Friday Fiction Fix: "Hero, Second Class"

The Short:

Hero, Second Class

The Hero Complex, Book 1

By: Mitchell Bonds

4/5 Stars

What: In a fantasy world, Heroes take on Villains. The story is a witty tale of a young man apprenticed to a Hero. Meanwhile, an Arch-Villain tries to take over the world.

Recommended to those who like: Humor, puns, parody, fantasy

Not recommended for those who dislike: magic, or a love element.

The Long:

                Hero, Second Class had me laughing from page one. The tale is full of plays on words, puns, and overall literary humor. Mr. Bonds does a wonderful job poking fun at monologuing Villains, his own writing, and standard fantasy writing techniques.

                However, the overall plot is still good and characters still have their own quirks. Faith is discussed briefly, but is not a center point of the novel.

                Throughout the story we follow Cyrus, who is apprenticed to a Hero, the Crimson Slash. Along the way they encounter dragons and strange creatures while trying to thwart an Arch-Villain who was once defeated by the Crimson Slash. We’re also given humorous insight into the world of the Villains.

                A brief note to those who object to magic: this book does contain magic and the concept of spells. However, it does not go into detail or resemble anything in our present world. Rather, it is described as taking energy from specific points in the world and channeling it. The book also involves zombies and vampires, though these are not main points of the book.

                The book also contains a love story, but it is rather humorously done and does not overwhelm the action side of the plot.

                I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

If you’ve read the book, feel free to share your thoughts below. Please remember to be respectful of Mr. Bonds and his work, as well as other commentators. I also welcome comments on what you would like to see included in the reviews. I reserve the right to remove vulgar, hateful, or rude remarks from the comments. Thanks for sharing!