Published: July 18, 2009
Words: 81,732 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9780982059814

Short description

A rollicking fantasy romp across the Eleven Kingdoms with reluctant hero Jason Cosmo and cynical wizard Mercury Boltblaster. Forced to flee his home in Lower Hicksnittle and pursued by bounty hunters, demons, and the sinister Dark Magic Society, Jason goes from the bright realm of The Gods to the depths of the Incredibly Dark Forest to learn the awful truth behind the price on his head.

Extended description

A simple woodcutter learns there is a ten million carat price on his head. Every bounty hunter in the Eleven Kingdoms is on his trail. The Dark Magic Society want him dead. The Gods want him to save the world. Jason Cosmo just wants to get through this alive.

HERO WANTED is Book 1 of the comical Jason Cosmo fantasy adventure series, which has been compared to the work of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams. (Not always favorably, mind you. But sometimes mentioned in the same sentence. Or at least a nearby paragraph.)

Jason Cosmo is perfectly happy living in the humble village of Lower Hicksnittle—until a foppish stranger tries to kill him, claiming there is a huge price on Jason's head. A price big enough to put the world of Arden’s best—and worst—bounty hunters on his trail. Overnight, Jason has become the most feared man in the Eleven Kingdoms—which is news to him! (Read more) A simple woodcutter learns there is a ten million carat price on his head. Every bounty hunter in the Eleven Kingdoms is on his trail. The Dark Magic Society want him dead. The Gods want him to save the world. Jason Cosmo just wants to get through this alive.

HERO WANTED is Book 1 of the comical Jason Cosmo fantasy adventure series, which has been compared to the work of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams. (Not always favorably, mind you. But sometimes mentioned in the same sentence. Or at least a nearby paragraph.)

Jason Cosmo is perfectly happy living in the humble village of Lower Hicksnittle—until a foppish stranger tries to kill him, claiming there is a huge price on Jason's head. A price big enough to put the world of Arden’s best—and worst—bounty hunters on his trail. Overnight, Jason has become the most feared man in the Eleven Kingdoms—which is news to him!

On the run from mercenaries, Demon Lords, and the full might of the sinister Dark Magic Society, Jason teams up with cynical wizard Mercury Boltblaster and winsome twins Sapphrina and Rubis to learn the truth.

Driven inexorably onward by the Laws of Narrative, Jason's quest takes him from the bright realm of The Gods to the deadly depths of the Incredibly Dark Forest—and into a final confrontation with the forces of evil!

Followed by an even more final confrontation.

And then an obligatory wrapping-up-loose-ends scene.

If he lives that long...

HERO WANTED is approximately 81,000 words long.
A previous version of this book was published as JASON COSMO.

Praise for HERO WANTED:

"Energetic fantasy adventure ... McGirt seems prepared to stoop to the lowest literary levels to set up a joke...gleefully employs coincidence, improbability, and a downright flouting of the laws of narrative.”
— Publishers Weekly*

“Read this book! ... If the point of a book is to entertain, then McGirt’s rollicking fantasy is flawless. It is a witty, humorous, reluctant-hero-saves-world-gets-girl romp with a dash of jaded crabby wizard thrown in...” —P.A. Seasholtz, author of the Fayersae Histories

“If you enjoyed Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, you will love this comical fantasy story of Jason Cosmo...A very entertaining tale with all the classic fantasy elements.” —Jasmyn’s Stuff

"It’s a very funny fantasy." — Beat Scene*

"People are saying good things about this one." — Interzone*

*Review of earlier edition, Jason Cosmo (1989).
(Less)

Tags

magic, sword and sorcery, satire, wizards, fantasy series, fantasy adventure, humorous fantasy, comic fantasy, wizards and magic

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Reviews

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Review by: Al Philipson on Nov. 12, 2012 :
Dan McGirt has created a most interesting reluctant hero. I also smell a bit of Kieth Laumer's influence in his writing, especially his place names.

I was quite entertained by Jason's journey when he's dragged from his beloved home in Lower Hicksnittle (featuring the Festering Wart tavern and yes the town is exactly like it sounds) through the Eleven Kingdoms to do battle with various dastards and other villains. The only problem is, Jason has no fighting skills; he's just a farmer and wood chopper.

The story is a combination of good laughs told tongue in cheek and high adventure.

What's not to like?
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Scott Abbott on May 14, 2012 :
Fun, amusing romp through sword & sworcery tropes. Recommended!
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: David Silver on April 03, 2012 :
A perfectly charming story. It takes all the fantasy hero tropes and stomps all over them with a lovingly mocking fashion. You're in for a laugh.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Qhaddafy on April 01, 2012 :
It is a parody. Humorous, up to certain levels. But that's all. The plot is generic: a hero, grown as nobody, had hidden legacies, out to save the world. And don't forget the Gods vs Devils and/or good vs evil, with humanity stuck in the middle of it! Everything else were just parodies, either from our world (coffee shop and myriad of others), or from others famous fictions (like the magic carpet). Anyone with a good literary skill and wide imaginations could do it.

Actually, I'm just not in a mood for this. Another times, I'll probably love it. If you're not in an anti-parodies mood, you'll probably loves it too. And if someone told you the book is hilarious, or something similar, believe her/him. And lastly, I have not seen similar thing, satirical-fantasy fiction, in the book form. Hence, the perfect rating.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Gina Tyner on March 26, 2012 :
"Hero Wanted" was so good that I immediately purchased "Noble Cause" when I was done. Jason Cosmo and the world he heroically bumbles through are a riot. For adventure, humor, and a heaping helping of calamitous absurdity, this series is it! Highly recommend.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Jeremy Marr on March 09, 2012 :
I just started this book two days ago... Half way through and I love it. It's very funny, but it's still serious business saving the world. Thanks for keeping on writing, I'll keep reading.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: thiotes on Jan. 18, 2012 :
The first book of a really nice series which i read all in one go. It is a fantasy for fun, nearly a parody, and managed to make me smile quite a bit.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Randolph Lalonde on March 25, 2011 :
Hero Wanted is a rare gem of a novel in a dump truck filled with standard fare fantasy gravel. It doesn't pretend to lofty seriousness - this is a comedy adventure after all. Having said that, it doesn't dumb itself down - there is wit both high and low brow but often somewhere in the middle.

The main character, Jason Cosmo, is not a brash hero or a know it all, nor is he an ignoramus or coward. He flitters from one extreme to another while trying to find his place in the mayhem that besets his existence as he is plunged into a turbulent adventure. He's fun to watch and has a highly entertaining voice - a good thing since the story is told from his perspective.

His cohorts are a colourful group that only includes one person who is well suited to adventuring. The others have to struggle through, using whatever skills they have - even if wildly inappropriate or delightfully random - to survive the challenges ahead. Every character who has more than one line of dialog contributes something worthwhile to the adventure, the same can be said for the various villains.

Villains! There is a kaleidoscopic rogues gallery featured in this book who each have clear motivations, and often different modus operandi. They present fantastic challenges and contribute to the humour throughout the book very evenly.

The world within this book is interesting, hilarious and broad. I can't say much more about it; spoilers are the enemy, after all.

In short, this is an adventurous comedic rampage of a fantasy novel.

RL
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Maanno on March 16, 2011 :
Loved this book. Full of funny references to all sorts of things. Dan must have listened to Van Halen when writing about Jason and Mercury crawling in underground passages. And the RESAL defence! Hilarious!
Highly recommended.
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: Alcala Publications on July 07, 2010 :
One of the best books on this site!!! Couldn't stop reading!
(review of free book)

Review by: spokedad on April 03, 2010 :
What a fun book to read! The characters are engaging and their names are outstanding. Dan's humor in the book is the best. An evil society explaining it's membership benefits is hilarious. The story and action will keep you wanting more.
(review of free book)

Review by: Mell McC on Feb. 16, 2010 :
I don't want to insult anyone, but this is the first free book I've read that was just as good as the ones I've paid for. I wouldn't pass this up.
(review of free book)

Review by: Talweh Thegalka on Jan. 29, 2010 :
Very entertaining read, and well suited to the ebook format. This was my first return to the sci-fi/fantasy genre since I was a young man 20 years ago,and it was thoroughly enjoyable. I might have passed it up if it hadn't been free, but now I am hooked, and going to buy Rainy Daze. Thanks Dan, for relighting the spark!
(review of free book)

Review by: Daniel Whittman on Dec. 30, 2009 :
The book was full of action and conflict. The hero was a lot bigger than life which was also good escape reading. It was also funny. The only thing that bothered me were too many unbelievable awesome escapes from death.
(review of free book)

Review by: Arun Raghavan on Dec. 29, 2009 :
Having read only the first 4 chapters of this book when they were available for free, I spent a lot of time trying to get my hands on the entire book, but in vain. Thanks to Dan McGirt's extremely commendable decision to release this for free, I've now finally read the whole book, and it is made of pure awesome! Keep it coming, Dan!
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: redwriter on Dec. 10, 2009 :
Amazingly funny, this is easily one of the best books I've found online. The only problem I had was that nobody, besides the wizard Mercury, does anything. They all just run around waiting for Mercury to come save them. but that's a minor complaint in the ocean of good that is this story.
(review of free book)

Review by: Mark Jacobs on Dec. 05, 2009 :
One of the most entertaining reads I've had in years. I haven't laughed out loud as much since reading 'Bored of the Rings' by the Harvard Lampoon back in the 1970's. This may be better...
(review of free book)

Review by: Maksim Malik on Oct. 18, 2009 :
I've loved this book since the first time I read it several years ago. The story is entertaining, and Dan McGirt's sense of humor is the perfect blend of wit and absurdity.
(review of free book)

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