David Reiss

A supervillainous tale of rage, grief, guilt and violence. Also, of humanity rediscovered. For more than two decades, the sight of Doctor Fid's powered armor has struck fear into the hearts of hero and civilian alike. And yet-despite his hard-earned experience and the length of his criminal career-Doctor Fid can still be surprised by the depths to which his enemies might sink.Follow Doctor Fid's adventures as he investigates crimes so heinous that even the veteran supervillain is taken aback. With every unearthed atrocity, it becomes increasingly apparent that the world is in peril...and that the public's faith in their super-powered guardians is sadly misguided.In the end, it may take a villain to save the planet from those entrusted with its protection

Fid's Crusade

Kerri McDonald

Thank you so much to BBNYA and the author for providing me with a free e-book in exchange for an honest review!

I was the kind of kid that often found the villains in Disney movies more compelling than the main characters. So, when Fid’s Crusade promised me a tale told entirely from a supervillains point of view, I was immediately onboard! This story follows the diabolical doings of Doctor Fid, one of the world’s foremost supervillains. But it also gives us a peek at what made Doctor Fid, what caused him to gravitate towards a life of violence and crime. And it shows us what happens when a supervillain finds he wants to fix a world that has wronged him and not simply destroy it.

My absolutely favorite aspect of this book has to be the characters. Specifically our main character, Doctor Fid. I’ve said I like a multi-faceted character and Fid is that in spades! I’ve always found antiheros fascinating because there is such a juxtaposition in their character. In Fid’s case, he is violent and has questionable morals, but he is also trying to make the world a better place. He’s willing to put his neck out there to help the ones he cares about, but he will won’t hesitate to mess someone up if they go against what he thinks is right. Fid is a mess of contradictions and I loved him for it. I loved following his journey to not only becoming the notorious villain that he is, but to where he’s headed as his mission in life subtly starts to shift. I also enjoyed learning more about some of the superheroes introduced in this story, though most of them come across as overly aggressive meatheads.

Another aspect of this book that I enjoyed was the world-building. David Reiss takes his time constructing his world so that it’s easy to get lost in it. I found myself completely immersed in this alternate reality were superheroes were a thing and not all of them are as altruistic as one would believe. I will freely admit that some of the science talk left me head spinning, but it didn’t take me out of the story. It just made me that much more intrigued! Reiss created a story that I was happy to sink into and it made for quite a fast read! It’s not a linear timeline which did lead to some confusion on my part and I felt as though the pacing lagged in a few spots. Overall, though, I was fascinated by this wonderfully crafted and nuanced world!

Final thoughts: This story is cleverly written and will engage you from beginning to end! The concept is fantastic and I think David Reiss does an excellent job executing it. The non-linear timeline can be a bit confusing and the pacing slows a bit in certain sections but, overall, you will find that this is a quick read that will capture your imagination! The best part of this story, hands-down, is our main character, Fid, who I found so relatable, even as he was suiting up in his mega-evil-villain armor. If you’re a fan of superhero movies who often finds themselves drawn to the villains, I think you would love Fid’s Crusade!

Fid's Crusade

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