"Brave. Unapologetic. Compelling. This novel starts out a little pedantic, often spewing out dense, unsubstantiated ideas without context, but once it gets going it's like nothing I've ever read. It's the first book I've read in my 45+ years of reading that I can honestly say I can't wait to read again." - Goodreads reviewer.
To be a hero is to pick a side. And to pick a side is to declare both a victim and a villain. The problem with the real world is that good and bad are rarely, if ever, clear.
A TRAGIC MYTH, AN EXISTENTIAL ROLLER COASTER, AN INTERROGATION OF A CULTURE OBSESSED WITH IMPACT AND MEANING
Excerpts from professional reviews. Go to Author's website (https: //www.jsjoseph.com/dak) to read them all:
From "Best Sellers World" Review:
4.5/5
"DAK ACKERTHEFIFTH AND THE ETHICS OF HEROISM was both and exhilarating and exhausting read as it provides so many various concepts that require the reader to disengage from our current culture and seek to find true meaning in our lives. It is a participatory novel requiring the reader to think and dive in deep along with our 'hero'. Dak is the ideal figure to go on this journey and I was sorry for that ride to come to an end. I give much credit to author Joshua S Joseph, who refers to himself as an author, philosopher and consumer of shadows. He is definitely someone that would be interesting to chat with."
From "Indie Reader" Review:
4.3/5
"By turns boisterously comic and searchingly poignant, Joshua S Joseph's inventive novel, DAK ACKERTHEFIFTH AND THE ETHICS OF HEROISM, features vivid characters, effective pacing, and a protagonist who, in telling the story of his life, must rethink the overarching narrative of heroism he has used as a template for interpreting his own actions and experiences."
From "Reader's Favorite" Review:
5 Stars
Author Joshua S. Joseph has crafted a fascinating read which brings into question the format of the traditional hero's quest mythology and asks us to examine both life and literature through different lenses and perspectives. The narrative style presents us with an unreliable figure who is constantly in crisis over his decision-making, and this is both entertaining and frustrating to watch as Dak makes his choices and we sit back helplessly. This makes for really engaging reading and prompts many important questions about the nature of compassion, those we choose to help in our lives, and what our greater ambitions say about us as people. Overall, I would highly recommend Dak Ackerthefifth and the Ethics of Heroism to readers who are fans of literary works, narrative fiction, and intelligent plays on duality, human nature, and the wider questions of philosophy around our choices.
Author Synopsis:
Is Dak Ackerthefifth a praiseworthy hero, as evidenced by his noble intentions? Or is he a contemptible antihero, as evidenced by the repercussions of his actions? In this fictional memoir, Dak struggles with these questions himself as he seeks to delineate the difference between his aspirational self and his true self.
Given his self-proclaimed heroic identity and the fallibility of those in his life, Dak is tormented by decisions around who to save. The aunt who is a contemptible human and lauded philanthropist, or the hostile and vengeful sister? The misogynist boss, or the lover striving to right wrongs at the expense of those closest to her? It seems the only sane voice is that of a mysterious old man full of wisdom and strange gifts, but also the man responsible for the death of Dak's mother.
It takes both growth and great tragedy for Dak to realize the inherent opposition between striving and compassion - and that our greater ambitions are often at odds with our beloved.
