Heroics for Beginners by John Moore
This is one of my favourite fantasy books ever. It might not have the epic scope of The Lord Of The Rings, nor the immersive quality of Feist’s Riftwar Saga, but what it does have going for it it has in spades: it’s very clever. This is The Hitch Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy of fantasy novels. Forget Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt, and Robert Rankin. John Moore is far funnier. Plus, his comic style of writing isn’t the only attraction; this book has an exciting, original plot and some very cool characters.
I guess the one potential problem for some readers might be that this book isn’t a serious, dramatic story that you can lose yourself in. It’s light and entertaining. But with so many serious, dark fantasy novels out there, this aspect in itself in like a breath of fresh air.
Mark Pawlyszyn, one of our earliest guest reviewers, has always tended toward the creative side of life and had careers in music and painting before settling into his current position as the owner of Unique Images Photography. Mark has visited and lived in twelve countries and can ask for directions to the bathroom in several languages. He currently lives in Canada with his wife, Sherri.
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