Customer Reviews

Hero Wanted

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read Hero Wanted on kindle but I picked up the ebook someplace other than Amazon. There were no formatting issues that I noticed, BTW.

This book is fun. It's a great fantasy action story with a lot of humor thrown in for good measure. The story itself is a standard average-guy-becomes-a-hero-finds-a-hot-chick-and-fights-demons story; but the story is well written and interesting. The humor is sometimes dry and sometimes subtle, but it always appears in unexpected places and is consistently amusing.

There is a feel of a Terry Pratchett Discworld story to this novel, but it's not quite as over the top.

When you're in the mood for something fun, read this book.

HERO WANTED has shown that one can create a fantasy story- yet allow the characters to be painted with wit, smarts and intrigue. Not since the Late Douglas Adams have I read an author with such skills as Dan McGirt.

Mr McGirt has managed to write such a story that the reader is transformed into his land, and times- taken on a magic carpet ride to a place (at least this reader) did not want to end. I dreaded the final final pages- though a wopper of an ending- since it will now be some time before the next adventure comes out.

This is a book that should be bought, as it can be read over and over, and digested like a fine French dinner, with new insights appearing with each reading. VERY complex yet very accessible, - a TRUE WINNER

I am surprised that nobody has reviewed this yet.

It's rare for a book to be able to walk that line between being a genuine fantasy novel, and a parody novel. This book gets that balance just right. Not too silly, but not serious either. It's a real hero's journey, but pokes fun at the stereotypes in the genre while doing it. The wit is sharp, and some of the humor is dry, but that's how I like it.

I read this book when it was first published 20 years ago. I have read it so often that my old book has fallen apart. I was extremely excited to hear that it was going to be re-published. This is like a "Director's Cut" of a movie. He has gone back and re-written the entire book from the ground up. I was a little skeptical, because of how much I loved the original, but this treatment of the book is even better. Think Extended Edition Lord of the Rings, not Special Edition Star Wars. He took something good, and made it better.

I plan on giving all of my friends copies for Christmas. They've heard me rave about these books for so many years, it will be nice to let them finally read it.

The humor may not be everybody's taste, but the story's solid. I recommend it highly.

I drove my family crazy while reading this book with my constant laughing, chuckling and "Hey, listen to this...this is great!" I couldn't put this book down, I was enjoying it so much, and the minute I finished it, I was sad it was over.

I would compare Dan's skilled and relentless humor with Dave Barry ("Dave Barry's Money Secrets : Like Why is There a Giant Eyeball on The Dollar?") and Denis Leary ("Why We Suck"). And I swear I don't know how he does it, but somehow he manages to keep me enthralled with the story and plot, while simultaneously poking some loving fun at fantasy novels and their wonderful, goofy ways.

Thank you, Dan...and keep 'em coming as fast as you can!

(p.s. You can also download some of Dan's books online, and his latest "Sarah Palin: Vampire Hunter" is a fabulous, spoofy poke-in-the-eye about the world of vampires and Sarah Palin, who, really, if you think about it, had it coming.)

Disc World meets Star Wars meets Saturday Night Live.
More fun and adventure than humans should be allowed to have. A great read.
Looking forward to a sequel in the Eleven Kingdoms.

This was such an awesome book! So funny, so exciting! It reminded me of a mix between Evil Dead and The Princess Bride, but unique and enchanting in its own right. The author is a very clever writer - quirky at times, witty at others. The humor was just this-side-of-cheesy; just the way I like it! I loved the character and place names the author used in this make-believe world.

Jason Cosmo has lived in lower Hicksnittle all of his life and things couldn't be more ordinary for him. But one evening in the local pub, he meets a wizard named Mercury Boltblaster, who holds knowledge that forever changes Jason's life. Jason finds out he is a wanted man and is forced to leave his home. He and Mercury find themselves on a marvelous adventure where they are pursued by bounty hunters and the Dark Magic Society.

I recommend this book to anyone who reads medieval fantasy and doesn't like it to be too serious. This was my first medieval fantasy, and I am glad it was a humorous one!

Hero Wanted is a rare gem of a novel in a dump truck filled with standard fare fantasy gravel. It doesn't pretend to lofty seriousness - this is a comedy adventure after all. Having said that, it doesn't dumb itself down - there is wit both high and low brow but often somewhere in the middle.

The main character, Jason Cosmo, is not a brash hero or a know it all, nor is he an ignoramus or coward. He flitters from one extreme to another while trying to find his place in the mayhem that besets his existence as he is plunged into a turbulent adventure. He's fun to watch and has a highly entertaining voice - a good thing since the story is told from his perspective.

His cohorts are a colourful group that only includes one person who is well suited to adventuring. The others have to struggle through, using whatever skills they have - even if wildly inappropriate or delightfully random - to survive the challenges ahead. Every character who has more than one line of dialog contributes something worthwhile to the adventure, the same can be said for the various villains.

Villains! There is a kaleidoscopic rogues gallery featured in this book who each have clear motivations, and often different modus operandi. They present fantastic challenges and contribute to the humour throughout the book very evenly.

The world within this book is interesting, hilarious and broad. I can't say much more about it; spoilers are the enemy, after all.

In short, this is an adventurous comedic rampage of a fantasy novel.

RL

If you enjoyed Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you will love this comical fantasy story of Jason Cosmo. A woodcutter by trade, forced to be a hero by destiny and possibly a case of mistaken identity. As Jason flees his hometown of Lower Hicksnittle, he finds unlikely allies in a wizard, Mercury Boltblaster, and the seductive twins, Sapphrina and Rubis. A very entertaining tale with all the classic fantasy elements.

4/5

Hero Wanted is certainly very different from any other fantasy novel I've read. It took me a while to get get used to the quirky writing style, but it wasn't long before I was completely immersed in the story. This book takes the classic plot of ordinary man turned hero and adds twists galore, resulting in a highly entertaining read that is difficult to put down. I found the writing style refreshing, the characters believable and the story charming. Overall, I found Hero Wanted to be a captivating read and I am looking forward to the other books in the series.

Well done! Ran across this author following his tweets for a while and finally decided to purchase the Kindle edition. Well worth the money. It is a good, fun, fast read. I too found him writing Fantasy in his own style, although if you need some comparison, sort of a Piers Anthony, or perhaps a Terry Brooks (Landover Series), mixed with Douglas Adams. Looking forward to future books!