What Would You Give to be a Hero?
Stephen Russ never expected to have to answer that question; he went to work, he stayed in his apartment, sometimes had friends over, and the worst thing he'd had to face was looking for a new job after losing his old one.
But that was before a child's desperate scream led him into an alley filled with faceless winged things that almost killed him, before the strange white rat spoke to him, calling itself Silvertail Heartseeker and telling him that this was but the beginning, that the Stars were almost Right and the forces of Azathoth Nine-Armed would soon be unleashed against the world… before Silvertail said that his courage and willingness to risk himself made him the perfect choice to be one of the defenders of the world against this evil.
A defender named Princess Holy Aura, the first of the five Apocalypse Maidens.
Now Steve understands the choice: not whether he is willing to die, but whether he is willing to live… by giving up "Stephen Russ" to become the one chance that the world has against the monstrous forces that wait on the other side of forever.
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Tongue and cheekA great clinical dissection of the whole magical girl trope while also using it to the hilt.
Well the door's open for a book 2 as true to that trope, the evil opposition manages to escape to fight another day.
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Missed opportunityInteresting concept of interesting concept: grown man morphed into teenage girl to save the world. Apart from a few references to the loss of self identity as a form of sacrifice it was an idea that was singularly unexplored. Pity; I normally like Ryk Spoor
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Excellent!I fully admit I am a big fan of Ryk, so it was a no brainer for me to get the eARC of his last book.
I had a blast, as he managed to make the whole setup totally credible, incredibly funny and enyojable every step of the way.
Really enjoyed the ride, looking forward to Ryks next book!
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Could have been terrible, but great Characters winAt once a dead serious and totally self-spoofing 'magical girl' story. I wouldn't have believed such a thing could be pulled off, but Rik Spoor did it. Great characters make the story.
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Magical Girl StoryWell written magical story with a minor 'twist' that didn't change much. I was hoping for more but enjoyed what I got. Did have me emotionally invested. I do hope if Baen publishes another magical girl story, it will have a heroine actively trying to game the situation for every bit of power she can get, just not the cliche power of sacifice/friendship this story had.
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A fast paced urban fantasy which finds the time to explore its characters. Packs a punch comparable to that of "The Honor of the Queen" or "The Deed of Paksenarrion".
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Hero shoul be hero not...
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Another hit from Ryk!I love the spin on traditional roles Ryk puts on his characters. He always weaves a strong threaded story that wraps you up and holds you to the last page. I burned through this one and desperately need sleep. But not before dropping this review.
Get this story. You'll be glad you did.Posted on
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Hopefully only the 1st volume of this
magical girl story for adults. Just
follow the logic while enjoying this tale. Why it has to be an magical GIRL and not an magical person.Posted on