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Normalized
Normalized: The Complete Quartet
Not every hero wears a cape. When Captain Might started writing his journal he was the most powerful man on the planet. The all-conquering American paragon who knifed the sky like a buttered bullet and fired beams from his eyes so pinpoint deadly they could knock the prick off a Martian. That was before his arch-enemy, Professor D'eath, lured him into a trap, snuffed out his powers and transformed him from a superhero to a superzero. Grounded and struggling to re-define his place in the world as a "normal," Captain Might documents his return journey to the realm of super-heroics, only this time minus the super. But will he settle the score with his nemesis, or will he learn the hard way that ordinary men are only capable of ordinary things?
416 pages, Paperback
Published February 13, 2015
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
David Bussell
37 books180 followersDavid Bussell is a best-selling British author renowned for his contributions to the urban fantasy genre. He is the co-creator of the Uncanny Kingdom, a series that explores a secret Britain teeming with paranormal suspense stories. His notable works include the "Spectral Detective" series. David's writing prowess has been recognized with the P.G. Wodehouse New Comic Writer Award. Beyond his literary achievements, he is an avid fencer, a lover of synthwave music, and a committed comic book fan.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 18, 2015
I received a digital copy of this title from the author for review.
Two Sentence Synopsis:
The once mighty Captain Might has to come to terms with living an ordinary life after his superpowers are snuffed out. Fortunately, he has documented this process in a journal for any other aspiring supers who may fall victim to similar villainy and be forced to return to the anonymity of normal life.
It’s quite nice to see a superhero – and an arrogant one at that – get a bit of comeuppance. This is the complete collection of four novellas tracing the demise of Captain Might. If you are a fan of the superhero genre and have been waiting for a tale that is prepared to go no-holds-barred into that good night, then this will probably tickle your fancy. The books are replete with (fairly male-oriented, it must be said) humour and a bunch of supercharacters who are remarkably similar to common-or-garden a**holes that you’d find in any social circle, were you to discount their super abilities. I suspect that Bussell’s writing style won’t be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a brash, unflinchingly politically incorrect character on an inner journey of identity renewal, then you couldn’t find better than the travails of Captain Might (and his infinitely less talented brother, Birdy).
Two Sentence Synopsis:
The once mighty Captain Might has to come to terms with living an ordinary life after his superpowers are snuffed out. Fortunately, he has documented this process in a journal for any other aspiring supers who may fall victim to similar villainy and be forced to return to the anonymity of normal life.
It’s quite nice to see a superhero – and an arrogant one at that – get a bit of comeuppance. This is the complete collection of four novellas tracing the demise of Captain Might. If you are a fan of the superhero genre and have been waiting for a tale that is prepared to go no-holds-barred into that good night, then this will probably tickle your fancy. The books are replete with (fairly male-oriented, it must be said) humour and a bunch of supercharacters who are remarkably similar to common-or-garden a**holes that you’d find in any social circle, were you to discount their super abilities. I suspect that Bussell’s writing style won’t be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a brash, unflinchingly politically incorrect character on an inner journey of identity renewal, then you couldn’t find better than the travails of Captain Might (and his infinitely less talented brother, Birdy).
July 1, 2015
I find myself not knowing where this review is going to go or what rating I'll give it. So instead I shall just start by getting a few things off my chest, discussing what I liked and disliked about it, then weigh up the pros and cons at the end.
Firstly the saga is written in diary form, with footnotes. Except on a Kindle they're not footnotes, they're endnotes. Scrolling to them and back is so much of a pain that I defy anyone to have the patience to do so. Reading them all at the end makes them devoid of context. I don't really see what they add to the experience.
The diary form itself didn't work for me either, it became a grammatical nightmare with tense changes left, right and centre. A true diary is unlikely to contain dialogue or present tense narrative, but this does, alongside various forms of past tense. I'm not a stickler for rules, but when it becomes unnatural to read there's a problem...
Read the full review at www.MJMeads.com
Firstly the saga is written in diary form, with footnotes. Except on a Kindle they're not footnotes, they're endnotes. Scrolling to them and back is so much of a pain that I defy anyone to have the patience to do so. Reading them all at the end makes them devoid of context. I don't really see what they add to the experience.
The diary form itself didn't work for me either, it became a grammatical nightmare with tense changes left, right and centre. A true diary is unlikely to contain dialogue or present tense narrative, but this does, alongside various forms of past tense. I'm not a stickler for rules, but when it becomes unnatural to read there's a problem...
Read the full review at www.MJMeads.com
May 8, 2015
I was given an advanced reader copy in exchange of my unbiased review.
1. Almost too many analogies used. It was to the point that I saw them in almost every other paragraph.
2. I don't believe the author is American and it was noticeable. He tried very hard to "appear" American.
3. Overdone on the cussing. I enjoy a good potty mouth but this seemed very....much.
4. with all this said, I Really enjoyed the story!!
5. I laughed out loud a LOT!!
6. The protagonist was a giant DOUCHE in the beginning which I LOVED!
all in all, I couldn't do 4 stars but this is a solid 3.5!
1. Almost too many analogies used. It was to the point that I saw them in almost every other paragraph.
2. I don't believe the author is American and it was noticeable. He tried very hard to "appear" American.
3. Overdone on the cussing. I enjoy a good potty mouth but this seemed very....much.
4. with all this said, I Really enjoyed the story!!
5. I laughed out loud a LOT!!
6. The protagonist was a giant DOUCHE in the beginning which I LOVED!
all in all, I couldn't do 4 stars but this is a solid 3.5!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews