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The Guardian #1
The Guardian's Grimoire
Dylan thought he was an average man, with a dead-end job and no great aspirations. When he finds a black book with peculiar words and markings, he discovers the universe is bigger than he imagined. The Guardian of Earth, who kept the book and its immense power safe from falling into the wrong hand, was killed. Now Earth needs a new Guardian.
The battle to protect the book begins early for Dylan as he must rely on his newly discovered powers to defeat the creatures sent to take the book. Dylan’s life is sure to be full of adventure, danger, and magic.
To protect his book and the world that now relies on him, he must learn to survive on a foreign world, fight fierce horrors beyond imagination, master the magical arts, and ultimately battle a dark god who has already destroyed one world.
The battle to protect the book begins early for Dylan as he must rely on his newly discovered powers to defeat the creatures sent to take the book. Dylan’s life is sure to be full of adventure, danger, and magic.
To protect his book and the world that now relies on him, he must learn to survive on a foreign world, fight fierce horrors beyond imagination, master the magical arts, and ultimately battle a dark god who has already destroyed one world.
440 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 2015
80 people are currently reading
246 people want to read
About the author
Rain Oxford
86 books119 followersRain Oxford is a teacher who has been writing stories since she was twelve. She attended Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. Some of her interests include magic, psychology, and ancient history. When she’s not creating worlds, she enjoys reading, playing the piano, or photographing exotic wildlife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 25, 2021
Notes:
Solid narration by Todd Menesses.
Fun characters + cool core concepts. Rough transitions in POV changes and events. Uneven mix of tell and show. The author has promise, but it's obvious that it's young writing that needs more time to mature.
I've been reading a bunch of translated Chinese light novels. After reading those, you would think that I'd have more patience for other Indie writing. Nope! I'm still a curmudgeon and mood reader. =)
Solid narration by Todd Menesses.
Fun characters + cool core concepts. Rough transitions in POV changes and events. Uneven mix of tell and show. The author has promise, but it's obvious that it's young writing that needs more time to mature.
I've been reading a bunch of translated Chinese light novels. After reading those, you would think that I'd have more patience for other Indie writing. Nope! I'm still a curmudgeon and mood reader. =)
December 14, 2017
Out of all of the fantasy I have read ,mental manipulation was one of the bigger crimes
What we have here is a lead being mind finger fucked left and right
And he doesn't care,his teacher seems not to care .nobody cares
I stopped reading after 150 pages
What we have here is a lead being mind finger fucked left and right
And he doesn't care,his teacher seems not to care .nobody cares
I stopped reading after 150 pages
January 8, 2016
Audible guy here. This is Damn good book with awesome characters, personalities and world building that is not to over whelming. You paper backers don't know what your missing with the hilarity that ensues with the VO work. The VA ( Todd Menesses ) that was chosen narrate was awesome!
August 29, 2015
Audiobook
Narration - Todd Menesses - pretty good!
There were a lot of character voices and he has a pretty good range of different characters in his arsenal. Some of the Asian accented narrative was a little stilted, but overall, you really feel like your experiencing a bunch of different characters.
So this is kind of a hard book to review. Overall, I liked it, but at the same time, it took me a long time to get through this book, and not just because it was 17 hours and 45 minutes long. This is a paranormal fantasy with not just one alternate world, but several. The author has created several worlds, complete with unique beings, unique animals, unique foods, unique atmospheres, unique gods, unique languages, you get the idea. So with that said, there is a LOT of detail and you really have to pay attention if you want to grab it all. Just more than I could or wanted to commit to memory. I realize, others will love that, so this book is for lovers of really detailed and imaginative fantasy worlds.
Now, the main three characters of Dylan, Davina and Edward were really enjoyable to get to know! Sometimes I felt like the information was coming to us in interview format. Dylan would ask them questions almost as if to answer what we as readers might be questioning about the story. Then they would roll into an overly detailed answer. It sometimes felt like an unnatural way to get the information. The bad guys confessed their roles in the evil plots a little too thoroughly and willingly for my liking. At least torture the information out of them or something (but that might say a little too much about me :)
So, for me, this was an OK read and I probably won't be moving on to the next one in the series.
I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from AudioBookBlast in exchange for an unbiased review.
Narration - Todd Menesses - pretty good!
There were a lot of character voices and he has a pretty good range of different characters in his arsenal. Some of the Asian accented narrative was a little stilted, but overall, you really feel like your experiencing a bunch of different characters.
So this is kind of a hard book to review. Overall, I liked it, but at the same time, it took me a long time to get through this book, and not just because it was 17 hours and 45 minutes long. This is a paranormal fantasy with not just one alternate world, but several. The author has created several worlds, complete with unique beings, unique animals, unique foods, unique atmospheres, unique gods, unique languages, you get the idea. So with that said, there is a LOT of detail and you really have to pay attention if you want to grab it all. Just more than I could or wanted to commit to memory. I realize, others will love that, so this book is for lovers of really detailed and imaginative fantasy worlds.
Now, the main three characters of Dylan, Davina and Edward were really enjoyable to get to know! Sometimes I felt like the information was coming to us in interview format. Dylan would ask them questions almost as if to answer what we as readers might be questioning about the story. Then they would roll into an overly detailed answer. It sometimes felt like an unnatural way to get the information. The bad guys confessed their roles in the evil plots a little too thoroughly and willingly for my liking. At least torture the information out of them or something (but that might say a little too much about me :)
So, for me, this was an OK read and I probably won't be moving on to the next one in the series.
I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from AudioBookBlast in exchange for an unbiased review.
October 9, 2015
I actually listened to this on Audible, but I was so impressed, I just HAD to post a review, here as well. I didn't know what to expect, because I don't normally read fantasy novels, but I was thoroughly impressed! I enjoyed the unique twists and turns in the story ad I enjoyed the narrator ( in the audiobook version). It's a pretty long story, so I'm actually really glad I listened instead of sitting to read the long-form book. I was able to listen in the gym, while riding in my car, etc. I'd definitely recommend the audiobook to anybody who wants to get through this lengthy text without having to put it down for long periods of time as life gets in the way.
June 19, 2016
The Guardian’s Grimoire had promise but lost its way early and never quite made sense again. There are many 5 star reviews of it on Audible and maybe my listening experience was an aberration. So, in order to justify my thoughts on this audiobook, I am going to get a tad specific. Unfortunately, this means there may be a few spoilers ahead.
*This review contains spoilers*
The Guardian’s Grimoire had promise and started out good. It didn’t require a lot of backstory to identify with the protagonist (Dylan) and his situation (college student just getting by). He finds a book on his doorstep, puts it on a shelf and forgets about it. A couple of weeks later, an imposing stranger (Edward) knocks on his door asking about the book. Soon (that night), the protagonist learns he is a wizard and must protect the book and Earth against otherworldly threats. So far, so good. Unfortunately, this is where the book goes horribly wrong, in my opinion. Dylan and Edward go to Edward’s world because Dylan is untrained, and, suddenly, I felt like I was at a comic convention and had stumbled into the “So, you want to learn to speak Klingon” seminar. The next 10 hours of this 17 hr audiobook is spent exploring, in excruciating detail, the new world Dylan is in. For example, Dylan decides he needs new clothes. Edward, who is now Dylan’s mentor, tells him it is an exceedingly dangerous trip hundreds and hundreds of miles away to get these new clothes (remember: they just left Earth because Dylan is untrained and has enemies hunting him). The next day they are on their way and we spend the next couple of audio hours learning the language of this new world, the naming conventions, the social structure, the fauna, etc. An example of more useless minutiae: we get hundred word descriptions of what each shopkeeper is wearing. And, lest I forget to mention it: the author really made a concerted effort at teaching the reader the USELESS ability at speaking his completely made-up language!!! I REALLY had to struggle to keep listening.
The narrator, Todd Menesses, did a very good job narrating and is probably the only reason I was able to finish this book. He had many distinct accents, both male and female, and was consistent in their use. The new world Dylan and Edward in has Japanese/Asian characteristics and Mr Menesses displayed skill in giving unique Asian voices to different characters.
I don’t know if Mr Oxford self-published this book but I feel it would have greatly benefited from a good editor. Mr Oxford has skill at writing, it’s just that I feel he wanted to explore “this” or “that” in particular (say, the culture) and rather than letting the characters or plot take the story there naturally, he (the author) “forced” the characters into situations or environments so he could overwhelm the listener with more useless minutiae…
This is the first book of a promised series. I would gladly consider listening to another book performed by the narrator, Todd Menesses, but I won’t be looking for the sequel to “The Guardian’s Grimoire”.
I received an audiobook copy of The Guardian’s Grimoire in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
*This review contains spoilers*
The Guardian’s Grimoire had promise and started out good. It didn’t require a lot of backstory to identify with the protagonist (Dylan) and his situation (college student just getting by). He finds a book on his doorstep, puts it on a shelf and forgets about it. A couple of weeks later, an imposing stranger (Edward) knocks on his door asking about the book. Soon (that night), the protagonist learns he is a wizard and must protect the book and Earth against otherworldly threats. So far, so good. Unfortunately, this is where the book goes horribly wrong, in my opinion. Dylan and Edward go to Edward’s world because Dylan is untrained, and, suddenly, I felt like I was at a comic convention and had stumbled into the “So, you want to learn to speak Klingon” seminar. The next 10 hours of this 17 hr audiobook is spent exploring, in excruciating detail, the new world Dylan is in. For example, Dylan decides he needs new clothes. Edward, who is now Dylan’s mentor, tells him it is an exceedingly dangerous trip hundreds and hundreds of miles away to get these new clothes (remember: they just left Earth because Dylan is untrained and has enemies hunting him). The next day they are on their way and we spend the next couple of audio hours learning the language of this new world, the naming conventions, the social structure, the fauna, etc. An example of more useless minutiae: we get hundred word descriptions of what each shopkeeper is wearing. And, lest I forget to mention it: the author really made a concerted effort at teaching the reader the USELESS ability at speaking his completely made-up language!!! I REALLY had to struggle to keep listening.
The narrator, Todd Menesses, did a very good job narrating and is probably the only reason I was able to finish this book. He had many distinct accents, both male and female, and was consistent in their use. The new world Dylan and Edward in has Japanese/Asian characteristics and Mr Menesses displayed skill in giving unique Asian voices to different characters.
I don’t know if Mr Oxford self-published this book but I feel it would have greatly benefited from a good editor. Mr Oxford has skill at writing, it’s just that I feel he wanted to explore “this” or “that” in particular (say, the culture) and rather than letting the characters or plot take the story there naturally, he (the author) “forced” the characters into situations or environments so he could overwhelm the listener with more useless minutiae…
This is the first book of a promised series. I would gladly consider listening to another book performed by the narrator, Todd Menesses, but I won’t be looking for the sequel to “The Guardian’s Grimoire”.
I received an audiobook copy of The Guardian’s Grimoire in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
July 23, 2016
I really wanted to like this book. This is yet another fantasy fiction focused on a protagonist transported to another world. I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for this kind of story. It's not original. It could even be considered a sub-genre on its own (portal fantasy); but it always draws me in. Sadly, the great majority of this kind of fiction is very disappointing, and The Guardian's Grimoire is another title that failed to impress me.
The pace was much too slow. And the main reason is that the author is very bad at worldbuilding.
I love worldbuilding, don't get me wrong. Hell, I'm a fan of Tad Williams who's criticized by many for being too wordy and descriptive. But Mr Oxford doesn't do worldbuilding, he obsesses on things noone cares about. After a while, I found myself skipping a lot and I hate reading like that.
First, too much time is spent on completely uninteresting and trivial details of his world: entire paragraphs devoted to the excruciating descriptions of the clothings of passers-by, the language and so on. And most of it in the form of huge infodumps via the mentor characters.
Second, while there were some interesting ideas, most of the new worlds were very derivative of Earth's culture. Most of the action took place on a world that was basically an alternate Japan for example.
Third, it felt very repetitive. When the protagonist enters a marketplace for the second time on this new world, and the exact same boring descriptions as the first one showed up... I, once again, understood why good editors are so much needed in this industry.
The characters were overall decent, but there was one point that particularly irked me: the protagonist is a pacifist. I understood his reasons, and from his background it was believable...up to a point. In this setting, and with superpowered psychopaths and evil gods stacked against him, this kind of attitude should quickly result in a dead hero. But the author used contrived events, plot armor and deus ex machina to save his protagonist. And it felt very cheap.
My rating: 2. I'll probably pass on the rest of the rest of the series.
The pace was much too slow. And the main reason is that the author is very bad at worldbuilding.
I love worldbuilding, don't get me wrong. Hell, I'm a fan of Tad Williams who's criticized by many for being too wordy and descriptive. But Mr Oxford doesn't do worldbuilding, he obsesses on things noone cares about. After a while, I found myself skipping a lot and I hate reading like that.
First, too much time is spent on completely uninteresting and trivial details of his world: entire paragraphs devoted to the excruciating descriptions of the clothings of passers-by, the language and so on. And most of it in the form of huge infodumps via the mentor characters.
Second, while there were some interesting ideas, most of the new worlds were very derivative of Earth's culture. Most of the action took place on a world that was basically an alternate Japan for example.
Third, it felt very repetitive. When the protagonist enters a marketplace for the second time on this new world, and the exact same boring descriptions as the first one showed up... I, once again, understood why good editors are so much needed in this industry.
The characters were overall decent, but there was one point that particularly irked me: the protagonist is a pacifist. I understood his reasons, and from his background it was believable...up to a point. In this setting, and with superpowered psychopaths and evil gods stacked against him, this kind of attitude should quickly result in a dead hero. But the author used contrived events, plot armor and deus ex machina to save his protagonist. And it felt very cheap.
My rating: 2. I'll probably pass on the rest of the rest of the series.
January 26, 2015
I am always pleased to read a fictional book that not only has plenty of content, but gets it's characters and information done well!
I enjoyed how the author described points of view from both a more like child like point and those who have been around the block more than a few times. She gave them ask personalities and personal feelings, enough that the reader can understand them all. Some still managed to surprise me into the final chapters!
And best of all, for someone like me at least, is that Rain Oxford did such a great job with the surrounding information. Mythologically accurate, different languages, changes between world's and their confirmation...I will read this again!
I enjoyed how the author described points of view from both a more like child like point and those who have been around the block more than a few times. She gave them ask personalities and personal feelings, enough that the reader can understand them all. Some still managed to surprise me into the final chapters!
And best of all, for someone like me at least, is that Rain Oxford did such a great job with the surrounding information. Mythologically accurate, different languages, changes between world's and their confirmation...I will read this again!
July 18, 2015
The Guardian's Grimoire
Too much out of my depth, as an oriental influenced book I grew both bored and confused. Read at your own risk.
Too much out of my depth, as an oriental influenced book I grew both bored and confused. Read at your own risk.
September 15, 2015
This is one of the best books in this genre! It's really hard to describe because I don't know anything like it. I loved learning about the other worlds and the creatures. The Duran language is really thought out, the magic is unique, the characters are complex and the descriptions put me in the world. The writing style was what really wouldn't let me put the book down!
It has a lot of hidden humor and some things that only a history buff or psych major would understand. It feels like a lot of research went into this. The main character is only 22 though so I’m not sure what the target audience is. I would recommend 20-35.
I thought it was a little slow at first but once they got off Earth, there was always something amazing going on. Sometimes there was more dialogue than I needed, but it was all necessary to the story or getting to know the characters. I thought the ending needed more. Fortunately, I read the next book which has a lot more action. I also found out why the Guardians Grimoire ended the way it did and I thought it was great. I enjoyed seeing the change in the characters over each book.
If I hadn’t read the Dragons Eyes, I would give it 4.5 stars, but the next book explains the ending and some of the loose strings, so I gladly give it 5 stars. Overall a great beginning to an amazing series.
It has a lot of hidden humor and some things that only a history buff or psych major would understand. It feels like a lot of research went into this. The main character is only 22 though so I’m not sure what the target audience is. I would recommend 20-35.
I thought it was a little slow at first but once they got off Earth, there was always something amazing going on. Sometimes there was more dialogue than I needed, but it was all necessary to the story or getting to know the characters. I thought the ending needed more. Fortunately, I read the next book which has a lot more action. I also found out why the Guardians Grimoire ended the way it did and I thought it was great. I enjoyed seeing the change in the characters over each book.
If I hadn’t read the Dragons Eyes, I would give it 4.5 stars, but the next book explains the ending and some of the loose strings, so I gladly give it 5 stars. Overall a great beginning to an amazing series.
October 7, 2015
First of all I want to say that I loved that the lead character was named Dylan! That is my brothers name, so I naturally enjoyed that aspect of this book right away!
Aside from the name, however, the whole book was a great read. I did not get much sleep last night since I was up reading it! Once I started the book it was just so hard to put it down! I wanted and needed to keep reading. I think the fast pace nature of the action make it a worthwhile read for anyone!
One problem I have with a lot of books with battles and sword fights and action is that I cannot always follow along. In this book, however, Oxford used a voice to describe everything that made me feel like I was right there for the action! Never did I need to go back and re-read something a few times before I could feel like I really understood it! And that is quite the accomplishment since epic books often leave me behind when things get heated!
All in all this book did not disappoint! It had a little something than any reader could enjoy, and was a lot of fun from start to finish. I like the characters, the action, and also the fact that I could not always guess what was coming next! A great book that I look forward to reading again!
Aside from the name, however, the whole book was a great read. I did not get much sleep last night since I was up reading it! Once I started the book it was just so hard to put it down! I wanted and needed to keep reading. I think the fast pace nature of the action make it a worthwhile read for anyone!
One problem I have with a lot of books with battles and sword fights and action is that I cannot always follow along. In this book, however, Oxford used a voice to describe everything that made me feel like I was right there for the action! Never did I need to go back and re-read something a few times before I could feel like I really understood it! And that is quite the accomplishment since epic books often leave me behind when things get heated!
All in all this book did not disappoint! It had a little something than any reader could enjoy, and was a lot of fun from start to finish. I like the characters, the action, and also the fact that I could not always guess what was coming next! A great book that I look forward to reading again!
October 7, 2015
I have to say I was quite impressed by this book. I red fantasy from time to time but I would not call it my favorite genre. This book, however, draws the reader into the story in a way that is really subtle and unique, and before you knew it you were right in the thick of the story. This books offers characters the readers can get to know and love, and action that was both fantasy, but also believable. Nothing felt forced like some fiction and fantasy books do, so that was a nice breath of fresh air. The author clearly is a talented writer, and I have feeling we will be seeing a lot more from them in the future. I look forward to reading more about Dylan and this amazing story, and know a few people I will be passing the book on to right away as well.
October 8, 2015
I’m not normally a huge fantasy reader, but I read this book upon a recommendation. I’m glad I did! Before you know it, you’ll find yourself sucked into this story and unable to put it down. The characters are well developed, and in ways that are reminiscent of JK Rowling, you’re able to really picture the environment. The creativity and imagination of the author is really evident and, for me anyway, it seemed to spark my own with it. Truly, it sucks you right in!
March 31, 2015
When I first started reading this I was instantly sucked into the pages. At first you wonder what's this boy Dylan all about. He just seems like a normal average guy in the beginning and when you read more, you're like will he survive or not. He always feels like he's treated like a child by his mentor and a woman who keeps him intrigued. It's a must read.
October 8, 2015
I will give it 5 stars because this book is perfect. Like as movie, enjoy it with tea is best way to relax, the main character is Delan, When he found a black book with peculiar words and markings, he knew his life changed. Now he must to fight to defeat the creatures sent to take the book. Awesome book in my honest reviews.
October 8, 2015
I could not stop reading this book till I read to last page. Easy to understand, I must to say author is best writer, he has different stylish written between other writer, all chapter are excellent, I will recommend this book to my friend. This book give me many lessons about love, life, death, how to be strong, how can fight to scare. Thank to author.
October 8, 2015
This book is really interesting, the content about Dylan - a Man want to protect a book he got from evil. Till then his life changed, many adventure, danger, and magic happened in his life. When I read it I felt I was in his story. Many thanks to author.
January 19, 2016
At last a fully immersive fantasy universe with very strong characterisations, plot and humour. I was gripped from the start and cannot wait for the series to develop!
Read
August 30, 2016Fantastic:) I accidentally stumbled upon this book and enjoyed it very much. Listening to book 2 now.
January 12, 2015
Very good, a fun ride. Waiting for more!
August 31, 2016
Good start to a series.
March 7, 2020
By Rain Oxford
Narrator Todd Menesses
Wow! The world building for this story was intense. It involves multiple worlds, languages, realms, gods, and magical classifications. This story has made me rethink how I rate novels that involve this amount of world creation.
The author really created a few unique places and took the time to detail each extensively. This was amazing at times, however there were scenes when the details actually hindered the story. Example: While Dylan is on a train in the first new world, he gets a 30 minute lesson on name conventions. It was so detailed that I started to tone it out until they started talking about something else.
The characters are a mix of personalities that both clash and mesh to make the story work. The main character, Dylan, has the traditional fantasy introduction of a young person who knew nothing about magic but turns out to be a magical prodigy. He is thrust into a whole new world ( 🧞♀️I just started singing the Alladin song when I wrote that) and constantly doubts that he is good enough to be the hero.
Update: For the 2019 reading cycle I will be updating my review ratings for a few series based on the art of world building. Recently, I've found myself delving into more SciFi and Epic fantasy works. I dont feel like the ratings for my Urban Fantasy novels takes into account some of the additional layers needed for these Sci-Fi type of stories. So moving forward, I will review and rank based on the specific genre and give an overall ranking based on how the book made me feel. These updates in ratings will include the following series: The Elementals, The Guardians Grimoire,Villians Rule, and the InnKeepers Chronicles.
Narrator Todd Menesses
Wow! The world building for this story was intense. It involves multiple worlds, languages, realms, gods, and magical classifications. This story has made me rethink how I rate novels that involve this amount of world creation.
The author really created a few unique places and took the time to detail each extensively. This was amazing at times, however there were scenes when the details actually hindered the story. Example: While Dylan is on a train in the first new world, he gets a 30 minute lesson on name conventions. It was so detailed that I started to tone it out until they started talking about something else.
The characters are a mix of personalities that both clash and mesh to make the story work. The main character, Dylan, has the traditional fantasy introduction of a young person who knew nothing about magic but turns out to be a magical prodigy. He is thrust into a whole new world ( 🧞♀️I just started singing the Alladin song when I wrote that) and constantly doubts that he is good enough to be the hero.
Update: For the 2019 reading cycle I will be updating my review ratings for a few series based on the art of world building. Recently, I've found myself delving into more SciFi and Epic fantasy works. I dont feel like the ratings for my Urban Fantasy novels takes into account some of the additional layers needed for these Sci-Fi type of stories. So moving forward, I will review and rank based on the specific genre and give an overall ranking based on how the book made me feel. These updates in ratings will include the following series: The Elementals, The Guardians Grimoire,Villians Rule, and the InnKeepers Chronicles.
September 18, 2021
I struggled a little with this book. Poor grammar didn't help.
My main problem was inconsistent characters. They acted any way the plot needed them to, even if it went against a belief that had been explicitly stated previously. Time and time again it was made clear how vulnerable the newbie guardian was and yet he always found himself in the thick of the fight. No problem though, since he's so special nothing bad will happen. It's emotionally forgivable since Dylan is a likable character, thus I finished the book.
Also, the book's premise is just dumb. That's just weak world-building.
My main problem was inconsistent characters. They acted any way the plot needed them to, even if it went against a belief that had been explicitly stated previously. Time and time again it was made clear how vulnerable the newbie guardian was and yet he always found himself in the thick of the fight. No problem though, since he's so special nothing bad will happen. It's emotionally forgivable since Dylan is a likable character, thus I finished the book.
Also, the book's premise is just dumb. That's just weak world-building.
May 4, 2017
This was one of those ebook/audiobook deals.
The narration by Todd Menesses was excellent. The story however was too long, mostly boring with a few splashes of hilarity here and there.
I won't be following the series, the epilogue was some kind of introduction to next one I think, and that was more than enough for me , thank you. :)
The narration by Todd Menesses was excellent. The story however was too long, mostly boring with a few splashes of hilarity here and there.
I won't be following the series, the epilogue was some kind of introduction to next one I think, and that was more than enough for me , thank you. :)
May 10, 2017
This book took me a long, long time to read. I honestly believe it was because Rain Oxford wanted to create not just one world, but many, many worlds with complex food, money, religion, customs, languages. I couldn't keep up at time with the level of detail.
I'm hoping that future books, since the worlds have been established, will allow for more character development and story to be told.
I'm hoping that future books, since the worlds have been established, will allow for more character development and story to be told.
February 8, 2018
Another audible listener, quite a good book. It is no R Feist or another great fantasy authors book but is good listen.
The storyline is sometimes a bit dull and on other times a little to fast but I’m looking forward the rest of the series.
The storyline is sometimes a bit dull and on other times a little to fast but I’m looking forward the rest of the series.
July 23, 2017
Just couldn't do it. Maybe it was the magic system, maybe the god thing, but I just couldn't get through the bloody thing.
April 17, 2019
Amazing story, can t stop reading
👍👍👍👻👻
👍👍👍👻👻
October 18, 2018
now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.
i would highly recommend this author and this book.
March 5, 2016
Disclaimer: Review originally posted at www.audiobookreviewer.com
Dylan, a student in college with little aspirations, finds one day a book that will change his life. Kiro, the guardian of a distant world explains to him that this book is the door to Earth, and that Dylan will have to be its guardian, protecting it to be taken by an evil god.
I like reading modern fantasy, and I am usually pleasantly surprised. This could have been so good, but it ended up disappointing me. The premises were good, but the execution and technique were subpar. I had many issues keeping my attention on the book, and this was due to how information was given to the reader. The book is overloaded with very detailed descriptions, so much that it is difficult to know which information is important to keep in mind for later. In many cases, most of the information is not. The other way of giving away information was through dialogues and monologues, sometimes so long and artificial that made me cringe. The characters were interesting and had potential, but they remained undeveloped and quite caricaturesque. Dylan is an ironic and cheeky person, and through his thoughts, the book promises to be funny and light, but the this impression fails when we see the story unfold. The plot is disorganized and chaotic, and Rain Oxford abuses of the literary device of Deus ex Machina. The characters are thrown upon event after event without a clear build up to the climax.
Something I consider important when reading fantasy for adults or even young adults is how hard the writer works to make things believable. This failed a bit for me here, since Dylan leaves everything behind without thinking it twice. I would expect this more from a children's book.
There is a lot of Japanese influence on the book, so for people into this sort of thing, this could be an enjoyable book. I do not speak Japanese, so I ignore if the languages in the book are really inspired by the Japanese language.
Todd Menesses had quite a repertoire of voices but at times I think he tried too hard. Using hard accents and tones on main characters can be very tiresome to the ear, especially with the very long dialogues explaining everything.
I think this book could succeed when aimed at a young audience, and I am sure Rain will surprise us with future great books if she polishes her style and improves her technique a bit.
Dylan, a student in college with little aspirations, finds one day a book that will change his life. Kiro, the guardian of a distant world explains to him that this book is the door to Earth, and that Dylan will have to be its guardian, protecting it to be taken by an evil god.
I like reading modern fantasy, and I am usually pleasantly surprised. This could have been so good, but it ended up disappointing me. The premises were good, but the execution and technique were subpar. I had many issues keeping my attention on the book, and this was due to how information was given to the reader. The book is overloaded with very detailed descriptions, so much that it is difficult to know which information is important to keep in mind for later. In many cases, most of the information is not. The other way of giving away information was through dialogues and monologues, sometimes so long and artificial that made me cringe. The characters were interesting and had potential, but they remained undeveloped and quite caricaturesque. Dylan is an ironic and cheeky person, and through his thoughts, the book promises to be funny and light, but the this impression fails when we see the story unfold. The plot is disorganized and chaotic, and Rain Oxford abuses of the literary device of Deus ex Machina. The characters are thrown upon event after event without a clear build up to the climax.
Something I consider important when reading fantasy for adults or even young adults is how hard the writer works to make things believable. This failed a bit for me here, since Dylan leaves everything behind without thinking it twice. I would expect this more from a children's book.
There is a lot of Japanese influence on the book, so for people into this sort of thing, this could be an enjoyable book. I do not speak Japanese, so I ignore if the languages in the book are really inspired by the Japanese language.
Todd Menesses had quite a repertoire of voices but at times I think he tried too hard. Using hard accents and tones on main characters can be very tiresome to the ear, especially with the very long dialogues explaining everything.
I think this book could succeed when aimed at a young audience, and I am sure Rain will surprise us with future great books if she polishes her style and improves her technique a bit.
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