Heart of the Hero [Paperback]

Rickey R. Mallory (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 2003

A hero's welcome awaited Danny White when he returned home. But the space station accident had cost him more than the numerous operations and months of recuperation he'd had to endure. It had cost him all memories of his past life. He knows nothing of the person he had been or the family he'd left behind. All he knows is that when his wife looks at him, fear, not love, shines in her eyes. The more Danny learns about the man he had been, the less he wants to find that man's memories inside himself. Kee didn't know what to expect when she saw her husband for the first time in five years. He'd been horribly injured in the explosion, so she was prepared for anything, she thought.anything but this strong, brave hero who is so different from the spoiled, angry young man who had left her. This is a man she could love. But when Danny regained his memory, would he remember the last thing he'd said to her? "I don't want you here when I get back. I expect to return to a nice, tidy divorce."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...if public wants science fiction romance, they should love this one." Tom Easton -- Analog Science Fiction and Fact

...if (the) public wants science fiction romance, they should love this one. -- Analog Science Fiction and Fact (Tom Easton)

It's with heartfelt emotion that I give this book a Perfect 10. (It) left a very lasting impression on me. -- Romance Reviews Today (Amy Cunningham)

Ms. Mallory knows what she's doing when it comes to combining romance and SF. -- Millennium Science Fiction & Fantasy

The transformation of Daniel from brat to real man is brilliantly explored. The futuristic elements add a unique depth.... -- The Best Reviews (Harriet Klaussner)

From the Author

A hero's welcome awaited Danny White when he returned home. But the space station accident had cost him more than the numerous operations and months of recuperation he'd had to endure. It had cost him all memories of his past life. he knew nothing of the person he had been or the family he'd left behind. All he knew was that when his wife looked at him fear darkened her eyes. The more Danny learned about the man he had been, the less he wanted to find that man's memories inside himself.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: ImaJinn Books (February 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893896331
• ISBN-13: 978-1893896338
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,687,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific futuristic, June 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Heart of the Hero (Software)

Daniel T. White is a spoiled rich brat, who will do anything to avoid the mandatory public service. Even bribes, temper tantrums, and wealthy fathers cannot stop an individual from being drafted to serve society. To dodge space patrol, a desperate Daniel marries an employee of his family's aircraft manufacturing company with the intent of impregnating her, the only legal exception to the required public service. When she fails to take his seed, Daniel tosses Kee out of his home and goes off into space to perform his public duty.

Five years later, Daniel returns home a hero, who lost most of his memories in a space station accident. As he learns more about his previous life, Daniel loathes what he once was. He despises himself even more when he stares at the looks of unmitigated fear that his spouse gives him whenever he nears her. Now he must somehow make Kee realize that the spoiled brat he was has been replaced forever by a compassionate man, who loves her and wants to protect her for eternity.

HEART OF THE HERO is an interesting futuristic romance with the emphasis on the romance. The transformation of Daniel from a beast to a real man is brilliantly written by Rickey R. Mallory. The futuristice elements add a unique depth to the overall storyline which helps explain motives even as it provides a colorfulbackground. Ms. Mallory is a friend and co-reviewer, but, despite my personal feelings, this reviewer believes that fans of the sub-genre will enjoy this futuristic love story of redemption, a work that rivals the works of Kathleen Morgan and Marilyn Campbell.

Harriet Klausner END

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best of the Genre!!!, June 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Heart of the Hero (Software)

With Heart of the Hero, Rickey Mallory has proven herself one of the finest writers of speculative fiction. The characters are incredibly well drawn and spark with a realism you just don't find in most modern books. Heart of the Hero will take your breath away and leave you begging for more!

3.0 out of 5 stars A second chance for love, March 24, 2004

By 

Darkcat_ak "darkcat_ak" (Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heart of the Hero (Paperback)

When Danny returns home he has no recollection of the life he had before entering into the military. His oldest memory is a white flash, which he has been told is an asteroid hitting the space station he had been on. While Danny knows that something isn't right about his accident, and struggles to discover the truth, he fears that he might not in truth be the man everyone thinks he is. However his reality is almost worse than knowing nothing. His wife Kee cringes when he is near and the man he is supposed to be was a wealthy playboy, and the more he learns of himself, he discovers that 'Danny' isn't someone he wants to be. Kee, is surprised when Danny returns and doesn't publicly denounce her. The even bigger surprise is he tells her he has amnesia and needs her help to regain his memory. The man who returns to her is a man she can love, but can she stay with him knowing the awful past they share that he is trying to recover?

HEART OF THE HERO is a very interesting story that could very realistically be the earth's future. Kee who should have fled before Danny's return has stayed in a doomed marriage built on lies and one night of passion. Danny has no history except that of two men that, for all matters are dead. Who does he want to be isn't the question, but who is he really? I can see why this book would get mixed reviews. I had a love hate relationship with the first half of the book as I had a hard time getting into the story. I felt the first part of the book was redundant going back and forth over the same subject's with our characters not communicating or introducing new information to their situation. This got old. But when Kee decides to help Danny relearn vital parts of his life (the names and faces of friends, family etc) and the couple do interact, sparks start to fly and their doomed marriage has a second chance as they rediscover the love both desire but were afraid to fight for the first round.

While this story doesn't have a happy undertone (how can it, both characters have been miserable their entire marriage) there are plenty of situations that add a humor and lightness to the tale as they rediscover the original attraction between them. I think Kee is well written as a woman in love, but unsure how to proceed since the man she now finds herself married to is so different from the Danny that joined the military. Because she was beaten down on an emotional level, she had a hard time trusting her judgment because she doesn't want to get hurt anymore. Danny on the other hand, is bent on keeping her even though his bigger goal is to find out who he is. I felt he understood her fears that the old Danny could reemerge, but at the same time was at a loss so all he could do was try and be true to himself - which ended up hurting her in a different way.

All in all, this was a good book, but as I mentioned, hard to get into. Ms. Mallory is a talented author with a creative mind, and I would read another of her stories, so I would recommend this book.