Defeat the Doom

TFK Kid Reporter Marvin Pierre read Thrash Force and interviewed its author, Raj Sidhu. Read Marvin’s thoughts below.

Thrash Force is a fantasy adventure written by Raj Sidhu. The book was inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, a role-playing game that Sidhu loves. The book’s version of the game is called Dungeon Brawl. For main character Riley, it’s all fun and games—until Dungeon Brawl turns real. The game’s villain, Lord Doomface, pulls Riley and his friends into the game’s magical world. The boys become player pieces with powers and one major mission: defeat Doomface and get home before Riley’s parents notice he’s missing.

As a Dungeons & Dragons player, Sidhu always imagined it would be fun to enter one of the stories he and his friends created. He thought he’d write a story “about a couple of kids who do go into their own adventure,” he said. Sidhu, however, does not think he would be so brave if he got pulled into an alternate reality. “There’s maybe a little bit of me in each of the characters,” he says. “But I think they are way cooler than I was.”

Sidhu hopes readers laugh a lot and enjoy going on this adventure with Riley and his friends. He says the lesson Riley learns at the end of the day is to be honest with himself. “That can be really hard,” Sidhu says. But Riley finds out that trying hard, being honest, and asking for help are better than cheating or taking shortcuts.

The book is funny and fast-paced. It’s full of monsters, goblins, and plenty of middle school problems. It kept me entertained. I definitely recommend it. It’s a story that everyone can take some very important lessons from.