I’ve been following Steven’s blog and writing for a while now. His stuff has an undeniably quirky sense of humor about it, and he has a unique voice. When I saw this freebie, I decided to go ahead and give it a try. Is it a MIGHTY SUCCESS, or a MIGHTY FAILURE?

Oliver Jordan’s day was like any other: Dealing with customers and coworkers at Job #1, getting delayed on the way to Job #2 by another senseless superhero battle, and delivering that last pizza of the night to Old Man Pembleton.
Except this time Mr. Pembleton’s tip was far from normal. This time Oliver was given a ring that would grant him powers beyond his wildest dreams. Oliver only needs to figure out how to make the thing work.
Not an easy task when you are busy dealing with apathetic teenagers and alien abduction.
Origin of Might is the first in a series of books set in and around Garrison City, home to such heroes (or Mighties) as the Shadow Fox, Power Surge, Lady V, Spitfire, and the legendary Captain Might.
Can Oliver Jordan find the time to work two jobs, provide for his family, attend school functions, spend quality time with the wife and kids, and save the world?
The answer begins here.

The Goods –  I love super hero stories. I don’t think they should be limited to just comic books and the great thing is, they aren’t. I’ve reviewed a few hero books on this here blog, including Pilgrimage by Matt Selznick and Other People’s Heroes by Blake Petit. This book fills squarely in the latter camp, a more traditional capes and cowls, four color blast of fun.

This is an origin story. I say that for those of you who may not clue into that from the title and description. For me, that’s a blast. I love origin stories. We get to see Oliver Jordan (a nod to a couple of heroes) as he is before he gets the powers granted to him by the ring. We get to see him fumble and get the snot knocked out of him. There are a few minor mysteries, including why Old Man Pembleton gave him the ring, but no instructions or warning that someone might be out to get him. There’s plenty of action and we get introduced to a few of this city’s other heroes.

The Bads – This is an origin story. See, I put that in the goods and the bads. I know there are some of you out there who don’t care for them. That’s not why I put it in the bads, but if I had paid for this, I would have felt slightly cheated. I would have liked to see just a bit more of something other than Jordan getting pulverized. It’s a bit on the brief side. It feels very much like the first episode of a comic or TV series. I think $.99 or $1.99 would be a bit more of a fair price for something of this length.

There’s only one other thing that bugs me about this. In a way, most of this book feels like it’s aimed at younger kids. Heroes are called “Mighties”. There’s an overall lightness of tone and humor which I think would work with young teens. I imagine if it were made into a bit of animation, it would be all primary colors and chunky bodies. Then there are the scenes where Jordan gets stomped on and brutalized. The villain in this piece is pretty violent and I recall some vivid levels of description when it comes to that. I wouldn’t necessarily want my younger teen to read this. It’s almost like it wants to be the CW Flash and Nolan’s Batman at the same time. There’s a disconnect. It occasionally knocked me out of the story.

The Verdict – I really like this book. If the price point doesn’t throw you off, or if you’re a Kindle Direct person, I wouldn’t hesitate to grab it. Just know that it might not be for the younger set. It’s a quick read and I do want to see more in this universe. I give this Four out of Five Power Rings.

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Amazon Link – https://www.amazon.com/Origin-Might-Mighty-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01E056EZA#navbar