Jonas

Great banter, lots of intrigue and magic battles

Revisado: 07-23-24

KD Robertson is back with plenty of semi-dystopian vibes and all the intrigue dialed up. We continue to get new mysteries while layers get pulled back. Robertson's stories are definitely more complicated than the norm for the genre, if not convoluted, so readers/listeners have to be on their toes as there are lots of things and worldbuilding to pay attention to. It can be hard to grasp all the factions and the political/corporate structures of the various organizations. The characters are great and we keep getting more depth that might otherwise get lost in all the witty banter and usual harem shenanigans.

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Still great but not as good as the first

Revisado: 01-04-24

I'll preface this review by saying there'll be some spoilers.

Let's start out with the good. The character interactions are great and Harper is still best girl. Also, shout-out to Raya Kane for making Harper sound even more like the sweetheart she is. The group got even more close-knit in this arc and we really got lots of fun moments as well as some heartfelt moments. A lot of focus went into this. There was a lot of awesome progression too. I'm not sure if things will slow down in subsequent books because things went quick in this installment and if the pace continues there'll be nowhere to progress unless there are hidden things. I'm still loving the non-humanoid MC angle as it shakes things up.

Now to the bad or the complaints if you will. Spoiler heavy warning.

Jaden as the antagonist had his built-up wasted. He shows up and is his usually douchy self. We know from the first book that he had this grand plan, we know he isn't particularly competent but he has resources galore. Yet his machinations never go anywhere. The group mostly remained in a separate hidden base after he arrived so other than a few interactions he's just elsewhere and therefore no major shenanigans as we'd expect. So before he can do anything to the group the big battle starts and he just sort of dies immediately. That's it. The villain died before he could villain. Yes, he orchestrated the battle and got betrayed but still. A big reveal of who was really behind it all as in "surprise it wasn't who you thought it was" but we barely get a setup for the guy before he's defeated. Another complaint albeit smaller one is that it didn't really feel like a siege as the title alludes to. When I think of a siege I think of a long drawn out battle where a stronghold is surrounded. However it's more like a couple of attacks by smaller warbands on the fortification before the legion arrives and then later a big battle after the legion arrived that's over the same day. I'm generally not a fan of protracted battles as they're hard to keep interesting so I'm not very upset but like with Jaden it felt like the time spent on setup didn't match the pay off although it wasn't as bad.

I'm not a fan of the hidden prince trope (which is similar and sometimes related to the chosen one trope) which was revealed in this book even though it was foreshadowed. On paper it's a cool reveal but I find it takes away from the accomplishments of the character as it's now essentially revealed they were born to be special.

Last we have the relationship with Persephone. It happened way too quick and in an awkward way. Yes, the deal hasn't been sealed at all and the MC trained under her for 10 years or so but off screen development doesn't feel satisfying. It should have been handled differently and given more time on screen to develop rather than what we got. It's certainly possible that the forced proximity that was established will give it the time it needs before the deal is sealed. Forced proximity can be a fun trope but it felt like a foregone conclusion in this case.

I realize the bad section takes up the most space but that it isn't reflected in the rating. There's a good reason for that: the book was still good, I'm still looking forward to the next and there's room to improve in the third as this might just be a bit of stumple. Also, it's easier to find faults and describe them than pick out the great things as bad things stick out more and linger in your thoughts.

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continues to be a really fun and kinda different story

Revisado: 12-07-23

Dragon arrogance galore and I love it. Although it's starting to become a bit more tempered in this book. Lots of progression too although I'm wondering how long this series is gonna be as the progression happens in pretty big chunks and on paper it either has to slow down or unknown paths forward need to open up - otherwise the pinnacle will be reached in a few books.

The slow burn romance also took a big step forward. I did feel like it was a bit "unearned" as I hoped it would be less magical transformation and more Cammie winning Nico over. Even though it was a long shot I was kinda shipping Nico and the princess priestess which as of this book is more or less off the table entirely. I wonder if that was in response to others feeling the same way and the author proactively shutting it down.

Many big reveals and implications that are exciting to see unfold later. One particular thing happened and was never really addressed so I wonder if this is gonna be a thing that'll be ignored until it eventually blows up or becomes relevant.

In any case, the narrator really captures the personality of the characters especially Nico. Generally I prefer dual narration for romance and that doubles when we get actual female POV chapters and there are more interludes with more POVs than ever in this book (or at least it felt that way). With that being said, I really enjoy his performance and there are no flaws to speak of. I'm certainly looking forward to the fourth book.

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What a finale

Revisado: 11-19-23

The book started a bit slow and meandering but when it got going, it never stopped. I was a bit worried initially with the amount of sex happening and pretty much nothing else within the first few chapters.

Lots of epic fights, progression, setbacks and crazy reveals. I wonder how much was planned ahead of time and how much was spur of the moment.

No new love interests although I feel like 2 were teased but never realized. Again, not sure if it was intentional to not expand the harem and add more "clutter" to resolve in an already packed book or if they were a "maybe" addition that might have been explored if it made sense later down the line.

Jessica Threet continues to be a joy to listen to so not much to say about her performance.

The ending was satisfying but I do feel like not everything got answered and that there arguably are a few loose ends (but not massive ones that would ruin the whole thing). From the afterword, I get the impression that a sequel series might come eventually. So not answering everything might just be a way to leave room to revisit the Sacred Seas. There are definitely things to explore. Things that would almost require it to be Darren. So hopefully not the dreaded "guys, I'll be writing a new book series in that world you love but it'll be with brand new characters you don't care about or your favorite characters' annoying kids". Hopefully some adventures with the queen of darkness, would really love to get to know her more even though mystery is what makes her interesting.

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Another fun little slice of life story

Revisado: 11-14-23

Cute and crazy women is the bread and butter of Virgil Knightley and this book is no exception. It's unclear if this is one and done or it's going to be a series. Perhaps it depends on sales figures but it's written with room for more while feeling self-contained enough to not leaving readers upset if this is it.

I felt that the antagonist and his motivations were a bit contrived and ridiculous but maybe that's intentional. I also felt that there were some glaring problems with how the antagonist was resolved so to speak. Arguably it doesn't matter as much as the romance and comedy is the center stage for this book, not the plot.

The characters are fun, the characters are crazy and the MC has a surprisingly dark backstory for a book like this. A bit bold but I don't mind and it works to setup a plausible reason for him to live out in the woods.

The narrators did a good job. Occasionally it could be difficult to understand the goblins as they don't have regular speech patterns which would be easier to understand in text so I don't think I can fault Mandy for that.

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Great litRPG adventure

Revisado: 10-31-23

Marvin Knight did a great job with this. The characters are fun and in regular LitRPG fashion the classes are strange unique double edged swords where the MC has a potential powerful class that no one knows about but with so many unknown quirks they have to figure out along with the reader. One of the villains were a bit over the top but it did create good tension in that portion of the book. I'm not sure if it's me or the author but I did sometimes feel the stats and rules of the system weren't always applied consistently and sometimes increases didn't come when expected or stat numbers deviated from expectations. Again, it might just be me missing something or maybe explicitly mentioning a change was left out. It was mostly great though so it's only a minor issue and one that I feel is fairly common in LitRPG especially if there isn't a strict and meticulous spreadsheet being used. I did feel like a certain drawback to the class didn't feel as debilitating as the description would suggest but it could be argued that the MC just managed it well. Thumbs up for not spamming full stat sheets every chapter to pad the page count; it really doesn't work in audiobooks and ruins the pacing.

The narrators were great as usual. Only one minor objection: there was a single POV shift chapter where I felt it would have made more sense to switch to Jessica narrating when the POV is a female character. It's a judgement call and I guess the reasoning was to keep it consistent with the rest of the book, especially given it was only one chapter. Maybe I'm just biased because I adore Jessica and her performances.

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Probably the quintessential slice of life story

Revisado: 10-17-23

This might be the best work by either author and by either narrator.

Never a dull moment, great pacing and loveable characters. I was a bit wary of it being set in an orphanage as I find that kid characters are usually annoying or grating. They managed to not only make it tolerable but actually charming. That's very impressive.

The narrators really got to stretch their legs with so many different characters and Jessica especially (whom I'm most familiar with and is possibly the queen of haremlit) really did her best work. I've never not enjoyed her work but this really seemed like she was pulling out all the stops and it was a joy to experience.

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Alyssa does it again

Revisado: 10-07-23

I can't say enough good things about Alyssa's performance. It's criminal she doesn't get more work so I must assume it's merely a side gig for her. I actually laughed out loud multiple times which is a rarity for me so it really speaks volumes about how well Alyssa sold it and the absurd characters Virgil has written. The villain going forward is absolutely crazy and I look forward to her shenanigans.

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A different take in the best of ways

Revisado: 08-20-23

Progression fantasy mixed with the spiciness of harem goodness with a light sprinkle of LitRPG. What's not to like?

The usual human surrounded by otherworldly companions is flipped on its head as the MC is the otherworldly being in the form of a dragon who catches the eye of dragons and women alike.

The progression and cultivation elements are actually nice and don't feel like a thin veneer meant to trick the reader into thinking there's a plot beyond the minimum required to facilitate spicy scenes.

The antagonist does feel somewhat cartoonishly evil but manages to not make it over the top and gives the reader someone to hate.

The narrators did great. A special mention for the performance and delivery for the role of the FMC, Harper. Really gave her a lot of heart which was a wonderful surprise as there were a lot of heartfelt moments that required something extra.

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Another excellent entry in the series

Revisado: 08-06-23

Lots of slice of life goodness although I feel like it has taken a step back in this one compared to the first book. There's less DIY and more demon this time around. I'm not sure how I feel about that. There are still plenty of fun moments.

The narrators deliver excellent performances.

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