A Cry for a Hero by Jonathan Womack

[CataclysmicKnight]

A Cry for a Hero is a really awesome combination of two worlds I love - superheroes and spirituality. Jack Ramsey, aka Ram, has a near-death experience that leads to him discovering he can leave his body at will, able to fly at insane speeds and interact with the world in all sorts of crazy-yet-entirely-believable ways. This is Ram's origin story, and it has all the humor, action and intrigue you could ever want from one.

As with any good origin story, Jack isn't just able to freely explore, mastering his abilities, no! He quickly comes across something entirely unique, and Jack feels compelled to figure out what's going on, stumbling into an epic plot. Without giving any spoilers, I can still say Jack/Ram come across some worthy foes, ones that are also suited to the spiritual realm Jack uses to become Ram.

One of my favorite things about the book isn't just that Ram is such an awesome superhero, it's that Jack is still such an ordinary guy. He's a farmer, has real friends and a heart, and that shows both in his time as Ram and as himself. One of the biggest weaknesses that Ram faces is that his physical body must stay focused, nearly dead, which can be a serious problem if the bad guys come across him in that state, or even concerned folks who are worried he's in need of medical assistance! Like any good superhero, Jack/Ram is imperfect, with weaknesses, and needs to rely on folks he can trust.

As I said, this book combines the world of superheroes with spirituality. To achieve this state of near death and become Ram, Jack experiences OBEs - Out of Body Experiences. This is a really unique way to bring knowledge about them to the masses, and while the book doesn't touch on them in much depth, I think that's for the best in an origin story - even Jack doesn't fully comprehend what they are, after all, and to go too in depth may throw some folks off of wanting to read this book.

All in all, A Cry for a Hero is an awesome book. Luckily, it's also a bit old, meaning is a sequel coming soon! I'm looking very forward to reading it, and if it can live up to the standards of this one, author Jonathan Womack has one heck of a series going!