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Age of Axion #1
The Indivisible and the Void
Each year, Democryos sends his brightest student into the war-torn countryside to work magic. But when his wife leaves him for a mysterious stranger, he finds his own life ravaged.
Forsaking the comfort of the citadel, he searches for her, traveling through the same forgotten lands where he sent his students. Along the way, he befriends an elusive member of the king’s harem, a holy man harboring guilt, and a maimed soldier. Together, they stumble upon a key—not only to the war, but to understanding the magic of voidance itself.
Forsaking the comfort of the citadel, he searches for her, traveling through the same forgotten lands where he sent his students. Along the way, he befriends an elusive member of the king’s harem, a holy man harboring guilt, and a maimed soldier. Together, they stumble upon a key—not only to the war, but to understanding the magic of voidance itself.
443 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2019
About the author
D.M. Wozniak
7 books42 followersBorn and raised in the west suburbs of Chicago, D.M. Wozniak discovered his passion for software at St. Lawrence High School, where he joined the computer lab as a ploy to get out of gym class. By the time he graduated in 1993, D.M. knew that he wanted to code for a living. But his senior-year honors-English teacher took him aside on graduation day and said, “Never stop writing. It’s your true calling.”
Four years later, D.M. graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Computer Science from the College of Engineering. After that, he started a family and a career in software. He didn’t have the time then to consider that true calling.
But he never forgot.
D.M. Wozniak is the author of two two-volume speculative fiction epics: The Perihelion: Complete Duology (The Perihelion, An Obliquity) and the Age of Axion (The Indivisible and the Void, Temberlain’s Ashes). His first novel was The Gardener of Nahi. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.
www.dmwozniak.com
Four years later, D.M. graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Computer Science from the College of Engineering. After that, he started a family and a career in software. He didn’t have the time then to consider that true calling.
But he never forgot.
D.M. Wozniak is the author of two two-volume speculative fiction epics: The Perihelion: Complete Duology (The Perihelion, An Obliquity) and the Age of Axion (The Indivisible and the Void, Temberlain’s Ashes). His first novel was The Gardener of Nahi. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.
www.dmwozniak.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 23, 2019
One of the best fantasy novels I've read in awhile! It starts off slow, but it is very much worthwhile to get through the early pages as it soon become an engrossing and inventive tale. Very imaginative and I'll certainly be looking for the next book in this series. If you like fantasy adventures, I'm sure you will enjoy this one.
The magic in the novel lies in stones that give certain people unique abilities. There are only so many of these stones so the number of people who can wield them is few. There is also a religious backdrop to the story. Dem, the main character is the master teacher of those who have the stones. All of the students each year are sent to war, except for one per year that Dem chooses to send into the countryside to help the communities. Only things don't work out like he expected. Quite an adventure!
Thanks to D. M. Wozniak through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The magic in the novel lies in stones that give certain people unique abilities. There are only so many of these stones so the number of people who can wield them is few. There is also a religious backdrop to the story. Dem, the main character is the master teacher of those who have the stones. All of the students each year are sent to war, except for one per year that Dem chooses to send into the countryside to help the communities. Only things don't work out like he expected. Quite an adventure!
Thanks to D. M. Wozniak through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2019
This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Indivisible and the Void was a book that instantly intrigued me. The title alone made me want to dive into but then the cover and synopsis really won me over. It's a shame that it took me so long to dive into it and then to really get into everything as well. In it, you will meet Dem - it's a pretty interesting beginning to the book because his wife is missing. Well, not missing - she left him for another guy (ouch!).
Along his journey, he meets a couple of interesting characters - especially Climeline. Ugh, I loved her character so much but I still feel like something was missing or off about her. Maybe it was just one teeny tiny element from her that made me love her even more. It doesn't matter though because she was just an overall likable character. Hopefully we will get more from her or about her in the next book?
Overall, it was an okay book. I was expecting a bit more from it since it was a fantasy book. Still enjoyable but will take time to actually start liking it. At least for me.
The Indivisible and the Void was a book that instantly intrigued me. The title alone made me want to dive into but then the cover and synopsis really won me over. It's a shame that it took me so long to dive into it and then to really get into everything as well. In it, you will meet Dem - it's a pretty interesting beginning to the book because his wife is missing. Well, not missing - she left him for another guy (ouch!).
Along his journey, he meets a couple of interesting characters - especially Climeline. Ugh, I loved her character so much but I still feel like something was missing or off about her. Maybe it was just one teeny tiny element from her that made me love her even more. It doesn't matter though because she was just an overall likable character. Hopefully we will get more from her or about her in the next book?
Overall, it was an okay book. I was expecting a bit more from it since it was a fantasy book. Still enjoyable but will take time to actually start liking it. At least for me.
March 27, 2023
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
I don't often enjoy this trope / genre of book to be honest. I wanted to give it a fair shot, and I've been trying to branch off a bit and try new reads. I'm glad I did.
The author is truly talented. The character development was amazing. I found myself liking almost every character, even the lesser known side ones. The world building? Beautiful.
Even if sci-fi/fantasy isn't your cup of tea, you'll be drawn into this storyline so easily.
I adored this book, more than I thought I would. And i'll definitely recommend it to others!
I don't often enjoy this trope / genre of book to be honest. I wanted to give it a fair shot, and I've been trying to branch off a bit and try new reads. I'm glad I did.
The author is truly talented. The character development was amazing. I found myself liking almost every character, even the lesser known side ones. The world building? Beautiful.
Even if sci-fi/fantasy isn't your cup of tea, you'll be drawn into this storyline so easily.
I adored this book, more than I thought I would. And i'll definitely recommend it to others!
July 31, 2019
Pleasantly surprised 😀 What an imagination!
The story follows MC Dem, he wakes up and discovers his wife has seemingly taken off with another man in the middle of the night.. but all is not as it seems.
He ends up going on a journey meeting a women in the kings Harem called Chimeline, a holy man and an ex solider called il-Colu who join him along the way to find out what happened.
The author takes commonly used fantasy tropes - group of outcast going on a quest, magical school.. and turns them on their head almost. It was so refreshing to get the point of view from one of the teachers of that school (the main character of course - dem) rather than what I’ve normally read before in this type of genre which is from the students POV & learning how to control magic, as a reader you still learn about the magic but from experiencenced teachers POV.
Dems struggle between faith & logic was really interesting to read about and I felt this was great character development during the story.
World building was done very subtly it unfurled around you without you even realising what was happening and I found that very clever.
But overall my favourite part of this book was the magic system - magical stones/necklaces were used to tap into something called the void, this can be dangerous and can cause the user to enter something called voideath.This is well explained, can easily picture how to use the power of the voidstones in your mind.
I would have loved to hear more from Climeline, with her past (don’t want to give any spoilers) I think as a character she could have been given so much more, she must have seen some sights in her time! Hopefully this will be explored more in the next book.
Did guess who the mysterious masked man was early into the plot it didnt make story any less enjoyable.
This was a 4 star read for me, I really enjoyed particularly the magic system and the authors overall writing style. It was dark, imaginative, mysterious and thought provoking.
The story follows MC Dem, he wakes up and discovers his wife has seemingly taken off with another man in the middle of the night.. but all is not as it seems.
He ends up going on a journey meeting a women in the kings Harem called Chimeline, a holy man and an ex solider called il-Colu who join him along the way to find out what happened.
The author takes commonly used fantasy tropes - group of outcast going on a quest, magical school.. and turns them on their head almost. It was so refreshing to get the point of view from one of the teachers of that school (the main character of course - dem) rather than what I’ve normally read before in this type of genre which is from the students POV & learning how to control magic, as a reader you still learn about the magic but from experiencenced teachers POV.
Dems struggle between faith & logic was really interesting to read about and I felt this was great character development during the story.
World building was done very subtly it unfurled around you without you even realising what was happening and I found that very clever.
But overall my favourite part of this book was the magic system - magical stones/necklaces were used to tap into something called the void, this can be dangerous and can cause the user to enter something called voideath.This is well explained, can easily picture how to use the power of the voidstones in your mind.
I would have loved to hear more from Climeline, with her past (don’t want to give any spoilers) I think as a character she could have been given so much more, she must have seen some sights in her time! Hopefully this will be explored more in the next book.
Did guess who the mysterious masked man was early into the plot it didnt make story any less enjoyable.
This was a 4 star read for me, I really enjoyed particularly the magic system and the authors overall writing style. It was dark, imaginative, mysterious and thought provoking.
December 17, 2020
I love this book and the world I was transformed into while reading it. I highly recommend this book and thank you to net galley for allowing me to read this book.
July 11, 2019
Entering the medieval-like world of DM Wozniak’s The Indivisible and the Void, I was immediately drawn into the protagonists’ quest to discover the whereabouts and the reason his beautiful young wife left him. With the creative type of magic dubbed voidance, Master Voider Democryos embarks on his Journey, which is reminiscent of Dorothy’s travels in the Wizard of Oz. However, Dem is joined by an assassin who is a member of the King’s Harem, an effulgent, who introduces the requisite religious aspect to the book and il-Colu, and a one-eyed machete swinging former soldier. The action and interaction of the characters remained intriguing until about 3/4 of the way through the book, when the writing deteriorated into an abundance of fragments and jarring word choice.
The genre of science fiction historically has represented women with two gender stereotypes: the slut or the ingenue. Sadly, the female characters in this book remain flat and conform to those outdated stereotypes.
Perhaps the next book in the series will develop the characters and their relationships with each, but I doubt I will be interested in reading it.
The genre of science fiction historically has represented women with two gender stereotypes: the slut or the ingenue. Sadly, the female characters in this book remain flat and conform to those outdated stereotypes.
Perhaps the next book in the series will develop the characters and their relationships with each, but I doubt I will be interested in reading it.
May 15, 2019
Wow, what a book! I’ve read everything this author has written. The books get better and better. And they never repeat plots. This guy has a stunning mind. What I love most is that his books are intelligent. I love speculative fiction but a lot of it is unsophisticated with more filler than plot. Never happens with Wozniak’s books. He’s so creative and the writing is tight and picturesque. I was on the edge of my seat through the end of this and can’t wait for the next one next in this new series. I can’t believe this guy isn’t famous!
April 21, 2020
This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I've had this book sitting on my kindle app since like last fall. I finally read it and Good Unnamed I am kicking myself for not reading this sooner! I feel like my mind exploded after that ending and I NEED book 2 right now!!
The Indivisible and the Void is an adult sci-fi that introduces us to the world of voidance. This science is what our main character has made his career on. Democryos is the Master Voider and has always believed that voidance is good and a useful technique to combat the evils of the world. When his young and beautiful wife leaves him for someone else, Dem needs to know why. Setting out the find Marine and ask her, he ends up on quite a journey that will change his whole life and beliefs.
I loved the world building. The faith of the efflugents and the science of voiders is a conflict that is all to real in our world. But the mysterious powers granted from the void add a magical element. After dinner with the king one night, Dem leaves with Chimeline, a girl from the King's harem. Dem soon finds out that Chimeline knows more than he would've guessed about the person Marine left with. After the discovery of the hidden laboratory, the two of them set off for the South to try and find Marine and answers about the blurred man she is with.
The beginning was a bit slow and took me a while to get into. But right around the 50% mark, there were several key revelations that blew my mind. After that, it took me one day to finish the rest of this book. I fell in love with the main characters: Dem for his scientific and logical mind, Chimeline for her passion and open mindedness, Blythe for his kindness and faith and Colu for his strength and ability to make me laugh. I loved this group and the answers they found together, they forged true friendships and I cannot wait to see what misadventures they'll cause in book 2.
Dem and Blythe had almost nothing in common when they meet. But the way their friendship and acceptance of each other develops, was fantastic. I loved seeing faith and science being able to get along. Plus what they discovered was mind blowing on its own.
I've had this book sitting on my kindle app since like last fall. I finally read it and Good Unnamed I am kicking myself for not reading this sooner! I feel like my mind exploded after that ending and I NEED book 2 right now!!
The Indivisible and the Void is an adult sci-fi that introduces us to the world of voidance. This science is what our main character has made his career on. Democryos is the Master Voider and has always believed that voidance is good and a useful technique to combat the evils of the world. When his young and beautiful wife leaves him for someone else, Dem needs to know why. Setting out the find Marine and ask her, he ends up on quite a journey that will change his whole life and beliefs.
I loved the world building. The faith of the efflugents and the science of voiders is a conflict that is all to real in our world. But the mysterious powers granted from the void add a magical element. After dinner with the king one night, Dem leaves with Chimeline, a girl from the King's harem. Dem soon finds out that Chimeline knows more than he would've guessed about the person Marine left with. After the discovery of the hidden laboratory, the two of them set off for the South to try and find Marine and answers about the blurred man she is with.
The beginning was a bit slow and took me a while to get into. But right around the 50% mark, there were several key revelations that blew my mind. After that, it took me one day to finish the rest of this book. I fell in love with the main characters: Dem for his scientific and logical mind, Chimeline for her passion and open mindedness, Blythe for his kindness and faith and Colu for his strength and ability to make me laugh. I loved this group and the answers they found together, they forged true friendships and I cannot wait to see what misadventures they'll cause in book 2.
Dem and Blythe had almost nothing in common when they meet. But the way their friendship and acceptance of each other develops, was fantastic. I loved seeing faith and science being able to get along. Plus what they discovered was mind blowing on its own.
February 15, 2019
Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite
“A lie is just another form of ownership.”
The science-fiction worlds of D.M. Wozniak are littered with intelligence, creativity, and emotionally-relevant, present-moment details, making them wonderfully satisfying to any reader who craves great writing in his sci-fi and great sci-fi in his stories. It is impossible to discuss/review The Indivisible and The Void without first making these important observations, for the mechanics of serious writing must be mastered in order to create this kind of highly plausible, fascinating, fantastic fiction in a genre prone to hyperbolic shallowness when explored by lesser mortals. D.M. Wozniak gets it right. He knows that character drives a great story, and that internal consistency drives the world of science-fiction. All authors risk their reader’s abrupt loss of attention and loyalty should they lazily or inadvertently ignore either character or place. Wozniak does neither.
In The Indivisible and The Void, D.M. Wozniak gets it more than right. Immediately immersed into a future/ancient world meticulously but quickly brought into the reader’s view, one feels present in a most appealing way, as if he or she belongs. Even the advanced science (magical in its maturity) feels natural to this society that appears medieval (or even older). The plot ignites right from the start: Intimate betrayal, with a related compulsive mystery to unravel, and sudden if unintended treachery towards a ruthless king. All this for a main character who is able to bend at will the basic elements of reality, if not without enduring personal limitations or inciting escalating, untold consequences. Add to this the uninvited help of a young woman skilled solely in the oldest of professions …. Are you hooked? Of course, you are! You should be. This is inspired writing, and a truly excellent, sometimes heart-stopping, sometimes explosive, science-fiction/fantasy read.
“A lie is just another form of ownership.”
The science-fiction worlds of D.M. Wozniak are littered with intelligence, creativity, and emotionally-relevant, present-moment details, making them wonderfully satisfying to any reader who craves great writing in his sci-fi and great sci-fi in his stories. It is impossible to discuss/review The Indivisible and The Void without first making these important observations, for the mechanics of serious writing must be mastered in order to create this kind of highly plausible, fascinating, fantastic fiction in a genre prone to hyperbolic shallowness when explored by lesser mortals. D.M. Wozniak gets it right. He knows that character drives a great story, and that internal consistency drives the world of science-fiction. All authors risk their reader’s abrupt loss of attention and loyalty should they lazily or inadvertently ignore either character or place. Wozniak does neither.
In The Indivisible and The Void, D.M. Wozniak gets it more than right. Immediately immersed into a future/ancient world meticulously but quickly brought into the reader’s view, one feels present in a most appealing way, as if he or she belongs. Even the advanced science (magical in its maturity) feels natural to this society that appears medieval (or even older). The plot ignites right from the start: Intimate betrayal, with a related compulsive mystery to unravel, and sudden if unintended treachery towards a ruthless king. All this for a main character who is able to bend at will the basic elements of reality, if not without enduring personal limitations or inciting escalating, untold consequences. Add to this the uninvited help of a young woman skilled solely in the oldest of professions …. Are you hooked? Of course, you are! You should be. This is inspired writing, and a truly excellent, sometimes heart-stopping, sometimes explosive, science-fiction/fantasy read.
July 14, 2019
An adventure that combines fantasy, religion, and a bit of sci-fi, “The Indivisible and the Void” is reminiscent of “Ender’s Game” and “Wizard’s First Rule” in that it takes a powerful character and makes them face truths about their power and their choices and actions that they don’t expect.
Read full review in the 2019 May issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2019 May issue of InD'tale Magazine.
August 14, 2019
“Everything in our creation is built out of infinitesimal building blocks, called the indivisible. There is nothing else, besides the indivisible and the void.” – Master Voider Democryos
The story begins in medias res with Democryos receiving a letter from his wife, explaining that she has left him for another man. Dem, who had believed her to be his one true love, is shocked and hurt and angry. After inspecting her bedroom, he finds out more about her infidelity and some clues as to where she could be headed. So he goes on a quest tofind his wife, fight for her, and win her back seek vengeance on the man who is the reason for her betrayal.
Democryos is the Master Voider of the Northern Kingdom, living in a citadel and teaching other voiders at the university. With the help of so-called void stones, voiders able to see the smallest units of matter and alter them. But the power of the stones surpasses the human ability to wield it. Too much exposure and the voider risks voideath.
In this pre-industrial age, Democryos is one of the most powerful people in the country, second only to King Andrej X. And when the king learns of Dem’s situation, he insists on cheering him up by sending him home with Chimeline, a woman from his harem. But Chimeline is not who she seems to be and soon she and Dem find themselves on the road together, searching for the “veiled” man. While travelling the country, they are joined by a holy man with a dark secret and a soldier from enemy territory. In addition to learning more about the veiled man’s identity and facing dangers on their journey, they learn about the true nature of voidance from unexpected sources, and each is confronted with their own past and challenged in their world view.
The world building happens gradually and follows the natural progression of the story through which we discover interesting new places with even more interesting, complex and fully fleshed out side characters. But the main cast was amazing. All four characters (Democryos, Chimeline, the effulgent, and il-Colu) have a lot of depth. They are clearly flawed yet very likable and absolutely unforgettable. The story is driven by both, the characters and the plot: The convincing relationship dynamics, the justified tension and the required trust between the protagonists, was compelling and felt very real. And while I was reading, I had no idea what would happen next. And the big showdown has everything one could ask for: action scenes, unexpected elements, and a lot of suspense.
This book was SUPERB! I expected a lot when I saw all the 4- and 5-star reviews. And this book did not disappoint. Entering this beautifully imaginative world was a wonderful experience. And this was one of those rare reads that I did not want to put down. And every time I had to, I kept thinking about it all day, waiting to finally pick it up again.
In addition to the wonderful cast and incredible world, part of what made this read so sweet was the beautiful writing that never resorted to the use of pseudo-epic cliché phrases. And do you remember those books where the protagonist and the lover throw caution in the wind, forget about saving the world, and just focus on their love for each other? You will not have to go through that here. Instead, Wozniak gives us mature characters full of inner strength who are able to say, “There are more urgent things in this world than repairing a broken heart.”
It is a rare blend of literary speculative fiction, although I personally would put it in the category of science fiction and fantasy.
And – last but not least – look at this stunner of a cover!!!
I can’t wait to read Wozniak’s other books while I am expectantly waiting for the sequel.
Thank you NetGalley and D.M. Wozniak for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story begins in medias res with Democryos receiving a letter from his wife, explaining that she has left him for another man. Dem, who had believed her to be his one true love, is shocked and hurt and angry. After inspecting her bedroom, he finds out more about her infidelity and some clues as to where she could be headed. So he goes on a quest to
Democryos is the Master Voider of the Northern Kingdom, living in a citadel and teaching other voiders at the university. With the help of so-called void stones, voiders able to see the smallest units of matter and alter them. But the power of the stones surpasses the human ability to wield it. Too much exposure and the voider risks voideath.
In this pre-industrial age, Democryos is one of the most powerful people in the country, second only to King Andrej X. And when the king learns of Dem’s situation, he insists on cheering him up by sending him home with Chimeline, a woman from his harem. But Chimeline is not who she seems to be and soon she and Dem find themselves on the road together, searching for the “veiled” man. While travelling the country, they are joined by a holy man with a dark secret and a soldier from enemy territory. In addition to learning more about the veiled man’s identity and facing dangers on their journey, they learn about the true nature of voidance from unexpected sources, and each is confronted with their own past and challenged in their world view.
The world building happens gradually and follows the natural progression of the story through which we discover interesting new places with even more interesting, complex and fully fleshed out side characters. But the main cast was amazing. All four characters (Democryos, Chimeline, the effulgent, and il-Colu) have a lot of depth. They are clearly flawed yet very likable and absolutely unforgettable. The story is driven by both, the characters and the plot: The convincing relationship dynamics, the justified tension and the required trust between the protagonists, was compelling and felt very real. And while I was reading, I had no idea what would happen next. And the big showdown has everything one could ask for: action scenes, unexpected elements, and a lot of suspense.
This book was SUPERB! I expected a lot when I saw all the 4- and 5-star reviews. And this book did not disappoint. Entering this beautifully imaginative world was a wonderful experience. And this was one of those rare reads that I did not want to put down. And every time I had to, I kept thinking about it all day, waiting to finally pick it up again.
In addition to the wonderful cast and incredible world, part of what made this read so sweet was the beautiful writing that never resorted to the use of pseudo-epic cliché phrases. And do you remember those books where the protagonist and the lover throw caution in the wind, forget about saving the world, and just focus on their love for each other? You will not have to go through that here. Instead, Wozniak gives us mature characters full of inner strength who are able to say, “There are more urgent things in this world than repairing a broken heart.”
It is a rare blend of literary speculative fiction, although I personally would put it in the category of science fiction and fantasy.
And – last but not least – look at this stunner of a cover!!!
I can’t wait to read Wozniak’s other books while I am expectantly waiting for the sequel.
Thank you NetGalley and D.M. Wozniak for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2023
“For when you hold a voidstone, everything changes.You no longer see the world. You see what the world is made of, moving around the ferocity of creation. You see the indivisible and the void.”
This story really left me speechless. How unique, imaginative and intense it was, with mystery and many twists and turns. The tension on every chapter made me want to read the next one right away!
The story follows Democryos, an extremely powerful voider who can enter into the void state by manipulating the molecules and atoms using the voidstone. But this powerful ability can be extremely dangerous and could lead to the voideath.
Democryos is married with another powerful voider, younger than him, and their relationship is intense and special, until one night his wife disappears and it is made to seem like she left him to run away with another man. Democryos feeling betrayed and angry will do everything to find where his wife is and along the way he will see that something dark and mysterious is hiding behind this disappearance. As the mystery deepens he finds other powerful and very interesting people who are willing to help him while he discovers that his power is stronger than he thought..
If you love fantasy, mystery and suspenseful page turning stories then you should definitely read this one!!
I can’t wait to read more of D.M. Wozniak’s books!! His imagination is phenomenal!!
Thank you NetGalley and D.M. Wozniak for providing this free e-book copy!
This story really left me speechless. How unique, imaginative and intense it was, with mystery and many twists and turns. The tension on every chapter made me want to read the next one right away!
The story follows Democryos, an extremely powerful voider who can enter into the void state by manipulating the molecules and atoms using the voidstone. But this powerful ability can be extremely dangerous and could lead to the voideath.
Democryos is married with another powerful voider, younger than him, and their relationship is intense and special, until one night his wife disappears and it is made to seem like she left him to run away with another man. Democryos feeling betrayed and angry will do everything to find where his wife is and along the way he will see that something dark and mysterious is hiding behind this disappearance. As the mystery deepens he finds other powerful and very interesting people who are willing to help him while he discovers that his power is stronger than he thought..
If you love fantasy, mystery and suspenseful page turning stories then you should definitely read this one!!
I can’t wait to read more of D.M. Wozniak’s books!! His imagination is phenomenal!!
Thank you NetGalley and D.M. Wozniak for providing this free e-book copy!
May 3, 2020
First I want to thank NetGalley and D.M. Wozniak for giving me access to this book.
Wow this is one of the most unique fantasies that I've read in a while. I have a soft spot for books with quests so I couldn't resist. The main character was so on point in this book, he felt really likeble and not like an idiot just seeking vengence. Sadly towards the end the book looses it's way for a bit, but the begining was incredible.
The only thing that didn't made it for me was the representation of the female characters, it felt really stereotypical
I would definitely check out other books by this same author.
Wow this is one of the most unique fantasies that I've read in a while. I have a soft spot for books with quests so I couldn't resist. The main character was so on point in this book, he felt really likeble and not like an idiot just seeking vengence. Sadly towards the end the book looses it's way for a bit, but the begining was incredible.
The only thing that didn't made it for me was the representation of the female characters, it felt really stereotypical
I would definitely check out other books by this same author.
September 30, 2019
D.M. Wozniak's past novels range from well-paced fantasy to tightly written dystopian thrillers. The Indivisible and the Void rises to a new level, effortlessly bridging fantasy and science fiction in unexpected ways.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but readers will find themselves immersed from the opening pages in a world where mysterious forces lie in Voidstones, the holders of whom bear great power and responsibility (even as the source of the magic is not completely understood). Conflict arises between religions that demonize the use of these stones, power structures that seek to control them, and the Voiders themselves, who struggle to remain a force for good.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book. The plot is really ambituous and well-executed, and the scenes often pop off the page with a cinematic feel. Characters and storylines seethe with aesthetics and wisdom. The author knows where he is going and you always feel like you're in good hands. The whole is even more than the sum of the parts, however, as the novel asks great questions though its themes and symbolism.
I can't wait for more.
I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but readers will find themselves immersed from the opening pages in a world where mysterious forces lie in Voidstones, the holders of whom bear great power and responsibility (even as the source of the magic is not completely understood). Conflict arises between religions that demonize the use of these stones, power structures that seek to control them, and the Voiders themselves, who struggle to remain a force for good.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book. The plot is really ambituous and well-executed, and the scenes often pop off the page with a cinematic feel. Characters and storylines seethe with aesthetics and wisdom. The author knows where he is going and you always feel like you're in good hands. The whole is even more than the sum of the parts, however, as the novel asks great questions though its themes and symbolism.
I can't wait for more.
August 26, 2020
I really should stop reading books solely based on their gorgeous covers 'cause... this was a choice.
Follow Democryos' quest to discover why his young wife left him. Yes, that's how this medieval scifi historical fiction book really starts.
He's prideful but ignorant and while she's after his wife she encounters another woman who he falls in love with.
The plot is messy but also the writing style and main character's mind. Flashback scenes are mixed with the present and narrated in present tense too and most of the flashbacks were meaningless.
I was expecting a lot more action but like 80% of the book is just chatting and not much fighting. The plot seems to thicken the more you go into the book but everything else it's just so boring I almost DNF like three times. The worldbuilding and magic system is way interesting but the author doesn't make them shine. And it's a worn sci-fi stereotype to portray female characters that flat and whore-ish.
Follow Democryos' quest to discover why his young wife left him. Yes, that's how this medieval scifi historical fiction book really starts.
He's prideful but ignorant and while she's after his wife she encounters another woman who he falls in love with.
The plot is messy but also the writing style and main character's mind. Flashback scenes are mixed with the present and narrated in present tense too and most of the flashbacks were meaningless.
I was expecting a lot more action but like 80% of the book is just chatting and not much fighting. The plot seems to thicken the more you go into the book but everything else it's just so boring I almost DNF like three times. The worldbuilding and magic system is way interesting but the author doesn't make them shine. And it's a worn sci-fi stereotype to portray female characters that flat and whore-ish.
March 2, 2019
This author made a strong impression on me with his previous series of dystopian science fiction novels, written in a literary style, unusually mature and soulful for the genre and presented via a compound eye of viewpoints. I hoped the futuristic ennui and drifting melancholy would percolate through into this next project as, I think, trying another genre is like changing the subject but the way you write is part of you and harder to abandon. Wozniak has a style that comes from within and doesn’t need reinventing.
So, void stones. Lumpy, black, weighty and pregnant with power. The stone is inexhaustible but the practitioner who channels it isn’t. There’s obviously some monumental mechanism behind these which even the owners and users fail to comprehend. Ignorance is bliss? Always. It is a maxim that anything which is too good to be true usually isn’t, so just an Athenian trireme was impressively fast through the water (advanced civilisation) but the reality was it couldn’t happen without slavery and was used for piracy (primitive, uncivilised), the reader will think what a cool tool void power is – but hang on, what’s really happening here? Is it better not to know?
Being a selfish and opinionated critic, “Hi”, (waves a jaunty flag for reality), the stumbling block for me is the new series is fantasy and that’s not my thing. It’s therefore a test of my objectivity to say whether this is a good example of its type. In the debate of how power is derived between genres, we see science fiction (a reality-based explanation) and magic (no credible explanation at all) or fantasy as a sort of half-way house between the two, where the physical laws of matter are explained as being a little different in this setting, a cousin reality that we’re supposed to suspend disbelief for. Fine, okay, I can cope with the concept of fiction. This is definitely fantasy because the background of power exists to be tapped into by the gifted and initiated but the author does gradually reveal a thought-through explanation of the secret in the Void Stones practitioners carry and why it works on the Indivisibles or lowest units of matter that you need to use void sight to zoom into and see.
The author describes the use of the void stones much better than I can but what it reminds me of is when Frodo puts on the ring and enters the monochrome dimension of the Ring Wraiths, where it’s dark and the wind circles relentlessly, a level of existence mirroring our own but tricky to get into, or return from. Something dwells in the darkness, so don’t stay too long. If you draw too much power, you risk never coming back from this unholy place of limbo so that’s a balancing force to limit how much you can extract. It also seems to be the reason why there’s still a civilian king (undeserving) and the voiders haven’t seized it all. In our world, people seem unequipped to walk away from power once they’ve had a taste of it, even when it corrupts them into a heroin-fix pit of obsession and guides them off the path of common sense. We can all name a few. Pick up a newspaper and you can draw rings around these people.
The other ingredient with which the author counterpoints the very evident power of the users of void-stones is what at first appears to be a fairly humility-drained religion which teaches that everything is unnamed, nothing should be owned and that there is a being in the sky who may or may not be there. They have a little book which they wave at you. It must be true because ‘it is written’. Well, that isn’t quite convincing enough to get a donation out of me but this sort of thing is great for the usual fraction of society who need a boost of hope and direction in their low-expectation lives and a shoulder to cry on at times of loss. This is where religion and social work are indivisible. The priests have to compromise on their rule of celibacy otherwise they’ll vanish in one generation, but don’t seem happy about it. The clever bit in this story is the way the author gradually reveals the religion and the much more practical void power are aspects of the same thing, almost as if a beetle has seen a leaf and seen a root but is only just now making the connection that they are the same organism.
Unlike this writer’s previous work which was related by many characters, the story-telling perspective has been simplified into the voice of one narrator. I can appreciate that he may have had criticism for the incomprehensibility of multiple narrators in the past and would like to make his work more approachable and mainstream. I think that decision has been successful, making the novel seamless in contrast to the stop/start feeling readers were left with before.
Without giving the plot away, the introduction and mournful beginning dissipates as the reader is drawn into the competent world-building of city life for the voiders, scenes of past and present emerge like mystery clues as we get to see the fickle nature of the element they have to work with. Learning to use the power in the stones is more about learning strength of mind than anything occult, which is underlined by the reason that students don’t receive a stone until they have qualified for it. What happens then if the voider has lost his love and with her his perspective? Will his rational balance change when handling power and put him at risk? In our reality, they’d put his car keys behind the bar ‘til morning – and then pull out a pack of cards. The supernatural has rules that we can still relate to.
After that, the action proceeds into a sort of adventure road trip revealing images of what’s happening out in the countryside, between the city and the warmer southern province (unlike George RRR Martin, the throne is in the North, miles away from the beach and bikinis). This Odyssey includes a selection of short morality entanglements which, like any good Grail quest, test the character’s resolve and bring out strengths like justice, forgiveness, empathy with other people’s ways, self-improvement and insight. Through these trials, an arrogance unloading and re-grounding process, the hero achieves the mental clarity to take on his greatest challenge. He also, through his impressive reserves of forgiveness, collects three supporters to aid the cause who wouldn’t have been there to help if he had a move vengeful personality.
I thought this was an excellent fantasy world with plenty of human nature throughout and a good balance between the astonishing and the realistic. The mystery was well realised and unfolded over a long time, which felt like the best way to do it. It had a natural end but that tipped into the natural beginning of the next novel. The void stones themselves are an attractive invention, conveying a sense of holding something in the palm of your hand as you’re reading through the story, an accessory you would become quite attached to. You’d give up a smart phone for one of these. You’d probably choose this power over friends, observing social norms, being a good person and many other things. The stones are a ticket to whatever you want and that’s, for most people, irresistible. I want one. Gimmie.
The overall impression I had was that the central character of the Master Voider was a conundrum in himself. How can someone with arguably the most capacity for retribution in the whole landscape combine that sword of Damocles with an ineffable capacity to allow people to crush his heart, walk all over him, threaten, insult and then be allowed to continue as if everything is alright? Screw that. Stand up for yourself or we’ll let you pay for dinner too. I can see he sees no point in anything but reunification with his missing love, but there’s a serious lack of human juices here if he doesn’t slap back at mosquitos occasionally. All credit to the character for being so neutral and controlled, but I couldn’t do it.
This is toga and sandals territory though, like visiting Carthage and wondering if your sense of first world refinement is an illusion when the taxi’s gone and the heat makes your underwear tacky. Important safety tip: pack culottes for fantasy kingdoms – and don’t make eye contact with beckoning natives with a tale to tell, a pouchful of khat, no sense of birth control and gaps in their teeth.
In the context that in a khat-free scenario most fantasy books would get a mid or lower rating from me, I gave this a 5 because it takes its place around the top stratum of the fantasy genre, not just in works by independent authors but of all fantasy realms and kingdoms. This is a professional product by a reliable writer who has shuffled in alongside any of the big names in fantasy today. It isn’t meant to be an exhibition of literature (like Perihelion), as he’s done that and instead focusses here on mainstream appeal and readability. This is also a human imagined reality with balanced fantasy and no chorus of singing elves. I happen to like new literature but nobody else I know reads it (yes, I do work for a publisher) so aiming for popularity could be the smart way to progress in a writing career. It is a deliberately sensible story and that’s okay but I think he’s missed a trick by not putting in a little subtle humour. I can only discuss what is in the book, not what I think could have been there so will desist because, e.g., if you want a family of smugglers, you should have read Jamaica Inn.
The sense of travel, discovery and awakening is omnipresent (you sure get a lot of pages for your money), although perhaps not the weariness of the road that you feel at the end of Tolkien. In this fantasy, physical damage to the body can be repaired with voidance, so that would relieve the saddle sores and stickiness somewhat. It includes a good core mystery and little scenes of using void power, which aren’t relied on exclusively as the highlights. If you ever wonder what it would be like to work the impossible, I think this well-written book will open your imagination to that fantasy and the appeal of escapism, which in my view makes it a fine example of its type.
So, void stones. Lumpy, black, weighty and pregnant with power. The stone is inexhaustible but the practitioner who channels it isn’t. There’s obviously some monumental mechanism behind these which even the owners and users fail to comprehend. Ignorance is bliss? Always. It is a maxim that anything which is too good to be true usually isn’t, so just an Athenian trireme was impressively fast through the water (advanced civilisation) but the reality was it couldn’t happen without slavery and was used for piracy (primitive, uncivilised), the reader will think what a cool tool void power is – but hang on, what’s really happening here? Is it better not to know?
Being a selfish and opinionated critic, “Hi”, (waves a jaunty flag for reality), the stumbling block for me is the new series is fantasy and that’s not my thing. It’s therefore a test of my objectivity to say whether this is a good example of its type. In the debate of how power is derived between genres, we see science fiction (a reality-based explanation) and magic (no credible explanation at all) or fantasy as a sort of half-way house between the two, where the physical laws of matter are explained as being a little different in this setting, a cousin reality that we’re supposed to suspend disbelief for. Fine, okay, I can cope with the concept of fiction. This is definitely fantasy because the background of power exists to be tapped into by the gifted and initiated but the author does gradually reveal a thought-through explanation of the secret in the Void Stones practitioners carry and why it works on the Indivisibles or lowest units of matter that you need to use void sight to zoom into and see.
The author describes the use of the void stones much better than I can but what it reminds me of is when Frodo puts on the ring and enters the monochrome dimension of the Ring Wraiths, where it’s dark and the wind circles relentlessly, a level of existence mirroring our own but tricky to get into, or return from. Something dwells in the darkness, so don’t stay too long. If you draw too much power, you risk never coming back from this unholy place of limbo so that’s a balancing force to limit how much you can extract. It also seems to be the reason why there’s still a civilian king (undeserving) and the voiders haven’t seized it all. In our world, people seem unequipped to walk away from power once they’ve had a taste of it, even when it corrupts them into a heroin-fix pit of obsession and guides them off the path of common sense. We can all name a few. Pick up a newspaper and you can draw rings around these people.
The other ingredient with which the author counterpoints the very evident power of the users of void-stones is what at first appears to be a fairly humility-drained religion which teaches that everything is unnamed, nothing should be owned and that there is a being in the sky who may or may not be there. They have a little book which they wave at you. It must be true because ‘it is written’. Well, that isn’t quite convincing enough to get a donation out of me but this sort of thing is great for the usual fraction of society who need a boost of hope and direction in their low-expectation lives and a shoulder to cry on at times of loss. This is where religion and social work are indivisible. The priests have to compromise on their rule of celibacy otherwise they’ll vanish in one generation, but don’t seem happy about it. The clever bit in this story is the way the author gradually reveals the religion and the much more practical void power are aspects of the same thing, almost as if a beetle has seen a leaf and seen a root but is only just now making the connection that they are the same organism.
Unlike this writer’s previous work which was related by many characters, the story-telling perspective has been simplified into the voice of one narrator. I can appreciate that he may have had criticism for the incomprehensibility of multiple narrators in the past and would like to make his work more approachable and mainstream. I think that decision has been successful, making the novel seamless in contrast to the stop/start feeling readers were left with before.
Without giving the plot away, the introduction and mournful beginning dissipates as the reader is drawn into the competent world-building of city life for the voiders, scenes of past and present emerge like mystery clues as we get to see the fickle nature of the element they have to work with. Learning to use the power in the stones is more about learning strength of mind than anything occult, which is underlined by the reason that students don’t receive a stone until they have qualified for it. What happens then if the voider has lost his love and with her his perspective? Will his rational balance change when handling power and put him at risk? In our reality, they’d put his car keys behind the bar ‘til morning – and then pull out a pack of cards. The supernatural has rules that we can still relate to.
After that, the action proceeds into a sort of adventure road trip revealing images of what’s happening out in the countryside, between the city and the warmer southern province (unlike George RRR Martin, the throne is in the North, miles away from the beach and bikinis). This Odyssey includes a selection of short morality entanglements which, like any good Grail quest, test the character’s resolve and bring out strengths like justice, forgiveness, empathy with other people’s ways, self-improvement and insight. Through these trials, an arrogance unloading and re-grounding process, the hero achieves the mental clarity to take on his greatest challenge. He also, through his impressive reserves of forgiveness, collects three supporters to aid the cause who wouldn’t have been there to help if he had a move vengeful personality.
I thought this was an excellent fantasy world with plenty of human nature throughout and a good balance between the astonishing and the realistic. The mystery was well realised and unfolded over a long time, which felt like the best way to do it. It had a natural end but that tipped into the natural beginning of the next novel. The void stones themselves are an attractive invention, conveying a sense of holding something in the palm of your hand as you’re reading through the story, an accessory you would become quite attached to. You’d give up a smart phone for one of these. You’d probably choose this power over friends, observing social norms, being a good person and many other things. The stones are a ticket to whatever you want and that’s, for most people, irresistible. I want one. Gimmie.
The overall impression I had was that the central character of the Master Voider was a conundrum in himself. How can someone with arguably the most capacity for retribution in the whole landscape combine that sword of Damocles with an ineffable capacity to allow people to crush his heart, walk all over him, threaten, insult and then be allowed to continue as if everything is alright? Screw that. Stand up for yourself or we’ll let you pay for dinner too. I can see he sees no point in anything but reunification with his missing love, but there’s a serious lack of human juices here if he doesn’t slap back at mosquitos occasionally. All credit to the character for being so neutral and controlled, but I couldn’t do it.
This is toga and sandals territory though, like visiting Carthage and wondering if your sense of first world refinement is an illusion when the taxi’s gone and the heat makes your underwear tacky. Important safety tip: pack culottes for fantasy kingdoms – and don’t make eye contact with beckoning natives with a tale to tell, a pouchful of khat, no sense of birth control and gaps in their teeth.
In the context that in a khat-free scenario most fantasy books would get a mid or lower rating from me, I gave this a 5 because it takes its place around the top stratum of the fantasy genre, not just in works by independent authors but of all fantasy realms and kingdoms. This is a professional product by a reliable writer who has shuffled in alongside any of the big names in fantasy today. It isn’t meant to be an exhibition of literature (like Perihelion), as he’s done that and instead focusses here on mainstream appeal and readability. This is also a human imagined reality with balanced fantasy and no chorus of singing elves. I happen to like new literature but nobody else I know reads it (yes, I do work for a publisher) so aiming for popularity could be the smart way to progress in a writing career. It is a deliberately sensible story and that’s okay but I think he’s missed a trick by not putting in a little subtle humour. I can only discuss what is in the book, not what I think could have been there so will desist because, e.g., if you want a family of smugglers, you should have read Jamaica Inn.
The sense of travel, discovery and awakening is omnipresent (you sure get a lot of pages for your money), although perhaps not the weariness of the road that you feel at the end of Tolkien. In this fantasy, physical damage to the body can be repaired with voidance, so that would relieve the saddle sores and stickiness somewhat. It includes a good core mystery and little scenes of using void power, which aren’t relied on exclusively as the highlights. If you ever wonder what it would be like to work the impossible, I think this well-written book will open your imagination to that fantasy and the appeal of escapism, which in my view makes it a fine example of its type.
September 5, 2019
The Indivisible and The Void by D.M. Wozniak:
“Each year, Democryos sends his brightest student into the war-torn countryside to work magic. But when his wife leaves him for a mysterious stranger, he finds his own life ravaged.
Forsaking the comfort of the citadel, he searches for her, traveling through the same forgotten lands where he sent his students. Along the way, he befriends an elusive member of the king’s harem, a holy man harboring guilt, and a maimed soldier. Together, they stumble upon a key—not only to the war, but to understanding the magic of voidance itself.”
“A lie is just another form of ownership.”
★★★★★
I was amazed by this book, even if it constantly reminded me of V.E. Schwab’s books, it didn’t felt like a copy of anything I’ve read. The story was original, the diversity of characters was original. Even when there were a lot of names, places, and concepts to remember the book didn’t felt like heavy read.
The development of the characters was actually one of the things that I appreciated most in this story. Their changes are understandable and even reliable making the feel real. You could actually separate characters within the dialog without the need of a reminder of who was saying what because each character had their own voice and personality imprinted on their way to talk and think.
Surprises and plot twist were just a turn of the page on this, so the story had always a bit of extra tension on every chapter, in that way the plot became less predictable every time. The author also explained a little from the past of the main character making the reader understand more about his concerns, his personal life and why he reacted in certain ways on specific event.
Even when there were flashbacks the lot remained in a logical way, not confusing the reader at all on what was happening. The way the author describes the world isn’t overwhelming so it makes it easier to add up a clear image of the scenes even when there were a lot twists and turns along the story.
The book ended on a cliff hanger but still managed to conclude the story it begins with. That make me even more exited to read the next one (comes out in 2020). I’m joyous to continue to unravel the mysteries the void keeps and to return to read such marvelous characters.
I would recumbent this book to people in general that love magic, diverse cultures and points of views, mystery and love. Specially teenagers, young adults.
“Each year, Democryos sends his brightest student into the war-torn countryside to work magic. But when his wife leaves him for a mysterious stranger, he finds his own life ravaged.
Forsaking the comfort of the citadel, he searches for her, traveling through the same forgotten lands where he sent his students. Along the way, he befriends an elusive member of the king’s harem, a holy man harboring guilt, and a maimed soldier. Together, they stumble upon a key—not only to the war, but to understanding the magic of voidance itself.”
“A lie is just another form of ownership.”
★★★★★
I was amazed by this book, even if it constantly reminded me of V.E. Schwab’s books, it didn’t felt like a copy of anything I’ve read. The story was original, the diversity of characters was original. Even when there were a lot of names, places, and concepts to remember the book didn’t felt like heavy read.
The development of the characters was actually one of the things that I appreciated most in this story. Their changes are understandable and even reliable making the feel real. You could actually separate characters within the dialog without the need of a reminder of who was saying what because each character had their own voice and personality imprinted on their way to talk and think.
Surprises and plot twist were just a turn of the page on this, so the story had always a bit of extra tension on every chapter, in that way the plot became less predictable every time. The author also explained a little from the past of the main character making the reader understand more about his concerns, his personal life and why he reacted in certain ways on specific event.
Even when there were flashbacks the lot remained in a logical way, not confusing the reader at all on what was happening. The way the author describes the world isn’t overwhelming so it makes it easier to add up a clear image of the scenes even when there were a lot twists and turns along the story.
The book ended on a cliff hanger but still managed to conclude the story it begins with. That make me even more exited to read the next one (comes out in 2020). I’m joyous to continue to unravel the mysteries the void keeps and to return to read such marvelous characters.
I would recumbent this book to people in general that love magic, diverse cultures and points of views, mystery and love. Specially teenagers, young adults.
February 28, 2023
What intrigued me about The Indivisible And The Void was the hook of a broadly medieval fantasy on the cusp of science. That is in here, but its charms are eventually more human. In particular, our viewpoint character Master Voider Democryos is a character who starts off as stuffy as his name. The head of magic for his warring kingdom, whose wife has just left him, is set in his ways and full of righteous fury, which seems to have much more to do with his pride than his wife. It is an engagingly spiky first-person perspective, he's basically picked a stubborn pompous University Professor as his lead, and the language he uses shows very much that he sees his wife as a possession rather than a lover. What follows is a picaresque hero's journey, albeit mainly one of unlearning what he thought he knew about the world and his assumptions. The book is episodic, and he picks up companions along the way (there is a feel of a D&D campaign here, not least as it manages more successfully than most to find a decent reason why he might have a cleric in his party).
The simplicity of the one viewpoint and journey narrative was quite refreshing after a lot of multi-viewpoint books, and this is certainly YA adjacent (if YA adjacent allows a fifty-something protagonist). The magic system at the heart of the book is interesting, it initially feels like a play on an atomic system (the world is divided between the indivisible and the void, and magicians can work with the void), though there is a big swing in the last third which turns this into a very different kind of fantasy novel. The book also teases for a long time the mysterious identity of its villain, which does turn out to be a bit of a disappointment when he is finally unmasked. But there is a propulsive narrative here that got me past some of the clunkier parts (there is an addiction subplot that never really works). What is more, the book ends with a massive tease for a very different kind of story, our medieval fantasy is about to be plunged into what appears to be a space opera, and that is really rather intriguing.
The simplicity of the one viewpoint and journey narrative was quite refreshing after a lot of multi-viewpoint books, and this is certainly YA adjacent (if YA adjacent allows a fifty-something protagonist). The magic system at the heart of the book is interesting, it initially feels like a play on an atomic system (the world is divided between the indivisible and the void, and magicians can work with the void), though there is a big swing in the last third which turns this into a very different kind of fantasy novel. The book also teases for a long time the mysterious identity of its villain, which does turn out to be a bit of a disappointment when he is finally unmasked. But there is a propulsive narrative here that got me past some of the clunkier parts (there is an addiction subplot that never really works). What is more, the book ends with a massive tease for a very different kind of story, our medieval fantasy is about to be plunged into what appears to be a space opera, and that is really rather intriguing.
September 3, 2019
This is a skillfully delineated world where there is a form of magic based upon the use of 'voidstones', a mineral which allows practitioners to manipulate the world at the molecular level. Ability to do this is hereditary.
Also hereditary is a certain type of cultist who preach that use of the stones is completely evil; these cultists, known as Effulgents, are completely hairless and their offspring, if also hairless, must join them.
When the Master Voider's wife suddenly leaves him, the king of his realm also reveals that Democryos has not been putting enough enthusiasm into the war effort against neighboring kingdom Xi. As he traces his wife's flight away from the capital, he comes across another voidance lab than his own at the university-- one he didn't know existed but filled with his own inventions. One of his students is a traitor! But they are weapons of war, which means the king must know...
The mystery deepens as he and the harem girl assigned him by the king as 'consolation' continue their journey of discovering and revealing treachery, which leads to the very edge of their familiar world. Could those wacky Effulgents have been partly right?
Excellent read, with insights into human hearts as well as particle physics.
Also hereditary is a certain type of cultist who preach that use of the stones is completely evil; these cultists, known as Effulgents, are completely hairless and their offspring, if also hairless, must join them.
When the Master Voider's wife suddenly leaves him, the king of his realm also reveals that Democryos has not been putting enough enthusiasm into the war effort against neighboring kingdom Xi. As he traces his wife's flight away from the capital, he comes across another voidance lab than his own at the university-- one he didn't know existed but filled with his own inventions. One of his students is a traitor! But they are weapons of war, which means the king must know...
The mystery deepens as he and the harem girl assigned him by the king as 'consolation' continue their journey of discovering and revealing treachery, which leads to the very edge of their familiar world. Could those wacky Effulgents have been partly right?
Excellent read, with insights into human hearts as well as particle physics.
July 18, 2020
What a grand adventure! I felt for Dem right from the start as he deals with the blow of his wife leaving him with an another man. It doesn't help that isn't really secret. Beyond that, as things unfold you find out more about him and what it means to be a Voider, of which he is a master and teacher under pressure to train others with his gift to aid the king. However, he's focused on finding his wife which takes him places and reveals things he'd never seen coming.
He isn't alone though and that brings me to my favorite secondary character, Chimeline. I just loved, loved, loved her and I'm so curious to know every little thing about her. The magic system was wonderful. The stones are creative and the concept of the void brilliant. The underlying messages and themes weave into the story out of sight, making it as deep as you wish, if you want to ponder them or you can simply enjoy the fantastic fantasy adventure.
I hope there will be more in this series soon, I'd love to step into this world again.
He isn't alone though and that brings me to my favorite secondary character, Chimeline. I just loved, loved, loved her and I'm so curious to know every little thing about her. The magic system was wonderful. The stones are creative and the concept of the void brilliant. The underlying messages and themes weave into the story out of sight, making it as deep as you wish, if you want to ponder them or you can simply enjoy the fantastic fantasy adventure.
I hope there will be more in this series soon, I'd love to step into this world again.
August 31, 2019
Indivisible begins with the protagonist [Dem] finding a heartbreaking letter from his wife, stating that she has left him for another man. The reader is immediately hooked!
Dem leaves the citadel, where he lives and works, in search of his wife—and her new lover. His journey takes several interesting turns as he scours the countryside in search of them. No spoilers here, but as we are slowly given backstory of what led to his wife’s decision, we realize—as Dem does—that there is much more going on than meets the eye.
The journey proves to be as interesting as the destination. Although make no mistake—in the end, the author does not disappoint. There are twists and turns to this fantasy world that you may not expect, and if you’re like me, you’ll be clamoring for book two.
Dem leaves the citadel, where he lives and works, in search of his wife—and her new lover. His journey takes several interesting turns as he scours the countryside in search of them. No spoilers here, but as we are slowly given backstory of what led to his wife’s decision, we realize—as Dem does—that there is much more going on than meets the eye.
The journey proves to be as interesting as the destination. Although make no mistake—in the end, the author does not disappoint. There are twists and turns to this fantasy world that you may not expect, and if you’re like me, you’ll be clamoring for book two.
September 5, 2019
This was a great literary fiction book that mixes sci-fi, fantasy and religion. Very enjoyable, and the tone and pitch were just right. I enjoyed it so much that I'm now looking for the books following it, and will be talking about it on my blog in many ways in the coming months. It made a real impression on me.
**Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
**Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
October 25, 2019
D.M. Wozniak writes of a medieval world where some with the right talent can use crystals to access The Indivisible and the Void (paper from Amazon). Democryos, head master of the Void school, finds his young wife, a former student, has run away. Ignoring his responsibilities to the king, who needs more voiders for his war, he follows his wife, bringing with him the member of the King’s harem who had been offered to him for solace. Following in a hot air balloon, he crashes near a village of religious fanatics who almost kill him. Surviving that he and companions almost die at an illegal drug plantation. The trail leads to bay where he discovers the origin of the void stones and how they really work. The stones might give him incredible powers while he touches it, it is his moral compass that really matters. This is a fascinating quest tale that leaves an ending open enough for a solid sequel. I can’t wait.Review printed by Philadelphia Free Press
January 15, 2020
2/5
Probably unpopular opinion here, but I’m very sorry to say that this book in the end wasn’t for me.
It has one of the best starts I ever read but unfortunately I lost interest half way through the book.
I started to not caring about the story, about the characters, about the adventure.
It has nothing too complicated to understand but after the middle of the book the all fast-pace it had at the beginning died down 😔
Thank you Netgalley and the puplisher for providing an ARC of this book
Probably unpopular opinion here, but I’m very sorry to say that this book in the end wasn’t for me.
It has one of the best starts I ever read but unfortunately I lost interest half way through the book.
I started to not caring about the story, about the characters, about the adventure.
It has nothing too complicated to understand but after the middle of the book the all fast-pace it had at the beginning died down 😔
Thank you Netgalley and the puplisher for providing an ARC of this book
July 22, 2020
If you are tired with today’s life but still want to get a taste of what is going around you then pick up this book because it will take you straight to a world where there is magic and it will make you have a look into the cruel realities of our lives. What a ride it was. I read it in one sitting. It was a magnificent tale woven through beautiful writing .
October 3, 2019
Chubby fantasy novels usually take me a few sittings to get into and several weeks to finish. Not this one. I was gripped from start to finish. Great plotting, pace and excellent characterisation. Volume 2 NOW, please!
August 9, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley and the author for the chance to read and review!
I can say this is 100% unlike any book I have read before. I love rhe magic and the whole world so much. The author is original and talented, I hope in the next book we see more character from the ladies and let them shine!
I can say this is 100% unlike any book I have read before. I love rhe magic and the whole world so much. The author is original and talented, I hope in the next book we see more character from the ladies and let them shine!
December 12, 2021
This isn't a genre I would normally enjoy, but this book was surprisingly good. I'll be looking for more to read from the author. Hopefully they're all this enjoyable.
June 8, 2020
This book really surprised me. I wasn't sure at first. The concept took me a bit to get my arms around but once I did, i was pulled forward through this fascinating world until the end...when I was frustrated that it was over! Other than making a fairly complex concept feel natural by the end, Wozniak does a wonderful job building a world full of three dimensional characters and immersive settings. I struggled slightly to understand the relationship that's at the center of everything, but things moved so smoothly beyond these key characters that it wasn't detracting from the overall experience. I highly recommend spending your time in this fun and interesting world. Can't wait for the next one!
February 13, 2021
This is one of those books that you pick up because of the gorgeous cover. I am not gonna lie – this gorgeous beauty pulled me right in, and I just had to read it because of its uniqueness. Usually, we read books with “magic school” tropes from the student’s pov but in this one, it’s from the teacher’s (Democryos) pov.
I loved the writing style which was very visual and metaphoric. The book has a good start and Wozniak does a good job of taking common tropes and making them his by adding original stuff to them. The story has a very slow start but if you can stick around until the last few chapters, it will be worth it. However, I must say that the ending was a bit predictable.
I think that the author could have done a better job of explaining the magic system. There weren’t enough details and the story was not exactly plot-driven but it felt like it was aiming for “plot-driven”. Plus, it was agonizingly boring for me at times because I enjoy action scenes and there weren’t any, despite the mention of war and magic fights. Most of the book was a LOT of taking 😦
What saved the story, was the epic journey, the originality, and the wonderful side characters. It wasn’t a “hard-to-read” book for me, but it wasn’t good enough to make me want to read the next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
I loved the writing style which was very visual and metaphoric. The book has a good start and Wozniak does a good job of taking common tropes and making them his by adding original stuff to them. The story has a very slow start but if you can stick around until the last few chapters, it will be worth it. However, I must say that the ending was a bit predictable.
I think that the author could have done a better job of explaining the magic system. There weren’t enough details and the story was not exactly plot-driven but it felt like it was aiming for “plot-driven”. Plus, it was agonizingly boring for me at times because I enjoy action scenes and there weren’t any, despite the mention of war and magic fights. Most of the book was a LOT of taking 😦
What saved the story, was the epic journey, the originality, and the wonderful side characters. It wasn’t a “hard-to-read” book for me, but it wasn’t good enough to make me want to read the next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
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