Customer Reviews

The Hero Strikes Back

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In which Lee and Shintaro have to content with every embarrassment and disaster from unseasonal weather and interfering mothers to treason and plots ...

This will give most pleasure to those who have read the first book in the series, "Resenting the Hero."

Both books are set hundred of years in the future on a colony planet where the population can only be protected against frequent natural disasters by the special talents of two groups of people - "Sources" and "Shields".

Sources can "channel" natural forces and dispel coming disasters: Shields protect the Sources and stop them dying or going insane while they do so. In principle any source can work with any shield, but in practice most sources form a spontaneous natural bond with one particular shield. The bond is involuntary, neither partner having any choice about who they form a pair with, and once formed it lasts for the rest of the life of both partners - it is so strong that the death of either partner causes the demise of the other.

Most pairs form a friendly and professional relationship, some ignore the advice of their training college by becoming lovers, and others find themselves tied for life to someone they can't stand.

Shintaro Karish, who renounced the title of Duke of Westsea in the previous book, is a Source. He is heroic, brave, virile, talented, charming, disgustingly handsome, and apart from being something of a rake, far too good to be true. Every young shield, expecially the female ones, wanted to bond with him, except for the narrator of the stories, Dunleavy Mallorough (Lee), a practical merchant's daughter who wants to work with someone calm, steady, and reliable. So guess who she got stuck with.

In the first book Shintaro and Lee got off to a pretty bad start but by the start of this one they have developed what appears on the surface as a very strong professional relationship and a firm friendship. The author obviously intends you to conclude from the story that Lee is desperately in love with Shintaro but hasn't admitted the fact to herself.

The city where they are posted is no longer experiencing the extreme disasters which Sources and Shields are trained to cope with, but instead is suffering from very unusual weather patterns such as snow in midsummer, which are wrecking the livelihoods of local people. Shintaro and Lee are under strong pressure to find a way to do something about this. At the same time, someone is murdering aristocrats in the area, and Lee is frightened that Shintaro might be their next victim. And both their mothers descend on the pair to promote their plans for their offspring. Lee's mother is trying to find her a husband, which is bad enough, but the Dowager Duchess of Westsea is not merely annoying but downright dangerous. Furious at her son renouncing the title, she is intriguing to get this decision reversed - and as the Empress had made Shintaro promise if he was allowed to renounce the Dukedom he would not seek to change his mind, such intrigues are very hazardous for everyone involved.

Funny, entertaining, and charming, I very strongly recommend this book.

Okay, I liked the book and the writing was good. I've read the first one and enjoyed it and was looking forward to this one for months. I wanted to get that out of the way before I started nitpicking.

I wouldn't say I was disappointed, exactly, but something was wrong with the "ending" and I can't put my finger on it. One reviewer said that it was more like "the ongoing adventures of..." and maybe that's it. This felt more like a middle book in a series instead of standing on it's own. It just didn't feel like an ending, I guess. More like a "stay tuned for the next installment". Yes, I know it's a series, but I felt I was left hanging, like maybe this was just a setup book for the next one.

The other problem I'm having is the POV. It would be nice to get a chapter or two on what someone else (Taro, anybody?) is thinking or how they see events. Frankly, I'm getting a bit tired of Lee doing all the narration. I'd like to see what someone else is thinking and how they see some things that Lee is experiencing.

In the beginning of the book, Lee and Taro act like lovers, but for the rest of the book they're more or less acting like really good friends. It was a bit confusing because their relationship was looking as if it progressed, then it went back to "I like you, but that's all" without explanation. It was... odd.

Okay, I nitpicked. But only because I was expecting better. I'll still be waiting on the third one since I've read the other two but despite the sound of this review, I do like the books (I gave it 4 stars, didn't I?). They're very light and entertaining and the writing is good. This second book has it's moments too, it's just that I'm a little disappointed.

Like another reviewer said, read Resenting the Hero first. If you like it, you'll probably like this one too.

This is the second in the series and follows Resenting the Hero. Not recommended as a standalone novel. Another very good book that I think is comparable to the books of Dawn Cook.

After their last nasty adventure, Shinto and Lee return to pick up their new lives in High Scape. After a while, the locals start to notice that the weather patterns are just plain wacky and start to call for the Shields and Sources to "fix" things. Now, Shields are Sources are trained to deal with catastrophic events, not regular weather patterns. Things start to get nasty with the local populous and to top it off, poor or landless nobles, like Shinto, are disappearing. To make things more interesting, both Lee's and Shinto's mothers show up. Lee's mother wants to get to know her daughter and although meddlesome, she's rather pleasant. Shinto's mother is like the classic novel noblewoman, who is out to get something for herself and is a social raciest that doesn't even care that Lee is Paired with Shinto because she isn't the right class.

This second book in Ms. Moore's "Hero" series was just as enjoyable as the first. The two main characters relationship and bond became deeper and stronger. Something about this book and the emotion of the characters comes through SO strongly that you feel you are there and events are happening to good friends. I highly recommend this book, though there were a few peculiarities I must mention. Lee's relationship with her mother and her mother's visit, which ends quite abruptly (which isn't really explained) is hard to understand. I was not quite sure of the point of that relationship or of what it added to the characters, and hopefully that will be revealed in the third book. Also, this book appears quite lighthearted throughout, and then a random descriptive act of violence will occur that as a reader you won't see coming. (Example - a stake through the heart of a character you meet briefly, you find yourself liking and then "wham", what happened?!) There are a few plot lines here and there where the story seems to be building, but nothing comes from it, so at times as a reader you want to ask, "well what about this interesting thing that was mention or that happened a few chapters back", ideas sometimes died.

Though having said all that. This is such a cleverly written book, with great dialogue between the Shield (Lee) and her Source (Taro). A hint of romance was revealed, though you know it goes much deeper and hopefully in further books that romance will grow. Taro's tormented past is shared with the reader and really brings him and who he is to life. I highly recommend this book. (Though read the book 1 - Resenting the Hero first.) I was lucky to have found the first book, two weeks before the release of the second, so it was fresh on my mind and reading them together was great.

Lee and Shintaro are a bonded pair- a kind of psychic team. Shintaro is a source (the power and drive) and Lee is a shield, (a kind of psychic buffer). Stationed in a city with inclement weather, the population turns hostile when they believe the guild is doing nothing to solve the weather problem. Lee and Taro's relationship is further complicated by maternal visits from both of their mothers, the disappearance of some minor nobles and their own growing attraction. Can Lee and Taro solve what is behind the bad weather before it is too late?

I really enjoy this series. Although I admit parts of it seemed a bit off. The guild seems really incompetent in this one. Not only do they not appear to educate the populace regarding their responsibilities and capabilities, in this novel they lie to cover their collective assets. Lee is her usual semi-abrasive self. She leaps to conclusions a bit less than she did in the last book, but she is still difficult to like. I also felt the issue with the weather was never really solved to my satisfaction. On the plus side: Taro, was quite charming and the revelations of his past life and how his mother treated him were sad. I also enjoy the UST between Taro and Lee and can't wait to read more.

Overall, this is a charmingly funny series, I was entertained.

This is the sequel to "Resenting the Hero." The events in this book take place just a few months after the first book. I felt that this book was primarily concerned with revealing Karish's story and his true nature rather than focusing on the current events. I believe that this made for a much better and more in depth sequel. Many sequels end up being very similar to the original book and rely more on that very similarity to make the book work. This book felt like it was the natural continuation of Mallorough's and Karish's story and this gave the author the freedom to take the story where she wanted to.

I really enjoyed the snappy rejoinders and teasing that were prevalent in this book. The writing provided many, many opportunities for laughing, but was so well done that I could almost believe that these were real people. I would also like to compliment the author on her talent for coming up with memorable titles. We'll just have to wait to see what she comes up with next. In short, this was a very well-written book and I can't wait to read more books by this author.

"The Hero Strikes Back" starts where "Resenting the Hero" left off. L and S work to suppress mystic events (e.g., earthquakes, tornados) in a city prone to such events. Then, all such events stop. Citizens quickly start questioning why they need to pay quite so high taxes to support Shield/Source pairs, quickly progressing from dissatisfaction into riots.

This sequel can be fairly characterized as "the continuing adventures of L and S". The storyline meanders pleasantly along, all from L's point of view. If you enjoyed the first book, you'll likely enjoy this one also. While nicely written, there's little in the way of character developmen, and no personal growth. The ending implies another sequel will be published.

OK, the worldbuilding is terrible. Economics, politics, geography, technology, even the logic of what the sources and shields do... they're all totally haywire. But who cares? Moore's two books offer some of the most engaging character driven fantasy I've seen in years. Sort of Georgette Heyer crossed with Lois McMaster Bujold and Patricia Briggs. The two central characters are wonderful with ther complicated, not exactly romantic, relationship (ever punctuated by bothersome events). I want more. Lots more. And I've been cuddling up and re-reading this one whenever I need a lift.

Great series and I hope it continues. Taro and Lee are real and likable. The humor is understated but intrinsic to the characters themselves. So far this series has proved to be a true "needle in the haystack" a rare find among all the clutter the publishers throw at us. Bravo!

THE HERO STRIKES BACK is a refreshing sequel to an already good book. It does fall into the 'second book trap', by which I mean it has a clear set-up for a third book, leaving a larger thread untied. The immediate plots are nicely resolved, however.

This book is less concerned with action (although there is plenty towards the very last chapters of the book) and more with the history of the characters and their deeper personalities. The relationships between Shield Lee and her mother, Source Karish and HIS mother (along with his very detailed past, which was only hinted at in the last book, some of which is greatly unexpected), and of course, Shield Lee and Source Karish's own...unique relationship are all delved into.

The dialogue between the pair of them is enough to make you read the book twice. It's witty, creative, unexpected and sheer fun. Lee, especially has grown up a little bit since the last book, though she's still her snappy, at times self-centered self (though it is infinitely more forgivable, and highly amusing in this installation). Little things in the first book pop up here and there, making for pleasant tie-ins, and giving more information about things that were only mentioned.

There are several traps authors fall into when writing sequels, and Moore deftly avoids each of them save for the one mentioned earlier. The plot is quite different from her first book, there is nothing stale or rushed about the story and most importantly of all, it feels natural to continue where she picks up-- which is some months after the last book.

The weather in High Scape has gotten screwy. Blizzards in the middle of summer have killed the crops and are killing people and their livelihoods, and the Pairs can't do a thing about it. So the people begin to turn on the Pairs, blaming them. So of course, Lee and Karish have to try and do something about it. Which is difficult, when you're already dealing with your mother trying to get you hanged by reclaiming your title, or, in Lee's case, battling against matchmaking attempts and dress-shop visits. Add on top of that a crazy cult trying to recruit you to be sacrificed since you were once an aristocrat, a long with a visit from the royal prince.

A fun read that I finished very quickly- in part because I was so eager to see how it would turn out, which is always a good sign in a book.