Bingeable book series: The Dark Thorn Academy series.
The DarkThorn Academy SeriesandWhy you should read it
I'm certain most of you have never heard of this series. I came across it as a part of a promotion. Truthfully, it sat in the library unread for who knows how many months before I decided to try it. This book fits nicely in the LitRpg genre but isn't necessarily defined by those tropes. In fact the further into the series you go the less it seems to feel like a LitRpg novel and more like a blend of fantasy and sci-fi.
There are 7 books in the series. I'm currently on book six. However, I read about 2 of these books a week until the sixth. The only reason for the slowdown is life got in the way for a bit. While these books are by no means Tomes, they aren't small. Each one ranges between 420 to 500 pages.
Now here's why you should read them.
Plot/WorldBuilding: Starts out (5 out of 5 stars)...Ends (3 out of 5)The story primarily follows Jack Vance, a half-dwarf/half-human protagonist that lets his temper and pride get the better of him. We begin the see the classic mentor-and-mentee relationship develop between Jack's grandfather and him when it is abruptly cut short by his grandfather's murder. Jack's options are to rot in jail or go to school to learn magic.
The series starts to pick up when Jack chooses the only real choice from those two options. This is also where elements of the LitRpg genre begin to come alive. Jack learns the basics of magic and makes friends along the way. Magic is powered by mana and Jack even learns a spell that projects Health and Mana bars above the heads of his comrades for him to monitor.
The author actually does a very good job at this stage. He sets the groundwork for future conflicts and antagonists, martial and political rivalries, and even manages to add dragons to the mix.
I'd say this remains a strength of the author's until about book 4. At that point the main characters have all but become gods, or at least demi-gods when compared to the rest of the world. Conflicts are almost comically short, with rivalries built up from the beginning of the series seemly ending in seconds. It's like spending thousands to see the world heavyweight title fight only to see it end in a first-round K.O. Nice display of power by the winner, but a letdown to the audience that expected a brawl.
This difference in power doesn't necessarily take away from the enjoyability of the series, but it does shift where that enjoyability comes from. Which ironically goes back to world-building
Link to The Darkthorn Academy Series
Link to the Series!
So while I consider the first 4 books in the series to be 5 out of 5 stars, I consider the 5th and 6th books to equal about 3/5 stars. I haven't read the 7th and last book of the series. It's possible this last book will increase or decrease my opinion of the series overall.
Ranking the entire series up to this point, I'd give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
If you's like to see some of my other reviews check then out below!
Goodreads Reviews by Davis!
I'm certain most of you have never heard of this series. I came across it as a part of a promotion. Truthfully, it sat in the library unread for who knows how many months before I decided to try it. This book fits nicely in the LitRpg genre but isn't necessarily defined by those tropes. In fact the further into the series you go the less it seems to feel like a LitRpg novel and more like a blend of fantasy and sci-fi.
There are 7 books in the series. I'm currently on book six. However, I read about 2 of these books a week until the sixth. The only reason for the slowdown is life got in the way for a bit. While these books are by no means Tomes, they aren't small. Each one ranges between 420 to 500 pages.
Now here's why you should read them.
Plot/WorldBuilding: Starts out (5 out of 5 stars)...Ends (3 out of 5)The story primarily follows Jack Vance, a half-dwarf/half-human protagonist that lets his temper and pride get the better of him. We begin the see the classic mentor-and-mentee relationship develop between Jack's grandfather and him when it is abruptly cut short by his grandfather's murder. Jack's options are to rot in jail or go to school to learn magic.
The series starts to pick up when Jack chooses the only real choice from those two options. This is also where elements of the LitRpg genre begin to come alive. Jack learns the basics of magic and makes friends along the way. Magic is powered by mana and Jack even learns a spell that projects Health and Mana bars above the heads of his comrades for him to monitor.
The author actually does a very good job at this stage. He sets the groundwork for future conflicts and antagonists, martial and political rivalries, and even manages to add dragons to the mix.
I'd say this remains a strength of the author's until about book 4. At that point the main characters have all but become gods, or at least demi-gods when compared to the rest of the world. Conflicts are almost comically short, with rivalries built up from the beginning of the series seemly ending in seconds. It's like spending thousands to see the world heavyweight title fight only to see it end in a first-round K.O. Nice display of power by the winner, but a letdown to the audience that expected a brawl.
This difference in power doesn't necessarily take away from the enjoyability of the series, but it does shift where that enjoyability comes from. Which ironically goes back to world-building
Link to The Darkthorn Academy Series
Link to the Series!
So while I consider the first 4 books in the series to be 5 out of 5 stars, I consider the 5th and 6th books to equal about 3/5 stars. I haven't read the 7th and last book of the series. It's possible this last book will increase or decrease my opinion of the series overall.
Ranking the entire series up to this point, I'd give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
If you's like to see some of my other reviews check then out below!
Goodreads Reviews by Davis!
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