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Seared #1
Seared
A young man born into slavehood rises to power
When Jace was a newborn baby, he was branded with a metal bracer to prevent cultivation. Destined to live a life of slavehood for a crime he didn’t commit, Jace can only dream of one day becoming a powerful cultivator and leaving his shackles behind.
But when danger threatens the life of his sister, Jace decides to take fate into his own hands. He boldly escapes his master’s estate and makes his way through dangerous lands to rescue his sister.
As a lowly seared facing powerful hunters looking to punish him for escaping, and deadly monsters wanting to make a meal of him, he has only one option.
Grow stronger.
Seared is an exciting coming of age, progression and cultivation series for fans of series like Cradle, Thousand Li and He who fights with monsters. Light romantic elements with no harem.
When Jace was a newborn baby, he was branded with a metal bracer to prevent cultivation. Destined to live a life of slavehood for a crime he didn’t commit, Jace can only dream of one day becoming a powerful cultivator and leaving his shackles behind.
But when danger threatens the life of his sister, Jace decides to take fate into his own hands. He boldly escapes his master’s estate and makes his way through dangerous lands to rescue his sister.
As a lowly seared facing powerful hunters looking to punish him for escaping, and deadly monsters wanting to make a meal of him, he has only one option.
Grow stronger.
Seared is an exciting coming of age, progression and cultivation series for fans of series like Cradle, Thousand Li and He who fights with monsters. Light romantic elements with no harem.
- GenresFantasy
504 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2022
430 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 21, 2025
Shortly after birth Jace became a Seared. Seared are people who are branded as slaves for life. Sadly for Jace he wasn't old enough to have committed the crime that ruined his life and had him branded with a metal bracer that prohibits him from cultivating. Jace endures the life of a Seared, one of disrespect and outright abuse, until his sister doesn't arrive for a visit. After weeks of waiting Jace decides to escape his slavery and save his sister. He intends to battle his fate and win.
Seared doesn't quite fit any story I've read before. It has the cultivation aspects of a cultivation story, but beyond that it falls into its own category. The notion that the main character in a cultivation story has been forcibly barred from cultivating seemed like an interesting notion, but as the story progressed it came across as needlessly cruel. Jace was a baby who had done absolutely nothing to warrant his fate. I realize the story is set in a place where family and honor culture take precedent, but there is a cruel indifference to the individuals who carried out the punishment. This was likely the strength of the story, but I can't help but wonder if it may have been more interesting to see things from the perspective of those who carried out the punishment.
Jace like nearly any protagonist has a good deal of things that go his way throughout the story. There is at least one truth he believed to be an absolute fact that gets upended entirely. He has an unbelievably lucky encounter that changes his life as well. These aspects don't inherently bother me, but a bit more turmoil in the middle chapters would have certainly been welcome.
Unfortunately Seared doesn't really have any discernable strength or compelling aspect to it. I'm all for an underdog, but the notion that Jace could run away and survive on his own in the world of cultivators is laughable. The story doesn't quite admit as much, but events made it clear enough that Jace is as dangerous as a rabbit battling a pack of wolves on his own. The fact that he's enslaved for a reason most readers would deem illegitimate only does so much for the story. The dialogue and cultivation are lackluster. The characterization is also lacking, most of the characters have a single defining trait that makes up the entirety of who they are. Even Jace is pretty one dimensional which is unfortunate for a protagonist.
Seared was an ok story that I have little to no interest in continuing in the next book of the series.
Seared doesn't quite fit any story I've read before. It has the cultivation aspects of a cultivation story, but beyond that it falls into its own category. The notion that the main character in a cultivation story has been forcibly barred from cultivating seemed like an interesting notion, but as the story progressed it came across as needlessly cruel. Jace was a baby who had done absolutely nothing to warrant his fate. I realize the story is set in a place where family and honor culture take precedent, but there is a cruel indifference to the individuals who carried out the punishment. This was likely the strength of the story, but I can't help but wonder if it may have been more interesting to see things from the perspective of those who carried out the punishment.
Jace like nearly any protagonist has a good deal of things that go his way throughout the story. There is at least one truth he believed to be an absolute fact that gets upended entirely. He has an unbelievably lucky encounter that changes his life as well. These aspects don't inherently bother me, but a bit more turmoil in the middle chapters would have certainly been welcome.
Unfortunately Seared doesn't really have any discernable strength or compelling aspect to it. I'm all for an underdog, but the notion that Jace could run away and survive on his own in the world of cultivators is laughable. The story doesn't quite admit as much, but events made it clear enough that Jace is as dangerous as a rabbit battling a pack of wolves on his own. The fact that he's enslaved for a reason most readers would deem illegitimate only does so much for the story. The dialogue and cultivation are lackluster. The characterization is also lacking, most of the characters have a single defining trait that makes up the entirety of who they are. Even Jace is pretty one dimensional which is unfortunate for a protagonist.
Seared was an ok story that I have little to no interest in continuing in the next book of the series.
March 28, 2023
Latent Cultivation
Captivating plot, but the build-up to the rescue is painful to get through.
The protagonist lacks grit and foresight. He doesn’t stand out or have any characteristics that make you cheer him on. He’s honest to a fault, which in itself is worthy of a champion. However, his need to question everything with a pessimistic outlook gets old very quick.
His cultivation also progresses at snail speed. I was looking for something that would set him apart. Like alarmingly large meridians, or extremely pure chi…. Something that set him apart from everyone.
Before I step off of my soap box, I wanted to also mention the conversation between the protagonist, Sami and Alira near the end. It felt like it was dragging and never ending. I’m all in when it comes to banter and plotting…. It just felt like watching paint dry. I rushed through it.
Captivating plot, but the build-up to the rescue is painful to get through.
The protagonist lacks grit and foresight. He doesn’t stand out or have any characteristics that make you cheer him on. He’s honest to a fault, which in itself is worthy of a champion. However, his need to question everything with a pessimistic outlook gets old very quick.
His cultivation also progresses at snail speed. I was looking for something that would set him apart. Like alarmingly large meridians, or extremely pure chi…. Something that set him apart from everyone.
Before I step off of my soap box, I wanted to also mention the conversation between the protagonist, Sami and Alira near the end. It felt like it was dragging and never ending. I’m all in when it comes to banter and plotting…. It just felt like watching paint dry. I rushed through it.
August 7, 2022
slave learns to be free
An old tale of a slave breaking free with heavy eastern influences, including Chi, giving it a Middle Ages in Asia feel. Interesting magical system, decent characters but of course there is a cliffhanger ending that leaves the reader with nothing… sorry… pass
An old tale of a slave breaking free with heavy eastern influences, including Chi, giving it a Middle Ages in Asia feel. Interesting magical system, decent characters but of course there is a cliffhanger ending that leaves the reader with nothing… sorry… pass
January 13, 2026
So, I was very excited about this premise, as it sounded wonderful. Unfortunately, book 1 is so slow it's a slog. We read about the life of a slave for over half of book 1 before he decides to escape. This needed to happen faster. The MC meets some hunters who just happen to know how to get around the slave band that prevents cultivating. Some training happens, he gets to literally the first level of the weakest cultivation level, and then decides he's now strong enough to rescue his sister who is multiple realms in power above him. Huh?
They get into the fort just as the beast wave happens, and bam! The book is over.
What?????
I read a few chapters into book 2, and it does not get better from there. At one point, the MC is supposed to be blending in and lying low, when he sees another refugee that is stronger than him having difficulty with a guard. The guard isn't abusing his power or being unreasonable, kids go to safety below, refugees get resources and help defend the walls. The mother was being dumb and wanting their kid to stay with them on the wall. Our MC decides this is the perfect time to intercede and fights the guard. Why would he risk being thrown in the dungeon and ruin his chances of saving his sister when he has no chance of helping the dumb refugee mother? Who know, but plot armor saves the MC again.
Bottom line, if you like dumb MCs who constantly screw up, but end up winning in the end because of plot armor, this is the series and author for you. This is the 2nd series I have read from this author, and Robyn consistently has this flaw.
At this point, it is just lazy writing.
They get into the fort just as the beast wave happens, and bam! The book is over.
What?????
I read a few chapters into book 2, and it does not get better from there. At one point, the MC is supposed to be blending in and lying low, when he sees another refugee that is stronger than him having difficulty with a guard. The guard isn't abusing his power or being unreasonable, kids go to safety below, refugees get resources and help defend the walls. The mother was being dumb and wanting their kid to stay with them on the wall. Our MC decides this is the perfect time to intercede and fights the guard. Why would he risk being thrown in the dungeon and ruin his chances of saving his sister when he has no chance of helping the dumb refugee mother? Who know, but plot armor saves the MC again.
Bottom line, if you like dumb MCs who constantly screw up, but end up winning in the end because of plot armor, this is the series and author for you. This is the 2nd series I have read from this author, and Robyn consistently has this flaw.
At this point, it is just lazy writing.
May 16, 2023
The story proceeds at a glacial pace. Don't get me wrong, I don't need stupendous increases in power levels and too much being done, but come on! After an entire book the MC is not even past stage 1, and the book ends not even half way into the story arc. He wants to save his sister, but he barely met her at the end. If the author would not waste so much time in repetition describing the feelings of the MC, I could perhaps forgive that.
Another issue I have is that it's one of those pitiful MCs that needs saving every time, and he is surrounded by inexplicably kind mommies that look out for him. Will he ever be a not-a-sad-sack-loser? I don't have the patience to read the 17 volumes of exposition of his feelings that we might need to get there.
Not sure what the author is thinking. This is a cultivation novel, not Ulyses.
Another issue I have is that it's one of those pitiful MCs that needs saving every time, and he is surrounded by inexplicably kind mommies that look out for him. Will he ever be a not-a-sad-sack-loser? I don't have the patience to read the 17 volumes of exposition of his feelings that we might need to get there.
Not sure what the author is thinking. This is a cultivation novel, not Ulyses.
February 28, 2023
A somewhat typical cultivation story. I am really not a big fan of cultivation litrpg, but it is something to fill the gap, so I read them, even though they 're really not my thing. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised, and they turn out to be pretty good stories. This one (mainly because of all the world building necessary for the story) really doesn't accomplish very much, so if you're truly not a cultivation LitRPG fan, then you may want to skip this one. The story is good enough, I'm likely to read more in the series, but it will likely be between other offerings, not all in a row, since I find very little here that interests me.
February 4, 2023
After a couple of chapters I nearly gave up, I really didn’t understand what the author was trying to achieve. My first impressions where he was allowing his literary pretensions to get in the way of telling a story and he was just trying too hard to be enigmatic.
I kept going but in the end I found the story and the author’s style just became more and more tedious and had to give up.
I kept going but in the end I found the story and the author’s style just became more and more tedious and had to give up.
August 15, 2022
Very good
I just finished reading one of Robyn Wildeman's other series. This one grabs you by the end of the first chapter! Lots of action and a great plot!
I just finished reading one of Robyn Wildeman's other series. This one grabs you by the end of the first chapter! Lots of action and a great plot!
November 7, 2022
I couldn't finish the book unfortunately. I came for the chi manipulation and fighting. What I got was potion/pill making in excruciating detail.
December 11, 2022
On the fence
Going to read the next book to see if the author pulls the story out of a nose dive. It's a good story but parts are too reliant on improbable luck.
Going to read the next book to see if the author pulls the story out of a nose dive. It's a good story but parts are too reliant on improbable luck.
February 3, 2023
Looking forward to book two.
I enjoyed this book. I have liked all of Robyn Sherman's books/series so far. Anticipating the time when the MC gets more powerful. Would recommend.
I enjoyed this book. I have liked all of Robyn Sherman's books/series so far. Anticipating the time when the MC gets more powerful. Would recommend.
April 18, 2023
Good
A good start to the book series, I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book released.
A good start to the book series, I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book released.
November 1, 2023
Got through kindle unlimited, which is the upside given that I was not able to finish this book.
June 19, 2024
no no
A zero can’t be a zero a whole book. You must give us some thing to believe in. Maybe you don’t know. I and some other readers live as the characters. You can’t do that to us
A zero can’t be a zero a whole book. You must give us some thing to believe in. Maybe you don’t know. I and some other readers live as the characters. You can’t do that to us
November 25, 2025
super complicated Chinese-based cultivation. Couldn't get past the first 20 pages.
August 21, 2022
“To get powerful enough to save his sister, he’s going to have to do endless busywork in excruciating detail, and he won’t even start to get vaguely powerful, and then you’ll give up! Sorry.”
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews