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Portals of Infinity #4
The Sea of Grass
With no otherworld tasks to run for Fel, Will has spent the last year mainly helping Rachel consolidate her hold on her expanded kingdom. Barassa has been set back, for now, but Will knows it’s only a matter of time until they’re at odds once more and Barassa still has the bigger army. So taking the time to learn more about their enemy seems like a good place to start, and of course, Rachel has more things she expects him to do, even if he has no idea just how he’s going to do them.
Fel also has things for Will to do as well, even if they are the more mundane jobs that a Champion of the faith must perform. Escorting missionaries isn’t the most exciting or glamorous job, but its one Will must do. At least the people are different, interesting, and friendly, and some perhaps a little too friendly. But that’s never gotten him in trouble before, right?
Fel also has things for Will to do as well, even if they are the more mundane jobs that a Champion of the faith must perform. Escorting missionaries isn’t the most exciting or glamorous job, but its one Will must do. At least the people are different, interesting, and friendly, and some perhaps a little too friendly. But that’s never gotten him in trouble before, right?
165 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 3, 2015
263 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
John Van Stry
49 books364 followersI've had a very varied life. I grew up in New York, on Long Island.
I went to school to become an Engineer, then joined the Air Force.
After that I worked first in Robotics, then in Aerospace as a Flight Test Engineer. I moved into the medical fields, then into more Technical markets working for a number of high tech companies where I became a Contractor.
I used to own and raise big cats. I love motorcycles and old cars. I'm a pilot and former martial arts instructor. I'm a fan of the Reno Air Races.
Then there's the stuff I'm not supposed to talk about, but that's another story.
I've seen a lot of interesting stuff go by, met a lot of interesting, wonderful, strange, or sometimes just psychotic people. I've had the opportunity to work on some truly game changing technologies. And while I've had some very bad things happen to me in my life, I've never let it stop me.
Keep smiling.
-John
I went to school to become an Engineer, then joined the Air Force.
After that I worked first in Robotics, then in Aerospace as a Flight Test Engineer. I moved into the medical fields, then into more Technical markets working for a number of high tech companies where I became a Contractor.
I used to own and raise big cats. I love motorcycles and old cars. I'm a pilot and former martial arts instructor. I'm a fan of the Reno Air Races.
Then there's the stuff I'm not supposed to talk about, but that's another story.
I've seen a lot of interesting stuff go by, met a lot of interesting, wonderful, strange, or sometimes just psychotic people. I've had the opportunity to work on some truly game changing technologies. And while I've had some very bad things happen to me in my life, I've never let it stop me.
Keep smiling.
-John
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
May 27, 2021
Rating 4.0 star
Re-Read Augst 2019 - Initial review below.
Not as good as the other books. He spent the entire book in his feline form on one world. He also seemed to try and not be as violent in this book and to sleep with a lot less women. I guess he is trying to grow up? The story takes place over about a year and Will spends all his time doing things for either Rachel or his God. There wasn't much that happened. I don't mind those types of stories and I still enjoyed the read. I liked the characters, there just didn't seem to be a clear cut goal achieved at the end.
Re-Read Augst 2019 - Initial review below.
Not as good as the other books. He spent the entire book in his feline form on one world. He also seemed to try and not be as violent in this book and to sleep with a lot less women. I guess he is trying to grow up? The story takes place over about a year and Will spends all his time doing things for either Rachel or his God. There wasn't much that happened. I don't mind those types of stories and I still enjoyed the read. I liked the characters, there just didn't seem to be a clear cut goal achieved at the end.
May 9, 2015
The Champion of Felauguatus
Being in an alternative Earth where you rare the Champion of a god is no bed of roses. You have superior strength, can heal yourself after a fashion, and are married to a beautiful queen, Who loves you a lot. So what is wrong ? Very little, as long as you take the orders of your god who is fortunately not a bad guy.
So in this book Will, the Champion, starts his war on the slaver kingdom. Everything else would be a spoiler. The book is fast paced, Will growls a lot and is quite nice. There will be other books where the war shall continue. It is an intermediate book, still, that is the only Piti.
Being in an alternative Earth where you rare the Champion of a god is no bed of roses. You have superior strength, can heal yourself after a fashion, and are married to a beautiful queen, Who loves you a lot. So what is wrong ? Very little, as long as you take the orders of your god who is fortunately not a bad guy.
So in this book Will, the Champion, starts his war on the slaver kingdom. Everything else would be a spoiler. The book is fast paced, Will growls a lot and is quite nice. There will be other books where the war shall continue. It is an intermediate book, still, that is the only Piti.
April 9, 2015
Great book
I chose a five star rating because it's was a long awaited book that did not disappoint which is a rather difficult thing to do. I liked that the hero doesn't rely on his powers all the time and that it's not all about fighting and the writer doesn't use weird power boosts that come out of nowhere.
I chose a five star rating because it's was a long awaited book that did not disappoint which is a rather difficult thing to do. I liked that the hero doesn't rely on his powers all the time and that it's not all about fighting and the writer doesn't use weird power boosts that come out of nowhere.
April 6, 2015
this one is more like a filler but non the less intersting.
May 3, 2015
A great book and a great series of 4 books. A unique plot and very interesting. Also a good pace for the writing.
I do look forward to a book no. 5, Hope there is one.
I do look forward to a book no. 5, Hope there is one.
February 3, 2021
I just blew through the first five book in this series so they are getting the same review. Also, I listened to audio books but since those editions aren't listed on Goodreads.com at this time my reviews are going under other editions.
This review has gotten a little long so I'm going to start with an executive summary: If you like world traveler and/or D&D style books you'll probably like these. In general these books are good enough so that a reader predisposed to enjoy them will. If you are that kind of reader you may want to save yourself the time it would take to read this review and go give book 1 a try.
Book summaries: (Note, read at your own risk. I stopped calling out spoilers after the first one.)
Book 1: The MC, Will, finds a portal to a D&D style world. The world isn't named but the city Will comes to treat as home on the new world is "Hillshire" so that's what I'll call this world. Will immediately develops an inter-portal bow trading scheme- Hillshire citizens pay top gold for the better performing modern earth bows while modern Americans pay top dollar for the high quality authentic medieval bows from Hillshire.
While traveling in pursuit of his business Will meets and marries Darlene. Will returns to earth to resupply on modern bows. When Will attempts to return to Hillshire he discovers the portal has disappeared. This leads to Will agreeing to serve as "champion" for the god Feliogustus (Fel for short). In return for his service Fel will help Will get back to Hilshire. Will therefore takes a portal to a cat beast-kin world where he rescues Queen Rachel of the city state Hiland from being sacrificed to an opposing god. Hiland is being invaded by the neighboring city state of Muland. Will, using his knowledge of ancient battles from earth, creates a battle strategy to overcome the 2 to 1 disadvantage faced by the defending Hiland forces. [SKIP THE REST OF THIS PARAGRAPH TO AVOID SPOILERS] The plan succeeds and Will leads a counterattack that chases the Mulanders all the way back to their city and captures it, contrary to the orders of Fel. Fel only wanted his city to survive, the conquest of Muland effectively wipes out its god and creates hostility towards Fel from his fellow gods. That hostility is muted, however, since Fel can prove to his fellow gods that Will went against his orders.
Book 2: Will tracks down another champion in the hopes of learning more about being champion. This results in Will learning that this champion, Stephanie, was his former girlfriend on earth. Stephanie had been sent to vet Will for Fel. Stephanie's goddess, Aryanna, has put together a team of five champions to take on a difficult mission the details of which are to be kept hidden, even from Stephanie, so another god can't learn of it should they die. It eventually comes out that the route the 5 champions are taking is the reverse of Odysseus' "Odyssey". It also comes out that one of the 5 champions, Cenewyg, is a bad guy. This is where the author's inability to write suspense becomes obvious since he makes it clear Cenewyg is a bad guy but his only method for Will and Stephanie not addressing the viper in their midst until the climax is them denying what they are witnessing.
Book 3: Now that Queen Rachel controls two large city states she sends Will as emissary to three smaller cities adjoining her territory. Will presents Queen Rachel's offer to allow the smaller cities to join her kingdom. Will is also assisting in the building of temples for Fel in the three cities.
Muland was supplying slaves to an even larger city and the three smaller cities were preyed upon by the Mulanders before the Mulanders were defeated and annexed by Hiland. As a result the three cities are friendly toward Hiland and the first of the cities accepts Queen Rachel's offer immediately. The second city only took slightly longer but then the temple being constructed to Fel is repeatedly attacked and damaged. Eventually the temple is completed to the point where Will can head to the third city but two things became clear during his time in the second city: There is at least one hidden temple to another god in the second city and its priests were behind the attacks on Fel's temple.
On the way to the third city Will & co. are attacked by followers of Tantrus, the god of the city Barassa, the primary slave trading city. The attackers didn't know a champion was present, the result being that the attack was fought off, albeit with casualties. Will then tracked the attackers to their camp and in a holy rage slaughters them. Will is then inspired to establish a temple to Fel in the hidden valley where the attackers were holed up.
Will gets to city 3 and meets its leader when he has to run back to city 2 because an overwhelming attack there destroyed Fel's temple. The attackers were done up to look like musicians but Will was able to see though that. Still, the attempt to blame the musicians that follow the local god of music, Fordessa, results in Fel and Fordessa forming a pantheon.
Will's investigation turns up a secret temple to Tantrus which is destroyed in a pitched battle. This reveals that Tantrus has been setting up secret temples in other gods' territories which turns the local gods against him. Next Will encounters grassland tribesmen who ride "wolats" (large wolves). Will makes a deal to purchase wolats with the idea of starting a cavalry for Hiland.
Next Will is loaned out to Aryanna to vet possible champions. This results in Jane being recruited as champion for Fordessa. After Will returns to visit his family on earth his sister, Nikki, (who has recently left the army) noses into what Will has been up to and ends up traveling to Hillshire with Will. Nikki takes to Hillshire and remains there when Will heads back to Hiland (Nikki thereafter becoming Aryanna's champion). A fourth city is in negotiation to join Hiland so Will and Queen Rachel head there with Hiland's nascent cavalry. While there, the agreement is signed but word comes of a Tantrus attack on the Hiland palace so they return at speed. Will, Jane and a third allied champion locate a major temple to Tantrus, attack it, killing the high priest and running off the champion dealing a major blow to Tantrus.
Book 4: Will scouts Barassa and ends up rescuing a 13 year old slave girl, Goth. Will failed to discover any weaknesses in Barassa's defenses so Hiland decides to wage economic warfare against them by doing what they can to stop slaves from flowing into the city. By mischance both of Fel's missionaries to the grassland tribes died so next Will is tasked with finding replacements and shepherding them to the grasslands. Will participates in a tribesman raid on a caravan passing through the grasslands. The caravan turns out to be carrying a large number of slaves for Barassa and Will convinces the tribes to step up their attacks and include Hiland cavalry. Will returns to Hiland to get the cavalry and Queen Rachel accompanies him on the return to the grasslands to open relations with the tribes. After Rachel heads back to Hiland Will encounters Evian, the champion of the god Rodin. Evian bizarrely and against her god's wishes, attempts to kill Will. The followers of Rodin are ejected from the grasslands as a result. Will stays in the grasslands until spring when a large caravan with military escort is discovered. Will leads the raids to slow the caravan so a large enough force can be mustered to take it. Will is successful but dies. Book 4 ends with Will speaking with Fel about the campaign while awaiting his reincarnation.
Book 5: In book 2 Will had to spend a couple of months as a female. During that time he became pregnant but moved on before giving birth. Now the gods tell Will he must return and have his baby or lose it for good. So Will returns but he made enemies in that realm so Will spends much of his 6 months there on the run. Once the baby, Cam, is born it is immediately kidnapped (no information is given about how Will was found but that is a theme throughout this book). Will is killed during the kidnapping and reincarnates in Hiland. Will puts together a team of champions and heads to earth to arm and train. Since Cenewyg, the villain from book 2, was an arms dealer in South Africa, the team heads there. The kidnappers have low quality guns so raiding Cenewyg's armory gives Will's team a weapons advantage. While there Will discovers that Cenewyg was practicing human sacrifices to an unknown god. Will's team rescues Cam. Cam is then placed with Will's wife in Hillshire (Darlene). Darlene is told that Cam is Nikki's child (Will's sister and the local champion).
Will then returns to Hiland. Barassa is attacking Marland, the lone city between Barassa and Hiland. So Hiland rides to the aid of Marland and Will rides with them. After the Barassans are forced to withdraw the King of Marland insanely turns on the Hilanders. The Marland army, however, is quickly sidelined and Will and Jane confront the King. In return for signing over his kingdom to Hiland the king is allowed to leave with what gold he can carry and any retainers who choose to join him.
A few months go by and Will receives word that Cam has been kidnapped by Cenewyg (we aren't told how Cenewyg found Cam). Will and Nikki begin chasing Cenewyg through world gates. It eventually becomes clear where Cenewyg is heading. At the end of book 2 Stephanie became a god.
Stephanie, thanks to the gender swapping realm, is also Cam's father. Cenewyg believes sacrificing Cam in Stephanie's realm will give Cenewyg power. Will and Nikki get ahead of Cenewyg and lie in wait for him at the final world gate but Cenewyg's troops are attacking to take control of the gate and so Will and Nikki have to help Stephanie's followers fight them off. Cenewyg shows up and fights Will to a standstill but Will manages to turn that into mutual death. This allows Will to speak with Stephanie who explains the alters on earth were to the god Cenewyg hoped to become. Stephanie also explains that Cenewyg can't be reincarnated for a year and that if Will can destroy Cenewyg's cult on earth in that time Cenewyg won't reincarnate at all.
The closing scene is Will explaining to an FBI agent that the agent's boss is dead because the boss belonged to Cenewyg's cult. No explanation how Will discovered that.
The review:
Books 1 and 2 have slow story development because author spends lots of time on world building. This author does not have the knack of building a world as he goes so we get lengthy explanations of some things. This is less of an issue in book 2 thanks to side adventures. Not really an issue in books 3-5 since the author has most of the background in place by that time.
The author is poor at writing action. In one fight (book 1), where the MC takes on 3 robbers, two of the robbers do little more than stand and wait for the MC to get to them. In a major battle (book 1) essentially all the reader is told is that the MC leads a charge and thanks to his heightened abilities hacks and slashes his way to success. In book 3 there is a fight at an aggressor god's temple and the wounded and injured list given at the end of the fight makes no sense compared to what the reader is told about the fight. In this fight Will fights another champion and at one point Will has both his hands occupied, one pinned with an arrow and the other removing the arrow, and yet the opposing champion doesn't kill him?
The author has no ability to write suspense. This is primarily an issue in book 2 where the author makes it completely obvious who the bad guy will turn out to be but has his characters repeatedly deny the obvious to tell the story he wants to tell. While I like a good straightforward story, this author crosses the line into over simplistic.
HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE TERRIFIC THING ABOUT THESE BOOKS: The MC is actually polite. I can't believe the number of times I've read books where the MC is rude to someone for no reason but the reader isn't suppose to notice because it is the MC. This is particularly noticeable in fantasy books where the MC will meet a god, king or other noble or powerful entity and act like a jerk AND NOT GET BEHEADED???
There is also one well above average aspect to these books: They don't rely on stupidity to move the story forward. Many times the author doesn't explain things that should be explained (like how Will discovers Cenewyg's pet FBI agent) but that's not the same as being stupid.
Book length is too short:
Book 1: 162 pages
Book 2: 164 pages
Book 3: 198 pages
Book 4: 166 pages
Book 5: 279 pages
With some decent editing these 5 mediocre books could have been tightened up into one good book, but then the author/publisher would have received less money.
The author is BAD at story resolution in general. Book 4 in particular, ends at the very beginning of a military campaign so absolutely no resolution there at all. This is a serious problem in modern publishing- authors seem to be trying to increase book sales by telling incomplete stories. In other words, it seems to have become acceptable to try to get readers to come back for the rest of the story rather than BECAUSE THE AUTHOR ACTUALLY DID A GOOD JOB.
Bottom line: These books can be enjoyed but they require the reader to meet them halfway by over looking many flaws.
This review has gotten a little long so I'm going to start with an executive summary: If you like world traveler and/or D&D style books you'll probably like these. In general these books are good enough so that a reader predisposed to enjoy them will. If you are that kind of reader you may want to save yourself the time it would take to read this review and go give book 1 a try.
Book summaries: (Note, read at your own risk. I stopped calling out spoilers after the first one.)
Book 1: The MC, Will, finds a portal to a D&D style world. The world isn't named but the city Will comes to treat as home on the new world is "Hillshire" so that's what I'll call this world. Will immediately develops an inter-portal bow trading scheme- Hillshire citizens pay top gold for the better performing modern earth bows while modern Americans pay top dollar for the high quality authentic medieval bows from Hillshire.
While traveling in pursuit of his business Will meets and marries Darlene. Will returns to earth to resupply on modern bows. When Will attempts to return to Hillshire he discovers the portal has disappeared. This leads to Will agreeing to serve as "champion" for the god Feliogustus (Fel for short). In return for his service Fel will help Will get back to Hilshire. Will therefore takes a portal to a cat beast-kin world where he rescues Queen Rachel of the city state Hiland from being sacrificed to an opposing god. Hiland is being invaded by the neighboring city state of Muland. Will, using his knowledge of ancient battles from earth, creates a battle strategy to overcome the 2 to 1 disadvantage faced by the defending Hiland forces. [SKIP THE REST OF THIS PARAGRAPH TO AVOID SPOILERS] The plan succeeds and Will leads a counterattack that chases the Mulanders all the way back to their city and captures it, contrary to the orders of Fel. Fel only wanted his city to survive, the conquest of Muland effectively wipes out its god and creates hostility towards Fel from his fellow gods. That hostility is muted, however, since Fel can prove to his fellow gods that Will went against his orders.
Book 2: Will tracks down another champion in the hopes of learning more about being champion. This results in Will learning that this champion, Stephanie, was his former girlfriend on earth. Stephanie had been sent to vet Will for Fel. Stephanie's goddess, Aryanna, has put together a team of five champions to take on a difficult mission the details of which are to be kept hidden, even from Stephanie, so another god can't learn of it should they die. It eventually comes out that the route the 5 champions are taking is the reverse of Odysseus' "Odyssey". It also comes out that one of the 5 champions, Cenewyg, is a bad guy. This is where the author's inability to write suspense becomes obvious since he makes it clear Cenewyg is a bad guy but his only method for Will and Stephanie not addressing the viper in their midst until the climax is them denying what they are witnessing.
Book 3: Now that Queen Rachel controls two large city states she sends Will as emissary to three smaller cities adjoining her territory. Will presents Queen Rachel's offer to allow the smaller cities to join her kingdom. Will is also assisting in the building of temples for Fel in the three cities.
Muland was supplying slaves to an even larger city and the three smaller cities were preyed upon by the Mulanders before the Mulanders were defeated and annexed by Hiland. As a result the three cities are friendly toward Hiland and the first of the cities accepts Queen Rachel's offer immediately. The second city only took slightly longer but then the temple being constructed to Fel is repeatedly attacked and damaged. Eventually the temple is completed to the point where Will can head to the third city but two things became clear during his time in the second city: There is at least one hidden temple to another god in the second city and its priests were behind the attacks on Fel's temple.
On the way to the third city Will & co. are attacked by followers of Tantrus, the god of the city Barassa, the primary slave trading city. The attackers didn't know a champion was present, the result being that the attack was fought off, albeit with casualties. Will then tracked the attackers to their camp and in a holy rage slaughters them. Will is then inspired to establish a temple to Fel in the hidden valley where the attackers were holed up.
Will gets to city 3 and meets its leader when he has to run back to city 2 because an overwhelming attack there destroyed Fel's temple. The attackers were done up to look like musicians but Will was able to see though that. Still, the attempt to blame the musicians that follow the local god of music, Fordessa, results in Fel and Fordessa forming a pantheon.
Will's investigation turns up a secret temple to Tantrus which is destroyed in a pitched battle. This reveals that Tantrus has been setting up secret temples in other gods' territories which turns the local gods against him. Next Will encounters grassland tribesmen who ride "wolats" (large wolves). Will makes a deal to purchase wolats with the idea of starting a cavalry for Hiland.
Next Will is loaned out to Aryanna to vet possible champions. This results in Jane being recruited as champion for Fordessa. After Will returns to visit his family on earth his sister, Nikki, (who has recently left the army) noses into what Will has been up to and ends up traveling to Hillshire with Will. Nikki takes to Hillshire and remains there when Will heads back to Hiland (Nikki thereafter becoming Aryanna's champion). A fourth city is in negotiation to join Hiland so Will and Queen Rachel head there with Hiland's nascent cavalry. While there, the agreement is signed but word comes of a Tantrus attack on the Hiland palace so they return at speed. Will, Jane and a third allied champion locate a major temple to Tantrus, attack it, killing the high priest and running off the champion dealing a major blow to Tantrus.
Book 4: Will scouts Barassa and ends up rescuing a 13 year old slave girl, Goth. Will failed to discover any weaknesses in Barassa's defenses so Hiland decides to wage economic warfare against them by doing what they can to stop slaves from flowing into the city. By mischance both of Fel's missionaries to the grassland tribes died so next Will is tasked with finding replacements and shepherding them to the grasslands. Will participates in a tribesman raid on a caravan passing through the grasslands. The caravan turns out to be carrying a large number of slaves for Barassa and Will convinces the tribes to step up their attacks and include Hiland cavalry. Will returns to Hiland to get the cavalry and Queen Rachel accompanies him on the return to the grasslands to open relations with the tribes. After Rachel heads back to Hiland Will encounters Evian, the champion of the god Rodin. Evian bizarrely and against her god's wishes, attempts to kill Will. The followers of Rodin are ejected from the grasslands as a result. Will stays in the grasslands until spring when a large caravan with military escort is discovered. Will leads the raids to slow the caravan so a large enough force can be mustered to take it. Will is successful but dies. Book 4 ends with Will speaking with Fel about the campaign while awaiting his reincarnation.
Book 5: In book 2 Will had to spend a couple of months as a female. During that time he became pregnant but moved on before giving birth. Now the gods tell Will he must return and have his baby or lose it for good. So Will returns but he made enemies in that realm so Will spends much of his 6 months there on the run. Once the baby, Cam, is born it is immediately kidnapped (no information is given about how Will was found but that is a theme throughout this book). Will is killed during the kidnapping and reincarnates in Hiland. Will puts together a team of champions and heads to earth to arm and train. Since Cenewyg, the villain from book 2, was an arms dealer in South Africa, the team heads there. The kidnappers have low quality guns so raiding Cenewyg's armory gives Will's team a weapons advantage. While there Will discovers that Cenewyg was practicing human sacrifices to an unknown god. Will's team rescues Cam. Cam is then placed with Will's wife in Hillshire (Darlene). Darlene is told that Cam is Nikki's child (Will's sister and the local champion).
Will then returns to Hiland. Barassa is attacking Marland, the lone city between Barassa and Hiland. So Hiland rides to the aid of Marland and Will rides with them. After the Barassans are forced to withdraw the King of Marland insanely turns on the Hilanders. The Marland army, however, is quickly sidelined and Will and Jane confront the King. In return for signing over his kingdom to Hiland the king is allowed to leave with what gold he can carry and any retainers who choose to join him.
A few months go by and Will receives word that Cam has been kidnapped by Cenewyg (we aren't told how Cenewyg found Cam). Will and Nikki begin chasing Cenewyg through world gates. It eventually becomes clear where Cenewyg is heading. At the end of book 2 Stephanie became a god.
Stephanie, thanks to the gender swapping realm, is also Cam's father. Cenewyg believes sacrificing Cam in Stephanie's realm will give Cenewyg power. Will and Nikki get ahead of Cenewyg and lie in wait for him at the final world gate but Cenewyg's troops are attacking to take control of the gate and so Will and Nikki have to help Stephanie's followers fight them off. Cenewyg shows up and fights Will to a standstill but Will manages to turn that into mutual death. This allows Will to speak with Stephanie who explains the alters on earth were to the god Cenewyg hoped to become. Stephanie also explains that Cenewyg can't be reincarnated for a year and that if Will can destroy Cenewyg's cult on earth in that time Cenewyg won't reincarnate at all.
The closing scene is Will explaining to an FBI agent that the agent's boss is dead because the boss belonged to Cenewyg's cult. No explanation how Will discovered that.
The review:
Books 1 and 2 have slow story development because author spends lots of time on world building. This author does not have the knack of building a world as he goes so we get lengthy explanations of some things. This is less of an issue in book 2 thanks to side adventures. Not really an issue in books 3-5 since the author has most of the background in place by that time.
The author is poor at writing action. In one fight (book 1), where the MC takes on 3 robbers, two of the robbers do little more than stand and wait for the MC to get to them. In a major battle (book 1) essentially all the reader is told is that the MC leads a charge and thanks to his heightened abilities hacks and slashes his way to success. In book 3 there is a fight at an aggressor god's temple and the wounded and injured list given at the end of the fight makes no sense compared to what the reader is told about the fight. In this fight Will fights another champion and at one point Will has both his hands occupied, one pinned with an arrow and the other removing the arrow, and yet the opposing champion doesn't kill him?
The author has no ability to write suspense. This is primarily an issue in book 2 where the author makes it completely obvious who the bad guy will turn out to be but has his characters repeatedly deny the obvious to tell the story he wants to tell. While I like a good straightforward story, this author crosses the line into over simplistic.
HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE TERRIFIC THING ABOUT THESE BOOKS: The MC is actually polite. I can't believe the number of times I've read books where the MC is rude to someone for no reason but the reader isn't suppose to notice because it is the MC. This is particularly noticeable in fantasy books where the MC will meet a god, king or other noble or powerful entity and act like a jerk AND NOT GET BEHEADED???
There is also one well above average aspect to these books: They don't rely on stupidity to move the story forward. Many times the author doesn't explain things that should be explained (like how Will discovers Cenewyg's pet FBI agent) but that's not the same as being stupid.
Book length is too short:
Book 1: 162 pages
Book 2: 164 pages
Book 3: 198 pages
Book 4: 166 pages
Book 5: 279 pages
With some decent editing these 5 mediocre books could have been tightened up into one good book, but then the author/publisher would have received less money.
The author is BAD at story resolution in general. Book 4 in particular, ends at the very beginning of a military campaign so absolutely no resolution there at all. This is a serious problem in modern publishing- authors seem to be trying to increase book sales by telling incomplete stories. In other words, it seems to have become acceptable to try to get readers to come back for the rest of the story rather than BECAUSE THE AUTHOR ACTUALLY DID A GOOD JOB.
Bottom line: These books can be enjoyed but they require the reader to meet them halfway by over looking many flaws.
July 18, 2017
I am very much enjoying this series. A little more effort by the editor would make this five stars.
January 13, 2019
Pointless
Nothing really happens in this one. This book was Pretty boring but I guess it sets up some stuff moving forward.
Nothing really happens in this one. This book was Pretty boring but I guess it sets up some stuff moving forward.
December 1, 2021
Good continuation, no much progress on the great infinite but we see more of Fel world and his people.
July 24, 2024
I'm pretty into this series
I love how each of these books has a different feel to it, and yet each is like a chapter in a larger on going story. This one is frontier adventure with the indian analogs.
---------
Side note for the audio book.
In this book the Narrator adds blowing air out his nose to his repertoire of other annoying noises he makes. At least you can't hear him swallowing with a clearly audible "gul-Gulp!" every few minutes but to replace that with blowing air on the mic is not trading up.
I love how each of these books has a different feel to it, and yet each is like a chapter in a larger on going story. This one is frontier adventure with the indian analogs.
---------
Side note for the audio book.
In this book the Narrator adds blowing air out his nose to his repertoire of other annoying noises he makes. At least you can't hear him swallowing with a clearly audible "gul-Gulp!" every few minutes but to replace that with blowing air on the mic is not trading up.
April 26, 2015
Good story
I was excited to see that this author has a new story to read in this series. I've enjoyed the series. My only slight disappointment in this book is that there wasn't much character growth. It felt more like the first act of a whole story than a whole. I will continue to support this series however a it didn't disappoint. Just think know it needed about 200 pages too soon.
I was excited to see that this author has a new story to read in this series. I've enjoyed the series. My only slight disappointment in this book is that there wasn't much character growth. It felt more like the first act of a whole story than a whole. I will continue to support this series however a it didn't disappoint. Just think know it needed about 200 pages too soon.
May 12, 2015
Cliffhanger
Here you go and left me hanging, waiting for book five. At least you could do was give him back to Rachel and Darlene. Very good story and well written. I hope this gives the People some backbone.
Here you go and left me hanging, waiting for book five. At least you could do was give him back to Rachel and Darlene. Very good story and well written. I hope this gives the People some backbone.
March 3, 2016
Good Read
I really enjoy these stories and how the author puts them together. He has a good mix of funny and action throughout each book. There are not too many gaps without action and the interaction with God are usually pretty funny. Moving onto the next book now....
I really enjoy these stories and how the author puts them together. He has a good mix of funny and action throughout each book. There are not too many gaps without action and the interaction with God are usually pretty funny. Moving onto the next book now....
January 26, 2018
159 pages
This is a novella, not a book.
Read this on kindle unlimited or other free sites.
If the price is more than .99 cents don't bother.
This is a novella, not a book.
Read this on kindle unlimited or other free sites.
If the price is more than .99 cents don't bother.
June 4, 2017
REALLY liked this one!!!!
Kindle Unlimited series - Yay & thank you!
I've been enjoying this series, but this is my favorite so far. The story revolves around the characters and the importance and contribution of the supporting cast is highlighted. It added so much depth and substance and made events seem so much more real. Nice basis to transition into the next arc of activity flowing from prior events.
Kindle Unlimited series - Yay & thank you!
I've been enjoying this series, but this is my favorite so far. The story revolves around the characters and the importance and contribution of the supporting cast is highlighted. It added so much depth and substance and made events seem so much more real. Nice basis to transition into the next arc of activity flowing from prior events.
March 20, 2022
DNF. That's it for me. I think what has happened was the author got a bit of backlash over his MC being a chauvinistic, aggressive, horn-dog. Heh heh heh. Well he fixed that. He turned him into a betacuck simp. Within the first several pages you have him being bitched at and cowering before his queen wife whom he completely dominated in the first book. No attempt to explain the sudden drastic change? Can't stomach it. Trashed.
August 6, 2022
This fourth volume felt like filler to me. It wasn't part of the main plot arcs, or secondary arcs and dealt with nomad tribes near the enemy Barassa (Slaver empire). Sea of Grass, because the lands here are all plains, but instead of horses, they use a wolf-kind-of-species...(Wolat). Will buys a little girl enslaved and prostituted by an Inn named Goth.
Not much action, a lot of training, practice and hunting. Getting to know the different nomadic tribes near the Barassa Kingdom...
Not much action, a lot of training, practice and hunting. Getting to know the different nomadic tribes near the Barassa Kingdom...
June 11, 2018
Pretty bad. Really. There isn't a plot. I feel like some teenage, helpless romantic is writing this series. A full 20% of this "story" is about the main character in the act of trying to have sex or some flavor of that. Then there is another 20% around his god. The remainder is spent on tying the two together. I won't continue this series.
August 24, 2020
The internal conflict is getting good
I wonder how much longer Will can take being a champion. This book played a lot on his want to be a father and husband but also why he worked for Fel. I am curious what will help him either change is current mood or harden his wants and get down to it. Only the next book can help us see it!!
I wonder how much longer Will can take being a champion. This book played a lot on his want to be a father and husband but also why he worked for Fel. I am curious what will help him either change is current mood or harden his wants and get down to it. Only the next book can help us see it!!
May 1, 2018
Will continues to be the champion for both his God and country as he helps the Saldin army develop a cavalry with the help of a nomadic tribe from the plains of Saladin. Will continues dealing with the slaving kingdom and their evil God, kicking butt and taking names as he goes.
January 22, 2019
I really enjoy this series
This was one of the first series I read after. Getting KU and starting reading LitRPG and GameLit. I like the characters, worlds, gods, and storyline. I think this book did a lot to flesh out the world and bring it to life. A great read.
This was one of the first series I read after. Getting KU and starting reading LitRPG and GameLit. I like the characters, worlds, gods, and storyline. I think this book did a lot to flesh out the world and bring it to life. A great read.
April 3, 2019
All the books are great.
All the books are great. Not true litrpg (which is my obsession) but so well written I am powering through them.
Great switchups to prevent it from going stale.
All the books are great. Not true litrpg (which is my obsession) but so well written I am powering through them.
Great switchups to prevent it from going stale.
November 23, 2019
Entertaining, but no portals
Seeing a kingdom get built is nice, but I prefer the world jumping. Definitely need more of that and visiting his sister and Darlene. Honestly could almost do with less detail and more delegation of tasks. Book 2 still the best.
Seeing a kingdom get built is nice, but I prefer the world jumping. Definitely need more of that and visiting his sister and Darlene. Honestly could almost do with less detail and more delegation of tasks. Book 2 still the best.
April 11, 2022
Good series
Fantasy magic portal travel harem
Heavily focused on the world of Saladin and the cat people of Humans and their expansion while dealing with their much larger rival Barassa and curtailing the slave trade. And more about Wolats. If you're in this far, read it.
Fantasy magic portal travel harem
Heavily focused on the world of Saladin and the cat people of Humans and their expansion while dealing with their much larger rival Barassa and curtailing the slave trade. And more about Wolats. If you're in this far, read it.
January 7, 2019
fantastic
August 9, 2019
Good Read.
The continuing story is kept fresh and enjoyable with the action and different worlds where some of the plot happens. Enjoying the series.
The continuing story is kept fresh and enjoyable with the action and different worlds where some of the plot happens. Enjoying the series.
November 12, 2020
Very good read
The story continued and is a good follow up to first three books. It is a fast read but does not omit details. I enjoyed the story and I recommend it.
The story continued and is a good follow up to first three books. It is a fast read but does not omit details. I enjoyed the story and I recommend it.
August 9, 2021
Nothing much happens compared to the first book. Seems to be a guerrilla war and treating with the natives.
Not as enjoyable as the first book.
3/5 Stars
Not as enjoyable as the first book.
3/5 Stars
Read
November 30, 2022Fun read
Good read. I laughed a lot while reading this book. Now I need ten more words to finish this review.
Good read. I laughed a lot while reading this book. Now I need ten more words to finish this review.
January 27, 2023
portals of infinity book 4
This was a fun read. The plot and action was fast paced. I look forward to reading the book in the series
This was a fun read. The plot and action was fast paced. I look forward to reading the book in the series
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