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Adventurers Wanted #5
The Axe of Sundering
The long-awaited final volume of the Adventures Wanted series.
Whalen Vankin is the worlds greatest wizard, and he has only ever personally trained two other wizards. One is Alexander Taylor, a young man who has earned a reputation as a brave adventurer, a warrior, and man of honor. The other is Jabez, Vankin's nephew and a man whose choices have led him down a different, darker path.
Dark magic has covered Westland, and evil is stirring. Whalen and Alex must journey together into the heart of danger, confronting a sea serpent, battling their way through a goblin army, and facing down more than one dragon. Alex must find the legendary Axe of Sundering the one weapon that offers a chance to defeat Jabez and protect the land from the dark wizards plans. But finding it will be an adventure of its own as the only pathway to the Axe leads through the underground tunnels and secret passages of Castle Conmar.
But Jabez has one final weapon at his disposal: the powerful Orion Stone, which could spell the end to Whalen and Alex both.
Whalen Vankin is the worlds greatest wizard, and he has only ever personally trained two other wizards. One is Alexander Taylor, a young man who has earned a reputation as a brave adventurer, a warrior, and man of honor. The other is Jabez, Vankin's nephew and a man whose choices have led him down a different, darker path.
Dark magic has covered Westland, and evil is stirring. Whalen and Alex must journey together into the heart of danger, confronting a sea serpent, battling their way through a goblin army, and facing down more than one dragon. Alex must find the legendary Axe of Sundering the one weapon that offers a chance to defeat Jabez and protect the land from the dark wizards plans. But finding it will be an adventure of its own as the only pathway to the Axe leads through the underground tunnels and secret passages of Castle Conmar.
But Jabez has one final weapon at his disposal: the powerful Orion Stone, which could spell the end to Whalen and Alex both.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2017
209 people are currently reading
2994 people want to read
About the author
M.L. Forman
6 books740 followersMark Forman was born and raised in Utah and now resides in the foothills of the western Rockies. He tries to write as much as possible when he's not working as a systems administrator and attending to his many other hobbies, such as fishing, camping, hiking and almost anything that will allow him to enjoy the magic of nature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
May 29, 2014
*whimpers
I need this...
I need this...
January 28, 2018
Wonderful conclusion to the series. I did think that the end felt a bit rushed as the series finale and that there are still some unanswered questions/other ways that elements from the past books could have been worked into the conclusion to wrap it up. For instance, Whalen mentioned after Alex showed him his true form in book 3 that he knew of an old legend myth about a true silver dragon but we never learned more of that. Unless this myth is being saved to be used in other books I think it would have been a good way to potentially link the sea elves redemption legend giving it more weight since it came to pass in the end. I also feel that the end battle between Zain/Galin and Alex was a little too quick compared to the battle with Jabez. Since most of the book revolved around Jabez and his defeat the battle scene was the appropriate size to the length of the plot that it took to get there, however, the battle with Zain/Galin and Alex was supposed to be the culmination of the entire series and thus should be an appropriate size to the length of plot that it took to get there. Instead they were easily defeated with Alex's binding spell and quick work from the Axe of Sundering with hardly any fight/retaliation/trickery from Zain/Galin.
Regardless of these points I did LOVE the book and LOVED the series to the end. It was still a very good way to wrap up the series and I did enjoy seeing that Alex failed at least once throughout the series. It was getting a little far fetched with the amount of times he succeeded throughout the other books in the series. Shoutout to M.L. Forman for the hard work so that we could finally know what happened with Alex.
Edit: The book cover also bothers me as well as the book covers of the others books minus book one because they get one detail wrong. Alex has sandy blonde hair as described in book one. Otherwise they are all good covers.
Regardless of these points I did LOVE the book and LOVED the series to the end. It was still a very good way to wrap up the series and I did enjoy seeing that Alex failed at least once throughout the series. It was getting a little far fetched with the amount of times he succeeded throughout the other books in the series. Shoutout to M.L. Forman for the hard work so that we could finally know what happened with Alex.
Edit: The book cover also bothers me as well as the book covers of the others books minus book one because they get one detail wrong. Alex has sandy blonde hair as described in book one. Otherwise they are all good covers.
October 3, 2017
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
Alex now has the opportunity to help his mentor and the world's greatest wizard, Whalen Vankin as he faces his evil nephew whom he trained before Jabez took this dark path away from the ways of a true wizard. The secret to defeating Jabez before he takes over Westland is the legendary Axe of Sundering which has been secreted away. Alex must find it and face the powerful Orion Stone if he and Whalen have a chance of protecting the land.
This is a very solid better than middle grade, middle grade series and the latest book in the series captures the same magic as the books before it! I loved the cover and the title... they left you intrigued the entire book as you wondered how the Axe of Sundering would work. My only complaint was that a murky brown was used instead of a pop of color behind the axe so that we could see better that Alex was also on the cover. Even if Alex was just dressed more in a green it would make him show up better.
The story was just like the cover... almost perfect but with a few slow points where enough re-writing wasn't done to smooth away the info dumping or the slow weariness of travel. Ultimately Alex and Whalen are traveling to where Jabez is holed up in the castle Conmar... since he can sense their magic they must take it slow and steady to not draw attention to themselves. I really enjoyed the larger moments that were developed along the trail. There were some connective events that lead between the larger plot points that I thought lacked the charm of previous books.
This lack of charm has to do with there being NONE of the friends that Alex normally has with him and hence a lot LESS interaction with others. This isn't bad per se... its just really different! Instead of starting with people he's comfortable with Alex meets a couple new friends along the way. There are only two but I liked both characters and thought their first meetings were fun. A LOT of pages was spent with Whalen and this time there was a focus on how to treat an elder... someone who is MUCH wiser than Alex but whom he didn't always see eye to eye with. I enjoyed how he handled those differences. The sea elves were a particular favorite of mine and I liked how they were personified through a couple characters...
The world of Westlands is one of island nations and little cities that stand free of one another. We get a sense of the history of the place as Alex travels along a merchant route and they start to get glimpses of the troubles that plague the area. It was all very intriguing. Of course, we KNEW who was doing it and why but it was fun to see what antics the evil wizard would throw at Alex. If you enjoy a Hobbit or D&D sort of world then this series as well as this book are for YOU!
Two other things I struggled with a touch were development and pacing. I appreciate the friendships that Alex made but events along the trail needed a bit more development so that the pacing felt more exciting. While I loved the book and enjoyed what happened there were times I could put down the book and I wasn't plagued to come back to it. This makes me sad as I'm normally raring to read the next page of this series the entire time...
The incorporation of many details from past books for the end was incredible! The dragons made my heart sing and I was NOT disappointed in the dragon lord part of the storyline. Really the way the END CAME TOGETHER is why I'm rounding up to 4 stars and why I still HIGHLY suggest this book despite it's flaws. Some of the best plotting all jammed up at the end... I literally could not put it down once we got to the castle and KEPT READING to Jabez and beyond!!
Alex totally makes this series and this book! To have read as he comes to be a young man is so incredible and such an example to other readers... I really think every young man could read this series and book and get SO MUCH out of them!! I want to say though that he is a normal kid who didn't think much of himself or his life but through persistence and being aware of opportunities he made choices that took him down this path to being an honorable, wise, respectful, magical, intuitive wizard who is a joy for those of like honor to know and adventure with...
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Premise & World Building
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cover & Title
⋆⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Development & Storycraft
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing & Narrative
⋆⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⋆⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Relationships
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Feelings
BOTTOM LINE: A Dragon Lord in the making!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
Alex now has the opportunity to help his mentor and the world's greatest wizard, Whalen Vankin as he faces his evil nephew whom he trained before Jabez took this dark path away from the ways of a true wizard. The secret to defeating Jabez before he takes over Westland is the legendary Axe of Sundering which has been secreted away. Alex must find it and face the powerful Orion Stone if he and Whalen have a chance of protecting the land.
This is a very solid better than middle grade, middle grade series and the latest book in the series captures the same magic as the books before it! I loved the cover and the title... they left you intrigued the entire book as you wondered how the Axe of Sundering would work. My only complaint was that a murky brown was used instead of a pop of color behind the axe so that we could see better that Alex was also on the cover. Even if Alex was just dressed more in a green it would make him show up better.
The story was just like the cover... almost perfect but with a few slow points where enough re-writing wasn't done to smooth away the info dumping or the slow weariness of travel. Ultimately Alex and Whalen are traveling to where Jabez is holed up in the castle Conmar... since he can sense their magic they must take it slow and steady to not draw attention to themselves. I really enjoyed the larger moments that were developed along the trail. There were some connective events that lead between the larger plot points that I thought lacked the charm of previous books.
This lack of charm has to do with there being NONE of the friends that Alex normally has with him and hence a lot LESS interaction with others. This isn't bad per se... its just really different! Instead of starting with people he's comfortable with Alex meets a couple new friends along the way. There are only two but I liked both characters and thought their first meetings were fun. A LOT of pages was spent with Whalen and this time there was a focus on how to treat an elder... someone who is MUCH wiser than Alex but whom he didn't always see eye to eye with. I enjoyed how he handled those differences. The sea elves were a particular favorite of mine and I liked how they were personified through a couple characters...
The world of Westlands is one of island nations and little cities that stand free of one another. We get a sense of the history of the place as Alex travels along a merchant route and they start to get glimpses of the troubles that plague the area. It was all very intriguing. Of course, we KNEW who was doing it and why but it was fun to see what antics the evil wizard would throw at Alex. If you enjoy a Hobbit or D&D sort of world then this series as well as this book are for YOU!
Two other things I struggled with a touch were development and pacing. I appreciate the friendships that Alex made but events along the trail needed a bit more development so that the pacing felt more exciting. While I loved the book and enjoyed what happened there were times I could put down the book and I wasn't plagued to come back to it. This makes me sad as I'm normally raring to read the next page of this series the entire time...
The incorporation of many details from past books for the end was incredible! The dragons made my heart sing and I was NOT disappointed in the dragon lord part of the storyline. Really the way the END CAME TOGETHER is why I'm rounding up to 4 stars and why I still HIGHLY suggest this book despite it's flaws. Some of the best plotting all jammed up at the end... I literally could not put it down once we got to the castle and KEPT READING to Jabez and beyond!!
Alex totally makes this series and this book! To have read as he comes to be a young man is so incredible and such an example to other readers... I really think every young man could read this series and book and get SO MUCH out of them!! I want to say though that he is a normal kid who didn't think much of himself or his life but through persistence and being aware of opportunities he made choices that took him down this path to being an honorable, wise, respectful, magical, intuitive wizard who is a joy for those of like honor to know and adventure with...
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Premise & World Building
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cover & Title
⋆⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Development & Storycraft
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing & Narrative
⋆⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⋆⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Relationships
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Feelings
BOTTOM LINE: A Dragon Lord in the making!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
September 30, 2017
Wow. I would not typically recommend reading the last book in a series. Yet, this is what I did. However, it was like I had been following along since the being. This is how easy the reading was and the fact that I was able to connect to the characters and the story. As I was reading this book I could not help but feel a little influence of The Sword and the Stone as well as The Hobbit.
The world that this series takes place in is magical. Yet, the true star is Alex. While, he may be young, he is brave and smart. There was a point in the story where Alex had to travel on his own but he was up for the challenge. Than when it came time for him to face Jabez, he did so with everything that he had. A fitting conclusion to this series. You could say that I was transported to another world. This is the best part of books. I plan to go back and read books one through four. Although, I will not be alone as I will be introducing my nephews to this series as well.
The world that this series takes place in is magical. Yet, the true star is Alex. While, he may be young, he is brave and smart. There was a point in the story where Alex had to travel on his own but he was up for the challenge. Than when it came time for him to face Jabez, he did so with everything that he had. A fitting conclusion to this series. You could say that I was transported to another world. This is the best part of books. I plan to go back and read books one through four. Although, I will not be alone as I will be introducing my nephews to this series as well.
Want to read
July 7, 2014Psyched! I'm really looking forward to reading this book! Will it be the end of the series? I can't recall hearing anything...
December 16, 2020
Липсата на напрежение пречи на иначе тази симпатична фентъзи книжка да стане страхотна, но авторът й заслужава уважение, защото я написа след прекаран инсулт, което ме кара да поставя с една звездичка по-висока оценка от реалната. Ревюто на линка:
https://citadelata.com/the-axe-of-sun...
https://citadelata.com/the-axe-of-sun...
June 9, 2022
Don't end
I know this is the last book in the series. I don't want it to end. I do like how the author wraps up the story, but I want to read more. I am looking forward to what else this author will do.
I know this is the last book in the series. I don't want it to end. I do like how the author wraps up the story, but I want to read more. I am looking forward to what else this author will do.
Want to read
October 16, 2015 When will it come out???!!!
December 30, 2017
This book was amazing! It brought back all the wonder and joy I felt from the first adventure while still carrying on the interest and intrigue from the adventures in between the two! I can’t wait for a follow up and fear the day the series comes to an end.
December 29, 2022
There were things I liked about this story but some that I did not. This book was a little darker than the others and I missed the unity of a team of adventurers. The main story line wrapped up, which was good. I felt the author was focused more on getting a message across than anything else so some things seemed a little forced. Overall this was an good but not great series,
July 2, 2024
What a thrilling and great end to the series! It was interesting having some of the lore of the series finally revealed. I also like what Forman did with the prologue. It was a surprising twist compared to the other books! An overall great book and series, would highly recommend.
October 11, 2018
3.5 stars I was very lucky to get an advanced copy of this final chapter in the Adventurer's Wanted series. Because I have been waiting so long, I had very high expectations. (Probably not fair to the author!)
While this wasn't my favorite in the series, it was a solid conclusion. It even left the possibility of more books in this world--they just wrapped up this series by defeating the evil they have been chasing. (Really since wizards and dragons can live for a VERY long time, it would be quite easy to write more just set a few decades later)
I really enjoyed that everything doesn't come easily to Alex in this book! He had to work hard, face failure, and lose to really grow as a character! The final resolution was over a little too quick for my liking, but otherwise a good book!
While this wasn't my favorite in the series, it was a solid conclusion. It even left the possibility of more books in this world--they just wrapped up this series by defeating the evil they have been chasing. (Really since wizards and dragons can live for a VERY long time, it would be quite easy to write more just set a few decades later)
I really enjoyed that everything doesn't come easily to Alex in this book! He had to work hard, face failure, and lose to really grow as a character! The final resolution was over a little too quick for my liking, but otherwise a good book!
October 17, 2017
This is a series I have thoroughly enjoyed. Each book is definitely a fantastic adventure. I enjoyed being back with Whalen and Alex. It did take several chapters for me to get into the story, but once I was invested, I didn't want to put it down. In trying to figure out why it took me awhile to get into the story, the only thing I can think of is I had been out of that world for to long. I think if I had read all five books back-to-back it would have flowed better for me. I thought there was a very powerful lesson taught toward the end of the book about success and failures. Too often kids want to get up and the world judges us based on our successes. Alex learned a great lesson about the two. I would recommend this book and series to any fantasy lover.
July 26, 2017
I have to admit that I felt like I won the lottery when I received this from NetGalley. As with all the fans of this series, the wait was long, but we understand; the positive side was it gave me time to re-read the other books and enjoy the adventures again.
The wait was SO worth it! The story does not disappoint and is just as exciting as the other four books. This was full of action and emotions. I do hope there are more adventures to come for all of the characters. It would be fun to see more characters from the dark elves develop in other adventures.
I received the from NetGalley.com for my honest review.
The wait was SO worth it! The story does not disappoint and is just as exciting as the other four books. This was full of action and emotions. I do hope there are more adventures to come for all of the characters. It would be fun to see more characters from the dark elves develop in other adventures.
I received the from NetGalley.com for my honest review.
September 1, 2018
The Axe of Sundering is the final book in the Adventurers Wanted series. It is a very good end to this long series. Alexander Taylor has grown much from the beginning of the series. The connections from other books like the Brotherhood play a large role in this book and wraps up some loose ends as well. The introduction of the Sea Elves was nice to see some conclusion with Dark Elves. I highly recommend this series to be read. It is a mix of Tolkien's Middle-Earth and Dungeon and Dragons.
February 28, 2019
Having to wait for something can be difficult, but it avoids rushing something and having it half baked. When the news broke in 2015 that M.L. Forman had suffered from a stroke, many questioned when the book would be published. Luckily Forman not only managed to pull through, but also kept his drive to finish the book.
After the events from the previous adventure, Alex is asked by his mentor Whalen to accompany him to the land of Jarro to stop a former student of Whalen named Jabez who has been helping the evil organization the Brotherhood attempt to rule the known lands. Due to Jabez’s specific dark power, only the legendary Ax of Sundering can end his evil for good. To get the Ax, Alex and Whalen must travel across Jarro in a way that doesn’t alert their presence to the evil wizard while preparing the lands for the Brotherhoods attack.
In the course of Alex’s adventures, he has gone to many unique lands, and Jarro is no exception. The islands are each interesting, and Alex is once again exposed to different scenarios that test his skills as both an adventurer and a Dragon Lord. Most scenarios aren’t too different than what most people would interact with, making each part a chance to teach a lesson.
Just like previous books, the story goes from one part to the next with Alex rarely interacting with previous characters from earlier in the book. The author makes up for this by having each one be different and creative. Alex himself has grown a lot since the first book. He still makes mistakes, but is far more confident and skillful when it comes to approaching different legs of the journey. Unlike the previous books, Alex travels mainly with his mentor Whalen instead of a band of adventurers. While I did miss the D&D adventure group, the story managed to keep me interested by having other elements that made the expedition fresh and interesting.
One thing that I would have loved would have been Alex seeing (if only briefly) some of the characters he had encountered throughout the story at the end of the book. We do get mentions of Aliia and Lupo for instance, but it would have been nice to have brief farewells between the characters. The ending also gives us a bit of hope that if he is able, the author would like to return to the series one day. If that happens by himself or by someone under his guidance, I would welcome the chance to read more of Alex’s adventures.
After the events from the previous adventure, Alex is asked by his mentor Whalen to accompany him to the land of Jarro to stop a former student of Whalen named Jabez who has been helping the evil organization the Brotherhood attempt to rule the known lands. Due to Jabez’s specific dark power, only the legendary Ax of Sundering can end his evil for good. To get the Ax, Alex and Whalen must travel across Jarro in a way that doesn’t alert their presence to the evil wizard while preparing the lands for the Brotherhoods attack.
In the course of Alex’s adventures, he has gone to many unique lands, and Jarro is no exception. The islands are each interesting, and Alex is once again exposed to different scenarios that test his skills as both an adventurer and a Dragon Lord. Most scenarios aren’t too different than what most people would interact with, making each part a chance to teach a lesson.
Just like previous books, the story goes from one part to the next with Alex rarely interacting with previous characters from earlier in the book. The author makes up for this by having each one be different and creative. Alex himself has grown a lot since the first book. He still makes mistakes, but is far more confident and skillful when it comes to approaching different legs of the journey. Unlike the previous books, Alex travels mainly with his mentor Whalen instead of a band of adventurers. While I did miss the D&D adventure group, the story managed to keep me interested by having other elements that made the expedition fresh and interesting.
One thing that I would have loved would have been Alex seeing (if only briefly) some of the characters he had encountered throughout the story at the end of the book. We do get mentions of Aliia and Lupo for instance, but it would have been nice to have brief farewells between the characters. The ending also gives us a bit of hope that if he is able, the author would like to return to the series one day. If that happens by himself or by someone under his guidance, I would welcome the chance to read more of Alex’s adventures.
November 17, 2017
Trey Mandlein
November 17, 2017
The book The Axe of Sundering by M.L Forman is an amazing book filled with magic and dragons. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure books that are filled with action. This book is about a kid named alex and his quest with his mentor and friend Whalen. They are going to destroy an evil wizard who is trying to take over the world. They end up destroying him and an evil society called the brotherhood. In all of this Alex accidentally breaks a wall between the living and dead, and has to become a true silver dragon(his second form) to fix it. The true silver dragons are the protectors of the lands and have extreme power. That's why alex was able to destroy the brotherhood so easily.
This book is valuable because its really good and people want to buy it. One part of the book that was slow and unnecessary was when alex and Whalen went on the ship and Fought a sea monster, the book didn't need this part but I think it added some more action to it too. I didn't like that when Whalen died he came back from the dead, I feel like Alex was abusing his power as a guardian. I agree with the author's perspective because he is an amazing guy and has a great imagination. This book connects with his other books in the series because it ties up loose ends and things are brought together. Alexs personality is important because he is nice and always good to other people by offering them help. This shows that he is good and will never turn evil. This book makes me feel really good and makes me excited to turn every page, it also makes me want to stay up late and read.
The theme of this book is that good people can always overcome evil. It shows this in the book because Alex always Faces people who are evil and he always wins. Even against all odds like when he fought the brotherhood. He still was able to win even when the barrier between life and death was broken and even more people cam in. he still was able to get them all back in and fix the wall.
November 17, 2017
The book The Axe of Sundering by M.L Forman is an amazing book filled with magic and dragons. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure books that are filled with action. This book is about a kid named alex and his quest with his mentor and friend Whalen. They are going to destroy an evil wizard who is trying to take over the world. They end up destroying him and an evil society called the brotherhood. In all of this Alex accidentally breaks a wall between the living and dead, and has to become a true silver dragon(his second form) to fix it. The true silver dragons are the protectors of the lands and have extreme power. That's why alex was able to destroy the brotherhood so easily.
This book is valuable because its really good and people want to buy it. One part of the book that was slow and unnecessary was when alex and Whalen went on the ship and Fought a sea monster, the book didn't need this part but I think it added some more action to it too. I didn't like that when Whalen died he came back from the dead, I feel like Alex was abusing his power as a guardian. I agree with the author's perspective because he is an amazing guy and has a great imagination. This book connects with his other books in the series because it ties up loose ends and things are brought together. Alexs personality is important because he is nice and always good to other people by offering them help. This shows that he is good and will never turn evil. This book makes me feel really good and makes me excited to turn every page, it also makes me want to stay up late and read.
The theme of this book is that good people can always overcome evil. It shows this in the book because Alex always Faces people who are evil and he always wins. Even against all odds like when he fought the brotherhood. He still was able to win even when the barrier between life and death was broken and even more people cam in. he still was able to get them all back in and fix the wall.
October 15, 2017
Alex must face his toughest opponent, Whalen’s past mentee, Jabez. I appreciated that things didn’t come as easily to Alex as they often did in the other books. Though things still were a little too convenient. The beginning with Alex’s lost memories gripped me, but then I had to slog through the first few chapters of Whalen telling his sad backstory and Alex preparing for his quest. Whalen was overly secretive and I found it a little annoying that he didn’t give any reason for having Alex take so many circuitous routes.
The journey to Conmar was a little long without some of the fun banter and connection in previous books. I did, however, really like how Alex learned to respect Whalen and not rely only on himself and his own past successes. It was great to see him have to deal with accepting Whalen’s wisdom gathered through generations even when Alex didn’t agree with him. There wasn’t interaction with others until further along the journey, but once they came in they were fun. The sea elves and some other creatures introduced were so cool!
The evil wizard’s obstacles were intriguing and it was cool to have Alex get glimpses of trouble in Westlands as he traveled. The pacing was a bit slow in many areas, but with a little more development of the plot and subplots, it could have moved a little better.
That said, the ending was amazing! It tied in details and loose ends from previous books to the sweeping conclusion. I did feel the big confrontation was over a little fast after the big build-up, but once you get to the castle it’s hard to stop reading. I loved the dragons, because dragons make everything cooler, and how the magic was shown.
The series is about Alex growing into a great young man and dragon lord. This would be a great book for late elementary school and middle-grade readers who love adventure, think Dungeons and Dragons and The Hobbit, and magic.
The journey to Conmar was a little long without some of the fun banter and connection in previous books. I did, however, really like how Alex learned to respect Whalen and not rely only on himself and his own past successes. It was great to see him have to deal with accepting Whalen’s wisdom gathered through generations even when Alex didn’t agree with him. There wasn’t interaction with others until further along the journey, but once they came in they were fun. The sea elves and some other creatures introduced were so cool!
The evil wizard’s obstacles were intriguing and it was cool to have Alex get glimpses of trouble in Westlands as he traveled. The pacing was a bit slow in many areas, but with a little more development of the plot and subplots, it could have moved a little better.
That said, the ending was amazing! It tied in details and loose ends from previous books to the sweeping conclusion. I did feel the big confrontation was over a little fast after the big build-up, but once you get to the castle it’s hard to stop reading. I loved the dragons, because dragons make everything cooler, and how the magic was shown.
The series is about Alex growing into a great young man and dragon lord. This would be a great book for late elementary school and middle-grade readers who love adventure, think Dungeons and Dragons and The Hobbit, and magic.
October 24, 2017
Welcome back to the land of Adventures Wanted! In this fifth book, we find Alex and Whalen about to set off on a quest to stop Whalen's evil great-great-great-etc-nephew. Together Alex and Whalen, the two greatest wizards in the land, must disguise themselves and travel to the land where Jabez, the evil nephew, is plotting to overthrow Westland.
His death will be difficult, because he has tied his life force to any person he has ever helped, so Alex must find The Axe of Sundering, to cut through the ties and then end Jabez's life. Of course, the Axe is hidden and guarded by a dragon. The Brotherhood is also on the rise, and Alex and Whalen must watch their every move or the greater good might be in jeopardy.
My Thoughts-
So Good! I've been waiting for this book to come out. The author suffered an illness, and luckily got better. The Adventures Wanted world is FABULOUS! If you missed book one, Alex, then a sixteenish year-old, answered a sign in a shop window that said, Adventures Wanted. Think of all your favorite World of Warcraft or Dungeon and Dragon dreams come true. Plus, while he is gone in adventure land, barely any time passes in his home world.
This time he is with his teacher, Whalen, and together they travel with a caravan around Westland, so that they can sneak up on Jabez. As a reader, you are able to watch as Alex's character becomes even more powerful and smart. He is also kind, which makes him a great wizard. He discovers a clue about a dragon with no name who will save the land. Hmm, a tasty tidbit he tries to unravel for most of the book. As he travels, he meets wondrous creatures, including Sea Elves and Dark Shadows. He uses his talents to deal with each accordingly. He continues to grow into his destiny with fabulous fight scenes and skill challenges.
This story just flows, moving from beginning of quest, through trials, to a spectacular ending, and then bam! and extra ending you didn't see coming. I love this series. 5 stars!
His death will be difficult, because he has tied his life force to any person he has ever helped, so Alex must find The Axe of Sundering, to cut through the ties and then end Jabez's life. Of course, the Axe is hidden and guarded by a dragon. The Brotherhood is also on the rise, and Alex and Whalen must watch their every move or the greater good might be in jeopardy.
My Thoughts-
So Good! I've been waiting for this book to come out. The author suffered an illness, and luckily got better. The Adventures Wanted world is FABULOUS! If you missed book one, Alex, then a sixteenish year-old, answered a sign in a shop window that said, Adventures Wanted. Think of all your favorite World of Warcraft or Dungeon and Dragon dreams come true. Plus, while he is gone in adventure land, barely any time passes in his home world.
This time he is with his teacher, Whalen, and together they travel with a caravan around Westland, so that they can sneak up on Jabez. As a reader, you are able to watch as Alex's character becomes even more powerful and smart. He is also kind, which makes him a great wizard. He discovers a clue about a dragon with no name who will save the land. Hmm, a tasty tidbit he tries to unravel for most of the book. As he travels, he meets wondrous creatures, including Sea Elves and Dark Shadows. He uses his talents to deal with each accordingly. He continues to grow into his destiny with fabulous fight scenes and skill challenges.
This story just flows, moving from beginning of quest, through trials, to a spectacular ending, and then bam! and extra ending you didn't see coming. I love this series. 5 stars!
January 27, 2019
My name is Alex, and I've agreed to help Whalen destroy his nephew Jabez. Jabez is an evil wizard using dark magic, and we suspect he has connections to the Brotherhood. We can't use any of our magic during our journey or Jabez will sense our presence. Luckily, he can't sense my dragon magic. Whalen and I are pretending to be merchants as we travel across the land, and I've made some good friends. However, it upsets me that I must lie to them in order to keep my true identity secret. When we reach Jabez's castle, I must first locate the Axe of Sundering in order to break his connection to living spirits. If I don't, I won't be able to kill him, and evil will spread across the lands. A prophecy says a nameless dragon will appear someday and vanquish the evil. I don't understand what that means, so I must continue my quest until its conclusion.
The prologue described how Alex couldn't remember anything about himself, so I was ready for some serious surprises. I had mixed emotions about this book, since Alex wasn't on an official quest with other adventurers. I missed the closeness of the past adventurer groups and the sense of teamwork and camaraderie. Honor and loyalty were still important elements of Alex's character and were keys to his success. This book felt a little more violent than other books in the series, as Alex's end goal was to kill Jabez. Alex killed wicked men and creatures in the past, but it wasn't usually planned from the beginning. The author has managed to introduce creative weapons and tools to the stories, and white orbs and the Axe of Sundering were examples this time. New powers continued to find Alex, so his solutions to conflicts were often surprises. I expected to find another sequel waiting when I reached the end of the plot, but all issues were resolved in the last fourth of the book. Overall, I enjoyed the series, especially the first three books, and recommend you give it a shot.
The prologue described how Alex couldn't remember anything about himself, so I was ready for some serious surprises. I had mixed emotions about this book, since Alex wasn't on an official quest with other adventurers. I missed the closeness of the past adventurer groups and the sense of teamwork and camaraderie. Honor and loyalty were still important elements of Alex's character and were keys to his success. This book felt a little more violent than other books in the series, as Alex's end goal was to kill Jabez. Alex killed wicked men and creatures in the past, but it wasn't usually planned from the beginning. The author has managed to introduce creative weapons and tools to the stories, and white orbs and the Axe of Sundering were examples this time. New powers continued to find Alex, so his solutions to conflicts were often surprises. I expected to find another sequel waiting when I reached the end of the plot, but all issues were resolved in the last fourth of the book. Overall, I enjoyed the series, especially the first three books, and recommend you give it a shot.
November 14, 2017
There was a lot of buildup for this book. The initial publication date was pushed back when the author had health issues. This is understandable and a valid reason to not have the book ready. I think that the delay in publishing made it so the author felt he needed to get it out as soon as possible, and the story suffered for it.
I have read all the other books in the series and was looking forward to seeing how it ended. I honestly thought there would be more than five books, but this one has been announced as the final book in the series, so it had to have a strong send off. This book felt completely disconnected from the rest of the books. It was okay I guess, but Alex started getting really annoying, and characters and story lines that had been throughout the rest of the series were randomly dropped. What happened to the rest of the magic bags that Alex was supposed to be returning? All of the previous books had him return a bag, but if my math is correct, he still had at least three by the end of the series. Nothing was mentioned about them at all.
There were a lot of new characters, but they didn't seem to serve any real purpose. They were just fillers. There were plenty of characters that had been present for most of the series that I would have loved to see again. I believe there were only three that were mentioned, two of which were only mentioned for a moment. I couldn't really connect with the new characters. They hadn't been around long enough for me to care about what happened to them.
This series could have done with at least a couple more books. It was a disappointment to wait so long only to end up reading a book that seems disconnected from the rest of the series.
Author: M.L. Forman
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
I have read all the other books in the series and was looking forward to seeing how it ended. I honestly thought there would be more than five books, but this one has been announced as the final book in the series, so it had to have a strong send off. This book felt completely disconnected from the rest of the books. It was okay I guess, but Alex started getting really annoying, and characters and story lines that had been throughout the rest of the series were randomly dropped. What happened to the rest of the magic bags that Alex was supposed to be returning? All of the previous books had him return a bag, but if my math is correct, he still had at least three by the end of the series. Nothing was mentioned about them at all.
There were a lot of new characters, but they didn't seem to serve any real purpose. They were just fillers. There were plenty of characters that had been present for most of the series that I would have loved to see again. I believe there were only three that were mentioned, two of which were only mentioned for a moment. I couldn't really connect with the new characters. They hadn't been around long enough for me to care about what happened to them.
This series could have done with at least a couple more books. It was a disappointment to wait so long only to end up reading a book that seems disconnected from the rest of the series.
Author: M.L. Forman
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
February 18, 2025
I want to start this review with the problems. The first half of the book was slow, the final villain was too easy to defeat and it all felt too fast. I also felt that many plot lines from previous books were left abandoned and this book could have done with more returning characters. I know the author had a stroke and had to cut the seven book series down to five but my review reflects the book and not the unfortunate circumstances that happened during its writing. Now why did I rate it four stars and not three. Well I have two reasons for that. One is that the books themselves all made me care about the world and characters more than most books can manage and I feel sad finishing this book, which is something not every author can accomplish. The other reason is the ending. Most of the things in this book felt rushed, especially the final villain. But the ending, those last six pages? They made me feel extremely happy and bittersweet to finish the series. The ending is not the villains or plot but the main character's journey that we see and the message conveyed by him in the last page is truly what makes this book great. If the earlier writing was better paced or some of the plot points were addressed instead of abandoned then this book would have been five stars but I cannot in good faith rate it five stars with these problems. Finally, I feel I should leave a message about the author. This was the last book he published because of health issues and when I am writing this review he passed recently, he was truly an amazing writer and his stories will live on to children and adults alike as a source of comfort, a teaching of morals and a good time to be had. I hope he finds peace beyond the wall, and that his works are remembered for a long time.
October 16, 2017
I'm sad to see yet another of my personal favorite series come to an end. This series has been full of action and adventure. It's a series that my daughter and I have been able to relive again and again. And we'll still do that, but there will be no more of Alex's new adventures to tag along on.
This book has been worth the wait that it's taken to get it into the hands of the reader. The author suffered a stroke while writing this one, so it's taken years and years to get it. I loved how I was able to open it and be sucked right back into Alex's world of adventures as if no time had passed. So fabulous!
I love the characters in this series. You see everything through Alex's eyes, so you only know what he knows. You only see what he sees. That can be detrimental in certain books but I love the way it works with this series. I love that you can try to figure out just how to get out of situations while Alex does, or figure out just what he should do next with him. I love his sense of honor and duty. He is one of my favorite literary characters I've ever read.
I love the plot of this one. There is plenty of action and adventure. And even when the book is winding down in the final closing scenes, it still is filled with action and adventure. I was surprised by how it all ended. But it was a fitting end to an amazing series.
Make sure to go get this book, but make sure that you start at the beginning of the series if you haven't already!
This book has been worth the wait that it's taken to get it into the hands of the reader. The author suffered a stroke while writing this one, so it's taken years and years to get it. I loved how I was able to open it and be sucked right back into Alex's world of adventures as if no time had passed. So fabulous!
I love the characters in this series. You see everything through Alex's eyes, so you only know what he knows. You only see what he sees. That can be detrimental in certain books but I love the way it works with this series. I love that you can try to figure out just how to get out of situations while Alex does, or figure out just what he should do next with him. I love his sense of honor and duty. He is one of my favorite literary characters I've ever read.
I love the plot of this one. There is plenty of action and adventure. And even when the book is winding down in the final closing scenes, it still is filled with action and adventure. I was surprised by how it all ended. But it was a fitting end to an amazing series.
Make sure to go get this book, but make sure that you start at the beginning of the series if you haven't already!
October 16, 2017
I'm sad to see yet another of my personal favorite series come to an end. This series has been full of action and adventure. It's a series that my daughter and I have been able to relive again and again. And we'll still do that, but there will be no more of Alex's new adventures to tag along on.
This book has been worth the wait that it's taken to get it into the hands of the reader. The author suffered a stroke while writing this one, so it's taken years and years to get it. I loved how I was able to open it and be sucked right back into Alex's world of adventures as if no time had passed. So fabulous!
I love the characters in this series. You see everything through Alex's eyes, so you only know what he knows. You only see what he sees. That can be detrimental in certain books but I love the way it works with this series. I love that you can try to figure out just how to get out of situations while Alex does, or figure out just what he should do next with him. I love his sense of honor and duty. He is one of my favorite literary characters I've ever read.
I love the plot of this one. There is plenty of action and adventure. And even when the book is winding down in the final closing scenes, it still is filled with action and adventure. I was surprised by how it all ended. But it was a fitting end to an amazing series.
Make sure to go get this book, but make sure that you start at the beginning of the series if you haven't already!
This book has been worth the wait that it's taken to get it into the hands of the reader. The author suffered a stroke while writing this one, so it's taken years and years to get it. I loved how I was able to open it and be sucked right back into Alex's world of adventures as if no time had passed. So fabulous!
I love the characters in this series. You see everything through Alex's eyes, so you only know what he knows. You only see what he sees. That can be detrimental in certain books but I love the way it works with this series. I love that you can try to figure out just how to get out of situations while Alex does, or figure out just what he should do next with him. I love his sense of honor and duty. He is one of my favorite literary characters I've ever read.
I love the plot of this one. There is plenty of action and adventure. And even when the book is winding down in the final closing scenes, it still is filled with action and adventure. I was surprised by how it all ended. But it was a fitting end to an amazing series.
Make sure to go get this book, but make sure that you start at the beginning of the series if you haven't already!
April 3, 2018
After a wait of several years, I'm thrilled to have finally had the chance to read the last book in the Adventurers Wanted series. I'm also sad that the series has ended. It's always sad to say goodbye to favorite characters. In this last book of the series, Alex, a young wizard, adventurer, and dragon lord, sets off with his mentor, Whalen Vankin, to address the evil actions of Vankin's former apprentice and great-nephew, Jabez. At the same time, they are trying to figure out what the evil organization known as the Brotherhood is working toward.
But to have a chance to defeat Jabez or the Brotherhood, they must travel incognito and at a slow pace. Neither of these things come easy to Alex, especially once he learns that Jabez has a dragon enslaved and is starting warfare throughout the land of Jarro. And the greater uncertainty is that the only way to defeat Jabez is with the Axe of Sundering, which Jabez has in his possession. Not only do Alex and Whalen have to try to sneak up on Jabez, no easy task with Whalen's natural connection to his former apprentice, but they have to get their hands on the Axe before they confront him.
Alex has survived many challenges over his years as an adventurer, but he's never faced the kind of evil that the Brotherhood represents, having built itself over 2,000 years. But failure means the enslavement of the entire known lands, something that Alex can't abide. This is a nice, exciting ending to a thoroughly enjoyable series.
But to have a chance to defeat Jabez or the Brotherhood, they must travel incognito and at a slow pace. Neither of these things come easy to Alex, especially once he learns that Jabez has a dragon enslaved and is starting warfare throughout the land of Jarro. And the greater uncertainty is that the only way to defeat Jabez is with the Axe of Sundering, which Jabez has in his possession. Not only do Alex and Whalen have to try to sneak up on Jabez, no easy task with Whalen's natural connection to his former apprentice, but they have to get their hands on the Axe before they confront him.
Alex has survived many challenges over his years as an adventurer, but he's never faced the kind of evil that the Brotherhood represents, having built itself over 2,000 years. But failure means the enslavement of the entire known lands, something that Alex can't abide. This is a nice, exciting ending to a thoroughly enjoyable series.
September 7, 2018
When I started this series a few years ago, I was absolutely in love with it. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and plot, and for a while, this series was one of my favorites. Not too long ago, in preparation for reading this, the next and final book, I decided to do a full reread of the series. I started and finished "Slathbog's Gold" but found my original feelings for the series much altered. The writing seemed too obvious and flat, and our main character, Alex, wasn't nearly as compelling as I remembered. I think the cause of this drastic change in emotion was simply due to my tastes changing slowly over the years.
This book and this series are not bad by any means, I simply don't enjoy them the way I used to. I don't regret reading this book, and I'm glad I finished the series. The ending wasn't bad, per se, but I felt that there was a lot left out and it felt rather rushed. Perhaps that is just the result of the author trying to keep an opening for future books in the future. I don't presume to understand.
I hope that if you read this series as a whole, you will find the same immense enjoyment in the world, characters, and story that I felt in the past. Just because I've changed doesn't mean that I regret reading this series. I don't think I ever will, and I still believe it was worth every second of my time.
This book and this series are not bad by any means, I simply don't enjoy them the way I used to. I don't regret reading this book, and I'm glad I finished the series. The ending wasn't bad, per se, but I felt that there was a lot left out and it felt rather rushed. Perhaps that is just the result of the author trying to keep an opening for future books in the future. I don't presume to understand.
I hope that if you read this series as a whole, you will find the same immense enjoyment in the world, characters, and story that I felt in the past. Just because I've changed doesn't mean that I regret reading this series. I don't think I ever will, and I still believe it was worth every second of my time.
November 30, 2017
This book has been long awaited at our house! My kids and I have enjoyed this series so much! This book, although not as good as the first four, was still a good book. Yes, there were some unanswered questions, and a few things left undone, but I'm glad that Mr. Forman was able to finish it. Alex is such a great character! I love that he has morals and high ethical standards. I like his hard work ethic, and how he treats everyone so well. He doesn't even like hurting the bad guys. This book has some fun surprises and twists that makes it fun to read. The character development is well done, and the book is well written, despite a few small things. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and if you like the series you should definitely read it. There is not any profanity or "intimacy," but there is some violence, with quite a bit of fighting and a few prominent characters dying. I would recommend it for middle-graders and up. (I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.) You may read my full review on my book blog: www.the-readathon.blogspot.com.
December 28, 2018
Well, after several years of waiting for this final book in the series to become available, I'm afraid it was something of a letdown. We don't wish to be harsh, because the author had to bounce back from a stroke to write the book at all, and we appreciate the effort and energy he invested in concluding the series. The story itself was fine, and we retained fond memories and affection for the main character. The writing itself simply lacked depth and nuance, and the challenges were too easily and swiftly met and accomplished in a rather perfunctory manner. Things were stretched and drawn out without any real development, and then, after a long buildup, major encounters were dispensed with in a trice. It made the whole book feel rather shallow and superficial, unfortunately. Perhaps it would work well for younger readers, although it's on the long side (over 400 pages) for gradeschoolers. It's a shame, but, while not horrible, it simply doesn't live up to the promise of the first few books in the series. I'm tempted to go with only two stars, actually, but I'll leave it at three stars for the sake of the series as a whole, and in recognition of Mr. Forman's almost heroic effort in bringing it to a conclusion at all.
June 2, 2020
Characters: 5/10
The characters in this book were a bit of a weak point, and it's disappointing that even after 5 books Alex doesn't get much character development, he's more powerful but it doesn't feel like anything about him changed. My favorite character in this book could've been one of the final villains, Galin, the one who orchestrated all of the events throughout the book, but he died too soon to leave a real impact.
Story: 5/10
The story was very predictable, right up until the very end where the author suddenly realizes that he needs to conclude the series and adds in a final, rushed, fight scene where everything is resolved. The epilogue afterward, which ties up a lot of loose ends, was nice though, even if it still wasn't a very satisfying end.
Writing style: 6/10
The descriptions and world-building in this book are pretty good, and the author is good at adding tension to fight scenes.
Entertainment: 7/10
I primarily read this book for entertainment and didn't really expect anything else out of it, I started the series when I was younger and decided to finish it just to get a bit of closure, I enjoyed myself while I was reading it.
Overall: 6/10
The characters in this book were a bit of a weak point, and it's disappointing that even after 5 books Alex doesn't get much character development, he's more powerful but it doesn't feel like anything about him changed. My favorite character in this book could've been one of the final villains, Galin, the one who orchestrated all of the events throughout the book, but he died too soon to leave a real impact.
Story: 5/10
The story was very predictable, right up until the very end where the author suddenly realizes that he needs to conclude the series and adds in a final, rushed, fight scene where everything is resolved. The epilogue afterward, which ties up a lot of loose ends, was nice though, even if it still wasn't a very satisfying end.
Writing style: 6/10
The descriptions and world-building in this book are pretty good, and the author is good at adding tension to fight scenes.
Entertainment: 7/10
I primarily read this book for entertainment and didn't really expect anything else out of it, I started the series when I was younger and decided to finish it just to get a bit of closure, I enjoyed myself while I was reading it.
Overall: 6/10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2017
This was a good enough conclusion to the series. I like the overall story of this book and the series, and I'm sure that children or teenagers reading this series wouldn't be as picky as me, but there were some things that keep me from giving it a better rating. Alex is just too overpowered. Adventurer, warrior, wizard, dragon, dragon lord, and now in this book even more. Though there is plenty of conflict, he always gets through it way too easily. I'm glad this book showed him failing in a major way, but even that was too easily resolved. I didn't connect with these characters like I hoped, and the plot and character development was too rushed. Don't get me wrong, I'm impressed with M.L. Forman and his ability to write a good book. I'm glad he was finally able to write this one after all the health struggles he's had to deal with. I bought this series and hope my children enjoy reading them. Good writing, but not great. Good story, but not great. Great imagination, but not as relateable as I prefer.
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