The Hero Strikes Back

by Moira J. Moore

In a realm beset by natural disasters, only the magical abilities of the bonded Pairs--Source and Shield--make the land habitable and keep the citizenry safe. The ties that bind them are far beyond... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441014402
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Ace
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Characters!

OK, the worldbuilding is terrible. Economics, politics, geography, technology, even the logic of what the sources and shields do... they're all totally haywire. But who cares? Moore's two books offer some of the most engaging character driven fantasy I've seen in years. Sort of Georgette Heyer crossed with Lois McMaster Bujold and Patricia Briggs. The two central characters are wonderful with ther complicated, not exactly romantic, relationship (ever punctuated by bothersome events). I want more. Lots more. And I've been cuddling up and re-reading this one whenever I need a lift.

Thoroughly enjoyable, Moira J. Moore is now on my MUST BUY list!

Great series and I hope it continues. Taro and Lee are real and likable. The humor is understated but intrinsic to the characters themselves. So far this series has proved to be a true "needle in the haystack" a rare find among all the clutter the publishers throw at us. Bravo!

Excellent sequel to "Resenting the Hero"

In which Lee and Shintaro have to content with every embarrassment and disaster from unseasonal weather and interfering mothers to treason and plots ... This will give most pleasure to those who have read the first book in the series, "Resenting the Hero." Both books are set hundred of years in the future on a colony planet where the population can only be protected against frequent natural disasters by the special talents of two groups of people - "Sources" and "Shields". Sources can "channel" natural forces and dispel coming disasters: Shields protect the Sources and stop them dying or going insane while they do so. In principle any source can work with any shield, but in practice most sources form a spontaneous natural bond with one particular shield. The bond is involuntary, neither partner having any choice about who they form a pair with, and once formed it lasts for the rest of the life of both partners - it is so strong that the death of either partner causes the demise of the other. Most pairs form a friendly and professional relationship, some ignore the advice of their training college by becoming lovers, and others find themselves tied for life to someone they can't stand. Shintaro Karish, who renounced the title of Duke of Westsea in the previous book, is a Source. He is heroic, brave, virile, talented, charming, disgustingly handsome, and apart from being something of a rake, far too good to be true. Every young shield, expecially the female ones, wanted to bond with him, except for the narrator of the stories, Dunleavy Mallorough (Lee), a practical merchant's daughter who wants to work with someone calm, steady, and reliable. So guess who she got stuck with. In the first book Shintaro and Lee got off to a pretty bad start but by the start of this one they have developed what appears on the surface as a very strong professional relationship and a firm friendship. The author obviously intends you to conclude from the story that Lee is desperately in love with Shintaro but hasn't admitted the fact to herself. The city where they are posted is no longer experiencing the extreme disasters which Sources and Shields are trained to cope with, but instead is suffering from very unusual weather patterns such as snow in midsummer, which are wrecking the livelihoods of local people. Shintaro and Lee are under strong pressure to find a way to do something about this. At the same time, someone is murdering aristocrats in the area, and Lee is frightened that Shintaro might be their next victim. And both their mothers descend on the pair to promote their plans for their offspring. Lee's mother is trying to find her a husband, which is bad enough, but the Dowager Duchess of Westsea is not merely annoying but downright dangerous. Furious at her son renouncing the title, she is intriguing to get this decision reversed - and as the Empress had made Shintaro promise if he was allowed to renounce the Dukedom he would not seek to change his m

A good, solid sequel.

THE HERO STRIKES BACK is a refreshing sequel to an already good book. It does fall into the 'second book trap', by which I mean it has a clear set-up for a third book, leaving a larger thread untied. The immediate plots are nicely resolved, however. This book is less concerned with action (although there is plenty towards the very last chapters of the book) and more with the history of the characters and their deeper personalities. The relationships between Shield Lee and her mother, Source Karish and HIS mother (along with his very detailed past, which was only hinted at in the last book, some of which is greatly unexpected), and of course, Shield Lee and Source Karish's own...unique relationship are all delved into. The dialogue between the pair of them is enough to make you read the book twice. It's witty, creative, unexpected and sheer fun. Lee, especially has grown up a little bit since the last book, though she's still her snappy, at times self-centered self (though it is infinitely more forgivable, and highly amusing in this installation). Little things in the first book pop up here and there, making for pleasant tie-ins, and giving more information about things that were only mentioned. There are several traps authors fall into when writing sequels, and Moore deftly avoids each of them save for the one mentioned earlier. The plot is quite different from her first book, there is nothing stale or rushed about the story and most importantly of all, it feels natural to continue where she picks up-- which is some months after the last book. The weather in High Scape has gotten screwy. Blizzards in the middle of summer have killed the crops and are killing people and their livelihoods, and the Pairs can't do a thing about it. So the people begin to turn on the Pairs, blaming them. So of course, Lee and Karish have to try and do something about it. Which is difficult, when you're already dealing with your mother trying to get you hanged by reclaiming your title, or, in Lee's case, battling against matchmaking attempts and dress-shop visits. Add on top of that a crazy cult trying to recruit you to be sacrificed since you were once an aristocrat, a long with a visit from the royal prince. A fun read that I finished very quickly- in part because I was so eager to see how it would turn out, which is always a good sign in a book.

Lots of laughter and teasing. A delightful read!

This is the sequel to "Resenting the Hero." The events in this book take place just a few months after the first book. I felt that this book was primarily concerned with revealing Karish's story and his true nature rather than focusing on the current events. I believe that this made for a much better and more in depth sequel. Many sequels end up being very similar to the original book and rely more on that very similarity to make the book work. This book felt like it was the natural continuation of Mallorough's and Karish's story and this gave the author the freedom to take the story where she wanted to. I really enjoyed the snappy rejoinders and teasing that were prevalent in this book. The writing provided many, many opportunities for laughing, but was so well done that I could almost believe that these were real people. I would also like to compliment the author on her talent for coming up with memorable titles. We'll just have to wait to see what she comes up with next. In short, this was a very well-written book and I can't wait to read more books by this author.