Review by S P -- Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison

S P · Post by **S P** » 05 Jun 2021, 06:57

[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 a whimsical, tongue-in-cheek novel that parodies the fantasy genre. Set in the mystical world of Grome, Fish Wielder follows Thoral, our flawless-featured hero, accompanied by his best friend Brad (who also happens to be a talking fish). With a tragic history and a past full of secrets, Thoral and Brad stumble upon a dastardly plot to destroy all of Grome that somehow involves a powerful pudding, a lovestruck elf princess and a necromancer who will not die. Filled with many subtle (and unsubtle) references to other popular novels within the genre, the story is a humorous take on the classic fantasy novel with a few big surprises along the way.

With an intention to create a compelling story with a comedic take, Hardison’s debut novel is brilliantly written and fulfils its purpose excellently. What surprised me most about this book was how much detail and thought is given to the plot; rather than just serving as a vessel for humour, the narrative itself is engaging. Hardison’s storyline is exceptionally well-structured, with little hints and details towards the start of the novel being utilised as part of an overarching plot development later in the story. I particularly enjoyed the big plot twist that arrives about halfway through the novel. Without giving any spoilers, I think that this unusual development is what separates Fish Wielder from other novels within the fantasy genre.

Another asset of Fish Wielder is its comedy. Although I struggled to enjoy the humour initially, I found that the comedic value of the novel grew as the plot developed further. Hardison is often blatantly obvious about his references to other fantasy novels. In particular, he draws a lot of parody material from Lord of the Rings. Multiple themes of fantasy novels come under fire in Fish Wielder: the unimpeachable hero character with a tragic past (personified by Thoral, an exaggerated version of this trope), the unusual names (characters named “Tofu” and “Futon” appear in Fish Wielder) and the weird variety of mythical creatures (Thoral’s sidekick is a walking, talking fish). Although I am a fan of a classic fantasy story, I enjoyed how the novel does not take itself too seriously.

There were not many negative aspects to this novel. However, I did find that the first couple of chapters were a little dull – it took some time for the plot to develop sufficiently. Although the author tries to be humorous from the start of the novel, the storyline initially lacks momentum. This does detract a little from the overall reading experience.

Overall, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I found the novel to be refreshingly original, entirely captivating and genuinely funny. It is also very well edited; I did not notice a single error throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and will be excited to read any future books written by Hardison.

I would recommend this novel to readers of all backgrounds, including younger or more sensitive readers; the novel does not contain any offensive language. Since Fish Wielder parodies many popular fantasy novels, I think that fans of the fantasy genre will enjoy this book.

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Fish Wielder
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AbhyarnaAman · Post by **AbhyarnaAman** » 19 Jun 2021, 10:37

Well done for your review!! I too considered this book, bur couldn't take it up because I don't understand stories related to mythical creatures (as you also referred to 'the lord of the rings'). Anyways, its good that you liked the book and reviewed it in such detail form.

S P · Post by **S P** » 21 Jun 2021, 09:16

AbhyarnaAman wrote: ↑19 Jun 2021, 10:37 Well done for your review!! I too considered this book, bur couldn't take it up because I don't understand stories related to mythical creatures (as you also referred to 'the lord of the rings'). Anyways, its good that you liked the book and reviewed it in such detail form.

Thank you! Yes, some of the whacky mythical creatures make it quite hard to understand at times, I totally get why it might not be for you!