Pendulum Heroes (Book One)

FANTASY:  Melvin Morrow and his friends, Jason and Richard, are gamers needing a fourth. They cajole Melvin’s older brother Mike into playing, and put a lot of effort into making their avatars complete with powers and wardrobe. Suddenly, the four of them are transported to a forest and transformed into a woman warrior, an archer, a mage, and a megrym, respectively. Immediately attacked by weagrs, they manage to win the battle and hurry to put distance between them and the giant people. They come upon a cottage owned by an outcast half-weagr named Runt, who joins them in their quest to get home. They head for Ft. Law. Once there, strandwolves attack. Trying to avoid them, they run down cave-like passages in the fort. In the middle of the fort is a dark creature. Jason frees it and the adventure really begins…  

“Pendulum Heroes” takes four gamers where they never thought they would be, or they would have been more careful when planning their avatars. It is a fantastic adventure story that stretches even the most elastic of imaginations. The novel contains a plethora of characters, all distinct with their own well-developed personalities. Melvin is a standout character because he ends up as a man in a female warrior’s body clad in a metal bikini — and he pulls it off superbly. Some awkward wording slows down the natural flow of the tale. The story does not engage the reader immediately and the first few chapters are sluggish as the story sets up for the big adventure, but the ending teases, leaving us wanting more.

Belinda Wilson