Heroics for Beginners

Heroics for Beginners by John Moore

256 pages; medium-size print

This book seemed to take me quite awhile to finish - and not because it was bad or anything - but because it was such a parody that there was no urgency to get it done, get it read and make sure the characters live happily ever after.

Everything is mocked in this novel. The overall plot is that of a fairytale with princes and princesses trying to defeat an evil overlord. Once you get reading though you realize the fairytale plot is just a vehicle for the mockery. The prince is named Kevin and the princess is Rebecca or Becky.

The evil overlord took the path of most evil overlords and started out teaching. Giving essay tests and homework over the weekends sure paid off though because this evil Overlord, He Who Must Be Named, Lord Voltmeter has acquired an Ancient Artifact Model 7. With his Fortress of Doom (open Monday through Friday 9 a.m - 4 p.m. including gift shop), Ancient Artifact and a horde of minions Voltmeter is ready to take over the 20 fairytale kingdoms.

Prince Kevin is not exactly the heroic type and so when Princess Rebecca's father choses Prince Logan over Kevin to lead an army to defeat Lord Voltmeter (the prize being Princess Rebecca's hand in marriage) Kevin borrows the Heroics for Beginner book and starts off on his quest. Nothing quite goes right for Kevin starting with Becky wanting to be his comic sidekick and entering the castle through trickery (getting himself hired to clean the castle ducts).

It's cute and funny and worth reading but it didn't drag me into it. Several parts are just ridiculously comical and sarcastically amusing. It's great for a rainy day.