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The Castoffs #10-14
The Castoffs Vol. 3: Rise of the Machines
Our intrepid heroes—mages Trinh, Charris, and Ursa—have made great strides in learning to work together as a team. But the darkness is coming, and a foe from their past has grown more formidable. Will their combined talents be enough to defeat the ever-expanding Surrogate army? An army that has swallowed up so many mages more powerful than they are?
136 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2018
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
M.K. Reed
42 books27 followersMK Reed is the writer of Americus, The Cute Girl Network, Palefire, and Science Comics: Dinosaurs. She draws a web-comic adaptation of Irish mythology, About a Bull. MK lives with her very tall husband.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 24, 2018
A great, all ages fantasy tale combining magic with remnants of tech. I love how full of diversity the book is and mimics our culture today in that respect. Reed does a great job of mixing everyday, slice of life stories with a mounting doom that is headed our main characters way.
April 12, 2018
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Edelweiss
I feel like this installment definitely had more of a young adult feel, while the earlier volumes felt more like middle grade to me, so I guess if you are reading this with children then warning that it is becoming a bit more grown up [although nothing to really 'worry' about yet in my opinion]. This was another interesting volume and it's nice to get some more background on a few of the characters, but overall I just feel like the plot in this series is moving at a snail's pace and I always think the big battle is like RIGHT around the corner but then we take another random detour instead of making progress on it. It's still an interesting series and I like the characters enough to keep reading it, I just wish there was a bit more action overall.
I feel like this installment definitely had more of a young adult feel, while the earlier volumes felt more like middle grade to me, so I guess if you are reading this with children then warning that it is becoming a bit more grown up [although nothing to really 'worry' about yet in my opinion]. This was another interesting volume and it's nice to get some more background on a few of the characters, but overall I just feel like the plot in this series is moving at a snail's pace and I always think the big battle is like RIGHT around the corner but then we take another random detour instead of making progress on it. It's still an interesting series and I like the characters enough to keep reading it, I just wish there was a bit more action overall.
December 6, 2020
'The Castoffs Vol. 3: Rise of the Machines' by MK Reed and Brian Smitty Smith with art by Wyeth Yates continues the graphic novel series about young mages with different powers.
The story picks right up with the mages in the midst of a destroyed village. While they help rebuild, Ursa tries to build a relationship with the father she's never met before. Meanwhile the vast robot army is closing in on the city and the mages will need to try to stop them.
This is an unusual take on a fantasy series in a world with discarded tech. I like the characters. This volume felt like a middle volume and feels like it's getting things set up for the next act. I do also like the art in this series.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
The story picks right up with the mages in the midst of a destroyed village. While they help rebuild, Ursa tries to build a relationship with the father she's never met before. Meanwhile the vast robot army is closing in on the city and the mages will need to try to stop them.
This is an unusual take on a fantasy series in a world with discarded tech. I like the characters. This volume felt like a middle volume and feels like it's getting things set up for the next act. I do also like the art in this series.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Oni Press, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
August 7, 2023
A slight improvement on the second volume. The characters have some room to grow on their own (romance! meeting a long lost father!) and there's an actual villain in the Priestess. Duncan is also a fun addition as a somewhat washed-up mage.
Despite the cool cover and title, though, this series is mostly a snoozer. Too much dialogue, not enough action. The art has dramatically improved from the first volume, but the authors are unfortunately unwilling to rely on it for the storytelling.
Despite the cool cover and title, though, this series is mostly a snoozer. Too much dialogue, not enough action. The art has dramatically improved from the first volume, but the authors are unfortunately unwilling to rely on it for the storytelling.
June 17, 2019
Oooh, things finally got interesting. Not only was there more character development, a lack of stupid interactions between the girls, and plot development, there were a handful of pages with great design.
I actually look forward to reading the next one!
I actually look forward to reading the next one!
August 12, 2022
*I received this book thanks to Netgalley and the publisher in exchange of honest reivew*
The story begins exactly where we left it and not to make too many spoilers I will talk about it very broadly. Initially, our three Mages went on a mission on behalf of their village chief. After having faced various tasks and performed various tasks, Charris, Ursa and Thrin are in a human village where they had a fight in the previous episode. The village is semi-destroyed but they do not give up and find different things to do. Meanwhile Amira and the Machines become more and more powerful and advance ready to destroy the Mage.
What will happen to our three protagonists? Who will meet in the village? Who will change their lives? What will happen when Wizards clash with the machines? Will the war finally start?
The cover, this time is really wonderful. This certainly beats the previous ones and I was pleasantly surprised. What you see on the cover is Amira, Ursa's mother, who from Mage as she is, has passed from the enemy side and is head of the Machines.
The title, The Castoffs: Rise of the Machine suggests a lot, especially in the subtitle, The rise of the machines already puts to attention and gives us a message. What I hoped, that is a turning point on the side of the story, in this volume will be there and I hope it will be maintained in the following to come.
This time we are in a human village, Plumstead, where our heroines had arrived during the second volume. we will not move from here, if not at the end or in the pieces where we will see at work the mother of Ursa, terrible sorceress who has acquired in itself the Machines, always bitter enemies of the wizards .
The characters we will find, at least the main ones are always the same being the three main protagonists. The only thing that changes between Thrin, Ursa and Charris is that finally the girls are able to work as a team.
A new character introduced is Omarion, father of Ursa whom we will know in this volume and who besides being, at least apparently a good person has a mysterious side having lost his memory many years ago and not remembering to have had Ursa as a daughter. Amira, Ursa's mother, is in charge of the Surrogates / Machines and, in this volume, I can assure you that things will be a little more complicated. I'm curious to know how the fourth volume will be, having entered the clash mode.
Another character that we will investigate is Rosalba or Ro, who has joined the team and being bigger than the girls takes care of the situation and their safety, despite the three are able to take care of themselves. Moreover, we will know better a character that we met at the end of the second volume and that is a fairly fading and questionable magician. I'm talking about Duncan, who will help the village, fall in love and discover several things about him. a certainly questionable but well done character.
The central pivot in this volume begins to take shape, compared to the previous ones. The Machines are approaching, the war seems to be at the door and the three will jeopardize their lives together with Rosalba, Duncan and three other Wizards who are with them to save the others. Will they succeed? We will know it in the next volumes.
The graphics used are the same as the previous book and I really like it. This is surely what drives me to read these volumes as well as the curiosity to know if the story will take an interesting turn.
Rest of the opinion of the last review. I do not understand why creating these separate volumes when the story, at least in the first two could certainly be compressed and move to the interesting part as what happens in this volume. This is not known to us, the fact is that the story in this third volume of this saga between Magicians and Machines, takes a decidedly interesting turn than the previous ones.
I'm curious to know that fold will take the fourth volume that is interesting, given the final of this volume. I only hope that the fights are not discounted or discounted otherwise instead of improving, we get worse.
The only thing that I did not particularly appreciate in this volume was the welcoming of Omarion towards Ursa. Too simple, too easy, too fast. Not as I would have expected it to react. That is, discover you have one more daughter and - yes, you have lost your memory and all the rest - but seriously invite her to your home and hug her as if nothing had happened. A bit 'difficult at least in my opinion.
I'm particularly happy for Thrin, but I do not want to tell you anything, otherwise there's no taste, no?
I hope that history always goes on improving and that finally both the characters and the story acquire a much wider sense of what they understood in the first two volumes. It's good to know the characters but to highlight that instead of the common thread and the fight between Mage and Machines makes you lose a lot. I hope that from now on it will only be improved.
My rating for this book is: 3 stars and a half .
The story begins exactly where we left it and not to make too many spoilers I will talk about it very broadly. Initially, our three Mages went on a mission on behalf of their village chief. After having faced various tasks and performed various tasks, Charris, Ursa and Thrin are in a human village where they had a fight in the previous episode. The village is semi-destroyed but they do not give up and find different things to do. Meanwhile Amira and the Machines become more and more powerful and advance ready to destroy the Mage.
What will happen to our three protagonists? Who will meet in the village? Who will change their lives? What will happen when Wizards clash with the machines? Will the war finally start?
The cover, this time is really wonderful. This certainly beats the previous ones and I was pleasantly surprised. What you see on the cover is Amira, Ursa's mother, who from Mage as she is, has passed from the enemy side and is head of the Machines.
The title, The Castoffs: Rise of the Machine suggests a lot, especially in the subtitle, The rise of the machines already puts to attention and gives us a message. What I hoped, that is a turning point on the side of the story, in this volume will be there and I hope it will be maintained in the following to come.
This time we are in a human village, Plumstead, where our heroines had arrived during the second volume. we will not move from here, if not at the end or in the pieces where we will see at work the mother of Ursa, terrible sorceress who has acquired in itself the Machines, always bitter enemies of the wizards .
The characters we will find, at least the main ones are always the same being the three main protagonists. The only thing that changes between Thrin, Ursa and Charris is that finally the girls are able to work as a team.
A new character introduced is Omarion, father of Ursa whom we will know in this volume and who besides being, at least apparently a good person has a mysterious side having lost his memory many years ago and not remembering to have had Ursa as a daughter. Amira, Ursa's mother, is in charge of the Surrogates / Machines and, in this volume, I can assure you that things will be a little more complicated. I'm curious to know how the fourth volume will be, having entered the clash mode.
Another character that we will investigate is Rosalba or Ro, who has joined the team and being bigger than the girls takes care of the situation and their safety, despite the three are able to take care of themselves. Moreover, we will know better a character that we met at the end of the second volume and that is a fairly fading and questionable magician. I'm talking about Duncan, who will help the village, fall in love and discover several things about him. a certainly questionable but well done character.
The central pivot in this volume begins to take shape, compared to the previous ones. The Machines are approaching, the war seems to be at the door and the three will jeopardize their lives together with Rosalba, Duncan and three other Wizards who are with them to save the others. Will they succeed? We will know it in the next volumes.
The graphics used are the same as the previous book and I really like it. This is surely what drives me to read these volumes as well as the curiosity to know if the story will take an interesting turn.
Rest of the opinion of the last review. I do not understand why creating these separate volumes when the story, at least in the first two could certainly be compressed and move to the interesting part as what happens in this volume. This is not known to us, the fact is that the story in this third volume of this saga between Magicians and Machines, takes a decidedly interesting turn than the previous ones.
I'm curious to know that fold will take the fourth volume that is interesting, given the final of this volume. I only hope that the fights are not discounted or discounted otherwise instead of improving, we get worse.
The only thing that I did not particularly appreciate in this volume was the welcoming of Omarion towards Ursa. Too simple, too easy, too fast. Not as I would have expected it to react. That is, discover you have one more daughter and - yes, you have lost your memory and all the rest - but seriously invite her to your home and hug her as if nothing had happened. A bit 'difficult at least in my opinion.
I'm particularly happy for Thrin, but I do not want to tell you anything, otherwise there's no taste, no?
I hope that history always goes on improving and that finally both the characters and the story acquire a much wider sense of what they understood in the first two volumes. It's good to know the characters but to highlight that instead of the common thread and the fight between Mage and Machines makes you lose a lot. I hope that from now on it will only be improved.
My rating for this book is: 3 stars and a half .
May 13, 2018
Trinh, Charris, and Ursa have been up to their eyeballs in danger and adventure. Now that they've saved the town they're due for a little rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, a lot of the residents blame the team for the destruction of their homes and shops, even though they helped save it. But on the plus side, there are a few residents excited to meet the girls and Ursa gets to meet the father she didn't know she had.
There's a lot of excellent character development for Ursa and Charris in this volume, a lot of secrets are starting to come to light, and Trinh meets someone special. Overall, this is a solid story that I enjoyed. It was slow in parts with big bursts of excitement and action. I felt like the pacing was a little strange sometimes, but new information, character development, and action were well-balanced. I found a few things confusing, probably because it had been a couple of months since I read the other volumes.
The best part of the volume, though, was the end. The end was excellent and has me anxious to read more of the issues!
Overall, I enjoyed "Rise of the Machines" even though I did find a few pragmatic points.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
There's a lot of excellent character development for Ursa and Charris in this volume, a lot of secrets are starting to come to light, and Trinh meets someone special. Overall, this is a solid story that I enjoyed. It was slow in parts with big bursts of excitement and action. I felt like the pacing was a little strange sometimes, but new information, character development, and action were well-balanced. I found a few things confusing, probably because it had been a couple of months since I read the other volumes.
The best part of the volume, though, was the end. The end was excellent and has me anxious to read more of the issues!
Overall, I enjoyed "Rise of the Machines" even though I did find a few pragmatic points.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 8, 2019
This continues to be a basically enjoyable series. One thing that has bothered me a bit is how ripe for abuse the charm power is, and that seems highlighted in this volume. Maybe it is partly because I'm revisiting the Harry Potter books, and in that setting a mind-control spell is considered one of three unforgivable curses, but those concerns seem largely ignored by this story. And in the earlier volumes I felt like Ursa could be given a bit of a pass since she evidently developed her powers early in life, was apparently abandoned by her mother and developed bad habits while relying on her power for survival. But in this volume we meet her father, who has the same power, and he seems equally cavalier about bending people-- especially his family-- to his will. This is played off lightly, but seems like it should be more worrying.
April 9, 2018
I also received this book as an advanced reader's copy and I was happy to see that this was another graphic novel that was detailed in color. The story was captivating and the dialogue was humorous and clever. This book however, was a little on the young adult side due to the explicit content so probably would not recommend this to children but anyone 15 and over will enjoy this graphic novel. An original story with a clever twist. 4 stars!
March 6, 2019
Well, I will definitely be reading volume 4 because I feel like the plot is finally rolling. Ursa uncovers the truth about her family, Duncan and Rosalba's rocky relationship is explained, and there is the most random-last minute romance between
2.5
2.5
September 4, 2020
I appreciate that this series can be rather dark and high action, but they always take these sweet moments to slow down and humanize the characters. To give you a respite of friendship, camaraderie, found family, chosen family, and so many other gentle moments.
September 17, 2019
This series is really growing on me. I really look forward to seeing what happens now. Interesting characters and setting.
October 7, 2020
Really good book full of mysteries and drama
July 1, 2025
i found this part of the story was hard for me to follow
November 6, 2025
Best of the three collections so far
August 18, 2018
I had high expectations for this third volume. I have been enjoying this series a lot; the magic vs. technology plot, the friendship, the world-building, the complex characters, the dialogue... But there was something missing from Rise of the Machines. I guess I was expecting to get more answers, more bonding from the characters, a little more of romance. I need the plot to move forward, to be more fast pacing.
Anyway, I do like The Castoffs and I am very invested in the characters and their adventures. I can't wait to read the next one.
Received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anyway, I do like The Castoffs and I am very invested in the characters and their adventures. I can't wait to read the next one.
Received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews