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sagali's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
leeleet's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I’ve found a new favorite series. This was a fun ride and I will definitely be continuing the series. I loved the characters and the world. This should have the popularity of Harry Potter. It deserves it way more.
hebberelle's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely interested to see where this is going. A bit young, and it reads like someone's D&D game, which is fun. The characters are unique from each other which is rare in these kinds of books, although they're all a bit blown out of proportion.
refriedguy's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
shazbot3000's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-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
4.75
A good start, but this book feels like a proof of concept. Not that this book isn't good, but the later books in the series far eclipse this one.
queencam's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
3.5
Weirdly bad writing but it cooks
songwind's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a quick and enjoyable read, brought to my attention by an author post on r/fantasy.
Overview
Hugh is a student at a huge magical academy - and may very well be the worst one. Nothing he does goes right - spells overload, fail entirely, or do the unexpected. He's also from Emblin, where magic is mistrusted, which sets him apart from his peers even more.
He's also attracted the attention of one of the school bullies, a noble boy and his cronies.
Luckily for him, he has attracted the attention of one of the full mages, as well.
Positives
First off, I liked Hugh. It would have been easy for Hugh to turn into an annoying whiner. And he does his share of whining. But it feels realistic, and it's not his main mode of operation. When the basic course work doesn't work for him, he doggedly keeps at it, even as it depresses him. He also tries to play to his strength (ward building). I felt like Hugh presented a very realistic and relatable portrait of a young man suffering from anxiety and depression.
I also liked Hugh's mentor and fellow apprentices. All of them are odd ducks, and form an unlikely sort of family. Their interactions felt very real, and had enough warts and missteps not to seem idealized.
The group's adventures were well paced and entertaining. I thought Bierce achieved a solid balance telling us about the group's training/studies without bogging down the plot with too much minutia.
Bierce's writing was solid but not particularly beautiful or artistic. But...
Negatives
There are a few editorial problems with the book. "To" instead of "too," that kind of thing.
More telling is that there are a few places (3 or 4) where he clearly gets the names of the female apprentice characters mixed up, which can be pretty confusing. Especially when "Sabae" starts haranguing Hugh, until eventually Sabae has to step in and make Talia lay off. Thankfully, with an ebook the author can make those corrections on the fly.
The cast is very small. Most of the book is just the 3 apprentices and their friend Godrick, with important but brief cameos from their two masters. The rest of the teachers are basically ciphers, with most not even getting names.
Rhodes, the bully, is entirely flat. No effort is made to explain why he's like that, or even what set him off against Hugh. Given the severity of his reactions at a couple points in the book, this seems important. You don't go that far just because someone's a country bumpkin and you don't like his face. This lack kills the emotional impact of Rhodes' scenes, leaving him feeling more like a severe storm or other dangerous event than an antagonist.
Summary
Despite its flaws, the positives more than make up for them. I had a great time reading this book, and am looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Overview
Hugh is a student at a huge magical academy - and may very well be the worst one. Nothing he does goes right - spells overload, fail entirely, or do the unexpected. He's also from Emblin, where magic is mistrusted, which sets him apart from his peers even more.
He's also attracted the attention of one of the school bullies, a noble boy and his cronies.
Luckily for him, he has attracted the attention of one of the full mages, as well.
Positives
First off, I liked Hugh. It would have been easy for Hugh to turn into an annoying whiner. And he does his share of whining. But it feels realistic, and it's not his main mode of operation. When the basic course work doesn't work for him, he doggedly keeps at it, even as it depresses him. He also tries to play to his strength (ward building). I felt like Hugh presented a very realistic and relatable portrait of a young man suffering from anxiety and depression.
I also liked Hugh's mentor and fellow apprentices. All of them are odd ducks, and form an unlikely sort of family. Their interactions felt very real, and had enough warts and missteps not to seem idealized.
The group's adventures were well paced and entertaining. I thought Bierce achieved a solid balance telling us about the group's training/studies without bogging down the plot with too much minutia.
Bierce's writing was solid but not particularly beautiful or artistic. But...
Negatives
There are a few editorial problems with the book. "To" instead of "too," that kind of thing.
More telling is that there are a few places (3 or 4) where he clearly gets the names of the female apprentice characters mixed up, which can be pretty confusing. Especially when "Sabae" starts haranguing Hugh, until eventually Sabae has to step in and make Talia lay off. Thankfully, with an ebook the author can make those corrections on the fly.
The cast is very small. Most of the book is just the 3 apprentices and their friend Godrick, with important but brief cameos from their two masters. The rest of the teachers are basically ciphers, with most not even getting names.
Rhodes, the bully, is entirely flat. No effort is made to explain why he's like that, or even what set him off against Hugh. Given the severity of his reactions at a couple points in the book, this seems important. You don't go that far just because someone's a country bumpkin and you don't like his face. This lack kills the emotional impact of Rhodes' scenes, leaving him feeling more like a severe storm or other dangerous event than an antagonist.
Summary
Despite its flaws, the positives more than make up for them. I had a great time reading this book, and am looking forward to seeing what comes next.
meganmarie1212's review against another edition
2.75
Hugh is a mage at a magic school. His education is overseen by a powerful mage that tells him he is a rare warlock. To save his friends in the labyrinth he unknowingly pacts with a sphinx.
plikesoc's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm probably just not the target audience for this.
The skeleton of this book is fairly generic. Insecure and socially anxious (but secretly special and gifted) teenage MC in a magic academy has an eccentric teacher, makes friends, takes exams, gains confidence, stands up to his bully, yada yada. This book spices it up a bit with interesting worldbuilding and some uncommon variants of elements, but ultimately it doesn't stray too far from the formula.
The writing is competent but not outstanding. Similarly, the prose is good but not great.
Honestly, the book is above average in its niche, so if you're in the market for a YA progression fantasy, it's worth a shot.
The skeleton of this book is fairly generic. Insecure and socially anxious (but secretly special and gifted) teenage MC in a magic academy has an eccentric teacher, makes friends, takes exams, gains confidence, stands up to his bully, yada yada. This book spices it up a bit with interesting worldbuilding and some uncommon variants of elements, but ultimately it doesn't stray too far from the formula.
The writing is competent but not outstanding. Similarly, the prose is good but not great.
Honestly, the book is above average in its niche, so if you're in the market for a YA progression fantasy, it's worth a shot.