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The Healer #1
The Healer: Book 1
He was born into a world where wars were long forgotten, where people lived justly, watched over by the Gods, and life went on as it should, until an enemy from beyond came. The one they called the God of Death.
A world that had forgotten what violence was didn’t know how to defend itself. City after city fell. Earth became a lifeless wasteland as the undead army swelled and crushed the humans like ants underneath its boot.
It all ended at the last stronghold. Forgoing all hope for salvation, a handful of desperate humans realized that the only thing left was revenge.
Born into a family of adepts, he was orphaned by the war. Being one of the best in the art of healing and blessed by the Gods, he failed to complete his training and became a soldier instead, working his way up from a private to a commander.
Had he known that he’d command the last battalion of his world, he would’ve thought twice about his chosen path.
As the instrument of vengeance, he was wielded against the undead army.
He killed the Undead King and realized that there was much more at play here than he had originally thought. But before he could get to the bottom of it, he perished.
Only that wasn’t the end.
He woke up in another world, in another body, and was given a chance to start again.
Elor, the last defender of his world, would come after the God of Death for his revenge.
A world that had forgotten what violence was didn’t know how to defend itself. City after city fell. Earth became a lifeless wasteland as the undead army swelled and crushed the humans like ants underneath its boot.
It all ended at the last stronghold. Forgoing all hope for salvation, a handful of desperate humans realized that the only thing left was revenge.
Born into a family of adepts, he was orphaned by the war. Being one of the best in the art of healing and blessed by the Gods, he failed to complete his training and became a soldier instead, working his way up from a private to a commander.
Had he known that he’d command the last battalion of his world, he would’ve thought twice about his chosen path.
As the instrument of vengeance, he was wielded against the undead army.
He killed the Undead King and realized that there was much more at play here than he had originally thought. But before he could get to the bottom of it, he perished.
Only that wasn’t the end.
He woke up in another world, in another body, and was given a chance to start again.
Elor, the last defender of his world, would come after the God of Death for his revenge.
- GenresFantasy
334 pages, Paperback
Published July 29, 2024
861 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 27, 2025
Title: The Healer (The Healer, #1)
Author: Roman Romanovich
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✰✰ (3/5 stars)
The Healer by Roman Romanovich is the first book in a gripping dystopian series that merges elements of science fiction, medical ethics, and suspense. Set in a world where disease runs rampant and society is crumbling, this novel follows the journey of Alexei, a man with an extraordinary gift—the power to heal through touch. However, this gift comes with dangerous consequences, pushing him into a dark moral quandary as society becomes increasingly desperate to exploit his abilities.
Plot Summary:
In a near-future world plagued by an epidemic, Alexei's life takes a sudden turn when he discovers his ability to heal others. While his gift could be humanity’s salvation, it also draws the attention of powerful and sinister forces. Corporations, governments, and desperate individuals all seek to control him, and Alexei finds himself in a race against time, battling not only the moral consequences of his powers but also the dangers that come from being a coveted asset in a dystopian society.
Pros:
Compelling Protagonist: Alexei is a deeply nuanced character. His internal struggles with the ethical implications of his powers are well-drawn, and his vulnerability and humanity make him a relatable hero. He constantly grapples with the cost of his gift, which gives readers a protagonist with real emotional depth.
High-Stakes Plot: The narrative is intense and fast-paced, with a balance between action sequences and philosophical musings. The constant tension between Alexei’s personal dilemmas and the external threats he faces makes the book a true page-turner.
World-Building: Romanovich does a fantastic job of building a dystopian future that feels both plausible and terrifying. The world is rife with decay—both social and physical—and the depiction of a pandemic-stricken society feels disturbingly relevant.
Cons:
Pacing Issues in Middle Sections: The book shines in its opening and closing chapters, but the middle section drags a bit with repetitive internal conflict. At times, the narrative circles around Alexei's ethical debates without advancing the plot in a meaningful way, slowing down the story’s momentum.
Supporting Characters: While Alexei is a fully fleshed-out character, some of the secondary characters feel underdeveloped. There are moments when they act as mere plot devices rather than fully realized individuals with their own motivations and depth. A deeper exploration of these characters could have added more layers to the story.
Writing Style:
Romanovich’s writing is fluid and atmospheric. He excels in creating tension, particularly in scenes where Alexei's healing ability is in use, which are described with a mix of awe and horror. However, at times, the novel veers into heavy-handed exposition, especially when addressing the moral implications of Alexei’s power. A bit more subtlety in these moments would have enhanced the narrative's overall impact.
Comparison to Contemporaries:
The Healer sits comfortably in the same genre space as novels like Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel and The Children of Men by P.D. James, both of which explore dystopian futures devastated by disease and societal collapse. However, where Romanovich’s novel diverges is in its focus on the singular ability of its protagonist and the moral dilemmas that accompany it. Unlike Station Eleven, which leans more toward a meditative exploration of art and survival in the post-apocalypse, The Healer places a heavier emphasis on the personal toll of wielding a life-altering power.
When compared to The Passage by Justin Cronin, another popular dystopian narrative, The Healer takes a more intimate approach. While Cronin's work spans across vast time periods and focuses on large-scale world-building, Romanovich's novel hones in on the internal conflict of a single man, making it a more personal but no less thrilling experience. The novel’s exploration of bioethics and the moral complexities of having god-like powers also invites comparison to works like Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, though The Healer is more action-driven.
Final Thoughts:
The Healer (The Healer, #1) is a strong entry into the dystopian science fiction genre, with its emphasis on moral ambiguity and the high personal stakes for the protagonist. While it falters slightly with pacing and underdeveloped secondary characters, the novel’s intense focus on the moral implications of Alexei’s abilities and the well-crafted dystopian world elevate it. Romanovich offers a gripping narrative that sets up the series for more philosophical and action-packed adventures to come.
Readers who enjoy dystopian fiction with a mix of thriller elements, like The Road by Cormac McCarthy, but want a more supernatural twist, will likely find The Healer compelling. It may not be as sweeping in scope as some of its contemporaries, but its intimate exploration of one man’s burden makes for a thought-provoking read.
August 3, 2024
Just bad
If there was a gold medal for talking big then getting your ass handed to u this guy would win by a landslide. This is just bad.
If there was a gold medal for talking big then getting your ass handed to u this guy would win by a landslide. This is just bad.
January 4, 2025
Epic ending, bleh on the rest
I forced myself to finish this. The premise and idea are cool, but the execution was poor.
This took slow burn to a whole new level. With this type of Regressor story the MC usually gets strong quickly due to past experience and skill. Not here. Oleg barely develops at all and is pretty worthless until the last fight.
If I had stopped reading the book 95% of the way through there would be no way I would read book 2. Now I’m not sure.
I forced myself to finish this. The premise and idea are cool, but the execution was poor.
This took slow burn to a whole new level. With this type of Regressor story the MC usually gets strong quickly due to past experience and skill. Not here. Oleg barely develops at all and is pretty worthless until the last fight.
If I had stopped reading the book 95% of the way through there would be no way I would read book 2. Now I’m not sure.
November 13, 2024
Man, I trudged through this thinking, perhaps he’ll explain things properly, perhaps the guy will do some cool stuff. But it’s all cryptic waffle about Blood and Oil, he’s got these amazing powers but he just can’t use them right now, presumably because that would be too exciting, so it’s constant scuffles with teenagers over bags of groceries which he wins by running away. If you got through the first bit, where he’s literally a powerless ghost watching a baby, thinking it’ll get going once he has some agency, it does not. It really does not. It doesn’t read like the author enjoyed writing it and I sure as heck didn’t enjoy reading it. What a waste of everyone’s time. On the plus side there were very few typos and no obviously missing bits, so there’s that I suppose. I’ve read worse but boy was this a dud.
September 1, 2024
Romanovich always delivers fresh stories
Romanovich is extremely talented and this book is awesome. So well written it’s a treat. A healer mage/soldier from another reality is isekai’d into the body of a baby being born. He does not become the baby and I’m not going to spoil the story by explaining why or what happens next. Suffice to say the same problems that faced his former, destroyed reality are facing this new one (set in a form of Russia) and he’s no where near capable of facing it head on as he used to. Nothing is easy, he’s not OP, and he fails more than he wins, but he keeps progressing. Characterization and plot are great. Description of settings and battles are clear and balanced. The word that keeps coming to mind is fresh - it’s a fresh take on Isekai And Portal Progression. More please.
Romanovich is extremely talented and this book is awesome. So well written it’s a treat. A healer mage/soldier from another reality is isekai’d into the body of a baby being born. He does not become the baby and I’m not going to spoil the story by explaining why or what happens next. Suffice to say the same problems that faced his former, destroyed reality are facing this new one (set in a form of Russia) and he’s no where near capable of facing it head on as he used to. Nothing is easy, he’s not OP, and he fails more than he wins, but he keeps progressing. Characterization and plot are great. Description of settings and battles are clear and balanced. The word that keeps coming to mind is fresh - it’s a fresh take on Isekai And Portal Progression. More please.
August 25, 2024
Very good. Not as good as The alchemist but very good.
Very good story, slowly expanding the worldview but entertaining and with a unique world building, magic phenomenon which is unique.
Some of the writing needs better editing and the plot line in story is rather simple but builds into a more elegant plot.
Overall this author writes very good stories and are very entertaining with strong characters and engaging decent paced storytelling. I look forward to book two now that he's had a chance to expand the world building of this new series.
Very good story, slowly expanding the worldview but entertaining and with a unique world building, magic phenomenon which is unique.
Some of the writing needs better editing and the plot line in story is rather simple but builds into a more elegant plot.
Overall this author writes very good stories and are very entertaining with strong characters and engaging decent paced storytelling. I look forward to book two now that he's had a chance to expand the world building of this new series.
August 15, 2024
Book one
I'm not sure what to say about this book. That is kinda rare for me. I feel like anything I say will just be a spoiler. I don't want to take away anyone else's pleasure of reading this story.
There are some spots where I thought different wording would make the read flow smoother.
You can find them on Goodreads.
I'm interested in seeing what happens with book two.
7/10 Don't really like cliffhangers.
I'm not sure what to say about this book. That is kinda rare for me. I feel like anything I say will just be a spoiler. I don't want to take away anyone else's pleasure of reading this story.
There are some spots where I thought different wording would make the read flow smoother.
You can find them on Goodreads.
I'm interested in seeing what happens with book two.
7/10 Don't really like cliffhangers.
December 9, 2024
A Kind Of Reverse Isekai Story
The soul of a martial healer us "reborn" into the body of a Russian boy. He soon discovers that this new world is in early stages of an invasion of undead like the the one which ended his previous life and his world. His fight against Death itself continues.
There are some grammar, syntax, and punctuation errors; as well as some missing or incorrect words in the text which I hope are corrected in the next revision of the book.
The soul of a martial healer us "reborn" into the body of a Russian boy. He soon discovers that this new world is in early stages of an invasion of undead like the the one which ended his previous life and his world. His fight against Death itself continues.
There are some grammar, syntax, and punctuation errors; as well as some missing or incorrect words in the text which I hope are corrected in the next revision of the book.
December 21, 2024
overall, good - less “telling” needed
All right, I thought this book was pretty good. There’s a bit too much exposition and a little bit of repetition when the author is explaining certain concepts. The biggest issue for me was that the author tells you large parts of the story instead of showing you through the actions and dialogue in the characters.
The story itself is reasonably interesting. And when there is dialogue and action, the story moves along nicely.
All right, I thought this book was pretty good. There’s a bit too much exposition and a little bit of repetition when the author is explaining certain concepts. The biggest issue for me was that the author tells you large parts of the story instead of showing you through the actions and dialogue in the characters.
The story itself is reasonably interesting. And when there is dialogue and action, the story moves along nicely.
February 6, 2025
I wouldn't be continuing this series. It reads like a knockoff Gangs of New York that is obsessed with oil. The start of this book was confusing with all the talk of oil.
I didn't like how the protag's hands are tied, and he can't do permanent harm to his fellow man. All of these things along with others makes me not want to continue the series.
I'm not interested.
Other than the gangs and oil talk, it would probably interest others, not me.
2.5/5 Stars
I didn't like how the protag's hands are tied, and he can't do permanent harm to his fellow man. All of these things along with others makes me not want to continue the series.
I'm not interested.
Other than the gangs and oil talk, it would probably interest others, not me.
2.5/5 Stars
August 13, 2025
I have been making my way through the healer genre and I thought I would give this a try. It has some similarities at first with another in the genre The Healer's way by Oleg Sapphire. I managed to make my way through the book but it was a bit of a slog.
There certainly could be something here but the info dump is crazy and it takes a long time to get an understanding of the world. Also the lead is purpose written to be sort of heroic but completely useless. We find out about his background and life but somehow he manages to miss out on things that must people grasp in high school and someone who grew up on the streets should have definitely learned much earlier.
There certainly could be something here but the info dump is crazy and it takes a long time to get an understanding of the world. Also the lead is purpose written to be sort of heroic but completely useless. We find out about his background and life but somehow he manages to miss out on things that must people grasp in high school and someone who grew up on the streets should have definitely learned much earlier.
August 23, 2024
Not really my cup of tea…
The story is good, and I like the authors books, but I personally didn’t care for the plot on this one, a little more dark/tragic as you might expect from the book blurb. The characters were alright but it was too doom and gloom for my tastes. The Alchemist series is probably my favorite of his work so far.
The story is good, and I like the authors books, but I personally didn’t care for the plot on this one, a little more dark/tragic as you might expect from the book blurb. The characters were alright but it was too doom and gloom for my tastes. The Alchemist series is probably my favorite of his work so far.
December 1, 2024
Something was lost in translation
I really wanted to like this book. The idea is interesting and the setting intriguing. But the writing is clumsy and repetitive. Perhaps something was lost in translation, or maybe the original needs a lot of editing. I am interested in what happens next, but not enough to wade thru the text
I really wanted to like this book. The idea is interesting and the setting intriguing. But the writing is clumsy and repetitive. Perhaps something was lost in translation, or maybe the original needs a lot of editing. I am interested in what happens next, but not enough to wade thru the text
Read
February 8, 2025Not for me. Couldn't get into it.
I stopped at 13% of the book. For the life of me I could not get interested. The book by this point did not explain anything about THE BLOOD, THE OIL, or THE SOURCE; he kept referencing them without explanation.
I hope you enjoyed the book more than I did.
Good luck!
I stopped at 13% of the book. For the life of me I could not get interested. The book by this point did not explain anything about THE BLOOD, THE OIL, or THE SOURCE; he kept referencing them without explanation.
I hope you enjoyed the book more than I did.
Good luck!
February 9, 2025
The setting, the aristocrats, the side characters, they are all simple cut-and-paste. I've read numerous books with identical setups. The main character drives the story, and this one is horrible. A passive character that is slow to react and advances at a snails pace. This is tedious and incredibly boring.
August 19, 2025
Mediocre
Too many repetitive road blocks keeping the story stalled. After reading the book realized a lot of noise but not much happened. Final conflict same as first only cheaply remade version of the earlier version. Seems like hard earned wasting time. The closing after grand finale was strong and helped pull story up enough to continue to episode/series 2, which is better…
Too many repetitive road blocks keeping the story stalled. After reading the book realized a lot of noise but not much happened. Final conflict same as first only cheaply remade version of the earlier version. Seems like hard earned wasting time. The closing after grand finale was strong and helped pull story up enough to continue to episode/series 2, which is better…
October 8, 2025
Slow, but good
It was slow at places, but the action and magic system kept me hooked throughout. The bond Oleg forms with Peter and Igor was good. The connections he makes and small conflicts were good as well. Breath, blood and oil - the interesting magic system. Looking forward to what's in store for the trio inthe series.
It was slow at places, but the action and magic system kept me hooked throughout. The bond Oleg forms with Peter and Igor was good. The connections he makes and small conflicts were good as well. Breath, blood and oil - the interesting magic system. Looking forward to what's in store for the trio inthe series.
August 6, 2024
Very good
I pretty much inhaled this book in an evening. It's a very solid story. If you like well done urban fantasy with a very grity real world feel, you'll like this one. I'm really looking forward to the next one.
Highly recommended.
I pretty much inhaled this book in an evening. It's a very solid story. If you like well done urban fantasy with a very grity real world feel, you'll like this one. I'm really looking forward to the next one.
Highly recommended.
September 30, 2024
Not sure what to make if the main character. On one hand they stick to their values on the other these values clash greatly with the world he is now living in and can come off as a bit of an ass to people's lives/deaths.
October 30, 2024
What an enthralling book!
Engaging premise that picks you up and carries you through the book. Interesting characters and for an American reader it was interesting to see how the fictional Russia was described through the Author’s eyes. A joy to read.
Engaging premise that picks you up and carries you through the book. Interesting characters and for an American reader it was interesting to see how the fictional Russia was described through the Author’s eyes. A joy to read.
January 25, 2025
I had to force myself to finish this one, not one star since some of the base concepts were decent BUT, it moves so very slow. There is just a massive amount of fluff and very little substance for most of the book.
February 5, 2025
The story was pretty interesting and the world building intrigued me, haven't really seen something similar to this story,
but man is the main character annoying,
he's often quite stupid and is always complaining.
but man is the main character annoying,
he's often quite stupid and is always complaining.
March 20, 2025
Loved it
What did I just read?! I love this focus on healing mixed with combat. I also find the characters multilayered with different motivations. I'm looking forward to the next book.
What did I just read?! I love this focus on healing mixed with combat. I also find the characters multilayered with different motivations. I'm looking forward to the next book.
October 17, 2025
Not an easy read, dedicated fans read.
A dystopian world succumbs to evil, the last survivor wakes in a new world, the magic he used doesn't exist in this world. He has to survive and protect this new world from the evil.
A dystopian world succumbs to evil, the last survivor wakes in a new world, the magic he used doesn't exist in this world. He has to survive and protect this new world from the evil.
July 31, 2024
Great book.
Good book one.
I really enjoyed visiting this universe.
Well two technically.
I look forward to reading the next four books in the series.
Will there be four?
Good book one.
I really enjoyed visiting this universe.
Well two technically.
I look forward to reading the next four books in the series.
Will there be four?
August 1, 2024
Excellent
Unexpectedly good. Full of action and amazing world building. Healer is often a weak class, but against undead it can be very strong.
Unexpectedly good. Full of action and amazing world building. Healer is often a weak class, but against undead it can be very strong.
August 16, 2024
Sorry, the book wasn't for me
DNF at 15%
The book is not actually bad but very boring and dull after reading the healers way by oleg sapphire and yuri vinokuroff.. I fear I am spoilt..
DNF at 15%
The book is not actually bad but very boring and dull after reading the healers way by oleg sapphire and yuri vinokuroff.. I fear I am spoilt..
January 5, 2025
Fast paced, with a sympathetic hero, this series begins well and only gets more engrossing. Let the fun begin.
May 6, 2025
I thought this was a LitRPG and was sadly mistaken booo dnf maybe it would be good if you are looking for a droll fantasy
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews