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Resenting the Hero

(Hero #1)

Moira J. Moore

3.60 · Rating details · 4,779 ratings · 326 reviews

In a realm beset by natural disasters, only the magical abilities of the bonded Pairs—Source and Shield—make the land habitable and keep the citizenry safe. The ties that bind them are far beyond the relationships between lovers or kin—and last their entire lives…Whether they like it or not.

Since she was a child, Dunleavy Mallorough has been nurturing her talents as a Shie ...more

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Mass Market Paperback, 285 pages

Published February 28th 2006 by Ace

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· 4,779 ratings · 326 reviews

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Aug 15, 2010 Felicia rated it really liked it

Shelves: vaginal-fantasy, fantasy

I think this book, the first in the series, really actually deserves 3 1/2 stars, but since it compelled me to read all five books in the series in a 3 day period, I believe the extra 1/2 star is an "obsessiveness bonus".

I picked this book up on a whim from an Amazon List (honestly, I find the best books that way! Thank you Amazon contributors!) It looked to be something I wouldn't necessarily love (a bit twee from the description) but I quickly fell in love with the characters and the world. J ...more

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Dec 18, 2009 Danielle The Book Huntress (Back to the Books) rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: fantasy readers

Shelves: 2016-action-adventure-challenge, 2016-action-heroines-challenge, 2016-challenge-factory-challenge, 2016-dangerous-hero-challenge, owned-copy, favorites, first-in-series, partners-on-the-job, mystical-bonds, opposites-attract

This lovely book was on my to be read pile for a long time. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. The idea is very unique and quite intriguing. However, it took me a little while to get into the book. Once I made it about forty pages in, I was settled into a groove and enjoying the ride.

Dunleavy is not happy about her bonded work partner. He's probably the second to last one she would have picked, and her last choice has a reputation for being a psychopath. Lord Shintaro Karish is just to This lovely book was on my to be read pile for a long time. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. The idea is very unique and quite intriguing. However, it took me a little while to get into the book. Once I made it about forty pages in, I was settled into a groove and enjoying the ride.

Dunleavy is not happy about her bonded work partner. He's probably the second to last one she would have picked, and her last choice has a reputation for being a psychopath. Lord Shintaro Karish is just too showy and she wants a more low key partner. But the forces that bring a pair of partners together make the choice, not her. Although Dunleavy spends too much time trying to convince herself that she doesn't like Taro, the more time they spend together, the more she realizes that there is a good man beneath his facade.

The magic system, if you will, is pretty distinctive. I won't go into the backstory of why the Sources and Shields are able to work together to stop natural disasters, but it's different.

One thing that threw me was most of what they do is internal, so this isn't what I'd call an action-packed book. This would be a hard book to make a movie out of for that reason. The pace does pick up nicely as it goes along, and the climax is desirably dramatic.

"Resenting the Hero" is a good start to a series that I am quite sure I will enjoy reading. I did find Taro delicious, but I could see why Dunleavy was trying so hard to resist him even on a friendship level with him. Especially when everyone is in love with and admires Taro.

Dunleavy is the 1st person narrator, and she makes things feel very comfortable for the reader, even though at times, she is a bit of an unreliable narrator, because her vantage point isn't exactly clear on some things.

There's a clever little mystery in this book, with some nice red herrings. It's definitely a book worth checking out, so long as you don't mind it being a slow starter. That's why I took .75 points off.

Overall rating: 4.25/5.00 stars. ...more

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Apr 08, 2008 Angie rated it really liked it

Shelves: good-uns, fantasy

I first read about this series on Ann Aguirre's blog. She recommended it so highly and, given how much I enjoyed Grimspace, I immediately picked up a copy of the first book. By the time I cracked it open, I'd been sufficiently warned not to be deterred by the ridiculous cover and anemic title. It's difficult to get past the outside, they said, but persevere you must. The cover is truly cringe-worthy. But the contents are not. The story has its laughable parts. But they're meant to be funny. So I first read about this series on Ann Aguirre's blog. She recommended it so highly and, given how much I enjoyed Grimspace, I immediately picked up a copy of the first book. By the time I cracked it open, I'd been sufficiently warned not to be deterred by the ridiculous cover and anemic title. It's difficult to get past the outside, they said, but persevere you must. The cover is truly cringe-worthy. But the contents are not. The story has its laughable parts. But they're meant to be funny. So that's all right.

Lee (short for Dunleavy) Mallorough has trained her entire life to be a Shield. Shields work together with their Source counterparts. Sources have an uncanny ability to detect natural disasters and avert them. Unfortunately, channeling that much power is guaranteed to kill a Source, unless he or she is bonded to a Shield, whose job it is to protect the Source's mind for the duration of the channeling. A few times a year, unbound Sources and Shields are brought together for The Choosing. Tradition has it that the first time a proper pair sets eyes on each other, the bonding occurs and they both just know. And to make The Choosing even more nerve wracking, the pairing is a lifelong bond. When one dies, so does the other. So, yeah. No pressure.

Suffice it to say Lee is less than thrilled when she looks up into the eyes of Taro (short for Shintaro) Karish, the infamous golden boy of the Source-and-Shield world, and just knows. The unlikely and, on Lee's part, completely unwilling pair are immediately assigned duty in High Scape--the most hazardous city in their world. Shortly after they arrive, a series of inexplicably powerful disasters strike the city, cutting down all but the newest Pair. Lee and Taro are left alone to protect the city and discover the force at the root of the disasters. Moira J. Moore has set up a rather unique fantasy world and two interesting, complex characters whose strengths and insecurities drive the story. I liked Lee and Taro and the fact that things didn't feel rushed. This is the first in a series and there is plenty of room for development and exploration, inside and out. ...more

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Jun 06, 2017 Tink Magoo is bad at reviews rated it really liked it

Shelves: zzz-cover-flowers, zzz-cover-animals-insects, fantasy, no-sex

Let me start by saying that I actually like this cover, I know some reviewers despise it, but I don't. I will admit that it lead me to believe this story would be a bit of a romantic farce and actually, there isn't any romance and minimal comedy, but that can be put down to me judging it by its cover (again) rather than the synopsis being misleading. I'd also expected to really dislike Dunleavy because a lot of reviews mention that she's extremely judgemental. While she is judgemental, it wasn't ...more

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Dec 26, 2009 Anne Osterlund rated it really liked it

Lee is absolutely ordinary. Well, except for the fact that she is a Shield (someone born with the unique ability to keep a Sword from dying when he or she channels the forces that cause natural disasters on Lee’s world). And the fact that Lee is particularly sensitive to music (not in a good way). And that she left her family before the age of ten to be prepared for the day, which happens to be today, that she will be bonded with a Sword.

A bond to someone she has never met. And a bond that will ...more

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Mar 02, 2015 MrsJoseph rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015, 2015-reading-challenges

http://bookslifewine.com/r-resenting-...

Tamika,

I really enjoyed this one! It's not a Romance but rather it's a Fantasy book with a romantic (ironic) cover. I had a lot of fun reading this one...though I'm not quite sure it's your taste. How much straight Fantasy do you read now?

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Jun 25, 2010 Katyana rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, series

Okay. So it turns out, I actually liked this quite a bit. I was worried at first, because I thought Lee was pretty judgmental and unfair (particularly about Taro). But she won me over.

Let's talk about how. I think the author used POV to wonderful effect here. Lee definitely doesn't always say the right things. But she's thinking them - we see that, with her internal dialogue. She's also witty, funny, and at times gut-bustingly hilarious. Definitely sarcastic. But the reason she didn't read as bi Okay. So it turns out, I actually liked this quite a bit. I was worried at first, because I thought Lee was pretty judgmental and unfair (particularly about Taro). But she won me over.

Let's talk about how. I think the author used POV to wonderful effect here. Lee definitely doesn't always say the right things. But she's thinking them - we see that, with her internal dialogue. She's also witty, funny, and at times gut-bustingly hilarious. Definitely sarcastic. But the reason she didn't read as bitchy, to me anyway, was because she pointed that criticism at herself more than anyone else in the book. She called herself an idiot, for example, more times than everyone else put together. She's very self-effacing. I would go so far as to say that she doesn't think highly enough of herself.

And sure, in the beginning, she made mistakes with Taro. To some degree, that is justifiable - as his professor told him, that's the reputation that Taro has chosen to embrace, and so it is unfair to expect that he wouldn't be judged by it. But Lee's opinion of him changes as she gets to know him, through working together. You can see the shift vividly in her internal dialogue. Her relationship with him still struggles, because though she is thinking the right things, she doesn't know how to say them. I can forgive her that - given that from the age of 4 onwards, she was taught to control all emotions, be a calm, blank slate, she is pretty emotionally stunted. I see her coming around, though, and at the end, I think she and Karish have begun to form an understanding of each other (because yeah, he makes bad assumptions about her too... (view spoiler)). I think altogether, it plays out pretty beautifully.

In terms of the overall story, I really enjoyed it. The world-building was fabulous, and I liked the system of magic. Also, I agree with the disgruntled Shields to a fair degree - they really do get a raw deal. No credit for anything, but they share the blame when they are bonded to douchebags. I agree that system needs to change. I obviously don't, however, agree with their methods. ;)

I am really looking forward to reading onward, and I will probably jump straight on book 2. ...more

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Nov 30, 2013 Gail Carriger rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed

This is the first in the Source & Shield series of books (the Hero Strikes Back, Heroes Adrift, Heroes at Risk, Heroes Return, Heroes Reward). I read them all, one after another so I'm afraid they all blur together in my head but I certainly enjoyed them. The main character is a tough practical Shield with some odd ideas about how the world works and her own feeling on the matter. Much to her disgust, she is bonded to an outrageous overly-emotional Source. Together they form one of the few m ...more

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Apr 25, 2015 Alexa rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

RTC!

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Feb 16, 2015 Lyndi W. rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star

What the hell did I just read? This is one of those "so bad it's good" books.

I wanted to DNF it a lot because Lee is like, super inept. This is a pretty good example of her:

I studied some maps of Middle Reach and the surrounding areas, just because I thought I should. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but studying maps seemed like the thing to do before heading off on a journey.

She has great intentions, but she is totally clueless in the execution of anything other than her actual Shield m ...more

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Mar 19, 2009 CJ - It's only a Paper Moon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, mystery-meets-supernatural, out-of-the-ordinary, sci-fi, women-detectives

I waited forever to read this book finally found it in the library and grabbed it immediately.

It was completely worth it. Two unlikely people learning to live, work and like each other (think Pride and Prejudice if only Darcy and Lizzie were permanently stuck together on the day of the ball and couldn't separate because it would result in either death or uselessness. I don't think they would get along so well either). Underlying that, Source Taro - reputation: playboy, hero and adventurer- is ta ...more

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Jul 02, 2013 momokaachan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series

Wow. this read is a real gem. I am not a great fan of reads falling in the "young adult" bracket, but the growth of the MC throughout this book is worth the read. Oh, and did I mention the "Hero" mentioned in the title? The relationship between these 2 characters is a joy to watch develop.

Not 5-star just because of some niggling repetitiveness that bugged me. Oh, and PLEASE ignore the cover. Overall, a very satisfactory read. Looking forward to more, 'cause it's a series! =)

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Dec 10, 2015 Erin O'Roark rated it it was ok

Shelves: terrible-covers-but-still-read, son-i-am-disappoint, ehh-just-eh, nope, can-i-unread-this, thank-you-i-needed-to-sleep

I forgot I even read this.

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May 29, 2013 Martha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, favourite-books, magic-supernatural, young-adult, fairytale

(Ignore the cringe-worthy title and cover - this book is amazing!)

This book does such a great job of creating a fantasy world. In this world, there are Sources and Shields. A Source, typically popular with a crowd and the receiver of much glory, can stop natural disasters, such as tidal waves. However, to do so is a great trial upon their minds and bodies and could ultimately cause their deaths. This is where the Shields come in. When a Source opens their mind to stop these natural disasters, a (Ignore the cringe-worthy title and cover - this book is amazing!)

This book does such a great job of creating a fantasy world. In this world, there are Sources and Shields. A Source, typically popular with a crowd and the receiver of much glory, can stop natural disasters, such as tidal waves. However, to do so is a great trial upon their minds and bodies and could ultimately cause their deaths. This is where the Shields come in. When a Source opens their mind to stop these natural disasters, a Shield can reach out to them, calm their minds so that the Source can survive the event unharmed.

The Shields and Sources are both trained in their own academies. Sources are typically spoiled and are more prominent in the public eye, while Shields have a reputation for being extremely stoic. When their training is complete, Shields and Sources are lined up and put in front of each other to see if any will become a “Pair”. A Pair is bonded for life, sworn to protect each other and complete assignments together. Even if one dies then other will also die.

It's a lot to take in a first but I soon found myself in complete understanding of this world and didn't have to double-check anything. The story starts with the main character and narrator, Dunleavy “Lee” Mallorough being paired with beautiful, legendary and apparently spoiled and charming and flighty Lord Sintaro Karish. He was not Lee's first choice. She wanted someone quiet and dependable. She likes being in the background and is immediately bitter that she is paired with such a legend. She presumes him to be arrogant, flirty and undependable – and she is stuck with him for the rest of her life.

A lot of intriguing thoughts came up in this book. Politics in this world played a large role, with one group of people constantly questioning the motives of the Triple S – the rulers of the Sources and Shields. Shields apparently have it pretty rough in this world, some being treated like servants from their arrogant Sources and being punished when their Pair is in the wrong. The main character, Lee, is suddenly questioning what she has been taught her whole life at the academy and she can't help but feel that her Source isn't as bad as she originally presumed him to be.

I loved the characters in this book, I really did. Lee was strong, calm and collected, but with moments of real emotions that allowed the reader to see that she wasn't just a stoic robot. I loved how sensible she was though. I really liked her. I also loved Karish (Taro? I'm not sure what to call him at the moment!) I loved his development. He was introduced with this arrogant reputation but the reader quickly saw that this wasn't the case. He was actually steady and kind, though sometimes an overemotional character. I loved him! And I loved their relationship and can't wait to see it further develop in the next books.

So the plot was interesting. The characters were amazing. The action was fun to read. The shades-of-gray morals were interesting to think about. The whole book was extremely addictive.

I REALLY enjoyed this one! I'm ordering the second book now. ...more

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Oct 02, 2010 Gokce ~Muslin Myst~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, series-1st-book, 2010, adult, fantasy, first-person-narration, hero-i-loved, favourites

I can't remember how I first saw this book and added it to my to-read pile but I'm glad I did. There were parts of the story that were a bit complex to imagine but once I let go and went with the flow, it was all good and I enjoyed it very much.

The world is under threat of many random natural disasters and certain people are able to prevent these. They work in pairs, Souces and Shields; while a Source has the ability to detect and avert the disasters by channeling their powers through themselves I can't remember how I first saw this book and added it to my to-read pile but I'm glad I did. There were parts of the story that were a bit complex to imagine but once I let go and went with the flow, it was all good and I enjoyed it very much.

The world is under threat of many random natural disasters and certain people are able to prevent these. They work in pairs, Souces and Shields; while a Source has the ability to detect and avert the disasters by channeling their powers through themselves, a Shield is the one who, well, shields them from the aftereffects of absorbing that mcuh power that otherwise would most definitely kill them. And this 'bonding' between pairs is for life, if one dies, so does the other. Depressing yet? Add to that the possiblity that you're paired with someone you despise, and then you've got yourself hell on earth.

Which is close to what Dunleavy -Lee- feels. She's bonded to the sweetheart of all Sources and Shields, Shintaro Karish -Taro-, the boy whose charms has made everyone fall in love with him while all Lee wants is to stay on the sidelines and do her job as a Shield without any spotlight or action. Needless to say her wish does not come true.

I gotta admit, at the beginning I was afraid of not liking Lee, she was strong but she also was self-centered and had the potential to be a cocky and annoying heroine. Thankfully while I stuck to the story, she became more likeable. I still thought she sometimes had too many questions that weren't necessary and/or too smart. I do look forward to her character development though, in the future books.

Now, Taro, our hero, is another story. I liked him from the start. Through the point of view of Lee, he's described as the charming, handsome sweetheart with talent but not much wits or conscience to go with it. But as we read on, we see that he's in fact more than what Lee believes. He's a Source and usually Sources steal the show. While most of them might've acted the way that was expected of them, Taro immediately made it clear that he's different. He has a heart and, as opposed to common belief, a conscience as well. He really was charming and pretty funny, and overall, an adorable guy who made me come to the point where I wanted to smack Lee for being so hard on him.

Like I said earlier, I did find some parts of the story a bit hard to imagine and follow, but it was generally very enjoyable. I gotta say it actually got much better towards the end where the real action and mystery took place. The beginning was a little bit about introducing us to the story and the world.

I'd recommend this to those who like fantasy, and I sure look forward to how our hero and heroine will work on their relationship as well as averting all kinds of disasters, natural and annatural. ...more

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Mar 28, 2008 Sarai rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: fantasy lovers

Recommended to Sarai by: Em and Ann from the blog world~

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, dnf

Okay I am half way through this book and couldn't put my finger on what i disliked about it until I came across this review which hits it on the head:
"I don't understand Dunleavy's continued resentment and dislike of Karish. Throughout most of the book, although there is a lot of evidence that Karish is a good, responsible Source despite his partying ways, she continually sees him as irresponsible and overbearing. Dunleavy herself came across as a stuffy stick-in-the-mud. Maybe the author meant ...more

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Dec 29, 2009 Kiri rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy

Haven't finished it yet, but just had to comment on a few things. The writing style is starting to bother me; there's a lot of summation of events that could have been told in a more narrative style. The dialogue has been snappy and humorous all along, but a lot of it seems unnecessary, especially when important plot points are glossed over.

I found the entire bench dancing sequence really hard to picture - the description left me imagining the dancers hopping from one foot to the other back and ...more

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Apr 27, 2014 Keertana rated it liked it

Shelves: why-the-hype

While I fell head-over-heels for the world-building in this novel, not to mention the subtle weaving of politics between Source and Shield, I was less impressed by Lee's naivety; her refusal to alter her opinions of others, despite overwhelming evidence. Resenting the Hero is full of entertaining banter between Lee and Taro, but the fact that it takes them the entire course of this novel to simply like one another, looking past reputations and pre-conceived notions, grated on me. I found the con ...more

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Jun 18, 2017 Miss Jools rated it did not like it

Shelves: fantasy-romance, fantasy, romance-and-erotica

This book didn't fulfil either attempts at being a fantasy or a romance. I don't mind if it focuses on one or the other, but to miss the mark on both makes a boring book.
The world building was really poor; the magic badly/not explained. The two main characters could have been interesting but their interactions with one another were too limited - the clash between their personalities was never really addressed so the tension/romance element was badly handled. And the plot...yawn.
Disappointing.

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Nov 10, 2017 Loise rated it really liked it

Shelves: badass-heroine, book-boyfriends, cutesy-ish, ebooks, enjoyed, high-fantasy, loled, magic, romance, sassy-pants

i've always been a sucker of hate-to-love tropes and boy, did our heroine truly resented our hero. sometimes, i think a bit too much. but i loved dunleavy, she's so rough around the edges - judgmental and has too many selfish thoughts - but still has a good heart underneath all that. she's strong-minded, independent and she's really funny! i loved how this book subtly (or not so subtly) takes a jab at "heroes" or guys who are supposed to be knights in shining armors. i thought it was fucking bri ...more

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Jan 10, 2015 Zimt rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I believe this series is an insiders' tip and should be on everyone's to-read list who likes exciting fantasy.
It is well thought-out. The speech is beautiful done. And it never gets boring.

"Resenting the Hero" by Moira J. Moore is the first book in a seven book long historical romance fantasy series. We get introduced into the world and its history and, of course, to the two main protagonists, Karish/Taro and Lee. (The POV is for all seven volumes entirely from Lee's point of view and in the fir ...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Sally Linford rated it really liked it

UPDATE: David informs me that my review is lean on real info about the book, for example . . . "Why would I want to read it?" So, here's a bone for those of you who like more of a teaser. (Don't worry, no spoilers.)

In this world of extremes, the population is constantly threatened by violent atmospheric events (earthquakes, floods, tsunamis). A few gifted people "Sources" are able to channel their mental resources to dispel these events, but left undefended, they die in the process without prot ...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Jacob Proffitt rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy

This book is done an active disservice by its cover. Even the cover copy is, at best, misleading. Dunleavy (sometimes Lee for short), the heroine, is a Shield and trained to service in a partnership that is inherently unequal. This much is true. But she is never subservient and the tone of the novel isn't nearly as light or farcical as the cover would have you believe.

Further, while Lee is unquestionably naieve and this book is largely about her growth and maturity and overcoming her (understand This book is done an active disservice by its cover. Even the cover copy is, at best, misleading. Dunleavy (sometimes Lee for short), the heroine, is a Shield and trained to service in a partnership that is inherently unequal. This much is true. But she is never subservient and the tone of the novel isn't nearly as light or farcical as the cover would have you believe.

Further, while Lee is unquestionably naieve and this book is largely about her growth and maturity and overcoming her (understandable) ignorance, she never feels weak or helpless. And while Karish is noble to the bone, he never abuses his exceptional abilities or considers himself above his company. Indeed, from the start of their partnership, he is ever the generous and considerate person Dunleavy refuses to believe he could possibly be.

I have two reservations in recommending this book, however, as much as I liked it and one is a spoiler, though not much of one. First, the attitude towards sex in the book is deeply inconsistent. I don't mean just that everyone seems inherently bisexual. I mean that sex seems to be an open expectation of even casual interest at the same time that the heroine's own sexual activity is completely absent. Throughout the novel, Lee's relationship with Aiden is a close one and based on obvious physical attraction. Yet we never get the sense that they are actually sexually active. Indeed, the one over-nighter depicted, Lee sleeps on the couch. There is no reason for that abstinance and it was kind of weird, really.

(view spoiler)

Reservations aside, I deeply enjoyed the book. Possibly because I identified rather strongly with Karish while never losing sympathy for Lee. The characters were strong, even when flawed, and the world is interesting. I'm definitely interested in further titles in the series. ...more

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Mar 08, 2016 Denise rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, read-2016

All Dunleavy Mallorough ever wanted was a quiet, not overly exciting life. As a Shield, she will become one half of a bonded pair of people with special gifts that allow them to protect their world and its inhabitants from the frequent natural disasters that plague it. Her Matching ceremony offers several promising candidates for just the life Lee has in mind - steady, uneventful and pleasantly free of attention and heroics. Of course, fate has a different idea, and she ends up bonding with none ...more

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Dec 15, 2014 Kathleen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: part-of-series, fantasy, uno-challenge-2015, wacky-challenge-2015

*3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Most of all, I was enchanted with one of the main characters - the shield. She was far from perfect and could be dense and such a fool but there's hope for her. She was stubborn in her ways as a result of being isolated and taught how to act and feel. You know what? She was somehow what I have envisioned Kelsey from Queen of the Tearling to be if Kelsey stopped acting like a child. I also appreciate how her friendship with her source Taro was built up.

Just ...more

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Apr 01, 2008 Lexie rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-owned-read

I originally read this book 10 years ago, on a whim because I could not for the of me remember an author name. I had been wanting to read John Moore, who writes amusing fantasies as well. when sending my dad out to get me those books he returned with this one. it's a fantasy, author's last name is Moore and it's amusing so far as he could see.

Best mistake ever.

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Jul 14, 2009 Summer rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, mental-powers, humorous

I'd read this book ages ago and couldn't really remember much about it. After reading it a second time I found it to be entertaining. If a bit slow and towards the end it felt a little muddled. I skimmed a bit in places but I like the characters and world enough that I'll be giving the sequel a try.

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May 22, 2017 Paranormal Romance rated it liked it

Shelves: 3-rating, 00-read-2017, hero-witch, heroine-witch, personality-gruff-antisocial-heroin, personality-no-nonsense-heroine, personality-promiscous-hero, personality-strong-female-character, plotted-and-reviewed, first-in-a-series

The heroine has trained all her life be a Shield and she's certainly adopted the cold, calculating personality that benefits the position. While she is confident in herself and her abilities, she doesn't want to prove herself. Instead of adventure, she wants a calm and respectable life with a Source partner who she can tolerate for the rest of her days. Instead...she gets the hero. Stories of him circulate the city. Stories of whoring, drunkenness and standings of grandeur. Just because he is st The heroine has trained all her life be a Shield and she's certainly adopted the cold, calculating personality that benefits the position. While she is confident in herself and her abilities, she doesn't want to prove herself. Instead of adventure, she wants a calm and respectable life with a Source partner who she can tolerate for the rest of her days. Instead...she gets the hero. Stories of him circulate the city. Stories of whoring, drunkenness and standings of grandeur. Just because he is stunningly beautiful and obvious truly magical gifted does not mean everyone should fall to his feet in worship. No, that is the heroine's philosophy and she's sticking to it. Bitter over having forged with fated bond with such a vain and irresponsible man she spends the first few days of their acquaintance being a cold hearted bitch. She refuses to speak with him civilly and any conservation he tries to make is meant with sarcasm or obvious distain. They are sent to the most dangerous and trying post where only the gifted pairs are sent and their life of preventing natural disasters begins. Life is strained between them. She ignores his charm and attempts to play her with flirtations and she declines any and all offers he makes of spending time together outside of work. Instead, on her free time she spends in the company of another man, a regular- meaning a man without magic. But when the pairs are attacked by an unseen and deadly force, the hero and heroine find themselves only one of 2 pairs left in the city and the other pair are unconscious. It's then that the heroine has a chance to see a true light in the hero's character as he steps up and really pulls his weight above and beyond what she originally thought he was capable of. When he is attacked and badly wounded, she even feels fear for his safety and anger at who would dare harm her source. And when he suddenly goes missing, she finds herself frantic to get him back. She imagines a lot of things could have happened, one of them being he was kidnapped by his family and returned home but somehow her search leads her to the slums of a depressing city. There, she finally sees the error of her ways. She sees the really evil and realizes what she has with the hero is far more meaningful than a burden or a curse. She will do anything to get him back and she has the strength and the will to do anything she sets her mind to.
It took me a while to get into the mood to read this book but after finishing it I don't know why. I found the plotline and the setting of this novel to be inventive and unique. I loved the whole futuristic but historical alien planet with Sources and Shields. The book is written in the first perspective of the heroine who was honestly, not a very nice person. She was rather ruthless and cold for most of the book and the way she treated the hero was appalling. From the second she met him and knew they were bonded, she went out of her way to be a complete dick to him based on nothing more than her sense of entitlement and selfishness. He was not the source she wanted. And she took his partying ways and rich playboy reputation as a personal front to her life. She was rude, she was dismissive and she was heartless. Though she did grow in time and showed some patience and a bit of playfulness, she never completely lost that hard shell. She was stern and very strong but she was never going to be that warm and fuzzy type. Even when she learned she loved the hero, even when he showed his feelings for her in return, they were a pretty distant couple. The hero, not much can be said about him because as the heroine was the POV, she described him and the reader didn't get much chances to see the real him. I would have loved for a more in depth look into his character and perhaps in the books to come, I will get that. As such, it was a good book. It was funny at times, it was exciting at others and I thought the premise was original. ...more

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Apr 12, 2017 Kuroi rated it liked it

Shelves: assassin-s-creed, fantasy, good-premise-bad-execution, half-and-half, impending-doom, kick-butt-heroine, mary-sue-and-gary-who, romance-free, slow-to-begin, tsundere-kun

Normally, I know how I feel about a book. It's usually one of strong dislike, enthusiastic love or a resigned feeling that it could have gone somewhat better.
Resenting the Hero gets the dubious honor of being the first book to induce complete apathy in me.

I think, in part, it was thanks to the emotional indifference of the protagonist, who simply doesn't empathize with anyone or anything. Dunleavy (that names make me think of bread, dunno why) is a character that is so stoic and detached from a Normally, I know how I feel about a book. It's usually one of strong dislike, enthusiastic love or a resigned feeling that it could have gone somewhat better.
Resenting the Hero gets the dubious honor of being the first book to induce complete apathy in me.

I think, in part, it was thanks to the emotional indifference of the protagonist, who simply doesn't empathize with anyone or anything. Dunleavy (that names make me think of bread, dunno why) is a character that is so stoic and detached from anything that doesn't have to do with her, that she gives the impression of a well-programmed AI. I mean, her practical personality was refreshing, but what kind of person can't understand that crippling fear exists and trauma can make it difficult to act?

An example of what her opinion on a fanatical religious cult:

And why every last one of them hadn’t been rounded up, I couldn’t fathom.
...The fact that a handful of them had managed to get hold of a prince about eightieth in line to the throne and stake him before the Imperial Guards caught them should have been all the excuse anyone needed. Instead, they’d executed the ringleaders and let the others free to wander about and be abused by the general population. It had been claimed that only the ringleaders had been actually involved in the murder, and therefore only they could be executed, but I found that hard to believe.

Why is it hard to believe that some ordinary folks might be misguided? And what exactly is she proposing here? That a whole group of people indirectly involved should be put to death? Does that make political or practical sense?
This, and a general scarcity of feelings about anything on Dunleavy's part kind of put me off. I get that one of her character flaws is being too focused, but every time she did actually experience a so called feeling, it just seemed tacked on to make her human.

Also equally confusing is her attitude to the titular hero. She essentially ignores Taro most of the time, and then, when he isn't there all of a sudden, she wonders if she loves/lusts for him? What? She genuinely doesn't care for him in a romantic sense, then she suddenly does, and it's forgotten again conveniently at the end of the book.

As for everything else, it's all similarly hampered by something. The world-building was interesting, but I couldn't visualize the landscape because there was no detail. Shintaro was interesting, but missing most of the time. The plot was sorta obvious and had no action at all for the first half.
Altogether, I decided I didn't care whether anyone lived or died, 'cause Dunleavy sure as hell didn't either. ...more

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Nov 27, 2018 Kate rated it really liked it

this quote truly sustained me such a long way: "It infuriated me that Aiden would risk crippling himself for the sake of - what? Pride? Men were so stupid."

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Action/Adventure ...: January 2016 A New Leaf Group Read: Resenting the Hero by Moira J. Moore Spoilers	10	10	Jan 24, 2016 06:00PM

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About Moira J. Moore

Moira J. Moore

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I started writing my first book when I was fourteen. I was sitting in class, bored out of my mind, and I started writing a story about a girl sitting in class, bored out of her mind. Except her class was in a school of wizardry. That story turned into a book. An awful book that I tried and failed to get published. I'm grateful the internet wasn't a thing back then, because I surely would have put ...more

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Quotes from Resenting the Hero

“Sometimes I was so funny I couldn’t stand myself.” — 16 likes

“In time I could move, though my body wasn't thrilled about it. I moved from the floor to the sofa I had fallen off of, which was all the progress I was going to demand from myself right then. Karish was much more ambitious, moving from the floor by the table to the sofa. He sat beside me and without the slightest hesitation or diffidence wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, and I bonelessly complied. Pain eased, muscles loosened, and the beating of his heart helped to drive disturbing images from my mind. For the moment not giving a damn about how it looked or whether it was a bad idea, I curled around him and flattened my palm against his chest so I could feel the blood pulsing around him.” — 3 likes

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