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The Hedge Wizard #2
The Hedge Wizard 2
Hump triumphed over the challenges of Bledsbury Dungeon, but it wasn’t without a cost...
Imprinted by the soul of the Wolf Dragon, Hump must master this new power or risk being consumed by it. The soul is a fragile thing, after all, and he fears what part of himself may have been lost...
But with the threat of the Dragon Keeper Trials looming, he must find a way to get stronger. Fast.
In need of further training, Hump and his party seek out a wizard acquaintance of his master. What they find is a town beseeched by otherworldly spirits. Locals snatched in the gloom of night, adventurers sent to their aid gone missing, and whispers of a witch luring the creatures to their doorstep.
Hump will need all the newfound strength he can muster if he is to survive and uncover the truth of these spirits.
The price may just be his humanity.
Imprinted by the soul of the Wolf Dragon, Hump must master this new power or risk being consumed by it. The soul is a fragile thing, after all, and he fears what part of himself may have been lost...
But with the threat of the Dragon Keeper Trials looming, he must find a way to get stronger. Fast.
In need of further training, Hump and his party seek out a wizard acquaintance of his master. What they find is a town beseeched by otherworldly spirits. Locals snatched in the gloom of night, adventurers sent to their aid gone missing, and whispers of a witch luring the creatures to their doorstep.
Hump will need all the newfound strength he can muster if he is to survive and uncover the truth of these spirits.
The price may just be his humanity.
600 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2022
503 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
Alex Maher
5 books85 followersAlex is an avid fantasy fan from the UK, where he lives with his girlfriend and three cats. He started writing shortly after finishing school, and 8 years later, has never stopped.
If you'd like to get in touch with Alex and other fans, he is most active on Discord: https://discord.gg/8nqQ9SfRyf
If you'd like to get in touch with Alex and other fans, he is most active on Discord: https://discord.gg/8nqQ9SfRyf
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
October 12, 2022
I sincerely hoped this would start with story and character development.
But it spent half the book ignoring the story crumbs left by book one and setting up a convoluted evolution arc. A bit of boring in a book one is fine, almost expected in some genres, but to find the same in a book two is a writing style choice. A boring one. The main characters were meant to be naive young people who could be built in multiple ways, a method of flavoring the bland storyline. They come off as children, ignorant, blind children. The society issues, guild versus noble versus Chosen, are just poorly defined and poorly written.
But it spent half the book ignoring the story crumbs left by book one and setting up a convoluted evolution arc. A bit of boring in a book one is fine, almost expected in some genres, but to find the same in a book two is a writing style choice. A boring one. The main characters were meant to be naive young people who could be built in multiple ways, a method of flavoring the bland storyline. They come off as children, ignorant, blind children. The society issues, guild versus noble versus Chosen, are just poorly defined and poorly written.
January 6, 2023
Constantly "oh, we are going to die. no, let's just try harder. we won!". Not horrible but I'm dropping the series here.
-I've run out of magic!
-I'll focus harder.
-I've run out of magic again!
-I'll focus even harder.
-My staff is broken!
-I'll focus harder.
-My skull is caved in!
-I'll focus harder.
-I've run out of magic!
-I'll focus harder.
-I've run out of magic again!
-I'll focus even harder.
-My staff is broken!
-I'll focus harder.
-My skull is caved in!
-I'll focus harder.
October 14, 2022
strong sequel
I really enjoyed this book. Plenty of action, plenty of growth and solid character development. Very nice addition to the series.
I really enjoyed this book. Plenty of action, plenty of growth and solid character development. Very nice addition to the series.
October 14, 2022
Great story!
An awesome follow up to the first book! The adventure is interesting and nuanced, the characters grow, there’s more cool magic, and more interesting foes.
I hope the series is super long because I can’t get enough.
An awesome follow up to the first book! The adventure is interesting and nuanced, the characters grow, there’s more cool magic, and more interesting foes.
I hope the series is super long because I can’t get enough.
October 14, 2022
solid
Pretty straightforward, this is much more gameLit than LitRPG. No crunchy stats, and the classes aren’t as tightly defined.
Needs proofreading. A good hard pass with a copy editor and to find where some wrong words are hiding.
I will pre-order book 3.
Pretty straightforward, this is much more gameLit than LitRPG. No crunchy stats, and the classes aren’t as tightly defined.
Needs proofreading. A good hard pass with a copy editor and to find where some wrong words are hiding.
I will pre-order book 3.
October 15, 2022
A good follow up
Been waiting for this book for awhile and it’s as good as the last. The world is fleshed out more, the same charm and humour is retained and still balanced well against how dark it gets. If you liked the first one you’ll like this one.
Been waiting for this book for awhile and it’s as good as the last. The world is fleshed out more, the same charm and humour is retained and still balanced well against how dark it gets. If you liked the first one you’ll like this one.
October 15, 2022
Excellent!
The author is improving his writing with a tighter plot, more action and interesting stuff that is tightly weaved into an exciting story that is hard to put down. Lots of character development/ advancement.
The author is improving his writing with a tighter plot, more action and interesting stuff that is tightly weaved into an exciting story that is hard to put down. Lots of character development/ advancement.
October 14, 2022
It's neither a PROGRESSION, nor LitRPG or Gamelit. Lost 2 stars for lying about it. Has nothing to do with it whatsoever. It's a good fantasy book but author thought why not stamp Progression LitRPG/Gamelit to cash-in on that genre without writing the story.
November 15, 2022
Nice, easy read. Progression is pretty fluid and not as number-crunching as typical litrpg, which is great.
July 14, 2023
Good solid 2nd book
I really enjoyed the first book and this was a definite solid 2nd book allowing the characters to grow and expand, definitely recommend it
I really enjoyed the first book and this was a definite solid 2nd book allowing the characters to grow and expand, definitely recommend it
August 30, 2024
it was ok
November 5, 2025
Very good job at continuing the first book. Really opens up the world and deepens the bonds between the characters. Shoutout Hump, it’s always Hump day.
October 14, 2022
The adventures continue
Solid author and world development.
Continuing to develop the characters and a storyline.
Also the storyline does referring to sex every other chapter.
Solid author and world development.
Continuing to develop the characters and a storyline.
Also the storyline does referring to sex every other chapter.
October 20, 2022
4.5 stars. Very good, again not quite a 5. Story is interesting and overall well paced. MC is evidently a bitter 50-year-old man in a 16-ish body, and the supporting characters are getting some depth. The ending is not quite a cliff-hanger but does leave a pretty big chad hanging which I am interested in seeing develop.
October 21, 2022
amazing and twists
Twists that you don’t see coming. You go yep that makes sense. Yep that too. Wow! That’s amazing
Thank for the great story and keep up the great work!
Twists that you don’t see coming. You go yep that makes sense. Yep that too. Wow! That’s amazing
Thank for the great story and keep up the great work!
April 16, 2025
This book was a solid sequel to a book I enjoyed quite a lot. However, at the same time, I wouldn't say that it was a step up from the previous novel.
The problem is that while it is still interesting, for large chunks of the novel it wasn't doing much to move the story forward. By that, I don't just mean the plot, but all story elements. Character growth especially was something that was missing for me which is such a shame because in the first book, one of the strongest elements was the character work. I liked the dynamic of this unlikely group who had been drawn together into an adventuring team, but in this book, it felt a little bit muted and bland.
Overall, I did enjoy what I read here and I'll happily pick up the next novel when it's available.
The problem is that while it is still interesting, for large chunks of the novel it wasn't doing much to move the story forward. By that, I don't just mean the plot, but all story elements. Character growth especially was something that was missing for me which is such a shame because in the first book, one of the strongest elements was the character work. I liked the dynamic of this unlikely group who had been drawn together into an adventuring team, but in this book, it felt a little bit muted and bland.
Overall, I did enjoy what I read here and I'll happily pick up the next novel when it's available.
October 24, 2022
Still struggling
The magic system is simplistic which isn’t bad but it’s not written in a interesting way. I’m tired of reading about a incompetent MC. First he has no power, now that he has some he can’t control it. Then finally he is even more damaged and is crazy. Why can’t we get a MC with interesting powers and control. We saw a high powered wizard fight in this book and it was fairly underwhelming. The power scale and abilities are bland. Otherwise not bad writing and I like the plot and characters. The low rating is due to the annoyance of having to read about self destructive pathetic main characters. Have some confidence and long lasting growth.
The magic system is simplistic which isn’t bad but it’s not written in a interesting way. I’m tired of reading about a incompetent MC. First he has no power, now that he has some he can’t control it. Then finally he is even more damaged and is crazy. Why can’t we get a MC with interesting powers and control. We saw a high powered wizard fight in this book and it was fairly underwhelming. The power scale and abilities are bland. Otherwise not bad writing and I like the plot and characters. The low rating is due to the annoyance of having to read about self destructive pathetic main characters. Have some confidence and long lasting growth.
January 6, 2024
Good...but slow.. took a long time to progress the storyline.
Book two of the hedge wizard felt the same which is a good thing. The character dynamic, especially between the main character and the supporting cast remain strong with good dialogue and a natural chemistry. The story and plot line got bogged down as the first 350 pages was training and the setup of a murder mystery. The last half of the book became little convoluted as it tried to incorporate many plot lines for future world building and character development... Although the story is solid it was a bit of a mess and the pacing was forced. The conclusion of the book felt a little easy and really nothing was concluded except to set up for book 3. Still for all the critiquing I enjoyed the story and the honest feel of the dungeon crawling aspect as if you're playing a paper and dice RPG. I'm hoping book 3 progresses the story and centers more on the main character. I recommend the series though, it's a good story with good characters.
Book two of the hedge wizard felt the same which is a good thing. The character dynamic, especially between the main character and the supporting cast remain strong with good dialogue and a natural chemistry. The story and plot line got bogged down as the first 350 pages was training and the setup of a murder mystery. The last half of the book became little convoluted as it tried to incorporate many plot lines for future world building and character development... Although the story is solid it was a bit of a mess and the pacing was forced. The conclusion of the book felt a little easy and really nothing was concluded except to set up for book 3. Still for all the critiquing I enjoyed the story and the honest feel of the dungeon crawling aspect as if you're playing a paper and dice RPG. I'm hoping book 3 progresses the story and centers more on the main character. I recommend the series though, it's a good story with good characters.
November 2, 2022
Very dark
The first book was dark. This one was pitch black. I preferred the first book for that reason, I have enough trauma and mental issues in my life, immersing myself in someone else's is a bit too stressful for me to fully enjoy.
So forewarning: This is not a teenage friendly book, nor it is a mental health friendly book. It IS a good book, but it has some very dark parts too it.
Politics were a bit more on scene this time, and I view that as a negative. Alot of people may like it, but it's the opposite of what I'm looking for.
For the reasons above, it receives 4 stars from me.
On a side note, to the author, and every other author who reads this. Not every fantasy book needs to be a Tolkien adventure. Readers don't always want a world ending threat, sometimes we just want a fun and relaxing story.
The first book was dark. This one was pitch black. I preferred the first book for that reason, I have enough trauma and mental issues in my life, immersing myself in someone else's is a bit too stressful for me to fully enjoy.
So forewarning: This is not a teenage friendly book, nor it is a mental health friendly book. It IS a good book, but it has some very dark parts too it.
Politics were a bit more on scene this time, and I view that as a negative. Alot of people may like it, but it's the opposite of what I'm looking for.
For the reasons above, it receives 4 stars from me.
On a side note, to the author, and every other author who reads this. Not every fantasy book needs to be a Tolkien adventure. Readers don't always want a world ending threat, sometimes we just want a fun and relaxing story.
January 21, 2023
Even better than the first
I enjoyed this story even more than the first book. Alex has a fantastic way of making the complicated and intricate dance of combat and magic easy to follow without losing the nuances. His stories aren’t linear nor simplistic and are extremely compelling reading. The growth in the main character is excellent and I��m hoping that in the next novel he is able to flesh out Lord Robert and Celaine more, their abilities have grown but as characters are in need of some more depth of character. This is not in anyway meant a complaint nor criticism, simply the desire of an invested reader. I couldn’t be happier with the quality of the writing and the exceptional story and intricate mysteries that Alex creates and weaves into this world.
I enjoyed this story even more than the first book. Alex has a fantastic way of making the complicated and intricate dance of combat and magic easy to follow without losing the nuances. His stories aren’t linear nor simplistic and are extremely compelling reading. The growth in the main character is excellent and I��m hoping that in the next novel he is able to flesh out Lord Robert and Celaine more, their abilities have grown but as characters are in need of some more depth of character. This is not in anyway meant a complaint nor criticism, simply the desire of an invested reader. I couldn’t be happier with the quality of the writing and the exceptional story and intricate mysteries that Alex creates and weaves into this world.
December 6, 2025
I continue to enjoy this series, despite the perhaps too-long battle scenes. I will offer an observation that this series has no game-like elements, and therefore should definitely not be labeled as, "Litrpg." In addition, it doesn't really conform to what I normally think of as "Progression Fantasy," in the sense of portraying a "Xianxia-style" story where steady power progression is the MacGuffin. Although the MC does undergo personal growth and gain power as the narrative progresses, this is more of a plot-driven story. Therefore, I think this book is best described as a traditional Fantasy novel that does of good job of delivering everything you would expect from the Fantasy genre. Congratulations to author Alex Maher!
December 21, 2025
4.5 stars. Characters continue to grow and progress. I’m liking the relationships that are being formed and those that are continuing! Didn’t really like the setting of the arc that took place the lake just didnt intrigue me. Parts of the book felt like fluff and were just added to increase the word count. I over the fact that someone close to the mc died but the fact that he sees her at the end makes me think she can come back and I’m not a fan of that. I hope that she stays dead that way there’s more value to the fights.
The fact that he conquered the dragon in him and is not a warlock shows he’s got a tough spirit. It kinda gives me a he who fights with monster vibe. And makes me think of Jason.
The witch is an interesting character I don’t know if I like her or not.
The fact that he conquered the dragon in him and is not a warlock shows he’s got a tough spirit. It kinda gives me a he who fights with monster vibe. And makes me think of Jason.
The witch is an interesting character I don’t know if I like her or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2022
wizards, paladins, and demons oh my!
It's above average. During a quest to find his masters former friend from wizard school, Hump and friends bite off more than they can chew. It has its moments, but the author likes to explain things way too much. The comradely is fine, but it feels a bit awkward at times. There is a mystery, but it is never really organically solved. I'll come back for more nonetheless, i just hope we get a decent progression in the story of hump rather than the bit by bit progression that seems to be the formula so far.
It's above average. During a quest to find his masters former friend from wizard school, Hump and friends bite off more than they can chew. It has its moments, but the author likes to explain things way too much. The comradely is fine, but it feels a bit awkward at times. There is a mystery, but it is never really organically solved. I'll come back for more nonetheless, i just hope we get a decent progression in the story of hump rather than the bit by bit progression that seems to be the formula so far.
December 12, 2022
Continuing were "The Hedge Wizard 1" left off, we find the party of Adventurers going away from their last dungeon in order to stay ahead of Robert's (Bud) father. They go looking for another adventure and Vivian a Wizard that Hump knows and is looking for to help him. Turns out she is in a situation. A lake community is being attacked by an ever increasing size of monsters. They going parties and defend the citizens. But Hump as always runs into trouble.
Great book and now to wait for book three
Great book and now to wait for book three
February 7, 2023
This book set the tone of the story much better.
First of all, I need to say this book is not a GameLit story. It's a good fantasy story, the characters are advancing and growing their power but there are no real game mechanics in the story.
Now, as a fantasy novel, this is a really good one. The world building is spot on, the level of details the author goes into with the politics and social structures is awesome, and the characters are well written and believable.
Go read this series, you would probably enjoy it.
4.5/5 highly recommended
First of all, I need to say this book is not a GameLit story. It's a good fantasy story, the characters are advancing and growing their power but there are no real game mechanics in the story.
Now, as a fantasy novel, this is a really good one. The world building is spot on, the level of details the author goes into with the politics and social structures is awesome, and the characters are well written and believable.
Go read this series, you would probably enjoy it.
4.5/5 highly recommended
July 28, 2023
This series continues to be surprisingly good; one of the best I've read this year. Though a progression fantasy, this book does not feel like a series of roleplaying game sessions (much less a CRPG).
The character building is strong, with changes arising organically from the events of the story. The adventure is well-written. The threats are appropriate to the characters' power, but this does not feel contrived. And the action is immersive.
This book and the series so far are highly recommended.
The character building is strong, with changes arising organically from the events of the story. The adventure is well-written. The threats are appropriate to the characters' power, but this does not feel contrived. And the action is immersive.
This book and the series so far are highly recommended.
October 19, 2022
A very good continuation
This one was as dark as the last, but with more soul searching (wink) and as strong an ending triumph as the last story had. The adventures were both exciting and emotional, calling up dark traits that were both human and inhuman, literally. Although, I guess, all can be encompassed under the human emotional psyche.
If you enjoyed the first book, then you will enjoy this one. A good read with adventure and emotional depth.
This one was as dark as the last, but with more soul searching (wink) and as strong an ending triumph as the last story had. The adventures were both exciting and emotional, calling up dark traits that were both human and inhuman, literally. Although, I guess, all can be encompassed under the human emotional psyche.
If you enjoyed the first book, then you will enjoy this one. A good read with adventure and emotional depth.
December 19, 2022
A rollicking good adventuring wizard story
This series started out somewhat unexpectedly with a competent hero who was already seeing his potential realized. Just from the very beginning of his journey. As things progress the other members of his party become beloved characters in their own right. This is very much a character driven story, with a a bunch of delightful characters. How could it go wrong. Eagerly awaiting future volumes.
This series started out somewhat unexpectedly with a competent hero who was already seeing his potential realized. Just from the very beginning of his journey. As things progress the other members of his party become beloved characters in their own right. This is very much a character driven story, with a a bunch of delightful characters. How could it go wrong. Eagerly awaiting future volumes.
January 31, 2023
Pretty much similar to book 1 but a bit darker. Super prose, but Hump has become a bit whiney in this. Also the dive into the other realm was a dark and we do see tragic moments more than in book 1.
Critically speaking this was better than book 1 at least to plot and content, but again similar to earlier book suffers from a drop in pace through the middle. The actual "progression" isn't very engaging. The start and climax are super epic and dramatic and make up for the middle.
Critically speaking this was better than book 1 at least to plot and content, but again similar to earlier book suffers from a drop in pace through the middle. The actual "progression" isn't very engaging. The start and climax are super epic and dramatic and make up for the middle.
September 30, 2023
A solid follow up to #1. The characters are developing and we are learning more about the system of magic and a little more of the role of the gods.
There are a few subplots such as Hump's spellbook and the dragon egg that are developing beneath the surface and seem interesting.
With all the ongoing story threads there is no way this series will be a trilogy so looking forward to more iterations (already have #3 loaded)
A deserved three stars for something different in the genre
There are a few subplots such as Hump's spellbook and the dragon egg that are developing beneath the surface and seem interesting.
With all the ongoing story threads there is no way this series will be a trilogy so looking forward to more iterations (already have #3 loaded)
A deserved three stars for something different in the genre
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews