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Bards of the Broken Empire #1
Battle Bard: Bards of the Broken Empire
They laughed when he brought a drum to a cultivation fight. They weren't laughing long.
Max Stone's laid-back life ends abruptly when a foolhardy rescue attempt earns him a ticket to the afterlife. Instead of heaven or hell, his soul becomes a poker chip in a game between gods. Winning a second chance, Max chooses to keep his memories through an agonizing process, awakening reincarnated not as a baby, but in the frail, teenage body of a recently deceased boy on Eedan—a world of chi cultivation, magic, and monsters straight out of fantasy epics.
Starting weaker than the lowest level cultivator and immediately attracting the ire of arrogant nobles, Max must leverage his Earth-born wits and a unique blessing to survive. He needs to learn the ways of chi, overcome his pathetic beginnings, and navigate a world where power reigns supreme.
This LitRPG Cultivation Fantasy features a reincarnated MC starting from scratch, a unique magic system involving chi and elemental affinities, status screens, meddling gods, and a world full of peril and opportunity.
Max Stone's laid-back life ends abruptly when a foolhardy rescue attempt earns him a ticket to the afterlife. Instead of heaven or hell, his soul becomes a poker chip in a game between gods. Winning a second chance, Max chooses to keep his memories through an agonizing process, awakening reincarnated not as a baby, but in the frail, teenage body of a recently deceased boy on Eedan—a world of chi cultivation, magic, and monsters straight out of fantasy epics.
Starting weaker than the lowest level cultivator and immediately attracting the ire of arrogant nobles, Max must leverage his Earth-born wits and a unique blessing to survive. He needs to learn the ways of chi, overcome his pathetic beginnings, and navigate a world where power reigns supreme.
This LitRPG Cultivation Fantasy features a reincarnated MC starting from scratch, a unique magic system involving chi and elemental affinities, status screens, meddling gods, and a world full of peril and opportunity.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2025
223 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 7, 2025
Whooohoo! There's so much to love in this book! And it's reminiscent of so many things I love! Like for instance the Alchemist was playing a deck-building card game, just wow!!! That's not all There's Throatsinging and surprisingly the last Bobiverse had Throatsinging too, and that deserves Wowza!!! And the list goes on... It's almost like Actus', Return of the Runebound Professor and M. Zaugg's, Awakening Horde and Lars Machműller's, World of Chains got together in a three way and Battle Bard happened. 😆 With Max being the result, with his drum and sonorous thrum beating loud! As Max levels he's ready to answer the siren call to fight the monster wave, even though the monsters will be stronger. And by the way I happen to crush on Bards of any form, be they Goblins or Human and whether they play an instrument or sing it doesn't matter to me...
So yeah you'll need to grab the book to see what I mean!
Here's a quote for y'all:
"Not only am I the foreign kid coming into a new high school, I’m the foreign broke kid coming into an elitist prep school. Damn it, I’ve become a YA novel. At least that ensures that I’ll meet at least two beautiful students who will fall in love with me. I’m guessing a Betty and Veronica combo.”
So yeah you'll need to grab the book to see what I mean!
Here's a quote for y'all:
"Not only am I the foreign kid coming into a new high school, I’m the foreign broke kid coming into an elitist prep school. Damn it, I’ve become a YA novel. At least that ensures that I’ll meet at least two beautiful students who will fall in love with me. I’m guessing a Betty and Veronica combo.”
May 25, 2025
DNF.
A lot of inconsistencies, and I don't like the MCs. The book simply isn't engaging.
I don't like the main characters. They are full of themselves, think they know everything when they don't, and can't see further than their noses.
The MCs, especially Max, are cocky and almost never polite.
Chantelle's cultivation technique requires that she farts? Who are you targeting with this book? 5-year-olds?
The MCs use a lot of idioms which don't make sense, since they are supposed to be on a new planet and not speaking English.
"Your experience in martial training is impressive...by Earth standards" - How can he possibly know what is impressive by Earth standards?!?
A lot of inconsistencies, and I don't like the MCs. The book simply isn't engaging.
I don't like the main characters. They are full of themselves, think they know everything when they don't, and can't see further than their noses.
The MCs, especially Max, are cocky and almost never polite.
Chantelle's cultivation technique requires that she farts? Who are you targeting with this book? 5-year-olds?
The MCs use a lot of idioms which don't make sense, since they are supposed to be on a new planet and not speaking English.
"Your experience in martial training is impressive...by Earth standards" - How can he possibly know what is impressive by Earth standards?!?
June 24, 2025
A popcorn book, but a good popcorn book
Very fun! I had never read anything about cultivators before and chii. I kind of avoided it to be honest. But I really enjoyed this book! I don't know if I would enjoy others about cultivators, but I'm willing to give them a whirl now. I really liked Max, Chantelle a little less so, but I wish that they had each had a book of their own. Like separate them during the earthquake have them meet each other still, and then we get to see the other side of the story I guess. Oh well. At least it won't be happening in the next book.
Very fun! I had never read anything about cultivators before and chii. I kind of avoided it to be honest. But I really enjoyed this book! I don't know if I would enjoy others about cultivators, but I'm willing to give them a whirl now. I really liked Max, Chantelle a little less so, but I wish that they had each had a book of their own. Like separate them during the earthquake have them meet each other still, and then we get to see the other side of the story I guess. Oh well. At least it won't be happening in the next book.
April 28, 2025
Great start
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a rough start for me but once the MC landed in his new world I really got into it especially with Eastern tilt on the magic system. Everything was explained well as if for a beginner as it was a totally new world with new monsters which I enjoyed learning about. All the important characters had some depth to them or at least a few layers. I'm looking forward to the next book.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a rough start for me but once the MC landed in his new world I really got into it especially with Eastern tilt on the magic system. Everything was explained well as if for a beginner as it was a totally new world with new monsters which I enjoyed learning about. All the important characters had some depth to them or at least a few layers. I'm looking forward to the next book.
June 11, 2025
couldn’t finish
I got about half way through. This wasn’t the worst book, but it failed to capture my interest. The MC is utterly unremarkable. He’s not particularly intelligent, ambitious or hardworking. There is very little world building. Everyone speaks like they’re Americans even though this is supposed to be a different world. The MC has his hand held every step along the way.
I got about half way through. This wasn’t the worst book, but it failed to capture my interest. The MC is utterly unremarkable. He’s not particularly intelligent, ambitious or hardworking. There is very little world building. Everyone speaks like they’re Americans even though this is supposed to be a different world. The MC has his hand held every step along the way.
May 1, 2025
Enjoyed it a lot
Great start for a new series. Liked the characters and storyline. Max is good and seems like he should be a bard, with his personality. Looking forward to the next book 😊
Great start for a new series. Liked the characters and storyline. Max is good and seems like he should be a bard, with his personality. Looking forward to the next book 😊
May 7, 2025
good story, generic isekai novel with decent characters....so many crappy facebook links at the end of the kindle book. I was routed to facebook twice before I could get to the end and make a review. Facebook SUCKS. 3 to 4 pages of links that won't resolve on a kindle. Know your audience authors...
June 27, 2025
Great book
Great story line keeps you entertained and hard to stop reading. The story flows well, very entertaining and keeps you interested in the book, can't wait for the next book to come out
Great story line keeps you entertained and hard to stop reading. The story flows well, very entertaining and keeps you interested in the book, can't wait for the next book to come out
June 28, 2025
Editing
Only reason this got 4 instead of 5 stars was because of the editing. In places a character changed Sex 2 or 3 times, Other places wrong words where Inserted i.e. will for well.
Overall this was a book definitely designed for young adults.
Only reason this got 4 instead of 5 stars was because of the editing. In places a character changed Sex 2 or 3 times, Other places wrong words where Inserted i.e. will for well.
Overall this was a book definitely designed for young adults.
August 24, 2025
Good start. You have a pretty typical reincarnation/iskeai scenario to start things off. The world has an interesting magic system with cultivation in it. The characters were interesting. I liked that we had 2 perspectives because it got to show two aspects of the magic system more in depth.
April 27, 2025
Great book
Great book I can't wait to read the next book in the series I would recommend this author to anyone
Great book I can't wait to read the next book in the series I would recommend this author to anyone
April 28, 2025
starting well
Fun read! Western cultivation in a new fantasy world; MC’s are fallible and fun; what a great way to start a series!
Fun read! Western cultivation in a new fantasy world; MC’s are fallible and fun; what a great way to start a series!
May 1, 2025
Creative, Entertaining, Fresh Story
Extremely interesting characters and 5+ star level writing. Great beginning to what should be an exciting series. I’m eager for book 2!!
Extremely interesting characters and 5+ star level writing. Great beginning to what should be an exciting series. I’m eager for book 2!!
May 9, 2025
Fun
Well written lots of fun. This is a fun book. Well written. Lots of action. Could not put it down.
Well written lots of fun. This is a fun book. Well written. Lots of action. Could not put it down.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews