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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
Luckily it's been a while since I was reading this serial monthly and now that it's in book form, reading it all at once is a delight! Seeing Zorian's incremental advances in magic hits even better clumped together in these arcs. On my first read I remember being particularly hooked when Zach and Zorian start to do everything together, so I'm pumped to experience the next few books! Definitely got more used to Jack's narration since the first too.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fun book, definitely stalled in a couple of places for some lore/exposition dumps that I think may have relevance for later parts of the series? But I always enjoy a good time loop story and this one has a good amount of mystery and twists on it!
Arc 1/3
Took me a little while to get into, especially the voice actor's accents, but eventually the narration grew on me. I loved the interaction with the wider cast at the latter parts, especially the sister and Matriarch, and I'm excited to see what's next.
Took me a little while to get into, especially the voice actor's accents, but eventually the narration grew on me. I loved the interaction with the wider cast at the latter parts, especially the sister and Matriarch, and I'm excited to see what's next.
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
Mother of Learning part 1 was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. The first part of the book was pretty uninteresting but when the time loop gets introduced, my interest immediately picked up. However, the book started to drag and it's clear the book needed an editor to tighten the plot. The book did not earn its page count. However, I was intrigued enough by the ending that I'm willing to give part 2 a chance.
Mother of Learning is a web serial but I listened to the first part on Audible. The narration style is a choice that I think will irritate many listeners. I found the the campy, over-the-top British snobby accent kind of fit the semi-whimsical tone of the book. Many of the side characters are given very cartoon voices as well. It definitely makes the book feel more YA, veering toward Middle Grade. However, the plot is dark enough that I wouldn't consider this a Middle Grade book, but it's arguably YA.
Zorian is about to start his third year at magic school and we follow him from the day he leaves home all the way through his first month of school. We learn about how he is the disfavored son of his famous family. We watch him learn spells, but none of the characters really come to life and the story is pretty rudimentary. However, something happens at the end of the first month and he gets sent back a month to the day he wakes up before starting his term at school.
This groundhog like day premise is pretty unique and it does make the book more fun to read. Zorian is able to remember everything he learned in the month before time starts over again so he utilizes that time accumulating knowledge and trying to learn how he's in this time loop and if there is any way to stop it.
Like I said at the beginning of the review, I felt the book dragged on unnecessarily long and the book started to feel repetitive. The plot didn't feel like it had any forward momentum, it just felt like an accumulation of events that somehow resulted in the book's climax. For the length of the book, the character development is pretty weak. The main character still feels very one-dimensional. I have to feelings in any way toward him. He's a bit of an obnoxious teenager, but he's not offensive, but not someone you're going to root for either. Some of the side characters are fun, especially the sentient spiders (and as I someone who hates spiders, this is a feat) but overall it's glaring weakness of the book.
The writing is as you'd expect for a web serial. It's not bad, but there is nothing special about the prose. It's very pedestrian and the dialog is uninspired, but it wasn't painful to read. For the most part, I didn't notice the prose, but there were occasions where it stood out as being juvenile or simple.
I'm a little bit baffled by the high ratings for the book. Maybe people feel kinder to independently published, or self-published works, but this is pretty average for a fantasy novel. I admit it can be a fun read at times, but it certainly isn't worthy of a 4.2+ star average rating. That said, if you're in the mood for a mostly plot-driven book with a fun, sometimes zany premise, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this. But don't let the average rating fool you into thinking this book is some sort of masterpiece.
Mother of Learning is a web serial but I listened to the first part on Audible. The narration style is a choice that I think will irritate many listeners. I found the the campy, over-the-top British snobby accent kind of fit the semi-whimsical tone of the book. Many of the side characters are given very cartoon voices as well. It definitely makes the book feel more YA, veering toward Middle Grade. However, the plot is dark enough that I wouldn't consider this a Middle Grade book, but it's arguably YA.
Zorian is about to start his third year at magic school and we follow him from the day he leaves home all the way through his first month of school. We learn about how he is the disfavored son of his famous family. We watch him learn spells, but none of the characters really come to life and the story is pretty rudimentary. However, something happens at the end of the first month and he gets sent back a month to the day he wakes up before starting his term at school.
This groundhog like day premise is pretty unique and it does make the book more fun to read. Zorian is able to remember everything he learned in the month before time starts over again so he utilizes that time accumulating knowledge and trying to learn how he's in this time loop and if there is any way to stop it.
Like I said at the beginning of the review, I felt the book dragged on unnecessarily long and the book started to feel repetitive. The plot didn't feel like it had any forward momentum, it just felt like an accumulation of events that somehow resulted in the book's climax. For the length of the book, the character development is pretty weak. The main character still feels very one-dimensional. I have to feelings in any way toward him. He's a bit of an obnoxious teenager, but he's not offensive, but not someone you're going to root for either. Some of the side characters are fun, especially the sentient spiders (and as I someone who hates spiders, this is a feat) but overall it's glaring weakness of the book.
The writing is as you'd expect for a web serial. It's not bad, but there is nothing special about the prose. It's very pedestrian and the dialog is uninspired, but it wasn't painful to read. For the most part, I didn't notice the prose, but there were occasions where it stood out as being juvenile or simple.
I'm a little bit baffled by the high ratings for the book. Maybe people feel kinder to independently published, or self-published works, but this is pretty average for a fantasy novel. I admit it can be a fun read at times, but it certainly isn't worthy of a 4.2+ star average rating. That said, if you're in the mood for a mostly plot-driven book with a fun, sometimes zany premise, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this. But don't let the average rating fool you into thinking this book is some sort of masterpiece.