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All the Skills #3
All the Skills 3
Where power is measured in cards, Arthur stands among the elite as a Legendary card wielder now forever linked to a frighteningly powerful dragon.
Or Brixaby will be, once he grows from the size of a parrot.
Before that can happen, a chance encounter whisks Arthur and Brixaby away to a place they never thought was possible: A new dragon hive outside of the kingdom. This Free Hive doesn't suffer from the scourge that’s infected the rest of the planet. It's a place where crafting using card powers is king.
But even here, an old enemy sings threats from the shadows. The Free Hive cannot defend itself: they need the strength of Legendary card wielders.
To protect the Free Hive, Arthur and Brixaby must become stronger. That means more skills and most importantly, more cards to add to their decks.
Or Brixaby will be, once he grows from the size of a parrot.
Before that can happen, a chance encounter whisks Arthur and Brixaby away to a place they never thought was possible: A new dragon hive outside of the kingdom. This Free Hive doesn't suffer from the scourge that’s infected the rest of the planet. It's a place where crafting using card powers is king.
But even here, an old enemy sings threats from the shadows. The Free Hive cannot defend itself: they need the strength of Legendary card wielders.
To protect the Free Hive, Arthur and Brixaby must become stronger. That means more skills and most importantly, more cards to add to their decks.
566 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
March 16, 2024
What a disappointment that was.
I blasted through the previous two books yesterday to remind myself of the story so far, and I was blown away by how much those books grabbed me despite having read them before. I praised the second book for doubling down on what was good about the first book and expanding on the story without losing the balance that made the first book so great. This story took the opposite approach and suffered greatly.
One of the significant strengths of the earlier books was an underdog protagonist with great potential who had to outwork everyone and fight like hell for everything he achieved in this series. It was the story of hard work, ambition and creative thinking triumphing thanks to the sheer will of the main character. This book throws that all away by making the main character powerful enough that he rarely had to struggle, and it was no longer a story of him versus the world, but instead a bland main character going wherever the plot needed him for the story to unfold. He lost most of his agency, he no longer makes good decisions, his driving motivations from earlier books seem to be forgotten, and worst of all, he forgets to master skills.
The very formula that makes this series unique is in the title. It's what propels the protagonist through the story, gives us progression, and sets this story apart from the rest. Dragon riders we have seen before. Fantasy wars we have seen before. Dungeon diving we have seen before. There's nothing interesting in this compared to a story of someone constantly levelling up skills for the sake of seeing where it could take him, no matter what that skill may be, which is borderline unique.
There's so much more that was reduced in quality than just this. The characters are all either lesser, blander, more two-dimensional versions of the characters from earlier books, or they were left entirely out of the story like they no longer matter. Arthur's father, his young servant, the rider who brought him into the hive, the prince he made friends with in the last book, his cousin, and so many more characters not only don't make an appearance here but aren't even thought of. The ones that are here become strange, hollow versions of themselves, completely lacking the emotional depth and personality they had in earlier books.
All of this adds up to an issue of this feeling like a filler novel. I'm not saying nothing happened, but of all the plotlines set up in earlier novels, only one or two get any kind of forward progression. This is an enormous step down from the previous two stories that were masterful in how much story they told in such a short space.
I started this review thinking I'd give this book the benefit of the doubt and round up to 3 stars. But the more I think about it, the more frustrated I am with this book. It's a huge disappointment. If you had told me this morning that I would question whether I cared enough to keep going in this series after finishing this book, I'd have called you crazy. Now I wonder if the gap before book four might be long enough that I forget the goodwill of the first two books and not even bother reading it.
What a shame.
I blasted through the previous two books yesterday to remind myself of the story so far, and I was blown away by how much those books grabbed me despite having read them before. I praised the second book for doubling down on what was good about the first book and expanding on the story without losing the balance that made the first book so great. This story took the opposite approach and suffered greatly.
One of the significant strengths of the earlier books was an underdog protagonist with great potential who had to outwork everyone and fight like hell for everything he achieved in this series. It was the story of hard work, ambition and creative thinking triumphing thanks to the sheer will of the main character. This book throws that all away by making the main character powerful enough that he rarely had to struggle, and it was no longer a story of him versus the world, but instead a bland main character going wherever the plot needed him for the story to unfold. He lost most of his agency, he no longer makes good decisions, his driving motivations from earlier books seem to be forgotten, and worst of all, he forgets to master skills.
The very formula that makes this series unique is in the title. It's what propels the protagonist through the story, gives us progression, and sets this story apart from the rest. Dragon riders we have seen before. Fantasy wars we have seen before. Dungeon diving we have seen before. There's nothing interesting in this compared to a story of someone constantly levelling up skills for the sake of seeing where it could take him, no matter what that skill may be, which is borderline unique.
There's so much more that was reduced in quality than just this. The characters are all either lesser, blander, more two-dimensional versions of the characters from earlier books, or they were left entirely out of the story like they no longer matter. Arthur's father, his young servant, the rider who brought him into the hive, the prince he made friends with in the last book, his cousin, and so many more characters not only don't make an appearance here but aren't even thought of. The ones that are here become strange, hollow versions of themselves, completely lacking the emotional depth and personality they had in earlier books.
All of this adds up to an issue of this feeling like a filler novel. I'm not saying nothing happened, but of all the plotlines set up in earlier novels, only one or two get any kind of forward progression. This is an enormous step down from the previous two stories that were masterful in how much story they told in such a short space.
I started this review thinking I'd give this book the benefit of the doubt and round up to 3 stars. But the more I think about it, the more frustrated I am with this book. It's a huge disappointment. If you had told me this morning that I would question whether I cared enough to keep going in this series after finishing this book, I'd have called you crazy. Now I wonder if the gap before book four might be long enough that I forget the goodwill of the first two books and not even bother reading it.
What a shame.
March 14, 2024
It’s a fun addition to the series but it didn’t grip me as much as the last two books in the series. Hopefully the next book will be better.
Most of the enjoyment of the first two books came from the fact that Arthur was extremely weak and always survive by the skin of his teeth that sense of thrill and danger really moved the plot forward but now most of that sense of danger is gone and he has become a stable powerful character. Wish the next book can bring about more of a sense of danger and struggle.
Most of the enjoyment of the first two books came from the fact that Arthur was extremely weak and always survive by the skin of his teeth that sense of thrill and danger really moved the plot forward but now most of that sense of danger is gone and he has become a stable powerful character. Wish the next book can bring about more of a sense of danger and struggle.
March 30, 2024
3/5
Wow... I did NOT expect this one to be such a slogfest
The pacing is uneven, no deeper dive into characters. It's just plain boring to be honest.
I wouldn't say it's unreadable or anything you can see the quality of writing throughout the book and some interesting moments now and then.
But, I had so much hope for this book since the first book was one of my all-time favourites and I liked the second book too. But this... Well, it's just disappointing.
And I most probably won't read the sequel.
Wow... I did NOT expect this one to be such a slogfest
The pacing is uneven, no deeper dive into characters. It's just plain boring to be honest.
I wouldn't say it's unreadable or anything you can see the quality of writing throughout the book and some interesting moments now and then.
But, I had so much hope for this book since the first book was one of my all-time favourites and I liked the second book too. But this... Well, it's just disappointing.
And I most probably won't read the sequel.
March 14, 2024
This is hitting rock bottom.
The first two books showed how bad the kingdom is. This one shows how idiotic the main character is. I have no more interest in this setting.
The first two books showed how bad the kingdom is. This one shows how idiotic the main character is. I have no more interest in this setting.
March 19, 2024
DNF 62%
I lost interest. This story now feels like a gaggle of children running around having adventures. There's no real depth.
I lost interest. This story now feels like a gaggle of children running around having adventures. There's no real depth.
Read
April 17, 2024DNF 39%
Decided not to rate it, because it's the kind of story that might improve later. So far its 1.5 stars.
This book is just... empty. The prose is decent, but everything else feels like it was written with no plan, no effort, and especially no passion. It's not exactly 'bad', because that implies it failed to achieve something -- but it never tried anything to begin with.
Book 1 appeared to set up a simple yet fun story with an underdog protagonist, potentially-interesting characters, and a mission to collect (steal) cards from noble families in order to save the protagonist's family. Book 2 resolved almost everything, leaving the protagonist as an overpowered boy without any purpose, introducing new character but doing very little with them. Book 3, more than a third of the way in, doesn't do much of anything. There is no goal, no real danger, and no interesting character dynamics.
Decided not to rate it, because it's the kind of story that might improve later. So far its 1.5 stars.
This book is just... empty. The prose is decent, but everything else feels like it was written with no plan, no effort, and especially no passion. It's not exactly 'bad', because that implies it failed to achieve something -- but it never tried anything to begin with.
Book 1 appeared to set up a simple yet fun story with an underdog protagonist, potentially-interesting characters, and a mission to collect (steal) cards from noble families in order to save the protagonist's family. Book 2 resolved almost everything, leaving the protagonist as an overpowered boy without any purpose, introducing new character but doing very little with them. Book 3, more than a third of the way in, doesn't do much of anything. There is no goal, no real danger, and no interesting character dynamics.
March 15, 2024
This was a great continuation of the series. I don't have much to say about it since it would just summarize various events. I want to note a couple of things I appreciate, though.
The author does a great job with the pacing without making it feel like the MC has zero time. Arthur makes the most of ever-changing situations to get new skills and grind some levels. The story never stays put for too long though as new events and obstacles come knocking.
I think it was good that we got to expand our scope of the setting in this one, though I imagine it will be a small step compared to what awaits us in future volumes. One thing that is hard to swallow is how one-note some of the antagonists are, specifically one of the hive leaders. It makes sense to a degree in a might-makes-right world, but you also question how sustainable it is. Though the book answers that question already: it's not. The scourge eruptions are happening more frequently and humanity is losing ground. I would imagine the next volume will answer some of our questions relating to the organization and running of the kingdoms.
Lastly, I really enjoy how well the author writes the various dragon personalities.
“Humans.” Brixaby snorted. “They’re not dragons, but they always think they know more about us than we do.”
Joy tilted her head. “I think it’s because they’re much older, so they know a lot more things. Cressida is nineteen years old.”
“Really?” Brixaby was surprised. He was barely half a year old. Even one year seemed like an eternity.
“How old is Arthur?” Joy asked.
Brixaby thought for a moment. Arthur surely had told him, but it hadn’t been important enough at the time to remember. “He can’t be more than seven.”
“That sounds about right,” Joy agreed.
It's funny to me how often authors with non-human characters tend to write better characterization and personality than your average gamelit. Flaws and misunderstandings are interesting and give room for the characters to grow. They also provide opportunities for a bit of comic relief to manage tension as the above snippet demonstrates.
I can't wait for the next book to come out!
The author does a great job with the pacing without making it feel like the MC has zero time. Arthur makes the most of ever-changing situations to get new skills and grind some levels. The story never stays put for too long though as new events and obstacles come knocking.
I think it was good that we got to expand our scope of the setting in this one, though I imagine it will be a small step compared to what awaits us in future volumes. One thing that is hard to swallow is how one-note some of the antagonists are, specifically one of the hive leaders. It makes sense to a degree in a might-makes-right world, but you also question how sustainable it is. Though the book answers that question already: it's not. The scourge eruptions are happening more frequently and humanity is losing ground. I would imagine the next volume will answer some of our questions relating to the organization and running of the kingdoms.
Lastly, I really enjoy how well the author writes the various dragon personalities.
“Humans.” Brixaby snorted. “They’re not dragons, but they always think they know more about us than we do.”
Joy tilted her head. “I think it’s because they’re much older, so they know a lot more things. Cressida is nineteen years old.”
“Really?” Brixaby was surprised. He was barely half a year old. Even one year seemed like an eternity.
“How old is Arthur?” Joy asked.
Brixaby thought for a moment. Arthur surely had told him, but it hadn’t been important enough at the time to remember. “He can’t be more than seven.”
“That sounds about right,” Joy agreed.
It's funny to me how often authors with non-human characters tend to write better characterization and personality than your average gamelit. Flaws and misunderstandings are interesting and give room for the characters to grow. They also provide opportunities for a bit of comic relief to manage tension as the above snippet demonstrates.
I can't wait for the next book to come out!
March 18, 2024
Much better book than #2. A lot more world and and particularly character development. A really fun continuation, where I'm debating catching up on RR.
May 17, 2024
DNFed at chapter 40
May 9, 2024
Slogfest with very little character growth.
March 16, 2024
Something was missing compared to book 1 and 2. levels and such weren't mentioned that much anymore. Also I had expected much more behind the red dragon. The author mentioning in his AMA that there will only be 2 more books doesn't make it any better. I think I should be reading other books for now.
May 29, 2024
Meh, this one lost me. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, but this one just didn't click with me. The whole thing where you're automatically a leader if you have a legendary dragon did not sit well with me at all. Not only is it idiotic to to put a 16(?) year old boy in such a position it's also hugely hypocritical of the mc to even accept this after hating on nobles so much. I'm now not even sure I'll bother with a fourth book.
March 13, 2024
finally
The biggest problem with the series to date was the lack of a strong narrative thread. Books 1 & 2 were pure survival, coupled with learning about the world. This book really opens the world and gives more power to the existential threats that underpin events.
And Brixaby is amusing, in a sociopathic way.
Looking forward to 4.
The biggest problem with the series to date was the lack of a strong narrative thread. Books 1 & 2 were pure survival, coupled with learning about the world. This book really opens the world and gives more power to the existential threats that underpin events.
And Brixaby is amusing, in a sociopathic way.
Looking forward to 4.
May 23, 2024
I did not like this much. Every time that pink dragon spoke or let slip secrets I got pissed off.
It also seems that the dreaded romance subplot is starting to rear its head, or the protagonist will start doing foolishness.
There was a large lack of outside the box thinking compared to book one and two.
We will see how the future books go, but depending on the story I may have to drop the series.
2.5/5 Stars
It also seems that the dreaded romance subplot is starting to rear its head, or the protagonist will start doing foolishness.
There was a large lack of outside the box thinking compared to book one and two.
We will see how the future books go, but depending on the story I may have to drop the series.
2.5/5 Stars
March 26, 2024
just kind disappointing
This book isn’t terrible but seems like filler and the end read like a Saturday cartoon. Spoiler warning in the end the villain get away for no real reason and even the author has no good explanation for how.
This book isn’t terrible but seems like filler and the end read like a Saturday cartoon. Spoiler warning in the end the villain get away for no real reason and even the author has no good explanation for how.
March 26, 2024
Felt like filler
Less focus on deck building and no resolution or advancement for the mc at all. I'm not sure I'll continue the series as it doesn't feel like the first two
Less focus on deck building and no resolution or advancement for the mc at all. I'm not sure I'll continue the series as it doesn't feel like the first two
April 1, 2024
The series has become boring to me. Arthur still dealing in things he should not be at his age. He is still being a good boy by following the crazy King and not just leaving. Then again in this world the King and nobles threatens children's lives if they don't do what they are told or die. Making them essentially slaves for the Kingdom.
April 27, 2024
Yes!
This novel just keeps getting better, although the growth of the characters are a bit slow it's still happening and beyond character growth is general plot growth and world build and that is where this novel shins although I suspect book four would do that even more handsomely.
This novel just keeps getting better, although the growth of the characters are a bit slow it's still happening and beyond character growth is general plot growth and world build and that is where this novel shins although I suspect book four would do that even more handsomely.
March 15, 2024
The more I learn about this world, the less I understand. I get that legendary dragons have the most power but a society run as described so far would not last a generation. Using lower carded dragons as fodder is unsustainable but more important they can just fly away. My suspension of disbelief only goes so far.
March 19, 2024
The new, shiny card concept has worn off a bit, but the story is still there. 👍🏽👍🏽
March 28, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ not a lot happened or developed in this one. Still fun, but not my favorite of the series so far
April 14, 2024
I wish I had waited until book 4 was realease. I like it, not as good as book 1 and 2, but still very good.
March 20, 2025
Excellent continuation to the series.
April 24, 2024
Good third book in the series, I'm looking forward to the 4th.
March 22, 2024
Good not great
I really enjoyed this but I feel it steps away slightly from the others in the series. Some aspects felt more immature or YA especially certain parts of the dialogue and the ending definitely felt a bit rushed. Still a good read and I anticipate the next one. 6.5/10
I really enjoyed this but I feel it steps away slightly from the others in the series. Some aspects felt more immature or YA especially certain parts of the dialogue and the ending definitely felt a bit rushed. Still a good read and I anticipate the next one. 6.5/10
March 21, 2024
Nice follow-up from the last, but it did sort of felt like a filler book. Satisfying but a little aimless at times. Fun read.
March 20, 2024
A good book but not as compelling as the first two in the series. Feel like a lot of unexplored potential in this series and looking forward to more books..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews