by Sean Stewart
First published 1993
The hero has won. The quest is over, the enemy defeated, the kingdom saved. But victory carries a price no one warned him about. The cheering crowds fade away, the glory turns hollow, and the world moves on without need of heroes. He finds himself adrift in a reality that has no place for someone whose entire identity was built on struggle and purpose. The magic that once made him special now feels like a burden. Friends become strangers, love becomes complicated, and the very qualities that made him a champion now isolate him from ordinary life. As he grapples with depression, purposelessness, and the weight of expectations, he must learn what it means to be human rather than legendary. This is the story of what happens when the fairy tale ends and real life begins.
Genres: literary-fiction, fantasy, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
233 pages · Paperback · Maxwell MacMillan Canada
Content warnings: depression, mental-illness