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Imperial Summoner #1
Mage Academy
Mage Academy - Imperial Summoner - A LitRPG Magic Academy Light Novel - Volume 1
[Vella Episodes 1- 55]
Danny Youngblood's destiny was fire magic, just like every man in his family. But fate had other plans. When he enters the prestigious Imperial Mage Academy, his powers manifest as something far more rare and dangerous.
Monster Summoning!Now, Danny's a walking dungeon core, able to absorb creatures and unleash them as powerful allies.
But this awesome ability makes him an outcast, feared by professors and envied by rivals. Can he master his powers, make real friends, and prove he's not destined to become another villain like the summoners of legend?
Join Danny as he navigates the challenges of academy
Unleash epic monster battles in the training dungeons and face real threats in dungeon raids!
Craft unique monster combinations with his custom build ability, creating the ultimate monster squad!
Bond with his quirky classmates like Isa, the animal mage, and Tess, the battle-hardened Imperial soldier.
And a dragon.
Get started with "Mage Academy"! and pick up a copy and download now
[Advanced Chapters on Kindle Vella]
[]
[Vella Episodes 1- 55]
Danny Youngblood's destiny was fire magic, just like every man in his family. But fate had other plans. When he enters the prestigious Imperial Mage Academy, his powers manifest as something far more rare and dangerous.
Monster Summoning!Now, Danny's a walking dungeon core, able to absorb creatures and unleash them as powerful allies.
But this awesome ability makes him an outcast, feared by professors and envied by rivals. Can he master his powers, make real friends, and prove he's not destined to become another villain like the summoners of legend?
Join Danny as he navigates the challenges of academy
Unleash epic monster battles in the training dungeons and face real threats in dungeon raids!
Craft unique monster combinations with his custom build ability, creating the ultimate monster squad!
Bond with his quirky classmates like Isa, the animal mage, and Tess, the battle-hardened Imperial soldier.
And a dragon.
Get started with "Mage Academy"! and pick up a copy and download now
[Advanced Chapters on Kindle Vella]
[]
600 pages, Paperback
Published May 15, 2024
1110 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
May 17, 2024
Could be way better, could be worse. A light novel about a person with summoning magic. While I don't like the way he gets treated by just about everyone, it's an ok read. One big minus are the "auto save file" messages at the end of the chapters. After the first of these, I've just skipped them since they are plain annoying. I would be better to do them every so many chapters imho. I might look into the next book, I might not....
May 22, 2024
Not good
Everyone supposedly was against him because he was a summoner, one person went crazy but that was it, none of the fire water or other mages ever went insane? Plus he is just a kid his adviser was supposedly his friend but always warning him to not do this or that... Just not written well the mc was not likable
Everyone supposedly was against him because he was a summoner, one person went crazy but that was it, none of the fire water or other mages ever went insane? Plus he is just a kid his adviser was supposedly his friend but always warning him to not do this or that... Just not written well the mc was not likable
December 3, 2025
I want to rate it higher because I like the world building and the story but the writing style is kind of all over the place at times. I'm interested to see where the story goes and will hope the author finds his footing better.
October 18, 2024
Overall the book was alright, the way summoning magic was explained and used was fun and interesting however the limiting of the main character being able to use his ability freely because of the direction of the story went was a bit disappointing. The chapters were mostly short making it feel like a quick read.
I thought the end of chapter save points were kinda useless and just added pages that didn’t need to be in the book. The chapters on “mage ball” also felt like filler adding nothing interesting to the story.
I thought the end of chapter save points were kinda useless and just added pages that didn’t need to be in the book. The chapters on “mage ball” also felt like filler adding nothing interesting to the story.
June 29, 2024
Ah, this was the book where Danny completed his test, then in the next chapter he completed his test but written slightly differently and I’m pretty sure one of those chapters was meant to be taken out in editing? I never really warmed to him and that sort of set the tone from then on. Half-arsed.
September 5, 2024
Entertaining enough
Personally I did enjoy the book but I do have a few gripes with it. The first being that, overall, the whole store is just giving you the events. For me there was no sense of story telling, just 'hey, this all happened' type of thing. Second being that every supposed big event in the story so far felt hollow. You could almost count this in the same point and point one but there was no sense of completion or solidity. No ramp up or down, just a plateau. And the third being that the characters sorta switch on a dime. I know in some of the chapters that weeks have passed by and a lot can happen then but it's pretty jarring to go from "hey, you're pretty cool." To "you're the scum of the earth." In like 3 pages.
But the story does has potential, I just wish the writing was a bit better.
Personally I did enjoy the book but I do have a few gripes with it. The first being that, overall, the whole store is just giving you the events. For me there was no sense of story telling, just 'hey, this all happened' type of thing. Second being that every supposed big event in the story so far felt hollow. You could almost count this in the same point and point one but there was no sense of completion or solidity. No ramp up or down, just a plateau. And the third being that the characters sorta switch on a dime. I know in some of the chapters that weeks have passed by and a lot can happen then but it's pretty jarring to go from "hey, you're pretty cool." To "you're the scum of the earth." In like 3 pages.
But the story does has potential, I just wish the writing was a bit better.
July 30, 2024
If harry potter had summoning magic and didn't have any male friends
I really liked the magic system where he can combine a few animals parts into one. I also liked the fact that his dad still love him even though he is a different dtudy of magic.
I didn't like how he is surrounded by girls and the professors don't count! They are much older than him, give him some male friends. Also, what's up with the autosave part, is it for looks or if he dies he returns to the part where it was last autosaved. Now let's see about the Harry Potter part:
is a child of famous wizard line (check)
Funds out one of his parents was a sport player that he now play(check)
Either people love him or hate him (check)
And a teacher being possessed (check)
I really liked the magic system where he can combine a few animals parts into one. I also liked the fact that his dad still love him even though he is a different dtudy of magic.
I didn't like how he is surrounded by girls and the professors don't count! They are much older than him, give him some male friends. Also, what's up with the autosave part, is it for looks or if he dies he returns to the part where it was last autosaved. Now let's see about the Harry Potter part:
is a child of famous wizard line (check)
Funds out one of his parents was a sport player that he now play(check)
Either people love him or hate him (check)
And a teacher being possessed (check)
October 2, 2024
Has potential, Missed the mark
The book is very slow and boring until Chapter 50 when things actually start to happen. The writing is very poor. It’s feels rushed and shallow as it tells a very shallow story. The MC is extremely passive and just lets everyone walk all over him. It’s like the MC is a 9 year old that just doesn’t have the quick thinking to solve his problems. It has good elements with foreshadowing and culminates to a decent ending, but the journey is arduous and just difficult to slog through.
The system in place seems to be controlled by the mages/empire somehow? It isn’t explained well, but if you don’t follow the status quo they just strip you of your abilities. We only see it from one passive kid’s perspective, but it seems like a very authoritarian world where you must follow the rules or else.
You’d think they’d let the next summoner train and fight to keep people safe. How was it not looked into further what caused Summoners to have issues? It really doesn’t make much sense, but I guess that just comes to a weak plot written by what I assume is a new author.
It also isn’t really plausible for a level 8 kid to take on a Dragon Hatchling that is level 100. Its summons shouldn’t really be able to do anything to such a high level beast. Again, this just comes down to odd world building and vague systems.
The book is very slow and boring until Chapter 50 when things actually start to happen. The writing is very poor. It’s feels rushed and shallow as it tells a very shallow story. The MC is extremely passive and just lets everyone walk all over him. It’s like the MC is a 9 year old that just doesn’t have the quick thinking to solve his problems. It has good elements with foreshadowing and culminates to a decent ending, but the journey is arduous and just difficult to slog through.
The system in place seems to be controlled by the mages/empire somehow? It isn’t explained well, but if you don’t follow the status quo they just strip you of your abilities. We only see it from one passive kid’s perspective, but it seems like a very authoritarian world where you must follow the rules or else.
You’d think they’d let the next summoner train and fight to keep people safe. How was it not looked into further what caused Summoners to have issues? It really doesn’t make much sense, but I guess that just comes to a weak plot written by what I assume is a new author.
It also isn’t really plausible for a level 8 kid to take on a Dragon Hatchling that is level 100. Its summons shouldn’t really be able to do anything to such a high level beast. Again, this just comes down to odd world building and vague systems.
June 26, 2025
Loved some parts and hated others. As another reviewer mentioned, it does feel like a Harry Potter copy-and-paste with some minimal changes. I did like the chimera-like summoning "magic" aspect. I also like the family relationship with his dad. I disliked the characters, even if they are "friendly", they all feel spoiled, rude, and pushy. I also disliked the harem-like setup. Why are there no male friends? I don't get the constant auto-save either. Is there a point of auto-saving after each chapter? Can he come back to a previous save like in a game? Or is it just to let the reader know this is a LitRPG? I think it was also predictable, won't get into specifics to prevent spoiling the story. O also disliked that everyone keeps comparing the MC with someone else....each person is unique, move on!!! Don't judge before there is an ACTUAL reason for it. Also, they keep talking about kicking the MC out of school. Do you want an untrained summoner loose? Wouldn't having him trained be better? Helping him have control, you know!
I digress, it is an OK read, not bad, not awesome, but entertaining enough to make me want to go to the next volume. On to my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!
I digress, it is an OK read, not bad, not awesome, but entertaining enough to make me want to go to the next volume. On to my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!
December 2, 2024
Harry Potter with Dungeons
I really enjoyed the climax of this book and will be trying to read the second one as some writers just need time to really settle into the story they want to tell. My only real complaint would be that things just kinda happen, and it feels like the author is telling us rather than showing us why things are happening in the world. The MC conveniently only makes connections much later after the reader has already figured it out.
**Minor Spoiler**
The worst example of the author hard steering plot point is the invite to play for this stories version of Quidditch, which happens out of nowhere. One minute, he is enjoying his first game, and the next minute, the captain of one of the teams knows his name and is inviting him to join with no apparent investment on the MC's part.
I really enjoyed the climax of this book and will be trying to read the second one as some writers just need time to really settle into the story they want to tell. My only real complaint would be that things just kinda happen, and it feels like the author is telling us rather than showing us why things are happening in the world. The MC conveniently only makes connections much later after the reader has already figured it out.
**Minor Spoiler**
The worst example of the author hard steering plot point is the invite to play for this stories version of Quidditch, which happens out of nowhere. One minute, he is enjoying his first game, and the next minute, the captain of one of the teams knows his name and is inviting him to join with no apparent investment on the MC's part.
August 15, 2025
Mage Academy is your typical academy type story, you know, the whole getting picked on others just because you're different, and the whole pick on the newbies thing. But, despite that unfortunate piece of the story, it's a fairly good story. Probably because it contains dragons. (you can never go wrong with dragons). It even has some LitRPG elements to it. It's rather similar to some other books in the same vain I've read before, but that's the nature of the beast, so don't let that put you off from reading this one if you like this kind of book.
I'm likely to read more in this series, (now that I know it is one).
I'm likely to read more in this series, (now that I know it is one).
June 24, 2024
Characters are interesting
The characters are interesting, the storyline is just okay (parallels Harry Potter), and has some major plot holes.
My favorite plot hole problem SAS our character was informed by the system that he couldn't change a summoned monster's drives or instincts until he reaches level 10; he never reached level 10 in this book. Yet somehow creatures wouldn't attack but just be used as a mount or a shield. Woops!
Also, our character could barely defeat a level 25 creature without the support of a whole squadron of mages as support but we are to believe that he somehow overcomes a massive level discrepancy and takes out a level 100 dragon??
Anyway, have fun!!
The characters are interesting, the storyline is just okay (parallels Harry Potter), and has some major plot holes.
My favorite plot hole problem SAS our character was informed by the system that he couldn't change a summoned monster's drives or instincts until he reaches level 10; he never reached level 10 in this book. Yet somehow creatures wouldn't attack but just be used as a mount or a shield. Woops!
Also, our character could barely defeat a level 25 creature without the support of a whole squadron of mages as support but we are to believe that he somehow overcomes a massive level discrepancy and takes out a level 100 dragon??
Anyway, have fun!!
July 18, 2024
Audiobook: I was captivated by this story from the opening paragraphs until the end. I admired the worldbuilding and the various creatures which populated this world. I liked the engaging and fun characters. I was amazed at the details in the battle scenes and often felt like I could actually see the battle itself. I found the game character statistics report amusing. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I thought Christopher Harbour's narration was amazing. I enjoyed the various voices that Christoper performed for the different characters. His performance added to my enjoyment of the whole story. I was gifted a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which included my honest opinions regarding this tale.
June 13, 2024
It's just barely readable if you're looking for a crappy book
Like seriously you the naming conventions are horrible they're all elemental base so if you're with me you're windbreak and if you're lightning then you're blue something. Like authors grew out of this in the time of Dickens!
Really poor leveling system really poor world building really poor dialogue really poor academy really poor proofreading really poor editing really poor development really poor everything there's no redeeming qualities I made it to about 22% hoping that at some point it would get better and it just never did
Like seriously you the naming conventions are horrible they're all elemental base so if you're with me you're windbreak and if you're lightning then you're blue something. Like authors grew out of this in the time of Dickens!
Really poor leveling system really poor world building really poor dialogue really poor academy really poor proofreading really poor editing really poor development really poor everything there's no redeeming qualities I made it to about 22% hoping that at some point it would get better and it just never did
July 13, 2024
This was an unusual experience, but I loved it. Danny has an unusual and potentially dangerous ability, making him the object of much gossip and fear from both the faculty and students alike. However, his dad has drilled into him from a young age the importance of serving in their mage group, for the good of the kingdom. This makes him push through, in the best, innocent way possible. It earns him Allies and enemies. Quite enjoyed this book and recommend.
Please note, I’ll be returning and listening with my kids this summer once we finish our current book together as they are going to love it too!
Please note, I’ll be returning and listening with my kids this summer once we finish our current book together as they are going to love it too!
July 18, 2024
Good first book
So Danny Is cursed Or blessed With a power that very few people have. Technically one every generation or two. However, because monster summoners have been known to go crazy And destroy lots of stuff/people, he is not well received by everyone. So he must tip toe around the nae sayers and learn about his powers Pretty much on his own As there are no other summoners to teach him. Of course if that were the only problem It be a thin book. There are other problems at the academy and Danny Is more is more than willing to help. Great 1st book I enjoyed it Hopefully the second will be as engaging.
So Danny Is cursed Or blessed With a power that very few people have. Technically one every generation or two. However, because monster summoners have been known to go crazy And destroy lots of stuff/people, he is not well received by everyone. So he must tip toe around the nae sayers and learn about his powers Pretty much on his own As there are no other summoners to teach him. Of course if that were the only problem It be a thin book. There are other problems at the academy and Danny Is more is more than willing to help. Great 1st book I enjoyed it Hopefully the second will be as engaging.
July 29, 2024
just boring
Pretty incoherent in places. Absolutely reads like it was originally published in chapters and the author never bothered to go back and reread the stuff they had done previously, then it was just mashed together to be published as a book.
The System is poorly explained, the schooling seems not to matter and there is a weird Absolutely Not Quidditch sub story that goes absolutely nowhere and then gets ended abruptly without ever adding anything to the story.
The best part of the book is the cover image, and even that doesn’t really reflect anything that happens in the book.
Pretty incoherent in places. Absolutely reads like it was originally published in chapters and the author never bothered to go back and reread the stuff they had done previously, then it was just mashed together to be published as a book.
The System is poorly explained, the schooling seems not to matter and there is a weird Absolutely Not Quidditch sub story that goes absolutely nowhere and then gets ended abruptly without ever adding anything to the story.
The best part of the book is the cover image, and even that doesn’t really reflect anything that happens in the book.
November 5, 2024
Danny Youngblood is about to enter the Mage Academy, he comes from a Mage family known for their Fire affinity. But he is still undecided as he seems to have all elements covered and none have really taken off on him. So during his testing for the Academy one more trait comes up. Monster Summoning, this immediately raises alarms in the Academy and the Imperium.
Monster summoners are not common at all. They come once a generation. But its not that they fear its the tendency to go Rogue, to go Mad and to become destructive.
Will Danny go crazy ...
Fun starting volume to a series that I will enjoy reading.
Monster summoners are not common at all. They come once a generation. But its not that they fear its the tendency to go Rogue, to go Mad and to become destructive.
Will Danny go crazy ...
Fun starting volume to a series that I will enjoy reading.
August 28, 2025
needs work
Some phrase repeats and at least one name error where Barrydew was called Strawberry. Really strange world where adults don’t even try to investigate matters, and when in trouble the first person you run to is a new kid mage instead of the nearest adult trained mage. I feel like the MC should have just been present near a powerful mage when someone sought help rather than be who another kid turned to. All these deficits really made the book one of those I put down over and over again out of frustration at the lack of credibility. Won’t be reading future books in this series.
Some phrase repeats and at least one name error where Barrydew was called Strawberry. Really strange world where adults don’t even try to investigate matters, and when in trouble the first person you run to is a new kid mage instead of the nearest adult trained mage. I feel like the MC should have just been present near a powerful mage when someone sought help rather than be who another kid turned to. All these deficits really made the book one of those I put down over and over again out of frustration at the lack of credibility. Won’t be reading future books in this series.
October 14, 2025
My opinion:
Story idea: 5/5 love the idea and world was built decently well.
Plot: 3/5 while not inherently bad, was very predictable at points.
Writing: 2/5 felt like the writing could’ve been better, too many exclamation points, too much brooding for the character to then switch their emotions.
Pacing 2/5 too fast paced
Characters: 3/5 very unbalanced gender pool… all friends at school are females while all ascended mages are males… and all boys his age seem to hate him, very unrealistic. Characters themselves aren’t bad when it comes to consistency.
Story idea: 5/5 love the idea and world was built decently well.
Plot: 3/5 while not inherently bad, was very predictable at points.
Writing: 2/5 felt like the writing could’ve been better, too many exclamation points, too much brooding for the character to then switch their emotions.
Pacing 2/5 too fast paced
Characters: 3/5 very unbalanced gender pool… all friends at school are females while all ascended mages are males… and all boys his age seem to hate him, very unrealistic. Characters themselves aren’t bad when it comes to consistency.
July 23, 2024
I found this book very hard going. The constant save player updates were not needed in my view. At least less often would have worked. It made the story much longer than it needed to be. I did manage to finish it before I lost patience but only just. Sadly the story itself was lost under the gaming format. This book was not for me.
August 22, 2024
great read
I enjoyed the take on Monster Summoning. Heartwarming story of a child trying not to succumb to the world’s harsh view of him and make a name that is all his own. The betrayals, the discoveries and the fights were all fun to read. Mageball in particular was cool but wish he would have flourished there more. Overall a good read.
I enjoyed the take on Monster Summoning. Heartwarming story of a child trying not to succumb to the world’s harsh view of him and make a name that is all his own. The betrayals, the discoveries and the fights were all fun to read. Mageball in particular was cool but wish he would have flourished there more. Overall a good read.
October 7, 2024
MC is soo full of himself. He is a LVL 4 and thinks he is the most powerful there when there is the pinocle of mages there (1) and a fully graduated and in the field for many years mage. This really is a mystery / intrigue book more than a progression book. He is really just being given everything he needs and really is a stupid kid.
December 12, 2024
hogwarts got revamped
This is an amazing story with a wonderful magical system. I felt like it itched something I’ve been missing in my mage/wizarding books that I haven’t felt since reading Harry Potter. The world building, the character development, the not OP yet OP build was there. Honestly loved it all the way around and can’t wait to read the next one.
This is an amazing story with a wonderful magical system. I felt like it itched something I’ve been missing in my mage/wizarding books that I haven’t felt since reading Harry Potter. The world building, the character development, the not OP yet OP build was there. Honestly loved it all the way around and can’t wait to read the next one.
July 6, 2025
A bit of a slog
The premise had promise. But the execution was weird.
The main character gets imperious statements made to him constantly, which is just… obnoxious. Everything is an ‘or else’ or ‘you won’t dare!’
Mageball is not exciting at all. The story leans too much into Harry Potter esque crap.
Plotlines never really were wrapped up.
Ehh. It’s alright.
The premise had promise. But the execution was weird.
The main character gets imperious statements made to him constantly, which is just… obnoxious. Everything is an ‘or else’ or ‘you won’t dare!’
Mageball is not exciting at all. The story leans too much into Harry Potter esque crap.
Plotlines never really were wrapped up.
Ehh. It’s alright.
May 21, 2024
Excellent.
This is one of those ‘read it one go books’. The characters are a likeable bunch of individuals. All with their own needs and aspirations. Read it you won’t be disappointed.
This is one of those ‘read it one go books’. The characters are a likeable bunch of individuals. All with their own needs and aspirations. Read it you won’t be disappointed.
May 26, 2024
Good book
Lots of reveals to the MC back story. Way too much inconsistency in treating students. Character development was spotty although I would read the next title to see if it gets better.
Lots of reveals to the MC back story. Way too much inconsistency in treating students. Character development was spotty although I would read the next title to see if it gets better.
June 10, 2024
Well written!
Griffith has clear, evident skill with character creation and narrative arc plotting. The story keeps you guessing, never quite certain as to what will unfold. Highly recommend.
Griffith has clear, evident skill with character creation and narrative arc plotting. The story keeps you guessing, never quite certain as to what will unfold. Highly recommend.
July 10, 2024
A very good read
A very good read a very strong story and very well written the story was slow to start and a bit spread out but this is just nit picking as I could not fined much else to pick in
A very good read a very strong story and very well written the story was slow to start and a bit spread out but this is just nit picking as I could not fined much else to pick in
July 12, 2024
Entertaining Read
The newest summoner is now at the Academy. He is feared by students and professors alike. They want him gone. I like the action, humor, and mystery. I look forward to the next book.
The newest summoner is now at the Academy. He is feared by students and professors alike. They want him gone. I like the action, humor, and mystery. I look forward to the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews