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Heaven's Laws #2
Monolith: A Cultivation Fantasy Epic
Father Zan insists Chao and Huifen venture north.
Ancient ruins await. A divine spire there stands.
Their identities must remain hidden.
The Divine Flying Tiger Clan’s Trials are in two short years.
Ancient ruins await. A divine spire there stands.
Their identities must remain hidden.
The Divine Flying Tiger Clan’s Trials are in two short years.
- GenresFantasy
697 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2023
269 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 18, 2023
Silly Sage
I do love it when someone who is viewed as weak proceeds to overwhelm. Especially that moment when attackers begin to realize the truth…priceless.
So, for the negatives:
homophones were jarring, especially the ones that aren’t true homophones (allude/elude, neigh/nigh, etc). There were a few instances where the prose hiccuped, mis-identifying the speaker/actor or switching from 1st to 3rd person without cause.
This took a while to really establish narrative direction. All of the events before they depart on their ‘journey’ are necessary, but there wasn’t a real strong drive through them. The early chapters covered critical moments, and served as foundations for later events. But they *felt* a bit directionless.
Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I actually put down a different novel just to read this, and I still feel it was the right choice.
And…damn, how old is Father Zan?!?!?
I do love it when someone who is viewed as weak proceeds to overwhelm. Especially that moment when attackers begin to realize the truth…priceless.
So, for the negatives:
homophones were jarring, especially the ones that aren’t true homophones (allude/elude, neigh/nigh, etc). There were a few instances where the prose hiccuped, mis-identifying the speaker/actor or switching from 1st to 3rd person without cause.
This took a while to really establish narrative direction. All of the events before they depart on their ‘journey’ are necessary, but there wasn’t a real strong drive through them. The early chapters covered critical moments, and served as foundations for later events. But they *felt* a bit directionless.
Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I actually put down a different novel just to read this, and I still feel it was the right choice.
And…damn, how old is Father Zan?!?!?
November 29, 2023
Rating 3.5 stars
Not as good as the first one. The first book had two parts which this one lacked. The first half of book one was all about learning about the world, the laws, the magic system. The second part of the first book was getting ready to face the army that was coming to get them. The first part for me was good because I was exploring new world with new rules and the wonder of the laws and magic. The second part of the first book there was the goal of surviving.
This book lacked that a little.
Not as good as the first one. The first book had two parts which this one lacked. The first half of book one was all about learning about the world, the laws, the magic system. The second part of the first book was getting ready to face the army that was coming to get them. The first part for me was good because I was exploring new world with new rules and the wonder of the laws and magic. The second part of the first book there was the goal of surviving.
This book lacked that a little.
October 27, 2023
So good!
This is an incredibly thoughtful take on xianxia. It is reflective, and at certain points even meditative on the psychological burden of becoming a superhuman cultivator. There is plenty of action, but there's a lot more character and relationship building, and that's almost refreshing in this genre. What is *beyond* refreshing is the portrayal of a healthy marriage as a happy and fascinating journey with a capable partner, supported by friends and family.
This is a darn good book. I was worried, wondering if the author would have the chops to make the transition from the sweeping romance of the first book to something believable now that the relationship of the protagonists has resolved into a marriage, but the author knocked it out of the park.
I'm very, very happy to read this.
This is an incredibly thoughtful take on xianxia. It is reflective, and at certain points even meditative on the psychological burden of becoming a superhuman cultivator. There is plenty of action, but there's a lot more character and relationship building, and that's almost refreshing in this genre. What is *beyond* refreshing is the portrayal of a healthy marriage as a happy and fascinating journey with a capable partner, supported by friends and family.
This is a darn good book. I was worried, wondering if the author would have the chops to make the transition from the sweeping romance of the first book to something believable now that the relationship of the protagonists has resolved into a marriage, but the author knocked it out of the park.
I'm very, very happy to read this.
October 26, 2023
Excellent Read
Like the first book, this one is filled with triumph and tragedy. The struggles of our heroes and heroines feel real as their emotions impact the reader. It takes good writing to have that kind if impact and it is consistent throughout the book.
This is an excellent second book and sets the stage for the rest of the series.
While the MCs do grow in power in this book, it is not as steep a climb as in the first and this is a good thing. We now have time to learn even more of the world and the wonders it holds.
Like the first book, this one is filled with triumph and tragedy. The struggles of our heroes and heroines feel real as their emotions impact the reader. It takes good writing to have that kind if impact and it is consistent throughout the book.
This is an excellent second book and sets the stage for the rest of the series.
While the MCs do grow in power in this book, it is not as steep a climb as in the first and this is a good thing. We now have time to learn even more of the world and the wonders it holds.
October 28, 2023
A great second volume
Chao and his wife's adventures continue. After defeating the Emperor and the other Overlords Chao and family have to deal with the aftermath and move on to new challenges. More cultivation and new dangers await, but the greatest danger may be themselves. This is a great new volume and I can't wait for book 3
Chao and his wife's adventures continue. After defeating the Emperor and the other Overlords Chao and family have to deal with the aftermath and move on to new challenges. More cultivation and new dangers await, but the greatest danger may be themselves. This is a great new volume and I can't wait for book 3
November 3, 2023
An excellent continuation
This was a great continuation to the story. The emotional variance and moral struggles were powerful. There were scenes that evoked strong emotional responses and the action and plot were excellent.
I had only one complaint when reading this book. It took much too long to get the second book published! I hope the third is released much faster!
This was a great continuation to the story. The emotional variance and moral struggles were powerful. There were scenes that evoked strong emotional responses and the action and plot were excellent.
I had only one complaint when reading this book. It took much too long to get the second book published! I hope the third is released much faster!
November 4, 2023
Excellent Continuation
A solid read. A good amount of it was spent discussing what it means to be a cultivator and other philosophical subjects but for the most part it remained engaging. A great sequel to the expectations the first set and looking forward to the next entry.
A solid read. A good amount of it was spent discussing what it means to be a cultivator and other philosophical subjects but for the most part it remained engaging. A great sequel to the expectations the first set and looking forward to the next entry.
October 20, 2023
Another great book
If you liked the first one then get this one. It’s just as good. Excited to see what happens next
If you liked the first one then get this one. It’s just as good. Excited to see what happens next
October 22, 2023
Great continuation of the series. The story meanders a bit for the early part of the book, but everything felt like it served a purpose: closure, discovery or setting a foundation for later events.
I'm very much looking forward to the next book.
I'm very much looking forward to the next book.
November 6, 2023
Great one sitting 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.
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.
October 23, 2023
Loved it
This is an amazing book and continues the great story that was the first book. The world building that is built in this book is great and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
This is an amazing book and continues the great story that was the first book. The world building that is built in this book is great and I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
March 1, 2024
Getting convoluted
Apollos has a decent story steeped in suffocating ancient chinese mannerisms. Even more suffocating is 1/3 of the entirety of the book is spent on exposition of developing concepts that become increasingly convoluted and contradicting prior information in a way to make most of the prior book, concepts, law unable to be manifested without their inclusions (sharpness).
This massively takes away from the entirety of their purpose and objectives in context of place. Massive swaths of information dump that would suffice in a couple paragraphs to say they are working on it. Losing entirely the focus or interest of being in a place of power. There is miniscule focus spent on the setting, and enormous on meticulous information absolutely unrelated to setting. When the entire narrative is about getting to a place and growing with a place, Chao and Huifen instead brought all their tools with them. The Spire is rendered meaningless by the total dedication of exposition to what they brought, rather than anything within.
The book has already lost its depth from the end of the prior book by descending to completely lesser concepts (inner worlds, breakthroughs, rapid advancement) to spend the majority of this story essentially starting over as a novice with all these random things that seem like they should have a plant and payoff, not burying our noses in it for 80% of each chapter with barely a head nod to interactions or advancing any form of plot.
1/4 of this book has been dedicated to plot and relationships. That is the very meat of a story. Settings are heavily important. But when settings get almost no mention for the entire time they are there to just talk about a material like making an O-chem or physics lab presentation paper is beyond exhausting.
Stories are about relationships and people overcoming obstacles. Not spending almost the entirety meticulously describing the most miniscule facets of the tools.
Not to mention a complete loss of stakes involved, as well as threat. Apollos takes dozens of times to remind us they just killed 10 overlords and 3 tribulation cultivators while shortly after vascilating majorly between whether sky should bother them and the presence of only 2 overlords giving them intense concern.
This causes there to be no real consistency to their objective and capabilities, further diminishing the ability to commit to the story.
It is also especially convoluted to have so much sex but constantly euphemise and rated G it, trying to keep it as unreferred to as sex while it is CLEARLY sex as possible (dual cultivating). It just gets exhausting to have such an extremely mature story kept to the youngest of young adult target audience.
Take some notes from Will Wight as this is so similar to Crade series but done... poorly... in comparison. There was no need to what seems like an accident to go all in on sex as a means of ascension while trying desperatly not to say so.
Something exceedingly painful in the genre of Chinese Cultivation fantasy is the massive contradiction of wisdom, enlightenment, and ascension as these "immortals" who really aren't until beyond Sky Realm gaining meaningful years to life... I digress, the contradiction is that the more enlightened supposedly by context for progress, the more murderous and twisted the cultivator tends to be. This contradicts basic Chinese mythology in Taoism with the Jade Emperor, corruption happening below ascension, but rarely, and not above it. Yet everyone is exceedingly corrupt and selfish, unbelievably so. To escape that trap, less time should be spent on enlightenment and more spent on goals. Constantly referring to these processes as meditation and knowledge, well, again, Will Wight did it better, as well as several other authors. Apollos is firmly trapped in the contradiction by being meticulous about descriptions of divinity and enlightenment while having overlord so soon in his system, and monarch so late.
Appollos does a better job than Will Wight in having a functioning idea of society that is in any way compelling, including mortals and civilizations. Crade does not in any way function for the idea of a normal economic and political existences outside of everyone fighting and killing each other for resources and jealousy. The entire genre is rife with contradictions in the battles over resources and derision towards lessors. Total disregard for their rights to life (crimes against humanity is a constant and not even acknowledged as problematic).
If Appollos spent more time on the relationships than spending so much describing sharpness in 100 different ways to study as an example, ignoring the trials and environment, he'd have a great story. It is like he wrote himself into a corner with the mature content he seems clearly to be attempting to avoid defining or describing while making central to the book.
Apollos has a decent story steeped in suffocating ancient chinese mannerisms. Even more suffocating is 1/3 of the entirety of the book is spent on exposition of developing concepts that become increasingly convoluted and contradicting prior information in a way to make most of the prior book, concepts, law unable to be manifested without their inclusions (sharpness).
This massively takes away from the entirety of their purpose and objectives in context of place. Massive swaths of information dump that would suffice in a couple paragraphs to say they are working on it. Losing entirely the focus or interest of being in a place of power. There is miniscule focus spent on the setting, and enormous on meticulous information absolutely unrelated to setting. When the entire narrative is about getting to a place and growing with a place, Chao and Huifen instead brought all their tools with them. The Spire is rendered meaningless by the total dedication of exposition to what they brought, rather than anything within.
The book has already lost its depth from the end of the prior book by descending to completely lesser concepts (inner worlds, breakthroughs, rapid advancement) to spend the majority of this story essentially starting over as a novice with all these random things that seem like they should have a plant and payoff, not burying our noses in it for 80% of each chapter with barely a head nod to interactions or advancing any form of plot.
1/4 of this book has been dedicated to plot and relationships. That is the very meat of a story. Settings are heavily important. But when settings get almost no mention for the entire time they are there to just talk about a material like making an O-chem or physics lab presentation paper is beyond exhausting.
Stories are about relationships and people overcoming obstacles. Not spending almost the entirety meticulously describing the most miniscule facets of the tools.
Not to mention a complete loss of stakes involved, as well as threat. Apollos takes dozens of times to remind us they just killed 10 overlords and 3 tribulation cultivators while shortly after vascilating majorly between whether sky should bother them and the presence of only 2 overlords giving them intense concern.
This causes there to be no real consistency to their objective and capabilities, further diminishing the ability to commit to the story.
It is also especially convoluted to have so much sex but constantly euphemise and rated G it, trying to keep it as unreferred to as sex while it is CLEARLY sex as possible (dual cultivating). It just gets exhausting to have such an extremely mature story kept to the youngest of young adult target audience.
Take some notes from Will Wight as this is so similar to Crade series but done... poorly... in comparison. There was no need to what seems like an accident to go all in on sex as a means of ascension while trying desperatly not to say so.
Something exceedingly painful in the genre of Chinese Cultivation fantasy is the massive contradiction of wisdom, enlightenment, and ascension as these "immortals" who really aren't until beyond Sky Realm gaining meaningful years to life... I digress, the contradiction is that the more enlightened supposedly by context for progress, the more murderous and twisted the cultivator tends to be. This contradicts basic Chinese mythology in Taoism with the Jade Emperor, corruption happening below ascension, but rarely, and not above it. Yet everyone is exceedingly corrupt and selfish, unbelievably so. To escape that trap, less time should be spent on enlightenment and more spent on goals. Constantly referring to these processes as meditation and knowledge, well, again, Will Wight did it better, as well as several other authors. Apollos is firmly trapped in the contradiction by being meticulous about descriptions of divinity and enlightenment while having overlord so soon in his system, and monarch so late.
Appollos does a better job than Will Wight in having a functioning idea of society that is in any way compelling, including mortals and civilizations. Crade does not in any way function for the idea of a normal economic and political existences outside of everyone fighting and killing each other for resources and jealousy. The entire genre is rife with contradictions in the battles over resources and derision towards lessors. Total disregard for their rights to life (crimes against humanity is a constant and not even acknowledged as problematic).
If Appollos spent more time on the relationships than spending so much describing sharpness in 100 different ways to study as an example, ignoring the trials and environment, he'd have a great story. It is like he wrote himself into a corner with the mature content he seems clearly to be attempting to avoid defining or describing while making central to the book.
November 5, 2023
Good fun
I like this series,and Apollos Thorn is a fabulous author. This wasn't my favorite of his work though. This book focuses on character growth rather than story development, which can be great! But it circles the issue 17 times and doesn't come to any real conclusion.
While this can be important. Once it drags on this long in a book it gets a little hard to read. Putthat together with the multiple times the author rehashed every major event that has happened in the last few weeks to emphasize how crazy their life has been, and it gets to the point that I just shook my head. (We did this, then this happened, then this person. Did this, and we survived this, now this happening?)
The story just drug out too long in this one for it to be my favorite.
I'm still looking forward to the next in this series, or more hopefully one of Apollos' other series!
Thanks for the book Apollos!
I like this series,and Apollos Thorn is a fabulous author. This wasn't my favorite of his work though. This book focuses on character growth rather than story development, which can be great! But it circles the issue 17 times and doesn't come to any real conclusion.
While this can be important. Once it drags on this long in a book it gets a little hard to read. Putthat together with the multiple times the author rehashed every major event that has happened in the last few weeks to emphasize how crazy their life has been, and it gets to the point that I just shook my head. (We did this, then this happened, then this person. Did this, and we survived this, now this happening?)
The story just drug out too long in this one for it to be my favorite.
I'm still looking forward to the next in this series, or more hopefully one of Apollos' other series!
Thanks for the book Apollos!
December 19, 2024
Another amazing story
I liked the focus on the characters and character building! I felt it was even better than the first and just brought even more life to all the characters.
Surprised we didn't see more monstrous cultivation growth but the reflection on their techniques and the focus on the cultivation system itself was very well developed and incredibly well done.
I don't really care for romance but there are few cultivation novels and stories that I've read that showcase a good romantic this well.
This book was about both Chao and Huifen but I feel it was more Chao's story so it would have been nice to see more of Huifen's perspective and her own cultivation focus but it was still her story.
Eagerly looking forward to the next book!
I liked the focus on the characters and character building! I felt it was even better than the first and just brought even more life to all the characters.
Surprised we didn't see more monstrous cultivation growth but the reflection on their techniques and the focus on the cultivation system itself was very well developed and incredibly well done.
I don't really care for romance but there are few cultivation novels and stories that I've read that showcase a good romantic this well.
This book was about both Chao and Huifen but I feel it was more Chao's story so it would have been nice to see more of Huifen's perspective and her own cultivation focus but it was still her story.
Eagerly looking forward to the next book!
November 6, 2023
Too many pointless pov shifts
I was pretty disappointed with this book. It was fine, but a huge step back from 1.
I like seeing new characters, but this book did them in a way that ruined pacing and tension. The finale fight was abysmal because of that. This is preference obviously.
Many weren't entirely necessary. They added so little, that if the author had wanted to, he could have included the info thru other PoVs. I just can't understand why anyone would want to break up a fight with so many pointless shifts. Some were a page long.
I was pretty disappointed with this book. It was fine, but a huge step back from 1.
I like seeing new characters, but this book did them in a way that ruined pacing and tension. The finale fight was abysmal because of that. This is preference obviously.
Many weren't entirely necessary. They added so little, that if the author had wanted to, he could have included the info thru other PoVs. I just can't understand why anyone would want to break up a fight with so many pointless shifts. Some were a page long.
November 7, 2023
Learning and Growing
This second addition to the saga continues to dive deeper into many of the themes of the first book with less battle and discovery in favour of far more contemplation and reflection from our main characters of the evils, grief and deception in their world and how they will decide to face each in ways that are true to themselves.
A very different kind of cultivation story with far deeper roots for better and worse. I look forwards to what happens next.
This second addition to the saga continues to dive deeper into many of the themes of the first book with less battle and discovery in favour of far more contemplation and reflection from our main characters of the evils, grief and deception in their world and how they will decide to face each in ways that are true to themselves.
A very different kind of cultivation story with far deeper roots for better and worse. I look forwards to what happens next.
May 31, 2024
Good book
I liked the book but have to hold off on giving it five stars. There was very little action due to the power of the MCs relative to the area they were in. And for every bit of action, there was 5 times as much moral discussion on justice versus mercy, etc following every single incident. It got pretty old by the end of the book. I think the next book will bring a lot more opposition as they head to the North continent facing more powerful foes.
I liked the book but have to hold off on giving it five stars. There was very little action due to the power of the MCs relative to the area they were in. And for every bit of action, there was 5 times as much moral discussion on justice versus mercy, etc following every single incident. It got pretty old by the end of the book. I think the next book will bring a lot more opposition as they head to the North continent facing more powerful foes.
October 18, 2024
Bravo! (but the book gremlin inside says moooore)
This series is so fascinating. The challenges the characters go through internally really helped me with some of my own internal struggles. This is a book with a moral to its stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the exciting love story and characters that latch onto your heart. (gremlin screeches "more god of the sun!" your mastry is requested!)
This series is so fascinating. The challenges the characters go through internally really helped me with some of my own internal struggles. This is a book with a moral to its stories. I thoroughly enjoyed the exciting love story and characters that latch onto your heart. (gremlin screeches "more god of the sun!" your mastry is requested!)
November 2, 2024
Lovely evolution of Chao and Huifen's relationship and personality. Can't wait to see what s next for them.
Giving 5 stars, well deserved, but Apollos Thorne, can you please keep Huifen a badass and not go for the easy girly cliches? And! Why does it sound that Eu Mei 's facial scar is as bad as if she was dead? Not really for herself, for Chao's perspective...
Anyhow, thanks for the amazing story, characters and (most of the) values in your books :-)
Giving 5 stars, well deserved, but Apollos Thorne, can you please keep Huifen a badass and not go for the easy girly cliches? And! Why does it sound that Eu Mei 's facial scar is as bad as if she was dead? Not really for herself, for Chao's perspective...
Anyhow, thanks for the amazing story, characters and (most of the) values in your books :-)
April 14, 2024
Great sequel
Picks right up from where it left odd, and just keeps going! The character building development are great. Seeing how they deal and adapt to the cultivators reality is a nice change from the usual stories.
Picks right up from where it left odd, and just keeps going! The character building development are great. Seeing how they deal and adapt to the cultivators reality is a nice change from the usual stories.
November 29, 2023
Wonderful continuation of the series, I like the growth the main character are facing not martial in its aspect but a mature mentality. Hope next books focus more on their disciples and Father Zan.
January 6, 2024
Good book 😊
Really enjoyed this second novel! Great character building. They are learning more about themselves as well as their abilities. I can't wait for the next book!
Really enjoyed this second novel! Great character building. They are learning more about themselves as well as their abilities. I can't wait for the next book!
February 10, 2024
Another very solid entry.
I’ve realized this series has, and likely will continue to, deal with the philosophies of cultivation more than the actual act itself.
I’ve realized this series has, and likely will continue to, deal with the philosophies of cultivation more than the actual act itself.
September 20, 2025
chao’s growing up!
I waited a long time for this book, and it didn’t disappoint!!! Great read! They’ve gotten stronger, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!!
I waited a long time for this book, and it didn’t disappoint!!! Great read! They’ve gotten stronger, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!!
November 8, 2025
Who knew
What an interesting second book! In fighting out fighting, tons of personal reflection! This book has it all. Fantastic book.
What an interesting second book! In fighting out fighting, tons of personal reflection! This book has it all. Fantastic book.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews