Review of Fish Wielder

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MBerretta
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Review of Fish Wielder

Post by MBerretta »

[Following is a volunteer review of "Fish Wielder" by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Thoral Mighty Fist-our quintessential, beefy, barbarian hero-has spent the last decade diving headfirst into adventures to distract himself from his grisly past. A past that even his best friend and traveling companion, Brad, doesn’t even know about. After priests from the Bad Religion try to kill Thoral, they become aware that the “Heartless One” has a vendetta against him. As the investigation unfolds, they find themselves on the most epic adventure they’ve ever had. One where they team up with elves, fight a plethora of mystical beasts, and finally discover who this notorious “Heartless One” really is. Along the way, Thoral reveals some very disturbing secrets he’s been holding onto that even Brad can hardly believe. It certainly explains why our hunky barbarian is a germaphobe, has a weird accent, and drowns himself in mead every night.

Fish Wielder, by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison, is an extraordinary tale filled with silly dialogue and characters you can’t help but love. Thoral is an honorable and kind man, despite his hulking frame and natural talent of slaying beasts. The immense losses he has suffered would have defeated even the hardiest of men. It’s easy to root for him as you follow him on his journey. I loved the personal touches that were given to all the characters. For instance, Warlordhorse-Thoral’s tiger-striped noble steed- has a fear of heights and an inner ear problem. The dastardly wizard Necrogrond is a stickler for grammar and Brad, who happens to be a koi fish, can’t swim. Little touches of humor such as these lighten the mood of this drama-filled saga.

I really had to search for the negatives in this book. It was creative and unique, yet, paid homage to some popular fantasy novels. It was quirky and absurd-but entertainingly so. If I had to point out any negatives, I would say some of the descriptive adjectives were repetitive. For instance, I don’t think you need to describe Thoral’s hair as “tawny” or Nalweegie’s eyes as “emerald green” more than once or twice. That’s just a pet peeve of mine.

I’m issuing this book four out of four stars. I loved it! It was a pleasure reading about the enchanting country of Grome and the colorful cast of characters that live there. I almost wish they would make a TV adaptation for it. I would love to see the antics of Thoral, Brad, and all the others come to life!

If you desire something light-hearted to read, this book is for you. If you enjoy the dry British humor of works such as Monty Python, The IT Crowd, or Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, you will love this book. I would recommend this to anyone who needs a good laugh. It has no profanity, no erotic content, and a small amount of violence during the battle scenes. However, none of it is too extreme. I don’t know if this would be adequate for serious fantasy novel lovers; it might be too tame for their liking. So, if you’re looking for something profound, I wouldn’t recommend this.

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Fish Wielder
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"I want to learn everything I can, and I write down everything I see. Golly says if I want to be a writer someday, I better start now, and that is why I am a spy."

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