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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Update after second read: giving it the full 5 stars now. Though I didn't love the series that technically comes before this book (The War of Broken Mirrors—liked it, didn't love it), having all of that background made me love Keras/Taelian even more. This was a delightful book even without that background knowledge, but *sigh*
Original Review:
4.5 stars and whew, what a ride! This is my second Andrew Rowe book, and he is quickly becoming a favorite. His characters and the way they play off each other are especially delightful, bringing lighthearted humor to otherwise rather dire situations. You've got Keras, an upstanding, very moral guy who struggles internally against his sword which is filled with destructive magic he can only barely contain, and who is pretty darn good at finding creative ways to solve problems. Then you've got Raika, a dragon/dragon-shifter who has thus far lived much of her life vicariously through novels, particularly romance novels, and thus doesn't quite know how to social yet. And finally there's Dawnbringer, a sapient sword with a penchant for sass and making Keras blush. The plot feels a little meandering at times, but I didn't care much, just because the characters were so fun to hang out with! Upon finishing this book, I immediately purchased the sequel and placed it at the top of my reading list.
Original Review:
4.5 stars and whew, what a ride! This is my second Andrew Rowe book, and he is quickly becoming a favorite. His characters and the way they play off each other are especially delightful, bringing lighthearted humor to otherwise rather dire situations. You've got Keras, an upstanding, very moral guy who struggles internally against his sword which is filled with destructive magic he can only barely contain, and who is pretty darn good at finding creative ways to solve problems. Then you've got Raika, a dragon/dragon-shifter who has thus far lived much of her life vicariously through novels, particularly romance novels, and thus doesn't quite know how to social yet. And finally there's Dawnbringer, a sapient sword with a penchant for sass and making Keras blush. The plot feels a little meandering at times, but I didn't care much, just because the characters were so fun to hang out with! Upon finishing this book, I immediately purchased the sequel and placed it at the top of my reading list.
I found Keras to be the most interesting character from the Arcane Ascension series, so it was cool to get some of his backstory. This book had a lot fewer extended battle sequences as well, so it felt like the right amount of book for the story. Some of the jokes and things were cheesy, but that felt true to the characters. Reika and Dawn were strange and entertaining companions, and they ended up being a pretty good team in the end. Based on where we were left, it seems like this book was meant to be a big setup for what comes next, so I just hope the second book in this spinoff doesn't revert back to being too long and too detailed.
Did I just read a book about a guy who runs around with his buddies who happen to be a talking sword and dragon who loves romance novels?
Was that guy just absolutely ridiculous sometimes because he was just so ridiculously good and honourable?
Did not all that much happen really besides Keras kicking everybody’s trash?
Was my all time favourite POV character of all existence in this book for a smidge? And did I cry at every mention of this love of my life Corin?
Did I actually like this book?
The answer to all of these questions is a resounding YES.
Was that guy just absolutely ridiculous sometimes because he was just so ridiculously good and honourable?
Did not all that much happen really besides Keras kicking everybody’s trash?
Was my all time favourite POV character of all existence in this book for a smidge? And did I cry at every mention of this love of my life Corin?
Did I actually like this book?
The answer to all of these questions is a resounding YES.
I'm a big fan of this series. This wasn't my favorite so far because of the playful romance undertones.
The plot is Keras sharing his story of entering a new world. One guess what he is searching for. It is a fun ride but not many deep undercurrents in this one.
The plot is Keras sharing his story of entering a new world. One guess what he is searching for. It is a fun ride but not many deep undercurrents in this one.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Young swordsman gets transported to another continent, and befriends a dragon and a sword. Adventures ahoy!
This is very different in tone than the Arcane Ascension series. It's also considerably shorter - a lighthearted romp through countryside, with optimism and naivette of our characters providing a much needed distraction from covid shanenigans. Yes, the dialogue was a bit juvenile (Keras is telling his story to a group of teens, but still...), our characters were powerful and a bit shallow... but it was fun.
3 stars, pushed up to 4 because this is self-published, and that deserves an extra star.
This is very different in tone than the Arcane Ascension series. It's also considerably shorter - a lighthearted romp through countryside, with optimism and naivette of our characters providing a much needed distraction from covid shanenigans. Yes, the dialogue was a bit juvenile (Keras is telling his story to a group of teens, but still...), our characters were powerful and a bit shallow... but it was fun.
3 stars, pushed up to 4 because this is self-published, and that deserves an extra star.
Another great book by Rowe; it was fun seeing Keras from a first person point of view back before he was quite so much of a powerhouse.
Four books done in my five book detour between Arcane Ascension #2 and #3!
Four books done in my five book detour between Arcane Ascension #2 and #3!
Least favorite of the books in this world so far, primarily because the "comedy" got extremely grating.