The Adept Artificer

Small-Town Crafter #4

by Tom Watts

Greetings, friend! Rest here for a while and listen - I have a quest for you.

Imagine if you could craft anything your mind conjures heated winter boots that tie their own laces, castle gates that open only to your voice, and self-filling coffee mugs that rarely go empty. Intrigued?

Then visit the sunlit village of Sunhampton, a haven of cobbled lanes, aromatic coffee houses, and little stores where something will always catch your eye. Once there, take a sip of your spiced tea, savor a cinnamon pastry, and follow Lewis as he strives to become the best crafter in town.

With his newly-earned adept status, Lewis delves into deeper secrets of artificery. When a customer arrives at his new shop with a mysterious request, he finds himself immersed in his most intriguing artificery project yet.

It’s going to push his crafting skills to their very limits. But with seasoned crafters beside him, loyal friends behind him, and his unwavering passion driving him forward, he's up to the task.

Why not travel to the enchanting town of Sunhampton and be part of his journey?

'Small-Town Crafter 4: The Adept Artificer' is the fourth book in a heart-warming LitRPG series from the author of 'Welcome to Blade's Rest.' Visit the magical town of Sunhampton today!

Genres: Litrpg, Fantasy, Cozy Fantasy, Cozy

Kindle Edition

First published December 15, 2023

About the author

Hey! Tom Watts here. If you're reading this then you've either read one of my books or you’re thinking about doing it, and I want to say thanks either way.

I write low-stakes fantasy books that offer people a little of that important thing we call escapism, and I might have what you’re looking for.

Do you want to become a master craftsperson and live in a small, sunny village full of taverns and cafes? Then I have the story for you! Try my book, ‘Small-Town Crafter: the Artificer’s Apprentice.’

Or maybe you want to build a whole town from scratch right on top of untouched land, together with a couple of good friends. If that sounds good, then I’ve got something you’ll enjoy! Check out, ‘Welcome to Blade’s Rest.’

So, those are a couple of my books. As for me, well, I live in a little village with my wife and three dogs. When I’m not writing then I’m reading, and when I’m not doing that I’ve usually got a small schnauzer trying to get my attention.

Thanks for stopping by my author page. Make sure you press ‘follow’ so that you can be the first to find out when I release a new book.

Finally, If you try one of my books, then I'd like to wish you happy reading. Hope you enjoy visiting one of my fictional towns for a while.

Nice to meet you,

Tom.

Reviews

[Old Time Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

A subtle change in the series. Very nice!

I have enjoyed this series. The world building and game mechanics (such a strange thing to be discussing in a book, but importsnt in this case) all work.

By this time, book four, all the characters have been introduced and the setting firmly established. The author has time to relax and get to the "cozy" part of this Cozy LitRPG.

This is the change I mentioned in the title. We get to see Lewis' day to day life. His interactions with his friends. How he handles the every day problems of life.

And it is nice. Lewis has a good life. Comfortable. He has friends that care about him, and respect him. He's good at what he does, and he enjoys it. He makes an effort to go out of his way to help those who need it. He makes an effort to do special things for those he cares about.

In short, Lewis makes the world a better place.

This is a nice book. I hope you enjoy it.

Read every day and read for pleasure!

[MyDoRyS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goodness, I'm not sure what happened, but the slice of life vibe from the first books suddenly changed to nonsencical internal monologues, BORING storyline, repetitivenes, and SO MUCH unnecessary information dump. Was this book written by a ghost writer? The book is pure blah, blah, blah wasting time despite the fact he needs to get a store front ready. I HATED the new character Flo from the beginning, I hate manipulation and characters who use it, which is why I still dislike his girl friend, whatever the name is. Also, they are supposed to be having money issues, but Cooper and Jacey are almost never working and constantly traveling while the MC is constantly working. Then the pushy slut Ofelia, appears, if the story gets romantic, I'm going to barf! I wish these characters were acexual, this is not a romance story, it is supposed to be a crafting one. However, on this one, there is o much time wasted on marketing and store ownership rather than CRAFTING!!!! Also not sure if I missed something, but the timing is weird, he got new clothing before Christmas from the previous store, and the keys on Christmas day...but then they are make a comment about "how long" the store been closed.....but it still winter, so what 2 days is a long time? He is just such a doormat letting EVERYONE tell him what to do. Cooper gave the store to the MC, then left him alone to deal with it, but isn't this a shared business? This is while he is playing with a non-sencical monster for a parade. Also, the MC hasn't had issues with materials, but all of a sudden, he doesn't have access to materials? WTH? Maybe if the characters stops talking so much and start DOING, things will move along. Anyway, most of the book is just a waste of time and useless unnecessary information, and he spends more time wasting it in compared to actual crafting time. The whole story felt disjointed and nonsensical. If the next one is as bad as this one, I will drop the series. Onto my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!!

[Cmoore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy this cozy series has been a treat to read, as I worked my way through the first 4 books and although Adept Artificer is shorter than the first three books that doesn't mean that Tom Watts skimped out on the quality. You'll definitely need to have this series in your collection and that's dead simple as it's available on your unlimited Kindle reader for the low-low price of free. So don't dawdle go grab the books as we wait for book 5.

Here's a couple of quotes that amused me:

I got the sense of this being a test, but one which I’d never enrolled in.

“That’s the problem with finishing a good book. The one that follows it has a lot to live up to.”

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Adept Artificer is a genuinely charming Cozy Fantasy at its core, but it’s hampered by a single, overwhelming flaw: the main character’s intense procrastination.
The entire narrative feels as if Tom Watts was procrastinating in writing the book and projected this onto the protagonist. It felt as if a third of the novel was referring to Lewis’s inability to complete a very specific task that needed doing.
While the overall story remains charming and the supporting cast a delight, the constant references to his fault nearly drove me to procrastinate finishing the book myself. I hope that the focus returns to the Cozy slice0of0life progression in the next installment.

[Robert Slocombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging Book

Ok. How do I review this book, when I am a fan of fantasy and kick ass heroes\ heroines. A coming of age fantasy that deals with the ordinary stuff of life. E.g. In this book the protagonist faces down personal fear and procrastination. A well written saga written by a hero willing to tackle everyday problems most of us face and turns them into a story we can identify with and become inspired by. Give it a try.

[Stephen Beale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great

I found it hard to follow in a few spots. There was a lot of jumping forward in time then coming back to the present. I still found it entertaining but a little short. I can’t wait to see what Lewis does next and how Ophelia will saunter her way into his life and heart.

[Tyrannosaurus regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is just so very satisfying for me, and I love the growing family. I'm not sure I'm vibing with Ophelia, maybe because I just wasn't looking for any kind of romance here, but I do appreciate that any relationship not feeling rushed at all. Also I randomly noted down the quote "free time isn't bought by hard work, it's the fuel for it" because it is TOO TRUE.

[John E · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a comforting story

It is a nice change of pace to read a fantasy story with no major battles to be fought and only personal achievements and friendships tok her explored. There is very little of magical stats thrown into the story and that make it an enjoyable read.

[Scott H Mesmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun satisfying story

Who would have thought a story about crafting and tinkering could be so enjoyable. But there is always a universal theme that entertains and that is one of friendship. Well done

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and easy

This is not a complicated book with grand adventures or great adversity. It's just fun everyday life from the perspective of an artificer. If you need something relaxing, this is it.

[Holwanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, satisfying slice of artificer life, in a highly enjoyable series, with creative "magic" and a cast of well-defined characters. Nice plotting, interesting developments. I very much enjoy this and it is a significant stress reliever. Well-written.

[Paul Hefka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was fun and entertaining. The story and characters were incredibly interesting and engaging. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. This book and series is definitely worth checking out.

[Mim Crenshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read

Another good book in the tale of artificer Lewis. I really enjoyed the different take on him leveling up his craft through various means besides the usual tinkering. Learning to relax, doing a hobby, changing his mindset were great ways to see his experience level rise.

[Chaos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan. It changed from a slow, slice of life, cozy read to just monologing. It irritated me. Luckily the book is super short so I didnt have to spend a lot of time on it. But im done with this series.

[Camella Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful addition to the series!

These books have quickly become favorites! I always finish my day with Lewis and his friends, getting lost in the cozy creativity before drifting to sleep.

[Jim Gutzwiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small town crafter 4

Great flow to the story. Blended nicely into what's gone on. Characters very nice and developing together.
Looking forward to book 5 and beyond.

[Dennis J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed books.

Nice paced books in the series. Kicked backed and relaxing but enough meat in it to keep you interested. Good read be next book in series.please wrt next book soon.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed watching Lewis grow up. This whole book was about procrastination and moving forward, and the author pulled it off excellently.

[Corinne Loder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crafter

Great read. Live how the story is progressing. Hope to read next one as soon as I fix Amazon not recognizing my kindle.

[Sebastian Micheals · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another exceptional story.

[Calee Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun and charming

I’m 4 books in and still going. These are chill and cozy. Exactly what I want right now. Have fun!

[Lucía · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mucho mejor

[Vader · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish