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The Way of Etherforging #1
Eminent Domain
This is the way the world ends — Not with a whimper, but a bang. It was the only thing running through Cedrick Jonkheer’s mind when the alien pylons made landfall.
The Intergalactic Imperium used their right of Eminent Domain to appropriate the planet to build a goddamned highway…and all Jonx got was a sarcastic AI and some superpowers.
The end of times came and mankind was not prepared. He watched his world burn, then hid himself away at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
‘Etherforging,’ his AI called it. Take the power that destroyed the world and make it his own.
Advance. Grow stronger. Forge himself into someone that could survive a mad, mad universe.
The Intergalactic Imperium used their right of Eminent Domain to appropriate the planet to build a goddamned highway…and all Jonx got was a sarcastic AI and some superpowers.
The end of times came and mankind was not prepared. He watched his world burn, then hid himself away at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
‘Etherforging,’ his AI called it. Take the power that destroyed the world and make it his own.
Advance. Grow stronger. Forge himself into someone that could survive a mad, mad universe.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
625 pages, ebook
First published March 24, 2022
733 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
December 1, 2023
This book starts out well enough. Earth is being taken by alien powers who want to put a superhighway through where Earth is located. People gets powers and can grow while the work goes on but then will be forcibly evicted.
There are some good and bad things here. First are the time skips. The story isn't a linear progression but jumps around in time, sometimes making small jumps and other times large one. It's different but not necessarily bad. It just threw me off a bit to start. Next is the OP power leveling. The MC goes from Joe Schmoe to a Power Ranger to a God in less than half the book. The progression is insane, and of course that means bigger, badder, meaner monsters for him to fight.
If all that appeals to you then I say go for it. For me it was too much over the top. I enjoyed certain parts, especially at the beginning, but then I began to tire of a character getting so strong that it was difficult to quantify it in numbers.
The editing is a bit hit and miss but doesn't detract from the story. I'm not planning to read book two right away but may get to it at some point. 4/5*
There are some good and bad things here. First are the time skips. The story isn't a linear progression but jumps around in time, sometimes making small jumps and other times large one. It's different but not necessarily bad. It just threw me off a bit to start. Next is the OP power leveling. The MC goes from Joe Schmoe to a Power Ranger to a God in less than half the book. The progression is insane, and of course that means bigger, badder, meaner monsters for him to fight.
If all that appeals to you then I say go for it. For me it was too much over the top. I enjoyed certain parts, especially at the beginning, but then I began to tire of a character getting so strong that it was difficult to quantify it in numbers.
The editing is a bit hit and miss but doesn't detract from the story. I'm not planning to read book two right away but may get to it at some point. 4/5*
May 3, 2022
focused
The narrative skips ahead early on, bypassing a lot of early development. This rush allows for the MC to become capable without suffering through his growing pains. There are a few scenes where the MC has to ‘pay’ for his rapid advancement, with a therapist and later his system forcing him to confront the events of the apocalypse.
Strongly cultivation adjacent, there is still a solid LitRPG system based on nanotech and ‘ether’.
Somewhat emotionless, but I found it entertaining. Looking forward to the next book.
The narrative skips ahead early on, bypassing a lot of early development. This rush allows for the MC to become capable without suffering through his growing pains. There are a few scenes where the MC has to ‘pay’ for his rapid advancement, with a therapist and later his system forcing him to confront the events of the apocalypse.
Strongly cultivation adjacent, there is still a solid LitRPG system based on nanotech and ‘ether’.
Somewhat emotionless, but I found it entertaining. Looking forward to the next book.
May 7, 2022
This is a prime example of a simple truth.
A bunch of things happening one after another do not a story make. The combat is dull, the first battles on earth read the same as the later ones on various worlds. The MC in no way drives the direction the book. This was a good idea that had no execution.
A bunch of things happening one after another do not a story make. The combat is dull, the first battles on earth read the same as the later ones on various worlds. The MC in no way drives the direction the book. This was a good idea that had no execution.
February 15, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The author's use of time skipping was interesting and never became annoying.
However, I suggest the author consider writing a side book to provide more explanation on the power setup.
It was confusing, especially in the first half of the book. Although clarity improved as the story progressed, there were still some parts that remained unclear.
However, I suggest the author consider writing a side book to provide more explanation on the power setup.
It was confusing, especially in the first half of the book. Although clarity improved as the story progressed, there were still some parts that remained unclear.
April 30, 2022
Lost interest along the way
The story was interesting, but in the end I found myself not caring about the main plotline that came to pass. The writing was fine with only minimal mistakes usually in the form of missing words. I was not a big fan of the time skips though. The initial skips make sense since the story focuses on what happens after, but in some ways the chapters each felt like their own contained stories due to the later skips. It almost feels like too much crammed into one book since the world and content never gets a chance to breathe and instead the story starts to feel like summaries of the events.
I don’t know that I will read a sequel.
The story was interesting, but in the end I found myself not caring about the main plotline that came to pass. The writing was fine with only minimal mistakes usually in the form of missing words. I was not a big fan of the time skips though. The initial skips make sense since the story focuses on what happens after, but in some ways the chapters each felt like their own contained stories due to the later skips. It almost feels like too much crammed into one book since the world and content never gets a chance to breathe and instead the story starts to feel like summaries of the events.
I don’t know that I will read a sequel.
September 10, 2022
An awesome and unique spin on cultivation and litrpg
I really enjoyed this book! I wasn’t sure I was going to at first, but I was pleasantly surprised!
Things I liked: the MC gets his powers and can use them well almost from the get go. There are no slow and painful first steps, we hit the nitrous and go! The sci fi spin is really cool to see, and it’s surprisingly well done! Also I like the MCs power theme once he solidified that! Comes with a snarky AI sidekick, an adorable and kick butt pet, and really cool plot ideas.
Things I thought were interesting or odd: There are a lot of time skips in the book, so while years went by in the book, we only saw snippets for a lot of sections. This led to some parts being small if meaningful, while some are more drawn out. Also the power scale for this series is WILD! The MC is taking out 50ft long monsters before he even leaves Earth and by the end of the book people are flying in space and going all DBZ on stuff. And they’re still weaklings compared to the high end beings we see in cameo who never actually act(thankfully or it’d be a much shorter story haha).
I really enjoyed this book! I wasn’t sure I was going to at first, but I was pleasantly surprised!
Things I liked: the MC gets his powers and can use them well almost from the get go. There are no slow and painful first steps, we hit the nitrous and go! The sci fi spin is really cool to see, and it’s surprisingly well done! Also I like the MCs power theme once he solidified that! Comes with a snarky AI sidekick, an adorable and kick butt pet, and really cool plot ideas.
Things I thought were interesting or odd: There are a lot of time skips in the book, so while years went by in the book, we only saw snippets for a lot of sections. This led to some parts being small if meaningful, while some are more drawn out. Also the power scale for this series is WILD! The MC is taking out 50ft long monsters before he even leaves Earth and by the end of the book people are flying in space and going all DBZ on stuff. And they’re still weaklings compared to the high end beings we see in cameo who never actually act(thankfully or it’d be a much shorter story haha).
August 31, 2022
This is an odd one. Filled with time jumps and power leveling and an opaque "system" without solid rules it's a bit hard to follow. While its plot is somewhat derivative, it goes through periods where it is quite good, however there are also large chunks that are either expository or just dull. My biggest problem is that I didn't find myself liking, or even relating to, our main character and his sidekick, which is less about the author and more about my personal experience reading.
As a nitpick, I found the author's randomized and excessive use of italics unexpectedly distracting.
Overall it's good enough that I'll read the next one and hope that it improves, though given the teaser ending in this one I'm not sure where it's going.
As a nitpick, I found the author's randomized and excessive use of italics unexpectedly distracting.
Overall it's good enough that I'll read the next one and hope that it improves, though given the teaser ending in this one I'm not sure where it's going.
March 28, 2022
disliked the time skips at the beginning
I really enjoy learning about the new powers that a character gets as they learn about a system in the beginning of these kinds of books but the author in this case chose to use Time skips instead of explaining basic concepts. This left the reader wondering how things worked and what exactly what was going on this was not an effective solution to the problem of wanting to get to the crux of the story. In order to get to the crux of the story the author falls into the pitfall of telling and not showing and this makes for a weak opening.
I really enjoy learning about the new powers that a character gets as they learn about a system in the beginning of these kinds of books but the author in this case chose to use Time skips instead of explaining basic concepts. This left the reader wondering how things worked and what exactly what was going on this was not an effective solution to the problem of wanting to get to the crux of the story. In order to get to the crux of the story the author falls into the pitfall of telling and not showing and this makes for a weak opening.
May 25, 2024
DNF at 50%.
I don't typically mind slice-of-life, but this just felt pointless. The narrative choice to have a non-stop sequence of time skips robbed the book of any sense of continuity and immediacy. It doesn't matter if you meet new characters because they'll be forgotten again in another chapter or two. I'm assuming this is all building to something, but I got tired of waiting for some point to it all.
The book might have been more successful if the MC started at some high power level and the reader was caught up with a series of flashbacks since it would have lent some foundation and continuity to the narrative.
I don't typically mind slice-of-life, but this just felt pointless. The narrative choice to have a non-stop sequence of time skips robbed the book of any sense of continuity and immediacy. It doesn't matter if you meet new characters because they'll be forgotten again in another chapter or two. I'm assuming this is all building to something, but I got tired of waiting for some point to it all.
The book might have been more successful if the MC started at some high power level and the reader was caught up with a series of flashbacks since it would have lent some foundation and continuity to the narrative.
February 16, 2023
I really liked that this book’s MC’s advancement didn’t start at the beginning. The story gives some glimpses of his progression over the first half of the story. We finally start to get some sort of plot near the half way make of the book. Because there was so much skipping around in the first half of the book, I don’t feel like I have a good grip on the cultivation system and its levels of progression. What I do get is that it is pretty complicated and unique. Fun story with some interesting characters once things finally get going.
May 6, 2023
This is an odd book for me. Fits right in with my traditional tastes but the execution is too busy with jargony litrpg repetition on skills and abilities for my taste. I find it to break up action and story too much. Despite this I really loved the book.
The most compelling part for me is that I have well and truly no idea who the good or bad factions are. It's really cool to be like "this is our hero who has done terrible things" and "this is our 'bad guy" who seems to have a really noble goal. I love it, haven't read a book that made me feel this way in forever.
The most compelling part for me is that I have well and truly no idea who the good or bad factions are. It's really cool to be like "this is our hero who has done terrible things" and "this is our 'bad guy" who seems to have a really noble goal. I love it, haven't read a book that made me feel this way in forever.
May 27, 2023
Brilliant. A fantastic mix of Science Fiction, Cultivation and LitRPG which is totally new and unique (to me)
Lots of action and pacing is relentless. There are lots of time skips which I thought worked well to avoid unnecessary drag in explaining miniscule details.
Prose is great, easy to read and immersive enough to paint a beautiful universe. Characters are well-etched and realistic enough to have weight behind their intent and actions. MC is easy to get hind and support, but at same time there's enough greyness to prevent plain vanilla characters.
Definitely recommended.
Lots of action and pacing is relentless. There are lots of time skips which I thought worked well to avoid unnecessary drag in explaining miniscule details.
Prose is great, easy to read and immersive enough to paint a beautiful universe. Characters are well-etched and realistic enough to have weight behind their intent and actions. MC is easy to get hind and support, but at same time there's enough greyness to prevent plain vanilla characters.
Definitely recommended.
June 5, 2022
KU Review
Fun blend of sci-fi, cultivation and post apocalypse fantasy. Book spans years, but feels natural for a cultivation story. As with most politics, it’s impossible to identify a right versus wrong side. Look forward to see how this plays out.
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.
Fun blend of sci-fi, cultivation and post apocalypse fantasy. Book spans years, but feels natural for a cultivation story. As with most politics, it’s impossible to identify a right versus wrong side. Look forward to see how this plays out.
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.
August 12, 2022
Couldn’t put it down!
This is exactly what I want from a cultivation book. I love that this book covers something like a decade of time, and yet, it’s just the beginning of the story. Jonx isn’t some natural genius at cultivation but he is determined and willing to learn.
I’m excited to see where this goes, and how Jonx, and team, will handle being the Exos’ Herald while trying to work against her.
This is exactly what I want from a cultivation book. I love that this book covers something like a decade of time, and yet, it’s just the beginning of the story. Jonx isn’t some natural genius at cultivation but he is determined and willing to learn.
I’m excited to see where this goes, and how Jonx, and team, will handle being the Exos’ Herald while trying to work against her.
September 8, 2022
Good read.
I enjoyed the story and characters but I don’t like the fast pace of everything. I still don’t understand the development system for the characters. I wish the author had spent the first half going into detail with the leveling process. I understand fast forwarding through grinding levels but he skipped the critical introduction of everything. Regardless I’ll still read the next book.
I enjoyed the story and characters but I don’t like the fast pace of everything. I still don’t understand the development system for the characters. I wish the author had spent the first half going into detail with the leveling process. I understand fast forwarding through grinding levels but he skipped the critical introduction of everything. Regardless I’ll still read the next book.
September 28, 2022
Fantastic
What can i say the first couple of chapters could of been expanded into a series of books charting humanities downfall to alien technologies but we zoom through and find we are just a frog in the well, to a much bigger universe we end up going then onto another bigger bigger stage, this is a well thought out story plenty of world building and i can not wait to read book2.
What can i say the first couple of chapters could of been expanded into a series of books charting humanities downfall to alien technologies but we zoom through and find we are just a frog in the well, to a much bigger universe we end up going then onto another bigger bigger stage, this is a well thought out story plenty of world building and i can not wait to read book2.
March 16, 2023
Spending over ten percent without a good explanation of the underlying systems, having a character without a solid background and more important motivation and reading fights without real tension and rhythm really make it impossible for me to rate it higher than average.
It is not bad per se and if other reviews sound good, I don’t see why someone should not give the book a shot, but for me personally there are so many stories out there that are more worthwhile than this.
It is not bad per se and if other reviews sound good, I don’t see why someone should not give the book a shot, but for me personally there are so many stories out there that are more worthwhile than this.
August 24, 2023
I wanted to like this book( I liked the authors newest series), but I just could not finish it. It seemed to be two to three times longer than it should be for the amount of plot.
In my opinion, it time skipped past the most interesting parts and focused on the boring. I was not a fan of the progression system, but that is always down to personal choice.
Overall, I'd say it's not a bad book, just not for me.
In my opinion, it time skipped past the most interesting parts and focused on the boring. I was not a fan of the progression system, but that is always down to personal choice.
Overall, I'd say it's not a bad book, just not for me.
February 27, 2024
It started a bit confusing, but developed to nicely.
The beginning of this story started very confusingly, and then seem to rush through too many things I thought were important. But as the story went on, the pace, started to slow down, and I begin to see that the events that were covered helped shaped the main character important aspects. By the end of the story, I really found that I’ve grown to really like its pacing. Now I am very much looking forward to the next story.
The beginning of this story started very confusingly, and then seem to rush through too many things I thought were important. But as the story went on, the pace, started to slow down, and I begin to see that the events that were covered helped shaped the main character important aspects. By the end of the story, I really found that I’ve grown to really like its pacing. Now I am very much looking forward to the next story.
April 25, 2022
A good book
And wow was it long too. When I read the books description I thought this entire book was going to be about the protagonist surviving the earth's end but it was only a couple chapters. This is only the first book in the series but it went so much further than I thought. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
And wow was it long too. When I read the books description I thought this entire book was going to be about the protagonist surviving the earth's end but it was only a couple chapters. This is only the first book in the series but it went so much further than I thought. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
May 11, 2022
Too many time skips Too much missed out in them made very difficult to follow what's happening or what's, what especially in the beginning which made read frustrating and a struggle to keep reading to be honest.
Although having said that in itself it's not a bad story but will have stay with for a while before things start to explained what thing are and so on before that prepare to be bit confused.
Although having said that in itself it's not a bad story but will have stay with for a while before things start to explained what thing are and so on before that prepare to be bit confused.
June 6, 2022
interesting
This is an interesting combination of cultivation and sci-fi, though it is very heavy towards cultivation. The mc is nice enough although there are large leaps in time in the narrative. Not bad but a little annoying when you are trying to really connect with the characters.
This is an interesting combination of cultivation and sci-fi, though it is very heavy towards cultivation. The mc is nice enough although there are large leaps in time in the narrative. Not bad but a little annoying when you are trying to really connect with the characters.
June 14, 2022
Awesome fun and sometimes dark
And awesome phonebook that was very fun to read very unique and definitely a must read for any lit RPG fans that like a little bit of darkness in their books very many unexpected and very fun to read situations situations and definitely a cliff hanger ending definitely looking for many more books in this series
And awesome phonebook that was very fun to read very unique and definitely a must read for any lit RPG fans that like a little bit of darkness in their books very many unexpected and very fun to read situations situations and definitely a cliff hanger ending definitely looking for many more books in this series
July 14, 2023
System apocalypse happened and is pretty much summarized in the first chapter, and then we’re off to a Galaxy trotting adventure.
Very good. The book lacks a bit of an edge, and is more a lackadaisical adventure novel where the hero mostly rolls with the punches and goes along with the hand fate deals but I kind of enjoyed that.
Very good. The book lacks a bit of an edge, and is more a lackadaisical adventure novel where the hero mostly rolls with the punches and goes along with the hand fate deals but I kind of enjoyed that.
March 23, 2024
Good outline. Lots of tropes I enjoy. But provides no explanation on the cultivation system. Story rushed from plot point to plot point with no world building or character development to be found. Every character is one dimensional with no depth or purpose. Barely made it halfway through. Won’t be reading the sequels. Feels like it was written by AI.
April 18, 2022
An original take on the mana apocalypse
Great tale that moves at a fast pace with interesting characters and an original cultivation system that is well thought out.Takes place across multiple planets with a sense of scale that is rare to find,very highly recommended
Great tale that moves at a fast pace with interesting characters and an original cultivation system that is well thought out.Takes place across multiple planets with a sense of scale that is rare to find,very highly recommended
May 29, 2022
So good
End of the world rpg but it refreshingly skips through to get to the what happens after the earth ether-pocalypse transition period. It has a well thought through world and developed system. It's like a sci fi, wixia, litrpg that works very well
End of the world rpg but it refreshingly skips through to get to the what happens after the earth ether-pocalypse transition period. It has a well thought through world and developed system. It's like a sci fi, wixia, litrpg that works very well
August 7, 2022
Good book
A good progression story that covers a lot of ground. I liked the mc and there was a lot of well written action. The plot grows a little out of control by the end with whole worlds being conquered and large battles which isn't my favorite.
A good progression story that covers a lot of ground. I liked the mc and there was a lot of well written action. The plot grows a little out of control by the end with whole worlds being conquered and large battles which isn't my favorite.
October 13, 2022
better than expected
I really liked this book! It was better than I thought it was going to be. Great pacing, amazing plot and great character growth but I took a star off because it took me until 10% ish to really get into the story but the wait was worth it
I really liked this book! It was better than I thought it was going to be. Great pacing, amazing plot and great character growth but I took a star off because it took me until 10% ish to really get into the story but the wait was worth it
March 14, 2023
Riveting!
Damn this is a good book that combines the best of science fiction while also imagining it through the lens of an eastern cultivation universe.
It manages to combine influences from both aspects without dumbing down anything. A marvelous first entry into this universe!
Damn this is a good book that combines the best of science fiction while also imagining it through the lens of an eastern cultivation universe.
It manages to combine influences from both aspects without dumbing down anything. A marvelous first entry into this universe!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews