Kindle Customer

Better than previous book

Revisado: 09-25-24

iI find myself annoyed by so many minor aspects of this series. The MC is so stupid and awkward. He doesn't seem quite as awkward in this book but his general dialogue is still of the "Umm.. well I mean... how is it.. err.. that is, I guess..um..what do I do?" variety.

I'm annoyed as hell after killing a guild full of high level douchebags not only does Clyde not loot the place, he doesn't even loot the guild master. I want to see the badass magic items being looted and how they progress the MC. That's how progression fantasies work and Clyde doesn't progress at all in this one aside from the drain spell stuff. Even lost his kraken tooth!

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

It's free at the moment

Revisado: 09-24-24

VERY generic story even for this genre. MC recruits people for his "thieves guild" by completing a quest for each of them. Fine, I'm okay with simple plots at times.

But the MC is such a low charisma dumbass. His dialogue is probably the worst dialogue I've ever read. Typically his side of the conversation with nearly anyone goes like this: "Um...well....I guess...okay....I mean...what?" I am *barely* exaggerating. He also doesn't use his skills and spells well, gets rid of good items for stupid reasons, fails to loot people he should, and generally makes the worst decision possible in a given scenario. And this isn't the kind of book where this bumbling is meant to be funny.

Why does he even stay in a city where Iron Silence people keep chain murdering him? There's a whole world to explore!

His interactions with women are ridiculous. He has multiple beautiful women slavering over him and his general response is to run away when one talks to him. He does eventually manage to kiss the princess girl but I can *feel* this idiot's awkwardness as he stands there for 30 seconds while his date waits for a goodnight kiss.

Also the "bad guy" is mostly chaotic good. He does nothing bad. He won't even charge rent and lets his buildings fill up with random-ass people.

If you like LitRPGs and have read through the good ones or don't have the credits, that is the only way I'd recommend this

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Meh

Revisado: 09-23-24

Story is ok. I'm listening as I have nothing better to listen to.

The writing is not great but I could forgive it if the MC weren't such a moron. He never uses any of his spells and skills besides passives and drain health. At two points he gains some incredibly powerful spells but when he finds himself in bad situations it doesn't occur to him to use them and he ends the book in a cycle of dying. Why didn't he start using his badass necromancy powers or summon his outsider guardian? Maybe he does this in the beginning of the next book but I doubt it. I'm guessing he just gets killed until someone saves him or some other kind of deus ex machina.

Also has this annoying habit of picking up badass loot, identifying it, reading the description, whereafter he says something like "Wow this is really great for my character. But there's a .1% someone recognizes the item so I better fence it for 10% of its value."

MC also has at least two super hot high class women in love with him and he won't even talk to them. Got a feeling the writer has never gotten anywhere with a woman because the interactions are all so stupid.

Finally for a series called "Bad guys" the MC is basically chaotic good. Goes around risking his life saving random children. Okay. But he starts giving free rent to everyone when he seriously needs money? He hasn't done one "bad" thing in the entire series.

It's depressing how quickly one can run out of good fantasy books to read and end up listening to crap like this. At least it's mostly free at the moment, I guess.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Terrible

Revisado: 09-06-24

Has none of the characters from previous books, replaced by boring family. There's little overall plot. Jason discovers the secret magic societies of earth, clashes with them, introduces his family to magic, is informed the world is about to end and only he can save it, and...in response to all this he decides to go on "walkabout" abandoning his training, Farrah, and everyone else. That's the plot.

How does this dogcrap market for 60 dollars? Even when it was good it was worth maybe 15 max.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A good capstone, if you can get past the flaws

Revisado: 07-18-24

I won't cover too much what is great about this novel. In typical Sullivan fashion theres great characters, a compelling story, and a world that ties together plotlines from four different series. It is a fitting capstone for all the books assuming you went in publication order. But I'm left with some questions that get worse with every novel

1) why is the horn so freaking arbitrary? How many times has it been asked why the king can't blow the horn only for there to be some stupid reason he can't. Well, it is a mystical horn with mysterious rules that only the gods can understand I guess. Except

2) it was designed by a freaking god who can see the future. Why make the rules so cumbersome when it will definitely cause many problems? Even accepting the rules, there are often workarounds that aren't considered. Like im this book, the king can take the horn far from the fhrey (who are already > 24 hrs on horse from the capital), blow the horn, and even if some fhrey wants to challenge him, they can't get to him in time, and after 24 hours he becomes king. Alternatively he can blow the horn and just hide it. He'll be invincible for 24 hours if no one blows the horn, then he's king. Except then the fhrey will be aware Nephron is dead and apparently come kill everyone , except

3) they would acquiesce after the 24h period like in revelations, so no threat, and furthermore, are the elves even that big a threat? In Legends the humans nearly wiped them out and only didn't because of some colossal stupidity on the part of Persephone and Suri, but now 2000 years later, the humans are far more numerous, more advanced, and have something like 100 trained wizards, probably more, including Esra who surpasses everyone in power including Mawn, just needs more training to out-duel him.

4) So why do the few thousand fhrey and handful of myraleath tjink they can just cross the river and kill everyone? Because they can make dragons? They have one right now, and it is contained, and regardless has limited range. It took dozens to even threaten Nephrons army in Legends.

5) So a) Ezra can make dragons too, and apparently two are made but nothing is said about that. And b) the last time a fane ordered citizens to make dragons he instigated a rebellion.

6) Why is it so certain the elves would even want to kill all humans? They've come a long way from the dirty hunter gatherers first encountered by the fhrey. Aside from their short lifespans they've matched or surpassed the fhrey in most ways. The fhrey eventually learned to coexist with dwarves. Are they just so genocidal it is inevitable not only will they want to kill every other race, but that they'll succeed?

I dont see any if this as obvious and it annoys me when these plot points are raised. Really the answer to all these questions is "well we need these things to happen for the revelations finale when the elves godstomp the humans" in which there are many inconsistencies such as dragons apparently no longer having a range, nor people having a problem with making dozens of them.

On top of all this there are some cliffhanger elements beyond what is covered in revelations. Maybe there will be a fifth series covering the last gap and the rise of feudalism.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Good character for once

Revisado: 07-15-24

Farilane is a much better character and novel than Nolyn but ultimately doesn't make a lot of sense. The end is needlessly tragic. The god who can see the future sees no alternate path? Can't fix the horn cuz reasons. Can't win the war in the next 1400 years cuz reasons. Need to go with the mediocre son cuz reasons.

Lots of sappy melodrama and a great sacrifice but in the end I just don't get it and the sacrifice feels forced and kind of meaningless because it's not clear at all why the future of the world requires this particular death. I guess the implication is Thrace and Royce and company might not exist but why would they need to if the prescient god could prevent the end of the empire to begin with, or just sound the horn earlier than planned

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Meh

Revisado: 07-14-24

Probably the weakest of Sullivan's books in the world of Elan. No interesting characters and they have no longevity, being gone by the next book. The plot is pretty basic and predictable. Still, it fills some gaps between the better Legends of the First Empire and Riyria series so fans of these should probably read it for the sake of completion.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Becoming less believable

Revisado: 07-07-24

This series has always had aspects hard to believe even for fantasy, like a stone age civilization turning into late iron age in a matter of months because one girl watched a sword being made, or elvish and dwarvish civilizations having decent metallurgy, architecture, poetry, or whatever, but with no system of writing. But whatever, I was over that.

What really got me in this book is the "idiot plot" element of it.

Persephone: Oh look a bird with a note! The elves must want peace! But wait, they won't talk to our leaders, just our weapon of mass destruction magician Suri. Hey Suri come here!

Suri: Yes, Koenig? You want me to go by myself into the enemy stronghold and negotiate a truce even though I know nothing about negotiation and this sounds suspicious as hell? Sure why not! Wait, should we consult Nyphron?

Persephone: No no, we don't need to consult anyone, just go! Stop the war!

Suri: (a short time later) Hello Mr. ancient elf wizard! The Fane wants to see me personally?! Wow what an honor!

Jhared: Yes of course! We just need you to wear this slave collar that will make you completely helpless. For the Fane's protection of course. We could put both of you into a room warded from magic, but we're going with the slave collar and there's nothing suspicious about that, just put it on.

Suri: I don’t know. This sounds kind of suspicious. Why can't I negotiate with you or find some other solution?

Jhared: Because Suri, there are important elves waiting with the Fane and you must convince them in person. But I mean if you don't *want* to put on the slave collar you can just go back to your people.

Suri: Okay, I'll do that and consult with my leaders to see their opinion on the slave collar, then come back if it's approved. I mean, of course Mr. ancient elf wizard sir, I'll put on the slave collar, just promise me you won't hurt me.

Jhared: We won't.

Suri: Hey oww quit it you lied you big meaney. I never expected genocidal supremacists to lie to those they consider vermin.

And here begins the launching point for the next book, some insane quest to rescue Suri so she doesn't tell the Fane how to make dragons. Apparently there's few elven fighters left and the humans number into the millions but they can't get to the elven city, lay siege to it, cut supply lines, or even burn down the forest near the river because reasons. And Nyphron never asked Suri to build a bridge which would have taken her seconds, just demands another dragon which of course she won't do, and now the Only way to get to her is through the underworld or something. Also I feel pretty sure Suri would kill herself before telling elves how to make dragons, but since elves have dragons in Riyria I expect they break her, just to make it hopeless for the humans again so Nyphron can save them with the horn or whatever.

If you read this far, good job. I still enjoyed the book because the writer is entertaining and I like the narrator but this is vastly more silly than Ryria Revelations, where the main thing that strained my imagination was a man fighting with three swords.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Things I Learned from Age of Swords

Revisado: 07-05-24

Bronze swords will simply slice through copper and stone weapons.

Iron swords will break bronze weapons in a single strike.

This is why it's imperative before fighting the elves we go on an all-female secret quest to get better swords from the dwarves. Said quest is a side plot that spans the entire book. Really it's the main plot, but it feels like a side plot since there's supposed to be this big war with the elves.

It's possible to go from inventing the bow and arrow to making perfect 100 yard shots in a few weeks. Also, elves seemingly don't have bows as Arion doesn't know what the little spears are for, despite elven society having existed for many thousands of years at bronze age level.

Dwarves managed to develop fairly advanced metallurgy, architecture and engineering without understanding even the concept of writing (or math I guess). This is seemingly true of elves as well as Arion seems not to understand either. But Roan develops scripted writing in a few weeks and can decipher unknown languages on tablets in hours.

When bargaining with greedy dwarves to slay demons, make sure to do it without witnesses and without any guarantees they just won't kill you after, much less pay you. Also, be sure to give them incredibly dangerous tablets capable of making dragons. It's okay because they can't read it.

Bow and arrow versus sword is apparently a fair duel, even starting at range, and everyone will just accept the results.

One needs only watch dwarves manufacture a single "iron" sword to become a master blacksmith capable of making steel weapons and armor, if your name is Roan at least.

A pre-wheel stone age culture can jump to mid iron age culture in under a year.

I realize this is a fantasy but you still need good justification for this kind of leap. Merely watching dwarves make a sword does not suffice, even if you're a polymath savant. Stone age people would not understand many of the tools involved much less figure out how to reproduce them and where and how to mine the ingredients for steel.

Still it's a fun story and I like the narrator so whatever. 4 stars.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Things I Learned from Age of Swords

Revisado: 07-05-24

Bronze swords will simply slice through copper and stone weapons.

Iron swords will break bronze weapons in a single strike.

This is why it's imperative before fighting the elves we go on an all-female secret quest to get better swords from the dwarves. Said quest is a side plot that spans the entire book. Really it's the main plot, but it feels like a side plot since there's supposed to be this big war with the elves.

It's possible to go from inventing the bow and arrow to making perfect 100 yard shots in a few weeks. Also, elves seemingly don't have bows as Arion doesn't know what the little spears are for, despite elven society having existed for many thousands of years at bronze age level.

Dwarves managed to develop fairly advanced metallurgy, architecture and engineering without understanding even the concept of writing (or math I guess). This is seemingly true of elves as well as Arion seems not to understand either. But Roan develops scripted writing in a few weeks and can decipher unknown languages on tablets in hours.

When bargaining with greedy dwarves to slay demons, make sure to do it without witnesses and without any guarantees they just won't kill you after, much less pay you. Also, be sure to give them incredibly dangerous tablets capable of making dragons. It's okay because they can't read it.

Bow and arrow versus sword is apparently a fair duel, even starting at range, and everyone will just accept the results.

One needs only watch dwarves manufacture a single "iron" sword to become a master blacksmith capable of making steel weapons and armor, if your name is Roan at least.

A pre-wheel stone age culture can jump to mid iron age culture in under a year.

I realize this is a fantasy but you still need good justification for this kind of leap. Merely watching dwarves make a sword does not suffice, even if you're a polymath savant. Stone age people would not understand many of the tools involved much less figure out how to reproduce them and where and how to mine the ingredients for steel.

Still it's a fun story and I like the narrator so whatever. 4 stars.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña