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Ends of Magic #3
Assassin
Nathan and his companions are free. For now. They're trapped inside the fortress-city of Halsmet, and every mage of Giantsrest is hunting for them.
Luckily enough, they've been found by Faline, the shapeshifting leader of the Assassins of Gemore. She's pledged to teach Nathan her deadly trade. How far will he go to fight the empire of slavers? How much murder is justified?
Even if they manage to win this fight against Giantsrest, it won't be the end of the conflict. A Questor from ages past lurks in the heart of the Ascendent Academy, and he won't allow Giantsrest to suffer a defeat.
It is time for Nathan to face his sworn enemy, to stand against the Ascendent Academy. But how can one person fight an empire of thousands?
Ends of Magic is a best-rated serialized novel on Royal Road with thousands of followers and over a million views. Now professionally edited and available on Amazon and Audible narrated by Phil Thron.
Buy a copy or read free with Kindle Unlimited!
Luckily enough, they've been found by Faline, the shapeshifting leader of the Assassins of Gemore. She's pledged to teach Nathan her deadly trade. How far will he go to fight the empire of slavers? How much murder is justified?
Even if they manage to win this fight against Giantsrest, it won't be the end of the conflict. A Questor from ages past lurks in the heart of the Ascendent Academy, and he won't allow Giantsrest to suffer a defeat.
It is time for Nathan to face his sworn enemy, to stand against the Ascendent Academy. But how can one person fight an empire of thousands?
Ends of Magic is a best-rated serialized novel on Royal Road with thousands of followers and over a million views. Now professionally edited and available on Amazon and Audible narrated by Phil Thron.
Buy a copy or read free with Kindle Unlimited!
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 15, 2024
124 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 15, 2025
This is third in an isekai LitRPG series that you should read in order. There is a very nice "Story So Far" section, but that's going to function mostly as a reminder for those that have had a gap.
This book is about growing while establishing ethical boundaries. Nathan has two strong influences in this book, each with their own agenda and way they want to solve problems. I'll get to thoughts on those in a second.
First, I want to acknowledge that the pace is high and the action is good and I love seeing Nate grow together with his friends while doing work they find meaningful and important (freeing slaves and overthrowing a government based on mind-control and exploitation). I was fully engaged the entire story and that's a good thing.
And I'm not that dismissive of the ethical reasoning here. But I am somewhat. Nate finally has to kill a guy (at the end of the last book, but he's dealing with it internally in this one) and I can't say I'm impressed. Look, Teol was an unmitigated waste of skin. He was a slaver who explicitly sees people as things. In particular, as things that he owns and deserves to control. There is no cure for that psychosis, at least within reach of Nate and his friends. Killing Teol is a service to mankind (personkind? given multiple races on Davrar) and an unmitigated good. I do not subscribe to the whole "killing evil people is still a blight on your soul" nonsense. I find it lazy moral reasoning. Not that I can say I have tested that by actually killing evil people myself. I just know that presented the scenario in this story I wouldn't have hesitated even a little bit. And I wouldn't feel bad about it afterwards. I don't think. It's hard to predict emotions, so maybe I should say that I'd be rationally and explicitly clear about having done a good thing by stopping an evil person from continuing their evil in a permanent fashion. Slavery is bad and needs to be stopped and force is absolutely justified in making that happen.
Anyway, Nate spends time under the tutelage of Faline who is an assassin for the good guys. She's kind of evil herself so Nate having to question her teaching is appropriate. I just wish he had a bit better sense of ethics while doing so. Faline teaches him how to gain a second class so he gains skills as an assassin and starts leveling up with murder. She has him conduct a bit of a terror campaign in Halsmet by targeting the powerful mages in charge of all the slavery.
So Nate murders a bunch of people in charge. Since these slavers' explicit goal is to subjugate Nate's home and consign his people to slavery, I'm good with that plan. Nate struggled. Which is fine. Good even. What frustrated me is that the one thing he never does is consider or weigh the alternatives. Nate has a chance to free a bunch of slaves and overthrow a slave state. If he is going to object to the means laid out for him, then what is it he should do instead? Why does he never consider what the alternatives would be? I mean, maybe he'd find a better way. Or maybe he'd decide it wasn't worth it to him personally. I'd be fine if he had made those choices even if I disagree with their basis. But it never enters his reasoning. And I find that weird. If you are trying to map a moral quandary, considering the alternatives is an important step. If you fail that basic piece of reason, then you are left with false dichotomies or worse, an unstated hypothetical that "there must be some better way". Well is there? If you can't think of a better way then for all practical purposes one doesn't exist.
Anyway, Nate also bounces off of a new figure in the story, the Questor Brox. Questors are beings of incredible power who show up throughout history to champion various causes. Nate has run into Questor Badud who champions the slavers. Brox is apparently Badud's foe and he shows up to "help" Nate and his friends fight off the bad guys. Only Brox is a giant jerk who only cares about his own aggrandizement and has social skills that manipulate people around him to agree with and venerate him. This is dubious help and Nate spends as much effort fighting off his mental influence and trying to manage the big hyperactive baby as on his actual goal of fighting slavers. Frankly, Brox is nearly as bad as the slavers because he treats people like things that there only for his own amusement and gratification. He's just dumber about how he goes about it. Fortunately, Nate is fairly clear-eyed about Brox and refuses to do the stupid things he suggests, even when the consequence puts Nate's plans in jeopardy. I wish Nate had worked around the moral reasoning better in this case, too, but at least he stuck to his own path and didn't let Brox warp him into stupid things he would regret later.
Anyway, all of that griping is just me venting about a very small part of the story. So take it with a grain of salt. I liked the book and I'm still very engaged with Nate. This is 4½ stars that I'll round up to five because it's still the power fantasy with good action and characters I care about.
A note about Chaste: Faline is a bit of a wannabe temptress. So I'm glad Nate is being all stoic and is smart enough not to bait the crazy. This is still pretty chaste without any intimacy or shenanigans.
This book is about growing while establishing ethical boundaries. Nathan has two strong influences in this book, each with their own agenda and way they want to solve problems. I'll get to thoughts on those in a second.
First, I want to acknowledge that the pace is high and the action is good and I love seeing Nate grow together with his friends while doing work they find meaningful and important (freeing slaves and overthrowing a government based on mind-control and exploitation). I was fully engaged the entire story and that's a good thing.
And I'm not that dismissive of the ethical reasoning here. But I am somewhat. Nate finally has to kill a guy (at the end of the last book, but he's dealing with it internally in this one) and I can't say I'm impressed. Look, Teol was an unmitigated waste of skin. He was a slaver who explicitly sees people as things. In particular, as things that he owns and deserves to control. There is no cure for that psychosis, at least within reach of Nate and his friends. Killing Teol is a service to mankind (personkind? given multiple races on Davrar) and an unmitigated good. I do not subscribe to the whole "killing evil people is still a blight on your soul" nonsense. I find it lazy moral reasoning. Not that I can say I have tested that by actually killing evil people myself. I just know that presented the scenario in this story I wouldn't have hesitated even a little bit. And I wouldn't feel bad about it afterwards. I don't think. It's hard to predict emotions, so maybe I should say that I'd be rationally and explicitly clear about having done a good thing by stopping an evil person from continuing their evil in a permanent fashion. Slavery is bad and needs to be stopped and force is absolutely justified in making that happen.
Anyway, Nate spends time under the tutelage of Faline who is an assassin for the good guys. She's kind of evil herself so Nate having to question her teaching is appropriate. I just wish he had a bit better sense of ethics while doing so. Faline teaches him how to gain a second class so he gains skills as an assassin and starts leveling up with murder. She has him conduct a bit of a terror campaign in Halsmet by targeting the powerful mages in charge of all the slavery.
So Nate murders a bunch of people in charge. Since these slavers' explicit goal is to subjugate Nate's home and consign his people to slavery, I'm good with that plan. Nate struggled. Which is fine. Good even. What frustrated me is that the one thing he never does is consider or weigh the alternatives. Nate has a chance to free a bunch of slaves and overthrow a slave state. If he is going to object to the means laid out for him, then what is it he should do instead? Why does he never consider what the alternatives would be? I mean, maybe he'd find a better way. Or maybe he'd decide it wasn't worth it to him personally. I'd be fine if he had made those choices even if I disagree with their basis. But it never enters his reasoning. And I find that weird. If you are trying to map a moral quandary, considering the alternatives is an important step. If you fail that basic piece of reason, then you are left with false dichotomies or worse, an unstated hypothetical that "there must be some better way". Well is there? If you can't think of a better way then for all practical purposes one doesn't exist.
Anyway, Nate also bounces off of a new figure in the story, the Questor Brox. Questors are beings of incredible power who show up throughout history to champion various causes. Nate has run into Questor Badud who champions the slavers. Brox is apparently Badud's foe and he shows up to "help" Nate and his friends fight off the bad guys. Only Brox is a giant jerk who only cares about his own aggrandizement and has social skills that manipulate people around him to agree with and venerate him. This is dubious help and Nate spends as much effort fighting off his mental influence and trying to manage the big hyperactive baby as on his actual goal of fighting slavers. Frankly, Brox is nearly as bad as the slavers because he treats people like things that there only for his own amusement and gratification. He's just dumber about how he goes about it. Fortunately, Nate is fairly clear-eyed about Brox and refuses to do the stupid things he suggests, even when the consequence puts Nate's plans in jeopardy. I wish Nate had worked around the moral reasoning better in this case, too, but at least he stuck to his own path and didn't let Brox warp him into stupid things he would regret later.
Anyway, all of that griping is just me venting about a very small part of the story. So take it with a grain of salt. I liked the book and I'm still very engaged with Nate. This is 4½ stars that I'll round up to five because it's still the power fantasy with good action and characters I care about.
A note about Chaste: Faline is a bit of a wannabe temptress. So I'm glad Nate is being all stoic and is smart enough not to bait the crazy. This is still pretty chaste without any intimacy or shenanigans.
August 8, 2024
Rating 4.0 stars
This was a good installment in the series but at the same time a big departure from what came before. Nathan was able to save the heirs. Now he is in the city surrounded by enemies, and they need to get out. He has the help of a master assassin to help him and his people. The choice he makes sort of makes sense but at the same time seems like a big change to who/what Nathan is about.
This was a good installment in the series but at the same time a big departure from what came before. Nathan was able to save the heirs. Now he is in the city surrounded by enemies, and they need to get out. He has the help of a master assassin to help him and his people. The choice he makes sort of makes sense but at the same time seems like a big change to who/what Nathan is about.
May 22, 2024
This was another good entry - plenty of action, some cool magic developments, some revelations about prophecies, etc. The starting few chapters were a bit too dark though, what with Nathan's new class, atrocities of the Giantsrest, etc. I was wondering how they'd proceed from where the last book ended, and of course they took even more risks!
The second half was a bit more relaxed and much needed after the high octane action. I was hoping the looming battle would be covered in this book itself, but didn't pan out that way... I think I'll end up reading the webserial instead of waiting for the book version!
The second half was a bit more relaxed and much needed after the high octane action. I was hoping the looming battle would be covered in this book itself, but didn't pan out that way... I think I'll end up reading the webserial instead of waiting for the book version!
July 25, 2024
This was a decent book with two medium problems. First, trailing a climactic battle in the prologue and not putting it in the actual book is a dick move. Don’t know why they did that. Second, it’s all very well to add a bit of colour with unique idiom, but for heaven’s sake come up with more than three or four. Everyone is constantly talking about having blood in their eyes or farting ice. It sounded really stupid, like they’d all got minor amnesia. You just said that a minute ago!
February 13, 2025
Overall this was a great entry.
Just be prepared for the fact that a big thing that's supposed to happen actually happens the beginning of the next book. Chekhov's "almost" fired gun
More lore and intrigue
This is book 3 what else do you want from me. At this point if you're checking if the reviews are good you're either trying to see if the series is worth getting into or just clicking around. I enjoy it not really going to go into any of the details
Just be prepared for the fact that a big thing that's supposed to happen actually happens the beginning of the next book. Chekhov's "almost" fired gun
More lore and intrigue
This is book 3 what else do you want from me. At this point if you're checking if the reviews are good you're either trying to see if the series is worth getting into or just clicking around. I enjoy it not really going to go into any of the details
May 25, 2024
Quality world building
This series is a fantastic example of world building through culture and word choice. Each faction has their own unique turns of phrase and idioms that give identity and depth to the characters associated with them and kept me invested and immersed in the story.
This series is a fantastic example of world building through culture and word choice. Each faction has their own unique turns of phrase and idioms that give identity and depth to the characters associated with them and kept me invested and immersed in the story.
August 26, 2024
Loved the first two books, this one I had a hard time with and ended up dropping it.
I think my biggest issue was how handwavy leveling became on this book. It used to matter, while on this one, in one chapter, the MC gained dozens and it was treated like a chore to go through. Which, in this particular subgenre, feels kind of a weird thing to do.
My second issue is that as the story progressed, the less the MC seemed to have control of his choices. I mean, he did make those choices, but the scope became narrower and more limited, to the point it started to feel railroady. This is a personal feel, more than anything.
First two books, badass. This one, not for me.
I think my biggest issue was how handwavy leveling became on this book. It used to matter, while on this one, in one chapter, the MC gained dozens and it was treated like a chore to go through. Which, in this particular subgenre, feels kind of a weird thing to do.
My second issue is that as the story progressed, the less the MC seemed to have control of his choices. I mean, he did make those choices, but the scope became narrower and more limited, to the point it started to feel railroady. This is a personal feel, more than anything.
First two books, badass. This one, not for me.
May 16, 2024
Character growth
Recommended read with a MC that you can see grow and develop into a better adventurer. Building up some of the background world building and setting the stage for hopefully much more to come.
Recommended read with a MC that you can see grow and develop into a better adventurer. Building up some of the background world building and setting the stage for hopefully much more to come.
May 21, 2024
Hugely enjoyable
I read this one in one day, flying between Munich and Denver. It waa a delightful alternative to the other entertainment options. Good characters, a nice pace and interesting story development. Buy it, you'll enjoy it!
I read this one in one day, flying between Munich and Denver. It waa a delightful alternative to the other entertainment options. Good characters, a nice pace and interesting story development. Buy it, you'll enjoy it!
August 13, 2024
Probably won’t finish
I found myself quite bored for most of this book. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series but it’s kind of dragging at this point. Also the cliffhanger ending….
I found myself quite bored for most of this book. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series but it’s kind of dragging at this point. Also the cliffhanger ending….
September 9, 2024
I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy Assassin as a direction. The first two books were largely party work, and that was a good feeling. Nonetheless this was as rich and satisfying as books 1 and 2 and, yet again, I dove straight into the next one
October 27, 2024
The story continues to be engaging and entertaining, although I think that the development and acceptance of the second class was a little too fast and a little too easy. For the most part I am enjoying it though, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
March 27, 2025
if i didnt love this series so much i would probably complain about the prologue in this more, like what was that, but i don’t care. we’re really thrown into the thick of it with this one and its dark af but i loved it.
October 13, 2025
Pretty enjoyable popcorn book building towards bigger and bigger confrontations. End was a little meh, but that’s because it was attempting to set up the next book for several chapters.
This book felt a little fillery though.
This book felt a little fillery though.
May 29, 2024
Wonderful
This series of books continues to amaze and keep you riveted. The world being built is so fun to read about.
This series of books continues to amaze and keep you riveted. The world being built is so fun to read about.
June 3, 2024
Awesome Series
This story of a academic student going to a magical world and becoming a antimage was fantastic. At the end of this book was the war with the mages.
This story of a academic student going to a magical world and becoming a antimage was fantastic. At the end of this book was the war with the mages.
August 5, 2024
Just a pleasure
September 9, 2024
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.
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 18, 2024
Rating: [S-]
October 30, 2024
still pretty good! kinda meandering w the plot though
June 3, 2025
Good stuff :)
September 9, 2025
Keeps getting better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews