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Ten Realms #8
The Seventh Realm Part 1 (Ten Realms Series
War has come to the Willful Institute. It has come to the first realm.
For years Alva has trained, developed weapons and tactics never seen in the ten realms. Now Alva moves in the background, supporting the Adventurer's Guild. No band of fighters, no sect looking to gain individual honors.
The armies of Alva were forged together in Alva dungeon. Tempered in body, in mind, in mana. Supported by Alvan traders, crafters, they reclaimed the lost floors of their home. They captured Vuzgal and defended it in the vicious battlefield realm.
Now Alva is going to war. Their abilities, their skills tested head on.
One individual is strong. A nation focused, a nation brought together for a single goal. It is something that could shake the very foundations of the ten realms.
A beast stirs in the Beast Mountain Range, raising their eyes to the higher realms. It is time Erik and Rugrat stepped out of the shadows.
For years Alva has trained, developed weapons and tactics never seen in the ten realms. Now Alva moves in the background, supporting the Adventurer's Guild. No band of fighters, no sect looking to gain individual honors.
The armies of Alva were forged together in Alva dungeon. Tempered in body, in mind, in mana. Supported by Alvan traders, crafters, they reclaimed the lost floors of their home. They captured Vuzgal and defended it in the vicious battlefield realm.
Now Alva is going to war. Their abilities, their skills tested head on.
One individual is strong. A nation focused, a nation brought together for a single goal. It is something that could shake the very foundations of the ten realms.
A beast stirs in the Beast Mountain Range, raising their eyes to the higher realms. It is time Erik and Rugrat stepped out of the shadows.
702 pages, Hardcover
First published June 29, 2021
519 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
About the author
Michael Chatfield
69 books1,379 followersMichael Chatfield is a Canadian Army veteran and international bestselling author who writes the kind of books he always wanted to read—character-driven, gritty, tactical, and grounded in reality.
He doesn’t write one-dimensional killers wrapped in plot armor, charging toward an objective without thought. His stories are built for readers who want earned progression, tight, understandable logic, and realistic strategy. Every stat system has structure. Every decision is deliberate (except when there is Jaeger involved).
And the pacing? It's locked at two hundred percent. From alleyway brawls to starship armadas clashing over galactic sovereignty, from tactical dungeon assaults to city-states warring over a continent’s fate—Chatfield commits to every battle like it’s his last.
With millions of books and audiobooks sold, and tens of thousands of reviews his work spans LitRPG, military sci-fi, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic survival. He writes for readers who value systems that make sense, loyalty that lasts, and power that’s earned, not handed out.
Whether you're listening on a long drive, grinding through a shift, or up past midnight planning the next in-game raid—this is where you’ll find sagas to binge. Where strength is earned, logic rules, and camaraderie is forged in fire.
You can connect with him on Patreon and don't forget to follow him on social media!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/authormichael...
Website: http://michaelchatfield.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authormichael...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormicha...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormichae...
Facebook Group: The Chatfield Connection - https://www.facebook.com/groups/37693...
He doesn’t write one-dimensional killers wrapped in plot armor, charging toward an objective without thought. His stories are built for readers who want earned progression, tight, understandable logic, and realistic strategy. Every stat system has structure. Every decision is deliberate (except when there is Jaeger involved).
And the pacing? It's locked at two hundred percent. From alleyway brawls to starship armadas clashing over galactic sovereignty, from tactical dungeon assaults to city-states warring over a continent’s fate—Chatfield commits to every battle like it’s his last.
With millions of books and audiobooks sold, and tens of thousands of reviews his work spans LitRPG, military sci-fi, fantasy, and post-apocalyptic survival. He writes for readers who value systems that make sense, loyalty that lasts, and power that’s earned, not handed out.
Whether you're listening on a long drive, grinding through a shift, or up past midnight planning the next in-game raid—this is where you’ll find sagas to binge. Where strength is earned, logic rules, and camaraderie is forged in fire.
You can connect with him on Patreon and don't forget to follow him on social media!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/authormichael...
Website: http://michaelchatfield.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authormichael...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormicha...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormichae...
Facebook Group: The Chatfield Connection - https://www.facebook.com/groups/37693...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
July 2, 2021
Too much.
I've been loving the series, the build up, and all that I expected this to be. Until an entire book was war. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with battle heavy. But it was basically the same thing with so many names, so many side characters that stuck around for 3 pages that I just finished and nothing sticks out as having happened except the last 10% of the book. Yeah. There is a war. And that's it. Across 4 realms. That was the entirety of the first 80% summed up. The first 80% can just be thrown away, or at least reduced by... 75%?
Yeah 20 pages covered an upgrade to our main characters, but out of 850+ pages? Ugh.
From the last 10% I'm interested in the next book, but damn this was a chore to read. I wish someone told me to just skip to the 80% mark.
I've been loving the series, the build up, and all that I expected this to be. Until an entire book was war. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with battle heavy. But it was basically the same thing with so many names, so many side characters that stuck around for 3 pages that I just finished and nothing sticks out as having happened except the last 10% of the book. Yeah. There is a war. And that's it. Across 4 realms. That was the entirety of the first 80% summed up. The first 80% can just be thrown away, or at least reduced by... 75%?
Yeah 20 pages covered an upgrade to our main characters, but out of 850+ pages? Ugh.
From the last 10% I'm interested in the next book, but damn this was a chore to read. I wish someone told me to just skip to the 80% mark.
September 9, 2021
NO! NOT GILLY!!! 🥺😢
You're killing me with all the feels, Chatfield.
I love it.
You're killing me with all the feels, Chatfield.
I love it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2021
Worst book of the series, so far.
The book is incredible long, bloated by unending fighting scenes, the book could have easily been cut half without losing a single event, just by cutting the fighting scenes down. After reading through 800+ pages, the story actually regressed, there is a cliffhanger ending, old threats aren't wrapped up but new ones introduced, very unsatisfying reading experience.
Also a series like that _needs_ a character ledger, there have been hundreds of characters introduced so far, the author doesn't bother to help the reader remember either, if you read this with months in between books (as they release) you will often find yourselves wondering who you are reading about, this isn't helped at all by all the Chinese names or people that only have first names.
The book is incredible long, bloated by unending fighting scenes, the book could have easily been cut half without losing a single event, just by cutting the fighting scenes down. After reading through 800+ pages, the story actually regressed, there is a cliffhanger ending, old threats aren't wrapped up but new ones introduced, very unsatisfying reading experience.
Also a series like that _needs_ a character ledger, there have been hundreds of characters introduced so far, the author doesn't bother to help the reader remember either, if you read this with months in between books (as they release) you will often find yourselves wondering who you are reading about, this isn't helped at all by all the Chinese names or people that only have first names.
July 4, 2021
Blah, blah,blah!
Way too much excess dialogue and storytelling that honestly was not necessary. Your first three books were awesome, this one not so much. I would rather read more about Erik and Rugrats instead of the extra fluff. I honestly hope your next book is written better.
Way too much excess dialogue and storytelling that honestly was not necessary. Your first three books were awesome, this one not so much. I would rather read more about Erik and Rugrats instead of the extra fluff. I honestly hope your next book is written better.
July 9, 2021
A book of two parts. Most of the book is really Fourth Realm upgraded with lots of technological formation upgrades and though interesting to read, nothing special or takes the plot ahead. I love Mike's war writing, but this is just a splashy version of battle vs Blood Demon Army. At about 30%, I was skipping ahead to see where the plot moves forward.
The last segment where Seventh realm actually comes into play drags this into spectacular territory and plot moves leaps and bounds. The climax is pretty much unexpected and set up the next book deliciously. I really can't wait.
The whole of 5th, 6th x 2 and 7th all have lots of bloat. Mike should move away from Alva and Special Teams/Army stuff and get back to what made this series special, Eric and Rugrat!
The last segment where Seventh realm actually comes into play drags this into spectacular territory and plot moves leaps and bounds. The climax is pretty much unexpected and set up the next book deliciously. I really can't wait.
The whole of 5th, 6th x 2 and 7th all have lots of bloat. Mike should move away from Alva and Special Teams/Army stuff and get back to what made this series special, Eric and Rugrat!
July 6, 2021
While I found this to be a very nice continuation of the story, I found parts of it to be just too overloaded with detailed fight scenes. Don't get me wrong, I read a lot of military science fiction, and enjoy it quite a lot, but in this case, parts of the story just drag along, because there's just too much time spent explaining every little detail, and that hurts the story some. I did enjoy this installment in the series, but there's just parts of the book where I would wish they'd just get to the point already.
If you've read and liked previous books in the series, you're likely going to like this book as well, though you may be surprised by the ending of the story. On the other hand, if you haven't read previous books in this series, this certainly isn't the place to start. I have to say though, I was disappointed at the nondestruction of the behemoth that was attacking Alpha. It certainly seemed to be within their capabilities, then all of a sudden, everyone just started ignoring it like it no longer existed, and it only got a single mention for the rest of the story, and that was from the guy who owned it, vowing revenge for it's damage. This is probably the only part of the book where I felt the descriptions of the battles did not continue enough. Otherwise, the book was very enjoyable, and I'll of course continue reading books in the series as I find them.
And, just for reference, there is no time spent in the seventh realm during the telling of this portion of the story, so I'm actually quite puzzled why it's called the seventh realm part 1, when the only glimpse of the seventh realm we get has nothing to do with the realm itself, but only a group from it coming to the fourth realm. Kind of makes the title a bit misleading.
If you've read and liked previous books in the series, you're likely going to like this book as well, though you may be surprised by the ending of the story. On the other hand, if you haven't read previous books in this series, this certainly isn't the place to start. I have to say though, I was disappointed at the nondestruction of the behemoth that was attacking Alpha. It certainly seemed to be within their capabilities, then all of a sudden, everyone just started ignoring it like it no longer existed, and it only got a single mention for the rest of the story, and that was from the guy who owned it, vowing revenge for it's damage. This is probably the only part of the book where I felt the descriptions of the battles did not continue enough. Otherwise, the book was very enjoyable, and I'll of course continue reading books in the series as I find them.
And, just for reference, there is no time spent in the seventh realm during the telling of this portion of the story, so I'm actually quite puzzled why it's called the seventh realm part 1, when the only glimpse of the seventh realm we get has nothing to do with the realm itself, but only a group from it coming to the fourth realm. Kind of makes the title a bit misleading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2021
A brilliant installment in the series
This book explored more loss than the earlier ones in the series, and I think it showcased some of the larger players of the Realms and how they operate perfectly. It gave us just a sip of the power at play in higher Realms and left the rest to be explored in its own book, which I appreciate more than some of the more one dimensional storylines we've seen so far in the series. I'm very excited for the next part!
This book explored more loss than the earlier ones in the series, and I think it showcased some of the larger players of the Realms and how they operate perfectly. It gave us just a sip of the power at play in higher Realms and left the rest to be explored in its own book, which I appreciate more than some of the more one dimensional storylines we've seen so far in the series. I'm very excited for the next part!
July 6, 2021
Rather tedious imo.
This series is five star, but this book is a three star at best.
The story was written well, it's the content that is the problem. Just when I would think that there would be a change in pace and the story could get going, we would get a couple hundred more pages nothing but battle scenes.
Too much of even a good thing is still too much and this was just way too much.
This series is five star, but this book is a three star at best.
The story was written well, it's the content that is the problem. Just when I would think that there would be a change in pace and the story could get going, we would get a couple hundred more pages nothing but battle scenes.
Too much of even a good thing is still too much and this was just way too much.
July 15, 2021
Michael's world building is fantasic. His ability to incorporate Chinese magic and cultivation with magical technology and real world combat are superb. His leveling up of the realms the higher you go is amazing.
World Building 10/10
There are simply too many characters and the ones that matter the most aren't being used. Eric and Rugrat are the core of this series and the only reason most people read it. We don't see enough of them.
Characters 4/10
The story is simply amazing in scope and the author is trying his best to tell everything. This is considerably too much bloat and leads to you skipping ahead to see what the end result is.
Storytelling 5/10
I wish this book and series were better. Michael literally cannot pull himself away from useless side characters and focus on what matters. If he could just go back to Eric and Rugrat perspective books, everything would fix itself overnight. He doesn't seem able to do it for personal reasons (think J.K. Rowling and Ron needing to be with Hermione). I don't see the quality going up if he can't fix this core issue of too many perspectives, the series will never be what it was supposed to be.
Overall 6/10
World Building 10/10
There are simply too many characters and the ones that matter the most aren't being used. Eric and Rugrat are the core of this series and the only reason most people read it. We don't see enough of them.
Characters 4/10
The story is simply amazing in scope and the author is trying his best to tell everything. This is considerably too much bloat and leads to you skipping ahead to see what the end result is.
Storytelling 5/10
I wish this book and series were better. Michael literally cannot pull himself away from useless side characters and focus on what matters. If he could just go back to Eric and Rugrat perspective books, everything would fix itself overnight. He doesn't seem able to do it for personal reasons (think J.K. Rowling and Ron needing to be with Hermione). I don't see the quality going up if he can't fix this core issue of too many perspectives, the series will never be what it was supposed to be.
Overall 6/10
June 29, 2021
Mr. Chatfield I have to say.... Although you finally give us Momma Rodriquez your just terrible for who you whacked. I mean REALLY! Ya better have some people miraculously escape or have the whole undead aspect turn people into liches like Egbert.. Cause at least 2 people need to have survived. You kind of left us in the lurch on that with not knowing if they lived or died you just make it seem like they died...
This was an awesome continuation of the series though. Despite the small parts that make it aggravating..
This was an awesome continuation of the series though. Despite the small parts that make it aggravating..
September 23, 2021
Loved it but
I was expecting Rugrat and Eric to visit a different realm or do more interesting things. This part could have been shorter but it would have lost a lot of good parts. I expect great things in part 2.
I was expecting Rugrat and Eric to visit a different realm or do more interesting things. This part could have been shorter but it would have lost a lot of good parts. I expect great things in part 2.
August 10, 2024
The war continues and picks up. And oh what a surprise ending
June 30, 2021
Much better than the previous
More focused narrative, fewer side stories. A huge amount of combat.
I do want to take the proof/beta readers to task, though. It’s not *terrible*, but there were more obvious mistakes than there should be. For instance, veteran troops are ‘blooded’ not ‘bloodied’. Do better.
More focused narrative, fewer side stories. A huge amount of combat.
I do want to take the proof/beta readers to task, though. It’s not *terrible*, but there were more obvious mistakes than there should be. For instance, veteran troops are ‘blooded’ not ‘bloodied’. Do better.
July 3, 2021
It doesn't make sense for me
1 too much open war, full combat for me. The fourth book and this one are too similar.
2 I don't care for the , we're super strong but better not show that and let our people die and have us lose then us being full power from the start. Feels like a DBZ episode and we let the baddies get to their final form.
3 so are our heros crippled again? Do I have to suffer yet another superman kyptonite moment so the author can show adversity? I get it, they went all out. They still got nut sacked cause they're all about hiding.
4 crap title, the 7th realm is not gone to or even really a thing in this book.
This reads like the other works of the author and I feel like he should draw to a close. The book reads like a rehash of book 4 and really doesn't do much. Baddies are bad, goodies are good, but bad wins most times and goodies take it in the teeth for holding back. It felt like I was milked for money.
1 too much open war, full combat for me. The fourth book and this one are too similar.
2 I don't care for the , we're super strong but better not show that and let our people die and have us lose then us being full power from the start. Feels like a DBZ episode and we let the baddies get to their final form.
3 so are our heros crippled again? Do I have to suffer yet another superman kyptonite moment so the author can show adversity? I get it, they went all out. They still got nut sacked cause they're all about hiding.
4 crap title, the 7th realm is not gone to or even really a thing in this book.
This reads like the other works of the author and I feel like he should draw to a close. The book reads like a rehash of book 4 and really doesn't do much. Baddies are bad, goodies are good, but bad wins most times and goodies take it in the teeth for holding back. It felt like I was milked for money.
July 25, 2021
Awesome author, amazing story
Michael C is an amazing author, with several truly outstanding storylines. The Ten Realms storyline is included in that and one of my favorites by this author. This particular book was, as always, well done. The action was amazing, the continuation of the story, even if neither MC made a foot into the seventh realm, the book was still aptly named. One glaring and I warn now, spoiler about to happen. WTH?!?!?! You killed Gilly! BS! I had to actually put story aside for a while before finishing, hoping that something awesome would happen. Not only did that something amazing not occur, but many fun characters were simply wiped. Maybe there is something on the way in next book. I truly hope so, as this truly is such an amazing story, I would hate to find this author making the mistake of tragic twists that only skew the story rather than progress it. Too many things lined up that had insanely small chances to have happen for some mysterious presence never even mentioned before to suddenly show up and destroy so much of this story. Yes, if done right, this could make for a driving force, but too many items unrelated to this story just suddenly appeared to bring about this scenario. For the first time with this author, the story did not feel right. Maybe part two of the seventh realm will answer for much of what happened.
Michael C is an amazing author, with several truly outstanding storylines. The Ten Realms storyline is included in that and one of my favorites by this author. This particular book was, as always, well done. The action was amazing, the continuation of the story, even if neither MC made a foot into the seventh realm, the book was still aptly named. One glaring and I warn now, spoiler about to happen. WTH?!?!?! You killed Gilly! BS! I had to actually put story aside for a while before finishing, hoping that something awesome would happen. Not only did that something amazing not occur, but many fun characters were simply wiped. Maybe there is something on the way in next book. I truly hope so, as this truly is such an amazing story, I would hate to find this author making the mistake of tragic twists that only skew the story rather than progress it. Too many things lined up that had insanely small chances to have happen for some mysterious presence never even mentioned before to suddenly show up and destroy so much of this story. Yes, if done right, this could make for a driving force, but too many items unrelated to this story just suddenly appeared to bring about this scenario. For the first time with this author, the story did not feel right. Maybe part two of the seventh realm will answer for much of what happened.
July 7, 2021
So I pretty much love this series even though it is not perfect. In particular I remember hoping that Sixth Realm parts 1 and 2 would be combined into a single book because part 1 made too little headway on the story. Well Seventh Realm Part 1 is way worse in that regard. The MCs and other members of the Alva coalition find themselves in an all out war with the Willful Institute. This entire book relates the story of two battels- one in the first realm and one in the fourth. The first realm battle is relatively quickly resolved and so this book is really about a single battle.
Additionally, the basis for the first realm battle was fairly ridiculous. The Willful Institute finds some limited evidence that one of the Alvins came from the first realm- something that should be a somewhat common occurrance. For example, we are told that Lord Aditya's adventuring team all left for higher realms without him (due to his injury).
Bottom line: Writing is on par with prior books but this book fails to move the story significantly forward and so readers should wait for the next book in the series before making time for this one.
Additionally, the basis for the first realm battle was fairly ridiculous. The Willful Institute finds some limited evidence that one of the Alvins came from the first realm- something that should be a somewhat common occurrance. For example, we are told that Lord Aditya's adventuring team all left for higher realms without him (due to his injury).
Bottom line: Writing is on par with prior books but this book fails to move the story significantly forward and so readers should wait for the next book in the series before making time for this one.
November 22, 2021
Good writing overall but
It was good writing overall and muuuuuch better edited than the fourth book. However some of the plot choices kinda killed my desire to read anymore of the books.
Its seems like Erik is made to just suffer, he has no one besides Rugrat and Momma Rodriguez that are companion close. His world is suffering in these books, Rugrat gets his mom, Racquel, and George, but if anyone gets that close to Erik like Gilly, they get killed off or it was a one time one night fling four to five books ago. Which I was hoping we would eventually see that trading troupe again.
But ya Eriks role is to suffer, Chonglou he gets poisoned, 3rd realm the entire time he's racing and working himself to the bone to help Rugrat etc etc then you kill off Gilly right after she learns to talks and she was supposed to be really upgraded and more powerful than George...
Idk been doing a sprint through the books but that made me not want to read anymore
It was good writing overall and muuuuuch better edited than the fourth book. However some of the plot choices kinda killed my desire to read anymore of the books.
Its seems like Erik is made to just suffer, he has no one besides Rugrat and Momma Rodriguez that are companion close. His world is suffering in these books, Rugrat gets his mom, Racquel, and George, but if anyone gets that close to Erik like Gilly, they get killed off or it was a one time one night fling four to five books ago. Which I was hoping we would eventually see that trading troupe again.
But ya Eriks role is to suffer, Chonglou he gets poisoned, 3rd realm the entire time he's racing and working himself to the bone to help Rugrat etc etc then you kill off Gilly right after she learns to talks and she was supposed to be really upgraded and more powerful than George...
Idk been doing a sprint through the books but that made me not want to read anymore
September 4, 2021
Ahhh! That was nice. Lots of action here. Actually... almost entirely action. Lots of fun. Lots of giant battles. It was difficult to put it down and I definitely lost sleep this week because I stayed up reading later than intended.
I think the previous books got a lotta complaints about so much time spent on side-characters (looking at you, Yui!)... and I think that was maybe fair in some cases (*cough* Yui *cough*)... but some of those side characters and minor viewpoints were parts I really enjoyed (Elder Lu, those formation school boys, Klaus, etc.). I missed those a bit. I do like the viewpoints from outsiders trying to decipher what is happening with regards to Alva/Vuzgal/Erik & Rugrat, etc.
I think the previous books got a lotta complaints about so much time spent on side-characters (looking at you, Yui!)... and I think that was maybe fair in some cases (*cough* Yui *cough*)... but some of those side characters and minor viewpoints were parts I really enjoyed (Elder Lu, those formation school boys, Klaus, etc.). I missed those a bit. I do like the viewpoints from outsiders trying to decipher what is happening with regards to Alva/Vuzgal/Erik & Rugrat, etc.
July 28, 2021
So many feelings right now.
Atm I’m still a bit stunned. I just finished the book and my feelings are all over the place. Story wise I mean. There is no doubt about how great Michael Chatfield is.
I wish the story had gone differently, I kept hoping for the Sha to show up and help out. But that obviously didn’t happen. I do see why the story went the way it went.
Trying not to write spoilers. It opens up a whole bunch of new possibilities.
I cried for one specific death. After you read it you’ll know,…
And now all I can do is wait for the next part.
IMO the whole 6th realm felt like filler to me. Those 2 books were by far not as good as the general level of these books. But this book, yeah baby! We’re back!
Atm I’m still a bit stunned. I just finished the book and my feelings are all over the place. Story wise I mean. There is no doubt about how great Michael Chatfield is.
I wish the story had gone differently, I kept hoping for the Sha to show up and help out. But that obviously didn’t happen. I do see why the story went the way it went.
Trying not to write spoilers. It opens up a whole bunch of new possibilities.
I cried for one specific death. After you read it you’ll know,…
And now all I can do is wait for the next part.
IMO the whole 6th realm felt like filler to me. Those 2 books were by far not as good as the general level of these books. But this book, yeah baby! We’re back!
September 26, 2021
Author loses plot
I’ve really enjoyed the pacing of these books as a series and things were building nicely to a head with all the plot points. However in the last 10% of the book the author veers wildly off course - crashing down a hill and leaving the reader frustrated. Instead of a continual burn - we have a ex deus machina situation which spoils the series and leaves me with no desire to read the next books
I’ve really enjoyed the pacing of these books as a series and things were building nicely to a head with all the plot points. However in the last 10% of the book the author veers wildly off course - crashing down a hill and leaving the reader frustrated. Instead of a continual burn - we have a ex deus machina situation which spoils the series and leaves me with no desire to read the next books
March 16, 2022
Sometimes One Must Lose A Battle To Win A War.
I'm not sure I believe that bit of sage advice. However, there are many recorded instances of commanders making a choice to sacrifice a portion of their forces to gain a strategic advantage for the remainder of their forces. There are also many recorded instances of a commander meeting a force which so overpowers, out numbers, or out maneuvers their own force that they simply cannot win a conflict and their only options are making a strategic retreat (if their force can manage it), fighting to the death, or surrendering to the superior force. And then there are the instances of poor communications, poor leadership, bad intelligence, bad weather, or plain bad luck leading a commander and their forces to disaster.
Eric, Rugrat, the Alvan Army, and the Adventurers' Guild tread on the razor's edge of such choices and consequences.
This novel, and the series of which it is a part, may be of interest to fans of the broader Fantasy genre and to some fans of Military fiction. Those who enjoy playing RPGs may also enjoy reading this series of novels.
I'm not sure I believe that bit of sage advice. However, there are many recorded instances of commanders making a choice to sacrifice a portion of their forces to gain a strategic advantage for the remainder of their forces. There are also many recorded instances of a commander meeting a force which so overpowers, out numbers, or out maneuvers their own force that they simply cannot win a conflict and their only options are making a strategic retreat (if their force can manage it), fighting to the death, or surrendering to the superior force. And then there are the instances of poor communications, poor leadership, bad intelligence, bad weather, or plain bad luck leading a commander and their forces to disaster.
Eric, Rugrat, the Alvan Army, and the Adventurers' Guild tread on the razor's edge of such choices and consequences.
This novel, and the series of which it is a part, may be of interest to fans of the broader Fantasy genre and to some fans of Military fiction. Those who enjoy playing RPGs may also enjoy reading this series of novels.
July 1, 2021
No mercy in the ten realms
Where to start,there is so much happening,Alva is at war with the Institute across realms 1-4 ,the beast mountain range and Alva itself are threatened by massive armies, the conquered cities in the third realm are under threat and Vuzgal faced the massed armies of the fourth realm.Allies remain neutral and Alva and the guild are fighting for their very existence. Several loved characters die valiantly and thousands are affected ,in the ten realms only the strong survive and despite all Eric and Rugrats efforts they can't save everybody and in the devastating climax old friends return and new far more powerful adversaries are introduced .Throughout Eric and Rugrat continue to cultivate and grow their personal strengths and of course Ma Rodriguez makes a dramatic entrance, a blossoming romance is hinted at and a devastating loss occurs .Absolutely loved the book and eagerly await part two , revenge is going to be a bitch for somebody.
Where to start,there is so much happening,Alva is at war with the Institute across realms 1-4 ,the beast mountain range and Alva itself are threatened by massive armies, the conquered cities in the third realm are under threat and Vuzgal faced the massed armies of the fourth realm.Allies remain neutral and Alva and the guild are fighting for their very existence. Several loved characters die valiantly and thousands are affected ,in the ten realms only the strong survive and despite all Eric and Rugrats efforts they can't save everybody and in the devastating climax old friends return and new far more powerful adversaries are introduced .Throughout Eric and Rugrat continue to cultivate and grow their personal strengths and of course Ma Rodriguez makes a dramatic entrance, a blossoming romance is hinted at and a devastating loss occurs .Absolutely loved the book and eagerly await part two , revenge is going to be a bitch for somebody.
July 24, 2021
More of the same. Long mostly-boring grind, with a lot of scenes of just moving people around the board. Reminiscent in some ways of the later wheel of time stuff. Could have been completed in 1/2 the words without any loss. The author basically just tells the story he wants to tell, without really servicing the plot.
I was also bothered by what I perceive as plot inconsistencies. We used to have to worry about levels to move between realms but now new recruits and Mana Rodriguez can just bounce up to the fourth realm at will. Associations just bailed out without any real reason. Our antagonists have suddenly become much more powerful and intimidating.
The only real positive I found was that the author seems to have made an effort to
I was also bothered by what I perceive as plot inconsistencies. We used to have to worry about levels to move between realms but now new recruits and Mana Rodriguez can just bounce up to the fourth realm at will. Associations just bailed out without any real reason. Our antagonists have suddenly become much more powerful and intimidating.
The only real positive I found was that the author seems to have made an effort to
February 20, 2023
I may need to re-categorize this series as ex-LitRPG. Sure, the realms and the level-up system is pretty standard, but this has gone from personalized leveling and crafting to something closer to Warcraft or Warhammer, complete with massive armies across multiple battlefields.
It's fine if you want all those massive armies with tactics and strategy, but I miss the full experience of Eric and Rugrat doing all they can to become personally powerful, visit new lands, destroy new people.
Heck, for a novel that's called the Seventh Realm, we didn't even get to GO there. It's all just setback after setback and loss of controlled territory. Maybe some people would like this. I didn't mind a lot of it, myself, but after a certain amount of time, I missed what I CAME to these books for.
I'll continue on since it's not unreadable, but I'm doing it mostly to see what the higher realms are like.
It's fine if you want all those massive armies with tactics and strategy, but I miss the full experience of Eric and Rugrat doing all they can to become personally powerful, visit new lands, destroy new people.
Heck, for a novel that's called the Seventh Realm, we didn't even get to GO there. It's all just setback after setback and loss of controlled territory. Maybe some people would like this. I didn't mind a lot of it, myself, but after a certain amount of time, I missed what I CAME to these books for.
I'll continue on since it's not unreadable, but I'm doing it mostly to see what the higher realms are like.
January 2, 2025
Nooo... tell me the book didn't end there! Lucky me this was just the first part and part 2 is all ready out! Wow. Just Wow, what an amazing book... Erik and Rugrat are getting stronger while Erik is tempering his body to diamond, Rugrat is cultivating his mana core to mana heart. The story is filled with tactics and war. First King's Hill in the Beast Mountain Range is attacked but the Alvan army isn't gonna let that happen, not on their watch! And I still tear 😢 up, when they call out for Roll Call at the wall and the names of the fallen are added. Then there's battle for Vuzgal City Dungeon...
You will hafta read it to believe it. So yeah, no doubt about it, you just hafta grab the book and enjoy this battle crazed litRPG. But expect some tears too...
Here's a quote that tickled me:
“Yup! Good show!” Pan Kun grinned as he lowered his own glasses. Twenty soldiers were mooning the battlements.
You will hafta read it to believe it. So yeah, no doubt about it, you just hafta grab the book and enjoy this battle crazed litRPG. But expect some tears too...
Here's a quote that tickled me:
“Yup! Good show!” Pan Kun grinned as he lowered his own glasses. Twenty soldiers were mooning the battlements.
July 14, 2021
Alert
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. I am simply saying that I liked it. I would like you to read it and make your own decision. After all, you are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
“This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
I am not going to share my reasoning, thoughts on the book, or any opinions that would influence your decision to read it. I am simply saying that I liked it. I would like you to read it and make your own decision. After all, you are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
I will happily discuss the book with you on Goodreads if you are so inclined. As always, I am open to debates and arguments, but also vain enough to seek acknowledgement, so feel free to roast me or applaud my efforts. Either is acceptable, because if you are paying attention to me then you are at least considering the book. And THAT my friends is exactly why you see my comments here.
Cheers
January 29, 2022
Awesome
The MC's got their butts kicked by a warship from the 7th realm. This is excellent as its not "military porn" where the god guys never lose. Even thought they were beaten by a more powerful force team Alva and Vuzgal made them pay for it in blood and they went home with nothing but pain for their trouble. The good news.... Alva and the MC's walked away. Wounded, but they walked away and they will, lm sure, come back and explain to their enemies why you dont mess with Erik and Rugrat.
Loving the story. There did seem to be an Inconsistency with teleporting from the Alva to Vuzgal totem while Vuzgal was under attack, but l could be mistaken. All told lm really enjoying the story. Glad theres more books in the series. Yeah!
The MC's got their butts kicked by a warship from the 7th realm. This is excellent as its not "military porn" where the god guys never lose. Even thought they were beaten by a more powerful force team Alva and Vuzgal made them pay for it in blood and they went home with nothing but pain for their trouble. The good news.... Alva and the MC's walked away. Wounded, but they walked away and they will, lm sure, come back and explain to their enemies why you dont mess with Erik and Rugrat.
Loving the story. There did seem to be an Inconsistency with teleporting from the Alva to Vuzgal totem while Vuzgal was under attack, but l could be mistaken. All told lm really enjoying the story. Glad theres more books in the series. Yeah!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2021
War comes to the series, but the series is not lost
Too often I have seen book series falter and fall apart when they attempt to transition from following the progression of a couple of characters to telling the story of the war/broader conflict those characters are a part of. Often, once the series switches to war/broader conflict, it goes way downhill.
That did not happen here. This book describes the broader conflict, but does so without losing the elements that have made the series great so far. I am (already) happily looking forward to the Seventh Realm, part 2, and beyond. That was a fun read!
Too often I have seen book series falter and fall apart when they attempt to transition from following the progression of a couple of characters to telling the story of the war/broader conflict those characters are a part of. Often, once the series switches to war/broader conflict, it goes way downhill.
That did not happen here. This book describes the broader conflict, but does so without losing the elements that have made the series great so far. I am (already) happily looking forward to the Seventh Realm, part 2, and beyond. That was a fun read!
July 5, 2021
It was a nice book with some more world building and back story , but it was simply too combat focused for my taste to be great.
I loved how it added new players , but would have loved 300 less pages on where do different types of ammunition landed and more on intrigue , association and clan building , etc.
I love the world that's been builded and I like the many different POV , it expands the scope, but after reading 10 different times about mana shields and mortar teams reloading it simply got a little winded for me.
Still a great series , want to read more about that world , but half of the book could have been edited to make room for more interesting things.
I loved how it added new players , but would have loved 300 less pages on where do different types of ammunition landed and more on intrigue , association and clan building , etc.
I love the world that's been builded and I like the many different POV , it expands the scope, but after reading 10 different times about mana shields and mortar teams reloading it simply got a little winded for me.
Still a great series , want to read more about that world , but half of the book could have been edited to make room for more interesting things.
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