A review by thinde
Axiom by Dakota Krout, Dennis Vanderkerken

5.0

4.5 Stars

I'm a sucker for a good cultivation story as I like the depiction of systematic and measured progress. This novel is a good example of the genre, taking particular care to describe the protagonist's methodology.

What elevates Axiom above its peers, however, is the depiction of loving wisdom. For once we don't see someone obsessively seeking strength out of fear or vengeance, but instead, they strive due to a protective instinct. There was a brief and fascinating scene where the Elder gave up the person he had been, in order to consciously become the person that his children needed. The moment resonated with me.

I also treasured the way his loving nature transformed those around him. Any decent person who came within the Elder's circle was shriven of their worries and departed, happy and purposeful. That's the sort of influence for which we all should strive.

Don't get me wrong, this is not high-brow, arty literature. It has plenty of action. But it also has a true heart.