Book Review for The Hall of Heroes: A Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology by H.L. Burke and others

The Hall of Heroes: A Fellowship of Fantasy is an anthology detailing the harsh struggles of nameless heroes as they endeavor to prove themselves and to others that heroes aren’t just people you read about in fairytales.

All the stories in the anthology have a magical realism to them. Whether it be about slaves breaking free from their confinement, or teenagers rescuing others from burning buildings, these protagonists show the world that they aren’t worthless. The feats aren’t all that unique; a knight saving a girl from her abusive family after all, isn’t going to garner as much attention as slaying a dragon, but it’s significant all the same. They demonstrate the simple fact that no matter who you are, or where you come from, you can be someone’s hero, and it’s something I loved seeing with each new narrative.

Personally, these stories reminded me of the Mother Goose Tales. Although there wasn’t nearly as much bloodshed as in The Hall of Heroes, the lessons are transparent. The values shown are what we carry through to our adult lives, and it’s because of these values that we’ve carried through our lives without too much regret or remorse. The stories also describes an innocence we’ve carried from long ago, and brings it to the fore front of the book.

Thus, I would give this anthology a rating of a 4.6 out of 5 stars. The elegant way these authors tell their stories, as well as the spiteful characters that encompass them, help me recall memories from before. They show me that not every action has to be “grand” to be considered special, and in fact sometimes, the greatest acts of heroism come from the compassion every day people show each other. Still, because of its fantastical nature, I would recommend it to fans of Cassandra Clare and Suzanne Collins.