Child Soldier

Soul of the Warrior #1

by Kyfe

Reivyn has a secret.

Not only does he have the memories of his past life, but his ability to acquire stats and skills is unparalleled.

Reivyn led a simple life in his village, until the Count's men came knocking. Conscripted to fight against an Orc horde before unlocking a class, he needs to be extraordinary to survive. The Count is throwing child soldiers against the incoming horde to blunt the assault, knowing most of them will be chewed up and spat out.

Can Reivyn survive?

Can Reivyn thrive?

Genres: Fantasy

782 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2025

Reviews

[XR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of stats talk which I skipped when it got boring. I thoroughly enjoyed the family dynamic though… Reivyn’s a good kid and his parents are kickarse. The training and all that other stuff was boring, but the action in between makes up for it. Reivyn’s interactions with others was interesting too.

Will look out for the next book.

[Jason W · Rating 2 out of 5]

interesting start

This book started off interesting may enough, but loss momentum as it went along.

There are a few major flaws:

1) Too much telling and not enough showing. Very little dialogue in the first quarter of the book.

2) Character development is very weak. The characters are very one dimensional and hard to care about. They lack authentic emotional reactions. The MC tells his friend that someone tried to assonate him the previous night. Zero reaction. Not even an “OMG are you okay?”

3) the world building is also quite weak.

4) The MC is 9 as are his friends. Yet they all act like teenagers. Who would draft 9 year olds? Why are 10 year olds talking about romance and sex? This strains credulity.

5) The plot is weak. At the 50% mark, I found myself wondering what the point is.

[That Guy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like watching paint dry

This is one of the slowest books I have come across in the genre. Page after page of nothing happening, and what little does happen is very boring. A Gary sue white knight MC straight out of a Disney series. Flat juvenile dialogue, Zero struggle, lame abilities, meaningless stats, all the side characters are basically the same person, plot holes and inconsistencies. I could keep going but why bother... This genre is saturated with poorly written titles. Weird how they all have the same 5 star reviews O.o

[Tony Hinde · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Strong start but was bogged down for much of the second half.

I couldn't put this thing down until a looong couple of dungeon delves. Things picked up a little at the end so I'm likely to continue the series. It would have been nice if more was done with the incongruity of a ten year-old boy fighting alongside career soldiers.

[David Marum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional

For the past few years I've managed to read about one book a week in the litrpg and fantasy genres. This is the best story I've read so far. In fact, I started to slow down as early as 60% through as I began to dread coming to the end of the story well before any sequels had been published. With layered and intricate world-building, this story already has enough potential to fill several more volumes. I can't wait.

[Artrain · Rating 1 out of 5]

Writing of the book does not match its time period. Dropped.

[Tom Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

TL;DR:
Engaging progression fantasy with strong ideas, good humour, and a lively supporting cast. Some recurring execution issues around pacing, over-explanation, awkward framing, and leaning too hard on research stop it from fully landing, but I still enjoyed it and plan to continue the series.

Full review (spoiler-free):

I enjoyed this book overall and read it all the way through. The core ideas are solid, the progression is engaging, and the system and worldbuilding are easy to follow. It’s very readable, and there’s a clear sense that this is the start of a longer series with room to grow.

That said, there are some recurring execution issues that show up from fairly early on and continue throughout. At times the story revisits the same scene from a different POV without really moving things forward, which can break momentum. There’s also a tendency to over-explain internal thoughts and tactical decisions, spelling out things the reader has already picked up from context.

The author also sometimes leans a bit too hard on research or subject-matter knowledge, particularly around tactical or military-style detail. While this initially adds realism, it often tips into procedural breakdowns of decisions and actions that don’t always serve the story, slowing pacing rather than increasing tension. I ended up skimming quite a lot of boring inconsequential detail that served little purpose other than to prove that the writer knew a lot about the military it seemed.

Also, the MC occasionally notices something odd and then immediately dismisses it as unimportant. I understand this is likely meant to build suspense, but given how capable and observant he is elsewhere, it can feel a bit forced.

There are also moments where the social or romantic framing around the MC feels awkward given his age, particularly when scenes linger on flirtation or rivalry while the MC remains fairly passive. These didn’t ruin the book for me, but came close and definitely stood out, and the framing could be handled more carefully or consistently. From later chapters, it seems possible the author may already be aware of this and has tried to soften it over time.

Similarly, although the worldbuilding states that men and women are treated equally, there are a few moments where femininity is framed as something to avoid, when choosing a team name for example, which feels at odds with the setting as described. This is noticeable mainly because the female side characters themselves are otherwise fairly interesting.

On the positive side, the supporting cast is a real strength. The side characters have personality and energy, and when the author leans into dialogue and character interaction, the writing really shines. There are several genuinely funny moments, and the banter works very well.

On a personal note, while these issues were present throughout the book, they became more noticeable toward the end and briefly made me consider stopping around the 95 percent mark. I did finish it and I’m glad I did. I plan to continue with the sequel, especially given how much additional content there is, though if the same issues show up early on, I probably won’t push through them again.

Probably a 3.5 stars rather than 4 if being honest. Story has lots of potential. Need to clear up the issues listed above to really make it shine.

[Pieter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty decent litRPG isekai story of a former soldier being reborn in a fantasy world with some spotty memories of his past life at best which I first read at Royal Road. Likeable characters and an interesting world with a decent amount of stats and contemplation on builds. The actual numbers feel a bit arbitrary although the rarity system and tying a non-numerical description (from journeyman to master) help in that regards. Like most stories with web origins it can at times drag on a bit, but I don't mind it too much. Two things set it back for me though. First of all, there is the spotty editing especially in the beginning. Secondly, the end makes it clear why in general these kind of stories have the MC starting alone without much support, which is odd, because at the same time that fact also set it apart in a positive way for me. Still, a solid read if you can get past its flaws.

[Andy L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun!

3/4 of this book is awesome, and the last quarter is great too, admittedly with one small caveat. Definitely a slowish burn, with great training and military stuff. The fact that the protagonist is 10 years old is something you just kinda have to ignore after a while, as it doesn’t get a little weird until the end.
I’m not a huge fan of an MC that gets all the advantages, but they just keep getting handed out to this guy, and I think it’s sort of unnecessary. But it’s still great.

[Dantegideon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t really get on with the writing style. I think I might be a bit too jaded for it.

[Mistress OP · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is honestly a bit weird. Ages 9-10 is actually reading like age 17ish at times. Weirdly, this book reminds me of Leave It to Beaver tone-wise but with magic and his parents (don't want to spoil) but yeah. It reads weirdly wholesome. It's not a bad book but I'd probably not reread. Not because he has a family and what not. It's more like I wish the author made use of his goals a bit better. After reading really well laid out slow novels. Like Ascendance of a Bookworm. You realize how those early years can have milestones and goals instead of checklist power-ups and this kind of thing falls a little flat. The emotional connection and grounding just.. I dunno.

[Nicholas Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but Flawed

This is one of those books that really needs an editor, or a better editor. The core plot is pretty good, but there are some issues. I almost gave up on it several times, and thought about giving it 2 stars.

Flaws include continuity errors, and illogical behavior. Particularly immersion breaking was the dialog and behavior of the MC and friends given their ages. They behaved like they were at least several years older than they were throughout the entire story. It was almost like they were written that way, then the author changed their ages for unknown reasons. He even refers to the MC as a "man" several times....when he is 9.

There is also such extreme illogical behavior that is then later given a weak explanation or none at all. Like the whole part about teens pickpocketing, then just returning the money and everyone being fine with it. Or the conscription of children, rather than request volunteers when there are combat capable adults available to volunteer.

There are also a few incidents that feel like completely forced sub plots, that have no logical basis at all, and seem to exist to "develop" the MC as plot devices, and that is it. Like the pies, and the beating.

There is also carelessness with the stat rewards for "achievements" that is common in these second/third rate progression fantasies. I think the MC gets something like 20 or 30 stat points to all stats just by soloing 2 floors of the dungeon. That would mean that simply soloing dungeons would be the most efficient way by far for anyone to grow stats, and once they could do so, they could quickly snowball into hundreds to all stats just by soloing a handful of dungeons. Yet nobody talks about doing it, even though it should be fairly easy to do.

The only reason I am giving it 3 stars is the writing does appear to get better as the story progresses, and some of the plot holes are filled in or at least an attempt is made to provide a logical explanation, even though a lot of times it falls flat.

[Jon Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

But why oh why make the MC so young?

As far as I can tell it does nothing. Were he starting out at 14 he'd still have been incredibly young, but at least he'd have been big enough to actually do some of the things written about. And if the obvious downsides of being a child in an adult army are removed through magic, and his every interaction with other adults is as though he is an adult too, why bother making him a child. Sticking a "Five Years Later" as a chapter/section heading before he's conscripted would have made the setting so much more believable.

[Jan Gable · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, wonderful characters.

I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful combination of adventure, fighting, and a lot of looking at growth stats. The characters were really fun and enjoyable. The family dynamics were wonderful and the secondary story of his parents as told as fairytale to their younger daughters was a lot of fun. I really recommend the book for all ages.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s clear up a major point that seems to be confusing a lot of reviewers: Reivan is not a normal child. He’s a reincarnated soldier from Earth now growing up on a world where a year consists of 16 months, not 12. So when people say he “acts older than his age,” they’re overlooking not only the longer year count but also the fact that he retains the mindset and experience of a fully trained adult from his past life. If you didn’t catch that, you might want to flip back a few chapters—because it’s a key detail that adds depth to the story.

Now, onto the actual review.

For a debut novel, this is an impressive effort. I’d easily give it a solid 5 stars when judged in the “first book” category. The early pacing may feel slow to some readers, there’s a lot of internal monologue and world observation rather than action or dialogue, but that makes sense. We’re following a child from birth to adolescence, and like most young kids, his world is more about watching than interacting. As a parent, I found those moments believable and relatable.

Things shift dramatically once Reivan is conscripted into the noble army. The pace picks up, the stakes rise, and the action starts flowing. Some readers complained that Reivan didn’t immediately view the nobles as villains for drafting him, but honestly, it fits the setting. In this world, conscription is common and culturally accepted: it’s not personal. Reivan is smart enough to recognize that.

There are a few bumps: some of the stat growth in the story feels a little random, and certain fight scenes could be clearer. But overall, this book delivers an engaging character journey with a fresh take on the reincarnation trope, especially for fans of LitRPG or military fantasy.

Final Take: Stick with it past the early chapters. The payoff is worth it. A great start to what could become a standout series.

[The Legend · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Journey
Don't expect this book to do 3 chapters then get into the story. This is the starter for what feels like an expansive series. It doesn't rush but builds. Not that the building isn't interesting, we spend time with the MC growing up before we even get to the main story.

Now there is the oddity that the world has a 16 month year, so every time people mention he's 9 or 10 in the main story, he's really about 13. Still odd when way later grown women hit on him, but due to stats and the like his real age of '13' makes him more look like 16-17 from what it says even if with a young face. Still creepy but that's the only real 'oddity' the age brings.

Now as for the book itself, it is complex stats and world building. Complex regions of scaling power that almost feel like a cultivation wuxia novel. The whole 'core' regions with most mana and power and frontier low tier with low level monsters and low mana.

Still, it is fun to read, with the character being 'powerful' but not really OP. His unique advantages are strong and he trains to put them use. It isn't like other books where the character might train once then is suddenly the best. This character constantly 'earns' his strength which is refreshing.
He's also not cowardly or constantly self doubting his morals and whining like other 'reborn' books or progressions one. It focuses on goals and plot at least for this book.

I fear the next one might get into romance and clingy companions that distract but I have hope the MC won't focus on that nonsense and slow his progression for romance and instead focus on his goals. I only hope. Overall this is one of my new favorites so far and hopeful for the series.

[Soul · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is horrible and I despair that it has nearly 1,500 reviews and 4.6 stars.

It’s a challenge to believe a real person wrote this book. It is, in fact, a comforting thought to believe it was written by AI.

For example, there is a moment where the main character pulls parchment out from under his bed and a couple of sentences later writes something down on paper. These types of inconsistencies are common amongst AI writing.

WORST, it shows author failed to care about the setting.

Which is one of the most important parts of the isekai genre.

The book is jammed packed with this sort of carelessness. It is impossible to be immersed in the writing (it’s bland and full of clichés), the setting (generic fantasy with generic, flat, and inconsistent descriptions), or the characters (the villains are so over the top it’s cringe). Which means it’s impossible be immersed in the story.

Also, I listened to the audio book and the sound effects suck. Starting an action scene with “WHACK! BLAM! SMASH!” Is bad writing. It is not improved with an enthusiastic mashup of a variety of materials breaking. It was like the editor couldn't figure out what was breaking during the scene and went, "I'll just add in a bit of everything." and called it a day.

Finally: "His face was red, like an apple." ??? Irrelevant. Cliché.

Somehow my dad can tolerate this and is continuing to listen *without headphones*.

Someone save me.

[Michael Garbanewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

thank you for this book. (caution spoilers)

I am a voracious reader; have been since I was a child. My mother taught me to read before I went to school. She bought the hooked on phonics records, had me reading by age 3.
I have read on average between 200 and 300 books a year since I was a child. I read the entire encyclopedia Britannica before I finished grade 3.
…
This is all just a preface so that my following statement has a basis.
…
I found this book to be astounding.
You are an extremely gifted writer
Your world building abilities are phenomenal.
This is the best immersive book I have read in three decades. I am 62 years old.
That is comparing you to some very good writers of many genres.
I absolutely loved how this book began. In all of the reading I have done. I have no comparison to what you accomplished in the first hundred pages of this book.
You had me in full immersion in the first chapter, and I read this book in one sitting.
Whether you continue this as a series or not what you have written is a standalone by itself. Also a very rare occurrence. Thank you for the length of this book. Thank you for not cheating and breaking it into three smaller books as many others do. Thank you for the clarity of how your status pages worked. So many in this genre create status pages that are an unintelligible Mish mash of gobbledygook.
Have a nice day

[Alesay · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75 stars. This book started strong for me. The military arc in the first half was engaging and well paced, and I genuinely thought I was heading toward a much higher rating. As the story went on, a few things began to stand out. The protagonist and his peers are portrayed as far too young for the level of responsibility, maturity, and even relationship dynamics placed on them, which affected the realism for me. I also found many side characters vague or barely described, which made the world feel thin.

My biggest issue is the dramatic shift in direction halfway through. Nothing in the summary or cover prepares the reader for this change, and the second half feels like a different book. I felt misled by how the story was presented, and I think the experience would have been smoother if the two arcs had been released as separate novels with their own summaries and covers.

While I really enjoyed the first half, the tonal and structural changes in the second half overshadowed that early enjoyment. The goals and motivations in the latter sections felt less clear, and the overall direction never fully came together for me. The strong beginning had potential, but the way the story shifted left me more disappointed than I expected.

[Paul Clemons · Rating 5 out of 5]

soldier on

Good book overall. Great length, solid characters, some intrigue, good action, and okay adventure. There were problems but nothing to detract a star.
The biggest problem was the opening. It was way too long trying to be all metaphysical. I believe way more in a system than what the fetus and baby did. Confusion requires a truth and reality. We see pigments but until the culture collectively names what we each see as ‘blue’ sky there are no inherent names for what each individual sees as a blue box. For a fetus to know what a ‘pretty’ lady is and all the other objective terms was too much and it all should have been summarized anyway.
What a great exposition on socialism by the way. Whoever has power (nobility), procures by force the resources of the people (in this case the human lives of the children by conscription), always for ‘the greater good’ and then distribute it as they see fit (because the creators of the resource, in this case the parents, never know best how to allocate said resource like the noble in their mansion in the city). And the only recourse one has without a revolution is to stop producing the commodity.

[Aniconomics · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter 9: This review will change as i move forward in the story.

The forced conscription is an example of state aggression. The leader had the gaul to express forgiveness towards the protagonists "infraction" To forgive implies the other party did something wrong. Suffice it to say, no one should be forced to do anything against their will. But most people tend to overlook such actions if there is a state mandate behind it. Which I find objectionable. With this in mind, I think the protagonist will overlook this slight instead of swearing revenge against the nobility. They even gave the protagonist an item meant to take away his choice in class selection. But of course, things don't go their way. Fighter does not sound like a rare class, its a basic class in D&D. Given his unique circumstances, I would have preferred something more exotic with an equal focus in magic.

Despite my grievances, I still think this is a good way to introduce tension and conflict into the story. Fighting in a war would do that. It would also help to facilitate progression. But it would be more effective if the protagonist saw the nobility as long term enemies.

[Shonari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharp, Immersive, and Full of Promise

This book feels like a reminder of why I enjoy LitRPG in the first place. The world is layered and alive, with a sense of scale that pulls you in and makes you want to explore every corner. The plot isn’t just straightforward adventuring—it’s filled with clever twists, hidden agendas, and mysteries that beg to be unraveled.

The characters have weight to them, each one serving more than a single purpose, and their interactions give the story real depth. Power progression is teased in just the right way—never cheap or rushed, but always hinting at what’s possible if you stay the course. It’s engaging, thoughtful, and exciting all at once.

This is a full five stars I’m not even grudgingly giving. One of the strongest entries I’ve read in the genre recently. If the next book builds on this foundation, it’s going to be something special.

[Ptdog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously, I recommend this book. It had some pacing problems. The beginning and the protagonist’s previous life could have been several pages shorter. I skipped over most of it. And, the extensive explanations of skills could have been dropped. I understand an author’s decision to include such things but if the reader doesn’t need to know it, it isn’t needed for world building, and it isn’t in support of the goal, then it can be left out—read that as should be, interesting as it is for the author. Pacing is king!

I truly like the characters. I like the plot twists. I like the story. And, I like the depth of the characters and appreciate the length of a book that lets me have characters that I like as long as this one has. I anticipate the next chapter in “young Reivyn’s” life. Well done, Kyfe, and thank you for the journey.

[Jerzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Key information for readers
- a society in which a 10-year-old with adult statistics is treated almost like an adult and is likable
- engaging progression, fights are not boring, dialogues are pleasant to read with elements of humor
- there are elements of strategy, tactics, and golden thoughts
- in the background, we see a vast world full of secrets and powerful opponents, other layers of reality, other systems, and potentially also an Earth storyline
- none of the characters seem to behave stupidly
Comments to the author:
- The protagonist's parents are powerful and knowledgeable, but their support in his development seems meager. Is there something limiting them?
- It is unlikely that the team could survive without healing magic, regeneration, and immunity, and it seems strange that the protagonist does not seek to discover them.

[Johnny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book one

While children don't act anything like children of today I can see how they would need to mature a lot faster than children of today, what with monsters and dungeons.
If I had to pick a negative it would be that dungeons weren't explained well enough for some time. I was getting a might peeved at all the weapons, armor, and cauldrons that got left behind. (Read that as highly pissed.) Everyone that has read a bunch of my reviews knows that I am a loot fanatic.
I did understand why they left boss room loots to run and get their party member help. That struck me as realistic.
This story can be found over on Royalroad were it is being written.

7/10 Could use a bit more editing, but it would just be polishing a decent story.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average

I should have learned by now that the star ratings don’t mean a thing. This book is average at best. Just entertaining enough to keep me reading but quite bland overall. It didn’t start to build the over arching plot until the last few chapters. It was starting to look interesting though so I’ll probably pick up the next book.

The one thing I couldn’t wrap my head around was 10 year olds walking around talking and acting like seasoned veterans. You can throw enough magic at the problem to build the strength and physical maturity but it can’t resolve the incongruity of mental maturity and communication, they’re 10 years old ffs! I found it continuously distracting and annoying which really undermined the enjoyment.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic new entry into the genre.

This series has the potential to be up there with some of the best in the genre. Not only does it have a great backlog of books on Royal Road, but it is also a very grand universe with a lot of interesting world-building and mysteries waiting to be uncovered. The book itself is also very well written with fantastic characters and a very likeable non-sociopath MC. The character growth is there and the stats are meaningful. Bot only that but the system and growth and class style is also fairly unique. I’ll be picking up the second for sure when it comes out.

[Daniel Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

NO SPOILERS.

Came across this story, a really good LITRPG / Fantasy / Coming of Age tale. In fact, my "review" won't be able to do justice to how much I enjoyed it. The action was good. Even could be classified as having mystery aspects. Our MC, Reivyn, is pretty much an adult in a young child's body. The story is so well written that you forget that much of the characters are kids. Overall, the story's progression, character interactions, and action were handled really well.

Will keep eye out for any other stories by author Kyfe. The narration by Christian J. Gilliland and Melanie Hastings was well done also.

[Elsa Ryntveit · Rating 5 out of 5]

ages in this book is weird

So this might just be a weird hangup of mine, and I really liked this story once I got over it, but every time the characters age came up I had to remind myself there are 4 more months in a year in this universe, for some reason. Meaning these are early teens and not actual 10 year olds. Even then MC still acts old for his age and so does everyone around him.

Should maybe have added a couple more months to the year to make the non reincarnated characters the 16~ they act instead of around 13.

Outside of this oddness the story was really strong with a simple enough system with just enough crunch to make it feel relevant, highly recommend.

[Michael To · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is fine and mediocre. The ideas are interesting and the characters feel and believable.

The book was also not proofread at all. Formatting errors, spelling mistakes, and quotes and paragraphs are mixed around, leaving many passages awkward and confusing.

When the kids ask early on what game to play, a random quote about rarity systems is just there and then not remarked upon. The main character's name is misspelled often. Numbers don't make sense at times.

Those details kind of ruined any pacing set up by the story.