Dave Wagner > Recent Status Updates

Strange to set it in an alternative "our world". Not sure this is clicking with me....

Giving up on this one. *yawn*

I've never read it before... and yet I've read it before many times. What a tired premise. Mysterious precocious backwater orphan miraculously gains access to prestigious school, makes enemies, (and one friend), is bullied by students and staff alike, becomes apprentice under quirky old professor, wins everything, is revealed to be super-rare special someone.... Bleh. So rote and predictable.

I've loved this in previous readings, I'm still loving it this time. Don't know what to say.... this author's style and imagination just really connect with me. One of my faves. I wish Mr Hamerton would write more!

Reading this for class, so I'm not sure this counts! It's clearly written, and nicely supported so far. It isn't an inscrutable slog, like other titles I've tried reading in my study of church history. As usual, I'm left with more questions than answers, but that's my particular personality quirk, which has nothing to do with the authors.

Beginning a fresh re-read of this wonderful series, for 2025. I love warming my hands over old fires....

Bleak, overwhelmingly heavy-handed beginning. Not really enjoying it -- it's like it opened with the climax. People are dying, but there's been no time for emotional investment yet, so the impact is lost on me... Nevertheless, I've read great things about the series, so I'll press on...

I remember liking this a lot when last I read it. I like it even more this time around. Wonderful wordsmithing on display here. Highly recommended.

Such an excellent read. I think beat for beat, line for line, moment by moment, JD Ross' skill as an author shines as bright as any other fantasist active today. I really wish he was more prolific.

Enjoying a re-read of this excellent series. Great author.

So much for trying to read slowly and enjoy the ride while it lasts.... I'll be done today... I can tell by how the final act is shaping up, that this book is very aptly named... It's the reading equivalent of sliding down a muddy slope towards the edge of a cliff... I can't stop reading.... hopefully it doesn't destroy me.... too much....

Ahh, bittersweet. I'm trying to read slowly, to savor this new installment, knowing it will be a painful wait for the next volume. But the story, characters and writing are so delicious, it's hard to slow down.

Well... I could already read the series again. And then again....

The ideas are here, but there's something a bit grating about this ride so far. I'll keep going and see how things progress...

Bittersweet. I'm almost through the available books. It will be today. Then my wrestling match will be against that "post-series sense of listlessness" that sets in when you want to proceed with a killer series but cannot.... yet....

Love these characters, this world, this author. Too bad Carl wasn't running for President. He'd have my vote.

Good grief, I haven't had a case of "page lock" this bad since forever. Every free minute I have, I am reading this series. In a sense, I'm glad this is the last currently-available book. I have school work and other work-related projects to tend to.... I have to stop reading.... My will-power is totally shot.

Great series, in every sense of the word. I can't get over how creative this is. Kudos, Mr. Dinniman.

Loving the ride, yet dreading the fact I only have Vol 6 and 7 ahead of me.... I suppose I could just re-read the series straight away.... I've never done that before.... hmm....

Just beginning this book... got diverted by a different highly-captivating series. But I like the premise and style of this book so far (only 10 pages in), so I'll definitely return to this once the other series releases me from its grip...

Time to settle in for another fun ride. So glad I found this series.

I haven't enjoyed a reading stretch like this in ages. Love this series, these characters, this author. Incredible creativity. If you've ever played and enjoyed a dungeon crawler game, you will love this series...

Continues strong, funny, highly enjoyable from where Book 1 left off. This series may be my new guilty pleasure.

Fun story, easy to read and enjoy, especially if you are an RPG gamer, or have ever been a D&D player. Saw this suggested on TikTok, picked it up. Glad I did. Very creative, silly, fun, with surprising layers to it.

Hard to explain. Kind of aggressive in style and tone, but once I got the hang of it, I started appreciating it, and now I'm well hooked. I like the idea of a MC who is wrestling not to give into her destructive, villainous impulses (thus confirming everyone's suspicions about her), and instead force herself to be good. Creative, novel, solid.

Clunky worldbuilding in Act 1, and a rough writing style, makes perseverance necessary. Once Act 2 begins, at the Academy, the book settles in. Somewhat predictable, but it's a good ride now.

Crunchy, labored prose makes it difficult to read, like walking against the wind. I've read/heard endless praise for this book, so I shall continue. Still, the author either intentionally makes the reader work for it, or is unaware of his contrarian creative approach.

Pretty solid when it stays in the present... the endless flashbacks are wearing on my nerves. Ah well, such are the perils of world-building, eh?

I was kind of dreading this one after the mild disappointment of Volume 2, but I'm actually enjoying this one a lot. I love the siege dynamics and the character of Duarenja even though I should dislike him immensely. He's a great character - the main reason to finish the trilogy. And Psellus is a surprise and delight as well.

This story is grinding me down. There isn't much positive, or many uplifting elements to help take the edge off of the consistent "bad to worse" trajectory of the story. Plus, the main character (Vaatzes) is progressively less palatable as the tale unfolds. Not even in the somewhat satisfying anti-hero way, either. He's just more and more of a heartless prick.

I just passed wind. It was beautiful. That is all.

I seem to have read this one before, but I'm a third of the way through this second read-through, and I literally have ZERO memory of anything about it. I mean, it's like I'm reading a brand new book. Nothing is even triggering slight recollections. Weird. That means it's thoroughly forgettable, or I have mental issues, lol...

I recently bought the whole series, so I wanted to start from Book 1. Good thing.

Very enjoyable, page to page... but to step back and really, objectively look at the story, structure and flow? Some aspects feel rushed and/or under-cooked.

Nearing the end of this book - I realize there will be two additional titles. This is definitely a solid book, a great tale, well-told. I was hoping to see a little bit of my favorite character -- Gorst -- on the battlefield again. Maybe next book.