Review of Fish Wielder
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Nandini Mukherjee
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Review of Fish Wielder
[Following is a volunteer review of "Fish Wielder" by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison.]
Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison is one of the best fantasy books that I have eagerly read in a while. The key protagonist is Thoral, the mighty fist, a barbarian, and his most faithful companion, Bradfast, a talking koi fish, as well as a well-built steed named Warlordhorse. They typically go from one conquest to another to keep away from the sorrows that Thoral drains in warm ale. The story starts with Thoral being way too depressed and weary from drinking. So, without anything planned out, he and his follower Brad, end up in the Godforsaken Swamp where he runs into a ruined castle, dwelt in by Necrogond, a sorcerer who never dies. There, Thoral defeats the necromancer after a risky fight. And he also saves the elf princess Nalweegie, beloved daughter of King Elfrod, who later turns out to be an alliance for Thoral in his pursuits. One quest leads to another, one fierce oath to another ends with Thoral swearing to kill the Heartless One. The Heartless One is the evil leader of the Bad Religion, seeking the Pudding of Power and the Bracelet of Evil, and eventually wants to destroy the entire mystical world of Grome.
The wildly illustrated book cover of this novel allured me in the first place. And next came the characters inside it. Thoral resembles a dimwit ready to bite certain death, the talking koi fish Brad responsible for putting sense into Thoral's head, and the elf princess Nalweegie, each of them are hilarious and unique to their role. Thoral, with his strikingly violet eyes, a mighty fist no one can escape from, and a similarly mighty blade Blurmflard, often struggles with conveying words to his thoughts and also makes sure to keep himself clean at all times. Thoral, who hardly is ever in a position to think straight and clear due to his drinking issues, ends up making his role more unpredictable. At one point in time, we perceive him narrowly escaping death without even knowing, and at the other point, it's just his mighty fist he swings at his opponents.
Even though all the characters start with a very dumb approach to everything they do, things gradually smooth out, and they start developing into something sensible after all. I liked how even after being in a mystical fantasy world, all the characters had a thought process and emotions that worked similarly to humans.
The author has shaped the story with twists and turns that kept me amused and hooked till the end. Even the names given to the various places in Grome immediately give an idea to readers of what could have happened there. The beginning of the book strives to provide readers with an idea of what they are going to face soon, and with the second half of the book, you can feel the story starting to engage your senses in the best way possible. I loved how the author succeeds in making every plan chalked out by the characters go wrong, leading them to do something even more foolish. The drama of love affairs, comedy of errors, and suspense in an unknown, magical world have been a whole lot entertaining. The cheeky comments and playful banters between the characters, especially Brad and Thoral, can warm your hearts to their friendship.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is exceptionally well-edited with no explicit scenes. There is some graphic violence with the scenes described in a little gruesome yet comical sense. The book is easy to read and breezes through for even beginners in reading. It is a pretty long book and is the first of the Fish Wielder Trilogy. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves satirical, fantasy books with a good measure of laugh and amusement.
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison is one of the best fantasy books that I have eagerly read in a while. The key protagonist is Thoral, the mighty fist, a barbarian, and his most faithful companion, Bradfast, a talking koi fish, as well as a well-built steed named Warlordhorse. They typically go from one conquest to another to keep away from the sorrows that Thoral drains in warm ale. The story starts with Thoral being way too depressed and weary from drinking. So, without anything planned out, he and his follower Brad, end up in the Godforsaken Swamp where he runs into a ruined castle, dwelt in by Necrogond, a sorcerer who never dies. There, Thoral defeats the necromancer after a risky fight. And he also saves the elf princess Nalweegie, beloved daughter of King Elfrod, who later turns out to be an alliance for Thoral in his pursuits. One quest leads to another, one fierce oath to another ends with Thoral swearing to kill the Heartless One. The Heartless One is the evil leader of the Bad Religion, seeking the Pudding of Power and the Bracelet of Evil, and eventually wants to destroy the entire mystical world of Grome.
The wildly illustrated book cover of this novel allured me in the first place. And next came the characters inside it. Thoral resembles a dimwit ready to bite certain death, the talking koi fish Brad responsible for putting sense into Thoral's head, and the elf princess Nalweegie, each of them are hilarious and unique to their role. Thoral, with his strikingly violet eyes, a mighty fist no one can escape from, and a similarly mighty blade Blurmflard, often struggles with conveying words to his thoughts and also makes sure to keep himself clean at all times. Thoral, who hardly is ever in a position to think straight and clear due to his drinking issues, ends up making his role more unpredictable. At one point in time, we perceive him narrowly escaping death without even knowing, and at the other point, it's just his mighty fist he swings at his opponents.
Even though all the characters start with a very dumb approach to everything they do, things gradually smooth out, and they start developing into something sensible after all. I liked how even after being in a mystical fantasy world, all the characters had a thought process and emotions that worked similarly to humans.
The author has shaped the story with twists and turns that kept me amused and hooked till the end. Even the names given to the various places in Grome immediately give an idea to readers of what could have happened there. The beginning of the book strives to provide readers with an idea of what they are going to face soon, and with the second half of the book, you can feel the story starting to engage your senses in the best way possible. I loved how the author succeeds in making every plan chalked out by the characters go wrong, leading them to do something even more foolish. The drama of love affairs, comedy of errors, and suspense in an unknown, magical world have been a whole lot entertaining. The cheeky comments and playful banters between the characters, especially Brad and Thoral, can warm your hearts to their friendship.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It is exceptionally well-edited with no explicit scenes. There is some graphic violence with the scenes described in a little gruesome yet comical sense. The book is easy to read and breezes through for even beginners in reading. It is a pretty long book and is the first of the Fish Wielder Trilogy. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves satirical, fantasy books with a good measure of laugh and amusement.
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Requiem For A Queen by Kaylin McFarren
