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The Chronicles of Fid #1
Fid's Crusade
Even supervillains have lines they dare not cross.
If only the same could be said of heroes...
For more than two decades, the sight of Doctor Fid's powered armor has struck terror into the hearts of hero and civilian alike. But when a personal tragedy motivates Doctor Fid to investigate a crime, a plot is uncovered so horrific that even he is taken aback.
Haunted by painful memories and profound guilt, the veteran supervillain must race against time if he is to have any hope of confronting the approaching threat. Every battle takes its toll...but the stakes are too high for retreat to be an option.
If only the same could be said of heroes...
For more than two decades, the sight of Doctor Fid's powered armor has struck terror into the hearts of hero and civilian alike. But when a personal tragedy motivates Doctor Fid to investigate a crime, a plot is uncovered so horrific that even he is taken aback.
Haunted by painful memories and profound guilt, the veteran supervillain must race against time if he is to have any hope of confronting the approaching threat. Every battle takes its toll...but the stakes are too high for retreat to be an option.
376 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 2018
177 people are currently reading
760 people want to read
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March 8, 2021
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Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I wanna remind you that 3 stars from me means good, 4 is very good. This is a 3.5 stars so it was somewhere in-between.
Fid’s Crusade is a character-driven novel with an interesting main character. I would have changed the way the book was edited only, the characters, prose and plot were all good. The problem is that the sequence of events was not the best in my opinion.
The book actually started very good and interesting, but then we get a lot of backstory to let us know Dr.Fid and his past. This definitely made him a more interesting character and helped flesh him out but that was on the account of two things: the plot and info dump.
That start made things slower and as someone who usually suffers with characters names. It was hard for me to keep up with everything, there were many heroes and they had real life name and superhero names. I didn’t know which one should I focus and remember and which were just secondary not very important ones.
The backstories were interesting but at one point I was really wondering what is the plot and what should I be anticipating. The answer came later, a bit too late. I thought I missed something so I checked GR non-spoilery reviews and thank God many reviewers felt the same and pointed out the same point. That made me realize that it was a thing we all agreed on. I thought of DNFing before that but after reading the reviews it was also agreed upon that it gets better after that and it actually did. The story line became more defined, there was less info dump and I was enjoying it more, all of which are great signs!
The writing was good and I enjoyed the emails, the conversations and some of the nerdy stuff that was in the book. Sometimes the language was very technical and I didn’t understand it but that’s just part of the author being a self-acclaimed nerd.
Summary: A good sci-fi/ fantasy story for the fans of superheros novels. It actually is a fresh outtake on these tropes and it does bring something new to the table. If I were editing it I would have distributed the backstories more and introduced the plot earlier and that would have fixed the 2 most glaring problems I had with the novel. Regardless of this, some patience can get you through the novel and actually enjoy it.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
I wanna remind you that 3 stars from me means good, 4 is very good. This is a 3.5 stars so it was somewhere in-between.
Fid’s Crusade is a character-driven novel with an interesting main character. I would have changed the way the book was edited only, the characters, prose and plot were all good. The problem is that the sequence of events was not the best in my opinion.
The book actually started very good and interesting, but then we get a lot of backstory to let us know Dr.Fid and his past. This definitely made him a more interesting character and helped flesh him out but that was on the account of two things: the plot and info dump.
That start made things slower and as someone who usually suffers with characters names. It was hard for me to keep up with everything, there were many heroes and they had real life name and superhero names. I didn’t know which one should I focus and remember and which were just secondary not very important ones.
The backstories were interesting but at one point I was really wondering what is the plot and what should I be anticipating. The answer came later, a bit too late. I thought I missed something so I checked GR non-spoilery reviews and thank God many reviewers felt the same and pointed out the same point. That made me realize that it was a thing we all agreed on. I thought of DNFing before that but after reading the reviews it was also agreed upon that it gets better after that and it actually did. The story line became more defined, there was less info dump and I was enjoying it more, all of which are great signs!
The writing was good and I enjoyed the emails, the conversations and some of the nerdy stuff that was in the book. Sometimes the language was very technical and I didn’t understand it but that’s just part of the author being a self-acclaimed nerd.
Summary: A good sci-fi/ fantasy story for the fans of superheros novels. It actually is a fresh outtake on these tropes and it does bring something new to the table. If I were editing it I would have distributed the backstories more and introduced the plot earlier and that would have fixed the 2 most glaring problems I had with the novel. Regardless of this, some patience can get you through the novel and actually enjoy it.
May 22, 2020
Review copy received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I can't say that I've read many superhero/villain stories. But for what it's worth, I'd say that Fid's Crusade was great read; an engaging anti-hero story that balanced fascinating character work with clever plotting and cool action scenes.
It's easy to see why this book was the winner of the 'Science-Fiction / Fantasy / Horror' category in the 2018 Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize. Admittedly though, it didn't begin on the best footing for me. The first chapter started right in the middle of an action scene and my initial reaction was finding it a bit on the campy side. Doctor Fid, our main protagonist of the story, was engaged in a battle with a superhero team and a lot of technological jargon on Fid's armour and weaponry was thrown about. Thankfully, the backstory of Fid started to emerge pretty soon after this scene was wrapped up. This really helped in getting me engaged with Fid as a character as opposed to a caricature of an anti-hero Batman-cum-Iron-Man-like figure. That was my first impression of Fid as he relies on self-made technology to become a supervillain. A genius whose intellectual growth outstripped his emotional development by magnitudes, Fid experienced a devastating tragedy at a young age which left him ragged with rage and grief. And hence, he embarked on his unwavering purpose of bringing so-called superheroes to justice - his own brand of justice, that is.
Fid is quite a complicated character. As much as I grew to like him, there were definitely things that he did or recalled to have done which were appalling. However, I also empathise with how he got to this stage. You'd feel for the guy on the choices he made and has to make throughout the course of his character growth. The main plot in this book marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of Fid, precipitated by yet another personal tragedy. And just as he was beginning to succeed in restraining in his violent tendencies. How does a supervillain make amends in order to get the right thing done? Would anyone truly believe that he has evolved? The character study of Doctor Fid offered a satisfying level of emotional depth in this supervillain story.
The plot took almost half the book to develop as quite a bit of effort was put into building up Fid as a sympathetic and complex character. I thought the plotting was quite clever too, as it ties in nicely with the worldbuilding behind the existence of these superpowers. And there's the ubiquitous dilemma present in this genre around balancing the lives of a few hundred now versus potentially billions in the future. It made for an interesting story that blended the superhero genre with cool science fiction concepts (always a definite plus with me). One could also say that the author appeared to have had great fun writing this book. Somehow all the techno-jargon came across as a homage to science and comic books in the best and nerdiest way possible (speaking as one nerd to another).
You can purchase a copy of the book from Amazon , and other ebook platforms (Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Book, etc) via this link
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
I can't say that I've read many superhero/villain stories. But for what it's worth, I'd say that Fid's Crusade was great read; an engaging anti-hero story that balanced fascinating character work with clever plotting and cool action scenes.
It's easy to see why this book was the winner of the 'Science-Fiction / Fantasy / Horror' category in the 2018 Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize. Admittedly though, it didn't begin on the best footing for me. The first chapter started right in the middle of an action scene and my initial reaction was finding it a bit on the campy side. Doctor Fid, our main protagonist of the story, was engaged in a battle with a superhero team and a lot of technological jargon on Fid's armour and weaponry was thrown about. Thankfully, the backstory of Fid started to emerge pretty soon after this scene was wrapped up. This really helped in getting me engaged with Fid as a character as opposed to a caricature of an anti-hero Batman-cum-Iron-Man-like figure. That was my first impression of Fid as he relies on self-made technology to become a supervillain. A genius whose intellectual growth outstripped his emotional development by magnitudes, Fid experienced a devastating tragedy at a young age which left him ragged with rage and grief. And hence, he embarked on his unwavering purpose of bringing so-called superheroes to justice - his own brand of justice, that is.
Fid is quite a complicated character. As much as I grew to like him, there were definitely things that he did or recalled to have done which were appalling. However, I also empathise with how he got to this stage. You'd feel for the guy on the choices he made and has to make throughout the course of his character growth. The main plot in this book marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of Fid, precipitated by yet another personal tragedy. And just as he was beginning to succeed in restraining in his violent tendencies. How does a supervillain make amends in order to get the right thing done? Would anyone truly believe that he has evolved? The character study of Doctor Fid offered a satisfying level of emotional depth in this supervillain story.
"My concept of friendship is largely born from books: epic fantasies in which travelling companions journey to destroy rings of power, or to defeat evil dragons. Knights sacrificing everything to avenge their brothers in arms. In the stories, villains never seem to have friends deserving of the title. It is pleasant to discover that the literary canon does not accurately portray reality.
And now, the hard part begins: Being a worthy friend in return."
The plot took almost half the book to develop as quite a bit of effort was put into building up Fid as a sympathetic and complex character. I thought the plotting was quite clever too, as it ties in nicely with the worldbuilding behind the existence of these superpowers. And there's the ubiquitous dilemma present in this genre around balancing the lives of a few hundred now versus potentially billions in the future. It made for an interesting story that blended the superhero genre with cool science fiction concepts (always a definite plus with me). One could also say that the author appeared to have had great fun writing this book. Somehow all the techno-jargon came across as a homage to science and comic books in the best and nerdiest way possible (speaking as one nerd to another).
You can purchase a copy of the book from Amazon , and other ebook platforms (Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Book, etc) via this link
You can find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
May 19, 2024
I read this book as a judge on the Wayward Stars team in the SPSFC3 (third annual, self-published science-fiction competition), in the quarterfinals round within our group. This is my own personal review and does not represent the views of the team or any other individuals other than myself.
Overall, I ended up rating this 3.75/5.0 stars, rounded up to 4.0 for Goodreads. This was my first read of a superhero type book, and I was not sure what I would end up feeling about that. I was pleasantly surprised to find a book that was very well written and filled with interesting characters and an interesting premise.
The book description starts off with: "Even supervillains have lines they dare not cross. If only the same could be said of heroes..." Very interesting idea and one that led to a good story. So, a couple of the notes I made as I read are as follows:
- This felt a little bit like I was reading a version of the Incredibles, in a good way! My thinking with this is that the characters felt as real as I thought the characters did in the animated show (which I thoroughly enjoyed).
- There was power armor, and I admit to having a real interest in that particular sci-fi element.
- I liked the sci-fi tech in general in this. Many of the ideas would be so great if they were real!
- I liked the storyline here. Dr. Fid is an interesting character and I liked his growth throughout the whole story.
- There was maybe a little bit of repetitiveness in the descriptions of our characters. We were told many of the same things each time an appearance was made.
- I felt like I needed a little more background information on several of the characters as well. There were some conflicts between characters that I found myself wondering what led to them having such animosity.
Overall, I think it is worth picking this up if the idea or premise sounds remotely interesting to you. It is well written and worth the read. I will certainly being visiting further books by this author.
Overall, I ended up rating this 3.75/5.0 stars, rounded up to 4.0 for Goodreads. This was my first read of a superhero type book, and I was not sure what I would end up feeling about that. I was pleasantly surprised to find a book that was very well written and filled with interesting characters and an interesting premise.
The book description starts off with: "Even supervillains have lines they dare not cross. If only the same could be said of heroes..." Very interesting idea and one that led to a good story. So, a couple of the notes I made as I read are as follows:
- This felt a little bit like I was reading a version of the Incredibles, in a good way! My thinking with this is that the characters felt as real as I thought the characters did in the animated show (which I thoroughly enjoyed).
- There was power armor, and I admit to having a real interest in that particular sci-fi element.
- I liked the sci-fi tech in general in this. Many of the ideas would be so great if they were real!
- I liked the storyline here. Dr. Fid is an interesting character and I liked his growth throughout the whole story.
- There was maybe a little bit of repetitiveness in the descriptions of our characters. We were told many of the same things each time an appearance was made.
- I felt like I needed a little more background information on several of the characters as well. There were some conflicts between characters that I found myself wondering what led to them having such animosity.
Overall, I think it is worth picking this up if the idea or premise sounds remotely interesting to you. It is well written and worth the read. I will certainly being visiting further books by this author.
May 17, 2018
How evil is the supervillain, Dr. Fid? Not only does he take great pleasure in beating the tar out of superheroes, he secretly video-records them, and posts their most embarrassing moments on YouTube. Yeah, he’s that evil.
And not only is he evil, he’s also a pretty nice guy. As Terry Markham, he runs a multinational biotech firm dedicated to developing technologies that benefit mankind. How did he get this way? He’s a self-made man, who's been through so many self-makeovers that he can’t remember them all. If you can imagine the main character of a gothic novel titled “Dr. Frankenhyde and Mr. Jekyllstein” you’d get a general sense of how Terry Markham and his monstrous alter-ego, Dr. Fid, came into being.
Reiss handles his complicated anti-hero deftly. The writing is clever, insightful, and funny, and the reader is apt to be charmed and appalled by Dr. Fid at nearly the same time. The characters in the novel are well-constructed, and as fantastic as some of their powers are, they are believable and consistent as human beings (or perhaps I should say, sentient constructs). I also thought the action scenes were well done.
Dr. Fid has a reason for doing what he does: he wants to show the world the corrosive effect that hero-worship has on both the hero and the worshipper, and that puts him squarely on the path to conflict with the world’s many superheroes. Dr. Fid’s motives, however, are far from pure—he has a huge bone to pick with one particular superhero, who is, unfortunately, dead, and therefore out of reach of Dr. Fid’s wrath. Unable to vent his anger directly at the source of his pain, he spreads it around to essentially all superheroes everywhere.
Motives and battles, however, do not a plot make. As I approached the halfway point of this novel, I began to despair of a plot making its appearance. The first half of the book was like waiting at a beautifully architected train station situated in a lovely valley in some strange and fascinating country: there’s lots of beautiful, interesting, and unusual things and people to observe—and yet, you can’t help wondering when that dang train is going to show up.
Suddenly, and just in the nick of time, Plotman arrives to save the day! Or if not quite in the nick of time, better late than never, right?
Once the plot shows up, the novel hums right along. Turns out, Reiss can handle a plot as deftly as he can his characters and action scenes. The uber-villains are both intriguing and terrifying. The difficult decisions they pose for heroes and villains (and heroic villains and villainous heroes) are satisfyingly complex, as are the resolutions.
There are some readers who will not appreciate having to wait so long for the plot to develop (I count myself among them). On the other hand, this book is way better than some of the “blockbuster” superhero-ish novels I’ve read recently, and the writing is so good and the ideas so interesting, some readers will love it (and I count myself among them as well). I guess you could say I’m of two minds about this book.
Dr. Fid would understand perfectly.
And not only is he evil, he’s also a pretty nice guy. As Terry Markham, he runs a multinational biotech firm dedicated to developing technologies that benefit mankind. How did he get this way? He’s a self-made man, who's been through so many self-makeovers that he can’t remember them all. If you can imagine the main character of a gothic novel titled “Dr. Frankenhyde and Mr. Jekyllstein” you’d get a general sense of how Terry Markham and his monstrous alter-ego, Dr. Fid, came into being.
Reiss handles his complicated anti-hero deftly. The writing is clever, insightful, and funny, and the reader is apt to be charmed and appalled by Dr. Fid at nearly the same time. The characters in the novel are well-constructed, and as fantastic as some of their powers are, they are believable and consistent as human beings (or perhaps I should say, sentient constructs). I also thought the action scenes were well done.
Dr. Fid has a reason for doing what he does: he wants to show the world the corrosive effect that hero-worship has on both the hero and the worshipper, and that puts him squarely on the path to conflict with the world’s many superheroes. Dr. Fid’s motives, however, are far from pure—he has a huge bone to pick with one particular superhero, who is, unfortunately, dead, and therefore out of reach of Dr. Fid’s wrath. Unable to vent his anger directly at the source of his pain, he spreads it around to essentially all superheroes everywhere.
Motives and battles, however, do not a plot make. As I approached the halfway point of this novel, I began to despair of a plot making its appearance. The first half of the book was like waiting at a beautifully architected train station situated in a lovely valley in some strange and fascinating country: there’s lots of beautiful, interesting, and unusual things and people to observe—and yet, you can’t help wondering when that dang train is going to show up.
Suddenly, and just in the nick of time, Plotman arrives to save the day! Or if not quite in the nick of time, better late than never, right?
Once the plot shows up, the novel hums right along. Turns out, Reiss can handle a plot as deftly as he can his characters and action scenes. The uber-villains are both intriguing and terrifying. The difficult decisions they pose for heroes and villains (and heroic villains and villainous heroes) are satisfyingly complex, as are the resolutions.
There are some readers who will not appreciate having to wait so long for the plot to develop (I count myself among them). On the other hand, this book is way better than some of the “blockbuster” superhero-ish novels I’ve read recently, and the writing is so good and the ideas so interesting, some readers will love it (and I count myself among them as well). I guess you could say I’m of two minds about this book.
Dr. Fid would understand perfectly.
April 9, 2021
Originally published on my blog Papertea & Bookflowers
Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a big fan of villains, anti-heroes and morally grey characters. I just love their stories so much more than the heroes (especially superheroes) so when I saw that I would be able to read Fid’s Crusade for BBNYA I was over the moon!
The premise sounded amazing and I’m happy to tell everyone that it did indeed deliver what was promised!
I was immediately invested in the story and in Fid’s character. His development and knowing where he came from and how it ended up this way was fascinating and really well done. I love that he is not a ‘good guy in disguise’ or just a misunderstood hero with a tragic backstory … he really is a villain, but also, so much more!
The world is complex, complicated and not entirely good or evil and so are the heroes and the villains. All the heroes have vastly different abilities and how they reacted to Fid differed a lot and showed the depth of the side characters.
This is very much a character-driven story (you know I love those) and it is relatively slow, with flashbacks and exposition. Especially at the beginning. But Doctor Fid is more than able to carry the story. I loved seeing the world through his eyes and discovering more and more about him. This also opens the door to some scenes where we have an unreliable narrator with Fid.
The writing style fits this book perfectly. I adored the sarcastic tone of Fid and his witty commentary. It’s a delight to read!
Another thing I really loved where the technology bits. Fid is extremely intelligent with an affinity for biomechanics (so intriguing!) and as Terry Markham, he creates biotech that has the aim of helping people.
I could talk and talk about this book but I don’t want to spoil your experience of reading it all for yourself so I’m gonna shut up now. I highly recommend that you pick it up! (I mean it came in second in BBNYA … that should already tell you how good it is) And it’s only book one. Can’t wait to discover what else is in store for us!
Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a big fan of villains, anti-heroes and morally grey characters. I just love their stories so much more than the heroes (especially superheroes) so when I saw that I would be able to read Fid’s Crusade for BBNYA I was over the moon!
The premise sounded amazing and I’m happy to tell everyone that it did indeed deliver what was promised!
I was immediately invested in the story and in Fid’s character. His development and knowing where he came from and how it ended up this way was fascinating and really well done. I love that he is not a ‘good guy in disguise’ or just a misunderstood hero with a tragic backstory … he really is a villain, but also, so much more!
The world is complex, complicated and not entirely good or evil and so are the heroes and the villains. All the heroes have vastly different abilities and how they reacted to Fid differed a lot and showed the depth of the side characters.
This is very much a character-driven story (you know I love those) and it is relatively slow, with flashbacks and exposition. Especially at the beginning. But Doctor Fid is more than able to carry the story. I loved seeing the world through his eyes and discovering more and more about him. This also opens the door to some scenes where we have an unreliable narrator with Fid.
The writing style fits this book perfectly. I adored the sarcastic tone of Fid and his witty commentary. It’s a delight to read!
Another thing I really loved where the technology bits. Fid is extremely intelligent with an affinity for biomechanics (so intriguing!) and as Terry Markham, he creates biotech that has the aim of helping people.
I could talk and talk about this book but I don’t want to spoil your experience of reading it all for yourself so I’m gonna shut up now. I highly recommend that you pick it up! (I mean it came in second in BBNYA … that should already tell you how good it is) And it’s only book one. Can’t wait to discover what else is in store for us!
October 24, 2022
fairly good Super Villain book
This is a non-comedy, not cheesy story of an A-level, complicated super villain who isn't a bad person. It's pretty good but it suffers from many of the same problem that all other super villain books do.
The inevitable comparisons:
Soon I will be invincible
Dr. Anarchy's Rules for World Domination: Or How I Became God-Emperor of Rhode Island
are both comedy or silly funny books about hapless villains that play with the comic book tropes of monomaniacal villains who twirl their metaphorical mustaches, cackle menacingly, and would rather monologue than get an honest job. Wile Fid's Crusade touches briefly on a lot of the tropes lampooned here, Fid is not a satire of super heroes.
This book is not quite up to the quality of Forging Hephaestus by Drew Hayes this is pretty close and has the same cleverness and attention to details.
What this book most reminds me of is the Dire Saga by Andrew Seiple, about a good but hard person who wants to make the world a better place, but knows they can not through official channels. In both books (Fid & Dire) the main character takes up the mantle of villain to effect positive change and expose false heroes, and both books suffer from many of the same problems: When you show the MC is a super genius, their bad choices seem more like the writer is an idiot than that the character is a flawed and imperfect person.
I do recommend this one to the fans of well meaning flawed supes who don the black hat, But...
be ready to yell at your copy when Fid makes some monumentally bone headed choices.
Just... Why David H. Reiss? Why did you make a smart person be so dumb sometimes?
This is a non-comedy, not cheesy story of an A-level, complicated super villain who isn't a bad person. It's pretty good but it suffers from many of the same problem that all other super villain books do.
The inevitable comparisons:
Soon I will be invincible
Dr. Anarchy's Rules for World Domination: Or How I Became God-Emperor of Rhode Island
are both comedy or silly funny books about hapless villains that play with the comic book tropes of monomaniacal villains who twirl their metaphorical mustaches, cackle menacingly, and would rather monologue than get an honest job. Wile Fid's Crusade touches briefly on a lot of the tropes lampooned here, Fid is not a satire of super heroes.
This book is not quite up to the quality of Forging Hephaestus by Drew Hayes this is pretty close and has the same cleverness and attention to details.
What this book most reminds me of is the Dire Saga by Andrew Seiple, about a good but hard person who wants to make the world a better place, but knows they can not through official channels. In both books (Fid & Dire) the main character takes up the mantle of villain to effect positive change and expose false heroes, and both books suffer from many of the same problems: When you show the MC is a super genius, their bad choices seem more like the writer is an idiot than that the character is a flawed and imperfect person.
I do recommend this one to the fans of well meaning flawed supes who don the black hat, But...
be ready to yell at your copy when Fid makes some monumentally bone headed choices.
Just... Why David H. Reiss? Why did you make a smart person be so dumb sometimes?
October 17, 2019
Absolutely fantastic.
This book is an outstanding example of the supervillian genre. Previously, my gold standard was Cal Stringel of the "D-list Supervillian" series, but Doctor Fid is my new personal favorite. Too often, villians as main characters are just "regular guys/gals with crap luck" or they just had "one really bad day" and they are forever, often somewhat reluctantly, painted with the bad-guy brush by their respective societies. Fid is a standout, by every available metric.
If you like extremely smart writing, read this. If you like main characters who do whatever it takes and play by their own rules (regardless of their morality), read this. If you like a very action-packed capes & cowls story, read this. If you enjoy revenge stories, read this. If you're into world-saving super shenanigans in general, read this. Especially read this if you're a fan of superhero/villain fiction, Fid's Crusade should not be missed.
To the author: Well done, sir.
This book is an outstanding example of the supervillian genre. Previously, my gold standard was Cal Stringel of the "D-list Supervillian" series, but Doctor Fid is my new personal favorite. Too often, villians as main characters are just "regular guys/gals with crap luck" or they just had "one really bad day" and they are forever, often somewhat reluctantly, painted with the bad-guy brush by their respective societies. Fid is a standout, by every available metric.
If you like extremely smart writing, read this. If you like main characters who do whatever it takes and play by their own rules (regardless of their morality), read this. If you like a very action-packed capes & cowls story, read this. If you enjoy revenge stories, read this. If you're into world-saving super shenanigans in general, read this. Especially read this if you're a fan of superhero/villain fiction, Fid's Crusade should not be missed.
To the author: Well done, sir.
December 30, 2022
Full review to come soon!
Fid's Crusade was really fun and completely refreshing but surprisingly to me, also had so much depth and heart layered in too.
Really enjoyable read. Blog post and review update coming soon.
Fid's Crusade was really fun and completely refreshing but surprisingly to me, also had so much depth and heart layered in too.
Really enjoyable read. Blog post and review update coming soon.
Read
January 17, 2024Disclaimer: I read this as a judge for SPSFC#3, as part of the Wayward Stars team. However, the following is my own personal review and does not reflect on the teams score.
This was a bit different from the rest of out batch, as it is a superhero story but from the point of view of the Villain. With a capital V! Well, colour me intrigued. Let's see what's what! Like any good villain, this is a book of two faces. On one face, you have the typical superhero romp, with some quite brutal fight scenes, but all turned on it's head. You are seeing things from the perspective of the arch-Villain (even if he does say so himself), which gives it a neat little twist to the glut of recent superhero shenanigans. It's a good action romp. But on the other face, there are some quite complex themes running through this, including coping with grief, abuse of power and how things are not always black and white. It might seem strange to think of a superhero novel as a philosophical essay but the plot combines all these themes well without becoming too bogged down by the heavy thinking behind it. It's done neatly and with a deft hand
Fid himself is a particularly interesting character. Here we see a backstory tragic enough to cause him to take the Villains path. What I liked about Fid is that he doesn't have any particular superpowers but he is extremely clever (and possibly neurodivergent. I can't remember if it is specifically mentioned but it is implied at least). Although quite a complex and moral character, he does tend to think in very narrow terms. It makes for a sympathetic character who is doing the wrong things for the right reasons (mainly punching superheroes on the nose). We can see a similar amount of character development in the other Villains but the superheroes felt a little bit more one-dimensional. To be fair, there are a lot of them. However, I suspect it might have been done purposely to make Fid more humane and the villains to be the more complex, thoughtful characters. This is not just evil for evil's sake, so there are some wonderfully morally grey characters here, even if Fid doesn't see it that way himself.
This really is a comic book in novel form and I think that, although it does well in most areas, the pacing does suffer a little because of it. Pictures do tell a thousand words, so more time is needed if you are going to tell the picture. Fight scenes, especially, could suffer from this. Here, the fight scenes are fine but the interludes may interlude for too long. The science nerds amongst us will be happy with the hard science on show - I think. I'm a biology geek so the theoretical and practical physics was a bit beyond my ken. I will admit to some skim-reading when it really got going but overall, it wasn't too bad. There was also quite a lot of finance which, in its way, was weird but fascinating. I don't think I have ever thought how supervillains fund their ridiculously high-spec suits or moon bases before. It did add another dimension to it and I loved the forensic accountant superhero. As they say, follow the money!
This is a fun, action-packed superhero novel with a very different point of view. Superhero stories are seen as quite a empty-headed, frivolous subgenre but I think this shows that it actually can be quite thoughtful. Some drags in pacing may spoil an otherwise great plot but, otherwise it reads well and has good characterisation. Would be interesting to see on the big screen :)
This was a bit different from the rest of out batch, as it is a superhero story but from the point of view of the Villain. With a capital V! Well, colour me intrigued. Let's see what's what! Like any good villain, this is a book of two faces. On one face, you have the typical superhero romp, with some quite brutal fight scenes, but all turned on it's head. You are seeing things from the perspective of the arch-Villain (even if he does say so himself), which gives it a neat little twist to the glut of recent superhero shenanigans. It's a good action romp. But on the other face, there are some quite complex themes running through this, including coping with grief, abuse of power and how things are not always black and white. It might seem strange to think of a superhero novel as a philosophical essay but the plot combines all these themes well without becoming too bogged down by the heavy thinking behind it. It's done neatly and with a deft hand
Fid himself is a particularly interesting character. Here we see a backstory tragic enough to cause him to take the Villains path. What I liked about Fid is that he doesn't have any particular superpowers but he is extremely clever (and possibly neurodivergent. I can't remember if it is specifically mentioned but it is implied at least). Although quite a complex and moral character, he does tend to think in very narrow terms. It makes for a sympathetic character who is doing the wrong things for the right reasons (mainly punching superheroes on the nose). We can see a similar amount of character development in the other Villains but the superheroes felt a little bit more one-dimensional. To be fair, there are a lot of them. However, I suspect it might have been done purposely to make Fid more humane and the villains to be the more complex, thoughtful characters. This is not just evil for evil's sake, so there are some wonderfully morally grey characters here, even if Fid doesn't see it that way himself.
This really is a comic book in novel form and I think that, although it does well in most areas, the pacing does suffer a little because of it. Pictures do tell a thousand words, so more time is needed if you are going to tell the picture. Fight scenes, especially, could suffer from this. Here, the fight scenes are fine but the interludes may interlude for too long. The science nerds amongst us will be happy with the hard science on show - I think. I'm a biology geek so the theoretical and practical physics was a bit beyond my ken. I will admit to some skim-reading when it really got going but overall, it wasn't too bad. There was also quite a lot of finance which, in its way, was weird but fascinating. I don't think I have ever thought how supervillains fund their ridiculously high-spec suits or moon bases before. It did add another dimension to it and I loved the forensic accountant superhero. As they say, follow the money!
This is a fun, action-packed superhero novel with a very different point of view. Superhero stories are seen as quite a empty-headed, frivolous subgenre but I think this shows that it actually can be quite thoughtful. Some drags in pacing may spoil an otherwise great plot but, otherwise it reads well and has good characterisation. Would be interesting to see on the big screen :)
October 14, 2019
David Reiss is a friend of mine, so I'm a little embarrassed that I took this long to check out what he's written. I also know some of the things he's into, fiction-wise, and they don't always mesh with my tastes. So, I started Fid's Crusade with a little trepidation, and a few mental nods, 'okay, yeah, this is the type of character he gravitates towards...'.
And all of that went away during chapter 2, and the story took over.
Fid (a phoneticization of 'Ph. D.') is a supervillain by choice. And he'd have a hard time being a hero, as he's got a tremendous ego, and enjoys the adrenaline rush of fighting. But, he has a bundle altruistic motives as well. Technologies that his alter-ego creates are directly aimed at trying to solve some of the bigger problems the world faces. There's a passel of technologies known to be developed by the villain, and he does try to get the safer ones that can help into the right hands. The primary, and really problematic one, is a desire to punish all the superheroes that don't live up to his own standards of what they should be. The glory seekers, the ones that don't endeavor to keep collateral damage (especially to non-combatants) down, and the actual jerks are all targets of Fid's ire.
The story is told by Fid himself, and shows a high degree of genre-savvyness. I certainly appreciate the occasional bits where he learns of some adventure of a hero getting back from another dimension or the like and just shakes his head over how odd the lives of superheroes can be. On the other hand, the constant knowing nearly everything he needs to about most heroes through pervasive searches and system hacking gets a bit old, if only because no one else seems to have really wised up to this yet. (Though his primary nemesis is a forensic accountant, so there is that.) However, this is all done with a lot of wit, which makes the entire story a joy.
There's some nice world-building done. It was a fairly normal universe until something happened that allowed superpowers to emerge. And it's not a local phenomenon to Earth, but more galaxy-wide. It's a nice bit of background... until it starts becoming more and more central to the plot. But even still, there's plenty of unanswered questions that I hope the further books look at some.
Good job, Dave. I'll need to get to the second book (looks nervously at the pile of unread books) ...soon.
And all of that went away during chapter 2, and the story took over.
Fid (a phoneticization of 'Ph. D.') is a supervillain by choice. And he'd have a hard time being a hero, as he's got a tremendous ego, and enjoys the adrenaline rush of fighting. But, he has a bundle altruistic motives as well. Technologies that his alter-ego creates are directly aimed at trying to solve some of the bigger problems the world faces. There's a passel of technologies known to be developed by the villain, and he does try to get the safer ones that can help into the right hands. The primary, and really problematic one, is a desire to punish all the superheroes that don't live up to his own standards of what they should be. The glory seekers, the ones that don't endeavor to keep collateral damage (especially to non-combatants) down, and the actual jerks are all targets of Fid's ire.
The story is told by Fid himself, and shows a high degree of genre-savvyness. I certainly appreciate the occasional bits where he learns of some adventure of a hero getting back from another dimension or the like and just shakes his head over how odd the lives of superheroes can be. On the other hand, the constant knowing nearly everything he needs to about most heroes through pervasive searches and system hacking gets a bit old, if only because no one else seems to have really wised up to this yet. (Though his primary nemesis is a forensic accountant, so there is that.) However, this is all done with a lot of wit, which makes the entire story a joy.
There's some nice world-building done. It was a fairly normal universe until something happened that allowed superpowers to emerge. And it's not a local phenomenon to Earth, but more galaxy-wide. It's a nice bit of background... until it starts becoming more and more central to the plot. But even still, there's plenty of unanswered questions that I hope the further books look at some.
Good job, Dave. I'll need to get to the second book (looks nervously at the pile of unread books) ...soon.
February 16, 2024
Fid’s Crusade by David H. Reiss was sadly the most frustrating read in this round for me. It had some excellent components that could’ve worked so well and the last quarter really picked up, but it was a little too late for me then and actually is the main reason I was so frustrated because it showed me what this could’ve been but wasn’t.
I really enjoyed the main character and the main supporting characters as well. It was a good lineup with sufficient variety and they all stood well on their own. The issue I had though was that almost every single additional character that was introduced—and there were very many—had main character energy. We got so much background and origin info on so many superheroes and villains that those couple that ended up being important to the main plot just didn’t stand out anymore (aside from the MC and his close friends).
I also really enjoyed the main plot once I realized what it actually was, which took quite a while. While all the little side stories and comments made for an endearing narrator and fit his voice well, it just distracted way too much from the plot to the point that I often forgot there even was one aside from wanting to bring superheroes to justice. At more than halfway through the book, it felt like the plot promised in the book description was barely even set up yet. And the moment that the plot thickened, so to speak, was actually when I really got frustrated with the organization of the book. Because while the narration was endearing and the stories were entertaining individually, I just really would’ve preferred a more concise and tight plot that didn’t meander all over the place. Sadly by the time this happened, it was too late for me to really fall in love with the book. Instead of putting everything but the kitchen sink into this one book, these intros and side stories could’ve been great reader magnets in emails or a short story collection instead.
Despite these frustrations, I’m tempted to continue with this series because the individual components had so much promise and I’m curious whether it straightens itself out a little since the last 25% of Fid’s Crusade did feel better organized than the rest of the book. It had the intrigue, internal and external conflicts, and consequences that I was craving and I’m hoping to see the author embrace that more.
I really enjoyed the main character and the main supporting characters as well. It was a good lineup with sufficient variety and they all stood well on their own. The issue I had though was that almost every single additional character that was introduced—and there were very many—had main character energy. We got so much background and origin info on so many superheroes and villains that those couple that ended up being important to the main plot just didn’t stand out anymore (aside from the MC and his close friends).
I also really enjoyed the main plot once I realized what it actually was, which took quite a while. While all the little side stories and comments made for an endearing narrator and fit his voice well, it just distracted way too much from the plot to the point that I often forgot there even was one aside from wanting to bring superheroes to justice. At more than halfway through the book, it felt like the plot promised in the book description was barely even set up yet. And the moment that the plot thickened, so to speak, was actually when I really got frustrated with the organization of the book. Because while the narration was endearing and the stories were entertaining individually, I just really would’ve preferred a more concise and tight plot that didn’t meander all over the place. Sadly by the time this happened, it was too late for me to really fall in love with the book. Instead of putting everything but the kitchen sink into this one book, these intros and side stories could’ve been great reader magnets in emails or a short story collection instead.
Despite these frustrations, I’m tempted to continue with this series because the individual components had so much promise and I’m curious whether it straightens itself out a little since the last 25% of Fid’s Crusade did feel better organized than the rest of the book. It had the intrigue, internal and external conflicts, and consequences that I was craving and I’m hoping to see the author embrace that more.
January 2, 2025
This has a total Megamind vibe that is refreshing for the superhero/sci fi genre, while also having a handful of touching emotional moments. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish; 4.5 stars and added to the must reads list for anyone looking for a fun sci fi read
December 22, 2020
Superheroes can be complex characters, and none more so than dr. Fid in Fid's Crusade by David H. Reiss. Gone are the days of herculean knights swooping in to save the damsel in distress while simultaneously grinning at the camera with a twinkle on a tooth. Readers are asking more of their characters. It is not enough to be super anymore; we want super and complex—no small feat. It is this desire for more is why Fid's Crusade is such a successful story; Fid is an incredibly intricate villainous superhero.
Fid's Crusade is the story of a master villain and his endless quest to punish the unworthy. Who the real villains of the story change and develop as the narrative progresses. In that, it reminds me of Garth Ennis's The Boys. None of that is why you would read the book. The plot in itself is interesting, but not why I kept turning pages. Fid and the roundness of his character was why I did. Essentially, Fid is a man with the temperament, intelligence, and moral compass to punish those who deserve it. And when I say punish, I mean that if Fid finds you wanting, he will rain unholy hellfire upon you, destroy everything you hold dear in life, and walk away feeling as if he did an adequate job. I appreciate the thoroughness of his villainy.
In comparison, this could have been a flat story. Reiss could have borrowed from "Batman" and Tony Stark's cultural mythos and created an amalgamation of characters who just happened to fall on the dark side. That would have been lazy writing. What he did do was give us a broken man, wracked with pain and emotional trauma, fighting to make things right, and he gave us a character to empathize with and understand why he did horrible things. Essentially, David Reiss gave us an anti-hero who is morally gray in the form of a superhero book.
"In the end, it may take a villain to save the world from those entrusted with the world's protection"
Fid's Crusade by David H Reiss was the 2018 Publishers Weekly Booklife Prize winner. In an interview regarding why he tackled an antagonist, the author David Reiss said, "I read John Gardner's Grendel when I was young. That's a deep dive into the mind of the beast from Beowulf. Ever since then I've wondered what the antagonist was thinking throughout a story whenever I saw what the hero was doing. In superhero stories, the villains are more proactive. The heroes all react. The villain's robbing a bank, so the heroes run to save the day. But the villain's the guy that has to start things rolling. I was trying to approach the genre from what initiates conflict." While all that is very true. Approaching a story from a villain's perspective because the villain's actions are the catalyst for plot movement is different. However, all I could think of having finished Fid's Crusade was "Every fairy tale needs a good old fashioned villain."
The action scenes are intense in this story. They usually involve technical jargon about Fid's suit, weapons, and bloody battles with the "good" heroes. At the beginning of the story, this is overwhelming. We start the story right in the middle of a fight; Dr. Fid wields his weapons and intellect like a cudgel against his opponents. I wasn't sure what I was in for from the first chapter. But as the story progresses and we get into Fid's backstory, it becomes a much more engaging read. Instead of the technical jargon and fight scenes being the story's meat, they become details that help us understand Fid's intellect.
I want to be very clear; Reiss did not write this story with any pretense that the reader will like Fid. I wouldn't say I like Fid as a person. Some of the things he does are horrifying. But that isn't important. What is important is I loved reading about him as he is morally gray and complicated. I empathized with his journey, and I understood the foundations of his villainy. Even when he starts moving away from his violent tendencies and finds some peace, and yet again is faced with a personal tragedy that sends him reeling to the dark side, I got it. When a reader can empathize and understand a character like that, it is good engaging writing.
Fid's Crusade is a complicated story to explain pacing wise. Reiss takes a long time with nuanced writing to explain Dr. Fids backstory. It is smart in that it would be very easy for a reader to fall into a trap of not liking Fid and not empathizing with his plights. However, because of the nuanced writing and the time Reiss took to create a clear mental picture of Fid as a villain, I didn't have that issue. But, because of the long buildup for Fid, I found the novel slowing down a bit. All of the detailing Reiss was putting in was important, but I can see some readers feeling like that section of the story is overlong. I think how you react to the first section of the book will come down to personal preference. It all becomes seamless as plot and character creation come slamming together, but it is a meandering path.
Fid's Crusade stands heads above its superhero novel contemporaries. While some readers may have difficulty with Reiss's meandering path to the plot denouement, I found that it was all worth it. Fid's Crusade is a great story, well worth the time reading it.
I am looking forward to checking out the other books in the series.
Fid's Crusade is the story of a master villain and his endless quest to punish the unworthy. Who the real villains of the story change and develop as the narrative progresses. In that, it reminds me of Garth Ennis's The Boys. None of that is why you would read the book. The plot in itself is interesting, but not why I kept turning pages. Fid and the roundness of his character was why I did. Essentially, Fid is a man with the temperament, intelligence, and moral compass to punish those who deserve it. And when I say punish, I mean that if Fid finds you wanting, he will rain unholy hellfire upon you, destroy everything you hold dear in life, and walk away feeling as if he did an adequate job. I appreciate the thoroughness of his villainy.
In comparison, this could have been a flat story. Reiss could have borrowed from "Batman" and Tony Stark's cultural mythos and created an amalgamation of characters who just happened to fall on the dark side. That would have been lazy writing. What he did do was give us a broken man, wracked with pain and emotional trauma, fighting to make things right, and he gave us a character to empathize with and understand why he did horrible things. Essentially, David Reiss gave us an anti-hero who is morally gray in the form of a superhero book.
"In the end, it may take a villain to save the world from those entrusted with the world's protection"
Fid's Crusade by David H Reiss was the 2018 Publishers Weekly Booklife Prize winner. In an interview regarding why he tackled an antagonist, the author David Reiss said, "I read John Gardner's Grendel when I was young. That's a deep dive into the mind of the beast from Beowulf. Ever since then I've wondered what the antagonist was thinking throughout a story whenever I saw what the hero was doing. In superhero stories, the villains are more proactive. The heroes all react. The villain's robbing a bank, so the heroes run to save the day. But the villain's the guy that has to start things rolling. I was trying to approach the genre from what initiates conflict." While all that is very true. Approaching a story from a villain's perspective because the villain's actions are the catalyst for plot movement is different. However, all I could think of having finished Fid's Crusade was "Every fairy tale needs a good old fashioned villain."
The action scenes are intense in this story. They usually involve technical jargon about Fid's suit, weapons, and bloody battles with the "good" heroes. At the beginning of the story, this is overwhelming. We start the story right in the middle of a fight; Dr. Fid wields his weapons and intellect like a cudgel against his opponents. I wasn't sure what I was in for from the first chapter. But as the story progresses and we get into Fid's backstory, it becomes a much more engaging read. Instead of the technical jargon and fight scenes being the story's meat, they become details that help us understand Fid's intellect.
I want to be very clear; Reiss did not write this story with any pretense that the reader will like Fid. I wouldn't say I like Fid as a person. Some of the things he does are horrifying. But that isn't important. What is important is I loved reading about him as he is morally gray and complicated. I empathized with his journey, and I understood the foundations of his villainy. Even when he starts moving away from his violent tendencies and finds some peace, and yet again is faced with a personal tragedy that sends him reeling to the dark side, I got it. When a reader can empathize and understand a character like that, it is good engaging writing.
Fid's Crusade is a complicated story to explain pacing wise. Reiss takes a long time with nuanced writing to explain Dr. Fids backstory. It is smart in that it would be very easy for a reader to fall into a trap of not liking Fid and not empathizing with his plights. However, because of the nuanced writing and the time Reiss took to create a clear mental picture of Fid as a villain, I didn't have that issue. But, because of the long buildup for Fid, I found the novel slowing down a bit. All of the detailing Reiss was putting in was important, but I can see some readers feeling like that section of the story is overlong. I think how you react to the first section of the book will come down to personal preference. It all becomes seamless as plot and character creation come slamming together, but it is a meandering path.
Fid's Crusade stands heads above its superhero novel contemporaries. While some readers may have difficulty with Reiss's meandering path to the plot denouement, I found that it was all worth it. Fid's Crusade is a great story, well worth the time reading it.
I am looking forward to checking out the other books in the series.
June 5, 2018
I gave "Fid's Crusade" a five out of five Stars! Most books of this "Super Hero" content seem to approach the storyline from the view of the hero involved. Surprise! This book is written from the viewpoint of the super villain. It is a study in the character of a villain who, save for his technology and armor, would be an ordinary man who suffers through life's terrible mishaps. However, because he IS a genius, he uses his intellect to fight back against the forces that have shaped his life in the fashion it is. He exacts revenge against super heroes based upon his perception of how their involvement in his life has affected it negatively.
The book is a study, so to speak, of the changes that affect a person as the choices he has made in life affect his character and purpose. Fid is a man subject to terrible, callous acts of revenge, yet is also a loving and kind person.
The fight scenes are very detailed and well choreographed, with very detailed explanations of how and why Fid has and uses the technology he himself has developed. David Reiss's imagination is a work of wonder as he stretched my mind to consider things from a completely different perspective than I normally would if I were reading something about the super hero genre.
His characters are well developed, altho eventually there were so many different heroes I had to turn back several times to reread to keep them all straight. The heroes , as well as Fid himself, we discover are after all, humans striving to do the best that they can but we all make mistakes in life. The slow progression from psychotic killer to someone who begins to question the motives of people he's associated with to caring and considerate of the possible intentions and characters of those he had before despised is quite well orchestrated.
And just as you begin to think you have the author's pattern figured out, the plot takes a twist that throws you way off base. Next, as you anticipate plot changes based on prior reading in chapters before, Nope! Things really are what they seem.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable read. Very well thought out and progresses at a fast pace.
The book is a study, so to speak, of the changes that affect a person as the choices he has made in life affect his character and purpose. Fid is a man subject to terrible, callous acts of revenge, yet is also a loving and kind person.
The fight scenes are very detailed and well choreographed, with very detailed explanations of how and why Fid has and uses the technology he himself has developed. David Reiss's imagination is a work of wonder as he stretched my mind to consider things from a completely different perspective than I normally would if I were reading something about the super hero genre.
His characters are well developed, altho eventually there were so many different heroes I had to turn back several times to reread to keep them all straight. The heroes , as well as Fid himself, we discover are after all, humans striving to do the best that they can but we all make mistakes in life. The slow progression from psychotic killer to someone who begins to question the motives of people he's associated with to caring and considerate of the possible intentions and characters of those he had before despised is quite well orchestrated.
And just as you begin to think you have the author's pattern figured out, the plot takes a twist that throws you way off base. Next, as you anticipate plot changes based on prior reading in chapters before, Nope! Things really are what they seem.
All in all, it was a very enjoyable read. Very well thought out and progresses at a fast pace.
September 30, 2018
If you like anti-heroes, then check out this anti-villain
I learned of this book on Goodreads. It hit the points expected in a superhero (okay, supervillain) novel. You really get inside Dr. Fid's head from several points in his life. I enjoyed the character, but I wish I had received more development from the characters Fid interacted with. The rest of my review will contain spoilers.
The Good.
I absolutely loved the origin of Dr. Fid's name.
His reason for becoming a supervillain was well explained. His "rivalry" with Bronze was brilliantly executed.
His relationship with Starnyx was the best development to Fid's character. The way they parted was also a highlight that I wasn't expecting.
Sphinx was a great antagonist. Her actions were understandable, but cowardly and deplorable.
The end battle was fun. I enjoyed how Fid solved the problem with the Legion.
The Bad.
The book moves slowly in many areas. It almost serves as a long monologue, which is somewhat appropriate.
Until the very end, it seemed like there weren't many "good" heroes, nor were there "evil" villains. This was partly from the POV we're given, but Fid seemed aware enough to filter his bias.
Fid is the only character that gets much development. Everyone else pretty much starts and ends as the same character. Again, POV is partly the reason for this issue. However, if you only develop one character, it probably should be the one whose name is in the title.
I didn't like Whisper. There, I said it. I thought the concept of an eleven-year-old supercomputer android was creepy. The guy who invented her was a supervillain, after all.
The Technical.
I didn't find anything that stood out which may annoy readers from a stylistic perspective. This is a safe read for the modern audience.
I learned of this book on Goodreads. It hit the points expected in a superhero (okay, supervillain) novel. You really get inside Dr. Fid's head from several points in his life. I enjoyed the character, but I wish I had received more development from the characters Fid interacted with. The rest of my review will contain spoilers.
The Good.
I absolutely loved the origin of Dr. Fid's name.
His reason for becoming a supervillain was well explained. His "rivalry" with Bronze was brilliantly executed.
His relationship with Starnyx was the best development to Fid's character. The way they parted was also a highlight that I wasn't expecting.
Sphinx was a great antagonist. Her actions were understandable, but cowardly and deplorable.
The end battle was fun. I enjoyed how Fid solved the problem with the Legion.
The Bad.
The book moves slowly in many areas. It almost serves as a long monologue, which is somewhat appropriate.
Until the very end, it seemed like there weren't many "good" heroes, nor were there "evil" villains. This was partly from the POV we're given, but Fid seemed aware enough to filter his bias.
Fid is the only character that gets much development. Everyone else pretty much starts and ends as the same character. Again, POV is partly the reason for this issue. However, if you only develop one character, it probably should be the one whose name is in the title.
I didn't like Whisper. There, I said it. I thought the concept of an eleven-year-old supercomputer android was creepy. The guy who invented her was a supervillain, after all.
The Technical.
I didn't find anything that stood out which may annoy readers from a stylistic perspective. This is a safe read for the modern audience.
January 31, 2021
RTC
That is what I said last ReMo. I reread it this ReMo, because I've been wanting to since I finished the series.
Is is gory? Yes.
Are some characters horrible? Yes. They don't get a ton of page time.
I first went into the book with trepidation. It's about a super villian! But half way through my first read through I loved the titular character. At three quarters I feared that the author had broken the character, put him through to much.
All I need to enjoy a book, is a likeable character doing something he cares about. This book went beyond that. I don't know who I would recommend this book to (see statement on gore and terrible characters), but I enjoyed it so much.
That is what I said last ReMo. I reread it this ReMo, because I've been wanting to since I finished the series.
Is is gory? Yes.
Are some characters horrible? Yes. They don't get a ton of page time.
I first went into the book with trepidation. It's about a super villian! But half way through my first read through I loved the titular character. At three quarters I feared that the author had broken the character, put him through to much.
All I need to enjoy a book, is a likeable character doing something he cares about. This book went beyond that. I don't know who I would recommend this book to (see statement on gore and terrible characters), but I enjoyed it so much.
May 18, 2022
Not as good as, e.g. Peter Clines’s Ex-Heroes series, or the online web series Worm. The writing is at best … adequate, but otherwise entertaining enough self-published (I assume) superhero fluff.
Edit: Having finished the trilogy (whilst down with the (‘vid) sickness) can say books 2 and 3 are improvements vs book 1 - still far from great literature but the author did a nice job with use of foreshadowing and pulling different plot points together. Worth the read if the superhero genre appeals.
Edit: Having finished the trilogy (whilst down with the (‘vid) sickness) can say books 2 and 3 are improvements vs book 1 - still far from great literature but the author did a nice job with use of foreshadowing and pulling different plot points together. Worth the read if the superhero genre appeals.
November 9, 2023
This book was incredible. Honestly way better then it had any right to be. Its a short obscure series written by an author without much experience under his belt. Yet it was amazingly well thought out and executed. On top of everything else this book brought a different side of me out. I enjoyed this book not for the action or magic system or world building like most of my other top tier books. But for the characters , emotional depth and overall execution of the ideas presented.
Normally my reviews mirror what I look for most in a book; Plot, Magic/Action, worldbuilding and characters (in that order of importance to me) but this time the priorities have changed
Characters:
Terence/Fid is a fascinating character to me. Truthfully he’s my favorite type of anti hero. He’s dastardly and has a flair for the dramatics, willing to make enemies, be seen as the bad guy and punch the people in the face who deserve it. Though truthfully he’s a really good guy. More hero then most if not all of the legitimate superhero’s in the book. We do hear about some pretty messed up stuff he ‘s done in the past but truthfully even those things makes me like him even more. He’s made mistakes but has come back from them a better man.
I consider this story a character study more then anything. Ironic since I normally hate those. I just liked Fid so much that I wanted to hear every thought as he comes to grip with what he wants to do and leave behind. Following him as he figures out who he is going forward and ultimately accepting his role but always thriving to do better.
I liked is how powerful they made Fid feel without completely over powering him. He felt like a viable threat that could curb stomp a lot of the smaller heroes but needed to do everything he could to even compete with the larger threats, all while keeping that vibe of superiority his persona has cultivated.
Also i think this is the first actual genius character I’ve ever read. It worked way better that I would have thought. I hate the “I knew it all along” type of characters normally since it kills tension if the MC knows the right way forward at all times, especially if it is a first person POV. Though this handled it well, Fid has natural blind spots in his thinking and view points based on his trauma and persona.
I liked a lot of the side characters too. Even the ones that didn’t get a lot of screen time. Red Ghost was probably my 2nd favorite character. I like the Batman with super powers vibe I get from him.
Whisper was sweet and I like their relationship (I don’t even want to know what Fid would do if something were to happen to her) and her whole “person in the chair” vibe she has going. They make a good team.
Also I loved that Valiant, the “Superman” of this world, is African American! As a black man I love it!
World-building:
We don’t get a whole lot here but I like what we got. I like the lore of where powers came from, the focus on off world threats and multidimensional threats. The fact that most of the heroes and villains we met in this book were just focused in the New England area excites me to see heroes and villains around the world.
Plot:
While I do wish the main plot got started a tad earlier then it did I have to acknowledge just how well it tied everything together from the start of the book. Fid’s character growth, his friendships, his history, characters that we didn’t think were important, early cameos and call backs, innocuous moments that felt like random world building, and inconsistencies all were relevant and played an important part in the finally conflict. I story felt very especially well plotted in that last 50%
The execution:
By this I mean the sheer amount of details the author put in to bring every idea to life. From the bureaucracy of running cooperation, to knowledge to how a legal proceeding with play out, to esoteric coding language, and hacker communities and to weapon and scientific discoveries took an incredible amount of know how. Even if something was made up it was presented so well you would never be able to tell. Basically I feel like people who get bogged down by the science of fictional stories not making sense won’t have any issues here. I truly felt like every thing Fid did made sense even if the jargon itself went over my head.
The writing itself was very well done. It flowed, the vocabulary sparked my imagination and verbiage always made the point it was going for in a fun and totally consistent way. It felt like a traditional published book that’s been edited, proof read, rewritten, given to beta readers and etc. You’d be surprised how hard that is to come by.
A couple negatives:
* Like I mentioned before the story took a tad too long to get started. My attention was just starting to wane when things kicked off. A lot of the stuff before was interesting but any longer I would have started to loose sight the mission. Things did come to a head quickly after that though.
* The way it jumped around was a little weird and rough. It didn’t necessarily bother me but I can definitely see it bothering someone else. It felt like it was intercutting important scenes with seemingly random ones. It messed with the flow a bit too much for my liking. The scenes pretty much ended being important but I probably would restructure things a bit if it was up to me.
* The action was good but not nearly as much as I woud hope. It doesn’t take a way from my overall enjoyment but I think its worth noting since I’m normally an action junky.
* The magic system was also lacking a bit. We got a lot of details on the technology and gear that Fid uses but hardly anything on the various powers we came across. I wish more time was spent on his enemies abilities. We did get a bit though to be fair and I thing we’ll get more in upcoming books. Though most of the characters were just the generic super strength and/or flight powers, so that was a tad disappointing as well. Though I like Red Mist and Wildcard’s powers.
Normally my reviews mirror what I look for most in a book; Plot, Magic/Action, worldbuilding and characters (in that order of importance to me) but this time the priorities have changed
Characters:
Terence/Fid is a fascinating character to me. Truthfully he’s my favorite type of anti hero. He’s dastardly and has a flair for the dramatics, willing to make enemies, be seen as the bad guy and punch the people in the face who deserve it. Though truthfully he’s a really good guy. More hero then most if not all of the legitimate superhero’s in the book. We do hear about some pretty messed up stuff he ‘s done in the past but truthfully even those things makes me like him even more. He’s made mistakes but has come back from them a better man.
I consider this story a character study more then anything. Ironic since I normally hate those. I just liked Fid so much that I wanted to hear every thought as he comes to grip with what he wants to do and leave behind. Following him as he figures out who he is going forward and ultimately accepting his role but always thriving to do better.
I liked is how powerful they made Fid feel without completely over powering him. He felt like a viable threat that could curb stomp a lot of the smaller heroes but needed to do everything he could to even compete with the larger threats, all while keeping that vibe of superiority his persona has cultivated.
Also i think this is the first actual genius character I’ve ever read. It worked way better that I would have thought. I hate the “I knew it all along” type of characters normally since it kills tension if the MC knows the right way forward at all times, especially if it is a first person POV. Though this handled it well, Fid has natural blind spots in his thinking and view points based on his trauma and persona.
I liked a lot of the side characters too. Even the ones that didn’t get a lot of screen time. Red Ghost was probably my 2nd favorite character. I like the Batman with super powers vibe I get from him.
Whisper was sweet and I like their relationship (I don’t even want to know what Fid would do if something were to happen to her) and her whole “person in the chair” vibe she has going. They make a good team.
Also I loved that Valiant, the “Superman” of this world, is African American! As a black man I love it!
World-building:
We don’t get a whole lot here but I like what we got. I like the lore of where powers came from, the focus on off world threats and multidimensional threats. The fact that most of the heroes and villains we met in this book were just focused in the New England area excites me to see heroes and villains around the world.
Plot:
While I do wish the main plot got started a tad earlier then it did I have to acknowledge just how well it tied everything together from the start of the book. Fid’s character growth, his friendships, his history, characters that we didn’t think were important, early cameos and call backs, innocuous moments that felt like random world building, and inconsistencies all were relevant and played an important part in the finally conflict. I story felt very especially well plotted in that last 50%
The execution:
By this I mean the sheer amount of details the author put in to bring every idea to life. From the bureaucracy of running cooperation, to knowledge to how a legal proceeding with play out, to esoteric coding language, and hacker communities and to weapon and scientific discoveries took an incredible amount of know how. Even if something was made up it was presented so well you would never be able to tell. Basically I feel like people who get bogged down by the science of fictional stories not making sense won’t have any issues here. I truly felt like every thing Fid did made sense even if the jargon itself went over my head.
The writing itself was very well done. It flowed, the vocabulary sparked my imagination and verbiage always made the point it was going for in a fun and totally consistent way. It felt like a traditional published book that’s been edited, proof read, rewritten, given to beta readers and etc. You’d be surprised how hard that is to come by.
A couple negatives:
* Like I mentioned before the story took a tad too long to get started. My attention was just starting to wane when things kicked off. A lot of the stuff before was interesting but any longer I would have started to loose sight the mission. Things did come to a head quickly after that though.
* The way it jumped around was a little weird and rough. It didn’t necessarily bother me but I can definitely see it bothering someone else. It felt like it was intercutting important scenes with seemingly random ones. It messed with the flow a bit too much for my liking. The scenes pretty much ended being important but I probably would restructure things a bit if it was up to me.
* The action was good but not nearly as much as I woud hope. It doesn’t take a way from my overall enjoyment but I think its worth noting since I’m normally an action junky.
* The magic system was also lacking a bit. We got a lot of details on the technology and gear that Fid uses but hardly anything on the various powers we came across. I wish more time was spent on his enemies abilities. We did get a bit though to be fair and I thing we’ll get more in upcoming books. Though most of the characters were just the generic super strength and/or flight powers, so that was a tad disappointing as well. Though I like Red Mist and Wildcard’s powers.
April 10, 2020
This book just landed on the list of my top ten superhero books of all time. Ever since the creation of Marvel’s Wolverine, it’s been popular to depict heroes who often cross the line. Then there are villains like Cat Woman who sometimes find themselves playing the role of hero. Fid’s Crusade is the story of how the world’s most notorious super villain finds himself putting it all on the line to save the world—which would be awesome in and of itself even if the novel didn’t give you one heck of a lot more.
First, let’s be clear, Fid is not a particularly sane human. When his younger brother dies because a so-called “hero” puts protecting his secret identify over saving a child’s life, Fid goes off the deep end and determines to prove how fundamentally selfish and unheroic most heroes are. So Fid sets out on a lifetime mission to expose to the public how unheroic their heroes truly are, and in doing so because one of the baddest of the bad. The villain no hero can beat—even when they manage to cut his arm off in the middle of a battle. He’s tough, he’s smart, and not a single one of the heroes or the media who love to cover them, have any idea what Fid is really all about.
Nor do they have any idea that he’s been changing over time—not losing his need to expose heroic hypocrisy, but evolving to understand that monstrous violence might not be the best way to obtain his ends. This sort of evolution is a tremendously difficult task for an author to take on—especially in a single novel—but Reiss handles it brilliantly. Can Fid change despite the heroes lined up against him? And can he save the world despite the best efforts of the men and women who have sworn to protect it? This is a wonderful novel. I can’t wait to read the next one.
I received this book free from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
First, let’s be clear, Fid is not a particularly sane human. When his younger brother dies because a so-called “hero” puts protecting his secret identify over saving a child’s life, Fid goes off the deep end and determines to prove how fundamentally selfish and unheroic most heroes are. So Fid sets out on a lifetime mission to expose to the public how unheroic their heroes truly are, and in doing so because one of the baddest of the bad. The villain no hero can beat—even when they manage to cut his arm off in the middle of a battle. He’s tough, he’s smart, and not a single one of the heroes or the media who love to cover them, have any idea what Fid is really all about.
Nor do they have any idea that he’s been changing over time—not losing his need to expose heroic hypocrisy, but evolving to understand that monstrous violence might not be the best way to obtain his ends. This sort of evolution is a tremendously difficult task for an author to take on—especially in a single novel—but Reiss handles it brilliantly. Can Fid change despite the heroes lined up against him? And can he save the world despite the best efforts of the men and women who have sworn to protect it? This is a wonderful novel. I can’t wait to read the next one.
I received this book free from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
July 17, 2019
3.75 stars! Fascinating concept, great writing style, but I thought the pacing was too slow and weighted down in the first half. My full in-depth review is HERE on my booktube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMZEo...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMZEo...
September 22, 2022
Largely enjoyable superhero / supervillain romp where the hero is a villain who is really a hero but who used to be a villain and whom no one believes might be a hero after all. It ain't art, but it is fun.
Read
June 5, 2019FOR the book tour End of June!!
Look for the review!
Look for the review!
May 11, 2021
Book source ~ TWR Tour
Doctor Fid is the supervillian alter-ego of Terry Markham. When his little brother dies in his arms he blames a superhero who didn't prevent it, so Terry turns himself into a villain to reign down death and destruction on the one who allowed his brother to die. Revenge. It drives him. But will it sustain him forever? How far is Terry willing to push his human body in order to achieve his goal? The answer is: pretty fucking far. Crazy bastard.
This is something I’ve never read before. I’m pretty sure it’s a parody of the current Marvel/DC superhero/villain craze. I love Marvel and like DC, so this was a great read for me. Dr. Fid is a supervillain and the story revolves around him. It takes place in the present and flashes back to the past to give a well-rounded feel of Fid and his life before and after his villaindom. While he is a supervillain he has lines he doesn’t cross. So maybe he’s more of an anti-hero instead of a true villain? In any case, I like him, flaws and all. Though I think he’s absolutely nuts when it comes to what he’s doing to his body. Eeeeee! Anyway, there is so much sciencey stuff that it makes my head hurt. I’m not a sciencey-type person. Much of it goes over my head. Also, I am not a fan of alternate universes. It’s one of the main reasons I stopped watching The Flash. However, I love the plot and the twisty turny path Fid takes to get to the truth. I also love the characters, Fid in particular. If you like comic books then I think this is a read you should pick up.
Doctor Fid is the supervillian alter-ego of Terry Markham. When his little brother dies in his arms he blames a superhero who didn't prevent it, so Terry turns himself into a villain to reign down death and destruction on the one who allowed his brother to die. Revenge. It drives him. But will it sustain him forever? How far is Terry willing to push his human body in order to achieve his goal? The answer is: pretty fucking far. Crazy bastard.
This is something I’ve never read before. I’m pretty sure it’s a parody of the current Marvel/DC superhero/villain craze. I love Marvel and like DC, so this was a great read for me. Dr. Fid is a supervillain and the story revolves around him. It takes place in the present and flashes back to the past to give a well-rounded feel of Fid and his life before and after his villaindom. While he is a supervillain he has lines he doesn’t cross. So maybe he’s more of an anti-hero instead of a true villain? In any case, I like him, flaws and all. Though I think he’s absolutely nuts when it comes to what he’s doing to his body. Eeeeee! Anyway, there is so much sciencey stuff that it makes my head hurt. I’m not a sciencey-type person. Much of it goes over my head. Also, I am not a fan of alternate universes. It’s one of the main reasons I stopped watching The Flash. However, I love the plot and the twisty turny path Fid takes to get to the truth. I also love the characters, Fid in particular. If you like comic books then I think this is a read you should pick up.
February 13, 2020
Miles ahead of the competition
I consider myself a conesseur of superhero fiction, and I have nearly read it all. But this book is light years ahead of all but a scant few in the hero/villain storytelling genre. Thrilling plot, great action, deep characters, its got it all. Perfect 5/7 (😆), 10 out of 10 would recommend and will read again. Great work here.
I consider myself a conesseur of superhero fiction, and I have nearly read it all. But this book is light years ahead of all but a scant few in the hero/villain storytelling genre. Thrilling plot, great action, deep characters, its got it all. Perfect 5/7 (😆), 10 out of 10 would recommend and will read again. Great work here.
July 11, 2018
Must Read!
This Anti-Hero story was very well written, the action vivid and coherent, and the most important part... very fun to read. Looking forward to the sequel...
This Anti-Hero story was very well written, the action vivid and coherent, and the most important part... very fun to read. Looking forward to the sequel...
July 15, 2019
I found this an enjoyable superhero/supervillain novel from the perspective of supervillain Doctor Fid, who is really more of an antihero than an actual villain. This book put some unique twists on the genre, which I liked. For one, the implications of more modern cultural norms were explored; Doctor Fid's suit and accompanying drones took video of his fights so he could post embarrassing shots of his enemies online. Perhaps my favorite twist, though, was that everyone--heroes and villains alike--had some amount of moral code, and though they fought, they weren't typically trying to use lethal force. It was mentioned that certain techniques were reserved for opponents with the invulnerabilities to handle them, and there was even a scene where someone has a medical emergency in the middle of fighting and the battle is halted to get them to a hospital. This acknowledgment of each other as real people endeared the characters to me.
I also liked that the heroes and villains of this story were described as racially diverse, and social issues like racist and sexist comments played into Fid's rationalization for hating certain individual superheroes (as in, one of the heroes was known for having made some problematic comments in public and people largely didn't seem to care because he was a superhero).
The writing in this book wasn't perfect. I found myself getting frustrated at the sheer number of info-dumps, particularly in the beginning, which felt like more backstory than story. I wanted more of that information to be worked into narration (or perhaps just cut). I also found some repetitive elements; the author would use the same word multiple times in one sentence or paragraph, and a few times whole sentences of description felt copied and pasted from one chapter to the next.
I also felt disoriented at times because of the author's tendency to start scenes in medias res. This can be an interesting technique for Chapter 1, but it's a bit much to do it multiple times and it made it more difficult for me to follow what was happening. I will add the caveat to this particular complaint, however, that due to my very busy schedule for the past month, I had to listen to this book on audio, which is not my preferred format, and part of my difficulty in following the story at certain times is definitely due to my bad audio comprehension.
The character of Fid was likable and had a suitably tragic backstory to paint his villainous actions in a more sympathetic light, but he was almost too smart. His powers were completely technology-based, which was fine, but there seemed to be no hard limits to what he was capable of. We were never given a comprehensive list of his inventions and abilities, and he was constantly coming up with new innovations. He was strategically intelligent, as well, and could usually predict his enemies actions ahead of time and go into situations completely prepared. In a sense, this was fun to read; it's almost self-congratulatory to temporarily take up the mental space of someone who always has the upper hand in just about any situation and it can be fun to share in the character's feelings of self-assuredness. However, this also takes away from the potential tension and suspense which could have been build had we thought Fid's enemy had the upper hand. We always knew he would have some kind of technology on standby, ready to solve his problem, and if he didn't, he would be able to invent it promptly.
Finally, the humor in this book was very mixed. There were a few places that genuinely made me laugh, but a few other places with jokes so bad or overdone I groaned a little.
I also liked that the heroes and villains of this story were described as racially diverse, and social issues like racist and sexist comments played into Fid's rationalization for hating certain individual superheroes (as in, one of the heroes was known for having made some problematic comments in public and people largely didn't seem to care because he was a superhero).
The writing in this book wasn't perfect. I found myself getting frustrated at the sheer number of info-dumps, particularly in the beginning, which felt like more backstory than story. I wanted more of that information to be worked into narration (or perhaps just cut). I also found some repetitive elements; the author would use the same word multiple times in one sentence or paragraph, and a few times whole sentences of description felt copied and pasted from one chapter to the next.
I also felt disoriented at times because of the author's tendency to start scenes in medias res. This can be an interesting technique for Chapter 1, but it's a bit much to do it multiple times and it made it more difficult for me to follow what was happening. I will add the caveat to this particular complaint, however, that due to my very busy schedule for the past month, I had to listen to this book on audio, which is not my preferred format, and part of my difficulty in following the story at certain times is definitely due to my bad audio comprehension.
The character of Fid was likable and had a suitably tragic backstory to paint his villainous actions in a more sympathetic light, but he was almost too smart. His powers were completely technology-based, which was fine, but there seemed to be no hard limits to what he was capable of. We were never given a comprehensive list of his inventions and abilities, and he was constantly coming up with new innovations. He was strategically intelligent, as well, and could usually predict his enemies actions ahead of time and go into situations completely prepared. In a sense, this was fun to read; it's almost self-congratulatory to temporarily take up the mental space of someone who always has the upper hand in just about any situation and it can be fun to share in the character's feelings of self-assuredness. However, this also takes away from the potential tension and suspense which could have been build had we thought Fid's enemy had the upper hand. We always knew he would have some kind of technology on standby, ready to solve his problem, and if he didn't, he would be able to invent it promptly.
Finally, the humor in this book was very mixed. There were a few places that genuinely made me laugh, but a few other places with jokes so bad or overdone I groaned a little.
January 27, 2020
I can say that this series defenitly deserves the high rating it currently has.
Books with few reviews tend to have better ratings than deserved but not this one.
I am very surprised to not find this on a lot of top superhero list on this site and on others.
Read all 3 books in about 5 days and had a great time.
Defenitly a pearl among the superhero books.
5/5 would crusade again.
Books with few reviews tend to have better ratings than deserved but not this one.
I am very surprised to not find this on a lot of top superhero list on this site and on others.
Read all 3 books in about 5 days and had a great time.
Defenitly a pearl among the superhero books.
5/5 would crusade again.
April 23, 2021
One of my favorite reads of 2020 was Fid’s Crusade by David H. Reiss. This self-published novel is the first book in the series The Chronicles of Fid. The story is about Doctor Fid, a supervillain who has made it his sole duty to find and punish those unworthy for the title of “hero.” But personal tragedy follows Doctor Fid like a dark cloud, leading him to investigate certain crimes. Slowly, a plot is uncovered, and the self-avowed supervillain finds himself in a race against time to save the world.
While the book is certainly about heroes and supervillains, the pacing isn’t necessarily one of breakneck speed. Plenty of time is taken to explore Fid’s past and what turned him into the supervillain he is today. We get to understand Fid’s thoughts and actions inside and out, but this does mean things like flashbacks can be frequent. This doesn’t interrupt the pacing of the story at all, but it does mean that, while there is action, it isn’t necessarily constant action.
Doctor Fid is a supervillain. Like many supervillains, he has a dark and tragic backstory, which fuels many of his actions for years afterward. This isn’t simply window-dressing, though. Despite being a book about superheroes and supervillains, this is a story about people, not the fights they have. Fid’s Crusade is a very character driven novel.
Fid’s Crusade is a book that lingers in the gray space between good and evil. Sure, we see the very, very good and the very, very evil. More often than not, though, we see the moments of kindness and compassion in villains or the self-centered or downright evil moments of heroes. More often than not, both sides of the ongoing fight between the heroes and the villains shows people just trying to survive and fight for what they believe is right.
The book went in directions I didn’t expect, which I won’t get into too much for fear of spoilers. That said, a wide variety of fantasy and science fiction elements are woven together here rather deftly.
Reiss takes us on quite the adventure in Fid’s Crusade. It’s a wonderful ride that I can only urge you to read for yourself. While I haven’t read further into the series yet, I am excited to pick up book two in the series, Behind Distant Stars, soon.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This review originally found at Looking Glass Reads.
While the book is certainly about heroes and supervillains, the pacing isn’t necessarily one of breakneck speed. Plenty of time is taken to explore Fid’s past and what turned him into the supervillain he is today. We get to understand Fid’s thoughts and actions inside and out, but this does mean things like flashbacks can be frequent. This doesn’t interrupt the pacing of the story at all, but it does mean that, while there is action, it isn’t necessarily constant action.
Doctor Fid is a supervillain. Like many supervillains, he has a dark and tragic backstory, which fuels many of his actions for years afterward. This isn’t simply window-dressing, though. Despite being a book about superheroes and supervillains, this is a story about people, not the fights they have. Fid’s Crusade is a very character driven novel.
Fid’s Crusade is a book that lingers in the gray space between good and evil. Sure, we see the very, very good and the very, very evil. More often than not, though, we see the moments of kindness and compassion in villains or the self-centered or downright evil moments of heroes. More often than not, both sides of the ongoing fight between the heroes and the villains shows people just trying to survive and fight for what they believe is right.
The book went in directions I didn’t expect, which I won’t get into too much for fear of spoilers. That said, a wide variety of fantasy and science fiction elements are woven together here rather deftly.
Reiss takes us on quite the adventure in Fid’s Crusade. It’s a wonderful ride that I can only urge you to read for yourself. While I haven’t read further into the series yet, I am excited to pick up book two in the series, Behind Distant Stars, soon.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This review originally found at Looking Glass Reads.
April 17, 2021
An entertaining mess of a book with an Iron Man smarter than Brainac 5 having more secret lairs than Batman that has fallen on the dark side and become a supervillain, fighting every unworthy superhero there ever was in some kind of parallell universe to both Marvel's and DC's. Also in this World there's a District 9 in Colorado instead of South Africa, a side story pretty much stolen from Star Trek The Next Generation were Picard went to court to have Data acknowledged as sentient, and an Anonymous hacker collective fluctuating between good and evil. From the top of my head I think the only ones totally missing was Godzilla and King Kong.
It's a four star story in my book, with potential for five had it been written by someone like the later more experienced Terry Pratchett. The potential for that too is here, the funniest line in the whole story is a throwaway never followed up on or further explained from when the protagonist runs into economic trouble and thinking of himself in third person notes that "Doctor Fid was going to need to rob Fort Knox again."
It's a four star story in my book, with potential for five had it been written by someone like the later more experienced Terry Pratchett. The potential for that too is here, the funniest line in the whole story is a throwaway never followed up on or further explained from when the protagonist runs into economic trouble and thinking of himself in third person notes that "Doctor Fid was going to need to rob Fort Knox again."
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