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Melody of Mana #1
Melody of Mana
A young bard must rely on otherworldly know-how to navigate a magical, war-torn kingdom in the first book of an inventive coming-of-age fantasy series.
Alana wasn’t always a child of the Kingdom of Bergond. In fact, she hails from an entirely different world. But an accident on Earth left her dead, and she was reincarnated as the daughter of a farmer and his wife in the hamlet of Orsken. Now, she’s learning how to live in a land vastly unlike that which she came from—and how to wield the new powers she possesses. For, even by the rules of her strange new home, Alana is special: a young bard capable of mending wounds, counteracting poisons, and healing the sick, all through the use of mana and her own mind.
But as she cultivates her newfound abilities through training with various teachers in the magical arts, those around her are struggling. War has torn the empire apart, and famine is disrupting the simple lives of the villagers. When the conflict comes right to their doorstep, Alana is separated from her family and forced to set out on her own. To remain safe and have any chance of reuniting with those she loves, she will need to apply all her cunning, sorcery, and knowledge—both of this world and Earth. Because there are forces that would do anything to control her, and they’re growing ever closer to discovering who and where she is.
Blending elements of traditional and progression fantasy, Melody of Mana is an action-packed and original story of magic, politics, friendship, and intrigue from a thrilling new voice in the genre.
Alana wasn’t always a child of the Kingdom of Bergond. In fact, she hails from an entirely different world. But an accident on Earth left her dead, and she was reincarnated as the daughter of a farmer and his wife in the hamlet of Orsken. Now, she’s learning how to live in a land vastly unlike that which she came from—and how to wield the new powers she possesses. For, even by the rules of her strange new home, Alana is special: a young bard capable of mending wounds, counteracting poisons, and healing the sick, all through the use of mana and her own mind.
But as she cultivates her newfound abilities through training with various teachers in the magical arts, those around her are struggling. War has torn the empire apart, and famine is disrupting the simple lives of the villagers. When the conflict comes right to their doorstep, Alana is separated from her family and forced to set out on her own. To remain safe and have any chance of reuniting with those she loves, she will need to apply all her cunning, sorcery, and knowledge—both of this world and Earth. Because there are forces that would do anything to control her, and they’re growing ever closer to discovering who and where she is.
Blending elements of traditional and progression fantasy, Melody of Mana is an action-packed and original story of magic, politics, friendship, and intrigue from a thrilling new voice in the genre.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2022
112 people are currently reading
200 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 19, 2024
I read this over two weeks ago. The whole series, actually. So I'm going to have this stand for the whole series and do my best to capture what I thought at the time.
Alana is from our world, but instead of isekai-ing into an adult, she comes through while being born. This is a hard trick to pull off because you have a fully-capable adult in an incapable body. This imprisonment would be deeply frustrating, I feel. And uninteresting for most readers if the author chooses to wallow in that frustration. I actually like the choice the author made to have the character address it as a challenge and do her best for her new family even if that strikes me intellectually as cheating.
The first bit of the story is fairly idyllic, though in a subsistence farmer kind of way. Her family is poor, but they love each other and they have enough to make do. And when she shows magical aptitude early in her life, there's a ready mentor close by to take her under his wing.
It doesn't last, though. It's not a spoiler if it's in the blurb, so yeah, war comes to call and it calls hard, tearing her family apart. I was impressed with how harsh it got without diving into grimdark. Alana is capable beyond her years and exploits that for her own survival and I was completely along for the ride, even as I mourned her losses with her.
So it's strong characterization with good writing and a pace that felt very natural while being completely engaging. Yeah, it was a good five star read and I was very glad to be along.
It's a long story: Alana goes through a lot during the course of the series, including discovering others who have been pulled from our world into this new one. There's a lot of interesting worldbuilding there but I'm having a hard time articulating how much I appreciated it without delving deep into spoilers. So I'll just say it was fascinating without overwhelming the characters I was so attached to.
A note about Kindle Stuff: Unlike many LitRPG/Isekai stories, the author chose not to put this in Kindle Unlimited. This has allowed them to keep it up on Royal Road in its entirety so you could easily consume the whole thing there for free. Indeed, the fifth (and final) book wasn't published yet when I was devouring the series so I finished it up there. I appreciated the Kindle availability, however, because I started this just before stepping onto a very long flight. So being able to purchase (and download) the four books in advance was a real boon for me. Plus, support the author and all that fuzzy warm stuff.
A note about Chaste: It isn't until later books that she finally finds a romantic partner, though several potentials pop up along the way. It has been a while, but I'm pretty sure the author keeps the sex stuff off-page, though sexuality is discussed. I actually liked how the author approached it centered around Alana getting a conception-control tattoo way before she has any intention of having sex. Her reasons were compelling and sensible and the discussions around it interesting coming from several different perspectives (including ).
Alana is from our world, but instead of isekai-ing into an adult, she comes through while being born. This is a hard trick to pull off because you have a fully-capable adult in an incapable body. This imprisonment would be deeply frustrating, I feel. And uninteresting for most readers if the author chooses to wallow in that frustration. I actually like the choice the author made to have the character address it as a challenge and do her best for her new family even if that strikes me intellectually as cheating.
The first bit of the story is fairly idyllic, though in a subsistence farmer kind of way. Her family is poor, but they love each other and they have enough to make do. And when she shows magical aptitude early in her life, there's a ready mentor close by to take her under his wing.
It doesn't last, though. It's not a spoiler if it's in the blurb, so yeah, war comes to call and it calls hard, tearing her family apart. I was impressed with how harsh it got without diving into grimdark. Alana is capable beyond her years and exploits that for her own survival and I was completely along for the ride, even as I mourned her losses with her.
So it's strong characterization with good writing and a pace that felt very natural while being completely engaging. Yeah, it was a good five star read and I was very glad to be along.
It's a long story: Alana goes through a lot during the course of the series, including discovering others who have been pulled from our world into this new one. There's a lot of interesting worldbuilding there but I'm having a hard time articulating how much I appreciated it without delving deep into spoilers. So I'll just say it was fascinating without overwhelming the characters I was so attached to.
A note about Kindle Stuff: Unlike many LitRPG/Isekai stories, the author chose not to put this in Kindle Unlimited. This has allowed them to keep it up on Royal Road in its entirety so you could easily consume the whole thing there for free. Indeed, the fifth (and final) book wasn't published yet when I was devouring the series so I finished it up there. I appreciated the Kindle availability, however, because I started this just before stepping onto a very long flight. So being able to purchase (and download) the four books in advance was a real boon for me. Plus, support the author and all that fuzzy warm stuff.
A note about Chaste: It isn't until later books that she finally finds a romantic partner, though several potentials pop up along the way. It has been a while, but I'm pretty sure the author keeps the sex stuff off-page, though sexuality is discussed. I actually liked how the author approached it centered around Alana getting a conception-control tattoo way before she has any intention of having sex. Her reasons were compelling and sensible and the discussions around it interesting coming from several different perspectives (including ).
March 29, 2025
I wasn't sure from the blurb whether this would be for me since I'm not big into bards as a class, but this story was so good that it didn't matter.
Plot - 9/10, Character - 9/10, Setting and Magic - 10/10, Writing - 9/10, Enjoyment - 9/10
This is a reincarnated into another world story. A young woman has an accident while spelunking with friends and ends up regaining consciousness in time to experience her own birth in a new world. At the age of 4 or so, she manifests the ability to cast bardic magic, which requires humming, singing, or dancing to a rhythm while directing mana instinctively toward a desired effect.
The story follows our MC, Alana, as she's tutored in magic and lives in a small village near the kingdom's border. Things take a turn for the worse as the kingdom goes to war with a neighboring empire, and the story follows our MC as she tries to make her way through the turmoil that follows. It's a fantastic story for the first book in the series, and the reader gets to spend a lot of time familiarizing themselves with the world through Alana's eyes.
Quite a few characters were introduced throughout the story, but I had no difficulty keeping track of them. The author usually allowed characters to enter the scene in ways that demonstrated their roles in society and desires rather than simply dropping names and expecting me to remember them.
The characters being well-written feeds right into how strong the world-building was. All the people made sense and there was a reason for their actions, values, and goals. I think it was Kurt Vonnegut who said every character should have a need, even if it's simply a glass of water to quench thirst. The author did well to make all of the characters feel like real people rather than mere decorations or devices for the main character to interact with.
I really enjoyed the magic system. There are four different types of mana usage that generally fit the D&D class styles of wizard, cleric, fighter, and bard and there are clear advantages and disadvantages to each. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of bards. I don't know why, but I would rather play any other type of character. Despite that, the story and characterization were so good that they kept me engaged despite things not being entirely up my alley. Good fantasy writing is good fantasy writing.
Speaking of the writing, I've mentioned the skillful worldbuilding and characterization already. I don't remember any grammar or proofreading issues jumping out at me. I wish the author wouldn't write every character from 1st-person pov when showing other points of view. There were a few times where I had no idea who the pov character was for the first paragraph of a chapter until the context filled in a bit more. Sure, I figured it out quickly, but that sort of confusion is easily avoidable by using 3rd-person for other character pov's and only using 1st-person for Alana. Granted, I don't think there's anything wrong with this, necessarily; it may just be my personal preference.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and it has the makings of being a great series. While being more of a progressive fantasy, the similarities to a Dungeons & Dragons style of fantasy world makes this appealing to fans of gamelit as well, though Litrpg readers should be aware there are no levels or stats here.
Plot - 9/10, Character - 9/10, Setting and Magic - 10/10, Writing - 9/10, Enjoyment - 9/10
This is a reincarnated into another world story. A young woman has an accident while spelunking with friends and ends up regaining consciousness in time to experience her own birth in a new world. At the age of 4 or so, she manifests the ability to cast bardic magic, which requires humming, singing, or dancing to a rhythm while directing mana instinctively toward a desired effect.
The story follows our MC, Alana, as she's tutored in magic and lives in a small village near the kingdom's border. Things take a turn for the worse as the kingdom goes to war with a neighboring empire, and the story follows our MC as she tries to make her way through the turmoil that follows. It's a fantastic story for the first book in the series, and the reader gets to spend a lot of time familiarizing themselves with the world through Alana's eyes.
Quite a few characters were introduced throughout the story, but I had no difficulty keeping track of them. The author usually allowed characters to enter the scene in ways that demonstrated their roles in society and desires rather than simply dropping names and expecting me to remember them.
The characters being well-written feeds right into how strong the world-building was. All the people made sense and there was a reason for their actions, values, and goals. I think it was Kurt Vonnegut who said every character should have a need, even if it's simply a glass of water to quench thirst. The author did well to make all of the characters feel like real people rather than mere decorations or devices for the main character to interact with.
I really enjoyed the magic system. There are four different types of mana usage that generally fit the D&D class styles of wizard, cleric, fighter, and bard and there are clear advantages and disadvantages to each. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of bards. I don't know why, but I would rather play any other type of character. Despite that, the story and characterization were so good that they kept me engaged despite things not being entirely up my alley. Good fantasy writing is good fantasy writing.
Speaking of the writing, I've mentioned the skillful worldbuilding and characterization already. I don't remember any grammar or proofreading issues jumping out at me. I wish the author wouldn't write every character from 1st-person pov when showing other points of view. There were a few times where I had no idea who the pov character was for the first paragraph of a chapter until the context filled in a bit more. Sure, I figured it out quickly, but that sort of confusion is easily avoidable by using 3rd-person for other character pov's and only using 1st-person for Alana. Granted, I don't think there's anything wrong with this, necessarily; it may just be my personal preference.
Overall, I really enjoyed this and it has the makings of being a great series. While being more of a progressive fantasy, the similarities to a Dungeons & Dragons style of fantasy world makes this appealing to fans of gamelit as well, though Litrpg readers should be aware there are no levels or stats here.
February 23, 2023
I've been reading Melody of Manor chapter by chapter on Royal Road for a good while now, and just finished re-reading volume one on the Kindle. It's a favourite of mine, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to continue the reread with volume two, already available on Kindle. Is it an Iseakai? I'm not sure, does it count if you're abducted by a magic pool of water?
Either way, it's a long running fantasy with no sign of it slowing down. Give it a shot.
Either way, it's a long running fantasy with no sign of it slowing down. Give it a shot.
April 3, 2023
Meh
The MC is too much of a damsel in distress for me. I like her attitude but she is weak. The book also contradicts how powerful she is. She has spent years learning magic (nothing useful in protecting herself) and yet her friend learns like 5 different elements in just a short year. Her helpless nature is annoying. Nothing wrong with making her a non-combatant but she needs to have something powerful about her. I hoped with her being from another would she would take her limited magic and come up with something unique but alas she is boring.
The MC is too much of a damsel in distress for me. I like her attitude but she is weak. The book also contradicts how powerful she is. She has spent years learning magic (nothing useful in protecting herself) and yet her friend learns like 5 different elements in just a short year. Her helpless nature is annoying. Nothing wrong with making her a non-combatant but she needs to have something powerful about her. I hoped with her being from another would she would take her limited magic and come up with something unique but alas she is boring.
December 12, 2023
I liked it but it is a little slow and not much happens to move the story forward.
June 21, 2024
Such a well excuted f'n book. JESUS how is more people not talking about this series? I wanted to write up my enjoyment of this on the first book. But ended up just reading the next.
The best thing about this series is the author must have actually played a game. They have a lot of understanding about attacking, defensing and how hard the flow of battle is. You get a lot of D&D style writers who are good at writing and storytelling but the battle isn't that interesting. This is interesting but also the research and theory crafting required to actually play in a world.
True progression fantasy!
Now to the not nerdy stuff the lead is good but most of the support characters aren't as strong a write. You find yourself rooting but many your just meh about but they work. Because the MC works so well. And the author doesn't really invest in those side characters (winning) IE - the ron wesley in the movie effect.
Overall, I have things I wish they went another way about. But really truly wonderful Series. and so far wonderful first book. I'm currently on book 4
big 5 stars
Recomendation = if you like
ascendance of a bookworm
The best thing about this series is the author must have actually played a game. They have a lot of understanding about attacking, defensing and how hard the flow of battle is. You get a lot of D&D style writers who are good at writing and storytelling but the battle isn't that interesting. This is interesting but also the research and theory crafting required to actually play in a world.
True progression fantasy!
Now to the not nerdy stuff the lead is good but most of the support characters aren't as strong a write. You find yourself rooting but many your just meh about but they work. Because the MC works so well. And the author doesn't really invest in those side characters (winning) IE - the ron wesley in the movie effect.
Overall, I have things I wish they went another way about. But really truly wonderful Series. and so far wonderful first book. I'm currently on book 4
big 5 stars
Recomendation = if you like
ascendance of a bookworm
December 27, 2022
3.5 stars. I need to start by saying that this was a good book that was well written. At no point did I lose interest in it. Now having said that what I say next may surprise you. The book lacks anything unique or very impactful, honestly it reads a lot like a slice of life and the action and magic while both do exist, they are at best mediocre. There is no real depth to the magic system and it's all a bit bland. Nothing you haven't read in 100 other books about magic. I found the book humorous at times and the overall plot had me somewhat intrigued. It was worth listening to the book but don't expect anything amazing from it.
June 30, 2024
I enjoyed this! However, I'm mixed about whether I will go on.
I've read a fair amount of fantasy, and read or watched a rather large amount of isekai, usually of the cosy variety. I've not read a progression fantasy before, and that's one reason I wanted to give this a try. I was also looking for Western cosy fantasy to go with my experience reading Japanese ones.
The fact that this was originally a web novel published on Royal Road influences the feel of the whole read for good and bad. The plot feels like it's always a little bit more of this and that, building up. Characters come in, stay a few chapters, then disappear (some will return one day). I kind of liked that! It feels more like living a life than grand epic novel arcs do. Things happen; we don't know what half the time; we just carry on doing our best. At the same time, the book just sort of stops at an okay place to stop, though little is really completed. The book has arcs but no arc. I'm not sure I want to keep following a bit more of this and that for 5 more volumes, not knowing if it has an end.
I suppose the weakness is that the overall plot is too unknown to really latch on to me (there's a rebellion going on but, while I dislike the kingdom, I don't have the vitriol needed to SEE it die), and I didn't love the character enough to just want to hang out for book after book with them.
At the same time, I did overall enjoy while I was reading. And I like the idea of following this MC literally from birth.
A couple things to be prepared for:
First, you will get massive tonal shifts. It's bee-keeping with a child, then sex jokes (from adults!). It's carrying a spindle around as a first toy, then bloody violence sometimes from the children. It's a book for adults, even though the MC is (sort of) a child. The book does struggle with just how old this MC is mentally. On the one hand, she seemed okay playing in a room for a month with a mother and a playmate at age 2. On the other hand, she will remember her trigonometry. Other characters treat her more like an adult in the way they speak and reason with her... and then some don't. She never sounds like a child... but she's happy hanging out with people her physical age and never adults. It's kind of all over the place, but it should lessen as she ages into her mind.
Secondly, despite the MC being a girl and being the POV for 85% of the book, it feels a lot like a boy book. Virtually every person Alana interacts with in a substantial way is male. Father does far more than mother. Every teacher is male. Every ruler (that we've met) is male. Alana makes female friends a little bit, but they always disappear and have been forgettable. She never has an adventure with any girl. Indeed, Alana barely thinks of these girl friends later. A book filled with boys is just fine; it's just something to know. If the reader sees the front cover and thinks they are getting an adventure from a female perspective, well, not really.
I don't know. I enjoyed the whole while I was reading. Maybe I'll read on. I am giving it 4*.
I've read a fair amount of fantasy, and read or watched a rather large amount of isekai, usually of the cosy variety. I've not read a progression fantasy before, and that's one reason I wanted to give this a try. I was also looking for Western cosy fantasy to go with my experience reading Japanese ones.
The fact that this was originally a web novel published on Royal Road influences the feel of the whole read for good and bad. The plot feels like it's always a little bit more of this and that, building up. Characters come in, stay a few chapters, then disappear (some will return one day). I kind of liked that! It feels more like living a life than grand epic novel arcs do. Things happen; we don't know what half the time; we just carry on doing our best. At the same time, the book just sort of stops at an okay place to stop, though little is really completed. The book has arcs but no arc. I'm not sure I want to keep following a bit more of this and that for 5 more volumes, not knowing if it has an end.
I suppose the weakness is that the overall plot is too unknown to really latch on to me (there's a rebellion going on but, while I dislike the kingdom, I don't have the vitriol needed to SEE it die), and I didn't love the character enough to just want to hang out for book after book with them.
At the same time, I did overall enjoy while I was reading. And I like the idea of following this MC literally from birth.
A couple things to be prepared for:
First, you will get massive tonal shifts. It's bee-keeping with a child, then sex jokes (from adults!). It's carrying a spindle around as a first toy, then bloody violence sometimes from the children. It's a book for adults, even though the MC is (sort of) a child. The book does struggle with just how old this MC is mentally. On the one hand, she seemed okay playing in a room for a month with a mother and a playmate at age 2. On the other hand, she will remember her trigonometry. Other characters treat her more like an adult in the way they speak and reason with her... and then some don't. She never sounds like a child... but she's happy hanging out with people her physical age and never adults. It's kind of all over the place, but it should lessen as she ages into her mind.
Secondly, despite the MC being a girl and being the POV for 85% of the book, it feels a lot like a boy book. Virtually every person Alana interacts with in a substantial way is male. Father does far more than mother. Every teacher is male. Every ruler (that we've met) is male. Alana makes female friends a little bit, but they always disappear and have been forgettable. She never has an adventure with any girl. Indeed, Alana barely thinks of these girl friends later. A book filled with boys is just fine; it's just something to know. If the reader sees the front cover and thinks they are getting an adventure from a female perspective, well, not really.
I don't know. I enjoyed the whole while I was reading. Maybe I'll read on. I am giving it 4*.
December 3, 2023
A twenty-something woman from Earth is reborn in a fantasy world. Reborn in the most literal sense. It's not written in gross detail but there is a first person childbirth scene from the perspective of the baby. This is one of those books that is about a child but isn't for children. It covers the first twelve or thirteen years of Alanna's life but she has a young adult's capacity for using bad words.
The first third of the book is set on a farm, which is very exciting for a fantasy farming fanatic like me. Alanna has to learn girl chores like washing dishes or sweeping, but sometimes the farm needs all hands on deck. She also sometimes goes foraging in the forest with her brothers. Once her magic is discovered, training with the local wizard takes up much of her time.
Alanna is a bard and it's very much the utility caster type. She learns some healing, create food, create water, and other minor spells that another spellcaster could do better. Magic is rare in this world, so that "other spellcaster" is rarely an option.
I found it hard to keep track of Alanna's physical age. The narrative reminds us sometimes but she has the mind of an adult so she feels older. The book occasionally changes from Alanna's perspective to other characters, still first person. The character is made clear at the start of each section and the voices are distinct. A small child won't be told everything, so it helps give context for things happening around her.
The worldbuilding is cool. Border farms, small towns, big cities, and everything in between all feel distinctly different. Two religious sects are fleshed out as well as several professions. It also has, quite honestly, the most interesting take on fantasy world birth control I've ever read.
There is no grand climax or resolution in this book, but also no cliffhanger. It definitely feels like a web serial. The author's Goodreads lists five books currently.
Content warning: Pregnancy loss
The first third of the book is set on a farm, which is very exciting for a fantasy farming fanatic like me. Alanna has to learn girl chores like washing dishes or sweeping, but sometimes the farm needs all hands on deck. She also sometimes goes foraging in the forest with her brothers. Once her magic is discovered, training with the local wizard takes up much of her time.
Alanna is a bard and it's very much the utility caster type. She learns some healing, create food, create water, and other minor spells that another spellcaster could do better. Magic is rare in this world, so that "other spellcaster" is rarely an option.
I found it hard to keep track of Alanna's physical age. The narrative reminds us sometimes but she has the mind of an adult so she feels older. The book occasionally changes from Alanna's perspective to other characters, still first person. The character is made clear at the start of each section and the voices are distinct. A small child won't be told everything, so it helps give context for things happening around her.
The worldbuilding is cool. Border farms, small towns, big cities, and everything in between all feel distinctly different. Two religious sects are fleshed out as well as several professions. It also has, quite honestly, the most interesting take on fantasy world birth control I've ever read.
There is no grand climax or resolution in this book, but also no cliffhanger. It definitely feels like a web serial. The author's Goodreads lists five books currently.
Content warning: Pregnancy loss
December 31, 2023
Full review pending, but it gets 2 stars because I finished listening to the audio, which means it has good enough prose to be considered somewhat entertaining, but this is the kind of book that, after you finish, if you take a couple of minutes to think about it, you realize how poorly made and baffling it is.
Just to leave here: this is not a good book, this is a terrible progression fantasy and has one of the most shallow world-buildings I have seen in years.
For example: there is an entire sublpot about clerics, but I ask to take in consideration while you are reading; What is the religion(s) in this world? What are the beliefs of any of the characters? The traditions? The superstitions? The festivities? After a miscarriage, the only thing the characters do is bury the baby and... that's it. They are sad and then is forgotten. Do they believe in souls? In reincaration? Is animalistic? Hollysm? Is it similar to shintoism or are they purely materialistic? Do the clerics follow any gods whatsoever or its purely deterministic? You would think that people that are so powerless like those in the hamlet would have a plethora of traditions and rituals to ward off bad luck, bad weather, and accidents. How do they spend the winter, when they need to be in their hovels? They sung with Mana, but that was a special case to create food and apparently, since they don't have food because they are so poor, they never make parties whatsoever except when they kill an oxen that was too old, so every couple of decades?.
Just to leave here: this is not a good book, this is a terrible progression fantasy and has one of the most shallow world-buildings I have seen in years.
For example: there is an entire sublpot about clerics, but I ask to take in consideration while you are reading; What is the religion(s) in this world? What are the beliefs of any of the characters? The traditions? The superstitions? The festivities? After a miscarriage, the only thing the characters do is bury the baby and... that's it. They are sad and then is forgotten. Do they believe in souls? In reincaration? Is animalistic? Hollysm? Is it similar to shintoism or are they purely materialistic? Do the clerics follow any gods whatsoever or its purely deterministic? You would think that people that are so powerless like those in the hamlet would have a plethora of traditions and rituals to ward off bad luck, bad weather, and accidents. How do they spend the winter, when they need to be in their hovels? They sung with Mana, but that was a special case to create food and apparently, since they don't have food because they are so poor, they never make parties whatsoever except when they kill an oxen that was too old, so every couple of decades?.
January 1, 2025
I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next book in the series. The book starts with a woman who is rock climbing with friends and she ends up falling due to what I assume is an earthquake. She is injured and no one ever responds to her calls for help so she tries to help herself. She finds a magical cave which ultimately leads to her death and reincarnation. From here it’s a lot of slice of life as she grows from a baby and learns how to live in this new world as well as learning about magic. After a scare, she learns she is a bard and becomes a student of the local wizard. War happens leading to men being drafted which causes villages and towns not to have the laborers they need for harvest which in turn leads to food shortages. We start to see a bit more action and adventure as FMC continues to learn about and train her magical skills. Because of somethings that happen in the village they rebel against the mayor and the soldiers there and she ends up killing the mayor herself. She is separated from her family but because her teacher prepared her for this, the 5year old child is able to sustain herself while hoping to find her family.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and I am looking forward to continuing the series. There is a lot of magical progression, some action and adventure, a lot of slice of life, and survival in this first book. There is also plenty of intrigue and humor. I definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys the litrpg and fantasy progression genre.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and I am looking forward to continuing the series. There is a lot of magical progression, some action and adventure, a lot of slice of life, and survival in this first book. There is also plenty of intrigue and humor. I definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys the litrpg and fantasy progression genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2023
I really enjoyed this book, and ended up reading it in one go, making me skip a few hours of sleep! It was worth it, though!
I liked the world building and the character development. It was sometimes weird to have a grown up woman in a child's body, but I think most of the reactions and actions were in par with it. I liked the slow progression of the book through the childhood and formative years, and how deep the building of the story goes. It was nice to se Alana grow up slowly and follow her.
Two things that didn't work well for me, is the first chapter's pace, which was weird (but really, push throught this first chapter and then it's fine and the story gets exponentially better), and the random change of POVs. I personnally think that there was no need for those extra chapters with different POVs (though I understand that we get extra information, but they could be revealed through the main POV at an opportune time). If it is thought necessary, then it would be much better to tell the reader who we are suddently following. It avoid this weird whiplash I was getting trying to figure out whose POV it was.
Fans of isekai, sword and sorcery, and epic adventures, this is for you, with a strong female lead to boost! Lovely!
I liked the world building and the character development. It was sometimes weird to have a grown up woman in a child's body, but I think most of the reactions and actions were in par with it. I liked the slow progression of the book through the childhood and formative years, and how deep the building of the story goes. It was nice to se Alana grow up slowly and follow her.
Two things that didn't work well for me, is the first chapter's pace, which was weird (but really, push throught this first chapter and then it's fine and the story gets exponentially better), and the random change of POVs. I personnally think that there was no need for those extra chapters with different POVs (though I understand that we get extra information, but they could be revealed through the main POV at an opportune time). If it is thought necessary, then it would be much better to tell the reader who we are suddently following. It avoid this weird whiplash I was getting trying to figure out whose POV it was.
Fans of isekai, sword and sorcery, and epic adventures, this is for you, with a strong female lead to boost! Lovely!
September 5, 2022
Oh man no reviews yet? Now I feel compelled to write one *Sweating nervously*
This one was again a good one imo.
I kind of went in with the expectation of having to give the book leeway and paper over some annoyances to enjoy it, probably because I just finished a book where I had to do that. But no, no such thing necessary here. Just let the characters and the world wash over you. They're well written. Kick back and enjoy it.
There's enough details about the world and the life there to make it feel not just a generic backdrop, and you really do get the feeling of what it's like to live in this world. Whether it's as a farming community dealing with a famine or later working in a tavern while learning magic and everything in-between. There's always details to immerse you in the world.
I was a bit leery of a bard as the mc, it just wasn't a compelling hook for me, but the magic system won me over. She builds a repertoire of versatile and fun abilities which was fun to watch as she worked them out and I'm giddy to see her use them more in the next book.
I ended up really liking it and kinda hoping I could've given it a five. Perhaps next time ;p
This one was again a good one imo.
I kind of went in with the expectation of having to give the book leeway and paper over some annoyances to enjoy it, probably because I just finished a book where I had to do that. But no, no such thing necessary here. Just let the characters and the world wash over you. They're well written. Kick back and enjoy it.
There's enough details about the world and the life there to make it feel not just a generic backdrop, and you really do get the feeling of what it's like to live in this world. Whether it's as a farming community dealing with a famine or later working in a tavern while learning magic and everything in-between. There's always details to immerse you in the world.
I was a bit leery of a bard as the mc, it just wasn't a compelling hook for me, but the magic system won me over. She builds a repertoire of versatile and fun abilities which was fun to watch as she worked them out and I'm giddy to see her use them more in the next book.
I ended up really liking it and kinda hoping I could've given it a five. Perhaps next time ;p
August 13, 2023
This is isekai but not LitRPG. Alana dies in our world and is reincarnated into a world that has magic. She retains all her memories of her past life.
The book started out slice of life, with Alana growing up, learning about her new world, and figuring out magic. It was cozy fantasy, at first. Then war started, and the story got dark. Not grim or anything, but darker than I expected considering how pleasant the first chapters were.
Alana ends up on her own, and it was interesting to see how she survived, and even thrived. I liked her thought process, and how she worked toward her goals. I also liked that she's caring and willing to help, but draws the line at being taken advantage of.
The war parts were more plot driven, and could have been its own book. It did add to the world building. Mostly, I enjoyed the magic systems, the friends Alana made, and Alana herself.
Will continue the series...
The book started out slice of life, with Alana growing up, learning about her new world, and figuring out magic. It was cozy fantasy, at first. Then war started, and the story got dark. Not grim or anything, but darker than I expected considering how pleasant the first chapters were.
Alana ends up on her own, and it was interesting to see how she survived, and even thrived. I liked her thought process, and how she worked toward her goals. I also liked that she's caring and willing to help, but draws the line at being taken advantage of.
The war parts were more plot driven, and could have been its own book. It did add to the world building. Mostly, I enjoyed the magic systems, the friends Alana made, and Alana herself.
Will continue the series...
August 11, 2024
I love a fun OP slaughter machine MC as much as the next LitRPG fan, but this is closer wandering inn than primal hunter and I'm loving it. it's a lot more focused on the character slowly growing up as the worldbuilding expands around her. I like the slice-of-life approach to showing her grow up cause the author does a good job portraying an average peasant in a random small town and the hardships they have to endure, I feel like most stories might start their character out as a nobody orphan or peasant but brush or skip over it straight to them meeting someone important, which is usually fine and wouldn't be important to those stories. The MC had a cheat code for their problems but took responsibility for the whole village and it pushed her to brink.
Anyways, it was a good, refreshing read and I'm really extra glad it was since I bought 3 of the books in the series at once when on sale haha
Anyways, it was a good, refreshing read and I'm really extra glad it was since I bought 3 of the books in the series at once when on sale haha
July 20, 2023
This was a delightful surprise...extremely well-written and well-narrated. I love the main character and how she adjusts and thrives to the best of her ability. I also love how her past life makes its way into the story, but not intrusively, not too much. The world building and the magic "system" are completely engaging. I wasn't excepting this to be on a par with The Wandering Inn, but it is. My only inconsequential complaint is when the point of view switched (not that often), I didn't have any idea who was talking, even with the voice of the narrator doing a brilliant job. I am new to this story and in time will figure out who's who. I listened on Audible. Wonderful surprise!
February 27, 2023
surprisingly good read
I must say that I had no real expectations when picking this up, and given that the audience is somewhere 12-18 it really did not read as such.
Compelling characters, in some cases perhaps without any real depth but so much better overall than much else that I have read.
I recommend you to read the sample extract to see if you like the writing style! I did and I do.
The story is about…well just bread it already! And I am for sure going for the other parts in the series as well!
I must say that I had no real expectations when picking this up, and given that the audience is somewhere 12-18 it really did not read as such.
Compelling characters, in some cases perhaps without any real depth but so much better overall than much else that I have read.
I recommend you to read the sample extract to see if you like the writing style! I did and I do.
The story is about…well just bread it already! And I am for sure going for the other parts in the series as well!
July 24, 2023
This one has the usual, slightly rough start that so many Isekai have, where the protagonist accepts their death and/or rebirth far too casually. I'm kind of glad this was a written work and the cover art shows a probably teenage girl, because it sort of sidestepped the creepy child prodigy image that should have formed in my mind. Instead, I mostly imagined her at an age more appropriate to the way she spoke. After those minor quibbles dropped away, this was a compelling read.I thoroughly enjoyed it and immediately picked up the next in the series.
October 30, 2022
Fantastic story of a reincarnated girl growing up to be a bard. Similar to Beneath the Dragoneye Moons in tone and writing quality with some darker moments and lots of emotion. No numerical system elements. The magic system is great as bards are the least directly powerful spellcasters but have their own tricks. It makes the mc really have to think about how to use her magic to solve the problem at hand rather than just power through. I will definitely be getting book 2 when it comes out.
April 1, 2023
Very interesting and harsh world, especially for such a young girl to survive, and indeed thrive in. Has a very interesting system of magic with 4 distinct categories that it falls into. Alana is a very interesting and complex character who doesn't realize that her actions and desires don't quite mesh together. It will be interesting to see how she handles the eventual clash from that dissonance.
August 31, 2023
Young woman goes on adventure with friends in modern times, gets stuck and then unstuck in the weirdest way possible. Now is in an isekai situation. In order to survive the main character must become a musical bakery. ( she does other magic as well)
This book has several ups and downs, overall a great book.
This book has several ups and downs, overall a great book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2024
A flawed book that none-the-less keeps the reader engaged.
Despite frequent malapropisms and grammar issues, an inconsistent protagonist, and a vanilla plot, the tone and pace of this tale suited my mood. It's light, friendly, and has momentum.
These are short books, so I'm diving into book two to see how it goes.
Despite frequent malapropisms and grammar issues, an inconsistent protagonist, and a vanilla plot, the tone and pace of this tale suited my mood. It's light, friendly, and has momentum.
These are short books, so I'm diving into book two to see how it goes.
July 3, 2024
What utter bullshit. Beating a child with belt? Making sex jokes in front of a child? Milking the MC for all she's worth? And taking and using her in the name of other people! Where's her mind? MC is like a mindless doll who goes along with whatever others say. I couldn't even go halfway through the book.
did-not-finish
August 30, 2024Not giving this a rating because I didn't finish it and it wouldn't be a fair evaluation.
Read up to 27%
This has all the ingredients for an interesting isekai story, but the delivery is boring, the plot increasingly tinges towards tragedy, and the MC is blind to her increasing peril despite her mental maturity. Gave up trying to muddle through this.
Read up to 27%
This has all the ingredients for an interesting isekai story, but the delivery is boring, the plot increasingly tinges towards tragedy, and the MC is blind to her increasing peril despite her mental maturity. Gave up trying to muddle through this.
January 16, 2025
Saw this book for a while, but I really don't like bards. A friend said I would like it, so I'm giving it a go.
I enjoyed this more than expected. I thought it would have been a bunch of annoying Limericks, and the protag doing jigs. I'm glad to see I was wrong an all parts.
I will pick up the sequel.
3/5 Stars
I enjoyed this more than expected. I thought it would have been a bunch of annoying Limericks, and the protag doing jigs. I'm glad to see I was wrong an all parts.
I will pick up the sequel.
3/5 Stars
December 11, 2025
been reading a lot of litrpgs and this one felt very refreshing. the story is slower and a bit more slice of life than I'm used to but the characters are well developed and the story of the mc is intersting and easy to feel for. power level is a lot lower than in most other stories making for a nice change of pace.
June 7, 2023
Great Read
A completely wonderful story start to finish. If you are looking for an interesting adventure story without chapter after chapter of fighting, but intersecting life events, you will love this book.
A completely wonderful story start to finish. If you are looking for an interesting adventure story without chapter after chapter of fighting, but intersecting life events, you will love this book.
October 13, 2023
Great
Personally, I found this to be a really great and highly entertaining read with a likable main character. The side characters were also very well written, and the world at large very well built. I would definitely recommend this.
Personally, I found this to be a really great and highly entertaining read with a likable main character. The side characters were also very well written, and the world at large very well built. I would definitely recommend this.
October 17, 2023
an absolute must read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this! It started off on earth and we get transported to a new world, new family, new magic. Great character building, great world building it’s just a very solid book
I thoroughly enjoyed this! It started off on earth and we get transported to a new world, new family, new magic. Great character building, great world building it’s just a very solid book
December 14, 2023
Excellent start
We have before us a new saga that is just plain awesome. The world setting, characters, action, drama, character development and above all the main character, makes this book the best read I had in a while. Can't wait to read the next one.
We have before us a new saga that is just plain awesome. The world setting, characters, action, drama, character development and above all the main character, makes this book the best read I had in a while. Can't wait to read the next one.
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