Review by Steph K -- Fish Wielder

[Steph K]

[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 Jim Hardison is a delightfully silly fantasy romp that pokes fun at many genre tropes while being a legitimate fantasy novel in it’s own right and a great start to a trilogy.

Thoral Mighty Fist is a melancholy barbarian warrior who hopes to pull himself out of a depressive state when he discovers an evil plot. A long time ago the Dark Lord Mauron cooked up a powerful dessert, the Pudding of Power, with which he hopes to rule over the people of Grome. He was defeated while waiting for the Pudding to cool down enough to eat. A thousand years later, the Heartless One, leader of the Dark Brotherhood of Bad Religion, is searching for the lost Pudding to use it’s power to rule over Grome.

Thoral and his friend Bradfast (who is a talking fish who can’t swim) and his horse named Warlordhorse have to fight against evil and recover the Pudding of Power, and of course, like your typical sword and sorcery hero, confront secrets from his own mysterious past.

Fish Wielder is an enjoyable parody. Like any successful parody, it does not take itself to seriously. Love and familiarity of the genre make all the jokes successful. There are humorous references to everything from Lovecraft to Alice and Wonderland. The author even calls himself J.R.R.R. Hardison on the cover, a reference to J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. There are a lot of references to Tolkien. Thoral’s love interest is a dark-haired elven beauty named Nalweegie. He and some friends even form the Fellowship of the Pudding.

Unlike some other parodies I’ve read, the plot is important to this story. It isn’t just some jokes mashed together into a story, the story follows the plot through to a logical finish. There are many twists and turns to the story!

In fantasy, dark stories like Game of Thrones have become hugely popular. It’s a subgenre called grimdark, and it’s everywhere. It’s nice to see something different. I love goofy, funny stories. Fish Wielder is the first book in a planned trilogy, and the author has other books published. I will definitely be checking out his other work.

I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars. If I could, I would give it more. I am that enthusiastic about it. It’s nice to find a book that makes me laugh. The book is also suitable for all ages. Nothing in the book was too crude or inappropriate for younger readers.

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Fish Wielder
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