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Rise of the Arcane Aristocrat #2
Rift Magus Reborn 2
Book two of the Rise of the Arcane Aristocrat series.
You can find book 1
And book 3
I was the Rift Magus—master of space and time, protector of worlds. For decades, I defended my realm with unmatched power. But when I was reborn in the body of Lucian, a young noble in a different world, I had to start again.
My strength was diminished but my knowledge remained, and I quickly reclaimed fragments of my lost powers--and even found some that were new.
But this new life came with intrigues and rivalries of noble Houses, and obligations as well--one of which threatens to escalate out of control and put my progression at risk.
If I was the young noble I seemed to be, I would be out of my depth.
But I am not Lucian. I am the Rift Magus, and I've dealt with my share of both family obligations and unspeakable horrors, growing stronger all the while.
I can do it again.
I will do it again.
There's nothing in this world that can stop me.
You can find book 1
And book 3
I was the Rift Magus—master of space and time, protector of worlds. For decades, I defended my realm with unmatched power. But when I was reborn in the body of Lucian, a young noble in a different world, I had to start again.
My strength was diminished but my knowledge remained, and I quickly reclaimed fragments of my lost powers--and even found some that were new.
But this new life came with intrigues and rivalries of noble Houses, and obligations as well--one of which threatens to escalate out of control and put my progression at risk.
If I was the young noble I seemed to be, I would be out of my depth.
But I am not Lucian. I am the Rift Magus, and I've dealt with my share of both family obligations and unspeakable horrors, growing stronger all the while.
I can do it again.
I will do it again.
There's nothing in this world that can stop me.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 15, 2024
642 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
January 7, 2025
This was enjoyable enough to finish, but falls short in many ways. Almost every character is two dimensional. They start out skeptical of the protagonist and then, after he proves that he is an epic "rift magus" for the hundredth time, they become cooperative. Otherwise, they are an enemy and eventually defeated.
Also, every side character acts mindblown when given the simplest plan. "Maybe do this incredibly obvious thing," suggests Mr. Main Character. Side Character B looks startled but then contemplative as he considers.
A more egregious example is near the end when Lucian tells the head of his family that maybe he should offer more elite services because some members of the family are actually competent. Should the head of a multi-generational mercenary family really get surprised at the idea of charging more for more experienced personnel?
It just shows that the author considers only the main character to be an actual person with agency, and everyone else is just part of the scenery. Feels a bit like a video game in which only the player character has does anything, and all the NPCs do nothing but wait for their next dialogue option (excepting whoever the current villain is).
Also, every side character acts mindblown when given the simplest plan. "Maybe do this incredibly obvious thing," suggests Mr. Main Character. Side Character B looks startled but then contemplative as he considers.
A more egregious example is near the end when Lucian tells the head of his family that maybe he should offer more elite services because some members of the family are actually competent. Should the head of a multi-generational mercenary family really get surprised at the idea of charging more for more experienced personnel?
It just shows that the author considers only the main character to be an actual person with agency, and everyone else is just part of the scenery. Feels a bit like a video game in which only the player character has does anything, and all the NPCs do nothing but wait for their next dialogue option (excepting whoever the current villain is).
December 18, 2024
Una decepción total
Pésimo libro, básicamente no aporta nada a la historia ni al desarollo del personaje. Puedes no leer este libro y solo considerar "aumento un poco su poder" y listo no necesitas leer este libro.
Pésimo libro, básicamente no aporta nada a la historia ni al desarollo del personaje. Puedes no leer este libro y solo considerar "aumento un poco su poder" y listo no necesitas leer este libro.
December 19, 2024
I like it
The character is arrogant but likeable. I enjoyed the story and finished it quickly. I look forward to the next book.
The character is arrogant but likeable. I enjoyed the story and finished it quickly. I look forward to the next book.
December 18, 2024
Rift Magus Reborn 2 is an adequate continuation of the series that, for me, unfortunately didn't quite reach the heights of the first book.
After the dramatic ending of the first book, the main character goes off on a bit of a side mission, being contracted through his family to guard a mining town. At first, the story seems quite interesting. There is tension between noble houses, mysterious attacks by demonspawn who seem to appear out nowhere and are enhanced by powerful artifacts, and a potential traitor amidst the upper ranks of the defenders.
Unfortunately, we only get to the town over a third of the way into the already rather slim book. As a result, the events leading up to the book's finale feel incredibly rushed, with little to no character building for allies and enemies alike, leading to a rather flat ending.
There is still a lot of promise in this series, and it remains significantly more enjoyable to read than most of its contemporaries (like Last Life, Legend of the Archmagus etc.). I just hope that the author gives himself more time to develop in the future, instead of rushing from one plot point to another.
3/5
After the dramatic ending of the first book, the main character goes off on a bit of a side mission, being contracted through his family to guard a mining town. At first, the story seems quite interesting. There is tension between noble houses, mysterious attacks by demonspawn who seem to appear out nowhere and are enhanced by powerful artifacts, and a potential traitor amidst the upper ranks of the defenders.
Unfortunately, we only get to the town over a third of the way into the already rather slim book. As a result, the events leading up to the book's finale feel incredibly rushed, with little to no character building for allies and enemies alike, leading to a rather flat ending.
There is still a lot of promise in this series, and it remains significantly more enjoyable to read than most of its contemporaries (like Last Life, Legend of the Archmagus etc.). I just hope that the author gives himself more time to develop in the future, instead of rushing from one plot point to another.
3/5
January 17, 2025
An Honest Review
I disagree with how Amazon allows ratings to so sensitively decide the fate of their books. A 4.9 should be read by everyone while a 4.2 should be ignored as trash. The whole system is bunk. If I were to rate this book anything less than a five, people would ignore it because the combined total would be in the sub medial fours. And it does not deserve that.
That being said, and knowing that if you are reading this review you have already decided you may want to read the second book, go ahead and read it. It’s worth your time. It should be noted that the ending of the book was extremely rushed. Rushed to the point that I think perhaps this book was written as a greater whole and was lazily split to extend the series. That may be my only complaint, but it is not a small one. The ending was beyond unsatisfactory. It’s makes me reevaluate the first book’s ending as well. Luckily, it appears the next book will be released soon. A coincidence, I’m sure.
I disagree with how Amazon allows ratings to so sensitively decide the fate of their books. A 4.9 should be read by everyone while a 4.2 should be ignored as trash. The whole system is bunk. If I were to rate this book anything less than a five, people would ignore it because the combined total would be in the sub medial fours. And it does not deserve that.
That being said, and knowing that if you are reading this review you have already decided you may want to read the second book, go ahead and read it. It’s worth your time. It should be noted that the ending of the book was extremely rushed. Rushed to the point that I think perhaps this book was written as a greater whole and was lazily split to extend the series. That may be my only complaint, but it is not a small one. The ending was beyond unsatisfactory. It’s makes me reevaluate the first book’s ending as well. Luckily, it appears the next book will be released soon. A coincidence, I’m sure.
December 18, 2024
It's a good entry to the series
Right up front I'll say that I recommend this story to anybody reading this review. I made the mistake of reading a couple of reviews myself and do have to kind of agree with one of them that this entry into the series comes off a little bit like a side quest. Our main character gets a sidelined to play rent a cop and not thrilled with the status quo in conjunction with a desire to have a strong house backing him, he goes off script. Our main character the states that he wants to try and keep things relatively secretive but when he is dropping 20 bodies here and 20 more there I'm starting to think that this story will end up being a trilogy. In other words we're moving pretty fast.
Right up front I'll say that I recommend this story to anybody reading this review. I made the mistake of reading a couple of reviews myself and do have to kind of agree with one of them that this entry into the series comes off a little bit like a side quest. Our main character gets a sidelined to play rent a cop and not thrilled with the status quo in conjunction with a desire to have a strong house backing him, he goes off script. Our main character the states that he wants to try and keep things relatively secretive but when he is dropping 20 bodies here and 20 more there I'm starting to think that this story will end up being a trilogy. In other words we're moving pretty fast.
March 31, 2025
The story remains interesting as the MC establishes his bonafides.
The MC weathers an assasination attempt and turned the tables on the noble that wanted him killed. He then took away his house and made him pay rent to stay there. He wormed his way into a business venture and helped his cousin to establish some consulting contracts too. Then he got called to do a crappy job for his family, at low pay, that he turned into another big opportunity.
The writing is good, and everything fits together. The only thing I find annoying is the MC's noble perspective with all it's subtle rules about what's honorable and what's not. I understand its a writing tool, but as an American, its counter cultural, thats all.
The MC weathers an assasination attempt and turned the tables on the noble that wanted him killed. He then took away his house and made him pay rent to stay there. He wormed his way into a business venture and helped his cousin to establish some consulting contracts too. Then he got called to do a crappy job for his family, at low pay, that he turned into another big opportunity.
The writing is good, and everything fits together. The only thing I find annoying is the MC's noble perspective with all it's subtle rules about what's honorable and what's not. I understand its a writing tool, but as an American, its counter cultural, thats all.
April 25, 2025
fun book
First you need to understand this is a translation of Russian book.
The translation is excellently done, word choice, sentence structure, vocabulary are all well done.
But the morals, mental outlook, worldview, and assumptions are pure Russian.
It’s important to understand in a book like this : they are Russian, but in the same way that John Wayne or Dick Tracy is American. It’s an idealized version of what their perfect person would do under ideal circumstance.
So don’t take this book as some insight into Russian real life .
With all of that out of the way: it’s a fun book.
The heroes interesting , generally consistent, rational, and likable (mostly).
You want to hero it to win. You’re on his side.
But it’s not an American tail . There’s nobles, privilege, obligation, fealty, etc. Lots of things that normal Americans aren’t used to..
If you’d like a fun story, give it a try .
First you need to understand this is a translation of Russian book.
The translation is excellently done, word choice, sentence structure, vocabulary are all well done.
But the morals, mental outlook, worldview, and assumptions are pure Russian.
It’s important to understand in a book like this : they are Russian, but in the same way that John Wayne or Dick Tracy is American. It’s an idealized version of what their perfect person would do under ideal circumstance.
So don’t take this book as some insight into Russian real life .
With all of that out of the way: it’s a fun book.
The heroes interesting , generally consistent, rational, and likable (mostly).
You want to hero it to win. You’re on his side.
But it’s not an American tail . There’s nobles, privilege, obligation, fealty, etc. Lots of things that normal Americans aren’t used to..
If you’d like a fun story, give it a try .
August 11, 2025
Rating 4.0 stars
A good continuation of the series. It did seem to go in a different direction from where the first book was heading toward. In the first book, the MC was a noble who was sent away from his family to make a name for himself. There wasn't much hope of that. In this one, he was back with that same family that "sort of" kicked him out and now is expected to go on mission for the good of the family. By the family, I mean the patriarch of the family as it really isn't in the best interest of the MC or the cousin who was sent with him. But, when life gives you lemons. The MC finds a way to make things work in his favor. This book felt like a side quest really but it seems like things will be back on track in the next book.
A good continuation of the series. It did seem to go in a different direction from where the first book was heading toward. In the first book, the MC was a noble who was sent away from his family to make a name for himself. There wasn't much hope of that. In this one, he was back with that same family that "sort of" kicked him out and now is expected to go on mission for the good of the family. By the family, I mean the patriarch of the family as it really isn't in the best interest of the MC or the cousin who was sent with him. But, when life gives you lemons. The MC finds a way to make things work in his favor. This book felt like a side quest really but it seems like things will be back on track in the next book.
December 22, 2024
Good book. This was more of a bridge to the plot movement.
I'm really enjoying the story and character, or were the author continuously reaffirms every other paragraph that the main character used to have a life prior to this one and he was a master rift mage.... Repeats it every other paragraph it seems. The story bogged down, and a lot of the actions of the main character became plot armor and storyline pushpoints without adding any real depth to the character. Still overall, it's a fun story, very simple to read. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure because the overall story in writing is rather poor.. but it just works.
I'm really enjoying the story and character, or were the author continuously reaffirms every other paragraph that the main character used to have a life prior to this one and he was a master rift mage.... Repeats it every other paragraph it seems. The story bogged down, and a lot of the actions of the main character became plot armor and storyline pushpoints without adding any real depth to the character. Still overall, it's a fun story, very simple to read. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure because the overall story in writing is rather poor.. but it just works.
December 19, 2024
Near Perfect!
The best thing about this book/series is that the protagonist is not an idiot. I love the fact that he is careful, pragmatic, rational and meticulous.
It is also good to encounter a writer who does not forget to tie up loose ends within the story. Little details like the main character remembering to buy new clothes after his recent "cultivation" session changes his body size, make this author one of my new favorites.
Author: Please write faster. Do you have a Patreon page for release of advanced chapters?
The best thing about this book/series is that the protagonist is not an idiot. I love the fact that he is careful, pragmatic, rational and meticulous.
It is also good to encounter a writer who does not forget to tie up loose ends within the story. Little details like the main character remembering to buy new clothes after his recent "cultivation" session changes his body size, make this author one of my new favorites.
Author: Please write faster. Do you have a Patreon page for release of advanced chapters?
December 22, 2024
A reincanated wizard regaining his strength
This is a basic self insert power fantasy, it's not quite John Wick with magic but it isn't far off. There aren't really any secondary characters that have much of an impact on the plot or in the protagonist. He's already fully developed before the start of the series and doesn't change, so the book basically amounts to a protagonist who is constantly getting stronger and then a big fight at the end where he saves the day. It's fine for what it is but it felt a bit hollow and left me wanting more.
This is a basic self insert power fantasy, it's not quite John Wick with magic but it isn't far off. There aren't really any secondary characters that have much of an impact on the plot or in the protagonist. He's already fully developed before the start of the series and doesn't change, so the book basically amounts to a protagonist who is constantly getting stronger and then a big fight at the end where he saves the day. It's fine for what it is but it felt a bit hollow and left me wanting more.
May 24, 2025
Lucian's adventures take an unexpected turn
I really like that "Lucian" actually acts like he's a 54 year old in a 17 y.o. body and that while there is drama, it's not due to his being a teenager again.
Even though he finds himself suddenly pulled away from his plans, he works hard to figure out how to improve not only his own situation but also his family's and one of their allies, as well.
There were some minor grammar issues, but not many, and they did not distract from the story too much.
I really like that "Lucian" actually acts like he's a 54 year old in a 17 y.o. body and that while there is drama, it's not due to his being a teenager again.
Even though he finds himself suddenly pulled away from his plans, he works hard to figure out how to improve not only his own situation but also his family's and one of their allies, as well.
There were some minor grammar issues, but not many, and they did not distract from the story too much.
December 25, 2024
Way too short
This follow up was really good and sadly sadly too short. I sure didnt expect things to turn around this way and expected Lucian family to be more... dislikable. Its all a matter of perpective and young lucian was so caught up in his own youthful trouble he didnt see the rest. I look forward to see how his house will do better (hopefully) and it will be interesting to see what else he will decide to do
This follow up was really good and sadly sadly too short. I sure didnt expect things to turn around this way and expected Lucian family to be more... dislikable. Its all a matter of perpective and young lucian was so caught up in his own youthful trouble he didnt see the rest. I look forward to see how his house will do better (hopefully) and it will be interesting to see what else he will decide to do
February 6, 2025
Entertaining Read
Lucian continues to grow his business empire. His commercial interests expand when the patriarch of his family dispatches him, accompanied by a contingent of guardsmen, to fulfill a contractual obligation with another noble house. The narrative that follows is marked by the themes of battle, humor, scheming, and intrigue. The reader appreciates the action, humor, and intrigue, and eagerly anticipates the next installment in the series.
Lucian continues to grow his business empire. His commercial interests expand when the patriarch of his family dispatches him, accompanied by a contingent of guardsmen, to fulfill a contractual obligation with another noble house. The narrative that follows is marked by the themes of battle, humor, scheming, and intrigue. The reader appreciates the action, humor, and intrigue, and eagerly anticipates the next installment in the series.
February 1, 2026
Only complaints are the female voice actor's parts are not well integrated to the audio, specifically the lack of volume normalization and the emotionless execution of her parts. It appears that she was given a small list of lines to read without the opportunity to mirror the main voice actor's and the scene's tone or pacing. Unlikely to be her fault, more likely a combination of bad editing/finishing and not being able to work directly with the male voice actor for their shared scenes.
December 15, 2024
good overall story
The story is good, plenty of action. However it does get a bit repetitive when the MC mentions what he used to be capable of, not to mention I’m not the biggest fan of 1st person perspective which adds to the annoyance of this.
I would recommend this book to anyone and am looking forward to the next instalments
The story is good, plenty of action. However it does get a bit repetitive when the MC mentions what he used to be capable of, not to mention I’m not the biggest fan of 1st person perspective which adds to the annoyance of this.
I would recommend this book to anyone and am looking forward to the next instalments
December 16, 2024
Great continuation
Introduced some new and interesting characters as well a potential mystery for the main to solve. But who knows what he'll do. I'm sensing some drama with the continued usage of the heartfire crystals and I'm just waiting for book 3. Enjoyed this last addition immensely. But missed the usual suspects.
Introduced some new and interesting characters as well a potential mystery for the main to solve. But who knows what he'll do. I'm sensing some drama with the continued usage of the heartfire crystals and I'm just waiting for book 3. Enjoyed this last addition immensely. But missed the usual suspects.
December 30, 2024
No real changes from the first book
The second entry in the series is very much the same as the first. Unimpressive creatively with the mc just able to do whatever he wants when he decides he needs to because he could do it in his past life. With the minimal world building it's pretty unimpressive
The second entry in the series is very much the same as the first. Unimpressive creatively with the mc just able to do whatever he wants when he decides he needs to because he could do it in his past life. With the minimal world building it's pretty unimpressive
February 18, 2025
repeat
Overall the book is great and it flows really nicely, the reason I put three stars is because almost every few pages the main character has to remind us that he was the best in his previous life. That starts to get old fast. If that wasn’t said as much I would have put higher stars.
Overall the book is great and it flows really nicely, the reason I put three stars is because almost every few pages the main character has to remind us that he was the best in his previous life. That starts to get old fast. If that wasn’t said as much I would have put higher stars.
February 20, 2025
The continuation of the daily journals of the most insufferable MC imaginable. There is no hint of pastiche or second degree anywhere, it's all straightforward douchebag diaries. Now that I think of it, even the extreme paucity of descriptions and world building makes (accidentally?) perfect sense from the character's point of view as the nombril of the universe. Kind of impressive, really.
March 13, 2025
Mastering the Manipulation of a War
Being a Rift Master in a past life has opened up a lot of possibilities for this young man. He knows how to move from place to place, appear and disappear, move quickly, and fly just by moving or creating rifts.
Add a war and you have a blender of a killing machine. ...
Fun " Couldn't Put Down" story line.
Read in 1 day!
Being a Rift Master in a past life has opened up a lot of possibilities for this young man. He knows how to move from place to place, appear and disappear, move quickly, and fly just by moving or creating rifts.
Add a war and you have a blender of a killing machine. ...
Fun " Couldn't Put Down" story line.
Read in 1 day!
August 27, 2025
XP
Dropping an old mage into a new world, complete with his vast expertise in magic, is like starting a level 1 campaign with a level 15 character.
Eventually he’ll be back to world-ending bosses, but for now he’s grumbling about the whippersnapers and their lack of respect while walking around in the body of a 16 year old.
Dropping an old mage into a new world, complete with his vast expertise in magic, is like starting a level 1 campaign with a level 15 character.
Eventually he’ll be back to world-ending bosses, but for now he’s grumbling about the whippersnapers and their lack of respect while walking around in the body of a 16 year old.
December 13, 2025
Cool story—strong characters and a interesting magic system. I grabbed the audiobooks for the holidays and they’ve been a great listen.
One thing though: the voice mixing is wildly inconsistent. The female narrator sounds like she’s practically shouting half the time compared to the male, and it gets super annoying *fast*.
One thing though: the voice mixing is wildly inconsistent. The female narrator sounds like she’s practically shouting half the time compared to the male, and it gets super annoying *fast*.
December 22, 2024
Improvement!
I was happy to find that this book very much improved on the first in the series. The plot was tight, the MC self-boasting was limited, and the action was engaging. Two thumbs up.
I was happy to find that this book very much improved on the first in the series. The plot was tight, the MC self-boasting was limited, and the action was engaging. Two thumbs up.
December 26, 2024
Any enjoyable read
Found this and the first book to be a good read. With a good bit of Lucian building up his holdings my only really complaint is there to much of him constantly repeating that he's the rift Magus etc, otherwise it's a fun read with plenty of Acton.
Found this and the first book to be a good read. With a good bit of Lucian building up his holdings my only really complaint is there to much of him constantly repeating that he's the rift Magus etc, otherwise it's a fun read with plenty of Acton.
February 19, 2025
I did like this, but the issues being solved feels like the protag has control over faith. He just resolves issues within X time.
I also did not like how this ended on a cliffhanger.
Will pick up the sequel.
3/5 Stars
I also did not like how this ended on a cliffhanger.
Will pick up the sequel.
3/5 Stars
September 30, 2025
Good sequel. I liked it better than the first book. The MC is powering up quickly. The story is interesting. This felt like a bit of a side quest. I’m excited to get back to the town and see what happens.
February 9, 2026
The story took a left turn, pulling him into the larger world, and I really enjoyed the expansion of characters, powers and the overarching plot. Still a pretty dry main character, but the side characters helped liven it up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews