“And Julio moved like a shadow between them all. Unnoticed. Unremarkable. A figure so devoid of presence that people's eyes seemed to slide past him without registering his existence.” That quote from Lost Hero by Adrian Cox encapsulates the essence of the book. Julio, a young man of 22, is a living ghost, left traumatized by his father's unexpected death some 8 years earlier. He wanders the streets of Seville, but isn't truly alive except for the brief moments when he escapes into the superhero fantasies lurking in the recesses of his mind. Lacking purpose and unable to overcome his isolation, Julio embarks on a quest to fulfill his father's unrealized dream and explore the Northern Queensland rainforest. Alas, his journey is not what he expects, and the unprepared young man instantly meets with disaster. Now, as Julio fights a different battle of survival, he is about to learn that life isn't fair, but neither is it cruel; it's indifferent.

Masterfully written and deeply engrossing, Lost Hero by Adrian Cox is an excellent example of what a modern page-turner entails. The dual plot revolves around survival, with each chapter alternating between the streets of Seville and the Australian wilderness. In each, Julio struggles to overcome his inner grief and find meaning in life. Along with the intricate plot, multiple themes of grief, self-growth, coping mechanisms, and survival create a deeply immersive tale. Character development is strictly focused on Julio and becomes something akin to the psychological study of a man who fails to cope with the randomness of life. A fast pace, occasionally broken by the protagonist's 'Walter Mitty' flights of fantasy, provides a greater look into the psychology of a man stuck at a devastating moment in time. Overall, Lost Hero is an excellent tale for fans of multiple genres and those who enjoy unexpected endings.

Lost Hero by Adrian Cox is a dramatic adventure story. Told in alternating timelines, the story shifts between a young man’s mundane life in Seville, Spain, and his experience exploring Daintree Forest in Australia. In addition, Julio, the main character, often recollects memories from his childhood of humble beginnings in Los Palacios. The overarching theme is Julio’s fond memories of the good times he shared with his late father, Miguel. His father had instilled in him the creativity of play and storytelling. After his father died, and Julio was working as an adult in Seville, he frequently felt disconnected from his coworkers, society, and city life, because he had not moved past that death. But when his mother gives him his father’s box filled with a notebook, sketches, and photos of Daintree Forest, Julio decides to leap into the unknown to live the dream his father never had the chance to explore.

Adrian Cox has developed Julio so well that Lost Hero reads like a biography, which had me engrossed from the start. Julio’s backstory, especially his childhood along with his relationship with his father, is as rich and deep as the Australian rainforest where he ends up getting lost. I found the author’s ability to describe details intriguing, and it caused me to become more empathetic toward Julio. This was especially true of the descriptions of the sights and sounds of the rainforest. Cox also did an excellent job of describing the wounds that Julio sustained. But the most impressive aspect of Cox’s writing is his genius in paralleling the time frames and anchoring them with similar incidents, and most especially joining them with Julio’s fascination with superheroes. This is not a comic book adventure story. In this ancient forest, you’ll find blood, disease, hallucinations, and worse. So, pack your bags and confidence if you dare to pursue this tale.