Heart of the Hero

Rating:
Summary: A terrific futuristic
Review: Daniel T. White is a spoiled rich brat, who will do anything to avoid the mandatory public service. Even bribes, temper tantrums, and wealthy fathers cannot stop an individual from being drafted to serve society. To dodge space patrol, a desperate Daniel marries an employee of his family's aircraft manufacturing company with the intent of impregnating her, the only legal exception to the required public service. When she fails to take his seed, Daniel tosses Kee out of his home and goes off into space to perform his public duty.

Five years later, Daniel returns home a hero, who lost most of his memories in a space station accident. As he learns more about his previous life, Daniel loathes what he once was. He despises himself even more when he stares at the looks of unmitigated fear that his spouse gives him whenever he nears her. Now he must somehow make Kee realize that the spoiled brat he was has been replaced forever by a compassionate man, who loves her and wants to protect her for eternity.

HEART OF THE HERO is an interesting futuristic romance with the emphasis on the romance. The transformation of Daniel from a beast to a real man is brilliantly written by Rickey R. Mallory. The futuristice elements add a unique depth to the overall storyline which helps explain motives even as it provides a colorfulbackground. Ms. Mallory is a friend and co-reviewer, but, despite my personal feelings, this reviewer believes that fans of the sub-genre will enjoy this futuristic love story of redemption, a work that rivals the works of Kathleen Morgan and Marilyn Campbell.

Harriet Klausner END

Rating:
Summary: Making memories
Review: It took me a little while to get into this story of poor little rich boy turned hero, now moulded by events rather that history due to the loss of his memory. When the central character has a history of only 20 months, it is difficult to build a past for him so that the reader might get involved. The story has the benefit of tragedy, and one can only feel for a character who has suffered so much physically, and is now suffering emotionally. It's a good hook into the book, because frankly as people neither Daniel White as spoiled, angry rich kid, nor Rebekah White (Kee) who married Daniel in no small part because of his money were otherwise appealing. However, the story takes part 6 years after their wedding of the two rather immature people, and the interest is definitely in these two characters and their interaction when Daniel - now Danny - returns home with a white flash 20 months earlier being the first of his memories. He's not sure where he belongs, or even who he really is, and he doesn't particularly like the person known as Daniel White. Kee, his wife, does not have the benefit of loss of memory, and can well recall the difficult first 6 months of their life together.

I much preferred Danny to Kee as a person. He was honest, open and not afraid to say how much he needs her. Kee was exactly the opposite - not dishonest, but closed, withdrawn and afraid. It take at least half the book before she stops obsessing over the same fears, and this lack of growth directly opposed Danny's needs. Of course, Kee had reason to be fearful, as Daniel had rejected her right before he left to take the compulsory military service that separated them. Kee is able to feel sympathy for Danny, but seems unable to understand him when it is crucial that she does. She winces from hearing of his suffering, and doesn't really care about how he spends his days investigating what really caused the accident that cost him his memory. Danny, too, doesn't take active interest in Kee's life - that she is visiting her sick mother daily - and never meets with the woman himself, which shows his own self absorption. I just thought it a much more understandable selfishness.

However, once I was drawn into the story I found it a very human one. The setting slightly into the future allows for the basis of the story, so that it is integral to the book. The focus is very much on Danny and Kee, with especially Danny's family as the secondary characters. Their rebuilding of their fragile and fractured relationship I found to be absorbing and very believable, because rather than in spite of the flaws in their characters mentioned above.

I gave the book 3 stars because as absorbing as it became, I could not get past that I didn't much like at least one of the main characters. However I think that this is very much a personal reaction of mine, and has nothing to do with the quality of the writing or of the story itself.

Rating:
Summary: Making memories
Review: It took me a little while to get into this story of poor little rich boy turned hero, now moulded by events rather that history due to the loss of his memory. When the central character has a history of only 20 months, it is difficult to build a past for him so that the reader might get involved. The story has the benefit of tragedy, and one can only feel for a character who has suffered so much physically, and is now suffering emotionally. It's a good hook into the book, because frankly as people neither Daniel White as spoiled, angry rich kid, nor Rebekah White (Kee) who married Daniel in no small part because of his money were otherwise appealing. However, the story takes part 6 years after their wedding of the two rather immature people, and the interest is definitely in these two characters and their interaction when Daniel - now Danny - returns home with a white flash 20 months earlier being the first of his memories. He's not sure where he belongs, or even who he really is, and he doesn't particularly like the person known as Daniel White. Kee, his wife, does not have the benefit of loss of memory, and can well recall the difficult first 6 months of their life together.

I much preferred Danny to Kee as a person. He was honest, open and not afraid to say how much he needs her. Kee was exactly the opposite - not dishonest, but closed, withdrawn and afraid. It take at least half the book before she stops obsessing over the same fears, and this lack of growth directly opposed Danny's needs. Of course, Kee had reason to be fearful, as Daniel had rejected her right before he left to take the compulsory military service that separated them. Kee is able to feel sympathy for Danny, but seems unable to understand him when it is crucial that she does. She winces from hearing of his suffering, and doesn't really care about how he spends his days investigating what really caused the accident that cost him his memory. Danny, too, doesn't take active interest in Kee's life - that she is visiting her sick mother daily - and never meets with the woman himself, which shows his own self absorption. I just thought it a much more understandable selfishness.

However, once I was drawn into the story I found it a very human one. The setting slightly into the future allows for the basis of the story, so that it is integral to the book. The focus is very much on Danny and Kee, with especially Danny's family as the secondary characters. Their rebuilding of their fragile and fractured relationship I found to be absorbing and very believable, because rather than in spite of the flaws in their characters mentioned above.

I gave the book 3 stars because as absorbing as it became, I could not get past that I didn't much like at least one of the main characters. However I think that this is very much a personal reaction of mine, and has nothing to do with the quality of the writing or of the story itself.

Rating:
Summary: A second chance for love
Review: When Danny returns home he has no recollection of the life he had before entering into the military. His oldest memory is a white flash, which he has been told is an asteroid hitting the space station he had been on. While Danny knows that something isn't right about his accident, and struggles to discover the truth, he fears that he might not in truth be the man everyone thinks he is. However his reality is almost worse than knowing nothing. His wife Kee cringes when he is near and the man he is supposed to be was a wealthy playboy, and the more he learns of himself, he discovers that 'Danny' isn't someone he wants to be. Kee, is surprised when Danny returns and doesn't publicly denounce her. The even bigger surprise is he tells her he has amnesia and needs her help to regain his memory. The man who returns to her is a man she can love, but can she stay with him knowing the awful past they share that he is trying to recover?

HEART OF THE HERO is a very interesting story that could very realistically be the earth's future. Kee who should have fled before Danny's return has stayed in a doomed marriage built on lies and one night of passion. Danny has no history except that of two men that, for all matters are dead. Who does he want to be isn't the question, but who is he really? I can see why this book would get mixed reviews. I had a love hate relationship with the first half of the book as I had a hard time getting into the story. I felt the first part of the book was redundant going back and forth over the same subject's with our characters not communicating or introducing new information to their situation. This got old. But when Kee decides to help Danny relearn vital parts of his life (the names and faces of friends, family etc) and the couple do interact, sparks start to fly and their doomed marriage has a second chance as they rediscover the love both desire but were afraid to fight for the first round.

While this story doesn't have a happy undertone (how can it, both characters have been miserable their entire marriage) there are plenty of situations that add a humor and lightness to the tale as they rediscover the original attraction between them. I think Kee is well written as a woman in love, but unsure how to proceed since the man she now finds herself married to is so different from the Danny that joined the military. Because she was beaten down on an emotional level, she had a hard time trusting her judgment because she doesn't want to get hurt anymore. Danny on the other hand, is bent on keeping her even though his bigger goal is to find out who he is. I felt he understood her fears that the old Danny could reemerge, but at the same time was at a loss so all he could do was try and be true to himself - which ended up hurting her in a different way.

All in all, this was a good book, but as I mentioned, hard to get into. Ms. Mallory is a talented author with a creative mind, and I would read another of her stories, so I would recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: A second chance for love
Review: When Danny returns home he has no recollection of the life he had before entering into the military. His oldest memory is a white flash, which he has been told is an asteroid hitting the space station he had been on. While Danny knows that something isn't right about his accident, and struggles to discover the truth, he fears that he might not in truth be the man everyone thinks he is. However his reality is almost worse than knowing nothing. His wife Kee cringes when he is near and the man he is supposed to be was a wealthy playboy, and the more he learns of himself, he discovers that 'Danny' isn't someone he wants to be. Kee, is surprised when Danny returns and doesn't publicly denounce her. The even bigger surprise is he tells her he has amnesia and needs her help to regain his memory. The man who returns to her is a man she can love, but can she stay with him knowing the awful past they share that he is trying to recover?

HEART OF THE HERO is a very interesting story that could very realistically be the earth's future. Kee who should have fled before Danny's return has stayed in a doomed marriage built on lies and one night of passion. Danny has no history except that of two men that, for all matters are dead. Who does he want to be isn't the question, but who is he really? I can see why this book would get mixed reviews. I had a love hate relationship with the first half of the book as I had a hard time getting into the story. I felt the first part of the book was redundant going back and forth over the same subject's with our characters not communicating or introducing new information to their situation. This got old. But when Kee decides to help Danny relearn vital parts of his life (the names and faces of friends, family etc) and the couple do interact, sparks start to fly and their doomed marriage has a second chance as they rediscover the love both desire but were afraid to fight for the first round.

While this story doesn't have a happy undertone (how can it, both characters have been miserable their entire marriage) there are plenty of situations that add a humor and lightness to the tale as they rediscover the original attraction between them. I think Kee is well written as a woman in love, but unsure how to proceed since the man she now finds herself married to is so different from the Danny that joined the military. Because she was beaten down on an emotional level, she had a hard time trusting her judgment because she doesn't want to get hurt anymore. Danny on the other hand, is bent on keeping her even though his bigger goal is to find out who he is. I felt he understood her fears that the old Danny could reemerge, but at the same time was at a loss so all he could do was try and be true to himself - which ended up hurting her in a different way.

All in all, this was a good book, but as I mentioned, hard to get into. Ms. Mallory is a talented author with a creative mind, and I would read another of her stories, so I would recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best of the Genre!!!
Review: With Heart of the Hero, Rickey Mallory has proven herself one of the finest writers of speculative fiction. The characters are incredibly well drawn and spark with a realism you just don't find in most modern books. Heart of the Hero will take your breath away and leave you begging for more!