The Odyllic Stone

by Alex Scheuermann

When Aster Rutherford, the postmaster's son and his childhood friend, Zinnia Hollyhock deliver a letter to the Pelware Mines, they are attacked by a birdlike monster that turns men to stone. Even worse, Buckwheat Village is plagued by an illness that's incapacitating villagers, including Aster's own father.

A chance encounter with Kara Reeves, the brash quartermaster of the Blue Skies, leads Aster to hitch a ride to the capital city in search of a doctor. Aster's quest takes him from the dizzying spires of New Portsmith to the caves of Munayallpa and the forests of Tembour. Along the way Aster reconnects with his estranged mother and comes face-to-face with the god of a foreign land. Can Aster and the crew of the Blue Skies overcome pirates, politics, and monsters to cure Buckwheat Village before it's too late?

Genres: Fantasy

455 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2024

Reviews

[Bearded Book Beast · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a blast! It's such a fun mix of fantasy subgenres. It starts leaning towards horror with the terrifying rooster/dragon creature from the cover stalking people. Then we follow our protagonist in a cozy port town as he delivers mail to locals. Next we go on a seafaring adventure with pirates! We also have a mystery to solve, a treasure hunt, a quest with companions, found family, coming of age, romance and much more. What a fun ride! This was awesome!!!

[Iseult Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imaginative fantasy world

I’ve never read a story with a cockatrice before, so I was so excited to meet one within the opening pages of this book. I was even more excited when other mythological creatures that are rarely mentioned in fantasy turned up. I also loved the scientific way the people of the world studied the animals and weird things that would be considered magic in our world.

The beliefs of the different regions were so well done. I loved how the different elements were represented and revered. It was very believable and made the world more interesting. I also liked how it tied into the story.

The characters are all great. I wish Quell’est had been in it more and I hope he turns up in the sequels. Calanthia was another favorite. Chert was very lovable.

That’s not to say I didn’t like Aster, Zinnia, Kara, and Peter. They all had important parts to play in the story. I admired Aster’s determination. Zinnia’s ptsd was interesting and well described. Kara was very brave. Peter was very loyal.

I loved the excellent postal system and the letters that made up parts of the narrative, complete with distinct wax seal stamps.

What I loved most was the world building and the bigger story of magic and history. I hope to find out more about the various threads that were introduced in this book.

[Dave Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced fantasy story with humor, action, and heart.

A lot of fun! A great quest adventure story, with pirates—YES, PIRATES!—nefarious villains, intrigue, and the slightest bit of romance. The story sings! Aster and Kara are great characters, and I had a good idea of who both of them were, and I was fully invested in their adventures.
Scheuerman has a great ear for dialogue and keeps the pace moving quickly.
The story starts out with a jaunty tone, but swiftly turns darker once Asher leaves his home behind and begins his hero’s journey. There’s so much emotion built into these chapters, and I was invested in Aster’s story. There was also a nice lead-in for book two at the end.

I did think the pacing at the beginning was a bit fast, but once Aster started his journey, things got good. Also, some of the background characters blurred together a little. Minor qualms with what was an enjoyable read and something I tore through!
A fun read! Recommended for all adventurer fans!
Note: I received an ARC from the author for an honest review.

[Bella Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can go wrong when the son of a postmaster in a very small village decides to go on an adventure?
A lot, I can tell you!
Aster embarks on his first journey outside Buckwheat village in search of a cure for his father’s disease – a disease which has affected other members of his community – but he definitely finds a lot more than what he was expecting.
I found myself as surprised as Aster by the twists and turns in this story and how the plot builds up to its climatic finale. I am not usually a big fan of YA, but there no way one cannot grow fond of such interesting characters like Calantha and Chert.
This book has it all: an intriguing magic system, monsters, enigmatic characters, pirates, adventure and intrigue!
Highly recommended for fans of YA fantasy and I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on SFFINSIDERS. COM a>

Well… this is the second author who I could’ve ran into while in the states this year if I knew he was where I was. I got this novel a few weeks ago, and I enjoyed the story and plotline, with me staring at the author for the second book in the series. My review for this would’ve been out sooner, however… school got in the way and instead of reviewing, which sometimes takes as much time as reading a book on my end, I ended up reading more novels…so this is one of many that I still am going to hammer out over my fall break (it won’t be out for a week or more after my fall break ends however).. But I digress, I’m glad Alex Scheuermann sent a copy my way, and despite it being more than half a month since I’ve read it, I still remember the most crucial parts of the story.
The Odyllic Stone by Alex Scheuermann
Now, if I had a birdlike creature at my door wanting to get in and the only way to scare it off was talking about this book (hypothetically speaking, that would never happen, right?), I’d give them this snippet:

“Aster is just a child, yet he wants to save his village before more people die. But things are not as what they seem, leading him astray.”, and the question pertaining to if one wants to know more, and if the creature still wasn’t gone… well… this is the rest of that, and it’s being typed out as I slowly turn to stone. Hopefully this birdlike thing is gone soon and I can get the magic stone dust laying in the corner to cure me. If you know, you know.

To start this review off, we have the three characters - Aster Rutherford, Zinnia Hollyhock and Kara Reeves. Two of which are close friends and live in the same village and the other is a quartermaster on a ship who ends up meeting Aster in an encounter at the local tavern. Aster Rutherford is an adventurous soul, if a bit too trusting. Probably due to growing up in a small backwater town without having to worry about someone backstabbing him. What does he want? A magical quest that’ll elevate his status to a world renowned hero. Any kids dream at some point, really. But he also is looking for a cure to the disease that is plaguing the town and his father, the postmaster. It’s mostly that with the dream of heroics on the side. And trying to meet his

Meanwhile, Zinnia Hollyhook is a bit shy, and worried about own health, and others, so she doesn’t like the whole adventuring shtick and decides to stay at home. She has some of her own adventure though and slowly grows out of her shell.

And that brings us to character number three: Kara Reeves. A quartermaster on a ship, she meets Aster in a tavern, as one does, and decides to take him with on the ship she works on. Shenanigans ensue, she gets betrayed, and at some point gets the ship back, with a more or less high stakes game of hide and seek at the end with the option to bully the seeker with a cutlass before the end.

Now, to the plot of the book. The plot that has plots within plots. Aster as the main character, with a few chapters from the other two characters, gets sent on various fetch quests to get various items in order to get the Odyllic stone to cure the village from a mysterious disease. A MacGuffin item tied to the world, yet, it is not the only thing driving the plot. Sure, everyone wants the stone, but that’s besides the point, there’s also a chalice. Aster wants to get the stone so that he can cure the villagers' plight, Kara is just going along with it because she cares and wants to keep her ship running, and Zinnia keeps hearing about it but stays at home to help people. Meanwhile, the bad guys of this book… they want it for military purposes. Why do I hear Indiana Jones music? It’s probably nothing. It winds here and there with pirate shenanigans, assassin shenanigans and various other happenings that all culminate with the ending that has several things happening, in a good way, if I remember it correctly. Since it’s been a while and I’m going off the notes I took on some graph paper, you’ll either have to take my word for it or go read it yourself.

This then translates into the world building for which we have a map that I took another look at. This map, this map gives all the necessary details of what to expect in terms of terrain. But, there’s several things not on the map… and that of course are the creatures that inhabit the dark nooks and crannies of this world. There’s one or two or a few more, not limited to cockatrices and spirits that mess with things. And of course, the magical doohickies. There’s two, the Odyllic Stone and another object that for the rest of this review will be called thing 2. The Odyllic Stone itself is tied into the lore of the world as an object that has been used to shape the continent and make or break nations. Meanwhile, thing 2 is an object that was experimented with and is mostly just a repository of knowledge with some special properties. The special properties? Special enough that emboldens a side character to do some foolish and evil things to get it. And it helps progress the plot, in a way. Which I like. Then, there’s the magic system or lack thereof or a mixture of magic but also just the stone, creatures and thing 2 have magic. Just the stone, creatures and thing 2 have magic, there is no magic besides that.

Lastly, however, I have one thing to touch upon… the dialogue. Some parts work excellently. However, in other parts, I felt like it was stilted in some way, off. But considering every author has their strengths and weaknesses with their first novel, it’s to be expected that some parts would be a bit weaker than others.

Overall, if you like swashbuckling adventure, a mystery and a hunt for a magic doohickey or two, with some of it inspired by Harrison Ford in a hat and lasso, this novel is for you.

As I usually say, if you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading this long overdue review for a novel sent to me a while back, and I hope I’ve nudged you towards your next read. If not, don’t fret, we here on the SFF Insiders team have many, many, many suggestions for you to peruse. With this link here, you’ll be transported to one at random, with it either being up your alley or not, but it will give you a new novel to look at without clicking the previous or next button. Now, as for my next reviews, there will be more of similar piecemeal coherence as I frantically try to cram as much reviewing in as I sanely can, between Christmas shopping, reading and everything else. So, to those waiting for a review for their novel, thank you for your patience and I will get to your book!

Wherever you are reading this longer review, have a good morning, good afternoon, good evening and good night!

[Franco Porras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received an ARC from the author for an honest review.

I can't say this type of narrative is one I would have read willingly, but I'm glad I did. Lots of fun characters, good dialogue, though I would say the pacing suffers at times and even over relies on a cast that is very talkative. Evocative descriptions that immerse the reader! Aster's growth as our protagonist is done well, which you don't see in every book these days. Big fan of Chert as well. Interesting world-building, but felt a bit small and draws from generic tropes, however this doesn't detract from the experience. The author does a good job looping around the main problem back to Buckwheat so engage with the story and you'll have a fun time. There's a sense of childlike wonder that is lacking in many other novels and I enjoyed having that feeling here. Great 3rd act/ending.

[Marissa Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Odyllic Stone is a fantasy story that follows a young postman (yes, a mailman) name Aster, whose town has fallen under the grip of a mysterious illness. Having been an outsider and outcast of his village for a long time because of his heritage, he’s always wanted to prove himself and become something greater. To his mind, his best option for full acceptance and to never be rejected again is to become his home’s hero. In the face of his people’s deteriorating health, he sets out with traders aboard a vessel in hopes of finding a doctor to cure his people.

This, obviously, does not go as planned, and he gets swept up into a mess of politics, war, monsters, pirates, and gods, all of whom seem to revolve around the mystery of the oydllic stone.
I had fun with this story. I was intrigued by the premise of an adventuring postman and a mysterious illness, and it only got more twisted from there. The characters were fun and intriguing (my personal favorite Calantha, because who doesn’t like a mysterious recluse in a tower, right?).
Throughout the story the characters all learn and grow, Aster himself goes from being headstrong, and largely self-focused to opening his mind to the wisdom of others and learning to work with a team. His childhood best friend, Zin, grows from a timid girl with heroic tendencies, to a full-on hero (with timid tendencies). And many other characters grow and morph on the way (but spoilers).

I enjoyed the mysteries and the way things unfolded (I won’t spoil). And appreciate that I found enough answers to be content in the stopping point of this book, but I’m happy that there was enough to keep me wanting more (as I believe this is to be a series).

For me the biggest drawback, was the pacing. It was a little fast for my taste. There were a couple of moments where I thought slowing down would help (then again, I’m a Sanderson fan, take it how you like, everyone has their own tastes). There were simply moments I felt could be given a little more depth so I could take them in and immerse myself a little deeper.

That being said, I feel like this was a solid debut. If you like being swept along on an adventure with mystery, magic, forgotten ages, murder, relics, and political drama, this is a good read for you.

I received an ARC copy of The Odyllic Stone by Alex Scheuermann in exchange for an honest review.

[M.C. Burnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of The Odyllic Stone as an ARC. Aster Rutherford is a young man with an overbearing single parent, keen to see what lies beyond the narrow bounds of bucolic Buckwheat village. People in his village are suffering from a mystery illness, and the need to find a competent healer finally gives him a good reason to leave. A solid argument to set against his dad's doomsaying about the danger and treachery of the outside world.*
* His dad was right, he's soon to learn.

There's a tumbling-down-a-hill unstoppable momentum to Aster's adventures, and I kept thinking about Bilbo as I read it. His point about being swept off your feet when you step out your door. The instant Aster leaves home, he's getting in trouble, meeting new friends, and bumbling across escalating mysteries with an innocent vigor that made me think of the Hobbit (minus Bilbo's grumpy old man energy). You are not going to be bored.

I was most taken by the world itself. The map! The author has their own vision of time and place and paints that vividly. The cities in particular were unique. They left pictures in my head clear as paintings.

Other things a reader ought to know? The protag's bestie is a coward, otherwise known as realistically terrified by monsters and threat of death. It's a quality too often lacking in fantasy, and what makes her especially likeable and real is the fact that she SAVES THE DAY several times whilst being terrified. Doesn't magically stop her being scared.

As for the protagonist himself, Aster is a teenager and acts his age: he's frequently impulsive, self-involved, and short-sighted. And the people around him talk sense and keep giving him chances instead of sending him back to the kiddie table. Color me shocked when I hit the end and found my guy facing some very real consequences. No spoilers, but this is serious. It left me keenly interested to find out what comes next because he isn't a sheltered kid anymore, he can't be. That ship sailed. What he grows into next, I have no idea.

The ending was satisfying all-around. I'm a lover of series, and some problems were solved, some trials overcome. But the situation with magic evolved into something really strange and new that I don't yet understand. I'm excited to learn! A handful of baddies were left unpunished, and I'd like to have words with them. Not just a fun read, The Odyllic Stone left me wanting to read more.

[JaMos (Moseley) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a charm that makes it readable in most any situation. I haven't come across the style much in my reading to this point, but it kept taking me back to old jrpg style video games. It felt like the character relationships were full of goodwill, or at least originated from a place of goodwill, the world had the feel of a 'worldmap' from an old rpg where you travel to and from by boat, and the addition of the inserted letters especially, gave me that rustic, idyllic feeling often imparted from a good hearted rpg. Even the economy with 'gold' invoked that xp and gold stacking mentality.

I think the strengths lie in the cast of characters and creatures, and the continuously evolving plot that spins from adventure to adventure. One thing that is a lil make or break for me in most cases is character names, if character names don't really stick well for me then I'll often lose touch with the narrative. I didn't lose track of any characters in this story, and I thought the character names were well done and appropriate with a good amount of charm, with Calantha being a favorite.

Lastly, the creatures were a highlight. Each region seemed to have creatures unique to the land. I've never read anything with a cockatrice either, which was cool. I think the story could've leaned more into the creatures and I would've soaked it up.

Not the grizzly, doom narratives that I normally read, so for that reason, greatly enjoyed the change of pace!

[T. C. Roberts-Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following Aster Rutherford throughout this adventure was a blast!

I truly believe this is the perfect introduction to fantasy for younger readers, and it is a shame it wasn’t around when I was younger myself! I would have lapped this up.

The pacing is quick, always pushing the plot forward. The characters are fun and interesting, and have the youthful spirit that this sort of book needs. The way the more mystical aspects are fleshed out, such as the various monsters and Gods, gives the reader the usual fantasy tropes while keeping them exciting and fresh. Not only this, but the politics and world are explored just enough to help with the immersion, especially for someone like me who doesn’t tend to read much YA fiction.

If you are a younger adult who is wanting to get into fantasy, then The Odyllic Stone is the book for you!

[RowdyPlayer1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Odyllic Stone is a fast-paced action-adventure book with magic, found family and a chicken dragon. Aster the main character and his friend Zinnia are out trying to deliver a letter to someone when they an attacked by a cockatrice. They manage to escape and the find out that their town is being poisoned so Aster decides to leave home to bring a doctor back to help save the town. The adventure begins there. He will journey across the seas, meet tons of new people, him and his crew will be stabbed in the back multiple times and there will be characters that die. I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend you giving it a shot!

[Bill Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Odyllic Stone is an adventure story through and through, one that channels The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles while elevating some weirdness against the mundane. While the plot relies heavily on the farmboy goes on an adventure trope, the story does end up breathing new life in some unexpected ways that I found quite enjoyable.

The cast of TOS starts small in a tiny faraway village but ends up expanding into far-reaching lands and a much larger group. Our main character is Aster Rutherford and good ole Aster is a postmaster apprentice of sorts. He and his bff Zinnia Hollyhock have a run in with a cockatrice (seriously, why are there not more cockatrices in books???) and Aster’s simple life goes belly up in the most interesting and fun ways. His adventure to seek help leads him to become a sailor, a pathetic knife fighter, a failed petitioner, a smuggler, an explorer caught by simple booby traps, a big game hunter who lets the game go, and a champion (?). And all the while, Aster maintains his goal in trying to help those of his hometown. I just loved Aster.

The rest of the cast was not only diverse in character types but also incredibly well-balanced. Kara plays the role of love interest, brash young sailor turned captain, and all around capable human who gets wrongly fingered for some bad things. Chert is the reliable muscle and stoic buddy who has a deep-rooted history to the Odyllic Stone (the item of the title). Calantha was my favorite character. Not only was Calantha cool, calm, collected as a scientist but was also much more than meets the eye but spilling that detail would be some spoilerific action. Zinnia had an interesting arc, though I do wish she had a bigger role earlier in the story to help build her up more because she did play a major part in the latter half of the book. Then there are a number of other side characters that range from excellent (Fletcher, Peter, Pat) to plot movers (Joss, Janna, Whitlock). All this to say, the cast is quite good.

Now here’s where things could become tricky, and might be a slight deterrent to overall enjoyment one might get from reading this book: a looooooot of things happen. I mean a lot. You might have gleaned some hints of that from my description of Aster’s arc, but yes, this book has it all. Sailing becomes attacked by pirates and marooned. A follow-up journey to a secondary town that requires another journey to a third town, and in third town, Aster meets his long unmet mother who abandoned him as a child (sort of). Then we finally have Aster get the much needed doctor to save his village (after some politicking as a petitioner). Then we have a mystery to solve in the mines, which leads to a treasure hunt where the Odyllic Stone is discovered (this was my favorite subplot and really felt like reading Young Indiana Jones, very boobytrap thinking going on here). Then we have some assassination attempts. Then a heist before we end with a sweet rooftop battle with some weird creatures coming to life. There is so much that happens in this book that at times it almost feels too much. Like there are moments when a slow down in the pace would have helped before jumping into the next obstacle. It wasn’t an issue, per se, but I would have preferred a few more scenes as breathers to allow the characters to have more reaction to everything that was happening.

One very cool structural bit was a letter between each of the chapters. Usually the letters were written to a specific character relating to the previous or upcoming chapter and had some plot details within (and I’m told the last few hint at where the rest of the series will go). I thought this idea was fun and neat, different and really fit the vibe of Aster being a postmaster’s son. It was also a great palate cleanser after the really long chapters (yes, there are fewer chapters that are longer than your normal length but there are plenty of scene breaks within each).

There was plenty of weird in this book too. Cockatrices are pretty normal despite their rarity of use (officially campaigning for more cockatrices in books!). But we also get giant cave-dwelling creatures that are godlike and proffer gemstone magic (sort of). We have mantis-like shapeshifters. There’s a magical chalice that takes you to the Null Realm where you meet an interesting being with your standard fantasy name with a random apostrophe in it. There’s mushroom beasties. Ballisks. Dragons of a sort. Even the Odyllic Stone has some weird to it. I thoroughly enjoyed all the weird, give me more of that!

The prose is pretty dynamic, not overly dramatic nor simplistic. The pace is hectic, as I mentioned, going from scene to scene to scene at a sprint. The tension is balanced nicely between action and drama, and the villain felt real once we learned who that was. There was a little bit of mustache twirling at parts but it wasn’t very over the top.

Ultimately, I had a grand time reading The Odyllic Stone. I never truly knew where it was going to go and I like that in a story full of adventure. And the plot twist at the end was satisfying, especially since I didn’t see it coming but should have guessed it with all the subtle hints. I can’t wait to see where Aster and co. go in book 2. Check out this book by a fellow Secret Scribe!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book truly lives up to the definition of “Adventure Book”. Every single bit of it, since the beginning, is a hint of the big adventure that our main character will go through.

Aster Rutherford is the postmaster’s son. He’s a plain boy, that doesn’t seem to like making waves around him. He’s somewhat likes to play by the rules, and doesn’t really dare to go beyond, no matter how deeply he desires it. That is, until his town starts falling under a mysterious illness, that soon catches his father, and when the opportunity to find a competent doctor arises, Aster decides to stop living on the sidelines and actually become a player in life.

Little does Aster know that this decision is only the first little trigger to so many adventures that will take him to unexpected lands, with unexpected companions, forcing himself to grow and become the true hero of his people.

The Odyllic Stone has it all; pirates, magic, betrayal, far away lands, and a diverse cast of characters to wrap it all up.

[Pete Reviews Books Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the definition of underrated gem.

The Odyllic Stone was an absolute joy to read, and one of the types of books I need every so often to break up the absolutely MASSIVE tomes I end up reading, that go 10 books long into a series. I enjoyed this for what it was; a fun, fast-paced story. It hit perfectly at the right time!

I think the main thing I enjoyed about the book was the character work. The cast was full of personality and each of them brought a unique vibe to the journey. Aster was also a great main character, and I thought the seemingly innocent postmaster job he was in (filling in for his sick father) was an awesome change of pace. It also led to an incredibly unique detail, where chapters would start with letters he was sending to different people. It was a cool detail that made it even more believable, and was a fun way to get into his mind.

The main plot kicks off when Aster and his friend, Zinnia, go to deliver a letter to a mine and run into a cockatrice. Which is a cool creature to run into, I haven't come across a cockatrice since I played the Witcher 3 I think, it was fun to read about again! From there, Aster has to set off on a journey to help his village, who have all mysteriously come down with a sickness (like his father I previously mentioned). What follows is a rollicking adventure, full of pirates, bandits, treasure hunters, and lots of other awesome encounters.

Ironically enough, all of those things led to me my only borderline-complaint (complaint being used VERY loosely) about the story; it was so full of journeys and encounters and side quests, it never gave the main story time to breathe. It was a lot of fun like I said, but it was at a breakneck pace where whenever one story of travelling was done, it instantly picked up with another and the crew was off and running again. I'd like to have experienced a bit more downtime, which is why it's hardly a complaint.

I thought the writing was also very strong, especially for a debut novel. I'm very much looking forward to what Alex puts out next, because this was a really fun time reading. In general, I think this is a perfect book for people who are looking for a relatively light and easy read; it goes perfectly between other series, or if you're inclined to read things that are super dark. Every once in a while, it's nice to take a break and enjoy a something like the adventures of an apprentice postmaster as he travels outside of his village!

[Mylee J. Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Odyllic Stone follows a young Aster as he battles a cockatrice, makes a deal, and when his father's health takes a turn for the worse, sets out to find a doctor capable of healing his family. Putting his trust in a young sailor and his heart toward his father's safety, Aster faces enemies such as nefarious gods, old allies, and even the world itself. The wilderness is a dangerous place - and Aster will learn to overcome it as he seeks salvation for his family and his town.

I remember seeing offers for ARCs on this book, and I simply couldn't refuse the opportunity. Not only did the story's pitch resonate with me, but it was the perfect cure for my long-term reading slump. The Odyllic Stone by Scheuermann is filled with adventurous wonder fit for all ages, alongside characters and worlds worth fighting for. The style was simple and easy to read, and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next while reading.

One of my favorite aspects of Scheuermann's book is that placed between every chapter, there were unique elements to fill out the pages and add depth not only to the story, but also to the characters. I saw stories unfold inside of stories, and those letters between every chapter were by far the most interesting part (to me). This book will grab you and not let you go. It is perfect for fans of monsters, adventures, and characterization. Well worth the read!

[G.J. Terral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immediate spoilers: There is a stone.

I went into this one fairly blind, and what started as a tale focused on a fairly idyllic setting quickly turned into a grand adventure of pirates, temples, magic, and monsters.

Aster was a likeable main character and it was easy to root for him as his adventure progressed. A wide cast of supporting characters added depth to the world and the various cities Aster visited all felt unique and lived in.

TOS had an excellent sense of adventure throughout, mostly due to Aster's yearning to see the wider world and each locale enhanced that somehow.

This novel was slow in some places, the pacing feeling stinted or off, but it never diminished my overall enjoyment. If I had a complaint, it would be that certain hard-hitting emotional scenes could've used more time to breath, for Aster to reflect on, but this is a personal preference and YMMV.

I recommend this to readers who enjoy sprawling adventures rife with mystery.

[Ayrton Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, but dear god Aster was so naive sometimes it was infuriating.

Pros: Elaborate worldbuilding, lots of exploration, fun meandering plot.
Cons: Some of the character development moments felt a bit disjointed, especially toward the end. Not a huge deal, though.

All things said, it's a solid 4/5. Fans of fun fantasy coming of age stories will enjoy it.