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Cozy Isekai Craftsman #2
Loyalties
After being transported to a fantasy world full of supernatural beauty and weirdness, Joe has forged himself a place in the community of Lockwood. Now he has a home, a place he belongs, and people he cares about. After finding loopholes in the strange ability conferred by the goddess Quinn, he has enriched and delighted his new friends.
However, despite solving local problems ranging from sanitation to monster attacks, Joe’s work is not done. There are powers in the world who are seeking Joe. Some might be friendly, some not so friendly.
Some of those around him are also hiding secrets. Some need help. Some might even help him when he needs it most. And most of all, Joe is about to learn that his deal with the Goddess Quinn will complicate his life in ways he could have never anticipated.
However, despite solving local problems ranging from sanitation to monster attacks, Joe’s work is not done. There are powers in the world who are seeking Joe. Some might be friendly, some not so friendly.
Some of those around him are also hiding secrets. Some need help. Some might even help him when he needs it most. And most of all, Joe is about to learn that his deal with the Goddess Quinn will complicate his life in ways he could have never anticipated.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2023
207 people are currently reading
43 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 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 19, 2023
This entire review is based on Joe's business sense and the ability to stand up for himself. Oliver for the merchant union keeps going on and on about single point of failures which is not their problem it's a single business owners problem. Also Joe can just up and leave the town and go to a city or bigger place that accepts him and his inventions its totally ridiculous that he's on trial for getting approval for a business idea, During that "meeting" he should have just given them the finger and walked out.
The only reason that these scumbags want him to like produce other stuff easy is so they can reverse engineer it and sell themselves. Noooooooo business owner and investor gives up that much information on the item.
The only reason that these scumbags want him to like produce other stuff easy is so they can reverse engineer it and sell themselves. Noooooooo business owner and investor gives up that much information on the item.
October 19, 2023
A distorted view of economics
The author continues to absolutely ignore the creative destruction of the free market. Also the narrative doesn't explain the mechanism of a pivotal battle towards the end.
The author continues to absolutely ignore the creative destruction of the free market. Also the narrative doesn't explain the mechanism of a pivotal battle towards the end.
October 26, 2023
Now that we're in book two Joe is making some progress with getting to know the townspeople and merchants. He still carries pebbles in his pocket so he can utilize them when he needs. Thomas the ghost is hanging around making quips.
This series is very similar to the newest series by Dave Willmarth. I'm sure it's an accident but I noticed.
I will say that I liked book two, just not as much as in book one. Bringing the Goddess (The Mighty!) Quinn into things creates a tangled web and it takes the entire book to get free of it. Joe tends towards the passive because he just wants everyone to get along with each other. Oliver, the head of the merchants is a good character and a nice test for Joe.
As another reviewer mentioned, it almost feels like book two is the end of the series. There aren't any big quests that need to be done. Joe kind of exists and that's it. Authors need money too, and if this series isn't pulling in enough than I could see it being dropped which would be a shame. Slice of life stories can be a harder sell despite a lot of interesting things going on.
The editing is fine. I still like the series and will read book 3 if and when it comes out. 5/5*
This series is very similar to the newest series by Dave Willmarth. I'm sure it's an accident but I noticed.
I will say that I liked book two, just not as much as in book one. Bringing the Goddess (The Mighty!) Quinn into things creates a tangled web and it takes the entire book to get free of it. Joe tends towards the passive because he just wants everyone to get along with each other. Oliver, the head of the merchants is a good character and a nice test for Joe.
As another reviewer mentioned, it almost feels like book two is the end of the series. There aren't any big quests that need to be done. Joe kind of exists and that's it. Authors need money too, and if this series isn't pulling in enough than I could see it being dropped which would be a shame. Slice of life stories can be a harder sell despite a lot of interesting things going on.
The editing is fine. I still like the series and will read book 3 if and when it comes out. 5/5*
June 12, 2024
A book with an odd after-taste.
There is so much to like in this book. Joe Johnson is a likeable protaganist who just wants to help his friends. The world is an interesting setting and continues to grow. The conflicts are clever and fit in with the books coziness.
So why three stars? Because it is written in such a weird way. The author uses similies, a lot. Over uses. Saturates the book with them. And they are distracting. They bog the story down.
First off, the simlies are not the "as red as a ripe tomato" kind. They're more like, "Joe felt as comfortable as a well baked pumpkin pie" kind of thing. I read them, and would wonder, what the heck does that even mean?
Second, they all are about cooking. Or eating in restaurants. Which might make sense if this were a book about a guy running a restaurant. But it isn't. Joe is a wizard who runs a shop. Sure, he likes to eat and cook, but that's not the point.
Joe is a stranger, in a strange land. His behavior is often odd and surprising to his friends. I thought, maybe, that using this type of writing was supposed to help us feel his oddness, so we see him the way the people of the town see him.
If that's the case, it is a neat idea. It didn't work. It just comes off as weird as pouring beef gravy on jello.
There is so much to like in this book. Joe Johnson is a likeable protaganist who just wants to help his friends. The world is an interesting setting and continues to grow. The conflicts are clever and fit in with the books coziness.
So why three stars? Because it is written in such a weird way. The author uses similies, a lot. Over uses. Saturates the book with them. And they are distracting. They bog the story down.
First off, the simlies are not the "as red as a ripe tomato" kind. They're more like, "Joe felt as comfortable as a well baked pumpkin pie" kind of thing. I read them, and would wonder, what the heck does that even mean?
Second, they all are about cooking. Or eating in restaurants. Which might make sense if this were a book about a guy running a restaurant. But it isn't. Joe is a wizard who runs a shop. Sure, he likes to eat and cook, but that's not the point.
Joe is a stranger, in a strange land. His behavior is often odd and surprising to his friends. I thought, maybe, that using this type of writing was supposed to help us feel his oddness, so we see him the way the people of the town see him.
If that's the case, it is a neat idea. It didn't work. It just comes off as weird as pouring beef gravy on jello.
November 11, 2023
This book has a little more drive than the first book, but not by much. You can literally skip big chunks of this book and just pick up without worrying about what you missed because everything is either unimportant or pretty low impact.
I happen to enjoy slice-of-life easy-reading fantasy right now and therefore I enjoyed this book. However, with the next book not out at the time of writing this review, I don't see myself coming back to this series any time soon. Maybe when there is a large batch of them released I will binge them all, but there's nothing here to draw me back.
It's 3.5 stars for this book that gets rounded up because I enjoyed it, but honestly, it could have gone either way.
I happen to enjoy slice-of-life easy-reading fantasy right now and therefore I enjoyed this book. However, with the next book not out at the time of writing this review, I don't see myself coming back to this series any time soon. Maybe when there is a large batch of them released I will binge them all, but there's nothing here to draw me back.
It's 3.5 stars for this book that gets rounded up because I enjoyed it, but honestly, it could have gone either way.
January 15, 2024
Loyalties is the second book in this series, and it's every bit as good as the first one. Perhaps even a bit better, since the background is already known, which lends some familiarity to the proceedings. Gods make their deals, mortals get pulled every which way, but our main character continues to stick to his goals of living one day at a time, and take life as it comes. Turns out, that's a pretty good way of flife for him. Great story, and I'd be happy to read more in this series myself, it's all very relaxing.
October 22, 2023
Loyalties was just a wonderful follow-up to the first book! All Joe wants is a cozy life, good friends and to craft things that will enhance everyone's quality of life. Where the most pressing issue is getting the city's water supply running again and growing herbs. Give or take a few Hellhounds, Demon rats, and an Evil Sorcerer.
So if you liked Lockwood bk1 and you like cozies in general your gonna love Loyalties. What are you waiting for go ahead and snatch up this book with both hands!
How sincere are poached eggs?!?:
"Apologies for arriving unannounced," Patricia began, her words dripping with sincerity like a perfectly poached egg..."
So if you liked Lockwood bk1 and you like cozies in general your gonna love Loyalties. What are you waiting for go ahead and snatch up this book with both hands!
How sincere are poached eggs?!?:
"Apologies for arriving unannounced," Patricia began, her words dripping with sincerity like a perfectly poached egg..."
December 13, 2024
Super annoying to read.
The story is fine, the characters are little dumb and the magic system is a little confusing. HOWEVER, that isn't why I rated the book one star. METAPHORS! Every other sentence is a metaphor. What is worse, a great majority of the metaphors were cooking/restaurant/food based metaphors. I think the author was either filling pages with metaphors, have a difficult time in helping the reader visualize normally, or at point worked at a french restaurant. I am hoping the author either stops using AI or attend some sort of writing course at a local college, because people are going to drop the book if they are annoyed with constant metaphors.
The story is fine, the characters are little dumb and the magic system is a little confusing. HOWEVER, that isn't why I rated the book one star. METAPHORS! Every other sentence is a metaphor. What is worse, a great majority of the metaphors were cooking/restaurant/food based metaphors. I think the author was either filling pages with metaphors, have a difficult time in helping the reader visualize normally, or at point worked at a french restaurant. I am hoping the author either stops using AI or attend some sort of writing course at a local college, because people are going to drop the book if they are annoyed with constant metaphors.
October 19, 2023
this is a hard one to radio
I read this one because I wanted to follow up on the story from the first one. The first book had a few errors, but this one was a hot mess. There are multiple editing and continuity errors. It was very confusing to read. I liked the way the story was tracking, and if the errors were corrected, I would totally upgrade my review. I think that the authors simply need to have more attention paid to editing for the next one, and possibly pull this one and re-edit it before republishing it. It was a really good story, just really really bad editing.
I read this one because I wanted to follow up on the story from the first one. The first book had a few errors, but this one was a hot mess. There are multiple editing and continuity errors. It was very confusing to read. I liked the way the story was tracking, and if the errors were corrected, I would totally upgrade my review. I think that the authors simply need to have more attention paid to editing for the next one, and possibly pull this one and re-edit it before republishing it. It was a really good story, just really really bad editing.
December 14, 2023
A slower paced story with an enjoyable aftertaste
An interesting tale of Joe, a kind hearted man with an extraordinary gift which he uses to benefit those around him. Strange events surround Joe, but he manages to calmly resolve them even when they are deadly. It’s a nice story, but it ends at a point where the authors could finish it up and conclude these characters story even with plenty more possibilities with the characters involved (not every sub-plot is resolved and answered). I enjoyed the story and would like to read more.
An interesting tale of Joe, a kind hearted man with an extraordinary gift which he uses to benefit those around him. Strange events surround Joe, but he manages to calmly resolve them even when they are deadly. It’s a nice story, but it ends at a point where the authors could finish it up and conclude these characters story even with plenty more possibilities with the characters involved (not every sub-plot is resolved and answered). I enjoyed the story and would like to read more.
October 24, 2023
In general I've rather enjoyed this series so far. The reason this book didn't get four stars was that about three quarters of the way through, the writing style suddenly changed quite drastically. It was as if the author felt the need to put similes in nearly every sentence and it became quite jarring. I'm not sure if the author was trying to be humorous, but it landed flat (and some of the similes were incorrect which was confusing in context). Luckily the simile spell dried up after a while.
November 16, 2023
Good read
Definitely cozy. Definitely slice of life Not much detail here in the system itself but MC has a very interesting soulpower. Not crunchy at all A lot of personal interactions. Not bad if you like that kind of Book. If you're looking for something More serious look elsewhere but then again if not the title says it all.
Definitely cozy. Definitely slice of life Not much detail here in the system itself but MC has a very interesting soulpower. Not crunchy at all A lot of personal interactions. Not bad if you like that kind of Book. If you're looking for something More serious look elsewhere but then again if not the title says it all.
January 24, 2024
Pretty neat
I like that even though he was a bit OP the main character wasn't wild and thoughtless. He didn't go around overriding people's lives and worked within the confines of the world and lands he was in instead of bullying his way insisting he was right just because he was from a more advanced civilization and had power.
That is rare
I like that even though he was a bit OP the main character wasn't wild and thoughtless. He didn't go around overriding people's lives and worked within the confines of the world and lands he was in instead of bullying his way insisting he was right just because he was from a more advanced civilization and had power.
That is rare
October 19, 2023
Different. More real. More relatable.
The hero moves from earth to fantasy, with only a simple power. With ingenuity and creativity, he embarks on his heroic quest. A simple and cozy life with good friends, a few comforts and good food.
The hero moves from earth to fantasy, with only a simple power. With ingenuity and creativity, he embarks on his heroic quest. A simple and cozy life with good friends, a few comforts and good food.
October 21, 2023
a little scattered
Don’t get me wrong it’s not too bad just feels like there’s not a consistent story for this it’s a bunch of short stories and while I’m sure there’s people who like that it’s not my cup of tea.
Don’t get me wrong it’s not too bad just feels like there’s not a consistent story for this it’s a bunch of short stories and while I’m sure there’s people who like that it’s not my cup of tea.
October 23, 2023
Very skillfully done
Though the writers hide their identities their good writing shines through. Especially excellent characters with very quirky identities. I loved every moment of this second book. Keep writing!
Though the writers hide their identities their good writing shines through. Especially excellent characters with very quirky identities. I loved every moment of this second book. Keep writing!
October 24, 2023
Cozy, indeed!
Alternate universe, magic, fantasy
Joe continues to adjust to his powers, and makes new friends and allies, facing new challenges in his new home within Lockwood. Enjoyed. Hoping there will be a book 3!
Alternate universe, magic, fantasy
Joe continues to adjust to his powers, and makes new friends and allies, facing new challenges in his new home within Lockwood. Enjoyed. Hoping there will be a book 3!
May 19, 2024
A good one.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fun and entertaining. The story and characters were incredibly interesting and engaging. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. This book is definitely worth checking out.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fun and entertaining. The story and characters were incredibly interesting and engaging. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. This book is definitely worth checking out.
July 9, 2025
An interesting take on life.
Deep down in the human experience, life is purely a single moment at a time. This book reminds the reader of this fact. One of the few facts that seem to be eternal. A well written read.
Deep down in the human experience, life is purely a single moment at a time. This book reminds the reader of this fact. One of the few facts that seem to be eternal. A well written read.
October 21, 2023
Great book
Great book I can't wait to read the next book in the series I would recommend this author to anyone
Great book I can't wait to read the next book in the series I would recommend this author to anyone
October 23, 2023
A gun story
It's a good addition to a fun to read story.
The system he is using is creative and interesting.
Keep them coming.
It's a good addition to a fun to read story.
The system he is using is creative and interesting.
Keep them coming.
October 28, 2023
Don't bother
This book is written by a teenager. The story is somewhat interesting if you don't think to hard about any of the details. The ending was bad.
This book is written by a teenager. The story is somewhat interesting if you don't think to hard about any of the details. The ending was bad.
December 25, 2023
Great job!
It’s definitely a cozy read, and the mc is someone everyone can like and enjoy reading about. I just love the concept.
It’s definitely a cozy read, and the mc is someone everyone can like and enjoy reading about. I just love the concept.
January 2, 2024
Fantastic!
Fantastic book! I loved this book! Such amazing character development. I simply can not wait for the next book to come out!
Fantastic book! I loved this book! Such amazing character development. I simply can not wait for the next book to come out!
January 9, 2024
His first book I rated a 4 - but I really enjoyed this one - definitely uplifting...
July 2, 2025
Very good
A very nice take on the litrpg stories no system stays or harem.I recommended this series to any one that likes a sweat story
A very nice take on the litrpg stories no system stays or harem.I recommended this series to any one that likes a sweat story
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews