Hero Lost tour - review

Can a lost hero find redemption?

What if Death himself wanted to die? Can deliverance be found on a bloody battlefield? Could the gift of silvering become a prison for those who possessed it? Will an ancient warrior be forever the caretaker of a house of mystery?

Delving into the depths of the tortured hero, twelve authors explore the realms of fantasy in this enthralling and thought-provoking collection. Featuring the talents of Jen Chandler, L. Nahay, Renee Cheung, Roland Yeomans, Elizabeth Seckman, Olga Godim, Yvonne Ventresca, Ellen Jacobson, Sean McLachlan, Erika Beebe, Tyrean Martinson, and Sarah Foster.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these twelve tales will take you into the heart of heroes who have fallen from grace. Join the journey and discover a hero's redemption!

 

My review:

Can a lost hero find the way out of the darkness and into the light again? In this marvelous collection of speculative fiction, we journey through twelve wonderfully written tales to find out if the tortured hero can be redeemed.

The title story, "The Mysteries of Death and Life" by Jen Chandler is a compelling tale of a young homeless writer who meets a dying Death. It hooked me with the first line and wrenched my heart. Depression and loneliness, but yet in that, the wonder of life.

"The Silvering" by Ellen Jacobson has a young man named Caestu who is hiding a terrible secret. He believes he has violated the principles of the Others and is being punished, but all is not what it seems to be. I love seeing how he struggles with what he's always known and the truth come to the light.

A dragon remembers what brought him to his current situation in "Memoirs of a Forgotten Knight" by Renee Cheung. I love that this is a traditional fantasy tale with a curse twined with a twist in the modern world of tech and magic.

In "Sometimes They Come Back" by Roland D. Yeomans, there is the Caretaker who has been in an ancient goddess' house for a very long time he has almost forgotten himself. So much whimsy and humor mingled with the dark in this tale.

"The Wheat Witch" by Erika Beebe has Ethan wondering if he should ever go home, and when he does, he finds something most unexpected. Is what he's discovered worse than what he's running from? Wonderful imagery and a sympathy for a man who's lost everything drew me with wide eyes through this story.

Raynor and his twin sister journey to find their missing dragon slaying uncle in Sarah Foster's "The Last Dragon." They discover the truth about why their uncle left, and it's far more frightening than any dragon. The bond between the twins is strong, and I loved how it played out through the action. Fantastic tension.

We have a great fantasy romance in "Mind Body Soul" by Elizabeth Seckman. But it isn't what the old king thinks it is. I particularly enjoyed the queen, her wisdom, and her persistence. Love stories are even better with age.

A magical Finder named Alternay must find a long lost hero named "Captain Bulat" in Olga Godim's tale. Using an item as her compass, Alternay is pulled in more than one direction and must uncover the truth amidst the confusion. The twist was cleverly done and left me wanting to see more of the fascinating Alternay.

"The Witch Bottle" by Sean McLachlan brings us a pining husband using his servant to help bring back his wife. The wife is a witch and one the servant seems very eager to help the husband catch. Magic battles magic, and I did so like the wicked ending.

In "The Art of Remaining Bitter" by Yvonne Ventresca we meet a young girl named Sylvia who is always in the shadow of her perfect older sister. Sylvia is to undergo a treatment that will make her free of negative feelings, and this story lays out her emotional struggle with it all beautifully.

A once great warrior has become a poet in Tyrean Martinson's "Of Words and Swords." Yet is Maud as good with poetry as he with fighting? His internal struggle is enthralling as he goes off to battle a dragon. Great fantastical fighting action.

The final story is "Breath Between Seconds" by L. Nahay. It is a slow motion moment in time of a fallen soldier at the end of a grand battle realizing the truth of the entire war. Beautifully written with each breath, quite like a poem.

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