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Awakening
In the ancient sanctuary of Alta, Emiya has only an old Guardian’s seal and the sensei who raised him. On graduation day in Gula, the Legion attacks, and his quiet life shatters. Rescued by the legendary Guardian Shiro, Emiya is taken to Saffron to train for the trials and master a power he doesn’t fully understand.
Inside the stronghold, he finds what he’s never a place to call home—and a bond that could become more. But the prophecy tied to his name promises salvation or doom, and not every threat wears the Legion’s colors.
As Nempherous schemes in the shadows and Emiya’s fate turns deadly, he must choose who he is—and what he’ll risk to protect the people he now calls family.
Inside the stronghold, he finds what he’s never a place to call home—and a bond that could become more. But the prophecy tied to his name promises salvation or doom, and not every threat wears the Legion’s colors.
As Nempherous schemes in the shadows and Emiya’s fate turns deadly, he must choose who he is—and what he’ll risk to protect the people he now calls family.
463 pages, Paperback
Published January 8, 2026
1 person is currently reading
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 12, 2026
Awakening was a genuinely strong start to what I expect will be an epic series.
One of the standout elements for me was the aura magic system. It’s clearly defined, intuitive to follow, and deeply woven into both the combat and the character progression. Watching how aura is used, refined, and pushed to its limits made the action scenes especially engaging and gave the world a strong internal logic.
Emiya is a fantastic protagonist. I loved following his journey, particularly in the chapters focused on his growth and improvement as a fighter. Those moments felt earned and satisfying, showing real progression rather than sudden power jumps. His determination, flaws, and drive made him easy to root for and invested me emotionally in the story.
The multiple POVs were another major strength. They kept me turning pages because each perspective added new facets to the story and the world. I especially enjoyed seeing both the good and the bad sides of the conflict — it added depth, tension, and moral complexity without slowing the pacing.
Overall, this is a very solid debut with strong foundations: engaging characters, a compelling magic system, and a narrative that constantly pushes forward. I’m absolutely planning to continue the series and see where Andrew Schultz takes this world next.
One of the standout elements for me was the aura magic system. It’s clearly defined, intuitive to follow, and deeply woven into both the combat and the character progression. Watching how aura is used, refined, and pushed to its limits made the action scenes especially engaging and gave the world a strong internal logic.
Emiya is a fantastic protagonist. I loved following his journey, particularly in the chapters focused on his growth and improvement as a fighter. Those moments felt earned and satisfying, showing real progression rather than sudden power jumps. His determination, flaws, and drive made him easy to root for and invested me emotionally in the story.
The multiple POVs were another major strength. They kept me turning pages because each perspective added new facets to the story and the world. I especially enjoyed seeing both the good and the bad sides of the conflict — it added depth, tension, and moral complexity without slowing the pacing.
Overall, this is a very solid debut with strong foundations: engaging characters, a compelling magic system, and a narrative that constantly pushes forward. I’m absolutely planning to continue the series and see where Andrew Schultz takes this world next.
January 9, 2026
Character driven fantastic adventure!
Emiya’s life changes drastically on graduation day! When the Legion attacks Gula, he is rescued and taken by the legendary Guardian Shiro.
They have taken him Safron, where he has to train for trials.
The author, Andrew has meticulously captured the characters and their growth. The journey ahead is mysterious and piece by piece Emiya is getting to know more about what’s happening, why it is happening and what is his part in this all?
This first installment has pulled me in from the very start. And now I’ll eagerly wait for the next part! 🤩
Outstanding work!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Emiya’s life changes drastically on graduation day! When the Legion attacks Gula, he is rescued and taken by the legendary Guardian Shiro.
They have taken him Safron, where he has to train for trials.
The author, Andrew has meticulously captured the characters and their growth. The journey ahead is mysterious and piece by piece Emiya is getting to know more about what’s happening, why it is happening and what is his part in this all?
This first installment has pulled me in from the very start. And now I’ll eagerly wait for the next part! 🤩
Outstanding work!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
Interesting use of modern and fantastical to build a new world that doesn't fall into the urban fantasy category. This can also be a little jarring and pull me out of the story, this was one of the few things that lowered my rating. Characters are interesting and they are being hashed out well. My only complaint was how fast Aaliyah fell for Emiya again this lowered my over all rating of the story. Use of aura instead of magic system is interesting and as an avid reader of wuxia makes things easier for me to get into.
As this is the first in the series the story is more about world building and character establishment while still advancing the plot without being overwhelming.
As this is the first in the series the story is more about world building and character establishment while still advancing the plot without being overwhelming.
January 9, 2026
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of Awakening in exchange for an honest review.
I truly wish I could say I loved this book, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me and I had to DNF around the halfway mark.
Let’s start with Emiya, our main character. He’s training to become a guardian, which immediately sets up expectations of struggle, growth, and hardship. However, almost as soon as he arrives, he’s instantly popular and remarkably skilled. It hasn’t even been a week, yet he excels at nearly everything with very little resistance. Because of this, his journey didn’t feel earned, and I found it difficult to connect with him or feel invested in his growth. The romance was another aspect that didn’t work for me. The characters have known each other for roughly a week, yet they’re already confessing feelings and talking about how safe they feel together. It felt rushed and unrealistic, which made the emotional moments come across as awkward rather than meaningful.
One thing I will say is that the fighting scenes are extremely detailed. The author clearly put a lot of effort into making them vivid, and I could picture every movement clearly. However, there were so many of these scenes—most of them training-related—that they began to feel repetitive. While I enjoyed the first few, they didn’t contribute much to the overall story, and eventually they all started to blur together. This, combined with the lack of plot progression, made the pacing feel very slow.
There are also multiple POVs throughout the book, but even with that, I felt disconnected from the characters. Emiya himself never felt fully fleshed out to me, and the supporting cast felt flat overall. There wasn’t a character that truly stood out or made me want to keep reading. I think this book made me reflect on what actually makes a character compelling and lovable—and unfortunately, I didn’t find that here.
On a positive note, the setting and scenery were well described. I could clearly imagine the world and environment, which shows strong descriptive writing. However, strong imagery alone wasn’t enough to carry the story for me.
I really did want to like this book. I tried hard to push through, but with the slow pacing, repetitive scenes, and lack of emotional connection, I found myself forcing each chapter and ultimately decided to DNF. I feel genuinely bad posting a negative review, but I believe honesty is important—especially for readers who want to know what they’re getting into. I personally always read lower-rated reviews before starting a book, and this is my attempt to offer that same transparency to others.
While this book didn’t work for me, I truly hope it finds readers who connect with it more than I did.
I truly wish I could say I loved this book, but unfortunately, it fell flat for me and I had to DNF around the halfway mark.
Let’s start with Emiya, our main character. He’s training to become a guardian, which immediately sets up expectations of struggle, growth, and hardship. However, almost as soon as he arrives, he’s instantly popular and remarkably skilled. It hasn’t even been a week, yet he excels at nearly everything with very little resistance. Because of this, his journey didn’t feel earned, and I found it difficult to connect with him or feel invested in his growth. The romance was another aspect that didn’t work for me. The characters have known each other for roughly a week, yet they’re already confessing feelings and talking about how safe they feel together. It felt rushed and unrealistic, which made the emotional moments come across as awkward rather than meaningful.
One thing I will say is that the fighting scenes are extremely detailed. The author clearly put a lot of effort into making them vivid, and I could picture every movement clearly. However, there were so many of these scenes—most of them training-related—that they began to feel repetitive. While I enjoyed the first few, they didn’t contribute much to the overall story, and eventually they all started to blur together. This, combined with the lack of plot progression, made the pacing feel very slow.
There are also multiple POVs throughout the book, but even with that, I felt disconnected from the characters. Emiya himself never felt fully fleshed out to me, and the supporting cast felt flat overall. There wasn’t a character that truly stood out or made me want to keep reading. I think this book made me reflect on what actually makes a character compelling and lovable—and unfortunately, I didn’t find that here.
On a positive note, the setting and scenery were well described. I could clearly imagine the world and environment, which shows strong descriptive writing. However, strong imagery alone wasn’t enough to carry the story for me.
I really did want to like this book. I tried hard to push through, but with the slow pacing, repetitive scenes, and lack of emotional connection, I found myself forcing each chapter and ultimately decided to DNF. I feel genuinely bad posting a negative review, but I believe honesty is important—especially for readers who want to know what they’re getting into. I personally always read lower-rated reviews before starting a book, and this is my attempt to offer that same transparency to others.
While this book didn’t work for me, I truly hope it finds readers who connect with it more than I did.
November 9, 2025
This book surprised me in the best way. Emiya’s journey from a quiet life in Alta to the trials of the Guardians is emotional and gripping. The world-building feels lived-in and meaningful not just names and places, but history and purpose.
The bond between Emiya and Shiro is one of my favorite parts. It grows slowly and naturally, and it adds a strong emotional core to the story. The prophecy surrounding Emiya brings real tension, especially as danger builds and loyalties are tested.
A powerful story about identity, destiny, and finding the people who feel like home. I’m genuinely excited for the next part of this journey.
The bond between Emiya and Shiro is one of my favorite parts. It grows slowly and naturally, and it adds a strong emotional core to the story. The prophecy surrounding Emiya brings real tension, especially as danger builds and loyalties are tested.
A powerful story about identity, destiny, and finding the people who feel like home. I’m genuinely excited for the next part of this journey.
January 8, 2026
This book had me from the start. Alta is so beautifully described. The characters are someone you know, you feel like you are in Alta. I love this take on the fantasy universe. The found family, the villains. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.
This is something I will reread over and over again.
It had me in all my feelings. I could feel everything the characters were feeling and going through.
This is at the top of my list for 2026 suggestions!
This is something I will reread over and over again.
It had me in all my feelings. I could feel everything the characters were feeling and going through.
This is at the top of my list for 2026 suggestions!
February 20, 2026
This was great. It jumps right into it and it takes a moment to get everyone and everything straight. But as the story went on I did not want it to stop. Can not wait for the next book. If you like magic and good versus bed this is for you.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews