Fid's Crusade is a supervillainous tale of rage, grief, guilt and violence. Also, of humanity rediscovered.
For more than two decades, the sight of the 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 world from those entrusted with its protection.
Finalist
Assessment:
Plot: Reiss’s fast-paced novel presents readers with enlightening snippets of Doctor Fid’s villainous past and his current dilemma: saving a world he once aimed to terrorize. The transitions between the phases of his life are concise and events progress quickly once readers learn Doctore Fid’s backstory and he becomes immersed in solving the dangerous mysteries at hand.
Prose: Reiss’s action-packed yet eloquent language will appeal to comic book and superhero fans as well as fiction readers. The author's witty, dark humor and knack for creating detailed, intersecting relationships and timelines will keep readers enthralled.
Originality: Reiss’s novel has it all: relatable and creatively-composed supervillains, cutting-edge technology, and plenty of dastardly adventures and mysteries. Reiss brings classic superhero and supervillain tropes into an edgy, contemporary setting, where the lines between good and evil are more than often blurred.
Character Development: Reiss describes each hero and villain in intense detail. Like many classic superhero protagonists, Doctor Fid is unsure of the distinction between his personal and “professional” life, and battles with himself over his true identity, goals, allegiances, and sense of purpose.
Blurb: Brainy, snarky Doctor Fid is as likable as a supervillain gets. This book offers an energetic, ridiculously fun storyline that will feel like the “adult” version of Despicable Me.
Date Submitted: June 16, 2018
"One of the most coherent and interesting takes on a super villain I've ever read."- J. M. Stallings
"...manages to meld the intrigue of an action thriller, technical geekdom of sci-fi, cadence and form of classic writers, and the fun of graphic novels." - JPFlo
"The writing is clever, insightful, and funny, and the reader is apt to be charmed and appalled by Dr. Fid at nearly the same time." - Jonathan Eaton
"If you thought Doctor Doom never got his due, this is the book for you." - Conrad Wong
"...enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, and enough foreshadowing and hints that everything is fair." - Bard Bloom
David H Reiss presents a humorous and intelligently-written take on the superhero genre that’s well grounded in adult thriller and conspiracy fiction (...) Overall, I’d definitely recommend Fid’s Crusade as an innovative homage to superhero fiction that elevates storytelling for the modern age.
Fid’s Crusade by David H. Reiss is one of the most refreshing and lively takes on the superhero genre I’ve seen in years. His title character’s crusade is colorful, compelling, and takes wonderfully unexpected turns, and the novel delivers an impressive emotional punch (to go along with the super-powered ones). It stands easily alongside other character-driven superhero novels like Austin Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible, Carrie Vaughn's After the Golden Age, and Paul Tobin's Prepare to Die!
It was recently announced that Fid's Crusade, the first novel in the Chronicles of Fid trilogy and winner in the "SciFi / Fantasy / Horror" category of the 2018 BookLife Prize, was also named a finalist in the 13th Annual Indie Excellence awards.
The author is currently vacillating between 'honored' and 'giddy'.
I am thrilled to announce that, inaddition to having been a finalist in the 2018 BookLife Prize, Fid's Crusade by David H. Reiss has also been recognized as a Medallion Honoree by the Independent Book Readers Appreciation Group (IndieBRAG).
Fid's Crusade has been chosen as the finalist for the 'Science Fiction / Fantasy / Horror' category of the 2018 BookLife Prize.
In Locus Magazine's 2018: The Year In Review feature, Fid's Crusade was recommended by a senior editor.
"David H. Reiss self-published a novel called Fid's Crusade, and although I don't love the title I adore the book. It's about a supervillain, a genius scientist and engineer on a personal secret crusade that brings him into conflict with cops, superheroes, world governments, and other villains. The novel is told from Fid's point of view, and it's simply a delight - smart, funny, engaging, and with satisfying plot twists that even surprised a jaded reader like me. Superheroes can be tough to do well in prose, and he nailed it. This deserves to stand alongside Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman and Carrie Vaughn's After the Golden Age."
