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Cozy Isekai Craftsman #1
Lockwood
Through no fault of his own, Joe’s life was starting on a downward spiral. Bad things can happen to good people, but this is not much comfort for those who are treading water, trying not to be drowned by misfortune.
Luckily, sometimes people can catch a break, a chance to start over.
When he's transported to an alternate Earth full of magic, wonder, and light RPG elements, Joe just wants to build a comfortable life. He begins to put down roots and make friends in the port city of Lockwood. But can he make a home for himself when fire spirits scorch his bathroom, demon dogs trample his rose garden, and countless other magical mayhem threatens his peace?
Don't miss the start of the Cozy Fantasy LitRPG Series which proves that even in the quietest lives, the most dramatic things happen. Like a recipe gone awry because you lack one important ingredient and you need to make this cake for someone you love for their birthday which happens to be the next day. Low-stakes? Nah. Now add magic, dragons, spirits, and gods. And Joe. Joe is a cool guy. You'll like Joe.
Luckily, sometimes people can catch a break, a chance to start over.
When he's transported to an alternate Earth full of magic, wonder, and light RPG elements, Joe just wants to build a comfortable life. He begins to put down roots and make friends in the port city of Lockwood. But can he make a home for himself when fire spirits scorch his bathroom, demon dogs trample his rose garden, and countless other magical mayhem threatens his peace?
Don't miss the start of the Cozy Fantasy LitRPG Series which proves that even in the quietest lives, the most dramatic things happen. Like a recipe gone awry because you lack one important ingredient and you need to make this cake for someone you love for their birthday which happens to be the next day. Low-stakes? Nah. Now add magic, dragons, spirits, and gods. And Joe. Joe is a cool guy. You'll like Joe.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 11, 2023
566 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Blaise Corvin
30 books635 followersBlaise Corvin served in the US Army in several roles. He has seen the best and the worst that humanity has to offer. He is a sucker for any hobby involving weapons, art, or improv.
He currently lives in Texas, in a house full of enough geeky memorabilia to start a museum.
He likes talking about himself in 3rd person and posting pictures of himself holding tarantulas. Sometimes, he pretends he is not an idiot with a terrible sense of humor.
It's all very eccentric.
Blaise currently writes mostly in the GameLit genre and LitRPG subgenre, exciting new classifications of fiction where characters either play a game (usually VR), or live in a world with game-like elements.
Delvers LLC is GameLit, lightly LitRPG, mostly a Fantasy/SciFi Adventure. Secret of the Old Ones is hard LitRPG, complete with XP and leveling...plus has Lovecraftian and steampunk elements (because why not?).
He currently lives in Texas, in a house full of enough geeky memorabilia to start a museum.
He likes talking about himself in 3rd person and posting pictures of himself holding tarantulas. Sometimes, he pretends he is not an idiot with a terrible sense of humor.
It's all very eccentric.
Blaise currently writes mostly in the GameLit genre and LitRPG subgenre, exciting new classifications of fiction where characters either play a game (usually VR), or live in a world with game-like elements.
Delvers LLC is GameLit, lightly LitRPG, mostly a Fantasy/SciFi Adventure. Secret of the Old Ones is hard LitRPG, complete with XP and leveling...plus has Lovecraftian and steampunk elements (because why not?).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
July 22, 2023
needs editing
There are places where the books Continuity just jumps from one thing to another. Needs an editor, to smooth it out.
Spelling, punctuation and layout are fine. It’s just continuity editing and consistency. One that just bugging me to no end was when Joe was going against the “wall of his log cabin”. At that point in the story, Joe is in a mansion in the city, which would have finally finished walls. No walls made of logs.
I like the idea of a main character who tries to come up with a win-win solution, and it’s interesting contrast to the whole murder hobo concept. Sometimes it gets pushed way too far and the lead character goes from “wants to be a nice guy” to “wimp with no backbone”.
The whole idea of allowing a city for unions/guilds veto power over basic improvements to human life so that you don’t upset anyone’s job is ridiculous.
The guild has no interest in improving the craft. They have an interest in improving profit margins for the crafter. That is not the same thing. And making the product better for the end-user, at a lower price is pretty much the inverse of what a Guild wants to do.
So Joe really wants to improve life for people he should get out of doing a business that makes better products and force the guild to compete. One person, no matter how talented is not going to change the face of custom crafted weaponry, clothing, or beer.
Just not my cup of Joe.
There are places where the books Continuity just jumps from one thing to another. Needs an editor, to smooth it out.
Spelling, punctuation and layout are fine. It’s just continuity editing and consistency. One that just bugging me to no end was when Joe was going against the “wall of his log cabin”. At that point in the story, Joe is in a mansion in the city, which would have finally finished walls. No walls made of logs.
I like the idea of a main character who tries to come up with a win-win solution, and it’s interesting contrast to the whole murder hobo concept. Sometimes it gets pushed way too far and the lead character goes from “wants to be a nice guy” to “wimp with no backbone”.
The whole idea of allowing a city for unions/guilds veto power over basic improvements to human life so that you don’t upset anyone’s job is ridiculous.
The guild has no interest in improving the craft. They have an interest in improving profit margins for the crafter. That is not the same thing. And making the product better for the end-user, at a lower price is pretty much the inverse of what a Guild wants to do.
So Joe really wants to improve life for people he should get out of doing a business that makes better products and force the guild to compete. One person, no matter how talented is not going to change the face of custom crafted weaponry, clothing, or beer.
Just not my cup of Joe.
August 18, 2023
Its not a bad idea, just done badly.
I suspect it started as a different story or AI was used.
Once the Sheriff got "into his squad car and drove off with the engine roaring" (when it has been established as a medieval society) it becomes obvious that the story isn't following its own rules.
Worse than this though is the MC is pretty annoying with his absolute blandness!
He refuses to use his powers incase it upsets anyone or effects their work as he is a "good soul".
Instead he just cleans the whole town! So I guess he wasn't to bothered about those that made a living from cleaning/repair. I guess those on minimum wage don't matter.
I suspect it started as a different story or AI was used.
Once the Sheriff got "into his squad car and drove off with the engine roaring" (when it has been established as a medieval society) it becomes obvious that the story isn't following its own rules.
Worse than this though is the MC is pretty annoying with his absolute blandness!
He refuses to use his powers incase it upsets anyone or effects their work as he is a "good soul".
Instead he just cleans the whole town! So I guess he wasn't to bothered about those that made a living from cleaning/repair. I guess those on minimum wage don't matter.
July 20, 2023
Hot mess
That's what this book is.
The idea for it is good... Great even! But the execution was terrible. There are tons of typos. Sentences that are so broken they're unreadable, and the authors can't seem to remember details in their own story! Things like one moment they say someone "drives away in his vehicle", then a few chapters later, it's stated that they use beasts of burden to travel. WTF?
That's what this book is.
The idea for it is good... Great even! But the execution was terrible. There are tons of typos. Sentences that are so broken they're unreadable, and the authors can't seem to remember details in their own story! Things like one moment they say someone "drives away in his vehicle", then a few chapters later, it's stated that they use beasts of burden to travel. WTF?
August 2, 2023
Proof read
The concept is nice but the execution was horrendous. The book is so full of Nonsensical Sentences, misplaced or miss- spelled Words, Then add a frequent substitution of character names so you never know what's going on, And you have an idea of what this book is like. Simply having somebody proofread would have done wonders.
The concept is nice but the execution was horrendous. The book is so full of Nonsensical Sentences, misplaced or miss- spelled Words, Then add a frequent substitution of character names so you never know what's going on, And you have an idea of what this book is like. Simply having somebody proofread would have done wonders.
October 4, 2023
I really wanted to like this book, but it ended up not really resonating with me.
-
The overall idea was quite nice—Joe is in his forties, he has a cancer, but a goddess named Quinn offers him to start a new life on another Earth. Joe accepts, and is given by Quinn the power to transfer an item's properties to another item.
As Joe experiments with his new ability, he also gets to know the citizens of Lockwood, the town he's arrived in, and befriend them.
-
The story was cozy indeed. The tavern, Joe's mansion, the town, the overall ambience… I appreciated the settings of it.
It develops very slowly, which is the kind of thing I was looking for. It was relaxing to read.
But that's just about it. The rest of the book didn't really appeal to me.
I didn't feel very interested in any of the characters. Joe is kind, he always wants to do good, doesn't want to hurt anyone, and somehow, it ended up making him seem boring. I just thought there was no complexity at all in his character, nothing to explore.
The other characters didn't feel that interesting to me either, and Rick and Caroline's kids just got on my nerves—which is really rare if I'm being honest!
Also, I got really confused with the characters' names and nicknames, at some point I just couldn't remember who was who.
-
And then we have what I thought was the biggest issue: the writing.
I don't think this book is poorly written. But it has a lot of repetitions, sentences that feel weirdly phrased, some things don't make sense or contradict each other… and it just gets worse as you continue reading.
At some point, it felt as though the the text had not been edited. Which I think is a shame, because in my opinion, the story could have been so much more enjoyable without these.
-
That's it for my review.
I liked the story's idea and concept, but the way it was brought to life wasn't for me.
-
The overall idea was quite nice—Joe is in his forties, he has a cancer, but a goddess named Quinn offers him to start a new life on another Earth. Joe accepts, and is given by Quinn the power to transfer an item's properties to another item.
As Joe experiments with his new ability, he also gets to know the citizens of Lockwood, the town he's arrived in, and befriend them.
-
The story was cozy indeed. The tavern, Joe's mansion, the town, the overall ambience… I appreciated the settings of it.
It develops very slowly, which is the kind of thing I was looking for. It was relaxing to read.
But that's just about it. The rest of the book didn't really appeal to me.
I didn't feel very interested in any of the characters. Joe is kind, he always wants to do good, doesn't want to hurt anyone, and somehow, it ended up making him seem boring. I just thought there was no complexity at all in his character, nothing to explore.
The other characters didn't feel that interesting to me either, and Rick and Caroline's kids just got on my nerves—which is really rare if I'm being honest!
Also, I got really confused with the characters' names and nicknames, at some point I just couldn't remember who was who.
-
And then we have what I thought was the biggest issue: the writing.
I don't think this book is poorly written. But it has a lot of repetitions, sentences that feel weirdly phrased, some things don't make sense or contradict each other… and it just gets worse as you continue reading.
At some point, it felt as though the the text had not been edited. Which I think is a shame, because in my opinion, the story could have been so much more enjoyable without these.
-
That's it for my review.
I liked the story's idea and concept, but the way it was brought to life wasn't for me.
August 10, 2023
A nice take on isekai
I truly enjoyed this book. It’s a slow paced truddle through the main character’s new life.
It’s fun, endearing and overall a relaxing read.
The mechanics are developed enough that they make internal sense and open enough that the author can really take the story to interesting places.
Also, it has a poodle hellhound.
I truly enjoyed this book. It’s a slow paced truddle through the main character’s new life.
It’s fun, endearing and overall a relaxing read.
The mechanics are developed enough that they make internal sense and open enough that the author can really take the story to interesting places.
Also, it has a poodle hellhound.
July 28, 2023
I wanted to enjoy this, but...
The story was just good enough that I did not quit before the end, but man, was I tempted.
The writing seems OK at first, but then the weirdness starts. Confusing explanations for things, incorrect word usage so bad they make whole sentences or paragraphs gibberish, sentences that contradict previous things that happened or introduce new things to the reader that it turns out the MC was doing for months aready(That changes the MCs characters or dynamic with others).
There are so many things wrong that it is either terrible translation or generated content. By the end, I couldn't enjoy most of the story because nothing seemed to connect and I was always afraid something weird would be written that would confuse my brain and make me reread the last page or so, or turn back to earlier in the book to confirm what happened in the past.
I highlighted and commented on at least 20 parts of the book before I just gave up. For mistakes, confusing sentences, contradicting facts, and incorrect words.
If I heard how the MC did something with "a flick of his wrist" one more time, when the action could not have happened with a flick of his wrist. Eg. He lit the fire with a flick of his wrist. - How? His magic can't light a fire, how did he light it with a flick of his wrist? Simply saying that he lit the fire, leaves it to us to decide how. Adding "with a flick of his wrist" implies that is how it was done, which it could not be.
The MC has a power that would allow him to make money, and could help the local craftsmen, but instead of doing something, he is afraid making superior products would hurt the local businesses and for some reason agrees to make an oath with the guilds to not use his power unless they say he can. What?
He has no job or money and gets 1 free meal a day for cleaning up the local tavern. Has been living there for months, then out of the blue he states "well I had that job cleaning everyone's house" which is then followed by around three paragraphs where he makes a cleaning business for a few months until he has cleaned every house in town. So the story has been chugging along, I've been wondering how he survives without money, to only find out that the whole time he had a cleaning job that we were never told about. Plus, the explanation is not written as a flashback, but as a continuation of the story, when it seems to be describing the past.
Do not recommend. It is a shame because I can see what they were going for, but the book just left me confused and nervous.
The story was just good enough that I did not quit before the end, but man, was I tempted.
The writing seems OK at first, but then the weirdness starts. Confusing explanations for things, incorrect word usage so bad they make whole sentences or paragraphs gibberish, sentences that contradict previous things that happened or introduce new things to the reader that it turns out the MC was doing for months aready(That changes the MCs characters or dynamic with others).
There are so many things wrong that it is either terrible translation or generated content. By the end, I couldn't enjoy most of the story because nothing seemed to connect and I was always afraid something weird would be written that would confuse my brain and make me reread the last page or so, or turn back to earlier in the book to confirm what happened in the past.
I highlighted and commented on at least 20 parts of the book before I just gave up. For mistakes, confusing sentences, contradicting facts, and incorrect words.
If I heard how the MC did something with "a flick of his wrist" one more time, when the action could not have happened with a flick of his wrist. Eg. He lit the fire with a flick of his wrist. - How? His magic can't light a fire, how did he light it with a flick of his wrist? Simply saying that he lit the fire, leaves it to us to decide how. Adding "with a flick of his wrist" implies that is how it was done, which it could not be.
The MC has a power that would allow him to make money, and could help the local craftsmen, but instead of doing something, he is afraid making superior products would hurt the local businesses and for some reason agrees to make an oath with the guilds to not use his power unless they say he can. What?
He has no job or money and gets 1 free meal a day for cleaning up the local tavern. Has been living there for months, then out of the blue he states "well I had that job cleaning everyone's house" which is then followed by around three paragraphs where he makes a cleaning business for a few months until he has cleaned every house in town. So the story has been chugging along, I've been wondering how he survives without money, to only find out that the whole time he had a cleaning job that we were never told about. Plus, the explanation is not written as a flashback, but as a continuation of the story, when it seems to be describing the past.
Do not recommend. It is a shame because I can see what they were going for, but the book just left me confused and nervous.
October 2, 2023
Absolutely moronic
This has to be one of the most poorly written stories I have read in the last few years. First off, there's tons of missing sections and just incorrect parts of the story. They'll be conversation flowing and author will screw up. Who is saying what. You can kind of figure it out from contacts but it's still a ridiculous for a published but to have these issues. Furthermore, the main character is just the most useless piece of crap I've ever read about. Being a nice guy is all well and good but this guy takes being a wuss to a million and back. The protagonist is horrible. The world building is crap. The magic system is crap. There's not a single redeeming faction about the whole story with the exception of the power that the protagonist has. And he uses it like crap. Do not read under any circumstances.
This has to be one of the most poorly written stories I have read in the last few years. First off, there's tons of missing sections and just incorrect parts of the story. They'll be conversation flowing and author will screw up. Who is saying what. You can kind of figure it out from contacts but it's still a ridiculous for a published but to have these issues. Furthermore, the main character is just the most useless piece of crap I've ever read about. Being a nice guy is all well and good but this guy takes being a wuss to a million and back. The protagonist is horrible. The world building is crap. The magic system is crap. There's not a single redeeming faction about the whole story with the exception of the power that the protagonist has. And he uses it like crap. Do not read under any circumstances.
July 31, 2023
Not good
I am very surprised Blaise Corvin's name is on this book. He does good work and this is not good work. Stilted, disjointed, it may have been spell checked but it was not proof read. It was painful to actually finish the book.
I am very surprised Blaise Corvin's name is on this book. He does good work and this is not good work. Stilted, disjointed, it may have been spell checked but it was not proof read. It was painful to actually finish the book.
October 4, 2023
dislike the story.
The start just doesn’t work. How the protagonist gets picked, and ultimately the why is just dumb. Not to mention there is no point to him getting pulled to the new world. If pure souls are so special why trade them or let them die? If a God can change what plane you live on why can he cure the supposed cancer you have, because you’re a pure soul. If you just need one good person to live in your world what happens when you have 5 bad ones? Why are these Gods worshipped if they’re not omnipotent? What’s the point in serving What amounts to people that have more magic power and have no job for you to do? Especially if you can say NO? How are these gods omniscient but almost forget things, better yet why do they need mortals?
Quasi religion in this book is pointless. It’s pretentious, and tries very hard to fill these gaps with more mumbo jumbo. At least more popular isekai lean into the idiocy with actual goals for the protagonist to accomplish. Or in some cases leave the why unknown/luck. This book says nah I want you to read this crap because the protagonist is pure and doesn’t need to do anything, just come over and live a life.
The world building is poor at the start. Like authors before this one, he makes everything bigger than earth because somehow bigger is better. Think 4 inches vs 12 inches. Oh and by the way this world is also called earth, and they speak luckily enough something akin to english no translation needed. 😳 But why would another plane of existence that’s more magically diverse use a North American English dialect? Why would gods body swap someone and then ask them what profession they want, tell them their going to be busy so this is an extra special onetime visit, not explain much, and leave. See how a reader would be confused. So you get it, the author is just recycling old troupes and being even more pretentious in how he uses them, so it sounds all mystical and crap.
It’s a big don’t read from me.
The start just doesn’t work. How the protagonist gets picked, and ultimately the why is just dumb. Not to mention there is no point to him getting pulled to the new world. If pure souls are so special why trade them or let them die? If a God can change what plane you live on why can he cure the supposed cancer you have, because you’re a pure soul. If you just need one good person to live in your world what happens when you have 5 bad ones? Why are these Gods worshipped if they’re not omnipotent? What’s the point in serving What amounts to people that have more magic power and have no job for you to do? Especially if you can say NO? How are these gods omniscient but almost forget things, better yet why do they need mortals?
Quasi religion in this book is pointless. It’s pretentious, and tries very hard to fill these gaps with more mumbo jumbo. At least more popular isekai lean into the idiocy with actual goals for the protagonist to accomplish. Or in some cases leave the why unknown/luck. This book says nah I want you to read this crap because the protagonist is pure and doesn’t need to do anything, just come over and live a life.
The world building is poor at the start. Like authors before this one, he makes everything bigger than earth because somehow bigger is better. Think 4 inches vs 12 inches. Oh and by the way this world is also called earth, and they speak luckily enough something akin to english no translation needed. 😳 But why would another plane of existence that’s more magically diverse use a North American English dialect? Why would gods body swap someone and then ask them what profession they want, tell them their going to be busy so this is an extra special onetime visit, not explain much, and leave. See how a reader would be confused. So you get it, the author is just recycling old troupes and being even more pretentious in how he uses them, so it sounds all mystical and crap.
It’s a big don’t read from me.
July 24, 2023
I enjoyed this. It's easy to read, light, and while the editing could use some help, I didn't mind that.
Joe is someone from Earth who ends up on a planet that seems like Earth but in the Middle Ages. Except they have phones and cars which doesn't sound very Middle Ages to me. As for Joe himself, he's nice enough if a bit innocent and gullible. His magic gets him in trouble while also helping him become a more integrated member of the village.
Besides the confusing setting, there are a few other problems. Joe arrives in winter/early spring, and most of the book takes place during summer. Except at one point, it's autumn before going back to summer. There are small issues like that in the book.
If you like slice of life stories without much in the way of conflict, then this could be the book for you. Joe has far too easy of a time, and his magic abilities are a little too easy as well. I do hope there is a bit more conflict in book two to keep the story moving.
The editing is not great, but that lies with the publisher, not the author. The book has its problems, but I have a good time. 5/5*
Joe is someone from Earth who ends up on a planet that seems like Earth but in the Middle Ages. Except they have phones and cars which doesn't sound very Middle Ages to me. As for Joe himself, he's nice enough if a bit innocent and gullible. His magic gets him in trouble while also helping him become a more integrated member of the village.
Besides the confusing setting, there are a few other problems. Joe arrives in winter/early spring, and most of the book takes place during summer. Except at one point, it's autumn before going back to summer. There are small issues like that in the book.
If you like slice of life stories without much in the way of conflict, then this could be the book for you. Joe has far too easy of a time, and his magic abilities are a little too easy as well. I do hope there is a bit more conflict in book two to keep the story moving.
The editing is not great, but that lies with the publisher, not the author. The book has its problems, but I have a good time. 5/5*
October 25, 2023
2.5 stars; gave up somewhere south of 60%. I just couldn't bring myself to care. Concept was ok, but he has one power/advantage WHICH HE REFUSES TO USE in any meaningful way. Author obviously has a different interpretation of a "cozy life" from mine, as that is most easily facilitated by making enough money to smooth out the biggest bumps in one's road.
Joe is a loser incapable of standing up for himself and his legitimate interests, and I've no interest in reading about anyone like that. There is plenty of latitude for him to make a good living without being a tyrant or something. Really all I have to say about this.
Joe is a loser incapable of standing up for himself and his legitimate interests, and I've no interest in reading about anyone like that. There is plenty of latitude for him to make a good living without being a tyrant or something. Really all I have to say about this.
October 1, 2023
Okay
This wasn't my favorite. It's smoothly written, and technically it's great. I read many isekai, and I even like cozy ones, but for some reason, I just see Joe as uninteresting. He isn't trying to overcome anything. His friends all Indulge him but he's not trying to accomplish anything. He's a pure soul but he doesn't do anything about it. He doesn't need to be conquering dungeons but he's so cautious and risk adverse, afraid to hurt anyone else, that I can't root for him. I won't read the next one.
This wasn't my favorite. It's smoothly written, and technically it's great. I read many isekai, and I even like cozy ones, but for some reason, I just see Joe as uninteresting. He isn't trying to overcome anything. His friends all Indulge him but he's not trying to accomplish anything. He's a pure soul but he doesn't do anything about it. He doesn't need to be conquering dungeons but he's so cautious and risk adverse, afraid to hurt anyone else, that I can't root for him. I won't read the next one.
August 10, 2023
interesting ability
Good story with a good decently passed flow. One of the more unique abilities and an interesting way of implementing it.
Id recommend it.
Good story with a good decently passed flow. One of the more unique abilities and an interesting way of implementing it.
Id recommend it.
July 24, 2023
Overall it's a good book with a lot of potential for further books in the series.
There are several place where typos and repetitive paragraphs cause the reader to be jarred out of the story; as another reviewer said, additional editor reviews would really help the book get that last bit of polish it needed before release.
The protagonist's level of indecision and caution for disruption is a bit bothersome. They don't want to ruffle feathers with competition and businesses to a degree that a reasonable innovator would take action for the betterment of society; sometimes you just have to disrupt.
The author should have the protagonist exploring their abilities more often, not to mention testing the limits of what they can do.
There are several place where typos and repetitive paragraphs cause the reader to be jarred out of the story; as another reviewer said, additional editor reviews would really help the book get that last bit of polish it needed before release.
The protagonist's level of indecision and caution for disruption is a bit bothersome. They don't want to ruffle feathers with competition and businesses to a degree that a reasonable innovator would take action for the betterment of society; sometimes you just have to disrupt.
The author should have the protagonist exploring their abilities more often, not to mention testing the limits of what they can do.
July 27, 2023
This is absolutely packed with bizarre errors, like characters giving speeches clearly meant to be said by someone else, or suddenly talking gibberish mid-sentence. Names get mixed up, the setting is inconsistent (is it medieval or not?), and sometimes the action skips with no explanation. The rudimentary story wasn’t enough to keep me reading. If it gets cleaned up it would probably be a decent read.
July 26, 2023
This book was strangely poorly written, considering the author. It seemed like it had never gone past an editor. It is riddled with continuity errors, misspellings, and characters are misidentified from one sentence to the next.
The main characters are sketchily presented, and things are glossed over throughout.
I gave it a four, as the premise is good, and despite being jarred out of the smooth reading flow, I found it enjoyable.
I am hoping the second book is better done, or I may drop this series.
Malcolm
The main characters are sketchily presented, and things are glossed over throughout.
I gave it a four, as the premise is good, and despite being jarred out of the smooth reading flow, I found it enjoyable.
I am hoping the second book is better done, or I may drop this series.
Malcolm
July 26, 2023
Bad writing
This was an unexpectedly bad story telling. There were places I could not follow the action too many tangent explanations. Writing 20 words were 5 would have done the job.
This was an unexpectedly bad story telling. There were places I could not follow the action too many tangent explanations. Writing 20 words were 5 would have done the job.
July 28, 2023
Need an editor
Poorly written. Random names used when never seen before. References to things or statements that don't appy. so much so that I couldn't finish the story.
Poorly written. Random names used when never seen before. References to things or statements that don't appy. so much so that I couldn't finish the story.
November 2, 2023
This book is full of nonsensical descriptions. This is the kind of writing style a student would use to pad the word count while showing off their vocabulary.
July 21, 2023
It is a very mediocre book. The main character has very little conflict and insist on making everyone happy and succeeds in doing this. Even when learning his “magic” the book shows very little strife.
September 11, 2023
Confused about economics
The main character is far too concerned about the creative destruction of the free market. And in a real small town too! Where there is likely to be little actual destruction.
The main character is far too concerned about the creative destruction of the free market. And in a real small town too! Where there is likely to be little actual destruction.
August 30, 2023
Had potential
Ok I had hopes for this one. I tend to like this kind of book. However the MC in this one is just not tolerable. The MC is such a hardcore pacifist that he would rather be a bum and leach off of his friends than start his own business and help people, on the off chance that he could hurt someone else's business if he became to successful......... Like what the heck... I just hate the mindset of the MC so much I can't finish this..... Would not recommend.
Ok I had hopes for this one. I tend to like this kind of book. However the MC in this one is just not tolerable. The MC is such a hardcore pacifist that he would rather be a bum and leach off of his friends than start his own business and help people, on the off chance that he could hurt someone else's business if he became to successful......... Like what the heck... I just hate the mindset of the MC so much I can't finish this..... Would not recommend.
June 5, 2024
This is lazy writing from the author of Delvers Inc. He's supposed to be a Craftsman, who hasn't crafted anything throughout the book. Maybe, I'm wrong, but what I have read in this genre, is a Craftsman may employ enchanting but hs has to craft an item. What exactly did he craft? Is a mage or an enchanter?? I suspect this might be an AI assisted novel. It's pointless.
October 5, 2023
There's no doubt in my mind that AI was used to write this. I think C Cheesecake must be a pseudonym for that AI because the other Blaise Corvin books aren't this bad.
October 20, 2023
I was enjoying this ... until I got past the first few chapters.
This book starts out with Joe, our bland and boring protagonist, as he leaves his bookshop that's about to be closed down. We learn that in addition to the financial woes, he also has terminal cancer, with only a few months left to live. Then he meets this otherworldly goddess who offers him a deal because he's apparently a "pure spirit". She says 'come to my world and get a second chance at life' and he's happy to take that deal. To be honest, who wouldn't?
So there he is, the previously thirty-something guy has been transported to this new world, he's received a magical power unique to him and he can't wait to discover this world. But, no, that's not what happens! He actually doesn't want to do anything but live a simple life in some tiny coastal town near which the goddess dropped him off at. Well okay, fair enough. This is a slice-of-life crafting story after all, so I can't fault him for his desires.
When he tries to enter, one of the town guards, instead of bringing him to the sheriff as he should've done, tricks Joe into being free labor at his wife's inn. Which predictably ends up getting him arrested for practicing sorcery without a license on his first day in town. Joe's overdeveloped yet painfully sincere gratitude for letting him stay is par for the course of how the story will develop. He's apparently a saint, because the way he interacts with the people of the town and the way he uses his abilities (or rather: doesn't use them) makes this perfectly clear.
This book comes with a lack of proper editing, but for me it wasn't enough of a reason to quit. No, the protagonist ended up sufficiently weighing down the scales for that. The character's obsequious nature is not only painfully sincere but also dialed up a few steps beyond normal. For one thing I couldn't tell you a single person in real life that takes it to these extremes, at least not someone who hasn't grown up in a non-western culture. For another, the effect this has on the plot is rather discouraging.
Because of this, the book ended up being a bland tale with a bland protagonist. When you write a slice-of-life type of story, you replace the majority of plot development (action, climax, resolution) and instead follow the character(s) around their daily lives. The million dollar question: what happens, when you have a boring main character that spreads his blandness around to everything he touches? Look at my rating to get your answer.
This book starts out with Joe, our bland and boring protagonist, as he leaves his bookshop that's about to be closed down. We learn that in addition to the financial woes, he also has terminal cancer, with only a few months left to live. Then he meets this otherworldly goddess who offers him a deal because he's apparently a "pure spirit". She says 'come to my world and get a second chance at life' and he's happy to take that deal. To be honest, who wouldn't?
So there he is, the previously thirty-something guy has been transported to this new world, he's received a magical power unique to him and he can't wait to discover this world. But, no, that's not what happens! He actually doesn't want to do anything but live a simple life in some tiny coastal town near which the goddess dropped him off at. Well okay, fair enough. This is a slice-of-life crafting story after all, so I can't fault him for his desires.
When he tries to enter, one of the town guards, instead of bringing him to the sheriff as he should've done, tricks Joe into being free labor at his wife's inn. Which predictably ends up getting him arrested for practicing sorcery without a license on his first day in town. Joe's overdeveloped yet painfully sincere gratitude for letting him stay is par for the course of how the story will develop. He's apparently a saint, because the way he interacts with the people of the town and the way he uses his abilities (or rather: doesn't use them) makes this perfectly clear.
This book comes with a lack of proper editing, but for me it wasn't enough of a reason to quit. No, the protagonist ended up sufficiently weighing down the scales for that. The character's obsequious nature is not only painfully sincere but also dialed up a few steps beyond normal. For one thing I couldn't tell you a single person in real life that takes it to these extremes, at least not someone who hasn't grown up in a non-western culture. For another, the effect this has on the plot is rather discouraging.
Because of this, the book ended up being a bland tale with a bland protagonist. When you write a slice-of-life type of story, you replace the majority of plot development (action, climax, resolution) and instead follow the character(s) around their daily lives. The million dollar question: what happens, when you have a boring main character that spreads his blandness around to everything he touches? Look at my rating to get your answer.
July 25, 2023
Nothing can go smoothly
Joe got dressed up to leave work. He had his own bookstore, but unfortunately the little business was not doing well. As he was locking up and shutting down, he left the book store and saw the large sign out front that said foreclosure. That sign had been there for a few weeks now. Joe tried to enjoy the beauty of the snow. The business had not been doing well since his ‘partner’ disappeared a few years back. As Joe gets in his car, he sees the piles of envelopes and bills on his passenger seat. As well as his Get Well Soon cards.
As he pulled into his apartment complex, he felt lucky to find a parking spot. As he got out of his car, he saw a woman across the street who was scanning the road looking for someone. She has white hair and looked like someone who stepped out of a manga. She waved to Joe, so he headed over. Maybe he knew her from the bookstore or somewhere else. He felt like he knew her and was drawn to her. She called his name and as he got closer, she seemed more like a model. She asked about the bookstore and how it was doing, so she must not know about the foreclosure.
After a brief discussion, he thought that she came to collect him and it was his time. She claimed to be a goddess and was offering Joe a chance for a new life. No foreclosing bookstore, no cancer and no death in a few months. Her name was Quinn and she was looking for someone with a pure spirit. Her offer – she takes him to her world. It is similar to Earth, but it has different magic and technologies. No quests, no goals, just live in her world as a pure soul. He would get his body but younger, no fights against evil or anything like that. And as a bonus, he will get one ability. With a few options, he decides to not depend on others (like schooling, guilds etc.) and chooses a spirit power. It will depend on what is in him and as he does things in life that are in line with his soul, he will get stronger and stronger. And so it begins…
Joe got dressed up to leave work. He had his own bookstore, but unfortunately the little business was not doing well. As he was locking up and shutting down, he left the book store and saw the large sign out front that said foreclosure. That sign had been there for a few weeks now. Joe tried to enjoy the beauty of the snow. The business had not been doing well since his ‘partner’ disappeared a few years back. As Joe gets in his car, he sees the piles of envelopes and bills on his passenger seat. As well as his Get Well Soon cards.
As he pulled into his apartment complex, he felt lucky to find a parking spot. As he got out of his car, he saw a woman across the street who was scanning the road looking for someone. She has white hair and looked like someone who stepped out of a manga. She waved to Joe, so he headed over. Maybe he knew her from the bookstore or somewhere else. He felt like he knew her and was drawn to her. She called his name and as he got closer, she seemed more like a model. She asked about the bookstore and how it was doing, so she must not know about the foreclosure.
After a brief discussion, he thought that she came to collect him and it was his time. She claimed to be a goddess and was offering Joe a chance for a new life. No foreclosing bookstore, no cancer and no death in a few months. Her name was Quinn and she was looking for someone with a pure spirit. Her offer – she takes him to her world. It is similar to Earth, but it has different magic and technologies. No quests, no goals, just live in her world as a pure soul. He would get his body but younger, no fights against evil or anything like that. And as a bonus, he will get one ability. With a few options, he decides to not depend on others (like schooling, guilds etc.) and chooses a spirit power. It will depend on what is in him and as he does things in life that are in line with his soul, he will get stronger and stronger. And so it begins…
November 10, 2023
This book is a feel-good slice-of-life style of Isekai story, which is great because I have been eating up these sorts of books recently. It's so nice to take a break from the action themes of fantasy novels and explore the wonder of magic and the other elements that fantasy stories can deliver in a different kind of story.
This book delivers on those things for me, and I really enjoyed my time reading it. However, that's not to say that it is quite the slam dunk I was hoping for.
The biggest issue here (and the reason for the loss of a star in this review) is the protagonist's (and by extension the overall story's) lack of drive and motivation. It's all well and good saying that the protagonist just wants a cosy life, but if there's not something standing in the way of that which is pulling him off course which he needs to overcome, then there's not much driving this story. It becomes just a list of events with very little importance overall.
This could be overcome if it was maybe a character study or more focused on exploring the world-building, the magic system, or something else interesting. But instead, it is all kind of meh and it's lacking something to pull the story forward and give you a reason to keep reading.
However, this book is just what I was looking for right now and I can't deny that I enjoyed it for what it is, so I am happy to give it four stars and I am looking forward to the next book. I just hope that there's a little bit more ambition in the next one so that I have a reason to keep reading this series.
This book delivers on those things for me, and I really enjoyed my time reading it. However, that's not to say that it is quite the slam dunk I was hoping for.
The biggest issue here (and the reason for the loss of a star in this review) is the protagonist's (and by extension the overall story's) lack of drive and motivation. It's all well and good saying that the protagonist just wants a cosy life, but if there's not something standing in the way of that which is pulling him off course which he needs to overcome, then there's not much driving this story. It becomes just a list of events with very little importance overall.
This could be overcome if it was maybe a character study or more focused on exploring the world-building, the magic system, or something else interesting. But instead, it is all kind of meh and it's lacking something to pull the story forward and give you a reason to keep reading.
However, this book is just what I was looking for right now and I can't deny that I enjoyed it for what it is, so I am happy to give it four stars and I am looking forward to the next book. I just hope that there's a little bit more ambition in the next one so that I have a reason to keep reading this series.
July 19, 2023
My Rating System:
5- Perfect for my taste, I could not physically stop reading/listening and wanted more afterward.
4- Almost perfect, could not stop reading/listening, probably wanted more afterward.
3- I enjoyed the book and could see others loving it, I need to think if I want more.
2- I can see why others might like the book, but I could not, I do not want more.
1- What is this? What went wrong? Why did they do this? This doesn't make any sense! (No idea who it is for, but definitely not for me).
[Audiobook Version]
Honestly, this was a decent book, but I have some issues with it. My biggest one was the amount of repetition of the same information throughout the entire book. Numerous actions and events in the book were explained three to four times in the same paragraph when it wasn't necessary or needed. Another issue I had was narrator, but I wouldn't consider it bad. Unfortunately, the dialogue in the book is just average, but because the story is a slower slice-of-life adventure with a heavy focus on side characters, the average dialogue can't really support the rest of the story. The but I found the only reason why I even finished the book was because of the unique power the protagonist has, and how it will be used. is interesting and enjoyable to learn about. Lastly, I was not impressed with the narrator, I wouldn't consider it bad though.
5- Perfect for my taste, I could not physically stop reading/listening and wanted more afterward.
4- Almost perfect, could not stop reading/listening, probably wanted more afterward.
3- I enjoyed the book and could see others loving it, I need to think if I want more.
2- I can see why others might like the book, but I could not, I do not want more.
1- What is this? What went wrong? Why did they do this? This doesn't make any sense! (No idea who it is for, but definitely not for me).
[Audiobook Version]
Honestly, this was a decent book, but I have some issues with it. My biggest one was the amount of repetition of the same information throughout the entire book. Numerous actions and events in the book were explained three to four times in the same paragraph when it wasn't necessary or needed. Another issue I had was narrator, but I wouldn't consider it bad. Unfortunately, the dialogue in the book is just average, but because the story is a slower slice-of-life adventure with a heavy focus on side characters, the average dialogue can't really support the rest of the story. The but I found the only reason why I even finished the book was because of the unique power the protagonist has, and how it will be used. is interesting and enjoyable to learn about. Lastly, I was not impressed with the narrator, I wouldn't consider it bad though.
January 3, 2024
DNF at 36% - in the middle of an action scene, no less.
I hate to pile onto the bad reviews for this book but it really needed a editor. Within the first 3ish pages the MC walked out of his door into knee high snow and then 2 paragraphs later walked out the door again into ankle high snow. He drove "across Chicago" in 20 minutes, which while I have never been to that city, I doubt is possible. Then he meets a woman that we are told twice within about 5 paragraphs is not impacted by the winter cold, using the exact same sentance. This is basic stuff that should be caught by an editor and was found throughout the first third of the novel.
I found the premise interesting enough, not too unique but would have kept my attention if the book had been better edited. The MC made a lot of frustrating choices considering the situation he was in. The reason I stopped in the middle of an action scene was the fight basically had to stop so that the character could do his weird magic.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book as is unless blatant inconsistencies and repeatative writing don't bother you. If it was edited I would reconsider reading and recommending this book.
I hate to pile onto the bad reviews for this book but it really needed a editor. Within the first 3ish pages the MC walked out of his door into knee high snow and then 2 paragraphs later walked out the door again into ankle high snow. He drove "across Chicago" in 20 minutes, which while I have never been to that city, I doubt is possible. Then he meets a woman that we are told twice within about 5 paragraphs is not impacted by the winter cold, using the exact same sentance. This is basic stuff that should be caught by an editor and was found throughout the first third of the novel.
I found the premise interesting enough, not too unique but would have kept my attention if the book had been better edited. The MC made a lot of frustrating choices considering the situation he was in. The reason I stopped in the middle of an action scene was the fight basically had to stop so that the character could do his weird magic.
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book as is unless blatant inconsistencies and repeatative writing don't bother you. If it was edited I would reconsider reading and recommending this book.
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