Review by AnitaM -- Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
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AnitaM
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Review by AnitaM -- Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
[Following is a volunteer review of "Fish Wielder" by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison.]
4 out of 4 stars
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I have just bumped my way back to reality after finishing Fish Wielder; the first instalment of a much-anticipated trilogy by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison. This story is packed full of bizarre creatures, grisly battle scenes, and hilarious comedic moments.
Fish Wielder stars Thoral Mighty Fist and his long-suffering companion Brad (a small Koi fish). Thoral is everything a hero should be – handsome, muscular and brave. Though, he has terrible mood swings and probably enjoys beer a bit too much. Brad invariably fails to keep Thoral on the straight and narrow, and during the first section of the book, the pair seem to wander around aimlessly in search of a good brawl. Luckily fights are not hard to find, due to the fact that their faithful steed, Warlordhorse, can sense evil.
About halfway through, the story veers off in a new direction. Thoral goes on a quest to find the lost Pudding of Power, which is a delicious but highly powerful chocolate dessert. The Heartless One is also seeking that frightful final course and must be defeated. But, will Thoral and his friends be successful in spite of their clear inadequacies and general reliance on luck?
The endless twists and turns and random elements in this book keep the reader deeply engaged and always slightly confused; it is a highly amusing parody. Hardison is very clever in the way that he references and, at times, teases other famous works. The most obvious connection is Lord of the Rings; even the author's name is poking fun at J.R.R. Tolkien and there are plenty of innuendos within the book too. I fear some of the more subtle references may have gone straight over my head as I am not typically a huge fantasy fan, but I also noticed nods to the land of Narnia and Alice in Wonderland.
I found Fish Wielder to be very entertaining and good, light-hearted fun. As I said, I don't tend to read a lot of fantasy so I was initially a little dubious. However, I really enjoyed this tale because it doesn't take itself too seriously and the plot twists prevent the style of humour from becoming dull or repetitive. Amongst all the wit and external references, there is still a decent storyline, which provides a great starting point for a trilogy. The writing style and editing are excellent; including lots of wonderfully evocative made-up words, but no glaring grammatical errors.
I would recommend this book to anyone and I am very much looking forward to the sequel. I think Fish Wielder could also be enjoyed by young adults and teens; even though it is a bit gory, the story never gets too serious or dark. Overall, I think Fish Wielder is a great read and I haven't been able to fault it so 4 out of 4 stars it is!
******
Fish Wielder
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4 out of 4 stars
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I have just bumped my way back to reality after finishing Fish Wielder; the first instalment of a much-anticipated trilogy by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison. This story is packed full of bizarre creatures, grisly battle scenes, and hilarious comedic moments.
Fish Wielder stars Thoral Mighty Fist and his long-suffering companion Brad (a small Koi fish). Thoral is everything a hero should be – handsome, muscular and brave. Though, he has terrible mood swings and probably enjoys beer a bit too much. Brad invariably fails to keep Thoral on the straight and narrow, and during the first section of the book, the pair seem to wander around aimlessly in search of a good brawl. Luckily fights are not hard to find, due to the fact that their faithful steed, Warlordhorse, can sense evil.
About halfway through, the story veers off in a new direction. Thoral goes on a quest to find the lost Pudding of Power, which is a delicious but highly powerful chocolate dessert. The Heartless One is also seeking that frightful final course and must be defeated. But, will Thoral and his friends be successful in spite of their clear inadequacies and general reliance on luck?
The endless twists and turns and random elements in this book keep the reader deeply engaged and always slightly confused; it is a highly amusing parody. Hardison is very clever in the way that he references and, at times, teases other famous works. The most obvious connection is Lord of the Rings; even the author's name is poking fun at J.R.R. Tolkien and there are plenty of innuendos within the book too. I fear some of the more subtle references may have gone straight over my head as I am not typically a huge fantasy fan, but I also noticed nods to the land of Narnia and Alice in Wonderland.
I found Fish Wielder to be very entertaining and good, light-hearted fun. As I said, I don't tend to read a lot of fantasy so I was initially a little dubious. However, I really enjoyed this tale because it doesn't take itself too seriously and the plot twists prevent the style of humour from becoming dull or repetitive. Amongst all the wit and external references, there is still a decent storyline, which provides a great starting point for a trilogy. The writing style and editing are excellent; including lots of wonderfully evocative made-up words, but no glaring grammatical errors.
I would recommend this book to anyone and I am very much looking forward to the sequel. I think Fish Wielder could also be enjoyed by young adults and teens; even though it is a bit gory, the story never gets too serious or dark. Overall, I think Fish Wielder is a great read and I haven't been able to fault it so 4 out of 4 stars it is!
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Like AnitaM's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Heartaches 3 by H.M. Irwing
