Review by Human314 -- Fish Wielder
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Human314
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- Latest Review: Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
Review by Human314 -- 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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J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison’s comedic fantasy novel Fish Wielder follows the adventures and experiences of Thoral Mighty Fist, a stereotypical action hero, as he is joined by his friend Bradfast who is a twelve inch, walking, talking, orange koi carp. The main characters fulfil the standard roles which appear within modern fantasy, including the brave one, the intelligent friend, the Dark Lord and the main character’s romantic interest.
The plot begins with Thoral Mighty Fist, called Thoral by his friends, drowning his boredom and sorrow in drink. Thoral is initially unwilling to go on a quest, but when he hears that he may die he changes his mind. On the road the friends come across three members of the Bad Religion who attempt to murder Thoral. When the hero accidently kills the three members of the Bad Religion he seems genuinely saddened by the deaths of the strangers.
After the heroes rescue an elf maiden, who instantly falls in love with Thoral, the plot descends into a formulaic hero kills some bad people narrative. Whilst in the majority of books the overused plot devices and formulaic story arc becomes repetitive and boring, this story is improved by having a simplistic plot. By having such a standard and overused storyline next to hilarious and wonderful dialogue, which is designed to mock the stereotypes and characters within the fantasy genre, this book is able to stand up as a piece of satire against the uncreative and unoriginal plot which so many authors use.
I really enjoyed the humanisation of evil people within this book. At several points characters that the reader assumes are evil break character and behave like ordinary people, which often used for comedic effect as well as a method to emphasise that the majority of people who work for evil people are not themselves evil. It shows the reader that the minion of the Dark Lord is an ordinary person who has a family and isn’t just a sandbag for the hero to punch.
Whilst there are several bad things about the story when one considers it as a satire they only add the absurdity of the entire genre and by doing so makes the entire book more entertaining.
This book openly mocks cheap remakes of things like Lord of the Rings and Narnia whilst still being able to tell an interesting story with wonderful character development and a serious message about our expectations of fiction. For me, as a person who dislikes the modern version of the fantasy genre, it is refreshing to find such a hilarious satire which is in line with my own views. I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys comedic fantasy or who hates the fantasy genre.
******
Fish Wielder
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4 out of 4 stars
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J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison’s comedic fantasy novel Fish Wielder follows the adventures and experiences of Thoral Mighty Fist, a stereotypical action hero, as he is joined by his friend Bradfast who is a twelve inch, walking, talking, orange koi carp. The main characters fulfil the standard roles which appear within modern fantasy, including the brave one, the intelligent friend, the Dark Lord and the main character’s romantic interest.
The plot begins with Thoral Mighty Fist, called Thoral by his friends, drowning his boredom and sorrow in drink. Thoral is initially unwilling to go on a quest, but when he hears that he may die he changes his mind. On the road the friends come across three members of the Bad Religion who attempt to murder Thoral. When the hero accidently kills the three members of the Bad Religion he seems genuinely saddened by the deaths of the strangers.
After the heroes rescue an elf maiden, who instantly falls in love with Thoral, the plot descends into a formulaic hero kills some bad people narrative. Whilst in the majority of books the overused plot devices and formulaic story arc becomes repetitive and boring, this story is improved by having a simplistic plot. By having such a standard and overused storyline next to hilarious and wonderful dialogue, which is designed to mock the stereotypes and characters within the fantasy genre, this book is able to stand up as a piece of satire against the uncreative and unoriginal plot which so many authors use.
I really enjoyed the humanisation of evil people within this book. At several points characters that the reader assumes are evil break character and behave like ordinary people, which often used for comedic effect as well as a method to emphasise that the majority of people who work for evil people are not themselves evil. It shows the reader that the minion of the Dark Lord is an ordinary person who has a family and isn’t just a sandbag for the hero to punch.
Whilst there are several bad things about the story when one considers it as a satire they only add the absurdity of the entire genre and by doing so makes the entire book more entertaining.
This book openly mocks cheap remakes of things like Lord of the Rings and Narnia whilst still being able to tell an interesting story with wonderful character development and a serious message about our expectations of fiction. For me, as a person who dislikes the modern version of the fantasy genre, it is refreshing to find such a hilarious satire which is in line with my own views. I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys comedic fantasy or who hates the fantasy genre.
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
Like Human314's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
