Here are mini reviews for fantasy and science-fiction books I read from July to September 2024. Give them a shot if they sound interesting.

The links lead to the book page on goodreads, from where I've also copied a portion of the blurbs for this post.

Mana Mirror by Tobias Begley

Blurb

When Malachi Baker stumbles into an offer of apprenticeship from the esteemed and powerful Occultist Orykson, he's left in shock and jumps at the chance to learn... Even if it means taking out a few loans. Torn between the mage who can offer him everything, and a strange old woman who offers him the chance to guide his own path, Malachi is left scrambling to find his purpose as a new mage.

Review

I loved the concept of mana gardens and the myriad customization options. It gives a much better visualization of the magical concepts as well as paves way for interesting interactions like visiting the magical space, tending to it, etc. Writing and plot was easy to follow and the worldbuilding was nice. Characters were memorable and I liked that many of the side-characters were good, competent and helpful in nature. I especially enjoyed the unexpected power up around the 80% mark and the twists at the end of the first book.

After that, I read through the rest of the series on royalroad. I especially enjoyed the trials in the third volume.

Trader Jim's by Jason Hill

Blurb

If you want a story that is designed to be a simple slice of life tale that is a fun, easy, and relaxing read, then right this way folks, because Trader Jim's is for you!

Review

This was an enjoyable lighthearted read. I love merchant stories, especially when the main character is generally a good person and there are plenty of good side characters. The starting was a bit rough and I almost thought about dropping the book. A few surprising twists got me interested and I just kept reading. I especially liked visiting new places and all the stuff that Jim introduced to the fantasy world based on his experiences from Earth. The romance sub-plot was nice, even if it was a bit too cheesy. Would've been a more enjoyable experience if the book had been edited better — too many typos, some repeated stuff (like too many instances of thank-yous), etc.

Immortality Starts with Generosity by Plutus

Blurb

Live generously or die trying. A lost soul from Earth transmigrates into a world of cultivation and finds himself in the body of a playboy noble who is wasting his life. Except Chen Haoran doesn't have any memories, can't let anyone know he's not the same person, and is immediately involved in a conspiracy with another powerful noble family involving the downfall of a prominent young genius. Luckily, he came to this world with a power: Whatever he gives to someone as a gift he'll get it back 100 times better.

Review

At first, I thought the main character had a very OP skill and things would just be too easy. But the restrictions and other difficulties in taking advantage of the ability was good to see. I especially liked the sloth familiar and how it paid off at a critical juncture. I'd say most of the important characters were done well. However, I wasn't a fan of the revenge plot against the Lan family — if everybody in that family was irredeemable, how does this world even survive? The starting chapters seemed a bit better edited than what followed — lots of typos and many instances where the writing was a bit too confusing to understand what was happening. Overall, I enjoyed the book despite the flaws and looking forward to see how the story shapes up.

I liked the second book better, especially the various plot twists that often raised the stakes. Due to all the travel Chen had to do, we got to see some cool worldbuilding too. I wasn't that interested in the conflict which is shaping up to be a major war, but it did make for some cool moments. Good to get some more depth to the generosity skill, though I'm hoping we'll get to know just how that is possible. Phelps the sloth continued to be the best character ;)

Artificer's Quest (Father of Constructs #4) by Aaron Renfroe

Blurb

Time is running out, and the most ambitious adventurers in the world are coming after Harvey and his friends. Harvey, Reacher, and Tabitha have all been touched by the Eldritch and gained incredible new abilities as a result. But at what cost?

Review

There were some plot twists that I didn't see coming. The book was on similar lines to the previous ones — Harvey creating awesome constructs, nice action, etc. With this arc coming to a close in the next book, a lot of the build-up so far are coming together. Looking forward to it. Empty lines between paragraphs were annoying though.

Silver Stars (Guardian of Aster Fall #8) by David North

Blurb

The Lord of Silver Stars is rising and his allies are rising with him! Sam's strength as an Astral Titan is greater than anything seen on Aster Fall since the First War shattered the world. He commands three armies and the fortress of Silverguard stands firm in the Void, but enemies surround him on every side.

Review

This book was mostly focused on tying up many of the interesting events from the earlier books. Sam continued to grow in power and character — at this point there's not much he can't do or come up with a way to handle the issues. I still remember being annoyed by his angst in the first book — he's almost a gentleman compared to those early days of progression. And he has the most fearsome army to back him up. Looking forward to the new experiences to come in the next book.

When Wizards Follow Fools (Arcane Ascension #5) by Andrew Rowe

Blurb

Corin Cadence has been summoned to meet with the Emerald Council, a political summit including the most powerful of all attuned and their closest political allies. His summons came with a dire warning — that war was coming to the nation of Valia. But while Valia is no stranger to warfare, the circumstances of this invasion are dire.

Review

This book was more enjoyable to read compared to the emotionally devastating battle at the end of the fourth one. As usual for this series, we got to see plenty of enchanting stuff, action scenes, political maneuvering, magical theory and research, etc. I especially enjoyed Corin using his powers in a politically charged meeting and the resulting alliances.

The Emerald Council meeting brought many powerful players together and tied many of the plot points that had been building from the first book. And there's still so much left to explore!

Mark of the Fool #8 by J.M. Clarke

Blurb

A secret has been revealed, and others will follow. After a terrible revelation, Alex Roth must unlearn everything he knows of Thameland and the cycle of the Ravener, all the while hunting for the hidden priests of Uldar’s Rise.

Review

This book was mostly build-up for climatic events to come. While the aftermath of the battle from the previous battle led to a few important discoveries, it wasn't as tension filled as I hoped it would be given the circumstances. Then we got to see Alex training to improve his already impressive repertoire of magical skills, including some really risky plans for the future. It was nice to see a few glimpses of his business ventures. We did get couple of action scenes too, but overall this book wasn't as satisfying as I expected.

Since the series was complete on royalroad, I read the remaining chapters there. Unfortunately, much of it was bloated even when I skipped/skimmed a lot. I feel like the whole series could've been completed in 5-7 volumes.

The Archmage (Journals of Evander Tailor #4) by Tobias Begley

Blurb

Time is ticking on Evan's clock. With the pinnacle of his work as an enchanter and freedom fighter growing ever closer to fruition, he needs to find a solution that won't throw all of Paerús into magical bondage to Faerie King Tailor, preferably while saving himself along the way.

Review

This was good concluding entry with plenty of enchanting and pleasing twists. I especially liked the teaching classes and it was great to see how far Evander had grown in strength and confidence. While there was the larger plot racing towards a conclusion, it was the small things like Evander helping students in terms of materials and opportunities not easily available for everybody that I enjoyed more. Looking forward to more stories set in this world.