Hal, the Third-Class Hero

Dean Reeds is a freelance journalist in St Catharines.

Hal is new to the hero business, and he is starting out on the bottom
rung. He’s trying to play by the book, but he isn’t afraid to glance
over some of the more bothersome chapters. Of course, it doesn’t help
when his adopted dragon eats Hal’s copy of the Hero’s Handbook.

Craddock takes a medieval fantasy setting and turns it on its tail by
placing modern-thinking characters in a world of dragons, magic, and
misadventures, where being a hero means belonging to a union and
competing for contracts; where Princesses have attitudes and a good deal
of self-reliance to match; and where dragons are on the endangered list.

The sheer number of astonishing coincidences that help Hal may make
even the most forgiving young fantasy buff do a double take. And while
the characters’ attitudes make for an interesting spoof and some
laughs along the way, the book doesn’t really go anywhere. It would be
appropriate for young readers because of its large text, short chapters,
and easygoing writing style, or for parents to read aloud to very young
children.

For those who want a good plot to accompany a good chuckle, this is not
a first-choice purchase.