Review by pinchess07 -- Fish Wielder

[pinchess07]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Fish Wielder" by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Fish Wielder by J. R. R. R. (Jim) Hardison is a hilarious fantasy story where an orange koi fish walks and talks with other, more staple characters of high-fantasy genres. The very first scene has the aforementioned koi fish confronting a swordsman who is drinking himself to a stupor. This swordsman, Thoral Mighty Fist, refuses to remove his broadsword, Blurmflard, from his belt even while sitting down, so let's just say he has attachment issues to his sword. I assure you, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

The title is eye-catching. It evokes the image of a man gripping various species of fish in his hand as unlikely weapons. Does he use a swordfish as a sword, a pufferfish as a mace, or perhaps an electric eel as a whip? Is an electric eel even a fish? I didn't know what the title meant, and I wanted to find out. In the five hours I had to wait before I could start reading the book, my mind came up with a lot of scenarios, each one crazier than the last. The cover art is depicts a man battling monsters. An orange koi fish is shown floating in the air in the middle of the battle. Maybe the so-called fish wielder could order aquatic life around and use them as allies in a fight. I didn't know for sure, and this amplified my excitement.

Once I started reading, I was not disappointed. The orange koi fish, Brad, had a mind of its own, which was even better for the unique narrative. He was Thoral's companion, though the word 'babysitter' also came to mind. He was genre-savvy. Upon seeing Thoral's depressed and sorry state, he goads the swordsman into an adventure, which sets off the rest of the events of the book. I never thought a koi fish could be a sidekick. How did Thoral come by him? How did Thoral grow to respect him enough to listen to his words? I was officially hooked.

This story is set in a world that doesn't take itself too seriously. Names, places, and events are to be taken with a grain of salt, and lampshading happens a lot. If you like this sort of humor, this book is for you. It's masterfully done. This reminds me of Ouran High School Host Club, honestly, even if their genres are completely different. At one point, Thoral hilariously spends a few paragraphs lamenting the fact that the smell of a swamp is perhaps more awful than the monsters in it. If this doesn't seem like your cup of tea and you're looking for something far more serious, you might want to look for a different book.

This book deserves 4 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed it from start to finish. It was exactly what I needed to unwind from a stressful day.

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Fish Wielder
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[Satwik Mohanty]

I too liked Brad the most! He was the perfect supporting character. And the humor present in this book is spot on! Thanks for the detailed review.