Book Review: Heart of the Hero

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Heart of the Hero     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Rickey R. Mallory
Class/Genre:   Romance
ImaJinn, Dec 2002, $14.50, 350

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 brat to a real man is brilliantly explored by Rickey R. Mallory. The futuristic elements add a unique depth to the overall storyline, which helps explain motives while it provides a colorful background. 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. If any reader can believe it, this newly revised and expanded edition is even better than the original.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner