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Creation's Bane #4
Abyssal Planes
For Clive, death isn’t the end…
But with almost a year until his body is reborn, it is a dangerous setback.
With Armies to lead, alliances to maintain and enemies ranging from the gods to the imminent return of the psychopath, Natom Hilgresh, he needs a workaround. He needs an Avatar.
Achieving this lofty aim will require sacrifice and hard work. For his followers at least. So while Clive practices with his ethereal powers, they attempt to push their budding god up through the Ethereal Stages and bring him back to the world of the living.
But doing so will change everything. Secrets will be revealed, hell will break loose, and chaos will rain on Falritas causing a war that will reach every corner of the land and beyond.
But with almost a year until his body is reborn, it is a dangerous setback.
With Armies to lead, alliances to maintain and enemies ranging from the gods to the imminent return of the psychopath, Natom Hilgresh, he needs a workaround. He needs an Avatar.
Achieving this lofty aim will require sacrifice and hard work. For his followers at least. So while Clive practices with his ethereal powers, they attempt to push their budding god up through the Ethereal Stages and bring him back to the world of the living.
But doing so will change everything. Secrets will be revealed, hell will break loose, and chaos will rain on Falritas causing a war that will reach every corner of the land and beyond.
- GenresFantasy
727 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2023
58 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 9, 2023
I’ve read this book. I’m supposed to wait until the release date to put up a review but I can’t. The story is too good for this to potentially be missed with everything that is coming out at the same time.
Pick up the book/series when you have the time. Or when you don’t have the time either. You will magically find the time for it. It’s that fun and entertaining.
Pick up the book/series when you have the time. Or when you don’t have the time either. You will magically find the time for it. It’s that fun and entertaining.
May 5, 2025
My absolute favourite thing to happen in a series focused on progression and an overpowered protagonist is for the story to find a way to severely limit the protagonist's powers and undo his progression for a significant period of time. I mean, after all, I wouldn't be reading a book about progression and overpowered characters if I actually wanted to read about overpowered characters who consistently progress. I mean, you would have to be crazy to want something like that, right?
Oh... Wait... Of course, I've got that backwards. It turns out that when someone reads a story about Superman, the part of the title labelled "Super" is far more interesting than the part labelled "Man". After all, you could read literally every other story out there if you wanted to read about a normal person, but you specifically read a story about Superman because you wanted to read about the abnormal.
For that reason, I really struggled with the start of this novel.
It felt like this series had taken a massive step backwards for no reason. It's not like Clive had reached a point that he was so overpowered that he no longer had any conflict left in his life. It was the completely wrong direction for this story and removed the driving force that was propelling this series forward.
However, that being said, this story then significantly upped the ante on the world-building in this series. Starting with Clive revisiting Earth, this story began to hook me again. I loved that he didn't follow the familiar tropes you might expect of an isekai protagonist returning to his home, and the story only gets better from there.
I have said in every review for the previous books that this series habitually overrelies on action for the sake of action rather than simply concentrating on delivering the necessary scenes to move this story forward meaningfully. This book proves that notion right. While I hate that the author felt he had to hobble Clive to do it, what followed was a much more balanced book that was considerably more interesting as a result.
When those inevitable action scenes did return, they were considerably more impactful. Each was more relevant to moving the overarching plot or Clive's progression forward, and they were more engaging because of this.
So overall, this book started with an aspect I absolutely hated, but ended with me feeling like I had just read the best book of the series by far. I was so tempted to give this one 5 stars, but unfortunately, I can't ignore that huge chunk at the beginning where I kept checking out and was reluctant to come back. I also can't overlook that Clive makes some increasingly strange decisions in this book that feel like they are purely in service to the plot rather than what this character would do given who he has been throughout this series and what he has learnt after everything he has been through.
It's 4-stars for this one, but it was tantilisingly close to that 5-star material I have been waiting for this entire series.
Oh... Wait... Of course, I've got that backwards. It turns out that when someone reads a story about Superman, the part of the title labelled "Super" is far more interesting than the part labelled "Man". After all, you could read literally every other story out there if you wanted to read about a normal person, but you specifically read a story about Superman because you wanted to read about the abnormal.
For that reason, I really struggled with the start of this novel.
It felt like this series had taken a massive step backwards for no reason. It's not like Clive had reached a point that he was so overpowered that he no longer had any conflict left in his life. It was the completely wrong direction for this story and removed the driving force that was propelling this series forward.
However, that being said, this story then significantly upped the ante on the world-building in this series. Starting with Clive revisiting Earth, this story began to hook me again. I loved that he didn't follow the familiar tropes you might expect of an isekai protagonist returning to his home, and the story only gets better from there.
I have said in every review for the previous books that this series habitually overrelies on action for the sake of action rather than simply concentrating on delivering the necessary scenes to move this story forward meaningfully. This book proves that notion right. While I hate that the author felt he had to hobble Clive to do it, what followed was a much more balanced book that was considerably more interesting as a result.
When those inevitable action scenes did return, they were considerably more impactful. Each was more relevant to moving the overarching plot or Clive's progression forward, and they were more engaging because of this.
So overall, this book started with an aspect I absolutely hated, but ended with me feeling like I had just read the best book of the series by far. I was so tempted to give this one 5 stars, but unfortunately, I can't ignore that huge chunk at the beginning where I kept checking out and was reluctant to come back. I also can't overlook that Clive makes some increasingly strange decisions in this book that feel like they are purely in service to the plot rather than what this character would do given who he has been throughout this series and what he has learnt after everything he has been through.
It's 4-stars for this one, but it was tantilisingly close to that 5-star material I have been waiting for this entire series.
October 25, 2023
Rating 4.0 stars
This one took me a while to finish. I read the first 3 books back to back and had to wait a while for this one to come out, so I wasn't as invested when I started this one. Clive was also in spirit form in the beginning of the book and couldn't interact that well with his followers. This made the first part of the book slow. I also fell asleep with listening to this one on a plane ride which is something I have never done before. I missed some things and didn't want to go back and listen again. I stopped listening for a while and just recently came back to it. It was around the 8 hour mark that I started to get back into the series. Right around the time Clive goes back to earth for a little while is when things pick up again for me. At that point again I was hooked. We find out more about creation, Clives new race and role of the gods, plus even more revelations. Overall, I did end up really liking this book despite the rough start. I am looking forward to the next one.
This one took me a while to finish. I read the first 3 books back to back and had to wait a while for this one to come out, so I wasn't as invested when I started this one. Clive was also in spirit form in the beginning of the book and couldn't interact that well with his followers. This made the first part of the book slow. I also fell asleep with listening to this one on a plane ride which is something I have never done before. I missed some things and didn't want to go back and listen again. I stopped listening for a while and just recently came back to it. It was around the 8 hour mark that I started to get back into the series. Right around the time Clive goes back to earth for a little while is when things pick up again for me. At that point again I was hooked. We find out more about creation, Clives new race and role of the gods, plus even more revelations. Overall, I did end up really liking this book despite the rough start. I am looking forward to the next one.
April 9, 2023
Wonderfully Written
What I love about stories is when you find that hard place and a rock, then you find a brilliant way to get out. Sinclair had done this with great skill and panache as Clive does his usual cooking skill magic and creates a new recipe to sort everything.
Being Clive, he also jumps out of the frying pan into the fire, making it even hotter.
Ok, enough of the cooking references, but this is Sinclairs' best work to date and makes the next book even more important.
What I love about stories is when you find that hard place and a rock, then you find a brilliant way to get out. Sinclair had done this with great skill and panache as Clive does his usual cooking skill magic and creates a new recipe to sort everything.
Being Clive, he also jumps out of the frying pan into the fire, making it even hotter.
Ok, enough of the cooking references, but this is Sinclairs' best work to date and makes the next book even more important.
August 24, 2023
This book is more of a builder book for the MC’s along with solving some of the mysteries behind the creation race. The book overall was good just a bit slower than the others books. It’s was necessary and was done well enough. The ending on the other hand, I could slap the author in the back of the head. I drop the overall rating by 1 star for the ending alone. I’ll never understand the need for authors to create an ending with a major cliffhanger. You don’t win any points from me for it.
April 12, 2023
Clive…why
Have to love the audacity of Clive. Creative and tenacious, but some times a little too hotheaded. Funny to read how he creates his own problems some times, but even better to read about how he pulls himself out of trouble. Very fun read that will have you laugh out loud on occasion and shaking your head in frustration at others. Great series.
Have to love the audacity of Clive. Creative and tenacious, but some times a little too hotheaded. Funny to read how he creates his own problems some times, but even better to read about how he pulls himself out of trouble. Very fun read that will have you laugh out loud on occasion and shaking your head in frustration at others. Great series.
April 14, 2023
The war of the gods is on!
Clive keeps growing as a potential replacement for Creation. He and his aligned Pantheon continue to fight off the other gods while dealing with Clive being dead. New secrets are revealed and big changes are coming. Strap in and enjoy the ride with this one, it is worth it!
Clive keeps growing as a potential replacement for Creation. He and his aligned Pantheon continue to fight off the other gods while dealing with Clive being dead. New secrets are revealed and big changes are coming. Strap in and enjoy the ride with this one, it is worth it!
October 1, 2025
3.9/5. The power up is insane. There are some big reveals in the book. Also several interesting situations. For me powerful people getting their comeuppances is only interesting when I really don't like them. A lot of war, just for war, if that makes sense. What is Creation's angle? Not sure I follow. Still will listen to the rest.
April 11, 2023
Brilliant writing and story
This is a great series.. If you dig God's..op mcs and the story of becoming a God then this series is for you... Great prose, characters with flaws.... Brilliant storytelling
JD Glasscock
Author of the Series Blood Brothers and The Dream
This is a great series.. If you dig God's..op mcs and the story of becoming a God then this series is for you... Great prose, characters with flaws.... Brilliant storytelling
JD Glasscock
Author of the Series Blood Brothers and The Dream
May 2, 2023
I love this series. I very much love the world-building and the magic system in the book. Clive is a very cool main character, and I love his interactions with the other characters in the book. I highly recommend this series and this book.
July 13, 2023
Great series each book makes me dig it more!
This story just keeps improving and getting more complicated and challenging. For our heroes. There are surprises and twists and turns. I'm looking forward to book five.
This story just keeps improving and getting more complicated and challenging. For our heroes. There are surprises and twists and turns. I'm looking forward to book five.
October 26, 2023
Always A Good Read
Clive is a complete nutter as he leads us on a unbelievable ride...as always. Great pacing with well fleshed out characters. I am sad that there will be a wait for the next book but happy to enjoy this great series. Thank you Mr. Sinclair!
Clive is a complete nutter as he leads us on a unbelievable ride...as always. Great pacing with well fleshed out characters. I am sad that there will be a wait for the next book but happy to enjoy this great series. Thank you Mr. Sinclair!
September 8, 2023
Wow!
What an amazing ride / adventure. Not what I expected, very well done story line that involved a manic Clive doing unexpected stuff, that turns outs expectedly good.
What an amazing ride / adventure. Not what I expected, very well done story line that involved a manic Clive doing unexpected stuff, that turns outs expectedly good.
November 4, 2023
quote " I’m like a spare prick at a wedding."
November 16, 2023
same high pace, same humor. great additiion
April 28, 2024
BwahahahaahahHahah KNEW IT!!!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews