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Fate's Anvil #2
Skybound
The adventures of Morgan Mackenzie and her sidekick Lulu the Loofah continue! The [Skyclad Sorceress] has made new friends, discovered she has some enemies, and now along with the Worldwalker Dana and the survivors of the Expedition she is working to get out of the Wildlands.
Meanwhile, the Deskren have beseiged Fort Expedition, and The General rides with his troops to their relief. He is followed by The Hammer, leading the Children of the First Beast. Certainly an impressive and dangerous force, but will they get to Expedition in time to save the city? If they arrive in time, can they hold the walls until the Tribes arrive?
As the northern continent slips deeper into autumn and winter, the Empire in the south prepares for spring and the planting of crops. Their raiding campaign into the north has not gone well, and tensions are rising as food shortages loom, and all is not as it seems in Nouveau Deskra.
Meanwhile, the Deskren have beseiged Fort Expedition, and The General rides with his troops to their relief. He is followed by The Hammer, leading the Children of the First Beast. Certainly an impressive and dangerous force, but will they get to Expedition in time to save the city? If they arrive in time, can they hold the walls until the Tribes arrive?
As the northern continent slips deeper into autumn and winter, the Empire in the south prepares for spring and the planting of crops. Their raiding campaign into the north has not gone well, and tensions are rising as food shortages loom, and all is not as it seems in Nouveau Deskra.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 19, 2022
83 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 23, 2022
3.5 stars really. I'll revisit the book again when it's done. I don't want to harsh on this book too much because it was generally enjoyable and I think with a good editing pass it'll be better. What it lacks now is focus, the first book (Skyclad) had one major character, her plotline and a few other side plots and key characters. This book is drowning in side plots and characters and the key characters from the prior book are hardly in this volume, so it's hard to get invested in the story.
January 30, 2023
This could have been 5 stars, but I'm disappointed by one thing - the side characters that added a bit of spice became the main characters....and the main character I enjoyed so much in book one was pretty much relegated to a fairly minor side line...I imagine she could become important again in the later books, but I'm feeling like the focus won't return to her and the story suffers because of it. Maybe not so much the story, but I miss the humor her scenes had. We shall see in book three...
April 12, 2023
Rating 4.0 stars
I did like this book. I thought the first book was better. One of the biggest problems is there was such a long time between book 1 and this book. There were so many characters it was hard to remember how everyone fit into the world. I did enjoy reading the story and I even enjoyed the change in POV between the characters from earth. I did think the overall plot was a little lacking. For an analogy: I felt the author spent all his timing discussing battles and almost no time discussing wars. Meaning there was a great deal of information about what was going to happen in the next couple of weeks to months but I have no clue what anybody's long term plans are. It left me wanting more.
I did like this book. I thought the first book was better. One of the biggest problems is there was such a long time between book 1 and this book. There were so many characters it was hard to remember how everyone fit into the world. I did enjoy reading the story and I even enjoyed the change in POV between the characters from earth. I did think the overall plot was a little lacking. For an analogy: I felt the author spent all his timing discussing battles and almost no time discussing wars. Meaning there was a great deal of information about what was going to happen in the next couple of weeks to months but I have no clue what anybody's long term plans are. It left me wanting more.
January 6, 2020
Currently reading as a Patron. Love this continuation!
February 25, 2023
It’s half the length of the first book, the main characters in this book are secondary characters in the first book, plus some randos.
Morgan, the protagonist of the story I was reading, appears so little in this book that she might as well not be in it.
If she appeared before chapter 19 I missed it as the chapter was so short I must have missed it.
The end of the first book was Morgan was about to set off the next/same day to stay ahead of the coming winter storms, to do adventure and gain wings, probably doing quests and battling stuff…
Then she doesn’t appear until chapter 19 for a chapter or three, and maybe another one before the end.
It not a continuation of the story of the first book, not a continuation of the story of the main character and the whole point of coming back for the second book, and the Litrpg elements that was the entire genre and primary story-driver of the story has been forgotten.
This feels like a side-story novella, like book 1.5 like some seri a have between numbered entries, to fill time while waiting for the proper next book.
I hope the next one is a return to the point of the story and the genre that we came back for when picking up the second entry, or the third entry would definitely be the last I’d bother with.
The characters in this one were weak, whatever the plot was it was so weak I didn’t notice it, and it didn’t really advance the story, unless it did and it was so poorly explained that it was unnoticeable.
It seemed some people sat in a place for a while, had a bit of a siege and a bit of a fight near the beginning, and pretty much did nothing else.
It didn’t really explain why we’re supposed to care about the previously secondary character Jacob more than we did when he was just one of the other characters below the protagonist whose story it was, though he was fine as a ‘tough military dude’ leading a convoy, his character was not fleshed out enough to be more than a secondary character in either book, and now he is the main character, his equally secondary wife is now also the main character but with zero personality, and there is a third main character, some random woman who does some Ill-defined magic spell eventually at some point for some reason and nothing else, and she seems to take up around a third of the book.
Morgan, the protagonist of the story I was reading, appears so little in this book that she might as well not be in it.
If she appeared before chapter 19 I missed it as the chapter was so short I must have missed it.
The end of the first book was Morgan was about to set off the next/same day to stay ahead of the coming winter storms, to do adventure and gain wings, probably doing quests and battling stuff…
Then she doesn’t appear until chapter 19 for a chapter or three, and maybe another one before the end.
It not a continuation of the story of the first book, not a continuation of the story of the main character and the whole point of coming back for the second book, and the Litrpg elements that was the entire genre and primary story-driver of the story has been forgotten.
This feels like a side-story novella, like book 1.5 like some seri a have between numbered entries, to fill time while waiting for the proper next book.
I hope the next one is a return to the point of the story and the genre that we came back for when picking up the second entry, or the third entry would definitely be the last I’d bother with.
The characters in this one were weak, whatever the plot was it was so weak I didn’t notice it, and it didn’t really advance the story, unless it did and it was so poorly explained that it was unnoticeable.
It seemed some people sat in a place for a while, had a bit of a siege and a bit of a fight near the beginning, and pretty much did nothing else.
It didn’t really explain why we’re supposed to care about the previously secondary character Jacob more than we did when he was just one of the other characters below the protagonist whose story it was, though he was fine as a ‘tough military dude’ leading a convoy, his character was not fleshed out enough to be more than a secondary character in either book, and now he is the main character, his equally secondary wife is now also the main character but with zero personality, and there is a third main character, some random woman who does some Ill-defined magic spell eventually at some point for some reason and nothing else, and she seems to take up around a third of the book.
August 3, 2023
too many POVs
I don’t normally mind the occasional alternate POV in a story, but this was just too much. It felt more like 3 or 4 different books shuffled together. Morgan felt like a side-character in this one.
That being said, I will likely read the next one.
I don’t normally mind the occasional alternate POV in a story, but this was just too much. It felt more like 3 or 4 different books shuffled together. Morgan felt like a side-character in this one.
That being said, I will likely read the next one.
August 9, 2022
Disappointing
Now don’t get me wrong. It is a good story, but it was incredibly frustrating. I really enjoyed the first book, and was so looking forward to the second for quite some time. However, the author appears to have fallen in to the trap of trying to do to much that I have seen to often, in this case it’s a even more extreme. I mean the main character is the Skybound Sorcerres, hence the title of the book. But the author spends so much time skipping between so many side character progressions that nearly no time is spent on her. Like none at all. Also, telling the story and redescrbiing the same event from multiple side character perspectives is mind numbing. Give a little extra detail sure, or hint at it later, but the author spends the whole book describing basically one battle, and the main character is not even involved. What started out as progression fantasy has gotten lost in the weeds. As I said in the title, disappointing.
Now don’t get me wrong. It is a good story, but it was incredibly frustrating. I really enjoyed the first book, and was so looking forward to the second for quite some time. However, the author appears to have fallen in to the trap of trying to do to much that I have seen to often, in this case it’s a even more extreme. I mean the main character is the Skybound Sorcerres, hence the title of the book. But the author spends so much time skipping between so many side character progressions that nearly no time is spent on her. Like none at all. Also, telling the story and redescrbiing the same event from multiple side character perspectives is mind numbing. Give a little extra detail sure, or hint at it later, but the author spends the whole book describing basically one battle, and the main character is not even involved. What started out as progression fantasy has gotten lost in the weeds. As I said in the title, disappointing.
August 26, 2022
I enjoyed the book, but it did seem to be a bit disjointed at times. Somewhat as if he had turned in a complete detailed work (like Skyclad) but the editor took the full length directors cut movie and edited it down to fit into the primetime broadcast TV movie slot and cut out the exciting parts to put in the commercials. It just seems to be missing the passion that the first book had. The characters are still there but they seem rather dull compared to the first book as if the book was rushed to publication or the editor just chopped it up. The first book was 509 pages, this one is 401, perhaps the missing polish is in the 20% that is on the editors floor?
Still not a bad read, and I will read it again in a couple of weeks to see if I may have read it too fast the first time and inadvertently skipped over some details that make it read smoother.
Either way it is an enjoyable read even if it does end rather abruptly.
Still not a bad read, and I will read it again in a couple of weeks to see if I may have read it too fast the first time and inadvertently skipped over some details that make it read smoother.
Either way it is an enjoyable read even if it does end rather abruptly.
January 5, 2023
3.5 starts. While this is a good if disjointed book, it reads more like a series of side stories. The main character feels more like a secondary or even tertiary character for most of the book. For a story half the size of the first book it is extremely noticable and for me detrimental. I still enjoyed the book for the most part but it could have been much better.
July 21, 2022
Not enough Morgan
It almost feels like the Morgan has been relegated to extra while the story goes off following too many other threads. Lets hope the next volume gets back to being mostly about her. Overall unfocused and not as enjoyable as the first volume.
It almost feels like the Morgan has been relegated to extra while the story goes off following too many other threads. Lets hope the next volume gets back to being mostly about her. Overall unfocused and not as enjoyable as the first volume.
August 9, 2022
Wheeeee!
MaHOOsive fights. Awesome fights. Man this was fun.
Still nekkid, still not sexy times (on screen). Bits of humor mixed with moments of ‘Hell Yeah!’
When’s the next one coming out?
MaHOOsive fights. Awesome fights. Man this was fun.
Still nekkid, still not sexy times (on screen). Bits of humor mixed with moments of ‘Hell Yeah!’
When’s the next one coming out?
January 24, 2023
Good, but jumped around more than I cared for, the first book was much better focused.
April 30, 2023
In short: It felt like the author just wrote random stuff so there are more words.
The protagonist is quite non existent. The side characters are shallow. There were moments when the side characters side character was viewed from an outside pow. I can't properly express how much I did not care about that.
If you write a litrpg and drop the protagonist, and don't make any effort to build the side characters at all, it becomes utter trash. Man at least put in enough effort to think up random stats for the characters we will spend 95% of the book with.
There were occasional good moments. When the protagonist and a main character meets from the previous book. Aaand.. Nothing. We get the point of view of the sponge...
We have the cat the protagonist barely can touch and a peak predator in one minute. It's injured and have fresh kids. The protagonist sees it in a cave. Then snap. We have house kittens everyone plays with.
The book was an utter disappointment. So much so that after more than 200 books in the last year. I had to actually write out my rage. (This is the first time i wrote a review)
The protagonist is quite non existent. The side characters are shallow. There were moments when the side characters side character was viewed from an outside pow. I can't properly express how much I did not care about that.
If you write a litrpg and drop the protagonist, and don't make any effort to build the side characters at all, it becomes utter trash. Man at least put in enough effort to think up random stats for the characters we will spend 95% of the book with.
There were occasional good moments. When the protagonist and a main character meets from the previous book. Aaand.. Nothing. We get the point of view of the sponge...
We have the cat the protagonist barely can touch and a peak predator in one minute. It's injured and have fresh kids. The protagonist sees it in a cave. Then snap. We have house kittens everyone plays with.
The book was an utter disappointment. So much so that after more than 200 books in the last year. I had to actually write out my rage. (This is the first time i wrote a review)
November 12, 2022
Awesome read
Browder, wrote a great continuation of the first book. We start where we left off with the black Lance, and Morgan. Their growth amid dangers and D&D like encounters are always great read.
I enjoyed the pace, and the pictures the author drew in my mind, and more often then not I felt the book was like a great action, fantasy movie.
Never a bore, and not overly drawn out.
I highly recommend to buy this book, if you enjoyed the first.
And eagerly await the next book that will surely get published.
Bravo and thanks Mr. Browder :)
Browder, wrote a great continuation of the first book. We start where we left off with the black Lance, and Morgan. Their growth amid dangers and D&D like encounters are always great read.
I enjoyed the pace, and the pictures the author drew in my mind, and more often then not I felt the book was like a great action, fantasy movie.
Never a bore, and not overly drawn out.
I highly recommend to buy this book, if you enjoyed the first.
And eagerly await the next book that will surely get published.
Bravo and thanks Mr. Browder :)
September 11, 2023
Much more difficult to follow than Skyclad, and while the battle scenes were both engaging and exciting, such a long gap between publication and the overage of new characters made it challenging to remember who was on each side, and there was a span in the middle of the book where our heroine Morgan MacKenzie did not appear at all, and neither did her friends. In all truth, this was like coming to a sporting event in a foreign land. The action was thrilling, but it was nearly impossible to understand what was happening.
April 25, 2021
Tried reading chapter by chapter on Patreon. Author's post sporadic, then he admitted he had Covid ( while also admitting he previously didn't believe Covid pandemic a "big deal". While I certainly hope he has recovered, haven't seen enough continuing posts to keep spending money paying for his efforts.
January 9, 2023
3.5/5 really.
My only gripe is that book two should have been labeled as book 1.5. Not quiet book two, because it mainly focuses on side characters and side quests. I hoping that book 3, they focus on the main character "Morgan".
My only gripe is that book two should have been labeled as book 1.5. Not quiet book two, because it mainly focuses on side characters and side quests. I hoping that book 3, they focus on the main character "Morgan".
April 26, 2025
So pissed I figured by all the side stories that this was going to turn into some kind of war book why....🙄 I want to hear more about morgan and lu lu's adventures I could care less about the other stuff so I didn't read this so disappointed 😞
November 30, 2025
Outstanding story
Character stories continue to amaze. As with the first book I feel the 'Epic' in the plot progression. The only thing I'm sad about is having to wait for the next book
Character stories continue to amaze. As with the first book I feel the 'Epic' in the plot progression. The only thing I'm sad about is having to wait for the next book
August 14, 2022
Ended before it even properly started
January 16, 2023
Almost as good as first book
Good book, almost as good as the first. I'm a little disappointed about the length being half of first book and ending on an irritating cliffhanger without warning. Still good.
Good book, almost as good as the first. I'm a little disappointed about the length being half of first book and ending on an irritating cliffhanger without warning. Still good.
August 22, 2024
What the hell did I read?
It’s just a battle without a war.
It’s a story without a plot where stuff happens.
It’s just a battle without a war.
It’s a story without a plot where stuff happens.
August 10, 2022
Loved it
I loved this book. The only thing i can complain about is that morgan was only in the book at the beginning and end.
I loved this book. The only thing i can complain about is that morgan was only in the book at the beginning and end.
August 10, 2022
awesome
Loved this second installment. I like to see Morgan getting stronger. The other characters and their stories are compelling as well. Cannot wait for the next. Thank you.
Loved this second installment. I like to see Morgan getting stronger. The other characters and their stories are compelling as well. Cannot wait for the next. Thank you.
August 2, 2022
Now you have a choice to make
Extremely cruel cliffhanger. The next one better come out quickly. I guess ill have to go re read first one as well as i seem to have forgotten several thing.
Extremely cruel cliffhanger. The next one better come out quickly. I guess ill have to go re read first one as well as i seem to have forgotten several thing.
July 25, 2022
Amazing
Fun story line well developed caricaturs and an interesting plot if you enjoy snark its got some of that to go with the fight scenes.
Fun story line well developed caricaturs and an interesting plot if you enjoy snark its got some of that to go with the fight scenes.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews