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Arcane Academy #3
Spell Breaker: A Progression Fantasy Adventure
He's Done Playing Their Game. Now He's Coming to Burn the Board.
Tortured, framed for murder, and hunted by a kingdom. For Daren Morin, it's a familiar taste of betrayal. His enemies think he’s cornered.
They're about to learn how wrong they are.
His only path to untouchable status lies within a mysterious, labyrinthine artifact—the stage for a deadly, kingdom-wide tournament.
But this competition has its own rules. Can Daren still flip the board?
Join Daren in his journey to power once again. For fans of Progression Fantasy, Magic Academy, and cunning Antiheroes who play to win.
Tortured, framed for murder, and hunted by a kingdom. For Daren Morin, it's a familiar taste of betrayal. His enemies think he’s cornered.
They're about to learn how wrong they are.
His only path to untouchable status lies within a mysterious, labyrinthine artifact—the stage for a deadly, kingdom-wide tournament.
But this competition has its own rules. Can Daren still flip the board?
Join Daren in his journey to power once again. For fans of Progression Fantasy, Magic Academy, and cunning Antiheroes who play to win.
413 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2025
220 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 5, 2025
While overall I like this story and I have preordered the next one, it has some annoyances I dislike.
First, there's some strange inconsistencies at times, such as characters powers seem to randomly be different, and I don't mean Nyxara getting the deeper realm of invisibility or Samantha's evolving powers, I mean like how when the first book started there was a lot of comments about Nyx having electricity and storm powers she'd shocked Daren numb with, that all ended after the first infirmary visit in the first book and she's never used electrical powers since, it's just a really weird inconsistency, in this book it's the main antagonist of the book who's powers and motivation alike swaps around (I actually have no idea what powers he had that was actually his own rather from his items after having finished the book, nor if the main reason he was so eager to get his hands on Daren at least initially was just because he wanted Daren's familiar or if it was something else), random things like this build up annoyances.
Daren Morin is fun overall, and I like reading about antiheroes and questionable individuals, but he too seem to frequently change motivations and plans and pull new things he can do out of the air on a bit too frequent a basis. He also comes off as way too arrogant for his own good, like a third of the book he casually says no mage in the area could kill him, when he almost died at least twice already in the former chapters, and later. While arrogance is fitting to some degree, especially against classmates or against individuals who know less than him, some self awareness would be good to avoid just coming off as a Moron more often than not. The chocolate drink thing may be intended as a humorous inconsistency at first with the Evil Lord having a longing for something like that, but the joke didn't really work for me, and it's getting really old by now. I'd appreciate it if things went in a more consistently steady direction following onward and with less "when I was an Evil Lord" type callbacks. A more serious and consistent tone and Daren committing to full antihero status would be my preference.
Despite these gripes overall I enjoy this story, it's a quick and easy read, but I can't really bring myself to take it any more seriously than it seems to take itself.
First, there's some strange inconsistencies at times, such as characters powers seem to randomly be different, and I don't mean Nyxara getting the deeper realm of invisibility or Samantha's evolving powers, I mean like how when the first book started there was a lot of comments about Nyx having electricity and storm powers she'd shocked Daren numb with, that all ended after the first infirmary visit in the first book and she's never used electrical powers since, it's just a really weird inconsistency, in this book it's the main antagonist of the book who's powers and motivation alike swaps around (I actually have no idea what powers he had that was actually his own rather from his items after having finished the book, nor if the main reason he was so eager to get his hands on Daren at least initially was just because he wanted Daren's familiar or if it was something else), random things like this build up annoyances.
Daren Morin is fun overall, and I like reading about antiheroes and questionable individuals, but he too seem to frequently change motivations and plans and pull new things he can do out of the air on a bit too frequent a basis. He also comes off as way too arrogant for his own good, like a third of the book he casually says no mage in the area could kill him, when he almost died at least twice already in the former chapters, and later. While arrogance is fitting to some degree, especially against classmates or against individuals who know less than him, some self awareness would be good to avoid just coming off as a Moron more often than not. The chocolate drink thing may be intended as a humorous inconsistency at first with the Evil Lord having a longing for something like that, but the joke didn't really work for me, and it's getting really old by now. I'd appreciate it if things went in a more consistently steady direction following onward and with less "when I was an Evil Lord" type callbacks. A more serious and consistent tone and Daren committing to full antihero status would be my preference.
Despite these gripes overall I enjoy this story, it's a quick and easy read, but I can't really bring myself to take it any more seriously than it seems to take itself.
November 11, 2025
Interedting but very confusing
The MC is a regressed evil Lord on a mission to regain his former power. At an advesarial mage academy many are against him, but he has atracted a few subordinate allies. 2 women are his best minions, but he seemingly has little interest in them as women, just as pathways to power.
The story has a convuluted magic system and the politics of the various players is quite difficult to follow. For example one of his teachers hates him so much that she imprisioned and tortured him, yet barely got a slap on the wrist. There are conspiracies, secret agreements, nefarious schemes by noble potentates and in the background a demon and angelic invasion. There is some good conflict, but also quite a bit of plot confusion.
The MC is a regressed evil Lord on a mission to regain his former power. At an advesarial mage academy many are against him, but he has atracted a few subordinate allies. 2 women are his best minions, but he seemingly has little interest in them as women, just as pathways to power.
The story has a convuluted magic system and the politics of the various players is quite difficult to follow. For example one of his teachers hates him so much that she imprisioned and tortured him, yet barely got a slap on the wrist. There are conspiracies, secret agreements, nefarious schemes by noble potentates and in the background a demon and angelic invasion. There is some good conflict, but also quite a bit of plot confusion.
November 7, 2025
Over half of this book is just the protag talking about his allies tits, like its gross and doesn't do shit for the plot. The carving seen was needlessly sexual, and his personality has become pervy and arrogantly moronic .Case in point -(Nothing can kill me, yet I almost die constantly because I'm better than everyone else.)Power and skill inconsistencies between this book and the previous books are also pretty bad.
November 16, 2025
Fun read
So far this has been a fun read, looking forward to reading more. Finding these dark Lord/morally ambiguous protagonists to be a fun chance of pace. My only complaint is done time the dialogue and internal monologue are not worded right to feel natural or can be a bit repetitive. Still a great read, so keep them coming.
So far this has been a fun read, looking forward to reading more. Finding these dark Lord/morally ambiguous protagonists to be a fun chance of pace. My only complaint is done time the dialogue and internal monologue are not worded right to feel natural or can be a bit repetitive. Still a great read, so keep them coming.
December 3, 2025
Continues to be interesting
Just like a third movie should be. Bigger, badder and more girls. The magic framework continues to be great. The martial framework still suffers. We do have more amazing fights. Some are too amazing and all seem to be more schoolyard than martial. Epilogue really sucked though.
Just like a third movie should be. Bigger, badder and more girls. The magic framework continues to be great. The martial framework still suffers. We do have more amazing fights. Some are too amazing and all seem to be more schoolyard than martial. Epilogue really sucked though.
December 19, 2025
Spell Breaker, book three of the Arcane Academy series, is an ebook I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (KU). I'm really loving Daren and his cool, calculating way of looking at the long game while keeping his enemies at bay. Very cleverly-written and paced nicely to hold reader attention. One of my favorite series in this Progression fantasy.
November 5, 2025
Stop it
Biggest complaint; all the spitting/coughing up of blood. Not every injury results in blood issuing forth from your mouth. Please just stop it. Otherwise a good storyline, just in need of a more thorough editing reading for grammar and pronoun usage.
Biggest complaint; all the spitting/coughing up of blood. Not every injury results in blood issuing forth from your mouth. Please just stop it. Otherwise a good storyline, just in need of a more thorough editing reading for grammar and pronoun usage.
November 8, 2025
Good
It's good. Perhaps the darkest book I've read from the authors. Darren shows why he could be called the Evil Dark Lord.
The cliff hanger ending, when we can read the next book was nothing when compared to the couple of months wait I have to do now for the next book.
It's good. Perhaps the darkest book I've read from the authors. Darren shows why he could be called the Evil Dark Lord.
The cliff hanger ending, when we can read the next book was nothing when compared to the couple of months wait I have to do now for the next book.
November 1, 2025
Excellent
Non stop action combined with amazing world building. A quick refresher chapter at the beginning would be helpful. Great read!
Non stop action combined with amazing world building. A quick refresher chapter at the beginning would be helpful. Great read!
November 6, 2025
Plot Twists and Excitement
Good job. I like the evil protagonist. It’s definitely different from my normal reads but is so good I finished it in 24 hours of having it. Thanks A.P.
Good job. I like the evil protagonist. It’s definitely different from my normal reads but is so good I finished it in 24 hours of having it. Thanks A.P.
November 8, 2025
Cool as shit
This has got to be one of the better reads I've had in a while. Dark, but colorful character commentary that, while rarely used, fits right in like real life.
This has got to be one of the better reads I've had in a while. Dark, but colorful character commentary that, while rarely used, fits right in like real life.
December 10, 2025
Very good read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression types of books with lots of action.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression types of books with lots of action.
December 23, 2025
Captivating
The book was fast paced. Leaving you to want more. Must read for action livers. Can't wait for the rest of series.
The book was fast paced. Leaving you to want more. Must read for action livers. Can't wait for the rest of series.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews