Book 2 of Arcane Veterinarian offers a unique blend of cozy, quirky charm, slice-of-life, and immersive LitRPG elements, where readers continue Ethan’s progression from a novice level arcane veterinarian on his way to grandmaster status.
Featuring an endearing cast of characters, captivating magical creatures, and a heartwarming progression, this isekai tale promises to enchant readers of all ages!
I spent my youth in the land of make believe. School was a bore, and growing up in the "Boonies" without cable television forced me to use my imagination. If I wasn't holed up in my bedroom playing with my vast collection of action figures, I could be found in the forest with a wooden sword or staff in hand, battling the forces of evil. As an 80's kid, I was raised on a healthy diet of movies like Star Wars, The Neverending Story, Labyrinth, Goonies, and endless other classic (but strange) movies.
As a reader, I enjoy books that take off right out of the gate, sweep me off my feet, and whisk me away on an epic adventure. As an author, I try to create books that do the same for my readers. I write fantasy, and I suppose that I still live in a land of make believe, except now I get to share the adventure with others.
I hope that you will join me on my next adventure, and together we can escape reality, if only for a time.
The title of Arcane Veterinarian by Michael James Ploof immediately piqued my interest. The cover featuring a griffin sealed the deal; I knew I had to read it. As someone who has always loved animals (farm life will do that to you) and once dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, the blend of fantasy and animal care instantly hooked me.
This story delivers on its promise and more. Book one introduces Ethan, a veterinary student summoned to another world by a sorcerer to heal his ailing griffin, Gustwing. Ethan successfully diagnoses the griffin's ailment and helps the sorcerer nurse him back to health. However, chaos erupts when rival wizards attack, killing the sorcerer. With his dying breath, he entrusts Ethan with a crystal called "the arcane crystal," warning him not to touch it and to deliver it to a woman named Rose in Arcane Acres. Setting off on Gustwing, Ethan has no idea where he is going, who Rose is, or how he will return to Earth. Upon landing, Ethan makes his first mistake by handling the arcane crystal, triggering the LitRPG elements of the series. The crystal is absorbed into Ethan, permanently fusing him with Dali, a kind of artificial intelligence possessing almost limitless power. After spending time in Arcane Acres, Ethan decides he prefers this world and chooses to stay, embarking on numerous adventures with his new friends and the fantastical creatures he vows to care for.
I enjoyed the concept of the arcane intelligence and the gaming interface aspect of his newfound powers, reminiscent of the Fallout Pip-Boy and perk cards. The antics and conversations of the creatures often made me laugh, and the adult humor prevents the story from feeling too childish. Later in the series, there are scenes where Ethan and his love interest get cozy, with some fade-to-black moments implying more. While some reviewers criticize Ethan for making dumb decisions despite being intelligent, I see it as fitting for a young adult series, where such choices often drive the plot. I appreciated the world-building and the unique, colorful characters throughout the series. The pacing felt just right, justifying the three books. I listened to the audio editions and enjoyed the narration, except for the female voices. The narrator, a man, struggled to convincingly imitate female voices, which was distracting. For instance, Rose, meant to be soft-spoken and elegant, sounded frilly and unintelligent due to the narrator's overly soft delivery. The creatures' voices were also a bit cringeworthy, so if time isn't an issue, I would recommend reading the Kindle version. The ending provides a satisfying conclusion to the series' events while leaving room for future adventures. If you enjoy LitRPG, fantasy, magic, magical creatures with character, adventure, humor, and a touch of romance that won't make you scramble to turn off the radio when the kids are in the car, this series is for you!
I gave this three stars because it was on Kindle, unlimited, fairly readable, and I love the concept. However, it fails to deliver… The main character is irritating, foolish, and frankly a horrible protagonist. All of the characters are written in a very surface level, flat and shallow manner. The literature, RPG components of it are minimal and consist of just updating the “character sheet“ periodically. I was hoping there’d be some exciting arcane Veterinarian work with magical illnesses or unique situations. however, it’s just a series of hexed animals that are cured and then do magical things.
“I came to see Rose’s beautiful new unicorn fowls,”. This is one example of the poor writing that appears in the book (foals not fowls)
Best book evarrr! I love it when the 2nd book improves and builds upon what happened in the first book... If all Ethan had to do was to fix the magical creatures, make the horses run like the wind, or make pigs fly he'd be set to just live a happy life in Arcane Acres. But that’s not what this new world has in store for him and his abilities. As the ley lines in both Arcane Acres and Ironfoot Mountain have a build up of arcane magical power and if it doesn’t find an outlet soon the results will be cataclysmic. And it's imperative to free the inslaved dragons!!! So Ethan, Rose, and her people have their work cut-out for them. So yeah go grab the book, because you'll love what happens next!
Here's a couple of quotes that made me laugh out loud:
“What’s tact?” said Dugh. “Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in a way that makes them look forward to the ride,” said Byron.
“Sure, I can be your uncle. That way, whenever I see something amazing, I can say, well I’ll be a snowman’s uncle!”
“Well that’s a shyte covered cow tail to the face,” said Dugh.
This story picks up with our MC, Ethan "Critter Critelli settled into Arcane Acres, having figured out a cure to the hexed enchanted creatures, he's still got a bit of work to do to remove the Hexes for all of them. Add to that the strange eruptions of wild arcane magic, the Wizards from the tower and the dragons under the mountain getting sicker, under the Dwarven enslavement and this book is filled with action and adventure.
While I really enjoyed this book, it was less slice of life and more action adventure, with a dash of a heist. I enjoyed this very much and have already bought the third book, but will likely wait it it's out on audio to dive in.
If you enjoy a morally pure hero, unswayed by temptation of ultimate power, driven instead by empathy and a love of all animals, I highly recommend this series.
This is book two of the series, and what a wonderful series it is! If you love animals and magic, parallel worlds and bands of friends getting into the most astonishing adventures, this series is for you! I can't wait for book three.
A bit heavier than the first book, but still a fun romp. Just wish I’d waited for a second edition with proofreading, lots of incorrect homonyms kept on jarring me out of the story.
This book is just as much fun as the previous. Critter has such interesting problems and patients and his friends are just as interesting. Oh, there are dragons