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Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android!
She has the worst wizard’s apprenticeship ever. And that was before the android showed up.
On a moon in the middle of nowhere, in a damp and crumbling tower, with a befuddled Master Wizard who forgets she exists, there’s no way that Ninienne Lightcaster’s year could get any worse.
But when an android arrives to take her place, Ninienne’s plans for the future are shattered. If she can’t be a magical creature healer, then who is she?
Not to mention the other mysteries hiding in the shadows. What happened to the previous apprentice? Does the delivery boy have a crush on her? What did her familiar eat this time?
And what’s that lurking in the woods?
Hilarious and heartfelt, this genre-bending debut novel will delight and surprise you with its imaginative world and memorable characters.
On a moon in the middle of nowhere, in a damp and crumbling tower, with a befuddled Master Wizard who forgets she exists, there’s no way that Ninienne Lightcaster’s year could get any worse.
But when an android arrives to take her place, Ninienne’s plans for the future are shattered. If she can’t be a magical creature healer, then who is she?
Not to mention the other mysteries hiding in the shadows. What happened to the previous apprentice? Does the delivery boy have a crush on her? What did her familiar eat this time?
And what’s that lurking in the woods?
Hilarious and heartfelt, this genre-bending debut novel will delight and surprise you with its imaginative world and memorable characters.
- GenresAudiobook
305 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 23, 2024
28 people want to read
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September 9, 2024While I thought the story was enjoyable and engaging, unfortunately I can’t recommend it. I personally do not agree with using AI to write books and with the note at the end stating AI was used, I can’t rate it highly. The note does state the much of the AI was removed by the final edition. I may revisit this as more information comes to light regarding AI in general but at this time, these are my thoughts. If the idea sounds engaging to you as a reader and you’re okay with AI, feel free to check it out since it was an entertaining read. I would recommend finding a way to move the AI disclosure to the beginning of the book rather than the end. I would’ve rather known that going in so I could choose whether or not to read it.
eARC/ALC courtesy of Netgalley and Victory Editing Co-op
eARC/ALC courtesy of Netgalley and Victory Editing Co-op
October 15, 2024
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this story being read by the author. I appreciate the author's note at the end of the story explaining his writing process and tools he used.
Oops!... is a mash up sci-fi, fantasy, & little bit of mystery. I enjoyed this story. I especially enjoyed Gossie the frog/dog and the other creatures. This was a fun romp with interesting characters. It is suggested for young adults, but if you like a fun sci-fi story give it a try.
I enjoyed this story being read by the author. I appreciate the author's note at the end of the story explaining his writing process and tools he used.
Oops!... is a mash up sci-fi, fantasy, & little bit of mystery. I enjoyed this story. I especially enjoyed Gossie the frog/dog and the other creatures. This was a fun romp with interesting characters. It is suggested for young adults, but if you like a fun sci-fi story give it a try.
September 9, 2024
Ninienne is a young student at an academy in space who gets an apprentice under a wizard who is a portal crafter. The wizard is a bit delusional and nutty at times, so she has to deal with that and also the fact that she wants to be a creature healer not a portal crafter. The wizard decides to get an android one day who she calls Chirp. The android slowly learns emotions and how to disobey some commands after realizing the wizard might not be all that great.
Ninienne is on a planet with virtually no other humans around her it seems. The only visitor she gets is the delivery boy. After him asking several times for her to go out with him, she agrees. They become closer and learn details about each other's lives. They end up working together on a mission to try and free the dragon that the wizard has locked up in his basement.
One of my favorite parts of this book is all of the interesting creatures! Ninienne has a frog dog as her familiar who I can vividly imagine in my mind. Also, the night stalker was an interesting creature to hear described. I would have loved to heard about more space creatures.
This was such an interesting read! I haven't read anything even close to similar before. I also thought it was interesting that the author also did the narration for the audiobook. I think that is not something that many people can pull off! Thank you to Netgalley, Ragamancers Press, and Royce Roeswood for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Ninienne is on a planet with virtually no other humans around her it seems. The only visitor she gets is the delivery boy. After him asking several times for her to go out with him, she agrees. They become closer and learn details about each other's lives. They end up working together on a mission to try and free the dragon that the wizard has locked up in his basement.
One of my favorite parts of this book is all of the interesting creatures! Ninienne has a frog dog as her familiar who I can vividly imagine in my mind. Also, the night stalker was an interesting creature to hear described. I would have loved to heard about more space creatures.
This was such an interesting read! I haven't read anything even close to similar before. I also thought it was interesting that the author also did the narration for the audiobook. I think that is not something that many people can pull off! Thank you to Netgalley, Ragamancers Press, and Royce Roeswood for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
September 9, 2024
(4.5 Stars)
I love when audiobooks are read by the author, so there is an extra .5 for the narrator.
This book is YA, but don't let that stop you from reading it as an adult. There is excellent character development and world-building. The concept is unique, an it reminds me a little of Scott Meyer's Magic 2.0 series, but less sardonic.
The author uses several literary techniques to break up the chapters and keep the story interesting. One of them is referencing "external" sources, which I always appreciate when done right. If you like the Emily Wilde series, this might be a good book for you.
This book has a "cozy" feel and like much modern fantasy/sci-fi is very positive and embraces diversity.
I love when audiobooks are read by the author, so there is an extra .5 for the narrator.
This book is YA, but don't let that stop you from reading it as an adult. There is excellent character development and world-building. The concept is unique, an it reminds me a little of Scott Meyer's Magic 2.0 series, but less sardonic.
The author uses several literary techniques to break up the chapters and keep the story interesting. One of them is referencing "external" sources, which I always appreciate when done right. If you like the Emily Wilde series, this might be a good book for you.
This book has a "cozy" feel and like much modern fantasy/sci-fi is very positive and embraces diversity.
September 10, 2024
This is a silly ridiculous book but a lot of fun to read.
Our wizard has been sent to a moon in the boonies for her apprenticeship with a seemingly senile old man who sometimes verges into being a menace to himself and others.
To ease her workload she manipulates her master into purchasing a helper android but feels vaguely threatened by it until it feels like a real threat and she accidentally damages and repairs ir.
Then the droid begins to change in odd ways.
Honestly I think the audiobook is the best way to read this book as the narrator (the author) adds to the characters’ silliness.
Our wizard has been sent to a moon in the boonies for her apprenticeship with a seemingly senile old man who sometimes verges into being a menace to himself and others.
To ease her workload she manipulates her master into purchasing a helper android but feels vaguely threatened by it until it feels like a real threat and she accidentally damages and repairs ir.
Then the droid begins to change in odd ways.
Honestly I think the audiobook is the best way to read this book as the narrator (the author) adds to the characters’ silliness.
September 17, 2024
There is a little Statement of Tools note at the end of this audiobook that is tucked behind the acknowledgments that I almost skipped. I kind of wish I had because in there it mentions that this author used ChatGBT and other AI tools to assist them in coming up with many plot point. Anytime the author got stuck, they used AI to keep the story going.
I have very mixed feelings about AI as it is and while I’m sure I’ve read books where it has assisted other authors, this is the first time I’ve been told about it. And it makes me very uneasy to see what I believe to be an art, turned around this way.
It’s disappointing because I did like the story but for most of your book to be AI driven, it tells me you shouldn’t be writing a book if you can’t come up with your own content. Some people might not find an issue with this but it feels disrespectful to profit off something you did not create and call it art.
For that reason I will be giving this 2 stars. The story is interesting but I can’t support an author who cheated to complete this novel. I would not have picked this up had I realized it was a ChatGBT novel.
Again, I understand that AI probably plays a larger role in writing modern novels than we think, but to admit to it and be proud of it does not sit right with me. Even if it is a small portion of this book, the author admits to using it for shaping a lot of chapters. Regardless of how much of the AI content was left in, you still allowed it to dictate your novel. Overall, just not for me.
I have very mixed feelings about AI as it is and while I’m sure I’ve read books where it has assisted other authors, this is the first time I’ve been told about it. And it makes me very uneasy to see what I believe to be an art, turned around this way.
It’s disappointing because I did like the story but for most of your book to be AI driven, it tells me you shouldn’t be writing a book if you can’t come up with your own content. Some people might not find an issue with this but it feels disrespectful to profit off something you did not create and call it art.
For that reason I will be giving this 2 stars. The story is interesting but I can’t support an author who cheated to complete this novel. I would not have picked this up had I realized it was a ChatGBT novel.
Again, I understand that AI probably plays a larger role in writing modern novels than we think, but to admit to it and be proud of it does not sit right with me. Even if it is a small portion of this book, the author admits to using it for shaping a lot of chapters. Regardless of how much of the AI content was left in, you still allowed it to dictate your novel. Overall, just not for me.
December 1, 2024
Oops I broke the Wizards Android is a charming cosy adventure story which manages to blend sci-fi and fantasy in such a way that makes the book a real joy to read. The characters are endearing (especially the android) and generally likeable; adding to the warmth of the story. The narration (by the author) was fab and brought characters to life really well! Overall the book felt like a cosy mug of hot chocolate on a cold day ☕️💕
The statement of tools, and specifically use of AI, was controversial for me. I’m just not yet sure how to feel about the use of AI in authorship and writing. I really appreciate the authors decision to include a statement of tools and aid transparency of this process. However, I do agree with other reviewers that this would be better placed at the start of the book, to prepare readers in advance 📚
**Thanks to NetGalley and Ragamancer Press for proving me with this ARC audiobook**
The statement of tools, and specifically use of AI, was controversial for me. I’m just not yet sure how to feel about the use of AI in authorship and writing. I really appreciate the authors decision to include a statement of tools and aid transparency of this process. However, I do agree with other reviewers that this would be better placed at the start of the book, to prepare readers in advance 📚
**Thanks to NetGalley and Ragamancer Press for proving me with this ARC audiobook**
September 15, 2024
A mostly successful blend of SF (of the space-opera variety) and fantasy, as the title suggests.
That title refers to an event that occurs more than halfway through and isn't, perhaps, as crucial as its place in the title implies. The fix for the problem sets up for a "twist" that I knew was coming the moment the fix happened, and that I didn't believe would never have come up for anyone previously; but I read a lot of books, so I often see plot twists coming a long way off.
Something else I see a lot of is poor mechanics (punctuation, grammar, usage, vocabulary errors), and this book has many of the usual ones. (Disclaimer as always: I read a pre-publication version via Netgalley, and it is possible, though not highly likely, that there will be another edit before publication.) Excess commas between adjectives, of course, because nobody seems to know the coordinate comma rule; incorrect punctuation of dialog (a capital when the sentence resumes after a mid-dialog tag); apostrophes in the wrong place for things like the Lamplighters' Guild (which presumably has more than one lamplighter in it, so the apostrophe should go after, not before, the S); simple mistypings that happen to be valid words spellcheck doesn't catch, even though they're not the word intended, like "try" for "tray," "It" for "I," "add" for "and," "of" for "on," "she" for "see"; basic homonym errors like "diffuse" for "defuse," "horde" for "hoard," "loathe" for "loath" and (only once) "it's" for "its"; lack of the mandatory comma before a term of address; occasional lack of the past perfect tense where it belongs; and a number of other small issues, like grammatically distorted sentences, unusual word choices and hyphenation issues. It's about average for an indie book (trad-pub books sometimes have just as many errors, but typically different ones), but unfortunately, average means scruffy and, to me, at least, distracting.
What about the story? It's a simple enough plot. This is a universe in which high-ranking wizards are placed in charge of planets, moons, space stations and what have you, and aspiring wizards, after their university training, are sent for a year's apprenticeship - basically an internship - with a master wizard, doing their mundane chores in return for instruction in advanced magic. The protagonist, Ninienne, is such an apprentice, and her master wizard is incredibly old, not entirely compos mentis, and obsessed with portal magic (now mostly obsolete), whereas Ninienne intends to be a researcher in the field of creature healing - magical veterinary science. The creatures, by the way, are often a combination of a couple of Earth-type animals, like Ninienne's frogdog familiar, or the crowhorses that are used for farm work, or even of animal and plant.
There's an odd mix of eras in the worldbuilding; there are interstellar spaceships and androids, but the farming feels 19th- or early-20th-century, and rather than electric lights, the wizard's tower is lit with flame spells. In 1950s space opera style, all the inhabited worlds appear to have entirely Earth-compatible biomes, with no difficulties about being able to eat the local life or farm crops from other planets. Intelligent aliens in the SF sense don't seem to be a thing, but there are dryads and demons and such. It's basically a fantasy universe with a bit of light SF grafted on.
As the story progresses, Ninienne struggles more and more with her mentor, and he looks more and more sinister. Where is his previous apprentice? What about his wife and daughter? Why is he so obsessed with portal magic? Will he near-arbitrarily decide to fail her, in which case her magic will potentially be bound and she will be left in desperate straits? Meanwhile, her closest friend is having a great time in her apprenticeship (a long way away) and isn't much help, the android Ninienne tricks her mentor into buying to do the scut work is, perforce, on the mentor's side because of its programming (even if odd things are happening with it), and there's a guy from a nearby farm who seems to want to be the romantic interest, but Ninienne can do without the complication, given everything else that's going on.
As far as storytelling is concerned, while there's nothing amazing, it's all sound, solid stuff, entertaining, with a decent arc and good emotional beats. The worldbuilding isn't particularly in depth, but it does its job. The characters have believable motivations. It's a good first effort, and although of course I wish the author, like nearly every author I read, could level up his game when it comes to writing mechanics, I've read plenty of books that are far worse in that regard (I'm reading one at the moment, in fact). It earns a spot in the Bronze tier of my annual recommendation list, which is still a recommendation, even if not a high one.
That title refers to an event that occurs more than halfway through and isn't, perhaps, as crucial as its place in the title implies. The fix for the problem sets up for a "twist" that I knew was coming the moment the fix happened, and that I didn't believe would never have come up for anyone previously; but I read a lot of books, so I often see plot twists coming a long way off.
Something else I see a lot of is poor mechanics (punctuation, grammar, usage, vocabulary errors), and this book has many of the usual ones. (Disclaimer as always: I read a pre-publication version via Netgalley, and it is possible, though not highly likely, that there will be another edit before publication.) Excess commas between adjectives, of course, because nobody seems to know the coordinate comma rule; incorrect punctuation of dialog (a capital when the sentence resumes after a mid-dialog tag); apostrophes in the wrong place for things like the Lamplighters' Guild (which presumably has more than one lamplighter in it, so the apostrophe should go after, not before, the S); simple mistypings that happen to be valid words spellcheck doesn't catch, even though they're not the word intended, like "try" for "tray," "It" for "I," "add" for "and," "of" for "on," "she" for "see"; basic homonym errors like "diffuse" for "defuse," "horde" for "hoard," "loathe" for "loath" and (only once) "it's" for "its"; lack of the mandatory comma before a term of address; occasional lack of the past perfect tense where it belongs; and a number of other small issues, like grammatically distorted sentences, unusual word choices and hyphenation issues. It's about average for an indie book (trad-pub books sometimes have just as many errors, but typically different ones), but unfortunately, average means scruffy and, to me, at least, distracting.
What about the story? It's a simple enough plot. This is a universe in which high-ranking wizards are placed in charge of planets, moons, space stations and what have you, and aspiring wizards, after their university training, are sent for a year's apprenticeship - basically an internship - with a master wizard, doing their mundane chores in return for instruction in advanced magic. The protagonist, Ninienne, is such an apprentice, and her master wizard is incredibly old, not entirely compos mentis, and obsessed with portal magic (now mostly obsolete), whereas Ninienne intends to be a researcher in the field of creature healing - magical veterinary science. The creatures, by the way, are often a combination of a couple of Earth-type animals, like Ninienne's frogdog familiar, or the crowhorses that are used for farm work, or even of animal and plant.
There's an odd mix of eras in the worldbuilding; there are interstellar spaceships and androids, but the farming feels 19th- or early-20th-century, and rather than electric lights, the wizard's tower is lit with flame spells. In 1950s space opera style, all the inhabited worlds appear to have entirely Earth-compatible biomes, with no difficulties about being able to eat the local life or farm crops from other planets. Intelligent aliens in the SF sense don't seem to be a thing, but there are dryads and demons and such. It's basically a fantasy universe with a bit of light SF grafted on.
As the story progresses, Ninienne struggles more and more with her mentor, and he looks more and more sinister. Where is his previous apprentice? What about his wife and daughter? Why is he so obsessed with portal magic? Will he near-arbitrarily decide to fail her, in which case her magic will potentially be bound and she will be left in desperate straits? Meanwhile, her closest friend is having a great time in her apprenticeship (a long way away) and isn't much help, the android Ninienne tricks her mentor into buying to do the scut work is, perforce, on the mentor's side because of its programming (even if odd things are happening with it), and there's a guy from a nearby farm who seems to want to be the romantic interest, but Ninienne can do without the complication, given everything else that's going on.
As far as storytelling is concerned, while there's nothing amazing, it's all sound, solid stuff, entertaining, with a decent arc and good emotional beats. The worldbuilding isn't particularly in depth, but it does its job. The characters have believable motivations. It's a good first effort, and although of course I wish the author, like nearly every author I read, could level up his game when it comes to writing mechanics, I've read plenty of books that are far worse in that regard (I'm reading one at the moment, in fact). It earns a spot in the Bronze tier of my annual recommendation list, which is still a recommendation, even if not a high one.
October 3, 2024
First of all, thank you so much to both NetGalley and Royce Roeswood for providing me with this free book in exchange for my honest review!
There were a lot of things I liked about this book! The cover art was so fun, and, in my opinion, did a perfect job of setting the mood for the book. Additionally, I also liked the world built by the author. It was a quirky and unique setting that did a nice job of combining fantasy and science fiction. It really reminded me of the movie Treasure Planet. I could really clearly visualize the world.
The writing did have a strong voice, but certain elements of the story, plot, and characterization did feel almost random for the sake of random, and just kind of there. Ninienne was quirky and fun, but wasn’t necessarily a compelling protagonist. Overall, I do think that the world is the most interesting part of the story. The plot wasn’t all too gripping to me, and though there was certainly humor and some element of heart, it just overall fell flat for me.
Additionally (and this is a critique that applies to the audiobook only), the narrator for the audiobook feels like an odd choice? After doing a bit of digging, I saw that Roeswood is an audiobook narrator with a somewhat extensive list of credits. While I understand that this was most likely the cheaper option, as well as ensuring that the reading is exactly true to the author’s vision, I don’t know if they were the best option. Don’t get me wrong, the narration was good, with a nice voice and nice reading, it just felt weird. Roeswood has a deeper voice, and Ninienne (who, btw, I thought was named Minion for most of the book) is a teenage girl. Maybe it was just me, but I was just very aware of this dissonance.
Upon finishing the book, I would like to say that the author did state that they used artificial intelligence in the creation of this novel. I am heavily against the use of generative AI when it comes to creative works, and had I known that before finishing the book, I probably would not have picked it up in the first place. While I find it interesting that Roeswood was inspired by modern conversations surrounding AI in the writing of this book, I just find it disingenuous, especially because they followed it up by saying “I wanted to write a book quickly.” Writing is an art, and should be treated as such, not an obstacle to quickly get out of the way. That statement put me off as well, but it was incorporated at the end. The bulk of my review was drafted before I had even learned about this, so it is largely unaffected by this revelation.
There were a lot of things I liked about this book! The cover art was so fun, and, in my opinion, did a perfect job of setting the mood for the book. Additionally, I also liked the world built by the author. It was a quirky and unique setting that did a nice job of combining fantasy and science fiction. It really reminded me of the movie Treasure Planet. I could really clearly visualize the world.
The writing did have a strong voice, but certain elements of the story, plot, and characterization did feel almost random for the sake of random, and just kind of there. Ninienne was quirky and fun, but wasn’t necessarily a compelling protagonist. Overall, I do think that the world is the most interesting part of the story. The plot wasn’t all too gripping to me, and though there was certainly humor and some element of heart, it just overall fell flat for me.
Additionally (and this is a critique that applies to the audiobook only), the narrator for the audiobook feels like an odd choice? After doing a bit of digging, I saw that Roeswood is an audiobook narrator with a somewhat extensive list of credits. While I understand that this was most likely the cheaper option, as well as ensuring that the reading is exactly true to the author’s vision, I don’t know if they were the best option. Don’t get me wrong, the narration was good, with a nice voice and nice reading, it just felt weird. Roeswood has a deeper voice, and Ninienne (who, btw, I thought was named Minion for most of the book) is a teenage girl. Maybe it was just me, but I was just very aware of this dissonance.
Upon finishing the book, I would like to say that the author did state that they used artificial intelligence in the creation of this novel. I am heavily against the use of generative AI when it comes to creative works, and had I known that before finishing the book, I probably would not have picked it up in the first place. While I find it interesting that Roeswood was inspired by modern conversations surrounding AI in the writing of this book, I just find it disingenuous, especially because they followed it up by saying “I wanted to write a book quickly.” Writing is an art, and should be treated as such, not an obstacle to quickly get out of the way. That statement put me off as well, but it was incorporated at the end. The bulk of my review was drafted before I had even learned about this, so it is largely unaffected by this revelation.
October 4, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Ragamancers Press for the ARC!
Oops, I Broke the Wizard's Android is a whimsical, quirky read about Ninienne Lightcaster, a Wizard who's doing her internship on a remote moon of the galaxy. Her Master is creepy and prone to sudden change of attitudes, and she's feeling lonely and overworked and the unpleasantness of the moon doesn't help. So when her Master buys a state-of-the-art Android, she's relieved that her chores will finally lighten up and she'll have time to do what she wants - explore the woods and the wildlife around. Except that the Android begins to take her place...
I absolutely love this book. It was everything I love about a cosy fantasy, and the characters were quirky without being overly so. The writing was funny, and the weirdness of the world where our characters live is making the reader more interested. I absolutely loved Gossies, Ninienne's frogdog! And the Android Andy added a layer of complexity to the plot, by having his own thoughts and discovering freedom and conscience.
The plot itself was simple, in the big lines, but I found myself completely engrossed by the mysteries and having lots of theories as to what happened on that moon! The big finale was intense and I couldn't put my book down!
The only thing I regret is that the author added a statement at the end of the book where he mention that he was helped by AI to write this book. Personally, AI is not something I like to use for making a living (I mean, for my own non-profit hobbies, sure). So I would have liked to have this statement at the beginning of the book, so I knew what I was going into.
Oops, I Broke the Wizard's Android is a whimsical, quirky read about Ninienne Lightcaster, a Wizard who's doing her internship on a remote moon of the galaxy. Her Master is creepy and prone to sudden change of attitudes, and she's feeling lonely and overworked and the unpleasantness of the moon doesn't help. So when her Master buys a state-of-the-art Android, she's relieved that her chores will finally lighten up and she'll have time to do what she wants - explore the woods and the wildlife around. Except that the Android begins to take her place...
I absolutely love this book. It was everything I love about a cosy fantasy, and the characters were quirky without being overly so. The writing was funny, and the weirdness of the world where our characters live is making the reader more interested. I absolutely loved Gossies, Ninienne's frogdog! And the Android Andy added a layer of complexity to the plot, by having his own thoughts and discovering freedom and conscience.
The plot itself was simple, in the big lines, but I found myself completely engrossed by the mysteries and having lots of theories as to what happened on that moon! The big finale was intense and I couldn't put my book down!
The only thing I regret is that the author added a statement at the end of the book where he mention that he was helped by AI to write this book. Personally, AI is not something I like to use for making a living (I mean, for my own non-profit hobbies, sure). So I would have liked to have this statement at the beginning of the book, so I knew what I was going into.
October 2, 2024
Ninienne is a wizard in the making and what better way to boost her resume than completing a successful internship - except the master wizard that she is apprenticing for is the absolute worst! And then an android shows up to replace her, turning this into the most unfair competition ever. To make matters worse, what is a girl to do when she "accidentally" breaks her competition? Be prepared for a slew of magical shenanigans as Ninienne works her way out of this kerfluffle!
Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android! is a delightful adventure that was an absolute joy to read. The relationship between Andy the android and Ninienne is hilarious, competitive but the ultimate story of friendship. Together they will go through hell, literally, together, but how will they come out on the other side?
I love a book that is narrated by the author because no one knows the characters "voice' better than the imagination that they came from. It helps that Royce is a great narrator. I would highly suggest listening to this adventure!
This book was such a fun read! I would and will suggest it to all of my fantastical lovers. For an additional tidbit you should read how the author uses AI to draft this book! Overall, this is a fun read for many ages and I can't wait to see how everyone else enjoys it!
Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android! is a delightful adventure that was an absolute joy to read. The relationship between Andy the android and Ninienne is hilarious, competitive but the ultimate story of friendship. Together they will go through hell, literally, together, but how will they come out on the other side?
I love a book that is narrated by the author because no one knows the characters "voice' better than the imagination that they came from. It helps that Royce is a great narrator. I would highly suggest listening to this adventure!
This book was such a fun read! I would and will suggest it to all of my fantastical lovers. For an additional tidbit you should read how the author uses AI to draft this book! Overall, this is a fun read for many ages and I can't wait to see how everyone else enjoys it!
September 9, 2024
🤖 Written with AI assistance. I appreciate the author made a note re: AI’s assistance in this project. I wish it was at the beginning - I’m not keen on AI taking over creative spaces. I’m not knowledgeable on the writing process to know how this author’s approach varies from the norm. As such, my review stands, but I felt the AI flag should be waved so readers know. 🤖
As someone who doesn’t particularly gravitate towards fantasy set in space, I had a good time with this read. I found it to be fairly cozy, light, and fun. MC is in an crappy apprenticeship, on a less than desirable planet, and would make a seriously questionable bargain to gain a better placement - she doesn’t, but she would if she could. The story follows her ups and downs while there. I particularly enjoyed the audiobook as the author self narrates. I appreciated that they added their intentions to the narrative through their voice. I think this is a great, light read for anyone who may need a breather from heavier fantasies or romance. I’d hype the audiobook specifically for the author’s narrative pizazz.
Thank you to NetGalley, Royce Roeswood, and Regamancers Press for this eARC and audiobook ARC.
As someone who doesn’t particularly gravitate towards fantasy set in space, I had a good time with this read. I found it to be fairly cozy, light, and fun. MC is in an crappy apprenticeship, on a less than desirable planet, and would make a seriously questionable bargain to gain a better placement - she doesn’t, but she would if she could. The story follows her ups and downs while there. I particularly enjoyed the audiobook as the author self narrates. I appreciated that they added their intentions to the narrative through their voice. I think this is a great, light read for anyone who may need a breather from heavier fantasies or romance. I’d hype the audiobook specifically for the author’s narrative pizazz.
Thank you to NetGalley, Royce Roeswood, and Regamancers Press for this eARC and audiobook ARC.
September 16, 2024
NetGalley ARC: Note that AI was used in the development of this book. The author does go into detail about how this is used at the END of the book, but I think it should be noted at the beginning as not everyone supports the use of AI and this may be a deciding factor for people that would choose not to support it for that reason alone.
3.75 Stars. A fun and quirky science fantasy about a wizard apprenticeship gone awry. Ninienne gets assigned to a wizard whose last apprentice disappeared mysteriously, and whose mind isn’t all there all the time. This causes some loss of learning yet added work for Ninienne who wants to become a creature healer, but finds her time scattered between apprenticeship and caretaker for her mentor. When an android gets hired to come help, it starts to take over much of Ninienne’s responsibilities much to her dismay and compromising her graduation from apprenticeship. Can she and the android learn to work together in their own scopes? What happened to the last apprentice and why is no one asking for him? Theres something off about her mentor, apart from the memory issues, but is it sinister intent or is he just really REALLY old? Theres a cute delivery guy Ninienne befriends as well to break up some of the mundane tasks and provide a little extra world building. But dont get too comfy, theres also a menacing creature lurking in the woods at night.
3.75 Stars. A fun and quirky science fantasy about a wizard apprenticeship gone awry. Ninienne gets assigned to a wizard whose last apprentice disappeared mysteriously, and whose mind isn’t all there all the time. This causes some loss of learning yet added work for Ninienne who wants to become a creature healer, but finds her time scattered between apprenticeship and caretaker for her mentor. When an android gets hired to come help, it starts to take over much of Ninienne’s responsibilities much to her dismay and compromising her graduation from apprenticeship. Can she and the android learn to work together in their own scopes? What happened to the last apprentice and why is no one asking for him? Theres something off about her mentor, apart from the memory issues, but is it sinister intent or is he just really REALLY old? Theres a cute delivery guy Ninienne befriends as well to break up some of the mundane tasks and provide a little extra world building. But dont get too comfy, theres also a menacing creature lurking in the woods at night.
September 19, 2024
This is interesting fantasy for at least two reasons. First a fun and funny fantasy romp as Ninienne Lightcaster, excellent student, finds herself on a moon in the middle of nowhere, as a wizard apprentice to a wizard who turns out to be more than a little challenged. Life is not going in the direction she expected. But can she get the wizard’s recommendation so she can follow her future dreams. And there starts the story - there’s magic mayhem, demons (some with soup for brains), animals, forest spirits and friendship. And as you might imagine a robot, that totally changes things for her. But she is clever and up for a challenge, and maybe the wizard’s specialism, of impossibly difficult and why would you want to anyway, portal magic might actually help. The second reason of interest is the authors note at the end of how he used AI and chance to help and shape his writing of this book. Very enlightening indeed. AI being used to write a story in which AI is central. Thank you to Ragamancers Press and NetGalley for the audio ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
October 6, 2024
Thank you so much netgalley and the author Royce Roeswood for providing me with the beautiful ARC of this book. Firstly, the audio narration was outstanding!!! Kudos to the author for having such great varied voice ranges.
The story was captivating and perfect fall fun reading! The start felt very much like a great way to introduce to witchcraft and was very lighthearted. The protagonist, Ninienne shows a great character development and indeed shows the courage and strength to stand up against her wizard under whom she is the apprentice. The android, Andy plays a beautiful and essential key role. I loved how he goes human by the end of the book.
The dragon element was beautiful and the antagonist, Salagrix was a a key mystery to held and was unwound in a beautiful way! 💖 The side characters were masterpiece and I thougoughly had a lots of laugh out loud moments and gasp moments!!! It was extremely fun and super wizardly and a definite YA read
The story was captivating and perfect fall fun reading! The start felt very much like a great way to introduce to witchcraft and was very lighthearted. The protagonist, Ninienne shows a great character development and indeed shows the courage and strength to stand up against her wizard under whom she is the apprentice. The android, Andy plays a beautiful and essential key role. I loved how he goes human by the end of the book.
The dragon element was beautiful and the antagonist, Salagrix was a a key mystery to held and was unwound in a beautiful way! 💖 The side characters were masterpiece and I thougoughly had a lots of laugh out loud moments and gasp moments!!! It was extremely fun and super wizardly and a definite YA read
Read
August 21, 2025I didn't know when I first picked up this book that it was written with AI assistance since its only mentioned at the very end of the book. I want to make it clear that I do not support AI in any way. With that said the disclaimer should really be at the beginning of the book, rather than at the end.
The plot itself was good, however, it reminded me a bit too much of other books I've read recently. The pacing of the book feels a bit all over the place, which made the book feel a little longer than it actually is. I did enjoy the characters. It's unfortunate since I did enjoy the story for the most part but it being mostly written with AI just re-written in the authors own words makes it only a 2 stars.
thank you Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
The plot itself was good, however, it reminded me a bit too much of other books I've read recently. The pacing of the book feels a bit all over the place, which made the book feel a little longer than it actually is. I did enjoy the characters. It's unfortunate since I did enjoy the story for the most part but it being mostly written with AI just re-written in the authors own words makes it only a 2 stars.
thank you Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2025
This was fun and silly, and super easy to get into.
The creatures and magic were cool, and I definitely get Ninienne's uncanny valley feel from the Android.
The creatures and magic were cool, and I definitely get Ninienne's uncanny valley feel from the Android.
September 14, 2024
Available September 23/2024
Disclaimer: Please note that I received an Audio ARC from NetGalley and Ragamancers Press, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (Rating System Below)
“Oops! I Broke The Wizard’s Android” by Royce Roeswood is a fun, quirky read with a unique blend of magic and sci-fi. The concept of wizards and androids coming together was really fresh and exciting, and I loved how the story played with that mix. The lighthearted tone kept it enjoyable, even when the plot got a bit predictable at times.
While the characters were likable, I felt like there could have been more depth to them. Some of the relationships and plot points felt a little rushed, and I would have loved more time to get to know the characters better. That said, the humor and playful writing style made up for a lot of it.
Overall, it’s a charming book that’s perfect for a light, entertaining read. It might not have the most complex plot or characters, but if you’re looking for something fun and different, this book definitely delivers.
Get it at…
📗 - Hard Copy -📗
Your Local Canadian Book Seller
Indigo - (Not Available at Time of Review)
Amazon Canada
📱 - Digital - 📱
Kobo
Kindle
🎧 - Audio - 🎧
Audible - (Not Available at Time of Review)
Libro.FM
___________________
*Star Rating Guide*
⭐
The writing style didn’t appeal to me.
The characters didn’t resonate with me.
I pushed myself to the limit to avoid DNF’ing.
I wouldn’t suggest this book to anyone I’m acquainted with.
⭐⭐
The book was passable, but it won’t stick in my mind.
Although I didn’t abandon the book, my mind wasn’t fully immersed in the story.
I discovered that it was easy for me to stop reading it and not feel compelled to continue promptly.
When everything was said and done, I was unsure of my immediate opinion on this book.
⭐⭐⭐
If someone is actively seeking a book in this general premise, I would suggest this.
While it was great, I don’t think I’ll ever pick up this book for a second read.
If it were part of a series, I’d probably venture into the next book.
Reading it was time well-spent.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was brilliant.
I had the urge to keep reading and turn to the next page.
The book stayed on my mind for days after I finished it.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was actively engaged in wanting to finish reading this book.
My thoughts are consumed by this book after completing it.
I want to have a physical copy as a trophy that I can display on my shelf.
I felt a strong connection and investment while reading this book, would definitely recommend.
Disclaimer: Please note that I received an Audio ARC from NetGalley and Ragamancers Press, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (Rating System Below)
“Oops! I Broke The Wizard’s Android” by Royce Roeswood is a fun, quirky read with a unique blend of magic and sci-fi. The concept of wizards and androids coming together was really fresh and exciting, and I loved how the story played with that mix. The lighthearted tone kept it enjoyable, even when the plot got a bit predictable at times.
While the characters were likable, I felt like there could have been more depth to them. Some of the relationships and plot points felt a little rushed, and I would have loved more time to get to know the characters better. That said, the humor and playful writing style made up for a lot of it.
Overall, it’s a charming book that’s perfect for a light, entertaining read. It might not have the most complex plot or characters, but if you’re looking for something fun and different, this book definitely delivers.
Get it at…
📗 - Hard Copy -📗
Your Local Canadian Book Seller
Indigo - (Not Available at Time of Review)
Amazon Canada
📱 - Digital - 📱
Kobo
Kindle
🎧 - Audio - 🎧
Audible - (Not Available at Time of Review)
Libro.FM
___________________
*Star Rating Guide*
⭐
The writing style didn’t appeal to me.
The characters didn’t resonate with me.
I pushed myself to the limit to avoid DNF’ing.
I wouldn’t suggest this book to anyone I’m acquainted with.
⭐⭐
The book was passable, but it won’t stick in my mind.
Although I didn’t abandon the book, my mind wasn’t fully immersed in the story.
I discovered that it was easy for me to stop reading it and not feel compelled to continue promptly.
When everything was said and done, I was unsure of my immediate opinion on this book.
⭐⭐⭐
If someone is actively seeking a book in this general premise, I would suggest this.
While it was great, I don’t think I’ll ever pick up this book for a second read.
If it were part of a series, I’d probably venture into the next book.
Reading it was time well-spent.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was brilliant.
I had the urge to keep reading and turn to the next page.
The book stayed on my mind for days after I finished it.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was actively engaged in wanting to finish reading this book.
My thoughts are consumed by this book after completing it.
I want to have a physical copy as a trophy that I can display on my shelf.
I felt a strong connection and investment while reading this book, would definitely recommend.
September 15, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Ragamancer Press for providing me with an ARC audiobook.
I took the night to process this book, as I had a lot of thoughts and opinions that, at times, seemed to contradict one another. After reflecting, I have decided to give this three stars, when really parts of the book are four stars and parts are just one star.
I would categorize this as a cozy fantasy. We follow Ninienne through her year as a wizard’s apprentice on a remote satellite moon with little access to the outside world. Though there is a science fiction element of some advanced technology—this world has the equivalent of cell phones and robots—that doesn’t stop it from being fantasy first and foremost. You could replace the technology with magic and little would fundamentally change. Oops! I Broke the Wizard’s Android! has a similar pacing to popular cozy fantasy books like Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. Not much happens for the first third of this book except following Ninienne through her daily life, so if you are expecting powerful magic upfront, you might be mistaken, but if you are looking for a story that delves into the daily life of characters in their fantasy world, this book will feel like a warm cup of cocoa.
Oops! I Broke the Wizard’s Android! was a comfortable, easy read, perfect for a lazy fall day. I enjoyed some of the humor and appreciated Ninienne’s character. She was a good mixture of caring and logical, acting more extroverted than most main characters are allowed.
This book might have ranked higher if not for a too-late realization. It was not explained until the end of this book that Roeswood wrote this with help of AI. I am a staunch nonbeliever in using AI for the arts. While it may have its uses, for it to be disclosed at the very end of the book felt both dishonest and substantial, as though waiting for readers to get attached to this book before they revealed an aspect readers may take issue with. And while I can understand using AI for brainstorming or name generation, to call out the use of AI, even though the author explained that the AI contribution had been largely rewritten by the time of publication, makes it likely that there was more AI usage than simple name generation. Just how much of this book was written with AI?
All in all, I’m conflicted between liking this book well enough to have finished it with some ease and being disappointed. I may be more inclined to recommend this if it did not get written with substantial assistance from AI.
I took the night to process this book, as I had a lot of thoughts and opinions that, at times, seemed to contradict one another. After reflecting, I have decided to give this three stars, when really parts of the book are four stars and parts are just one star.
I would categorize this as a cozy fantasy. We follow Ninienne through her year as a wizard’s apprentice on a remote satellite moon with little access to the outside world. Though there is a science fiction element of some advanced technology—this world has the equivalent of cell phones and robots—that doesn’t stop it from being fantasy first and foremost. You could replace the technology with magic and little would fundamentally change. Oops! I Broke the Wizard’s Android! has a similar pacing to popular cozy fantasy books like Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree. Not much happens for the first third of this book except following Ninienne through her daily life, so if you are expecting powerful magic upfront, you might be mistaken, but if you are looking for a story that delves into the daily life of characters in their fantasy world, this book will feel like a warm cup of cocoa.
Oops! I Broke the Wizard’s Android! was a comfortable, easy read, perfect for a lazy fall day. I enjoyed some of the humor and appreciated Ninienne’s character. She was a good mixture of caring and logical, acting more extroverted than most main characters are allowed.
This book might have ranked higher if not for a too-late realization. It was not explained until the end of this book that Roeswood wrote this with help of AI. I am a staunch nonbeliever in using AI for the arts. While it may have its uses, for it to be disclosed at the very end of the book felt both dishonest and substantial, as though waiting for readers to get attached to this book before they revealed an aspect readers may take issue with. And while I can understand using AI for brainstorming or name generation, to call out the use of AI, even though the author explained that the AI contribution had been largely rewritten by the time of publication, makes it likely that there was more AI usage than simple name generation. Just how much of this book was written with AI?
All in all, I’m conflicted between liking this book well enough to have finished it with some ease and being disappointed. I may be more inclined to recommend this if it did not get written with substantial assistance from AI.
September 24, 2024
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android! is a humorous coming of age middle grade/YA speculative fantasy with SF space opera overtones by Royce Roeswood. Released 23rd Sept 2024, it's 305 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.
The character driven plotline is quite meandering and disjointed in places, but comes together fairly well by the denouement. Sent to an entirely inappropriate (borderline dangerous) apprenticeship in an isolated backwater with a senile/vaguely menacing wizard, Ninenne just wanted to be a magical veterinary scientist, and has wound up working with a cross between a theoretical physicist and disturbingly potential murderer.
The writing is competent, breezily whimsical, and meant to be warmly funny, but often winds up straddling an uncomfortably vague no-man's-land between actively threatening (jump scare murder mystery) and passively weird. There are cute elements which lift the whole, such as Ninienne's familiar, a dog/frog hybrid.
It's an indie-pub, so the book could have benefited from a more thorough editing process. There are a number of word substitutions (horde/hoard, it's/its, an/and, defuse/diffuse, etc), but readers who can ignore them probably won't be yanked out of the story too much. The ARC provided for pre-release review is possibly not the final release version, so some corrections might have been made prior to release.
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours and 12 minutes and is capably read by the author. He has a young light tenor voice and does a good job with the occasionally woe-is-me-stuck-on-a-crap-planet-with-an-impossible-teacher whiny attitude of the main character. He enunciates clearly and does a decent job with the often rapid change dialogue. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.
Three and a half stars. Definitely in need of a reading group/professional editing round, but overall a good bet for YA. For that reason, the audiobook version is recommended.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android! is a humorous coming of age middle grade/YA speculative fantasy with SF space opera overtones by Royce Roeswood. Released 23rd Sept 2024, it's 305 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.
The character driven plotline is quite meandering and disjointed in places, but comes together fairly well by the denouement. Sent to an entirely inappropriate (borderline dangerous) apprenticeship in an isolated backwater with a senile/vaguely menacing wizard, Ninenne just wanted to be a magical veterinary scientist, and has wound up working with a cross between a theoretical physicist and disturbingly potential murderer.
The writing is competent, breezily whimsical, and meant to be warmly funny, but often winds up straddling an uncomfortably vague no-man's-land between actively threatening (jump scare murder mystery) and passively weird. There are cute elements which lift the whole, such as Ninienne's familiar, a dog/frog hybrid.
It's an indie-pub, so the book could have benefited from a more thorough editing process. There are a number of word substitutions (horde/hoard, it's/its, an/and, defuse/diffuse, etc), but readers who can ignore them probably won't be yanked out of the story too much. The ARC provided for pre-release review is possibly not the final release version, so some corrections might have been made prior to release.
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours and 12 minutes and is capably read by the author. He has a young light tenor voice and does a good job with the occasionally woe-is-me-stuck-on-a-crap-planet-with-an-impossible-teacher whiny attitude of the main character. He enunciates clearly and does a decent job with the often rapid change dialogue. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.
Three and a half stars. Definitely in need of a reading group/professional editing round, but overall a good bet for YA. For that reason, the audiobook version is recommended.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
September 10, 2024
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🧙♂️🤖 **Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android!** by Royce Roeswood 🤖🧙♂️
*A whimsical, laugh-out-loud magical adventure where technology meets enchantment!*
🌟🔮 **Review:** 🔮🌟
*Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android!* is an absolutely hilarious and charming fantasy romp, filled with quirky characters, magical mishaps, and unexpected tech troubles. Royce Roeswood has created a fantastical world where wizards and androids coexist, and the results are delightfully chaotic.
The story follows a lovable, bumbling protagonist who accidentally breaks an android—belonging to none other than the kingdom's most powerful (and temperamental) wizard. What follows is a madcap adventure to fix the android before the wizard finds out, while trying to navigate a world where magic and technology collide in the most unexpected ways.
Roeswood’s writing is light, humorous, and refreshingly original, with plenty of witty dialogue and laugh-out-loud moments. The characters are endearing, especially the android, whose malfunctioning adds a whole layer of humor to the story. The blend of tech and magic is handled with a clever twist, making this a unique fantasy that keeps you thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
---
🌟 **Highlights:** 🌟
- **Humor & Whimsy**: The lighthearted tone and humorous situations make this book a joy to read.
- **Unique World-Building**: A magical world where wizards use androids? Yes, please! The combination of magic and technology creates a setting full of fun surprises.
- **Endearing Characters**: The protagonist and supporting cast are charming and likable, adding warmth to the hilarity of the story.
---
💌 **Favorite Quote:**
*"In the land of magic, it turns out fixing an android requires more spells than screws."* - A fun reminder of the quirky world this story is set in.
---
🌟 **Rating:** 🌟
⭐️⭐️⭐️
---
If you're looking for a lighthearted fantasy adventure with plenty of humor, *Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android!* is a perfect pick. Royce Roeswood's mix of magic, tech, and hilarious mishaps will leave you laughing and rooting for the characters until the very end.
See more reviews at:
Casla Reads
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*I received this book through NetGalley as an ARC reader. This will not in any way affect my thoughts or opinions on the book.*
🧙♂️🤖 **Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android!** by Royce Roeswood 🤖🧙♂️
*A whimsical, laugh-out-loud magical adventure where technology meets enchantment!*
🌟🔮 **Review:** 🔮🌟
*Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android!* is an absolutely hilarious and charming fantasy romp, filled with quirky characters, magical mishaps, and unexpected tech troubles. Royce Roeswood has created a fantastical world where wizards and androids coexist, and the results are delightfully chaotic.
The story follows a lovable, bumbling protagonist who accidentally breaks an android—belonging to none other than the kingdom's most powerful (and temperamental) wizard. What follows is a madcap adventure to fix the android before the wizard finds out, while trying to navigate a world where magic and technology collide in the most unexpected ways.
Roeswood’s writing is light, humorous, and refreshingly original, with plenty of witty dialogue and laugh-out-loud moments. The characters are endearing, especially the android, whose malfunctioning adds a whole layer of humor to the story. The blend of tech and magic is handled with a clever twist, making this a unique fantasy that keeps you thoroughly entertained from start to finish.
---
🌟 **Highlights:** 🌟
- **Humor & Whimsy**: The lighthearted tone and humorous situations make this book a joy to read.
- **Unique World-Building**: A magical world where wizards use androids? Yes, please! The combination of magic and technology creates a setting full of fun surprises.
- **Endearing Characters**: The protagonist and supporting cast are charming and likable, adding warmth to the hilarity of the story.
---
💌 **Favorite Quote:**
*"In the land of magic, it turns out fixing an android requires more spells than screws."* - A fun reminder of the quirky world this story is set in.
---
🌟 **Rating:** 🌟
⭐️⭐️⭐️
---
If you're looking for a lighthearted fantasy adventure with plenty of humor, *Oops! I Broke the Wizard's Android!* is a perfect pick. Royce Roeswood's mix of magic, tech, and hilarious mishaps will leave you laughing and rooting for the characters until the very end.
See more reviews at:
Casla Reads
---
*I received this book through NetGalley as an ARC reader. This will not in any way affect my thoughts or opinions on the book.*
September 26, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me a copy of this audio book in return for an honest review.
Ninienne Lightcaster has been sent to a back of beyond moon for her final year of her wizard training. The wizard she is assigned to for her apprenticeship is old, forgetful, and not even interested in her speciality. But he is curious about her new technical devices and jumps at her suggestion to purchase an android, a purchase that may lead to her failing her magical studies if she’s not careful.
This is the third audiobook in a row where the author has been the narrator, Royce Roeswood did a brilliant job of bringing his book and characters to life. I had no problem keeping up with who was who.
Note on use of AI, at the end of the novel the author explains how he utilised AI during the writing process along with a tarot deck for the same purpose. I don’t have an issue with this, the story was weaved and polished by the author, how authors get their ideas and what devices they use to create the tale is up to them.
What I liked: The melding of fantasy and sci-fi was cleverly done. I tried to explain it to my brother and he suggested it was like Star Wars, but it’s not like that. It felt more like a magical fantasy which happened to have advanced technology in the background. It was also a fun story, with a lot going on, and a little bit sinister at times too.
What didn’t work for me: I’m not sure if there is an aim for a sequel but some things felt a bit unfinished at the end, I wasn’t sure if her friend not being available to take calls was a plot line to be expanded on or just to leave Ninienne feeling jealous. I would certainly be open to reading more from this world if that’s in the plan.
Final thoughts: A lively story mixing two of my favourite genres.
Who would enjoy this: Age from young adults up, fans of light fantasy and light Sci-Fi.
Ninienne Lightcaster has been sent to a back of beyond moon for her final year of her wizard training. The wizard she is assigned to for her apprenticeship is old, forgetful, and not even interested in her speciality. But he is curious about her new technical devices and jumps at her suggestion to purchase an android, a purchase that may lead to her failing her magical studies if she’s not careful.
This is the third audiobook in a row where the author has been the narrator, Royce Roeswood did a brilliant job of bringing his book and characters to life. I had no problem keeping up with who was who.
Note on use of AI, at the end of the novel the author explains how he utilised AI during the writing process along with a tarot deck for the same purpose. I don’t have an issue with this, the story was weaved and polished by the author, how authors get their ideas and what devices they use to create the tale is up to them.
What I liked: The melding of fantasy and sci-fi was cleverly done. I tried to explain it to my brother and he suggested it was like Star Wars, but it’s not like that. It felt more like a magical fantasy which happened to have advanced technology in the background. It was also a fun story, with a lot going on, and a little bit sinister at times too.
What didn’t work for me: I’m not sure if there is an aim for a sequel but some things felt a bit unfinished at the end, I wasn’t sure if her friend not being available to take calls was a plot line to be expanded on or just to leave Ninienne feeling jealous. I would certainly be open to reading more from this world if that’s in the plan.
Final thoughts: A lively story mixing two of my favourite genres.
Who would enjoy this: Age from young adults up, fans of light fantasy and light Sci-Fi.
October 7, 2024
I received a copy of the book from Voracious Readers Only. This is a whimsical science fiction/fantasy novel that I really enjoyed reading. The orange gas giant Chadron is circled by two moons: Brilliant Moon which is earth-like with water, forests and sand and Shadow Moon which is a black rock with dark purple forests. Ninieen (Neens) has just graduated from the Belcarin Academy of Wizardry and must do a one year apprenticeship with a Master Wizard. They are assigned randomly by computer and Neens' is assigned to Master Wizard Salagrix. Neens and her pet Gossamaw arrive to the town of Black Gulch, Shadow Moon but she has no idea where Salagrix is located. After getting the cold shoulder from the people living there, she learns that she needs to follow the trail to his home. After a two hour walk, she meets Salagrix who insists that Neens shouldn't be there because he already has an apprentice by the name of Rodando. Neens is disappointed for a variety of reasons: she doesn't like the moon, she doesn't like the reception she's received from Salagrix and Salagrix's home is run down. Rodando is nowhere to be found and Neens must complete her apprenticeship with Salagrix, unless she can get a reassignment from the academy. Neens learns that Salagrix's specialty is portal craft, which Neens has absolutely no interest in learning. She is more familiar with creature healing and she was hoping to be assigned to someone in a related field. Regardless, until she hears back from the academy, she's stuck learning from Salagrix. Apparently, he's been neglecting his duties to the people living on the moon and they're rather displeased. That's why Neens received such a cold reception in Black Gulch. It's an interesting read and highly recommend it if you like science fiction/fantasy novels.
September 11, 2024
Review based on audiobook provided by the publisher and author via NetGalley
DNF @50% (end of chapter 15)
In the "Statement of Tools" at the end of the book the author states that he used AI write the book. I listened to this part after I had DNF'd because other reviewers pointed out the use of AI. I appreciate the detailed information on how AI was used, but I wish it had been stated at the beginning of the book as well as in the blurb.
Young wizard Ninienne has to do a final apprenticeship to gain her certificate. She is sent to a remote moon in the system to become the apprentice to a grumpy old wizard, who might benefit from live-in help rather than being the revered teacher he's supposed to be. After some days of cleaning and learning about portal magic, which is neither Ninienne's forte nor selected research topic, Ninienne tricks her master into ordering a highly expensive android.
The cover and title drew me in. I liked the mix of science fiction and fantasy and I really enjoyed the first few chapters. Unfortunately, it took until 30% of the audiobook for the titular android to even appear in the narrative and by the middle of the book it is still operational. I expected the breaking of the android to happen far sooner.
The narration, by the author, was good. Each character got their own voice throughout the book and it was easy to follow the story.
DNF @50% (end of chapter 15)
In the "Statement of Tools" at the end of the book the author states that he used AI write the book. I listened to this part after I had DNF'd because other reviewers pointed out the use of AI. I appreciate the detailed information on how AI was used, but I wish it had been stated at the beginning of the book as well as in the blurb.
Young wizard Ninienne has to do a final apprenticeship to gain her certificate. She is sent to a remote moon in the system to become the apprentice to a grumpy old wizard, who might benefit from live-in help rather than being the revered teacher he's supposed to be. After some days of cleaning and learning about portal magic, which is neither Ninienne's forte nor selected research topic, Ninienne tricks her master into ordering a highly expensive android.
The cover and title drew me in. I liked the mix of science fiction and fantasy and I really enjoyed the first few chapters. Unfortunately, it took until 30% of the audiobook for the titular android to even appear in the narrative and by the middle of the book it is still operational. I expected the breaking of the android to happen far sooner.
The narration, by the author, was good. Each character got their own voice throughout the book and it was easy to follow the story.
September 12, 2024
Oops! I didn't quite get on with this book!
To be clear, it's not bad, but it's not particularly good either. It's light hearted, and on the odd occasion funny, trying hard to channel a mix of a "cozy" feel with Douglas Adams style humor. The humor doesn't land more often than not, but humor is hugely subjective. The bigger problem for me is that the book seemed to being having a bit of an identity crisis, with far too many sub plots, which often come back to be main plots, and it's all a bit of a mess. That said, the narration was top notch, and the writing was pretty decent, however, one major cavate....
At the end of the book the author acknowledges the use of AI in writing this book (ew), as well as tarot (weird but ok). According to the author this was largely for inspiration, press X to doubt because if I were the betting type I would wager this was exactly what caused the aforementioned issue with plot whiplash. This is only my 3rd run-in with AI use in prose, and though I've had no bias about it (outside of how AI is trained), it's done nothing to endear me to the practice, quite the contrary, it's given me yet another example of why it shouldn't be done.
That said, I DO appreciate the fact the author was open about this, and explained his thinking behind using it (even if I think it was sugar coated), though I believe this should be front loaded, not back.
*ARC provided by NetGalley & Ragamancers Press*
To be clear, it's not bad, but it's not particularly good either. It's light hearted, and on the odd occasion funny, trying hard to channel a mix of a "cozy" feel with Douglas Adams style humor. The humor doesn't land more often than not, but humor is hugely subjective. The bigger problem for me is that the book seemed to being having a bit of an identity crisis, with far too many sub plots, which often come back to be main plots, and it's all a bit of a mess. That said, the narration was top notch, and the writing was pretty decent, however, one major cavate....
At the end of the book the author acknowledges the use of AI in writing this book (ew), as well as tarot (weird but ok). According to the author this was largely for inspiration, press X to doubt because if I were the betting type I would wager this was exactly what caused the aforementioned issue with plot whiplash. This is only my 3rd run-in with AI use in prose, and though I've had no bias about it (outside of how AI is trained), it's done nothing to endear me to the practice, quite the contrary, it's given me yet another example of why it shouldn't be done.
That said, I DO appreciate the fact the author was open about this, and explained his thinking behind using it (even if I think it was sugar coated), though I believe this should be front loaded, not back.
*ARC provided by NetGalley & Ragamancers Press*
September 12, 2024
".... neverending Hydra of circuitry."- My favorite quote from the book. Just the imagery of that sentence is great.
I went into this book thinking that they meant android as in the phone, not android as in the humanesque robot with AI software. That left me slightly confused for a little bit when Salagrix kept telling the Main Character no android, after essentially stealing her phone ("device") to play on. That's on me, not the author, though. Haha! I do love the multiple plays on "broke" from the title. Brilliant!
It took a little while to get into the story, but I loved the interstitials from the Book World that helped give context to the advancement and usage of technology within said Book World.
The character development was stilted to start, but after a few chapters really kicked in at a great pace. I wasn't connecting with anybody and before I knew it, I found myself suddenly extremely interested in the outcome of everyone's story.
I definitely can't wait to see how this world progresses in future installments.
Side Note (since I both read the ebook and listened to the audiobook):
The narrator has a Ron Howard narrating Arrested Development feel. He's phenomenal at differing voices and tones, especially for the interstitials.
He makes Salagrix sound like Ron Swanson, in an amazing way.
I went into this book thinking that they meant android as in the phone, not android as in the humanesque robot with AI software. That left me slightly confused for a little bit when Salagrix kept telling the Main Character no android, after essentially stealing her phone ("device") to play on. That's on me, not the author, though. Haha! I do love the multiple plays on "broke" from the title. Brilliant!
It took a little while to get into the story, but I loved the interstitials from the Book World that helped give context to the advancement and usage of technology within said Book World.
The character development was stilted to start, but after a few chapters really kicked in at a great pace. I wasn't connecting with anybody and before I knew it, I found myself suddenly extremely interested in the outcome of everyone's story.
I definitely can't wait to see how this world progresses in future installments.
Side Note (since I both read the ebook and listened to the audiobook):
The narrator has a Ron Howard narrating Arrested Development feel. He's phenomenal at differing voices and tones, especially for the interstitials.
He makes Salagrix sound like Ron Swanson, in an amazing way.
October 2, 2024
Ninienne is the apprentice to a powerful wizard. She is failing and being forgotten by her master and is replaced by an android. This makes her question her whole purpose and sense of being.
This coming of age story looks at other mysteries and secrets of her world.
For me, this was a cozy read. It if was any longer than 8 hours (like 3 for me at my listening speed) I wouldn’t have spent the time on it.
Like many other reviews, I was shocked to read at the end that AI was used as a tool to create this book and really don’t know how I feel about that. However, that didn’t impact my rating.
Narrator was the author- love that! However it was a male voice for a female main character which threw me off a bit.
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory editing for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Out 10/1/24!
This coming of age story looks at other mysteries and secrets of her world.
For me, this was a cozy read. It if was any longer than 8 hours (like 3 for me at my listening speed) I wouldn’t have spent the time on it.
Like many other reviews, I was shocked to read at the end that AI was used as a tool to create this book and really don’t know how I feel about that. However, that didn’t impact my rating.
Narrator was the author- love that! However it was a male voice for a female main character which threw me off a bit.
Thanks to NetGalley and Victory editing for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Out 10/1/24!
September 25, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and Ragamancers Press for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review
I loveddd the idea at the start but as it went on it just felt very Disney morals kids movies. I really liked that each chapter had a portion of a podcast , letter ect. That related to what was going on or something that was good to remember. The characters made me upset, she’s supposed to be finishing highschool yet she constantly acts and reacts immaturely that I just get mad with almost every action she makes. Beautiful atmosphere. The writing itself was really good though, and the plot was unique I just didn’t enjoy the mission at the end and towards that it was already starting to worsen.
I loveddd the idea at the start but as it went on it just felt very Disney morals kids movies. I really liked that each chapter had a portion of a podcast , letter ect. That related to what was going on or something that was good to remember. The characters made me upset, she’s supposed to be finishing highschool yet she constantly acts and reacts immaturely that I just get mad with almost every action she makes. Beautiful atmosphere. The writing itself was really good though, and the plot was unique I just didn’t enjoy the mission at the end and towards that it was already starting to worsen.
September 8, 2024
The author builds not just a world, but a whole universe where magic is normal. Our heroine is sent to a wizard on a dark moon for the last part of her training. Many of her questions to the wizard go unanswered and his tower harbors many mysteries. Characters are well-developed making this an enjoyable and worthwhile read. Don’t miss reading the Statement of Tools. It’s an eye–opener!
I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
December 12, 2024
3⭐
A young wizard gets an apprenticeship - great! But with one of the worst mentors - not so great... On top of that, an android slowly starts replacing her, until...
Such a quirky, fun read, that kept me entertained from start to finish. Also, very easy in terms of terminology, considering it's SciFi/Fantasy.
✨ Thoroughly enjoyed listening to Royce narrate this story.
✨✨ Thank you Ragamancers Press. & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
A young wizard gets an apprenticeship - great! But with one of the worst mentors - not so great... On top of that, an android slowly starts replacing her, until...
Such a quirky, fun read, that kept me entertained from start to finish. Also, very easy in terms of terminology, considering it's SciFi/Fantasy.
✨ Thoroughly enjoyed listening to Royce narrate this story.
✨✨ Thank you Ragamancers Press. & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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