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In Winter, Storm, in Deep, and Dark,
The many threads they’d see,
But in their rage they overstepped,
And then the Courts were three.
Beware, oh love, the nothing mage,
A vengeful man is he,
So if you dare to draw his wrath,
Then nothing ye shall be.
The stars align, the planets shift,
Their walls are split in twain.
Behold, behold, the syzygy,
Now we shall feast again.
The many threads they’d see,
But in their rage they overstepped,
And then the Courts were three.
Beware, oh love, the nothing mage,
A vengeful man is he,
So if you dare to draw his wrath,
Then nothing ye shall be.
The stars align, the planets shift,
Their walls are split in twain.
Behold, behold, the syzygy,
Now we shall feast again.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2020
291 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
December 11, 2020
It's good, but i hated the ending. I don't feel like much has been resolved with many plot points still open. The ending is also fairly abrupt, with a big, somewhat weird character progress jump preceding it. Kinda ruined it for me.
May 26, 2023
Meh
Unfortunately the series started off great. However as the series progressed, it turned dark with disappointment and death littering the landscape. It was a grind to read compounded by unrequited gay love. Not that there is anything wrong with that but it's just not my cup of tea. It was a dud round
Unfortunately the series started off great. However as the series progressed, it turned dark with disappointment and death littering the landscape. It was a grind to read compounded by unrequited gay love. Not that there is anything wrong with that but it's just not my cup of tea. It was a dud round
February 28, 2022
Fun read!
4/5 I found the ending to be a bit rushed, but overall the story told was a tragic and interesting tale of power, accountability and responsibility that I couldn't put down!
4/5 I found the ending to be a bit rushed, but overall the story told was a tragic and interesting tale of power, accountability and responsibility that I couldn't put down!
December 5, 2023
Just don't
I would give it 0 stars if possible, it was so bad I gave up on book 3. I can't even call it a story or had a plot, it was all over the place and never really had a clear direction.
I would give it 0 stars if possible, it was so bad I gave up on book 3. I can't even call it a story or had a plot, it was all over the place and never really had a clear direction.
June 18, 2023
This TRAGIC FANTASY gets a four from me due to the build up and good will from two prior books...plus the first 1 quarter of this book was pretty good too. As for what I think about the rest...I could take it or leave it. I wish there was a tragedy tag somewhere on this. Or if there'd been one I missed it. I also didn't get the ending to some ends...I never got the "Draco" did nothing wrong crowd but f*** bro....whether it was the fae, the kingdom, the dudes from beyond, even that absolute moron Charles ( who might not have deserved to die but I honestly only barely felt bad for...I mean who the heck sets out to burn someone with fire as a prank?! Psycho)....the treatise of this story was "what if a literal human nuke existed in a magic world".....I mean it wasn't subtle dudes power is clearly some form of literal magical radiation...(plus there was the whole thing with the greedy scient- *cough* mages of the hiearchy being so eager to study the mc)
And the story was pretty engaging. Where the author failed was having soooo many things that happened be fairly outside the characters control...the only times he was genuinely in the wrong was the Dark Fae who were heavily implied to have elected to have their world saving super weapon feed on people instead of the abundance of monsters located both within and outside the towers...also Liara but honestly so much crud was happening during Liaria and I kind of mostly blame stupid Miranda and our MCs mom's husband for that one....(One way or another the dude was going to end up killing a whole lot of people unless he went full conscientious objector and the stupid Deep Fae had tricked him into keeping his oaths)....In any case, everything else was just stuff that happened. Regular people are allowed to freak out, regular people are allowed to lose their tempers, regular people are allowed to have panic attacks and deal with the never ending trauma conga lines being dropped in their laps...Regular people are allowed to be stressed and distressed without people dying...MC is not. Our MC is a humanoid doomsday weapon that has to literally walk around trying to stay as chill as possible and carefully controlling his use of his power....
I didn't count what happened in the royal capital as a mistake...What happened to everyone outside the confines of that room was sad (and technically broke the rules author-san set) but it was also kind of unavoidable. Also everyone he'd actually intended to kill/let die had it coming. The alternative was doing what the king commanded and going to kill at the Liarans like a good doggo...
Also, that crud with the song almost certainly wasn't helping with our MCs lethal mental health crisis. Having people walking around singing about how your the devil doesn't a "well balanced person make"
Also that romance with Eric almost seemed to exist purely to hurt the MC...Author teased a will they, won't they and in the end we just get another enemy that needs to be put down. "Why even waste our time then!?"
Sarah's death ruined the story for me. Having the MC buy Sarah's death as his fault was needed otherwise he'd look deluded and crazy...and too unlikable. So I get why the author did it...but honestly that was BS. Dude had a heated argument in a very heated moment...and his pyshcological shielding came down. End of story.
That wasn't something he did on purpose. Sarah was his friend. Nor did he willfully lash out at her...He didn't cast a spell at her, he just lost control for just a second....Control that no one in the world but him has to constantly have. Control that would have been a lot easier if Four Fifths of the bloody world wasn't messing with him.
Which gets me to the ultimate big bad, who honestly should have read the evil overlords guide book before even bothering to make the trip. If they'd made sure this kid lived relatively peacefully, and happily, and focused on their fae enemies the world would have been theirs....morons.
F*** if they had sent their own messengers to guide the kid towards happier, path, where he stays in Lethis and well out of their way, and not sent ineffectual killer monsters that only served to strengthen the weapon that fate had created to fight them....that would have also worked
Anyway, the story was still a good story technically speaking, but by the time Sarah was dead, I'd stopped caring anything that happened. The ending was kind of good because at least we get to see the guy got ...some peace. But it was also, pretty whatever since no one else we cared about was alive to see it.
And the story was pretty engaging. Where the author failed was having soooo many things that happened be fairly outside the characters control...the only times he was genuinely in the wrong was the Dark Fae who were heavily implied to have elected to have their world saving super weapon feed on people instead of the abundance of monsters located both within and outside the towers...also Liara but honestly so much crud was happening during Liaria and I kind of mostly blame stupid Miranda and our MCs mom's husband for that one....(One way or another the dude was going to end up killing a whole lot of people unless he went full conscientious objector and the stupid Deep Fae had tricked him into keeping his oaths)....In any case, everything else was just stuff that happened. Regular people are allowed to freak out, regular people are allowed to lose their tempers, regular people are allowed to have panic attacks and deal with the never ending trauma conga lines being dropped in their laps...Regular people are allowed to be stressed and distressed without people dying...MC is not. Our MC is a humanoid doomsday weapon that has to literally walk around trying to stay as chill as possible and carefully controlling his use of his power....
I didn't count what happened in the royal capital as a mistake...What happened to everyone outside the confines of that room was sad (and technically broke the rules author-san set) but it was also kind of unavoidable. Also everyone he'd actually intended to kill/let die had it coming. The alternative was doing what the king commanded and going to kill at the Liarans like a good doggo...
Also, that crud with the song almost certainly wasn't helping with our MCs lethal mental health crisis. Having people walking around singing about how your the devil doesn't a "well balanced person make"
Also that romance with Eric almost seemed to exist purely to hurt the MC...Author teased a will they, won't they and in the end we just get another enemy that needs to be put down. "Why even waste our time then!?"
Sarah's death ruined the story for me. Having the MC buy Sarah's death as his fault was needed otherwise he'd look deluded and crazy...and too unlikable. So I get why the author did it...but honestly that was BS. Dude had a heated argument in a very heated moment...and his pyshcological shielding came down. End of story.
That wasn't something he did on purpose. Sarah was his friend. Nor did he willfully lash out at her...He didn't cast a spell at her, he just lost control for just a second....Control that no one in the world but him has to constantly have. Control that would have been a lot easier if Four Fifths of the bloody world wasn't messing with him.
Which gets me to the ultimate big bad, who honestly should have read the evil overlords guide book before even bothering to make the trip. If they'd made sure this kid lived relatively peacefully, and happily, and focused on their fae enemies the world would have been theirs....morons.
F*** if they had sent their own messengers to guide the kid towards happier, path, where he stays in Lethis and well out of their way, and not sent ineffectual killer monsters that only served to strengthen the weapon that fate had created to fight them....that would have also worked
Anyway, the story was still a good story technically speaking, but by the time Sarah was dead, I'd stopped caring anything that happened. The ending was kind of good because at least we get to see the guy got ...some peace. But it was also, pretty whatever since no one else we cared about was alive to see it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2022
More "dull fantasy" than dark fantasy
A lot of time invested for no pay off. I should have stopped after the first book or skipped the series completely.
A main character that is written inconsistently in thoughts, speech, and actions - especially after the first book. A magic system so weighed down by math and science that it wasn't magic any more. Pages and pages of novel focused on the mechanics of the magic often left me feeling more like I was reading a textbook. A magic tower system and magic progression that turned this into some kind of wannabe lit rpg lite - but then I saw the author's other series, so guess I shouldn't be surprised. The climax was nonexistent and the end was just abrupt. Leading up to that was a completely unexciting escape, followed by a plodding "adventure", followed by everyone turning stupid; and while I have unanswered questions, I couldn't tell you if that is because they really went unanswered or because I just wanted the ordeal to be over and was skimming at the end.
A lot of time invested for no pay off. I should have stopped after the first book or skipped the series completely.
A main character that is written inconsistently in thoughts, speech, and actions - especially after the first book. A magic system so weighed down by math and science that it wasn't magic any more. Pages and pages of novel focused on the mechanics of the magic often left me feeling more like I was reading a textbook. A magic tower system and magic progression that turned this into some kind of wannabe lit rpg lite - but then I saw the author's other series, so guess I shouldn't be surprised. The climax was nonexistent and the end was just abrupt. Leading up to that was a completely unexciting escape, followed by a plodding "adventure", followed by everyone turning stupid; and while I have unanswered questions, I couldn't tell you if that is because they really went unanswered or because I just wanted the ordeal to be over and was skimming at the end.
January 17, 2021
(I rate this slightly less than the previous two, but there's not enough nuance in a five-star rating system to reflect that.) A lot of this was just point A to point B to point C, characters popping up and disappearing again, and the climax was....anticlimactic.
I realised at some point during Untolled that this series couldn't be heading for a happy ending, that there was too much water under the bridge to come back from.
I realised at some point during Untolled that this series couldn't be heading for a happy ending, that there was too much water under the bridge to come back from.
August 4, 2024
Also, underwhelming and boring storytelling. A very weak ending to a good start.
Considering the spoilers, no book of this author will grace my kindle anymore from this point forward.
December 25, 2020
One mixed up one man,author has agenda that’s very confusing.too much time in the closet. Reader never gets a break where the story going. Sad because the man can write.
November 24, 2025
I just finished The Saga of the Nothing Mage trilogy in audio, and it took me only a few days to get through. The narrator does solid work: clear diction, good character voices, and no moments where I had to rewind because a line was unintelligible. If anything, the narration kept me moving through places where the prose itself started to drift.
Because sometimes I genuinely lost track of where we were. The scenes don’t always get built out, and characters are often referred to by titles rather than names — adept, traveler, so-and-so of this tower. It can turn a conversation into a guessing game. The worldbuilding stays intentionally hazy, especially in the first book. We’re dropped in and never given a firm sense of the towers, their history, or how the magical society actually functions. That mystery can be intriguing, but it also makes the narrative feel thinner than it needed to be.
The magic system, though — that’s where the series shines. The whole sine-wave/light-spectrum/frequency-as-magic approach is clever, well-described, and consistent. I just wish the books had pushed it further, or used it to tell us more about the world rather than simply serving as the backdrop for every major fight. A little less theory, a little more people.
And that’s where the pacing stumbles. Huge emotional events — genocide, the death of friends, Daniel’s entire arc — flash by without time for the characters to actually feel anything on-screen. Daniel in particular is a strong idea handled too fast. He always had the energy of someone second to the protagonist, but we never see him talk about it. We never get the conversations where he voices resentment, fear, or grief. Everything important seems to happen either internally or off-screen.
Declan is the biggest example. By the end, he’s run from every major reckoning. He never faces judgment for the destruction he caused. His relationship with Eric gets abandoned in a single goodbye. He wanders off instead of taking responsibility. Even the small things — Robin nearly falling into necromancy, the ethical fallout of the war — all get brushed aside. It gives the trilogy a strange feeling: a world full of consequences where nobody actually confronts them.
And yet the series constantly brushes against ideas I really loved. There are surreal, vivid moments — especially at the Variance — that made me sit up. The image of creatures skittering across the firmament is legitimately haunting. The moral grayness could have been powerful if it had been explored instead of skipped over. The final twist with the faeries, for example, actually lands: they were right to train him as a killer, because without that spell he probably would have ended Daniel’s life by accident anyway.
The problem is that so many of the series’ strongest beats are isolated flashes rather than part of a cohesive emotional arc. Backstory arrives too early or too late. Major character moments occur off-page. The story leans heavily on magic theory when the characters are starving for actual conversation.
The trilogy isn’t bad — it’s enjoyable and quick — but it’s light.
It has the bones of a deeper, more ambitious story, but doesn’t dig into the things it sets up. A few longer scenes, some interpersonal conflict allowed to breathe, and a willingness to let characters speak plainly to each other would have turned this into something much richer.
As it stands, it’s a good couple days’ read (or listen).
Fun magic, memorable visuals, a world that feels like it’s hiding something interesting. But it leaves a lot unresolved, and I found myself wishing for another book — something that actually ties the emotional threads together or gives these characters the reckoning they deserve.
Because sometimes I genuinely lost track of where we were. The scenes don’t always get built out, and characters are often referred to by titles rather than names — adept, traveler, so-and-so of this tower. It can turn a conversation into a guessing game. The worldbuilding stays intentionally hazy, especially in the first book. We’re dropped in and never given a firm sense of the towers, their history, or how the magical society actually functions. That mystery can be intriguing, but it also makes the narrative feel thinner than it needed to be.
The magic system, though — that’s where the series shines. The whole sine-wave/light-spectrum/frequency-as-magic approach is clever, well-described, and consistent. I just wish the books had pushed it further, or used it to tell us more about the world rather than simply serving as the backdrop for every major fight. A little less theory, a little more people.
And that’s where the pacing stumbles. Huge emotional events — genocide, the death of friends, Daniel’s entire arc — flash by without time for the characters to actually feel anything on-screen. Daniel in particular is a strong idea handled too fast. He always had the energy of someone second to the protagonist, but we never see him talk about it. We never get the conversations where he voices resentment, fear, or grief. Everything important seems to happen either internally or off-screen.
Declan is the biggest example. By the end, he’s run from every major reckoning. He never faces judgment for the destruction he caused. His relationship with Eric gets abandoned in a single goodbye. He wanders off instead of taking responsibility. Even the small things — Robin nearly falling into necromancy, the ethical fallout of the war — all get brushed aside. It gives the trilogy a strange feeling: a world full of consequences where nobody actually confronts them.
And yet the series constantly brushes against ideas I really loved. There are surreal, vivid moments — especially at the Variance — that made me sit up. The image of creatures skittering across the firmament is legitimately haunting. The moral grayness could have been powerful if it had been explored instead of skipped over. The final twist with the faeries, for example, actually lands: they were right to train him as a killer, because without that spell he probably would have ended Daniel’s life by accident anyway.
The problem is that so many of the series’ strongest beats are isolated flashes rather than part of a cohesive emotional arc. Backstory arrives too early or too late. Major character moments occur off-page. The story leans heavily on magic theory when the characters are starving for actual conversation.
The trilogy isn’t bad — it’s enjoyable and quick — but it’s light.
It has the bones of a deeper, more ambitious story, but doesn’t dig into the things it sets up. A few longer scenes, some interpersonal conflict allowed to breathe, and a willingness to let characters speak plainly to each other would have turned this into something much richer.
As it stands, it’s a good couple days’ read (or listen).
Fun magic, memorable visuals, a world that feels like it’s hiding something interesting. But it leaves a lot unresolved, and I found myself wishing for another book — something that actually ties the emotional threads together or gives these characters the reckoning they deserve.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2022
Satisfying ending to a unique trilogy
I won't repeat the same things I said about this trilogy in the last books. In short, this book is a unique piece, it's a high science and college learning fantasy that’s read like a slice of life book. Yes, even when the stakes are high, and the final showdown is here, the main points are how the MC deals with his actions and trying to move on with his life.
The way the author chose to reveal the past of some of the characters was fragmented and broke the immersive feel of the book, in the third book we either know things like that by now, or it was not that important to know in the beginning. I personally don’t feel I had to know the backstory of every character in the book, especially if it means the story keeps breaking for it.
One the one hand I want to say that Declan killed the shadow fey way too easily, and that the way he handled the final battle was too easy as well, but on the other hand, we do see how Declan gets crazy strong along the book. By the end he even passes huge amounts of mana just because it will take time to handle it. So… yeah, it was easy but not a real surprise.
All in all, this is a weird case. The magic system is way too complicated and took the fantasy away from it. For some parts it feels like reading a textbook, but if you skip the line delving to math and calculation (umm fun?). The story is interesting and the world building is cool. Declan struggles with his action and has survivor's remorse which is interesting to read, and the towers are cool as well. I don't know, again, it should not work but it does.
3.5/5 recommended as a light but different read, and if you are worried about the magic system, don’t. you can just tune it out and enjoy the book even more.
I won't repeat the same things I said about this trilogy in the last books. In short, this book is a unique piece, it's a high science and college learning fantasy that’s read like a slice of life book. Yes, even when the stakes are high, and the final showdown is here, the main points are how the MC deals with his actions and trying to move on with his life.
The way the author chose to reveal the past of some of the characters was fragmented and broke the immersive feel of the book, in the third book we either know things like that by now, or it was not that important to know in the beginning. I personally don’t feel I had to know the backstory of every character in the book, especially if it means the story keeps breaking for it.
One the one hand I want to say that Declan killed the shadow fey way too easily, and that the way he handled the final battle was too easy as well, but on the other hand, we do see how Declan gets crazy strong along the book. By the end he even passes huge amounts of mana just because it will take time to handle it. So… yeah, it was easy but not a real surprise.
All in all, this is a weird case. The magic system is way too complicated and took the fantasy away from it. For some parts it feels like reading a textbook, but if you skip the line delving to math and calculation (umm fun?). The story is interesting and the world building is cool. Declan struggles with his action and has survivor's remorse which is interesting to read, and the towers are cool as well. I don't know, again, it should not work but it does.
3.5/5 recommended as a light but different read, and if you are worried about the magic system, don’t. you can just tune it out and enjoy the book even more.
January 4, 2021
The first 2 books were amazing to read, I got to see a boy journey towards and from his fever dream of being a mage even though he has to interact with magic using unconventional means. I got to see him regret his actions and lose almost everything he values. I got to see him rely on the kindness of others to aid his journey then commit genocide. It isn't glorified, he is Aranor, the fated one, the one fated to change the world during a fated event. Nothing more, he isn't fated to freedom, not to kindness, not to innocence but to change fate.
Spoilers below
I honestly think that that viewing the Trilogy through that lense makes the purpose of the story more clear. It isn't some boy making mistakes from his own accord but the trickster personification of fate, the fae, manipulating him to lead him down a dark path. All Declan needed to live a happy life with his friends was enough power to kill the guardians of the Syzygy point and Daniels mana wave. The fae did this in the most laziest way possible, lead Declan to commit genocide for the sweet magical xp and an opportunity at the pinnacles then lead him on a journey to fae courts for more magical xp and to give him his professors journal. He then goes to the Syzygy point kills the stuff you find on the other side of the internet and closes a multidimensional rift, although this is seen as a challenge, it really was anticlimactic. Viewing the story in this way you can better understand Declan's trauma, he was a victim of personified fate. A puppet of a chosen one whos dream of being a mage was manipulated into pure anger, angst and regret.
Spoilers below
I honestly think that that viewing the Trilogy through that lense makes the purpose of the story more clear. It isn't some boy making mistakes from his own accord but the trickster personification of fate, the fae, manipulating him to lead him down a dark path. All Declan needed to live a happy life with his friends was enough power to kill the guardians of the Syzygy point and Daniels mana wave. The fae did this in the most laziest way possible, lead Declan to commit genocide for the sweet magical xp and an opportunity at the pinnacles then lead him on a journey to fae courts for more magical xp and to give him his professors journal. He then goes to the Syzygy point kills the stuff you find on the other side of the internet and closes a multidimensional rift, although this is seen as a challenge, it really was anticlimactic. Viewing the story in this way you can better understand Declan's trauma, he was a victim of personified fate. A puppet of a chosen one whos dream of being a mage was manipulated into pure anger, angst and regret.
May 3, 2023
So much of this novel was despair. In some ways maybe the darkest story of this style I’ve ever read. It turns all these tropes on their head (I chuckled when the second book spends all this time setting up a tournament arc and it ends abruptly during his first match by him getting kidnapped by the fae.)
Even though he had the best of intentions at every turn, Declan goes down a truly ruinous path.
But the ending was anticlimactic and frustrating. I get what the author was going for, but there were so many plot lines that just weren’t wrapped up to my satisfaction.
If you accept the premise that the fae knew this event would end the world (including their tiny pieces of it), and they set things in motion to have Declan be a counter to it out of self preservation, that still doesn’t explain most of their actions. The book offers up “they wanted to see humans suffer” as a potential reason but that’s pretty weak.
The very long section of the book where he goes to visit the dragon really doesn’t add to the story either. It ends up feeling like filler.
It felt like the show Lost, where all these interesting puzzle pieces get thrown out there but it never combines into a satisfying picture.
Poor plotting aside, this series was still a good read. An interesting magic system, a fantasy world just fleshed out enough to need a map, but kept the locations simple enough I didn’t need to reference it more than once. I thought the towers were interesting too. But I guess we never get to find out anything else about why they exist and a much darker take on some very familiar territory. I just feel like it had the potential to be truly great and it missed the mark.
Even though he had the best of intentions at every turn, Declan goes down a truly ruinous path.
But the ending was anticlimactic and frustrating. I get what the author was going for, but there were so many plot lines that just weren’t wrapped up to my satisfaction.
If you accept the premise that the fae knew this event would end the world (including their tiny pieces of it), and they set things in motion to have Declan be a counter to it out of self preservation, that still doesn’t explain most of their actions. The book offers up “they wanted to see humans suffer” as a potential reason but that’s pretty weak.
The very long section of the book where he goes to visit the dragon really doesn’t add to the story either. It ends up feeling like filler.
It felt like the show Lost, where all these interesting puzzle pieces get thrown out there but it never combines into a satisfying picture.
Poor plotting aside, this series was still a good read. An interesting magic system, a fantasy world just fleshed out enough to need a map, but kept the locations simple enough I didn’t need to reference it more than once. I thought the towers were interesting too. But I guess we never get to find out anything else about why they exist and a much darker take on some very familiar territory. I just feel like it had the potential to be truly great and it missed the mark.
October 21, 2023
For as original as the first book was, for as gripping and heartfelt and emotionally beautiful the second was, this final volume was all of those things and more. And it wasn’t.
90% of this book is exactly what you’d be hoping for as the conclusion to the Nothing Mage. Declan is ripe with power, but also guilt, anger, and loads of trauma from everything he’s endured, everything he’s done. The book first quarter is a great setup to the final conflict that has been hinted at for so long, the middle half was a great forced introspection by the MC into his actions and the consequences they bore, and then the final few chapters... just fall flat. They don’t deliver on the promises that have been laid out through so many pages and prophecies.
Look, I’m not saying a finale HAS to be epic. Honestly, I was fully expecting this story to descend into tragedy, if not outright grimdark. Instead, just having an easy resolution (and especially having the answer to that resolution provided a mere chapter or two beforehand) left the ending just feeling... off. I didn’t know where to stand on the ending because it didn’t FEEL like an ending. It just... stopped.
Overall, 5/5 stars for the first 90% of this book, 2/5 for the last 10%. 3.5/5 overall, I guess. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the journey, but I’d have preferred a slightly different destination.
90% of this book is exactly what you’d be hoping for as the conclusion to the Nothing Mage. Declan is ripe with power, but also guilt, anger, and loads of trauma from everything he’s endured, everything he’s done. The book first quarter is a great setup to the final conflict that has been hinted at for so long, the middle half was a great forced introspection by the MC into his actions and the consequences they bore, and then the final few chapters... just fall flat. They don’t deliver on the promises that have been laid out through so many pages and prophecies.
Look, I’m not saying a finale HAS to be epic. Honestly, I was fully expecting this story to descend into tragedy, if not outright grimdark. Instead, just having an easy resolution (and especially having the answer to that resolution provided a mere chapter or two beforehand) left the ending just feeling... off. I didn’t know where to stand on the ending because it didn’t FEEL like an ending. It just... stopped.
Overall, 5/5 stars for the first 90% of this book, 2/5 for the last 10%. 3.5/5 overall, I guess. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy the journey, but I’d have preferred a slightly different destination.
October 25, 2020
This series was incredible!
I grew attached to the characters and watching them each get killed off and his “boots get muddier” crushed me. It was an emotional roller coaster and I loved it. I can’t get enough of the flash back to war scenes they’re far too emotional to be just on paper
I grew attached to the characters and watching them each get killed off and his “boots get muddier” crushed me. It was an emotional roller coaster and I loved it. I can’t get enough of the flash back to war scenes they’re far too emotional to be just on paper
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2020
The three stars is due to it getting a bit too dark for me, thus lowering my enjoyment of it. Otherwise the writing and editing quality is good. The ending (to my mind) was a bit inconsistent with the rest of the story but I can appreciate a series that wraps up quickly.
With the exception of the ending the books followed a fairly smooth arc, so that was well done. The MC never really had me rooting for him past the early parts of the second book, but that was the plot so it is what it is. Anyway, if you liked the previous books you'll probably like this, or at least read it to close the story out. SPOILER BELOW
I could have forgiven more had Declan not killed Sarah. Wiping out the Dark Fae was also too big a step into villain territory, but maybe survivable if he hadn't killed his friend in the aftermath.
With the exception of the ending the books followed a fairly smooth arc, so that was well done. The MC never really had me rooting for him past the early parts of the second book, but that was the plot so it is what it is. Anyway, if you liked the previous books you'll probably like this, or at least read it to close the story out. SPOILER BELOW
I could have forgiven more had Declan not killed Sarah. Wiping out the Dark Fae was also too big a step into villain territory, but maybe survivable if he hadn't killed his friend in the aftermath.
October 14, 2020
I had a lot of fun reading this series until the last 20% or so of this book. Book 1 was great and had me rooting for the main character. Book 2 went down a darker path and at the end of it I sympathized with the main character but his gullibility caused him to do horrific things which I really hated. This book went down an even darker path and near the end the main character does something really unforgivable. Up until that point I was still rooting for him a little bit because as gullible as he was he tried to do the right thing. Then he loses control, goes on a murder spree and afterwards ends up killing a friend all because he couldn't hold his shit together. After that I just couldn't care anymore. Like she would have said, "Fuck the nothing mage".
I'm still giving it four stars though because I loved the writing and the "storyteller" tone.
I'm still giving it four stars though because I loved the writing and the "storyteller" tone.
December 2, 2022
The ambitious project is laudable, but the limited results are not surprising. A great story, charming characters and a complex magic system present a big challenge for any author. It’s difficult to transmit feelings when precise events and mathematical theory take too much pages.
The MC and his friend/lover have strange behaviors (between passion and indifference, shrewdness and stupidity, guilt and pride, forgiveness and cruelty, often in the same sentence...). It can be understandable, but the reader must be led to accept incoherent attitudes.
More romance and psychological descriptions were necessary. This very good book could then have been brilliant.
The MC and his friend/lover have strange behaviors (between passion and indifference, shrewdness and stupidity, guilt and pride, forgiveness and cruelty, often in the same sentence...). It can be understandable, but the reader must be led to accept incoherent attitudes.
More romance and psychological descriptions were necessary. This very good book could then have been brilliant.
August 17, 2020
It’s nothing
The final book of the story, which happens to be as emotionally inconsequential as the emotional shifts and turns in the previous books of the series. Not sure what went wrong. Was it on how the author described the emotional turmoil happening with the main character, or was it the choice of words that were coloured with cold indifference?
The thread of plots entwined wonderfully, and the twists and turns were sufficiently dramatic, yet it made a serious longing that the story could’ve been better.
The drama could’ve been stronger.
The final book of the story, which happens to be as emotionally inconsequential as the emotional shifts and turns in the previous books of the series. Not sure what went wrong. Was it on how the author described the emotional turmoil happening with the main character, or was it the choice of words that were coloured with cold indifference?
The thread of plots entwined wonderfully, and the twists and turns were sufficiently dramatic, yet it made a serious longing that the story could’ve been better.
The drama could’ve been stronger.
January 16, 2024
The big climax of the series is coming up, everything is leading up to this point, and, once we had a couple surprise separations and deaths, I found myself not overly caring about the MC. I put off reading the last couple chapters because I was so disappointed with how the story was going. Unfortunately, all my greatest fears came to pass and the end was just so.... not exciting. Nothing got resolved and, while we all dream of walking away from our responsibilities and just existing, it seems like a lazy ending to what I felt started as an engaging and dynamic story. Plus, I re-read the poem at the end and didn't feel it fit the narrative completely, which was even more disappointing.
October 3, 2024
The absolute worst of the series. The characters just go from a to b and fight in between before going to c and fighting some more.
The big world destroying evil has no feeling of threat.
The main character turns into an absolute sociopath, murdering untold beings because he gets upset.
He feels bad about it for a minute when someone criticizes his actions. Then it’s all better after he has dreams where he says sorry to his victims?
And so so many things are left unresolved or even unmentioned. WTF was that epilogue?
The big world destroying evil has no feeling of threat.
The main character turns into an absolute sociopath, murdering untold beings because he gets upset.
He feels bad about it for a minute when someone criticizes his actions. Then it’s all better after he has dreams where he says sorry to his victims?
And so so many things are left unresolved or even unmentioned. WTF was that epilogue?
December 1, 2020
The end finally comes nothing
As much I was looking forward to reading the last book in this series, I find myself disappointed with the long journey to only end in basically one page. I just knew how the story progressed, that this ending was coming. Good characters, the approach to the series had potential to be good. This last book fell flat. Hopefully learn from this and comeback stronger.
As much I was looking forward to reading the last book in this series, I find myself disappointed with the long journey to only end in basically one page. I just knew how the story progressed, that this ending was coming. Good characters, the approach to the series had potential to be good. This last book fell flat. Hopefully learn from this and comeback stronger.
June 14, 2022
I did a terrible job of not-binging. Of course, that wasn't really a goal.
One thing I found myself reflecting upon is how much of a fantasy series could be avoided if there were just fantasy psychologists. Declan is a good case - as are most of his friends. And all of them seem like they could use some delayed gratification training as well, friends and foes alike.
The ending was semi-predictable, but still very satisfactory. I'll take it.
One thing I found myself reflecting upon is how much of a fantasy series could be avoided if there were just fantasy psychologists. Declan is a good case - as are most of his friends. And all of them seem like they could use some delayed gratification training as well, friends and foes alike.
The ending was semi-predictable, but still very satisfactory. I'll take it.
October 8, 2020
Nothing Mage - A Great Story.
This story was written well. A. Little long in the fill-in, but it wrapped up well. The protagonist did what he was supposed to and lives to 'Control' the whole tale.
I really hope with the next tale we see the protagonist have a life and still do fantastic things.
A good read.
This story was written well. A. Little long in the fill-in, but it wrapped up well. The protagonist did what he was supposed to and lives to 'Control' the whole tale.
I really hope with the next tale we see the protagonist have a life and still do fantastic things.
A good read.
April 7, 2021
Absolutely amazinh
A brilliant set of books, great magic, characters & worldbuilding. Would definitely recommend. Great to see bi and gay elements in a series without it being a big deal. Only downfall for me is too many people die e.g maim characters, never seen a book where so many of the leads die, could have atleast kept some of the alive.
A brilliant set of books, great magic, characters & worldbuilding. Would definitely recommend. Great to see bi and gay elements in a series without it being a big deal. Only downfall for me is too many people die e.g maim characters, never seen a book where so many of the leads die, could have atleast kept some of the alive.
August 11, 2021
I hated the ending. Enough that it made me feel like reading the series was sort of a waste of time- I mean for me this series was fantastic through so much- the first two books were *great*. I loved them. But the ending here made it feel a bit like the whole journey just wasn't worth it. I hate that I feel that way about it . . .
March 17, 2024
A fine ending to a great trilogy
Books 1 and 2 sucked me right in and I just couldn't get enough of them. Book 3 didn't do as good a job at keeping me engaged until about halfway through, but im glad I stuck it out. Declan's adventures were full of sadness, joy, love, loss, pain, sorrow, and bravery. I'd read the whole series again in a heartbeat.
Books 1 and 2 sucked me right in and I just couldn't get enough of them. Book 3 didn't do as good a job at keeping me engaged until about halfway through, but im glad I stuck it out. Declan's adventures were full of sadness, joy, love, loss, pain, sorrow, and bravery. I'd read the whole series again in a heartbeat.
December 18, 2024
Depressed ever after
What a garbage way to end a series. The author just kills characters off left and right like it’s the Red Wedding. There’s no pay off either. You’re just left with a bleak, “And that’s a ptsd filled wrap folks. Now get lost.”
Don’t read this book. You’ll be happier for it.
What a garbage way to end a series. The author just kills characters off left and right like it’s the Red Wedding. There’s no pay off either. You’re just left with a bleak, “And that’s a ptsd filled wrap folks. Now get lost.”
Don’t read this book. You’ll be happier for it.
August 17, 2025
level cap
Crossing the world, meeting unique cultures, wallowing in guilt, denial and ultimately acceptance (with the sacrifice of a few bosom companions thrown in), the scarred, Most Powerful Mage in the World, follows fate to its ultimate end.
Wish Declan’s friends had Plot Armor.
Crossing the world, meeting unique cultures, wallowing in guilt, denial and ultimately acceptance (with the sacrifice of a few bosom companions thrown in), the scarred, Most Powerful Mage in the World, follows fate to its ultimate end.
Wish Declan’s friends had Plot Armor.
September 9, 2020
Weird mix of feelings
I really enjoyed the book, but I’m frustrated by the ending. It was a quick, smooth resolution- but... I’m conflicted about the end overall.
It’s definitely not what I expected, and I’m glad I found this on reddit a ways back.
I really enjoyed the book, but I’m frustrated by the ending. It was a quick, smooth resolution- but... I’m conflicted about the end overall.
It’s definitely not what I expected, and I’m glad I found this on reddit a ways back.
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