#Indieapril Author Spotlight and Book Tour: Fid’s Crusade by David H. Reiss

Today’s a little different since I have a review and a spotlight to share. I read Fid’s Crusade as one of the three book in the last round of BBNYA 2020, and I felt like I was the only one who did lose their mind over it (in a good way). Maybe because science fiction isn’t my genre. Maybe because of other reasons. Check out my review for the book below. One thing I can say is, this book needs a movie or series. I think it’s perfect for it, and there’s so much material that it’s easy to do. If you like science fiction, check out this author and Fid’s Crusade. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

David H. Reiss

While growing up, David was that weird kid with his nose in a book and his head in the clouds. He was the table-top role-playing game geek, the comic-book nerd, the story-teller and dreamer.
Fortunately, he hasn’t changed much.

David is a software engineer by trade and a long-time sci-fi and fantasy devotee by passion, and he lives in Silicon Valley with his partner of twenty-eight years. Until recently, he also shared his life with a disturbingly spoiled cat named Freya.

(Farewell, little huntress. You were loved. You are missed.)

Fear not…Two new kittens have since crept into the household and are working tirelessly to repair the hole left in the author’s heart.

David’s first trilogy, the Chronicles of Fid, has just recently been completed; these were his first novel-length projects, but they certainly won’t be his last—he’s having far too much fun!

Rage, grief and guilt have fueled Doctor Fid's endless quest to punish the unworthy and he has left a long trail of blood and misery in his wake. For more than two decades, the sight of the villain's powered armor has struck fear into the hearts of hero and civilian alike! But when a personal tragedy motivates Doctor Fid to investigate a crime, he uncovers a plot so heinous that even he is taken aback.

Haunted by painful memories and profound guilt, the veteran supervillain must race against time if he is to have any hope of confronting the approaching threat. Every battle takes its toll...but the stakes are too high for retreat to be an option.

In the end, it may take a villain to save the world from those entrusted with the world's protection.

Winner of the "Science-Fiction / Fantasy / Horror" category in the 2018 Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize, and IndieBRAG medallion honoree

Fid’s Crusade fought its way to the second spot in the BBNYA contest (more info below), and while this book wasn’t my main genre, I see why so many people love it. It’s a different take on the superhero genre since we follow Fid, a supervillain, evil genius, and bioengineer. Later he also becomes a father figure. He really can do it all. Or can he?

Let me just say this, Fid as a character is very interesting. I had to use ‘very’ and put emphasis on it because it’s true. Normally, a character arc takes tiny steps, but Fid slowly does a 180 degrees turn. It makes sense since the time passed in the book also spans years, but still. Most of the time when a character goes through so many changes, something goes wrong, even if they end up in the right place. For Fid, everything seems right.

The world-building is also excellent. The other characters, both the villains and heroes, are well-defined and have their own arcs, although some longer than others. I really felt like I was in a world like the one from The Incredibles or Despicable Me. While Fid’s Crusade isn’t a children’s book, it isn’t as dark and/or gritty as some of the superhero movies I’ve watched recently.

The thing that bugged me the most was the unnecessary exposition and the formatting. I think most of the unnecessary exposition is within parentheses which were easy to skip. Once I did that, it became a lot easier to read. If these bits were added in footnotes, Susanna Clarke did with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, it would’ve been better in my opinion. That said, I’d love to watch the movie or series based on this book. I’m sure there’s more than enough to cover.

I give Fid’s Crusade> three stars. It has potential, but there was so much fluff in there it became hard to read. It’s also not really my genre, which affects my rating. If you like science fiction and/or superhero stories, I suggest you check this one out. It definitely earned its second place.