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Remnants of Magic #1
Silvertongue
After another long day at work, all Jon Christensen wanted was a cheap burger and some peace and quiet.When he pulled into the local McDonald’s, Jon only had the usual cares on his mind. His sister. The bills. A career with seemingly nowhere to go. But after a confusing encounter at the cash register triggers a violent episode in the parking lot, he’s quickly pulled into a world he doesn’t understand. His few careless sentences - and the odd gift of languages he’s kept hidden for years - wind up thrusting him right into the middle of a chaotic magical free-for-all, a battle taking place in the shadows of society. Entangled in an increasingly complex web of violence and lies, he's left with a adapt, or die.Surrounded by strangers, Jon must struggle to survive, searching out friends amidst a sea of foes. If he can get his group of strays and rejects to work together, there’s a chance they might just make it out alive.Should he fail, the consequences will be dire - not only for Jon, but also for those he loves.
592 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2019
661 people are currently reading
1024 people want to read
About the author
Casey White
20 books77 followersCasey White lives in Michigan with her husband and the requisite herd of roaming cats. She splits her time - spending her days working the desk as a civil engineer, and her nights writing fiction ranging from fantasy to scifi and everything in-between.
Her stories tend towards the more personal - she favors first person or over-the-shoulder third person that matches punchy, fast-paced storytelling with ongoing internal dialogue.
Her fiction can be found at her website, listed above, or at the subreddit where she publishes her novels one chapter at a time - https://www.reddit.com/r/Inorai/
Her stories tend towards the more personal - she favors first person or over-the-shoulder third person that matches punchy, fast-paced storytelling with ongoing internal dialogue.
Her fiction can be found at her website, listed above, or at the subreddit where she publishes her novels one chapter at a time - https://www.reddit.com/r/Inorai/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 17, 2019
Silvertongue started as a writing prompt and morphed into a web serial hosted on Casey White’s Reddit page. The story revolves around Jon Christensen. He likes burgers and peace. He would enjoy being a regular guy, but, much to his displeasure, he has a gift to hear any language as English. When he speaks, his words always come in the listener’s native tongue. He tries to hide his talent and he succeeds until a chance encounter in a fast-food store throws him in a violent world he doesn’t understand.
I enjoyed White’s take on magic / preternatural talents. People can gain them through Relics - objects of ancient power. The author introduces plenty of characters with various powers and her creativity impressed me. She doesn’t shy away from violent scenes with strong imagery (like the exploding head), so be warned that the novel explores darker sides of human nature.
While I like some of the ideas introduced in Silvertongue, I also confess that the story didn’t engage me. It introduces new characters and scenes but does little to indicate the sense of direction or characters’ goals. I DNF-ed the book at 31% of the ebook version (around 180 pages) and I still couldn’t clearly define the plot or the themes it tried to explore. I found it repetitious and didn’t warm up to any of the characters. And when there’s no emotional engagement or, at least, a desire to know what happens next, reading becomes tiresome. I called it quits.
Not to downplay the work White has put into the book, but perhaps in its current form, it still works better as a web serial, but not as a novel. I expect every scene to have a goal and move the plot forward and I like focused narratives. Because I didn’t finish the book, it’s possible things and facts connect later in the story, but my impression is that the author spends way too much time creating mini-cliffhangers at the end of each chapter without giving a clear sense of direction or purpose. I’m sure there’s a solid story here, but I would like to see it structured more tightly.
I enjoyed White’s take on magic / preternatural talents. People can gain them through Relics - objects of ancient power. The author introduces plenty of characters with various powers and her creativity impressed me. She doesn’t shy away from violent scenes with strong imagery (like the exploding head), so be warned that the novel explores darker sides of human nature.
While I like some of the ideas introduced in Silvertongue, I also confess that the story didn’t engage me. It introduces new characters and scenes but does little to indicate the sense of direction or characters’ goals. I DNF-ed the book at 31% of the ebook version (around 180 pages) and I still couldn’t clearly define the plot or the themes it tried to explore. I found it repetitious and didn’t warm up to any of the characters. And when there’s no emotional engagement or, at least, a desire to know what happens next, reading becomes tiresome. I called it quits.
Not to downplay the work White has put into the book, but perhaps in its current form, it still works better as a web serial, but not as a novel. I expect every scene to have a goal and move the plot forward and I like focused narratives. Because I didn’t finish the book, it’s possible things and facts connect later in the story, but my impression is that the author spends way too much time creating mini-cliffhangers at the end of each chapter without giving a clear sense of direction or purpose. I’m sure there’s a solid story here, but I would like to see it structured more tightly.
August 5, 2019
i have zero idea whats going on im 200ish pages in?
and the main character isnt likeable at all so far????
If you're thinking of reading this don't. It's not worth it I read 210ish pages with zero idea on what is happening with violence that makes zero sense because nothing has been established interesting concept at first but it gets more terrible every page
It's a no from me
and the main character isnt likeable at all so far????
If you're thinking of reading this don't. It's not worth it I read 210ish pages with zero idea on what is happening with violence that makes zero sense because nothing has been established interesting concept at first but it gets more terrible every page
It's a no from me
March 2, 2019
Confusing mess.
The first 25% of the book you have no idea what is going on as it is not explained to you at all.
The first 25% of the book you have no idea what is going on as it is not explained to you at all.
unfinished
April 22, 2019I know that this story came from a Reddit writing prompt, where I imagine that the author published the story chapter by chapter. That does not mean that it's a good idea to just staple all the chapters together and call it a book.
There are good ideas in there, the magical system feels new for example, but it would have benefited from a total rewrite with a well thought out story line. As it reads now, the chapters just tread on and on without advancing the plot. There are entire chapters that only has enough plot for a paragraph. I started skimming at 30% and gave up at 40% when I realized it still wasn't going anywhere.
February 18, 2019
Couldn't put it down!
When i first stumbled upon this on reddit I figured it would be another fun little short story. I had no idea! It's been an action packed rollercoaster from start to finish which kept me reading it straight for two day. Can't wait for the next installment!
When i first stumbled upon this on reddit I figured it would be another fun little short story. I had no idea! It's been an action packed rollercoaster from start to finish which kept me reading it straight for two day. Can't wait for the next installment!
June 14, 2019
I feel like the real highlight is that this Narrator is an absolutely perfect fit for this book. The tone for the story is on point and vivid the entire time. He brings these characters alive and makes every single one of them believable. I honestly just want to repeat the word perfect again and again when I think about describing the narration.
The writing is fast paced and you, along with our protagonist, are tossed right into the deep end from the start. We find a small yet fascinating sub-culture revolving around objects of ancient power, that manages just barely stay out of sight to most mundane people. It is a harsh and dangerous existence for anyone lucky, or unlucky, enough to bond with one of these varied Relics granting special abilities (all of which managed to be pretty cool so far). Our protagonist struggles constantly to find a safe existence for himself and the allies he collects when no one else is fond of rogue actors trying to stake a claim for themselves.
I believe it will keep most people excited and entertained for the whole length.
*A copy of this book was provided to the reviewer upon their request, but the review is their honest and voluntarily provided thoughts.
The writing is fast paced and you, along with our protagonist, are tossed right into the deep end from the start. We find a small yet fascinating sub-culture revolving around objects of ancient power, that manages just barely stay out of sight to most mundane people. It is a harsh and dangerous existence for anyone lucky, or unlucky, enough to bond with one of these varied Relics granting special abilities (all of which managed to be pretty cool so far). Our protagonist struggles constantly to find a safe existence for himself and the allies he collects when no one else is fond of rogue actors trying to stake a claim for themselves.
I believe it will keep most people excited and entertained for the whole length.
*A copy of this book was provided to the reviewer upon their request, but the review is their honest and voluntarily provided thoughts.
February 19, 2019
Read this book through reddit and found it completely captivating. Waiting for the next chapter at times was agonising, so I found myself saving up a few chapters so I could binge read them.
I normally prefer my fiction set in a fantasy or historical setting, the fact that this was set in current times didn't detract from the story. If you have an interest in books with a psychic overtone, then you would definitely enjoy it. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I normally prefer my fiction set in a fantasy or historical setting, the fact that this was set in current times didn't detract from the story. If you have an interest in books with a psychic overtone, then you would definitely enjoy it. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
February 18, 2019
Since the first chapter of this book was posted on Reddit, to the publishing of the book on Amazon and Kindle, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the story and enjoying how the characters develop and learn how to survive in the world that they are cast into. The books premise unique and the actual book extremely well-written, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy and magic.
February 19, 2019
A silver tongue
It's hard to discuss what makes this book great without getting into spoilers, but was a great read. Great characters and an interesting magic system. Leaves you wanting more.
It's hard to discuss what makes this book great without getting into spoilers, but was a great read. Great characters and an interesting magic system. Leaves you wanting more.
April 18, 2019
I really just want Jon to die, gosh what an annoying person.
February 20, 2019
I started the book on Reddit and after the first 7 chapters I was hooked. It kept me engaged until the very end. Can't wait until she starts writing the second one.
February 20, 2019
Engaging, fun, interesting universe.
February 19, 2019
Completely hooked by this story. The narrative of the protagonists doth discovering what their talents are now and adapting while those very talents grow and morph made me think and even begin to dream a little again.
April 23, 2019
I gave up at chapter 10 because I lost track of the many characters who all seemed the same - Matt, Ben, Jake, and others that the hero had only met earlier that evening but now had a clear idea of who they were, but didn't pass this on to us, the readers.
This story had so much potential but ten chapters spent on a long drawn out fight and struggle without any real idea of what's happening and why just lost me.
This story had so much potential but ten chapters spent on a long drawn out fight and struggle without any real idea of what's happening and why just lost me.
June 9, 2024
Absolutely worth reading.
I'm a bit scared of what's coming next, honestly, but I still can't wait for the next book.
I'm a bit scared of what's coming next, honestly, but I still can't wait for the next book.
March 28, 2019
I was torn between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I did really like it, but there were some parts that dragged for me. The fighting scenes were intense and entertaining, but they were followed by some moments where not much happened.
I think what I liked most was the unique concept. This book started as a writing prompt on Reddit and turned into a full novel. I thought the way the author took the simple prompt and completely made it her own was really cool, and I enjoyed exploring that in the novel.
There was a ton of action, but when things slowed down, the main characters were still under a lot of stress and pressure. I felt like I needed to take breaks in between reading it, and it makes sense because it was originally serialized. I thought the pacing was off because of this, but not enough to take too much away from my enjoyment.
Overall this was a good self published novel with creative magic that was interesting to see in the many battles the characters find themselves in. I think the second book is being written on Reddit now, so I'll either check it out there or wait until it gets fully published, but I enjoyed it enough to want to read more.
I think what I liked most was the unique concept. This book started as a writing prompt on Reddit and turned into a full novel. I thought the way the author took the simple prompt and completely made it her own was really cool, and I enjoyed exploring that in the novel.
There was a ton of action, but when things slowed down, the main characters were still under a lot of stress and pressure. I felt like I needed to take breaks in between reading it, and it makes sense because it was originally serialized. I thought the pacing was off because of this, but not enough to take too much away from my enjoyment.
Overall this was a good self published novel with creative magic that was interesting to see in the many battles the characters find themselves in. I think the second book is being written on Reddit now, so I'll either check it out there or wait until it gets fully published, but I enjoyed it enough to want to read more.
June 13, 2019
This book was a bit mixed with the pacing, sometimes it was spot on with the amount of stories and characters, but at other times it did seem to drag and the overall duration might have been better if it had been shorter with a bit more ruthlessness during the editing phase.
However, despite this minor complaint, it should not detract from the overall quality of a book that provides an entertaining and extensive cast of characters, a well-realised world and an interesting system of magic. While Jon Christensen is the main character in the book, the supporting characters all contribute significantly and feel fully realised.
The narrator does a good job with this book, coping well with the task of making the extensive cast sufficiently distinctive from each other most of the time and keeping a suitable pace in what is quite a lengthy book.
Overall, this book did a good job of world-building for subsequent ones while at the same time providing enough story for it to also work as a book in it's own right and not just as a book one of a series.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
However, despite this minor complaint, it should not detract from the overall quality of a book that provides an entertaining and extensive cast of characters, a well-realised world and an interesting system of magic. While Jon Christensen is the main character in the book, the supporting characters all contribute significantly and feel fully realised.
The narrator does a good job with this book, coping well with the task of making the extensive cast sufficiently distinctive from each other most of the time and keeping a suitable pace in what is quite a lengthy book.
Overall, this book did a good job of world-building for subsequent ones while at the same time providing enough story for it to also work as a book in it's own right and not just as a book one of a series.
[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]
Read
September 25, 2019Spoilers...What to say, what to say. Well, first off I liked the book. I loved the world, the new people coming in and figuring out their magic. I like the idea of owning something that is magical and it changes from person to person. All very cool. What I don’t like are the characters. Not a huge fan of the main guy, not a huge fan of ayden, not a huge fan of heather. Heather and ayden are a bit annoying. Very combative, angry, always with some stupid come back. There is no way I would be able to hang out with these two even if my life depended on it. They are too much work. As for the protagonist, he’s ok. I’m waiting for him to become amazing. For that aha moment. If the writer was going for someone who doesn’t know how to lead, then they are on the right track. Why would people follow him over someone else? He doesn’t have that X factor yet. Maybe in book two. I like the concept of the book enough to read book 2, but I think the author needs to work on character development. A solid 3.5-4 stars for me. Thank you and looking forward to the next one!
March 28, 2024
I did enjoy some of the book, but there were some times where I’d have to go back and reread something only because I didn’t understand what was happening. There were some parts of the book that I felt like it needed more detail in it or give the reader a better understanding on what happened?
I also had a difficulty placing who was who, only because in the first half of the book there was barely any detail to these characters to distinguished them from others. There was also a bunch of characters mentioned and without that element of description, it was confusing to remember or reread who was being mentioned. —Second half of the book there was more details for me see in my head what the character may look like (Tho some of the main characters I’m still confused on what they look like?)
Looking past all of this, I did like the premise and about a little halfway through the book I did start to get more into the storyline and the pace got better. This book did take me a little under two years to finish though.
I also had a difficulty placing who was who, only because in the first half of the book there was barely any detail to these characters to distinguished them from others. There was also a bunch of characters mentioned and without that element of description, it was confusing to remember or reread who was being mentioned. —Second half of the book there was more details for me see in my head what the character may look like (Tho some of the main characters I’m still confused on what they look like?)
Looking past all of this, I did like the premise and about a little halfway through the book I did start to get more into the storyline and the pace got better. This book did take me a little under two years to finish though.
September 22, 2019
Different
It strikes me that there doesn't seem to be a explanation for the stars that are given. So I thought I'd start giving my take on it.
1 horrible no redeeming qualities.
2 there are redeeming qualities.
3 good worth reading, or well written but not my cup of tea.
4 great but there's something off.
5 loved it.
A great beginning for a series.
I can't wait for more of this, I want to say more about this story but I absolutely hate spoilers, so I won't go into details.
Reasons I enjoyed this audio book:
Witty, Wonderful characters, Page-turner, Great world building, Unpredictable, Original, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Action-packed, Twisted.
Bookshelves/tags:
angst, contemporary, dark, fighting-war, kidnap, open-ended, paranormal, read, recorded, series, suspense.
This Audiobook was given to me for free at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.
It strikes me that there doesn't seem to be a explanation for the stars that are given. So I thought I'd start giving my take on it.
1 horrible no redeeming qualities.
2 there are redeeming qualities.
3 good worth reading, or well written but not my cup of tea.
4 great but there's something off.
5 loved it.
A great beginning for a series.
I can't wait for more of this, I want to say more about this story but I absolutely hate spoilers, so I won't go into details.
Reasons I enjoyed this audio book:
Witty, Wonderful characters, Page-turner, Great world building, Unpredictable, Original, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Action-packed, Twisted.
Bookshelves/tags:
angst, contemporary, dark, fighting-war, kidnap, open-ended, paranormal, read, recorded, series, suspense.
This Audiobook was given to me for free at my request from the publisher, author or narrator and I provided this unbiased voluntary review.
April 24, 2023
An interesting fantasy concept, well-realised. It's tricky to satisfyingly balance a 'real' world with magic and wizards and all that, but the pleasantly grungy world of magic mafias and gangs that White constructs here works very well.
Silvertongue has a long, slow start at first, but it lays the groundwork nicely for the various shades of bastard that are the main cast of characters. This is very much a setup novel - lots of introductions and establishing of status quo - but it all comes together nicely and there are enough nice set-piece action scenes to break things up.
A nice selection of unusual powers for the magic-users made all the action scenes very entertaining -coming up with unique ways to use seemingly useless abilities is a real strength of this book, especially when efforts start getting combined.
Well-written and a good concept. I'll pick up the next one for sure.
Silvertongue has a long, slow start at first, but it lays the groundwork nicely for the various shades of bastard that are the main cast of characters. This is very much a setup novel - lots of introductions and establishing of status quo - but it all comes together nicely and there are enough nice set-piece action scenes to break things up.
A nice selection of unusual powers for the magic-users made all the action scenes very entertaining -coming up with unique ways to use seemingly useless abilities is a real strength of this book, especially when efforts start getting combined.
Well-written and a good concept. I'll pick up the next one for sure.
March 12, 2019
This was a tough one. I almost didn't finish it because the beginning is so frustrating. Aeden is so unhelpful, and Jon is so whiny. Once the plot really gets rolling it's a good book. I look forward to the next.
March 29, 2023
not good
I tried real hard but there is too much about the mc and the logic used that is just really irritating. The mc is horribly weak and useless. I don’t know if the author is a female writing a male mc, but that would make sense. This is not how a man thinks and acts, just isn’t. He always needs saved. Can’t act on his own. Is always confused and grasping. Always being out matched and over powered. That doesn’t make it a fun read, it makes it tedious and depressing. Make a strong man instead. The mc is allowed to be strong and smart. It’s ok, you have permission.
I tried real hard but there is too much about the mc and the logic used that is just really irritating. The mc is horribly weak and useless. I don’t know if the author is a female writing a male mc, but that would make sense. This is not how a man thinks and acts, just isn’t. He always needs saved. Can’t act on his own. Is always confused and grasping. Always being out matched and over powered. That doesn’t make it a fun read, it makes it tedious and depressing. Make a strong man instead. The mc is allowed to be strong and smart. It’s ok, you have permission.
August 1, 2019
I really liked this book.That being said,it could have been shorter if people would have just TALKED to each other instead of having non conversations that never get finished.I know that was part of the story,it just drove me a bit mad. John goes to McDonalds for a Big Mac and his whole world changes in a matter of minutes. Andrew Tell was a fine narrator. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
January 19, 2022
I couldn't get into this one. The main character is completely incompetent. He constantly freezes during fight scenes, can't make a decision, and is always whining about stuff. Also, so much of the dialogue in the book is full of stuttering and incomplete sentences with weird, awkward pauses. If the author's trying to convey awkward teenage social anxiety they did an awesome job, but it's too much cringe for me.
December 13, 2022
a man who, only to them, can speak the first language anyone has ever learnt. He doesn't know why, but he chose the wrong language to use with the appropriate person. He was exposed to a secret world by that person. The author's writing is really simple to read. With a guy who doesn't know how to command yet, the story captures your attention. I'll soon be reading the additional books and their sequels.
June 20, 2019
Amazing book all the way through
This book is full of adventures from start to finish and it’s clear the author put a lot of effort in this book; full of original content and a new take on magic which doesn’t give them ridiculous power. In fact the weaknesses are one of the reasons I love this book.
This book is full of adventures from start to finish and it’s clear the author put a lot of effort in this book; full of original content and a new take on magic which doesn’t give them ridiculous power. In fact the weaknesses are one of the reasons I love this book.
September 27, 2020
idiot mc
The guy has a power that should allow him to dominate basically any confrontation and instead spends the entire book getting his ass handed to him because he has the imagination of a particularly dumb pea. The entire book could have been solved by him learning to say "give me your weapon/focus" but instead he decides to do literally anything else.
The guy has a power that should allow him to dominate basically any confrontation and instead spends the entire book getting his ass handed to him because he has the imagination of a particularly dumb pea. The entire book could have been solved by him learning to say "give me your weapon/focus" but instead he decides to do literally anything else.
April 17, 2024
the book is confusing, it feels like multiple short stories shoved into one. I enjoyed it and will read the series, however a large portion of the time casey writes “character x and I” in the wrong situations and (should be character x and me) which made the book feel less like a novel and more like an internet series
May 22, 2024
Loved the premise of the story found on Reddit!
The writing was interesting, the worldbuilding also solid, just wasn't able to like it as much or maybe continue the series as there was no overarching goal. It seemed like a bit of an episode story with small encounters and navigating the new world without any guidance ( okay maybe a bit of unclear guidance).
The writing was interesting, the worldbuilding also solid, just wasn't able to like it as much or maybe continue the series as there was no overarching goal. It seemed like a bit of an episode story with small encounters and navigating the new world without any guidance ( okay maybe a bit of unclear guidance).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews