A World Without Heroes (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: A World Without Heroes Karen Coats Mull, Brandon . A World Without Heroes. Aladdin, 2011. [464p]. (Beyonders) Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-4169-9792-4 $19.99 E-book ISBN 978-1-4169-9798-6 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 6-9. Jason's having a fairly ordinary day until a mishap at the zoo where he works lands him in another world. There he eventually comes upon a strange museum-like structure, where his adventure begins to take shape, and he discovers that he is the hero called to the world of Lyrian to find the word that will cause the unmaking of the despotic wizard emperor. Joined in his quest by another traveler from our world, Rachel, and a series of human and wizard-born helpers, Jason travels to remote and dangerous spots where the various syllables of the word are kept hidden, only to find that the emperor has been the orchestrating hand behind the journey all along. Though he's tricked into returning home, Jason is determined to rejoin Rachel and finish what he has started. Mull's world-making and character crafting are superb, both in Jason's life prior to his entry into Lyrian and throughout his subsequent adventures. The vividly depicted fantasy landscapes are integral to the quest in its various phases, and Jason and Rachel emerge as at once ordinary and believably brave and heroic. The wizard-born species feature traits and abilities that are useful, if a bit grotesque, but they're a crude lot against the manipulative, [End Page 339] seductive logic of the enemy emperor; Jason and his companions may be courageous and resilient, but they are opposing a cruel, incisive genius. The adventures that constitute the quest seem straightforward on the surface, if difficult, but the twist that they have all been part of a distracting game sets up an emotional enticement for Jason to return to Lyrian and depose this evil leader and for readers to wait breathlessly for the sequel. Copyright © 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois