Review by Brooke Parker -- Fish Wielder
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Brooke Parker
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- Latest Review: Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
Review by Brooke Parker -- 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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Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison is the story of Thoral Mighty Fist, a washed-up hero has-been who is convinced by his anthropomorphic fish companion Bradfast (Brad for short) to go on one more quest. A hilarious amalgam of every fantasy troupe smashed together with twists and turns in every bit of the plot, Fish Wielder is the perfect story for fans of fantasy, or just anyone who appreciates a good laugh. This book’s witty dialogue is never not making fun of itself, incredibly aware of its faults and the often overused plot lines of its genre. Even the author’s alias makes a lighthearted jab at the common fantasy author habit of going by one’s initials and last name.
This book is a wild ride from start to finish. Once you think you understand what’s going on, once you think the deus ex machina has occurred, you are proven wrong again and again. Hardison takes common fantasy tropes—the dashing hero, the anthropomorphic sidekick, the damsel in distress, the big baddie, the wizard mentor—and plays them to the extreme to incredible comedic effect.
What makes this story unique is its incredible self-awareness. Harrison’s story caters especially to younger readers with a sense of absurdist, self-deprecating humor; fans of fourth-wall-breaking characters like Deadpool will not find themselves wanting. Not once does this book take itself seriously; it’s 259 pages of laughs. It’s a story of contradiction. The characters are not relatable, yet follow the most used fantasy traits imaginable—and they’re supposed to. Their language is just as as often casual and colloquial as it is formal and inaccessible. His language is verbose and sesquipedalian—who knew it was possible to overuse the word “verily”—and yet utterly current. Hardison follows his own twisted brand of fantasy logic and still breaks it without hesitation, giving logic to the unapologetically illogical. This piece is a beautiful syzygy of contradiction.
The only criticisms I would have for this novel have to do with its pacing and its sometimes overly complex logic. The first third of the story is a bit slow, but perhaps this is merely the price the reader pays for the second and third thirds, like the slow ascent of a roller coaster before the big drop. After all, if the first third had the quick pacing of the subsequent two, the reader would certainly become exhausted trying to follow along. As for the language of the story, the twists and turns of it, while exciting and refreshing, sacrifice a bit of the clarity. Hardison's habit of describing every character, no matter how minor, can make the reader forget the significance of some characters or forget their relationships to each other. I regret not making a sort of family tree of all the characters and their relationships to each other for myself, as I’d admittedly gone through several chapters thinking a character who was an anthropomorphic horse was an elf.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The plot is intriguing and refreshing, but hilarious and self-aware. Hardison lures the reader into thinking this will be a typical fantasy story, but it is anything but typical. He manages to subvert character archetypes by sticking to them to a T and creates a fresh story line by utilizing the most famous of plot twists. There is admittedly very little not to like about it. This book has something for everyone. Fantasy purists will see classic archetypes and plot lines used. People who want something new and exciting will find it. Fans of fantasy that breaks the rules yet still follows a logic will find themselves satisfied. Fans of comedy, too, will love this, and this is a must-read for anyone who knows (or has been) a Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master who got a little drunk on their own power. The only people I would not recommend this to are people who are incapable of laughing at themselves or people who get upset at fantasy logic.
******
Fish Wielder
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4 out of 4 stars
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Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison is the story of Thoral Mighty Fist, a washed-up hero has-been who is convinced by his anthropomorphic fish companion Bradfast (Brad for short) to go on one more quest. A hilarious amalgam of every fantasy troupe smashed together with twists and turns in every bit of the plot, Fish Wielder is the perfect story for fans of fantasy, or just anyone who appreciates a good laugh. This book’s witty dialogue is never not making fun of itself, incredibly aware of its faults and the often overused plot lines of its genre. Even the author’s alias makes a lighthearted jab at the common fantasy author habit of going by one’s initials and last name.
This book is a wild ride from start to finish. Once you think you understand what’s going on, once you think the deus ex machina has occurred, you are proven wrong again and again. Hardison takes common fantasy tropes—the dashing hero, the anthropomorphic sidekick, the damsel in distress, the big baddie, the wizard mentor—and plays them to the extreme to incredible comedic effect.
What makes this story unique is its incredible self-awareness. Harrison’s story caters especially to younger readers with a sense of absurdist, self-deprecating humor; fans of fourth-wall-breaking characters like Deadpool will not find themselves wanting. Not once does this book take itself seriously; it’s 259 pages of laughs. It’s a story of contradiction. The characters are not relatable, yet follow the most used fantasy traits imaginable—and they’re supposed to. Their language is just as as often casual and colloquial as it is formal and inaccessible. His language is verbose and sesquipedalian—who knew it was possible to overuse the word “verily”—and yet utterly current. Hardison follows his own twisted brand of fantasy logic and still breaks it without hesitation, giving logic to the unapologetically illogical. This piece is a beautiful syzygy of contradiction.
The only criticisms I would have for this novel have to do with its pacing and its sometimes overly complex logic. The first third of the story is a bit slow, but perhaps this is merely the price the reader pays for the second and third thirds, like the slow ascent of a roller coaster before the big drop. After all, if the first third had the quick pacing of the subsequent two, the reader would certainly become exhausted trying to follow along. As for the language of the story, the twists and turns of it, while exciting and refreshing, sacrifice a bit of the clarity. Hardison's habit of describing every character, no matter how minor, can make the reader forget the significance of some characters or forget their relationships to each other. I regret not making a sort of family tree of all the characters and their relationships to each other for myself, as I’d admittedly gone through several chapters thinking a character who was an anthropomorphic horse was an elf.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The plot is intriguing and refreshing, but hilarious and self-aware. Hardison lures the reader into thinking this will be a typical fantasy story, but it is anything but typical. He manages to subvert character archetypes by sticking to them to a T and creates a fresh story line by utilizing the most famous of plot twists. There is admittedly very little not to like about it. This book has something for everyone. Fantasy purists will see classic archetypes and plot lines used. People who want something new and exciting will find it. Fans of fantasy that breaks the rules yet still follows a logic will find themselves satisfied. Fans of comedy, too, will love this, and this is a must-read for anyone who knows (or has been) a Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master who got a little drunk on their own power. The only people I would not recommend this to are people who are incapable of laughing at themselves or people who get upset at fantasy logic.
******
Fish Wielder
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes
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Latest Review: Fish Wielder by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison
