Save the Day was an excellent read. While it wasn't flawless, it certainly has more going for it then against. To be clear, this book is a coming out story about a super hero, not a super hero story about a hero who comes out. When I originally purchased it I was under the impression it was the latter, but I still greatly enjoyed reading the book regardless of my initial expectations. The book manages to keep you entertained while juggling between the points of view the two main characters, Ted and Jay, as they struggle through their lives and problems. The book pulls this off well, you never really get bored of either of their points of view before it switches, and it never does it at really bad times. All the while keeping you wondering what's going to happen next. It also has some of the cliches super hero things are known for, which is good or bad, depending on how you think of it. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's a fan of both super heroes and coming out stories, as it does a good job catering to both. I'd give this book a 4.5, but, besides the fact that this site won't let me, there are more issues that got through editing then I feel is generally the acceptable margin of error. Those errors don't ruin the book in any way, but they might have you rereading a section or two trying to see what's going on.
- Dylan Wilson

 

 

First, I'll focus on the good points, and this book has several that make it stand out. The plot is relatively solid and the obstacles the characters face aren't boringly easy to overcome. I didn't see much in the way of plot holes and the continuity seemed solid (unless there was some small error I missed). The characters are well thought-out with a cast of likable protagonists, saucy anti-heros, pathetic wannabe supervillains, and a few genuinely intimidating villains who help move the story along nicely. There are also a few small surprises and plot twists that keep the story lively and interesting. The setting is well-constructed and gives the reader a solid sense of the real complexities you'd expect of a world full of super-powered beings. Double bluffs, media spin, and a capricious public add a very current-events-savvy feel to the story overall. It avoids the two usual characterizations of superheros in film and comics- either as everyone's friend or a misunderstood vigilante- and combines the two into a nice, nuanced package. The weakest point of this book seems to be the overall state of finish of the manuscript. It still has a number of errors in spelling and grammar (such as the repeated use of "then" instead of "than") and a few stylistic seams that need smoothing (such as overusing the word "just" as an auxiliary verb, a habit I've caught myself using a few times). The backstory is often interjected awkwardly into the narration during action sequences, throwing the pace off slightly. I think it would be worth the effort to do another major edit and release a second edition. Also- this is strictly a personal preference of mine- I find the first-person present tense narration a bit odd and awkward at times, though it seems to be in vogue. Fahl also adds a twist by alternating between main character POVs in each chapter (chapter 1 is from Jay's point of view, chapter 2 from Ted's, etc.). This can be slightly awkward but it does help rein in POV nicely. All in all I enjoyed this book quite a bit and I would be thrilled to see a sequel. There is one villain in particular I think should have a bigger role in any future stories, and there are one or two plot points that aren't expanded to their full potential in the first book that leave the door wide open for a sequel.
- Justin Herndon

 

 

**I apologize in advance for how the site turns my paragraphs into a wall of text** I bought this book at a Furry Convention after the author convinced me to buy it. I had been told not to get it by a friend who owned his own copy and had offered to lend it to me instead of spending money on it. He had already mentioned a bit of the issues with the book, but despite that, Mr. Fahl is a nice person in real life, and convinced me to get the book. He even signed it to me which was pretty nice. Let me say this right out, this book deserves four stars, maybe even more. It didn't get them because of a few things. But let me talk about the good stuff first before I get to that, because the good things about this book are why I have recommended it to my best friend, something I wouldn't have done if I didn't enjoy it. As a side note, this is a coming out story, not a superhero story. The plot resolves around coming out to friends/coworker/etc, and less about the superheroes themselves. Just to warn you. That doesn't make it any less of a story, but if you go into it expecting it to be something other than a coming out story, you're going to be a bit disappointed. Save the Day is a moving story. I admit, there were points where I cheered the main characters on and even once where I teared up. It takes a lot to move me when it comes to fiction, and this story touched those parts enough for me to react. I enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the plot and the story of Ted and Jay. The characters were well done and each had their own personalities that grew on me as I read. As another reviewer stated, if this book was judged on the story alone, it would score a four easily. But there in lies the problem. This story is plagued with editing problems. As to if this is the editors, or the author, or both of their faults, I don't know. But there are punctuation issues such as (using made up examples) "What do you mean he likes me?." or "He said that it;s his fault." This distracts from the story and completely halts any and all suspension of disbelief. Not to mention that most word processing programs would have marked it with a large red squiggle. These could have been easily caught. Something else this book suffers from is useless paragraphs. (again, more editing could have fixed this) It feels as if the story was padded just to make it longer to meet a word count. You'd be given a super being's name, and then a paragraph or two of their powers and then what they have done in the world. Then you would never hear about them again. Though I am all for world building, the character that is telling the story (as it is in first person) already knows the character's powers/what they have done, so explaining it seems redundant. That being said, characters like Power Puma have their powers mentioned four times in the book, along with their ability to gather others to his cause, etc. Again, this gets tedious as you have already been told this once before. In the end, this book could have been half its size and still been as good as it is now, and would have a more streamline feel to it. Lastly, there are some awkward words that pop out and halt all forward motion. Take the word "Akimbo". Yes, I can figure that it means hands on hips, but no one uses this in the world as far as I know and as this was the first time I have ever come across it in anything I have read, it threw me as I had to pause and figure out what it meant. Yes, you taught me a new word, but unfortunately you also stopped me from being involved in your story by using 'fancy language'. It's a minor thing, as akimbo only comes up three times, but it's still enough to jar one out of the story. The plot is good, the story is enjoyable, and it brought about an emotional response. I DO recommend this book. I enjoyed it, and despite the things mentioned above I found myself looking for time to finish it to see where it went. The final battle was a bit of a let down, I still enjoyed how things panned out. BTW, I LOVE Cinnamon and Spice and almost wished there was something of them on their own. Pick this book up. Don't let my critique stop you from doing so. If you don't want to fork over the $20 for it, borrow it from a friend. It's a good read despite the above. I enjoyed it, and I went into it having a feeling I might not, especially after all I had heard about it. But it still came through, it still entertained, and I still fell in love with the characters. Just be prepared to slog through extra paragraphs and descriptions you can probably forget right after you read them because they are unimportant to the story. Get the book. Support this author. He's a good guy and I liked this story. That's all I can say at this point.
- Voice