ONCE A HERO. [Hardcover]

Michael A. Stackpole (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Bantam, (1993)
• ASIN: B000N75E38
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,769,707 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael A. Stackpole is the New York Times bestselling author of over 40 novels, including I, Jedi and Rogue Squadron. He's won awards in the realms of podcasting, game designer, computer game design, screenwriting, editing, graphic novel writing and novel writing. He lives in Arizona and frequently travels the United States attending conventions and teaching writing workshops. His website is www.stormwolf.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunningly good read!!, December 3, 2002

By 

Todd Lewis (Washington DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Once a Hero (Paperback)

I started reading this book very critically because I feel that a lot of the Star Wars / Star Trek / Dragonlance / Forgotten Realms / RPG novels are extremely poorly written. Michael Stackpole has a background writing RPG games (very good ones, I might add), Star Wars and Battletech books. Despite myself, I wasn't expecting much, but what I got was one of the very **best** books I've ever read. Michael Stackpole writes rings around all but the best and the greatest of writers, with whom he stands proudly shoulder to shoulder. "Once A Hero" has started me on an addiction for Michael Stackpole's **stunning** fantasy. I've torn through "Talion: Revenant" and "A Hero Born" as quickly as I could get my hands on them and was not disappointed. Sadly, this book, "Once A Hero" is out of print, although it's readily available online used. Michael Stackpole has other fantasy books in print and if you're a lover of quality, engaging, high-spirited fantasy then you'd be mad not to seek them out. I will read his books over and over again as the years go by. They're that good...

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent fantasy epic, November 14, 2001

By 

efrex (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Once A Hero: A Novel (Paperback)

Every now and again, a book comes along which raises the bar for its genre. "Once A Hero" blows the bar to the stratosphere. Stackpole's epic tale, stretching across two interweaving storylines 500 years apart, contains enough action, character, humor, romance, intrigue, and betrayal to satisfy anyone. Don't even read the plot summary on the back: start at page one, and I dare you to put the book down for any length of time before you get to the end.

Stackpole's command of language is fantastic, and he uses it to great end in creating the different cultures of his world. In compact style, he defines Elven, Reithrese, and Human characters, makes them real, makes you care about them, and goes wild. From the enigmatic title character, Neal of the Roclawzi, to the evil Takrakor to the mysterious Dreel sidekick Shijef, Stackpole guides the reader through swordfights, mass battle, cruel cultures, hopeless love, and everything else needed to make a satisfying fantasy work.

To try to summarize this work is to cheapen it. I am not excessively familiar with Stackpole's other work, but this is magnificent.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure, July 25, 2002

By 

kpmagic (Signal Hill, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Once A Hero: A Novel (Paperback)

Too bad this is Out of Print.
This is possibly one of the best fantasy stand alone novels i have read in years. Combines all the elements: comedy, drama, high action, with a splash of intrigue and romance.
BEWARE: ONCE BEGUN IT'S HARD TO PUT DOWN!!!