★★Mana Harvest★★ Sword to Ploughshare Farming LitRPG ◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆ For the last 20 years Cid has served the realm as a city guard. One thing has driven him forward. A suggestion by a friend. His eventual pension and what he plans to do with it. A purchase. Specifically in the village of Haven and the plot of land reversed by the Kingdom. After a lifetime of fights and scuffles, its time for something new. Time to be... A farmer
Pick up a copy of "Mana Harvest" and enjoy the read!
I liked the concept of this a lot! An ex guard deciding to go be up the fight, and instead going for the quiet life of a farmer. It's supposed to be a wholesome slice of life, so I expected something in the vain of Legends and Lattes.
The book managed to scratch that itch in parts, but other parts didn't work as well for me.
I loved him arriving at the totally derelict farm, having a sigh and then just starting the work to bring it back to scratch. However the actual farming, or mana use to do so felt more like a sidenote, than teh story. He uses his newly gained magic skills to plow or clean out troughs, and that's it, on we go.
More of the book is about him interacting with the villagers, or selling produce in the market, when he has barely planted two fields? I mean magical mana farming might grow crops over night, I don't mind that. I just would have expected, and wanted, more farming from a farming story...
He does take it all easy and slow, and I enjoyed spending time swimming, or napping or just exploring the new lands. I also didn't mind him getting more lucky than anything, I mean it's supposed to be a wholesome story! A little bit of magical country holiday in my mind.
However the later bit, with a twist, just didn't feel wholesome at all to me, instead I rather had to raise an eyebrow. No, it doesn't turn dark and bloody or anything, but ... to avoid spoilers, let's say I didn't think some of the characters actions wholesome, but rather manipulative and annoying.
All in all it was a quick and cosy read, and I liked it for what it was, even though it didn't really deliver on what the blurb promised.
Ignoring the out of place idioms (left seat, right seat?) and the poor *fantasy* world building…how lucky can he get?
First his buddy happens to be a mage and just…gives him magic. And it works. Then his new farm has not just an incredibly valuable tree (that no one else knows is there), it also has an entrance to a massive valuable resource.
This is not near as good as it could be. Skills and spells just happen, and may or may not be added to the character sheet after the fact. Balance is for later.
I stopped reading because there are other, better novels to read.
DNF Edit (March 24): I was between books and decided to give it another shot. Bad idea.
‘Dead of winter’, terribly cold, and flies…nope. Insects go dormant during the winter. How did the young man run to Hardhearth *without passing the soldiers dispatched to investigate*? EVERY farmer is a rough carpenter of decent capability; you only need an actual carpenter for finish work. An old man with a pony and cart, yet he pulls a wood stove(!), a toilet (?!), AND a claw foot tub (!!!!) off the cart and carries them indoors.
It could all be explained. But it wasn’t. And I think it wasn’t because basic principles are not understood.
Magic, sword play, and dungeons. Captain Cid Dawnshield is a city guard in Hardhearth where Lord Vanstone rules. After serving for 20 years in the city guard, he has decided to retire. After breaking up brawls between drunks, fighting the newly undead, battling demons summoned by a necromancer, he realizes he wants a simpler less stressful life. He remembers a small village he had passed thru years before, and decides farming might be the ideal life. Once he starts farming, he realizes farming is a lot more work than he had anticipated. With the help of the local people, and a lot of sweat and effort on his part, with a little magic thrown in, he begins to slowly make a go of it. There is magic, demons to fight, and trials to pass. Very good read. I should add that I got an Advance Reader Copy.
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
As the title says this is a review for Kindle Unlimited and as such is a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis. I hate trying to define my enjoyment and describe facets of it that would appeal to someone else. It is simply not my style. But for the sake of those fishing for clues:
Character development: good Game elements: minimal Harem elements: none Summary: nice change of pace story with just enough action to keep you hooked.
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Mistakes: Any mistakes I found will be listed on Goodreads.
Plot: This is a slice of life book about a city Guard that retired to be a farmer. This was a slow boring drag. It would take the MC all day to do one job.
Characters: The MC came across as lazy. Took him to long to get anything done. Lots of time wasted swimming, sleeping, and drinking. The side characters never fit the way the MC would describe them. Actions would almost always be the exact opposite.
Boring, first 80% consist mainly of dialogs. I hoped fight and magic will improve it. But opposite happened. Magic is too general and overpowered. LitRpg feels forcefully inserted to story.
Cid is a city guard in Hardhearth, with 20 years of experience. He's done many things, rainging from teaching new recruits the basics of surviving the narrow alleys during the night shift, to dealing with zombie uprisings caused by incompetent necromancers; he's also been on various joint missions with the Mage Knights Corps... he's been around and he's seen much during his time. Now it's time to settle down and retire.
Cid talks to his friend Bren (a Battlemage in the Mage Knights Corps) about his desire to retire and become a farmer. Bren is enthusiastic about the idea and uses a Mage Knights artifact to awaken Cid's magical abilities (he gains level 1 in each of the elemental magics).
Cid trades his small pension for a farm (through the swords to ploughshares scheme) and heads off to a small village where his farm is located.
Upon arrival, Cid meets Lyle (a bored and unruly 15 year old boy) and the boys grandfather, Dylan, who is the village elder (and former Mage Knight).
Cid finally arrives at Oak Tree Farm, his new home. Its been left to go fallow after many years of disuse so Cid starts to bring the fields back into use. He explores the area and finds a Mana tree and a mana cave. But decides he'll investigate the latter at a later time.
The villagers help him with the farmhouse and the outbuildings but aren't that helpful since the barn collapses when they begin work.
Cid starts to build friendships with Dylan and the other villagers.
One day, Lyle disappears and Cid decides to search the mana cave. Lyle is within and stuck in a lava room. The trials have begun. Cid rescues Lyle by completing the mana trials, resulting in Cid being declared a Mana Knight. Lyle, Dylan, and the rest of the village had duped Cid into undertaking the trials so he's not that enamoured by them when he finally gets out. Apparently, most of the village inhabitants have links to the Mage Knights Corps and were suspicious of an outsider.
Friendships are a little strained following the subterfuge but Cid is made the local constable.
The story moved at a decent pace. Though Lyle was an annoying character and was even more so during the trials.
The spelling and grammar weren't perfect but much better than most in the genre.
Unfortunately, there was very little RPG in this LitRPG story. Never really saw him growing his stats or abilities very often. Was more about friendships with the local villagers. Having said all that, the story was enjoyable and well written. Was an easy 3 stars for me. Not sure I'll continue to the next volume since this was a good standalone.
Enjoyed it - 3 stars
++++ MY STAR RANKING SYSTEM: - 5 Stars - Personal favourite - 4 Stars - Loved it - 3 Stars - Enjoyed it - 2 Stars - Found it lacking - 1 Star - DNFed / Hated it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This standalone LitRPG book tells the story of Cid, a former human guard without magic, after his decision to retire and become a farmer. Arriving at Haven, he finds the Oak Tree Farm in a very bad shape, but his piece of land also contains some treasures. Moreover, his friend Bran unlocked a few basic magic abilities for him - something he had to go without all his life and now needs to learn. However, with the sharp mind that Cid possesses, it is becoming clear the village is not what it seems and there is something going on. I very much enjoyed the world building, the RPG setup, and the easy flow of the story. Cid was a likable character with strong personality and even stronger morals, and it was nice to watch him develop in a different way on one hand, on the other hand to see his values and qualities rubbing off other characters. Lyle, Devyn, even Maggie as side characters helped to shape the plot and the atmosphere, even though everything was centered on Cid. Tension and adventure gradually escalated and reached their peak during the Mana Harvest, which was probably my favorite part. No regrets taking up this book as it was a pleasant reading experience.
This story was off to a good start. It's easy to read and I got through it in a few days. I enjoyed the theme and found it after looking for novels similar to Legends & Lattes in cozy vibes.
The detail about having pop-up quests (and that everyone gets them?) was lacking in explanation. It just seemed far too convenient, like it was haphazardly written in for fan service.
What really ruined it for me honestly is the section where Lyle begins to explain that the last few events were a ruse to make Cid begin the trial. The statements of a child change to long, detailed sentences, as if he had grown up suddenly. But no, he was like this all along. The author forgot who was speaking and just started explaining what had happened in great detail, completely ignoring the character's previous voice. This scene could have been still explained enough while remembering that the explanation was coming from a child.
I finished the first book in this series but I won't be continuing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
An anticipated retirement with an unexpected mystery
Cid has faithfully done his time as a Guard and is looking to retire on a farm. The farm hasn't been worked, in a very long time, and Cid has a lot of work ahead of him. But, he starts to notice some interesting things in the land and some slightly odd behaviors by the villagers.
I enjoyed the story and mystery and am interested to see how things progress, now that Cid is fully indicted into the secret of the village.
Note: I liked the chapters of the other story at the end of the book, which was the other option the authors had considered for this book. But, I'm really glad they stuck with Cid and this story! This story is more about building, hope and a nice quiet interlude, while the other starts off with the village being attacked and a darker mystery about who, or what, is behind the attack.
Charming little LitRPG, more from the Harvest Moon / Stardew Valley side of the aisle than the traditional D&D-ish model. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad that the author didn't feel the need to drag things out to set up a sequel. The story stands on its own very nicely, thank you very much.
A quick read, maybe it could have been a little longer. A couple of harder quests, an external threat, hell I wouldn't have minded if the hint of romance had been explored a little more, but that's just me I guess. Moar romance = better! That's my answer to everything.
In summary, sweet, wholesome fantasy adventure. With crops! What's not to love?
Mana Harvest: A Light Novel Farming GameLit (Magicrops Book 1), my fourth read author Wolfe Locke, an author I'd not heard of before receiving the opportunity to read Dungeon of the Old Gods: A Dark Dungeon Realm LitRPG. A captivating, page-turning, well-written read leaving you panting for more. “I received a free preview copy of this book and liked it so much I went out & got the whole thing. I'm voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it, in fact, the free snippet led me to get & read the whole book. I look forward to reading more from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
I was disappointed in the story , I was looking forward to an ex-guardsman retiring to a quiet village and farming , the MC CID, the ex-guard is boring,not very smart and lacking in the social graces, I guess be simply followed orders as a guard and appeared to work,eat,drink and sleep ,obviously he doesn't understand that farmers work from dawn to dusk as he's always complaining about be woken up midmorning and if not for the gift his colleague Bran gave him he would have achieved nothing , the incident with lyle was nonsense and simply complicated the story further.
Cid an city guard of twenty plus years decides to retire an ready for a quiet life .
Cid a twenty plus years old veteran as a city guard decides to hang it up an retire at the ripe old age of Forty years old . Once on one of his younger trips during his days off he came upon said town of Haven with his friend Bran for a few drinks at the local tavern that memory always came to mind as it was peaceful and quiet there so he decided to retire their now after twenty plus years as a city guard . recommend reading excellent book
Decent enough story. Slightly less cozy farming and more intrigue and action than I was hoping for.
It still worked though. My biggest gripe is that the first half of the story had no idea about the twist later in the story. There were little facts and observations that don't line up and even RPG prompts that were probably a little faulty.
With that said, it was enjoyable enough and as long as the later books are smoothed out better I have no problem continuing the story.
Very well written slice of life book about a city guard retiring to the country. Excellent characterization and pacing. This is not a high sorcery book, more like a "Lower Decks " kinda book. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
The story was as expected in the sense that it was about a guard that retires and buys a farm, but the authors take us for a good ride. It shows that you cannot trust everyone blindly. The more I think about the story, the better it is. Although I enjoyed the characters, what some of them do is underhanded which left me sour, but the book is very good.
This book feels very wholesome and does a great job giving a feeling of growth. I love that the main character isnt another child trying something new. Its an old salt veteran who knows a few tricks. All in all this book gave me similar vibes as playing the game stardew valley in all the right ways.
This was a fun read I couldn't put down. Had the typical system in it but I liked how it was downplayed. The story was an interesting take on an older character looking to enjoy some down time. Low key. I look forward to book 2. Thank you team for the hard work. It is appreciated.
Good mix of conflict and story development. I get tired of books where the MC fights for his life every chapter. Several characters were given real personalities. The best thing I can say about a book is that I want to see what happens next. I’ve already purchased book two.
I’m not really into gaming, though my son is. But I totally enjoyed the story. The gaming portion of it did not intrude to the point that non-gamers will become confused or interrupted the flow of the story. I would totally recommend this to any grade 6th and above. And adults will love it to.
Maybe it's because I'm younger, but after being lied to and spied on, I think he's being too lenient on the villagers. Especially in the epilogue when Maggie had said she was watching how he trained Lyle. I would've had a comment along the lines of, "I see you villagers haven't managed to stop spying on me."
I found the story a bit slow and boring which is fine since the writing was ok. But I found the story completely unbelievable, I think the author is a city boy, that knows nothing about farming and a large section of the story is about farming.
Nice, gentle, slice of life fantasy. Nothing particularly startling happens, just a nice story to read when you don’t want to have to think very much, or if you are feeling a bit delicate.
Mana Harvest: A Light Novel Farming GameLit (Magicrops Book 1) is a fun little read by Wolfe Locke and James Falcon. Kind of a new twist on the approach to the story that works well.
What starts off as a really good slice-of-life story is ruined by a town full of liars.
The gross manipulation, the constant lies, all of it ruins a very nice story. This was five stars up until the trial, then it was a chore to just finish reading the book.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was fun and entertaining. The story and characters were interesting and engaging. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. This book is worth the time.