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A review by a_j_torres0
The Outcast: Prequel to the Summoner Trilogy by Taran Matharu
3.0
This is a Young Adult Epic Fantasy novel.
Book Cover: 3.5* - Well we are of course still sticking to the one color shade for the background, it happens to be my favorite color lmao, but I do love how Arcturus and Sacharissa look, I think they are painted beautifully. The ground I think is the jungle ground the character traverses halfway through the book, I'm not sure, all that purple makes it really hard to tell.
Summary: 3* - Now honestly, the summary sounds like something I've heard before, it even reminds me of The Novice a bit but I have been curious since finding out that a teacher from Vocans Academy was the very first commoner summoner. My curiosity is why this is 3 stars instead of 2.
Characters: 3* - I'm having trouble deciding on this one. The main character we follow is Arcturus, a teacher from the original series that found Fletcher and took him to the academy but as a 16 year old. He's a nice kid . . . but I didn't fall for him as I did Fletcher and many other main characters, but I do like him, even though the dumbass can't decide whether or not he can trust the people he's with and be apart of the rebellion. He has these indecision a lot until he finally makes one towards the end. As for other characters . . . Well a lot of them just seem there for me. We get to meet Fletcher's parents, Edmund and Alice, and what is really disappointing is that although I know that Arcturus and Harold in the original series have explained that the four of them are best friends, we don't actually have wonderful character moments of the gang hanging out, getting to know each other. We just see them together because of a terrible situation they were suddenly thrusted into. Arcturus is alone for most of the book and we see him feel depressed about it, which wholeheartedly, I felt terrible for him. Elaine . . . for a 13 year old she acted more like she was 5, she was annoying as all hell and not at all the woman she is in the original series. Zacharias . . . Well he is still a scumbag as he was in the original series but in this book most of it was his cowardice. He complained and whined a lot, not caring to help out when the moment is needed of him. Josephine, Alice's twin sister . . . she was just there to me. Then there is Elizabeth Cavendish, the soon to be MIA character in the original series. She was a sweet woman, and another character that seems to take on the mentor role character, but just like Arcturus in the original series, she is gone for most of this book. I really wish this author can steer in to moments, not just big ones but small ones too, but it seems he prefers to just get to the point with his books.
World Building: 2* - This is a prequel to the original trilogy, which means . . . nothing really, this book provides nothing new to the world. We are aware of how greedy King Alfric was, pissing off his people, we are aware how shitty the dwarves are treated by humans, we are aware of orcish culture and how they treat certain members of their tribes, and we are aware of how highborn folk also treat lowborn folk, there is just nothing new. The world is the same, the magic system is also less ventured because it isn't something that needs to be rushed because Hominum is not at war with the orcs yet. I just . . . felt really nothing about this book.
Story: 3* - Ok so . . . this is another case of rich versus poor, which I was of course bored by because it is no different from the original series, I'm not kidding, however, I did enjoy the part of the book where the people of Hominum rose up against those of higher status to fix the unbalance between the rich and poor. I honestly don't remember this specific rebellion being mentioned in the original trilogy except for the many dwarven rebellions and the war with orcs and elves on two different fronts. Sadly, there is a good chunk of book in the middle where Arcturus is forced to travel through the jungle to escape from rebels trying to capture them, most of that adventure just reminded me of The Inquisition and I was looking forward of them finally getting out of there. To me the story picks up once the gang make it back to Vocans, and then it is just thrilling lol.
Over All: 3.5* - Over all this book is not a 4 nor is it a 3 for me. As I said before I was very much let down by the lack of character moments between Arcturus and the other characters in the book. Each chapter is anywhere between 2 to 5 pages long where the author is keeping things short and to the point, forgoing world building and even suspense when the moment sounds like it calls for one. The highborns are still dicks with very few good ones while the lowborns either put up with each other or are just as dickish. The book was just . . . fine, it was just fine, I like it but I don't love it. Either way if the author decides to come back to this world, which he has stated before that he does, I would still pick it up and read his next book for the series. This books is a 3.5 for me, but I would probably recommend you read the trilogy first and see how you feel about the world as a whole before getting to this book, my opinion of course.
Book Cover: 3.5* - Well we are of course still sticking to the one color shade for the background, it happens to be my favorite color lmao, but I do love how Arcturus and Sacharissa look, I think they are painted beautifully. The ground I think is the jungle ground the character traverses halfway through the book, I'm not sure, all that purple makes it really hard to tell.
Summary: 3* - Now honestly, the summary sounds like something I've heard before, it even reminds me of The Novice a bit but I have been curious since finding out that a teacher from Vocans Academy was the very first commoner summoner. My curiosity is why this is 3 stars instead of 2.
Characters: 3* - I'm having trouble deciding on this one. The main character we follow is Arcturus, a teacher from the original series that found Fletcher and took him to the academy but as a 16 year old. He's a nice kid . . . but I didn't fall for him as I did Fletcher and many other main characters, but I do like him, even though the dumbass can't decide whether or not he can trust the people he's with and be apart of the rebellion. He has these indecision a lot until he finally makes one towards the end. As for other characters . . . Well a lot of them just seem there for me. We get to meet Fletcher's parents, Edmund and Alice, and what is really disappointing is that although I know that Arcturus and Harold in the original series have explained that the four of them are best friends, we don't actually have wonderful character moments of the gang hanging out, getting to know each other. We just see them together because of a terrible situation they were suddenly thrusted into. Arcturus is alone for most of the book and we see him feel depressed about it, which wholeheartedly, I felt terrible for him. Elaine . . . for a 13 year old she acted more like she was 5, she was annoying as all hell and not at all the woman she is in the original series. Zacharias . . . Well he is still a scumbag as he was in the original series but in this book most of it was his cowardice. He complained and whined a lot, not caring to help out when the moment is needed of him. Josephine, Alice's twin sister . . . she was just there to me. Then there is Elizabeth Cavendish, the soon to be MIA character in the original series. She was a sweet woman, and another character that seems to take on the mentor role character, but just like Arcturus in the original series, she is gone for most of this book. I really wish this author can steer in to moments, not just big ones but small ones too, but it seems he prefers to just get to the point with his books.
World Building: 2* - This is a prequel to the original trilogy, which means . . . nothing really, this book provides nothing new to the world. We are aware of how greedy King Alfric was, pissing off his people, we are aware how shitty the dwarves are treated by humans, we are aware of orcish culture and how they treat certain members of their tribes, and we are aware of how highborn folk also treat lowborn folk, there is just nothing new. The world is the same, the magic system is also less ventured because it isn't something that needs to be rushed because Hominum is not at war with the orcs yet. I just . . . felt really nothing about this book.
Story: 3* - Ok so . . . this is another case of rich versus poor, which I was of course bored by because it is no different from the original series, I'm not kidding, however, I did enjoy the part of the book where the people of Hominum rose up against those of higher status to fix the unbalance between the rich and poor. I honestly don't remember this specific rebellion being mentioned in the original trilogy except for the many dwarven rebellions and the war with orcs and elves on two different fronts. Sadly, there is a good chunk of book in the middle where Arcturus is forced to travel through the jungle to escape from rebels trying to capture them, most of that adventure just reminded me of The Inquisition and I was looking forward of them finally getting out of there. To me the story picks up once the gang make it back to Vocans, and then it is just thrilling lol.
Over All: 3.5* - Over all this book is not a 4 nor is it a 3 for me. As I said before I was very much let down by the lack of character moments between Arcturus and the other characters in the book. Each chapter is anywhere between 2 to 5 pages long where the author is keeping things short and to the point, forgoing world building and even suspense when the moment sounds like it calls for one. The highborns are still dicks with very few good ones while the lowborns either put up with each other or are just as dickish. The book was just . . . fine, it was just fine, I like it but I don't love it. Either way if the author decides to come back to this world, which he has stated before that he does, I would still pick it up and read his next book for the series. This books is a 3.5 for me, but I would probably recommend you read the trilogy first and see how you feel about the world as a whole before getting to this book, my opinion of course.