and some fight scenes that are just priceless. My favourite fight scene was a fight with a sorcerer, whose arms were like elephant trunks. It´s an intense fight scene, but the tension is broken when the bad guy goes to stroke his beard, and ends up hitting himself in the face. It´s the little details that J.R.R.R (JIM) HARDISON uses to bring humour and colour to the world of Grome that stick out the most. The use of magic puddings instead of magic potions, and other absurdities breaking from the norms of standard fantasy fair made this a truly enjoyable read.
The pop references often hit their mark but there was one in particular that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. When Brad and Thoral rescue an Elvin Princess Hardison describes her as being chained up and wearing essentially a slave Princess Leia costume. This was a cool subtle reference, but it made me uncomfortable all the same. ¨She looked as if she couldn´t be more than seventeen...¨. This is remedied not long after when it is stated that the princess is actually three hundred and seventeen years old, but I think it would have been better to simply change it to nineteen or twenty. This was the only negative point of the book for me, overall it was really good.
This is a 4 out of 4 star book for me. It is well written, edited, and is guaranteed to make you laugh, with its fun characters, and cheeky references. It also has some clever plot twists that make the ending worth sticking out for, keeping you engaged until the last page. I honestly did not want it to end.
I highly recommend parents give this book to younger readers around thirteen or fourteen. Readers that have trouble reading, or who do not like reading will have an easy and fun experience honing their skills. Because of its easy to read writing style, and silly sense of humour, it is sure to connect with younger readers and draw them in. I would also recommend this to fans of D&D (Dungeons and Dragons). Fish Wielder reminded me of playing D&D with my friends, and I believe that it will give you some fun ideas for your own games.
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
We first meet our barbarian hero Thoral in a bar, on a day when all he wants to do is to drown his memories at the bottom of a tankard of ale. Thoral is otherworldly, with his unreal rippling muscles, Fabioesk blond hair, and his piercing violet stare. Every piece of Thoral stamps him as a hero, right down to his magic sword Blurmflard, and his mysterious backstory. Thoral and his best friend Brad, a talking twelve-inch koi fish, set out on the adventure to end all adventures. Atop Thoral´s mighty steed, they rescue an Elvin princess, fight evil sorcerers, and try to save the world, without getting too dirty while they are at it. With the help of The Fellowship of the Pudding, be able to get to the Magic Pudding of Power in time. Or will shadows of grief from Thoral´s mysterious past destroy him? Can Thoral stay alive long enough to save the world, or will the ´Dark Brotherhood of The Bad Religion´ manage to kill him? Will their boss, the ´Heartless Ones´, finish their evil plan and destroy Grome?
I love the humour in the Fish Wielder, it is guaranteed to make you laugh, with funny names, pop culture references, and some fight scenes that are just priceless. My favourite fight scene was a fight with a sorcerer, whose arms were like elephant trunks. It´s an intense fight scene, but the tension is broken when the bad guy goes to stroke his beard, and ends up hitting himself in the face. It´s the little details that J.R.R.R (JIM) HARDISON uses to bring humour and colour to the world of Grome that stick out the most. The use of magic puddings instead of magic potions, and other absurdities breaking from the norms of standard fantasy fair made this a truly enjoyable read.
The pop references often hit their mark but there was one in particular that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. When Brad and Thoral rescue an Elvin Princess Hardison describes her as being chained up and wearing essentially a slave Princess Leia costume. This was a cool subtle reference, but it made me uncomfortable all the same. ¨She looked as if she couldn´t be more than seventeen...¨. This is remedied not long after when it is stated that the princess is actually three hundred and seventeen years old, but I think it would have been better to simply change it to nineteen or twenty. This was the only negative point of the book for me, overall it was really good.
This is a 4 out of 4 star book for me. It is well written, edited, and is guaranteed to make you laugh, with its fun characters, and cheeky references. It also has some clever plot twists that make the ending worth sticking out for, keeping you engaged until the last page. I honestly did not want it to end.
I highly recommend parents give this book to younger readers around thirteen or fourteen. Readers that have trouble reading, or who do not like reading will have an easy and fun experience honing their skills. Because of its easy to read writing style, and silly sense of humour, it is sure to connect with younger readers and draw them in. I would also recommend this to fans of D&D (Dungeons and Dragons). Fish Wielder reminded me of playing D&D with my friends, and I believe that it will give you some fun ideas for your own games.
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Legacy of Job's Wife by Cynthia Koelker
