Those Who Watch From Afar

by Zack Hacker

A forgotten magical power lying dormant in the shadows. Human civilization on the brink of destruction. A young elf looking to find her place in the world. The future of magic falls into Petra's hands when she first sets out to explore the world, only to discover a prophecy that foretells of her role in a great revolution. She's keen to seize her calling, until she discovers that it requires her to face off against her own mother. When she succumbs to her curiosity and enters the human world, Petra feels rebellious. However, after falling in love with one of those humans and choosing to enter the fight, she learns what being a rebel really means. Those Who Watch From Afar is the first book in the Magic's Erosion series by international bestselling author Zack Hacker. If you like epic journeys that span centuries and characters struggling to find their place in an ever-shifting landscape, you won't want to miss this coming of age fantasy series. There's always a rebellion brewing in the chaos just below the surface-it's all about which side you choose. Read Those Who Watch From Afar now to dive into the history of arcane magic on Earth. This also includes a preview of A Fading Future, the second book in the Magic's Erosion series.

260 pages, Paperback

Published March 24, 2021

About the author

Zack Hacker is the USA TODAY and international bestselling author of the historical adventure series AYA AMRANI ADVENTURES, the reality-TV thriller CUT REALITY, and the coming-of-age fantasy saga MAGIC'S EROSION.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Zack lives with his wife and two cats. When not writing, Zack is usually exploring the world with friends, hosting murder mystery parties, or binge-watching reality TV. You can probably find him scribbling notes at the local bar or from the back of a train, transforming something he just heard into a new plot twist.

Connect with Zack, sign up for release notifications, or reach out via his official site at www.zackhacker.com, or follow his adventures on social media @zackhackerwrites.

Reviews

[Natalie Bonetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimately, this book was a little slow-paced for me, although I appreciated the framed story concept, the world-building, and overall message of the book.

As told from the perspective of Petra, an elf-like Mithryndor, who has been stranded in another realm, to Leah, a human who has travelled to this realm hoping to save Earth, Petra remembers her own time on Earth, back when magic was possible there. Raised in a privileged household (or castle, because her mother is a ruler of the most powerful magical city), Petra is curious when she learns about a nearby village without magic and the mortality of the humans and creatures that live there without the magic that she has taken for granted her whole life. Visiting in secret, she falls in love with a blacksmith and his inability to join her in her own magical city is the first in a dawning realization that her own home city is using magic unfairly and robbing other cities from using magic. She joins a rebel cause which has been putting a plan into motion that aims to take away the control of magic from this domineering city and spread it so that all Mithryndors, humans, and creatures will have access to it.

For some reason this book reminded me a lot of the Empirium trilogy, I think because of the messaging, and also because Petra reminded me a lot of Rielle, although Rielle was far more self-centered, whereas Petra was just primarily naive. I think readers who enjoyed that series would probably like this one. A nice quick read with a good message and a talking cat as an essential character (never a bad thing!).

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

[Clara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

This is a middle grade book about elf like creatures that came to Earth before humans existed and built magical cities that absorbed magic from the surrounding area. This deprived humans of magic, and the stories follows an elf girl that is discovering the world outside the city she has lived all her life as the daughter of the 'hero' that had led her people to safety after their homeworks was destroyed.

This book has a few really neat concepts and ideas, exploring how hoarding a worlds power and riches can only lead to suffering and destruction. The magic wasn't really explained, and a lot of the story was told and not shown. The pacing was a little all over the place and we were told how difficult everything was going to be even as the problem was solved in the next page. Very interesting concepts but a little spotty delivery.

[Soren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a very hard time really enjoying this story. It oftentimes felt slow, and the plot felt a bit lacking, especially in regards to building up to the climax of the story. The characters were okay, though I expected them to feel at least a bit more well-rounded. All around, I didn’t really enjoy this book and feel that there was a lot that could be improved upon. I received a free copy of this story from Hidden Gems and am choosing to leave an honest review of it.