Undaunted

Eight #3

by Samer Rabadi

How does an old man in an eight-year-old body hunt down a killer? With wisdom, courage, and a healthy dash of magic.
When a murderer turned monster escapes, the evil once restrained now roams free, leaving death in his wake. Inleio, the former lodge master, has fallen, and the responsibility to avenge his death lands squarely on Eight's shoulders.

The chase is treacherous and wild, leading Eight and his hunter team to the nearby city of Albei. There, they face more than just their prey. Political schemes, intrigues from the rival Healer's Lodge, and even assassins threaten to derail their mission.

The stakes are higher, the enemies fiercer, and the Long Dark's shadow looms ever closer. Can Eight's years of wisdom, honed skills, and sheer determination carry him through? He's faced hungry beasts, explored the wilderness, and survived first contact with civilization. But this time, the challenge is greater, the danger more insidious.

Eight 3: Undaunted is a novel of pursuit and peril, of urban struggles, and of a relentless dance with life, death, and magic. It's an adventure that tests the very essence of Eight's being.

Join him as he faces his most daunting challenge yet, but remember, in the game of survival, even the wise can fall, and the Long Dark waits for no one.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Audiobook

750 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2023

Reviews

[XR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the second book, but it kept my attention. Ikfael and Eight's relationship just keeps getting better and it's so sweet to see. Yuki finally getting the trust they deserve from Eight's team was good as it made them so happy to be able to help make everyone stronger.

The politics within this book was so frustrating and that was what I detested most in the book. That was the only negative though so it's still a win to Undaunted for me.

Although I wonder if Eight's going to change his name now that he's nine years old now. Hah!

[Tony Hinde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5 stars?

It's weird to see a society that empowers its citizens based on merit and not age. Watching as city officials meet seriously with an eight-year-old is hard to swallow.

This one, as expected, is set in the big smoke – and it's wall-to-wall politics. And not the sort of politics where your candidate is voted out of office, but more the knife-in-the-back system. For various reasons, our favorite protagonist, Eight, seems to be at the heart of every group's plans. Some want to kill him, while others want to adopt him. In this way, the author plausibly entwines various sub-plots into Eight's story. Nice.

Unfortunately, despite the loving attention lavished on the characters, there's no driving beat. The plot seems to lurch along, only occasionally reminding the reader of the true objective. I wasn't, therefore, as absorbed/addicted to this read as I might have liked.

[Akshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Undaunted (Eight, #3) by Samer Rabadi:

Undaunted (Eight, #3) by Samer Rabadi delivers a thrilling continuation of the epic science fiction saga, propelling readers deeper into the intricacies of the Eight universe. With its high-stakes action, compelling characters, and thought-provoking themes, this installment proves to be a worthy addition to the series, keeping readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

Rabadi's writing style is sharp and engaging, with vivid descriptions and seamless world-building that transport readers to the far reaches of space. The prose is imbued with a sense of urgency and tension, driving the narrative forward with relentless momentum.

In this book, readers are once again thrust into the midst of a galactic conflict as the Eight struggle to navigate the treacherous waters of interstellar politics and warfare. The plot unfolds with precision, balancing moments of intense action with quiet moments of introspection and character development.

One of the strengths of Undaunted (Eight, #3) is its character development. The protagonist and supporting cast undergo significant growth and evolution throughout the narrative, grappling with moral dilemmas and facing their own inner demons. Their relationships deepen and evolve in meaningful ways, adding layers of complexity to the overarching story.

Moreover, the world-building in this installment is expansive, with Rabadi delving deeper into the history and culture of the Eight and their adversaries. From the sprawling metropolises of distant planets to the desolate landscapes of war-torn colonies, every aspect of the setting feels richly realized and meticulously crafted.

In conclusion, Undaunted (Eight, #3) is a gripping and immersive read that will satisfy fans of science fiction and space opera alike. With its compelling plot, well-developed characters, and intricate world-building, it is a shining example of the genre at its finest, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the Eight saga.

Undaunted (Eight, #3) is a must-read for anyone who enjoys epic space adventures and pulse-pounding action. With its masterful storytelling and compelling narrative, it is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers and solidify Samer Rabadi's place among the foremost voices in contemporary science fiction.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

[Stephen Woolverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, and focusing on relationships (platonic) and community over the genre standard lone wolf.

[Benjamin Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

had its moments but the middle was somewhat of a slog

Progress was rather slow, 700 pages for 1 level is a bit of grindfest imo. Showed some politics in the middle of the book which was kind of annoying unfortunately. Not a single likable character was introduced, just a bunch of snobby dudes who are seemingly way better at politics, since they pretty much walked all over the hunters (I guess the grandmaster hunter was okay but she didn’t seem too interested in helping Eights village so idk). Found myself skipping over a lot of middle of the book. I mean reading about other fights in a tournament arc that MC participates in can get annoying, so reading about a tournament the mc wasn’t even in didn’t do much for me.

Also hard to see what direction this is going in. It seems Eight can’t really stay where he’s at and continue to level, so he’s either gonna continue at a 1 level per 650pg pace and reach dusk(introduced in book 1) in book 8 or he’s going to have to leave the village, which seems to go against his character.

[Murphies_law · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 88%

Aggravating, frustrating and rather dull

This book was a real long and uninteresting side quest. I was sad about the antagonist as he didn´t deserve his fate and his victims as they didn´t either.

I fought through the book getting more and more bored but couldn´t make myself finish it to the end.

[Doug Sundseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This series continues to be a strange mix of heartwarming/cozy family life with intrigue, betrayal, violence, and existential threats. And yet this combination works for the story -- I care about the characters and what effects the world will have on them.

The protagonist doesn't change a great deal in this book (other than mechanically), but since he has already lived a full life, that's not unreasonable. The supporting characters undergo significant growth, and this works well in the story. (Note that this largely refers to the adult characters. The children have pervasive problems; see below.)

The world is unlike others I've seen, not because it has innovative challenges for the characters (they're fairly standard), but because it's a believable hunter-gatherer clan society, at least in the village at the center of the series. This story is mostly set in a larger town or city dominated by a strong guild system, and that is also done quite well.

The plot feels like it was written by a discovery writer in the way that the characters seem to get one challenge after another with only loose connections. It's entertaining to read, but not especially focused.

The supposed age of the protagonist still doesn't make any sense. 8-year-old kids don't have the body mass or reach to be effective hand-to-hand combatants, even if you assume a pervasively magical world. Further, the characters of the same age as the body of the protagonist also don't act like 8-y.o. kids either. Had the author said the protagonist was 12 years old, I could almost countenance that, but there's far too much change happening in those 4 years.

Overall, I do like this series. The characters are sympathetic and the challenges are interesting. And the plot pacing is good. But it has several significant problems that knock it down a bit for me. This is not a typical representative of LitRPG, so it wouldn't be a good choice for someone just trying to find out whether the subgenre is their thing. I would recommend this series for people who either want something different from the usual LitRPG fare or people who really love the subgenre.

[Cmoore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately, Undaunted wasn't as good as the first 2 books. The first half of the book was spent, hunting down Borba after he absorbed to much dark energy and turned on team and family killing them. But then after running away and killing another innocent family in another city. The book turned into a political nightmare, so much political machinations, and drama which tends to drive me bug-nuts. But once we got past that hurtle the book was good again as Eight sets up a tournament to help alleviate the financial cost of Borba's actions. So yeah I'll prolly grab the next book to find out what happens next and watch Eight basking in Dawn's Light as a nine year old. 🙃

I love finding quotes that fill my heart with joy:


“We won’t have time to hunt for our food. We’ll be eating mostly dried—” ...“No, no, no. I have brought everything from the refrigerator,” she signed, looking pleased with herself. “We will be able to eat well.”

Yuki's the best Sidekick ever and she always knows how to sidetrack Eight when he needs it:

"‘Quick, what’s the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything?’ “Forty-two,” I said."

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good solid steady series

I have enjoyed this series so far this book was no exception. However this particular book included a lot more Large politics and city politics. A lot less action and certainly a lot less power discovery. Even in this new world the MC discovers that greed is still a prominent human trait. No inclusive and naming convention of the series is still a little difficult to deal with. Example Being the use of lodges which are really more like guilds. For the most part the MC family trump's all. And family in the series is a nebulous construct as it does not always require blood relation. Still it is a progression fantasy and the MC and those around him do progress. I would enjoy a little more technical dive into the differences between QI and mana powered spells and their construct Perhaps allowing the MC to make or learn more spells and abilities. We shall see in the future books but it looks like the gods have a few more irons in the fire then our MC Initially thought. Looking forward to the next book hopefully the weight is not too extreme.

[Sundeep · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read the first two books, so the summary and characters list at the start of the book helped a bit, as did the little callbacks to events from the past in the chapters themselves. Still, it took me about 20% of the book to get really comfortable with the setting and magic system.

Overall, I enjoyed this latest addition to the series. It felt more dangerous compared to the first two books - the serial killer on the loose, assassination attempts and the Long Dark. The political maneuvers on top of all this meant that Eight and the villagers were hard pressed throughout the book. It was good to see them handle these events as best they could and progress ahead.

I especially enjoyed the slice-of-life stuff and the villagers supporting each other amidst all the perils. Some of the newly introduced side-characters were really interesting and the plot seems to be slowly, but steadily raising the stakes with each book.

[Jack Vinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action and introspection.

I looked forward to reading this installment of the series when I saw it arrive at the store. The main character, Eight, is an older man from Earth, but transported to a new world as a young child.

Of course, he is an unusual person in this new world, and I love that his nickname becomes “Little Pot of Questions”. His curiosity and questions continue in this book, bothering his friends - everyone - with questions, ideas, seeking to understand, complaining about “the way things are”, … He also does a lot of internal thinking as he tries to understand what is happening, and reconcile with what he knows from his long life on earth.

This installment covers three major activities that force Eight to face the dangers of the world - closing loose ends from the previous books and learning more about the world. Of course, not all the loose ends are closed and new opportunities appear.

What’s next?

[Bob Bracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best LitRPG series so far

I discovered the LitRPG world a couple years ago & have been obsessively devouring anything & everything since - a guilty pleasure since most of it is mindless fluff lol. The Eight series by Samer Rabadi is an exception for being so well written, both in quality of prose as well as plot & Character development. It is a kind rich of Pilgrim's Progress in following the main protagonist, Eight, as he navigates his new reborn life in a strange, dangerous & challenging new world - from the stature of an Eight year old child with a full prior lifetimes worth of experience * perspective. His growth & development of power & connection to the new world & people is fascinating & fun!
RB Tsawwassen BC Canada

[Bert Babb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The MC made it through difficult times, not without losses but yet strengthened

The village had to hunt a rampaging dusk infested with dark light through forests and villages to a city. There he hid among the masses to absorb innocents. The MC and his cohorts pursued despite beasts, politics, assassins and a mercenary healers guild protecting their turf. The long dark was interesting and the beasts the village faced were OP. Necromancer elks and telekinetic oxen, just wow.

There were some interesting philosophical rants about persevering despite all life throws at you, survivors guilt, etc.

The series was enjoyable, but I got a bit weary at the end of this book and was glad to finish.

[Levia · Rating 4 out of 5]

More enmeshed in this new life.

Eight seems to have joined with his new world more, and he's only bonding more strongly with his family and friends. He does experience quite a bit of culture shock. I dislike how Voorhei is being treated, and I'm disgusted with many organizations. I wish it had been included to see Aslishtei's reaction to finding out where, when, and how she'd met Eight before.

[MG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Volume two was definitely the high point in the series, with this new volume suffering from what bogs down many LitRPG volumes: too much description of strategy and analysis at the cost of not getting to action that moves the plot forward. And the plot did not pull me in. There is still a sweetness to the characters, especially regarding Eight himself, but he still needs to do more to make this compelling.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah I can't see that happening anywhere in the universe. An 8 year old has a physique of an 8 year old, regardless of the memories of an 80 year old. Ever seen an 80 year old sprint vs 8 year old. Both have roughly the same stamina.. 8 year old hunting a 20 year old is laughable at best. I think I'm gonna DNF this series. There's much better stuff to read

[Vivek Satyasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent

It took me multiple attempts to finish this book. I liked the progression of power, but for me there was way too much politicking and touchy feely elements.

I understand the need for a balance of these in a Prog Fantasy novel, but it leaned too heavily in the drama and politics for my taste. Regardless, I’ll continue to follow along for the ride.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world is deftly drawn, with the complex and interesting Eight at the center. I appreciate his thoughtfulness and high degree of principles. A full supporting cast is well-crafted, especially Ikfael and Yuki. The pacing is steady, which is both a blessing and a bane, in terms of sustaining the same level of interest. The emphasis on community was a nice change from other books in this ilk.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Excellent!

This series is exquisitely written. A pinnacle of fantasy writing with delicious depth to the history and culture of an entirely different world.
The writing quality is simply *chef's kiss*

That it's also LitRPG Progression is just icing on the scrumptious cake.

Read be swept away!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Above average litRPG but for some reason still doesn't grab me enough to go on my to-read list. Expect I will eventually pick up the next volume.

Thank goodness the main character is finally ..um.. nine years old. I don't know why. Does the author just really want to avoid puberty and hormones? I suppose I'll never find out.

[Devan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate politics

Would have been 5* for me, but the politics ruined it and left a bad taste in my mouth. I wanted to give it fewer stars because I hate them so much, but felt that wouldn’t have been fair to the author. Other than that it was a good book. Not his best, but good.

[Dantegideon · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know that bit in Harry Potter where they all camp out in tents complaining and it just goes on and on? This is like that, but instead of Harry Potter there’s an eight-year old and instead of his friends there’s a weird mix of tiny kids and adults who all behave exactly the same. They’re chasing someone or other, but we never see any of that, just endless descriptions of tramping around and minor incidents where they fight a sparrow or something. How a writer adept enough to write the previous books can mess up the classic adventuring journey set up is a mystery, but they sure do.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly Good

A great read.
A main character that engages while pulling the reader in.
A cast of supporting characters that enrich the reader’s enjoyment.
A masterful completion of a trilogy
I can only hope for more.

[Travis Smith]

Solid survival series, great original setting

Can't recommend more. Good pacing, almost low fantasy setting. Looking forward to the next!

Oh, and the paths/talent systems are fun.

[Johnie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression type of books with lots of action.

[Keith Heater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok

Not as good as the first two. Too many editing problems and more philosophy and psychology than necessary, but still ok.

[Santhosh Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant read

The story pace is really good, slow enough to savor the journey and fast enough to keep you hooked.

Can't wait for next in series

[George Rokkos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It's a great continuation of a great series! I really liked the magic system and the worldbuilding! Can't wait for the next book!

[RandomLibrarian]

stopped at 11%

[Mark A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

A fresh twist on LitRPG. The main character is surprising in so many ways and the approach to magic is unique. Looking forward to the next book.