The Sorcerer's Ascension

The Sorcerer's Path #1

by Brock E. Deskins

Alternate cover edition of ASIN B005RR2UI6


Torn from a life of comfort and luxury, his family destroyed by political intrigues and aspirations, a young boy must quickly grow into a man before the deadly streets of Southport devour him. Follow Azerick through a page-turning adventure that pits him against thieves, thugs, murderers, and men of power that will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
Azerick must fight just to survive, but for him survival is not enough. A hunger to avenge the wrongs committed against him burns deep within. But that is not all that lies within the young man. Their is a power waiting to be unleashed that may be the key to achieving the justice and security he seeks--if it does not destroy him first.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, Amazon, High Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

377 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

Brock Deskins was born in a small town located in rural Oregon. At age twenty he joined the army and served as an M1A1 tank crewman, dental specialist, and computer analyst. While in the military he became an accomplished traveler, husband, and father of three wonderful children. Now out of the military he attends college to brush up on his skills as a computer analyst and gain new skills as a writer.

Update 2012: Received my degree in computer networking and devoting my full time and limited attention span to writing. Thanks to everyone who is making this dream a reality.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sorcerer's Ascension
The Sorcerer's Path, Book 1
By: Brock Deskins
Narrated by: William Turbett
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
I really enjoyed this fast paced fantasy novel. It was a coming of age novel of a young boy that looses everyone and everything to violence and injustice. He is determined to make everyone who has every hurt him and his loved ones pay for their crimes. But there is always someone watching..
He is finally noted by a man of great power and offers him a place at school to learn to be a wizard. Of course he hasn't ran away from injustice, just a different social class of injustice. Great fantasy, interactions of characters, world building, and emotions. I found myself cheering on the boy as he plots his revenge, (evil laugh)...
I can't wait for the next book. My problem is that I have the ebook already but now that I know what a wonderful narrator this is, I want to wait. The narration was so perfect for this book. He could go from little girl to mean guard and it all sounded believable! I never doubted that it wasn't a little girl or a guard. I was so wrapped up in the story but the great writing and by the wonderful performance of this narrator!
I have all these books and now I have to choose to wait for the audible or read the ebooks....or I hate to wait but the narration is so good! ugh!!!

[Hörður Már · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever wanted to read every fantasy book ever published? Well, this is your chance. It has everything ...

Wizards - Check
Sorcerers - Check
Orcs/goblins/gnomes/hobgoblins/etc - Check
Dragons - Check
Humans/Elves/Dwarves/etc - Check
Orphans - Check
School-o-magic - Check
Towers-o-Magic - Check
Evil Tower-o-magic - Check
Evil mind controlling aliens from another dimension - Check
Rag to riches - Check
Undeads - Check
...

And the list goes on. It even goes as far as taking one very distinct location from Eragon, Tronjheim, and uses it with only a minor alteration (firepoles instead of slides).

The first book is tolerable, but it quickly goes downhill from there.

I made it halfway through the fourth book, before I gave up.

[David Fernau · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Originally reviewed on Otherwhere Gazette)

There’s something about stories about young people seeking to avenge family members that appeals to quite a few people. Perhaps it’s that our consciences rebel against the idea of someone doing evil and getting away with it.

In that vein, the independently-published Sorcerer’s Path series (currently 5 books, the author says he’s writing #6 now) is off to a good start with The Sorcerer’s Ascension. In this book, we’re introduced to Azerick, whose father is killed as part of a plot to usurp the throne, and whose mother is killed by a customer in a tavern after she takes a job to keep herself and Azerick fed. The young man must learn the ways of the streets, until he comes to the attention of one of the masters of the Academy, who bends the rules to admit Azerick.

Anyone who’s played Dungeons and Dragons (either live or in computer games) will find the system of magic fairly familiar, and one of the side stories definitely has a D&D feel to it, but that’s far from a detriment to the book. It gives fantasy fans a familiar base for the story, not that new and different systems of magic are a bad thing, they’re just one more thing the reader has to absorb.

At the center of the story is a king who’s, shall we say, not of strictly legitimate birth, and a duke who wants to take the throne for himself. They’re both after a legendary suit of armor that traditionally bestows the right of kingship on whoever possesses it. The problem is, it’s been broken into its component pieces, and scattered around the world, so both sides are in what amounts to a scavenger hunt. What part Azerick will play in this hunt isn’t revealed in the first book, but it’s pretty clear he’ll be involved in some way.

Overall, while the book could have used the services of a good proofreader and editor (grammatical errors are unfortunately fairly common), if you can read past those, the story itself is fairly engrossing. I do hope that the later books in the series are edited better, because I certainly plan on reading them, because I am definitely enjoying the story.

If you can handle a book where you have to stop occasionally to work out what the author meant to say, The Sorcerer’s Ascension is a good value.

[idiffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ooookaaaaay, here's the deal: the author reaaaaaally liked The Name of the Wind, so he decided to write a remake but add some personal flare.

Rothfuss, spectacular work, mwha! True master, modern classic! The plot is perfect: boy loses parents to murder, becomes a street thief for a while, then goes to magic school, makes a friend, gets bullied constantly, then goes travelling. But I think I can polish your story so that it can TRULY shine.

For example, Rothfuss, why so tame with the body count? I say add murder! everywhere! all the time! He'll stick everybody with a knife, and BLOOD, and one guy's wand will explode and take half his face off, yeaaahh! Give it to me, baby!!! ...Oh, uh, where was I...? And have the protagonist dream of the god of death! And we gotta have us some rape, just a couple of times, just for flavor, you know.

But despite what I just said, your book is a bit too mature for my taste, so, discounting all the keeling and raping, my version will be more naive and cartoonish. I'll have the protagonist be grumpy with a wizard for catching him while he tried to rob him, and then he'll play silly pranks on the wizard as revenge, culminating in the mage hanging upside down and getting his naked ass whipped by our HERO. God, I hate old geezers! Mom, I BEGGED you not to leave me with granddad that summer! You knew he was weird! Oh, sorry... Anyway, totally your thing, only for middle schoolers, the little wankers gotta read too.

Also Denna! What a marvel of a cunt! Patrick, you literally created a goddess! (I'm sorry for my attempt to impress you with my punditry). Alas I don't think us fantasy guys do romance stunningly well (it just sticks out a bit amidst the genius plot and characterization), so I'll just sweep that little failing under the rug by not having any, at least not in the first book.

Last thing, your dialogue was orgasmic, hnnnnnggg, but a bit pretentious, a smidge too witty. I want to make it more stilted, more cliche, just so the little middle-schooler brains won't overload.

P.S.: For what it's worth, down in the comments the author (Brock) says the similarities with Rothfuss's book were purely accidental.

[Skrunch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book on the 20th, and am now on book number 4. This will be my only written review unless something changes in the series from what I have enjoyed so far. The first book was only a 4 star, but the rest of the books have been 5 stars. I almost gave up on the first book. I did not enjoy the first part of the story that lead up to the main character. Additionally, I did not really like most of the sections that were short, but were focused on other characters. I really like books that stick with the main character and his surroundings. It is just what I enjoy.

I am giving this one a 4 star just because I almost put the book down. I was really wanting a book that day and just kept hoping it would get better. I am glad I did not stop reading. Once I made it to the main character it did start slow for me, but then I became hooked. The more I read, the more I could not put it down. I am enjoying the series, and am glad I did not give up on this one. The rest must have 5 stars because I have become addicted to the series.

[Abhishek Tripathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book having every element I want in a heroic fantasy, especially the part where the protagonist don't whine about being guilty all the time after killing bad guys. I've read more than 300 novels including the wheel of time series, name of the wind, LOTR,Eragon,Belgariad series, Game of thrones series etc. and I find this book much to my liking for a new author.May be it's a cliche since a poor boy become powerful and all that happens but the way in which the author shows the journey of the orphan poor boy rise to power is extraordinary.That's what make this book different.I would recommend this to every heroic fantasy lover. Just Grab it.
And if u don't like the dwarf adventure part do a speed read there just like i did it(wink) but i promise u won't skip a word of the part where our hero comes....

[Bookwyrm Speaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this one without any preconceptions, other than knowing I had enjoyed the author's urban fantasy novel Shroud of Darkness. I found that though this is a completely different book, it was just as enjoyable. After reading this, I felt that this was what The Name of the Wind should have been if the main character wasn't a complete Mary Sue.

When Azerick, son of a wealthy sea trader, has his father executed after he was framed for treason, He and his mother lose everything to the local Duke. They end up living in an inn his mother works at as a server. When she is violently murdered and he is thrown out, Azerick returns after dark, breaks in gets his stuff back, and after struggling with and incapacitating the innkeeper who stole their belongings, burns the inn to the ground.

This sets Azerick on a path he could never have foreseen. Squatting in an abandoned building, he is found by a group of squatters and joins their ranks. When a dispute with the thieves guild destroys his new family, Azerick declares war on the thieves, getting his revenge in the cruelest way possible. After a series of run ins with the Mages guild, it is discovered Azerick has magical ability and he is allowed to start training at the guild academy, where the children of rich and noble scions train. Obviously, as a poor orphan, he butts heads with the other students, especially the biggest bully boy, Travis. As you can expect, a boy used to living by his wits and strength on the street is not going to take bullying lying down. This theme continues throughout the book, as Azerick, who is very smart and understands magic theory very well, struggles to cast spells beyond a certain simple level, although he does excel in academic subjects and alchemy.

This changes when it is discovered that Azerick is a sorcerer, not a wizard, meaning his spell casting is self determined, not cast by rote spells. With this revelation, and a new master to tutor him, his spell casting is greatly improved. As time passes, and his rivalry with Travis reaches its final climax in a duel, Azerick discovers a secret that may effect the safety of the world, and he must determine what he needs to do and where his loyalties lie. This ties into a side plot dealing with the kingdoms founding as it's dragon overlords were overthrown with the help of five suits of magic armor that are now in play in a power play for the throne.

The characters are a real strength of this book, especially Azerick. His struggles after his families fall and subsequent successes and failures really tempered his personality. He is a hard young man, willing to take the harshest measures for revenge and to protect those he loves. What he did to the man who killed his mother and to the thieves guild show that no measure is too radical to achieve his goals, for good or ill. The secondary characters, from his best friend to his mentor are well thought out and have well rounded personalities. The villains, whether Travis or the Duke and his henchmen, are loathsome but believable, being drawn to power and the ability to abuse it.

The setting is well thought out and well described, with lots of detail without going overboard. The plot and prose flow well, with lots of action, but some introspection as well, as the events unfold to show the grander conspiracy and how it connects to Azerick.The final portion of the book is like a roller coaster ride leading to Azerick and Travis's inevitable confrontation, and has a satisfying payoff. All told, a dark but enjoyable beginning to a series.

I was unfamiliar with William Turbett's narration before this book, but I am happy to have discovered him. He brings each character a unique life of their own, with a variety of tones and accents, and his pacing is very solid. He makes you want to keep listening as he brings the story to life.

I have heard that this book was compared to The Name of the Wind in a negative way. I find that odd, since while it deals with similar characters, it goes in very different directions, with the characters having different methods and motivations. I would recommend this story to anyone who would like a different take, a darker one, on a coming of age tale, with well rounded characters and real struggle and pathos.

[Jake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Show don't tell. I couldn't get past page 100 due to the info-dumping and fact telling. Every other sentence is stating a fact about a character instead of showing you. Instead of using storytelling to show that Azerick is smart, loves books, respects his weapons master, you are literally told. I felt like I was reading a cliff notes version of the story. The dialogue between characters is really rough. Characters usually repeat facts the narrator already told you and add little personality.

I don't understand all the four and five star ratings.

[Rabid Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story of a young man who’s family is caught up in political wrangling, leaving him and his mother destitute. Azerick’s life deteriorated further with the death of his mother and he sets on the road for revenge, eventually finding his true magical calling. This story quickly draws you in and goes down many roads; from privileged to a thieving street rats, bullied to murderer and wizard to sorcerer. I loved how the villain kept changing with each road Azerick took. The amount of pain and heartbreak that he goes through makes your heart bleed for him. His growing magic and intelligence is compelling, and you wonder where life will take him in the end. I was not keen on the narrator at first, as he sounded like he had a slightly stuffy nose and his pauses were a bit too long at times, but he grew on me as the book progressed. He gave the characters individual voices and imparted tension and sorrow in the story well. This is a well written, enjoyable, coming of age story that creates the start of an intriguing world.

[Bill Head · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a bad start to the series, and the audio book is pretty good as well. Though it did seem to have a slow start, there were moments in the middle and end that kept me latched onto the book.

The character of Azerick is an interesting character. I'm a huge Star Wars fan so, and please keep your tempers cool when I say this, I see a little bit of Anakin Skywalker in him. He's trying to make the most out of his situation, but life just keeps finding ways to screw with him and make him walk down a darker path. Fortunately he's not as whinny as Anakin was in the films, but there are those moments where his darker impulses start to make you worry.

All in all, I say read the book and then go and listen to the audio book. The narrator does a good job and differentiating the various characters, and I hope to hear more later on.

[Aaronni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sorcerer's Ascension is the first book in the Sorcerer's Path series. I originally downloaded it because the premise was interesting, the cover looked nice, and the author had good reviews. All of those things are wins for me, so I jumped head first into this book.

Plot

This book has a major plot and a minor plot. The major plot is Azerick's coming of age and coming to realize his true destiny. The minor plot is the search for Dundalor's armor. Both plots are very interesting, but how they are presenting can get confusing. In the beginning of the book, the chapters alternate between the two plots. This was nice because Azerick was kind of annoying in the beginning of the book, so the minor plot's chapter's were enough to tamp my annoyance. As you continue reading the book, though, the minor plot vanishes completely; bar a few mentions. This was saddening, seeing as I'm really curious about the suit of armor, but I'm hopeful it will be further explained in the next book.

Characters

The main character is Azerick. He's a young, immature, and well-meaning boy who's been through a lot. He loses everyone that means anything to him and uses his wits to survive the brutal streets of the Squatter District (I believe that's what it's called in the book). He's impulsive and stubborn; annoying and loyal, but all in all he's a very likable character that makes me wince and root him on.

Outside of Azerick, there's a multitude of characters that clearly serve to move the plot along. His father is featured early on in the book, but ended up making an exit (don't want to spoil the book). He was fully fleshed out and was so real that I felt the pain when he died. Now, I can't say the same for the people Azerick runs into throughout this book, though.

Off the top of my head, the following characters come and go in this book: his mom, his squatter family, Bran, Bran's crush, Alex, and the guild's head hauncho (the smaller guild). These people aren't really fleshed out; we're moreso told who they are, they interact with Azerick, and then they leave. This was annoying, but didn't stop or hinder my reading experience.

Pacing

This book's pacing is solid. There are points where nothing much is going on, but Deskins sends Azerick on so many tasks, you don't really feel the typical "sag" in the middle of the book. I have to admit, I did tire of Azerick running into the same people all the time and getting the same result, but it served its purpose and I truly enjoyed this book.

World Building

Brock E. Deskins has created a vivid and lush world filled with different provinces. I can literally close my eyes and imagine the world he created; I found myself going there often while reading and it was such a lovely experience. Books these days tend to lack in the world-building area, but this man has it down. Like, for real.

Overall

I truly enjoyed this book and would've finished in a day had a manuscript (one I'm no longer working on) not tied me up. I can see myself reading it again, recommending it, and buying the paperback.

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torn from a life of comfort and luxury, his family destroyed by political intrigues and aspirations, a young boy must quickly grow into a man before the deadly streets of Southport devour him. Follow Azerick through a page-turning adventure that pits him against thieves, thugs, murderers, and men of power that will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. Azerick must fight just to survive, but for him survival is not enough. A hunger to avenge the wrongs committed against him burns deep within. But that is not all that lies within the young man. There is a power waiting to be unleashed that may be the key to achieving the justice and security he seeks...if it does not destroy him first.
A great story with all the elements to make a great fantasy book. Magic and battles (personal and with others) to keep you engrossed and not putting the book down. It has a bunched of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The fact that characters and even the main characters are not safe from death, it keeps you wondering who's going to die next. A fantasy lovers dream read. Great reading everyone!!!!!!!

[Shehreyar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is just one more in a legion of under-the-rader fantasy and scifi novels that have been popping up over the past few years. It was a fun read, I suppose, but it could have been much better with some professional editing. Still, for a self published novel (or at least I'm guessing it was self-published), the Sorcerer's Ascension served to lift me out of boredom. It is not for readers who want a happy ending or dislike anti/dark heroes.

[Gautam Surath · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very strange book. It never reaches a point where you really like it but somehow you cant seem to put it down. The best I could describe it is "matter of fact". The pace is fast, the characters shallow and the plot totally ambiguous. Add to that there is no logic whatsoever to the world building which is consigned to a couple of cities. Despite that you can't seem to put it down till completion. So I completed it quickly and am moving to the next one in the series.

[Shyam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes once said that he'd make a rather good criminal, and I've always wondered what a story would be like, with a crook who wasn't stupid. The Sorcerer's Ascension is such a book, and it delivers quite well. While the overarching plot itself isn't too interesting, the protagonist's own story is quite good.

[Sarah Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this overall though found it hard going in places but the good parts were excellent and I couldn't put it down, but then in other places the book kind of meandered and I struggled. As I said overall a good book, lots of places for the story to go and develop look forward to starting the next book in a mo!

[Jay-lyn Helgason-doerksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first began I thought the beginning a bit brisk ( I tend to like back story) bit the more I read and the more I followed the growth of Azerick I realized more back story would be redundant. I immediately have moved into book 2 anxious to see the adventures this bright strong brave young man with a passion and loyalty so fierce that you cheer him on even in failure.

[Ron Sturm · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book i searched for book 2. sigh gotta wait =(.... A different twist on the coming of age of a boy. A bit of caution would be at the start, lots of violence. Overall: I would highly recommend reading this book!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost lost it when he, and I shit you all not, got a quest to kill some rats.

[Mike Danhauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good!

Wonderful plot! An exciting young hero and I just liked it very much. X. X. X. X. X. X. X

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Entertaining

I was expecting far less when I downloaded this form Amazon. I could not stop reading. I just got book 2.

[BookLoversLife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Azerick's father is given an artifact from the king, to transport on his ship. But when he docks, he is accused of treason because the letter from the king evaporated when it was touched by the Guards. Locked up with no hope of freedom, he seems to be the unwitting accomplice to something larger. When he is murdered in his cell, with all evidence being that it was a mage, his families world is turned upside down.

Thrown onto the streets with little to no possessions, Azerick and his mum struggle to survive. His mum finally finds a job in a local tavern and they try to settle down. But life isn't done with Azerick yet and his mum is murdered. Alone on the streets, he finds himself battling to stay alive. He also finds a deep thirst for revenge that won't be quelled. Revenge on the people who killed both his parents and revenge on anyone who has done him wrong. Becoming a thief is the only way he knows how to survive, and he becomes very efficient at it, but pick pocketing the wrong person turns his life upside down again!

This has so much more happening throughout the book, that you just know there is a lot more to come! Not only do we have Azericks story, we also have a king who wants to get magical armour before his enemies can, we have a political coup trying to take seed and we have magicians and sorcerers as well. There is a lot of depth to the plot and this seems to only be the tip of the iceberg. I'm really looking forward to seeing where the author takes the story next!!

I must admit that it took a while for me to totally connect with Azerick. I found his determination for revenge and the way he was almost heartless at times a little unnerving, but as the story progressed I got a better sense of who he was and it made me warm towards him more. I started to really like him once he went to the magic school. He was a better character then.

This started slow and took a long while to really get going, but even the slow part was devoted to Azerick and his life now, and was very much needed in order to fully understand the character. Other than that, this was a really enjoyable and entertaining story. I'm excited to see what happens next.

William Turbett read this really well. He had enough tones and voices to differentiate most of the characters and he was easy to listen to. I did find though that a few of his characters sounded too similar to fully follow who was who.

I was given this free audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.

[Colin Rowlands · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book almost felt a bit like a series of openings to a number of other books, before you reach the point of him becoming the titular sorcerer you had a young boy named Azerick from a reasonably privileged background finding himself on the streets after his father was wrongly implicated in a crime, from there he becomes a fairly successful thief before ending up at the school for wizards and eventually he is discovered to instead be a sorcerer and begins the training for that instead and this is all alongside him being very much a revenge-driven character.

While this path might seem at first to be a convoluted one, it was very enjoyable one as despite Azerick being a typical chosen one kind of a lead, he is an interesting and sympathetic character that drives the main part of the book forward very well and it was a slight disappointment when there was occasionally had an interlude that took the listener away from his story to learn a bit more about the world and politics of that region, even if such interludes are obviously necessary in the context of an ongoing series.

The supporting cast were not as well-developed as Azerick, but that wasn't really needed with the focus being on him and there was certainly enough there to lay the foundations for a larger role if required in subsequent books.

At first I didn't really enjoy the narration, it seemed to lack clarity to my ears, but things improved greatly as I progressed through the book and become more accustomed to his performance, the narrator gave a strong performance for Azerick overall and was suitably distinctive with the voices of the supporting cast.

Overall, this book was both interesting and enjoyable in its own right, while at the same time nicely setting the stage for the series as whole.

[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]

[Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

First ark is good after is poppycock

Let me lay this out for you real simple. First ark is good, not great but good.( first 3 r 4 books i believe) If you read futher then that its gets disappointing real fast and doesn't stop until you feel like the entire series is a waste of time. Now for the rant. BIIIIIIIG SPOILER im telling you this story was good up until he started taking on kids and they all are just ungrateful brats with no redeeming qualities besides maybe the club foot kid who cant even be counted as a side character honestly. His first son is the WORST i mean i would rather be the father to Adolf Hitler then this little shit mary sue and we are supposed to feel like he is cool or something the last scene i read with this twerp was him dissing his father and a king,claiming credit for winning the war,riding off with the his adopted sister(prob to end up as his woman) and managing to pull a slight of hand on a goddess ALL IN THE SAME SCENE. Dont even get me started on the adopted daughter/apprentice....just oh my....i spit in her and the 1st sons face. Wouldn't have been such a problem if the weren't main characters.

[Yablon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly don't know how to review this, is there such a thing as a positive 2 star review?

The book feels both derivative and amateurish, the chapters with the adventurers are a bizarre tonal shift that don't even feel like they're from the same world as the protagonists story and choosing to end the book with one that effectively felt like an interlude was an utterly strange decision.
But despite all this the book is a very fun and easy read once it gets doing (the first two chapters are a tedious exercise in setting up the world of the book), it has a fast pace to the story and an entertaining protagonist.

I can't actually recommend this without reading the sequels but it was a fun enough read for a book with so many obvious flaws.

[Moon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did the writer go out of his way to make all the men wimps in his novel and all the women brave wise leaders with no faults , because it is getting frustrating and insulting to read , it is not the first novel that held such content , but come on be reasonable where do get such lame excuses of men in real life and such perfect women , it is not acuatlly flattering to read this because no women would want this men ( the dwarf , the elf , the priest ) , and the writer go on great details on unimportant characters which is boring and nearly forced me to drop the novel altogether , but you know curoisty and all

[Karla Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was slow, real slow. From the fall from grace, to the homeless shelter, to the secret layer, to the sorcerer, this book was set up for the long run on characters that will inevitably appear way later in the story. It is in fact a lonely book, because it is essentially about a lone boy spending his life to seek revenge on those who've wronged the people he loved. But Azerick is a great character. I hope the climax is worth the build up.

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

To me the book read like the author had way too many ideas and not enough space. The first 60 pages were just skipping over event after event.
And it did not really get better. Same with the character interactions: half a page monologue, short response, monologue end of conversation. Really didn't enjoy this book and it's style, sorry

[Ryan R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book to kick off what will hopefully be a great series. There are some grammatical errors and the story does tend to be slightly depressing at times. But in all honesty, I really like this book. There is just enough humor and great and powerful moments to really make it a good read. One well deserving of fantasy lovers everywhere to give it a chance.

[Kian · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story is good but I felt the book spent too much time in his early life misery and the character makes simple mistakes to drag the story forward and I couldn't engage throughout most of the book but the ending gets a bit interesting. Will read book 2, hopefully, it gets better.