by W.R. Rosche

Heroes Borne: Tales of the One True Realm by W.R. Rosche tells the adventures of a mismatched band of anthropomorphic animals as they search for the truth about the disappearance of the main character's grandfather.

Before even starting the actual story, I instantly had mixed feelings. On one side the author gave me a chuckle with the wit of his fake reviews page. On the other side, I feel like I was instantly set up to expect mediocrity with his introduction of how the story came to be. But alas being the eternal optimist, I persisted.

With vivid descriptions of scenery, the author creates a strange realm inhabited by a hierarchy of talking animals and "bald apes". This sets the background for an interesting but challenging setting for the hero's journey of a donkey by the name of Hoof Hearted and his companions. . .

Wat Ho: his spiritual guardian with two personalities occupying the body of a giant panda-like creature with a "sack" reminiscent of that of a child explorer Manuel Isareali Sobad, a handicapped burrito-loving Chihuahua, and Pete Sake - an amoral mixed-breed Macaque.

The group of unlikely friends traverse this fantastical land encountering various allies, and what seems like frequent enemies. Often, the need for battle arises, characters are injured, and in their healing, we gain more insight into the character that was injured. Then it's off to the next adventure, the next likely battle, and the next lesson.

To be quite frank, the entire story was a roller coaster ride for me. What unfolds in the pages is nothing short of a political fable, paralleling much of what is happening in our world today. The author's attempt at using humor, such as naming an area of annex "Coshon Aeire", was overshadowed by many of the characters being given stereotypical names and traits, and the obvious inclusion of recent appalling events.

If you are a fan of George Orwell's Animal Farm - which I am admittedly not - and you are not easily taken aback by some racial undertones or the mockery of the direction of our political landscape, then you will enjoy this book. For me, perhaps the story should have stayed within the private conversations of the author and those close to him.

Heroes Borne Review:

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