Review by Lina Chern -- Fish Wielder
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Lina Chern
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- Latest Review: Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
Review by Lina Chern -- Fish Wielder
[Following is a volunteer review of "Fish Wielder" by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison.]
4 out of 4 stars
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The cover of J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison’s Fish Weilder is a mess of mythical monsters, glimmering metal weapons and naked hero flesh. I would have flipped right past it if the title and author pseudonym hadn’t tripped my irony alarm, and I’m glad they did. Fish Weilder is a great read – a entertaining sendup of the fantasy genre and a well-crafted story in its own right. The book is also thoroughly edited, neatly laid out, and professional in its overall presentation, none of which should be taken for granted. I felt I was in good hands while reading this book.
The story follows barbarian beefcake Thoral Mighty Fist and his straight-man sidekick Bradfast, a talking humanoid koi fish. The unlikely duo teams up with King Elfrod and his elf army to prevent the Heartless One, mysterious leader of the Bad Religion, from recovering and eating the long-lost Pudding of Power, with the usual devastating consequences.
The story meanders a bit before getting down to the central quest, but it’s a fun, well-written meander in the style of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, full of cartoonish gore, ridiculous fantasy names and lush descriptions punctured by self-referential asides and cracks in the fourth wall. “In his secret room in a shattered tower of the ruined castle, the sorcerer conjured a giant spider,” Hardison writes. “It was gross.” Hardison knows when to subvert and when to embrace the genre’s excesses, keeping the reader balanced between ironic distance and genuine engagement. The writing is solid, the story moves well, and the jokes don’t overstay their welcome.
A parody that never rises above its source material can get tiresome, but Fish Weilder avoids that pitfall. The story tightens as it moves along, ratcheting up the suspense and overturning some of its more tired fantasy cliches. As the story builds, Thoral’s character becomes more genuine and likable than just a ham slab with good hair, and his potential love interest Nalweegie the elf princess turns out to be stronger and more self-reliant than the sexpot-in-distress she seems at first. Even the humor gets funnier; one highlight is a transcription of the fearsome “Poem of the Pudding” from a barbaric language that includes the words “ratbarf” and “lardblock.” Most satisfying of all is a startling revelation about Thoral’s origins that breaks open the entire traditional fantasy framework of the novel.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars because it accomplishes what it sets out to do and more: it’s a skillful fantasy parody that turns into a good fantasy story in itself. The book ends with the possibility of a sequel, and I would be happy to read it.
******
Fish Wielder
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4 out of 4 stars
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The cover of J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison’s Fish Weilder is a mess of mythical monsters, glimmering metal weapons and naked hero flesh. I would have flipped right past it if the title and author pseudonym hadn’t tripped my irony alarm, and I’m glad they did. Fish Weilder is a great read – a entertaining sendup of the fantasy genre and a well-crafted story in its own right. The book is also thoroughly edited, neatly laid out, and professional in its overall presentation, none of which should be taken for granted. I felt I was in good hands while reading this book.
The story follows barbarian beefcake Thoral Mighty Fist and his straight-man sidekick Bradfast, a talking humanoid koi fish. The unlikely duo teams up with King Elfrod and his elf army to prevent the Heartless One, mysterious leader of the Bad Religion, from recovering and eating the long-lost Pudding of Power, with the usual devastating consequences.
The story meanders a bit before getting down to the central quest, but it’s a fun, well-written meander in the style of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, full of cartoonish gore, ridiculous fantasy names and lush descriptions punctured by self-referential asides and cracks in the fourth wall. “In his secret room in a shattered tower of the ruined castle, the sorcerer conjured a giant spider,” Hardison writes. “It was gross.” Hardison knows when to subvert and when to embrace the genre’s excesses, keeping the reader balanced between ironic distance and genuine engagement. The writing is solid, the story moves well, and the jokes don’t overstay their welcome.
A parody that never rises above its source material can get tiresome, but Fish Weilder avoids that pitfall. The story tightens as it moves along, ratcheting up the suspense and overturning some of its more tired fantasy cliches. As the story builds, Thoral’s character becomes more genuine and likable than just a ham slab with good hair, and his potential love interest Nalweegie the elf princess turns out to be stronger and more self-reliant than the sexpot-in-distress she seems at first. Even the humor gets funnier; one highlight is a transcription of the fearsome “Poem of the Pudding” from a barbaric language that includes the words “ratbarf” and “lardblock.” Most satisfying of all is a startling revelation about Thoral’s origins that breaks open the entire traditional fantasy framework of the novel.
I give this book 4 out of 4 stars because it accomplishes what it sets out to do and more: it’s a skillful fantasy parody that turns into a good fantasy story in itself. The book ends with the possibility of a sequel, and I would be happy to read it.
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Like Lina Chern's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
