I have no idea when I started the online reader copy of Sword of the Champion by Eric Lide. I do know that it was sometime in early to mid 2024 as I saw I might not want to start it as it was such a future publication. So I put it aside and promptly forgot about it. (Sorry!) However, I was smart enough to know I needed to save as many links as possible to it. I am not sure why, but thankfully I did. As I did lose the main link to the book, but not the secondary one!
And I then went to finish this book in a few lunches, finally finishing in January 2025. There is plenty of time for you to read my review and run off to your local independent bookstore to preorder a copy as it is due February/March 2025.
With that said, you need to know why you need to purchase this book. First, it is a book. Second, it is by a new author, Eric Lide, and that means you’ll be on the cutting edge of finding a new talent in middle reader graphic novels. And third, it is funny. Granted not Roll On Floor laughing all the time so you can’t read the book, but it has moments of giggles and snorts. Though at first things are anything but funny!
Orin’s village is besieged by feigns. They want to destroy it for the Head Fiend himself (a cross between the Devil, Santa and your Dad (total dad glasses, and he has a teen daughter, Emily). But in a seemingly fluke, Orin saves the day, is crowned The Champion of the Goddess, and with a new friend, goes off to find the sword, stop the Fiend Lord and save the world. No pressure.
Along the way, things are what you expect, the hero has doubts, the sidekicks are a hoot (or try to eat you) and there are several modern references. Nothing is WOW, but it is not dull for the strong 8 to 12. There are some fantasy elements and violence, so it might not be for the sensitive and/or younger reader, but overall things are fine and you probably see worse in cartoons on the TV today.
