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The Hedge Wizard #1
The Hedge Wizard
Legends speak of wizards with the power to rival Gods....
To Hump, it’s just a story. Apprenticed to a wandering wizard, he grew up following the coin from one quest to the next. He always believed his master was just an ordinary hedge wizard, until the old man suddenly died, and his book of spells bound to Hump’s soul.
Knowing no other life, Hump takes up his master’s staff and heads out alone into a world of dungeons and monsters. Scorned by the gods, wizards can trust only their own wit and skill to survive.
Lacking the godly gifts and grand ideals of the Chosen few, Hump fights for something else. If he wants to eat, he needs to work. And with a new Dungeon opening in Bledsbury, where better for a young hedge wizard to earn some coin?
So begins the path of The Wanderer. The White Flame. The Hedge Wizard.
To Hump, it’s just a story. Apprenticed to a wandering wizard, he grew up following the coin from one quest to the next. He always believed his master was just an ordinary hedge wizard, until the old man suddenly died, and his book of spells bound to Hump’s soul.
Knowing no other life, Hump takes up his master’s staff and heads out alone into a world of dungeons and monsters. Scorned by the gods, wizards can trust only their own wit and skill to survive.
Lacking the godly gifts and grand ideals of the Chosen few, Hump fights for something else. If he wants to eat, he needs to work. And with a new Dungeon opening in Bledsbury, where better for a young hedge wizard to earn some coin?
So begins the path of The Wanderer. The White Flame. The Hedge Wizard.
418 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 21, 2022
1554 people are currently reading
1128 people want to read
About the author
Alex Maher
5 books86 followersAlex is an avid fantasy fan from the UK, where he lives with his girlfriend and three cats. He started writing shortly after finishing school, and 8 years later, has never stopped.
If you'd like to get in touch with Alex and other fans, he is most active on Discord: https://discord.gg/8nqQ9SfRyf
If you'd like to get in touch with Alex and other fans, he is most active on Discord: https://discord.gg/8nqQ9SfRyf
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
June 26, 2022
For whatever reason, heroes with ostentatiously wacky names tend to signal that a book is rubbish. So it goes with this one. Hump is a bit of an annoying drip, and the other characters bully him unpleasantly. I assume he overcomes this to gain their grudging respect, but honestly I didn’t want to go on the journey with him. Good luck, Hump.
June 21, 2022
I have to say that I absolutely love this book. This is a D&D adventure that emphasizes action without sacrificing plot or character building. The story flows naturally and the actions of the characters are true to form and feel real.
The main character, Hump, is young but pragmatic. He's just trying to make a living as a novice hedge wizard after the death of his master. With an inherited magic artifact, his master's Adventurer's Guild token, and a tight belt, Hump's quest is his next meal and a few potions to keep himself alive. Yet he finds himself deep in a dungeon where the real adventure begins.
I can't emphasize enough how entertaining the story is, when a snarky, pragmatic wizard finds himself tied up in the heroics of his erstwhile companions while just trying to do his day job. He's not some Chosen, but he has to figure out how to keep up with them if he wants to stay alive.
If you enjoy strong action sequences, strong plot lines and an intriguing magic system, this book is definitely for you!
The main character, Hump, is young but pragmatic. He's just trying to make a living as a novice hedge wizard after the death of his master. With an inherited magic artifact, his master's Adventurer's Guild token, and a tight belt, Hump's quest is his next meal and a few potions to keep himself alive. Yet he finds himself deep in a dungeon where the real adventure begins.
I can't emphasize enough how entertaining the story is, when a snarky, pragmatic wizard finds himself tied up in the heroics of his erstwhile companions while just trying to do his day job. He's not some Chosen, but he has to figure out how to keep up with them if he wants to stay alive.
If you enjoy strong action sequences, strong plot lines and an intriguing magic system, this book is definitely for you!
July 9, 2022
The most mundane litrpg you’ll read.
This is the most mundane litrpg you’ll read. I’ve never been so bored watching a wizard throw rocks around. Rockshot!
This is the most mundane litrpg you’ll read. I’ve never been so bored watching a wizard throw rocks around. Rockshot!
September 1, 2024
A great debut!!! I’m interested to see where this series goes
April 14, 2025
The hedge wizard felt like really fun old school fantasy story of the likes I haven't read in a while. It's an old-fashioned dungeons and dragons style adventure that was light easy reading and a lot of fun.
The biggest stand out for me were the characters. They were well written and well-rounded, but more importantly, they had great chemistry. I really enjoyed the relationships in this book as it felt like the origins of an adventuring team and in no way felt forced. The characters work well together and when the characters work well it's easy for the reader to get invested.
That is doubly true when you have a great protagonist, and you definitely have a good one here. Hump feels like curmudgeonly old man trapped in a teenager's body. It was fun reading about someone who was so jaded with the world at such a young age, and it made Hump a very interesting character to follow.
This book only loses a star because I zoned out a little bit during the action scenes. I think the main reason for this is that most of the interesting stuff that genuinely moves the plot forward happens between the action scenes, and therefore, the action scenes felt like an addition to the story rather than an integral part of it. This wasn't always the case or this book would have a much lower score, but it was often enough to be a problem.
Overall, though, I had a really good time reading this one, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
The biggest stand out for me were the characters. They were well written and well-rounded, but more importantly, they had great chemistry. I really enjoyed the relationships in this book as it felt like the origins of an adventuring team and in no way felt forced. The characters work well together and when the characters work well it's easy for the reader to get invested.
That is doubly true when you have a great protagonist, and you definitely have a good one here. Hump feels like curmudgeonly old man trapped in a teenager's body. It was fun reading about someone who was so jaded with the world at such a young age, and it made Hump a very interesting character to follow.
This book only loses a star because I zoned out a little bit during the action scenes. I think the main reason for this is that most of the interesting stuff that genuinely moves the plot forward happens between the action scenes, and therefore, the action scenes felt like an addition to the story rather than an integral part of it. This wasn't always the case or this book would have a much lower score, but it was often enough to be a problem.
Overall, though, I had a really good time reading this one, and I look forward to the next book in the series.
September 24, 2023
If you are into a "fantasy" story (that starts in the middle/without any proper introduction of the systems in place in this other world) and of a hell-like place where humans (women and children) are herded into caves and cooked for food of the kobolds, then this carnage, bloodshed and human-meat-festival is for you. Other than that, the story has no real point evil for evil's sake (if that can ever be something worthy to read). Main character, Hump, is supposed to be a wizard in training that does not get the proper recognition of the elitist adventurer/wizard association/guild, and then without really having any reason to, tries to save villagers from the abductions and carnage of the kobolds that are coming out/ monster-stampede-like out of the local Dungeon. Main character, doesn't really have a job, income, or quest (because he is not part of the local guild), but the author doesn't mind it and fills this book with the unending rescue of the people being tortured, killed and then eaten as food, by the little midget/mob-like kobolds. The kobolds used artisan (rock and wood weapons), but the kingdom and the adventurers/soldiers don't really care for the villagers being abducted and if the people in charge of this world don't care what happens, then why oh why does the author keep writing and writing about the kobolds and their carnage and ongoing-human-meat-festival??
The author even goes out of his way, to write that it is a kind of survival of the fittest, if the kobolds are stronger, then they have as much right to survive by killing off the humans of this world???
Basically this fantasy-hell-like-place-story has no real main theme. It's not really going anywhere. There is little to no character descriptions, character progressions (in an organized system of rules and advancements that make logical and rational sense), real world building with maps and inside illustrations describing the systems (geopolitical, economic, social, religious, etc.) in place in this other world.
Because the author wanted death, carnage and constant bloodshed, he did not include healing arts/skills with the mages/wizards/adventurers of this world. That and no healing potions either. So, this is a dark-hell-like version of a fantasy world, on purpose, thanks to the dark-soul/sociopathic/psychopathic tendencies of this author. Some types of light healings and debuffs are seen until the end, for the main characters, and for the poor villagers, the author lets them be the cake!! (at least for the Kobolds that got to eat at the human-meat-all-you-can-eat-festival).
If the author wants the kobolds to win so badly, I think he should have made the kobolds the main characters of this book and its series and made the humans out to be the "bad guys" especially with the irrational/illogical/nonsensical and senseless ending to this story.. This way there are no moral quandaries, lack of ethical and moral values present in a fantasy novel series like this one...
I do not recommend this book or this series.
The author even goes out of his way, to write that it is a kind of survival of the fittest, if the kobolds are stronger, then they have as much right to survive by killing off the humans of this world???
Basically this fantasy-hell-like-place-story has no real main theme. It's not really going anywhere. There is little to no character descriptions, character progressions (in an organized system of rules and advancements that make logical and rational sense), real world building with maps and inside illustrations describing the systems (geopolitical, economic, social, religious, etc.) in place in this other world.
Because the author wanted death, carnage and constant bloodshed, he did not include healing arts/skills with the mages/wizards/adventurers of this world. That and no healing potions either. So, this is a dark-hell-like version of a fantasy world, on purpose, thanks to the dark-soul/sociopathic/psychopathic tendencies of this author. Some types of light healings and debuffs are seen until the end, for the main characters, and for the poor villagers, the author lets them be the cake!! (at least for the Kobolds that got to eat at the human-meat-all-you-can-eat-festival).
If the author wants the kobolds to win so badly, I think he should have made the kobolds the main characters of this book and its series and made the humans out to be the "bad guys" especially with the irrational/illogical/nonsensical and senseless ending to this story.. This way there are no moral quandaries, lack of ethical and moral values present in a fantasy novel series like this one...
I do not recommend this book or this series.
August 8, 2022
Solid five stars.
One thing I hate about a new series is having to wait six or eight months for the next book when #1 is so good. Oh well, (sh)it happens. That's why I love KU on a retirement budget and being able to wait till a series is complete and binging the entire thing in a few days.
This was an excellent book with good character building and a smooth plotline. I'll have to wait for the next episode while I drown my sorrows in an adult beverage, and another sci-fi/fantasy series.
My retired life is so-o-o hard I may not survive my upcoming 70s with such excellent offerings... Bummer. 😵 😉
One thing I hate about a new series is having to wait six or eight months for the next book when #1 is so good. Oh well, (sh)it happens. That's why I love KU on a retirement budget and being able to wait till a series is complete and binging the entire thing in a few days.
This was an excellent book with good character building and a smooth plotline. I'll have to wait for the next episode while I drown my sorrows in an adult beverage, and another sci-fi/fantasy series.
My retired life is so-o-o hard I may not survive my upcoming 70s with such excellent offerings... Bummer. 😵 😉
September 13, 2022
It was just barely a fair read. MC wasn't likeable, nothing but whine and complain. He smarted off continually to his companions, and not in an amusing way. But the author somehow decided they would like him anyway. I don't think anyone would put up with him as he started extremely weak. And then we have the complete lack of world building. After reading the book I still know nothing about this world or how the characters grow. It seemed that growth only happened to save the characters in tight spots. This author painted a bare minimum story that wasn't enjoyable to read. I can not recommend this book. And I will not be reading the rest of the series.
June 22, 2022
fun first book!
I really enjoyed the MC in this book, he is not OP but works hard for what he gets. I love is downtrodden sardonic way of looking at life. Can’t wait for the next one!
I really enjoyed the MC in this book, he is not OP but works hard for what he gets. I love is downtrodden sardonic way of looking at life. Can’t wait for the next one!
June 29, 2022
Loved it.
Wonderful story with good characters and a compelling narrative. The fantasy elements only serve to highlight the human motivations of the characters. The humor was good without being overdone. I look forward to reading the next book.
Wonderful story with good characters and a compelling narrative. The fantasy elements only serve to highlight the human motivations of the characters. The humor was good without being overdone. I look forward to reading the next book.
July 14, 2022
The Longest Short Story
Hump, who is the central character, is a teenage assistant to a hedge wizard who finds himself cast adrift when his master dies suddenly. He fortunately falls in with a large penniless lad in rusty armor who goes by the name of Bud of Blackthorn. They both need money so they decide to join other adventurers in cleaning out a dungeon that has become a breeding ground for kobolds and other monsters. Once at the dungeon, Hump and Bud join forces with two "Chosen," Vamir and Celiane, to clear the tunnels of evil creatures. The quartet's initial success is tempered by their discovery that the kobolds have abducted as many as six hundred men, women and children and are eating them. One ghastly battle follows another as Hump, Bud, Vamir and Celiane fight to rescue the villagers. Can they succeed when betrayed by a Prince of the Kingdom?
"The Hedge Wizard" isn't dull but it is dreadfully repetitious.
Hump, who is the central character, is a teenage assistant to a hedge wizard who finds himself cast adrift when his master dies suddenly. He fortunately falls in with a large penniless lad in rusty armor who goes by the name of Bud of Blackthorn. They both need money so they decide to join other adventurers in cleaning out a dungeon that has become a breeding ground for kobolds and other monsters. Once at the dungeon, Hump and Bud join forces with two "Chosen," Vamir and Celiane, to clear the tunnels of evil creatures. The quartet's initial success is tempered by their discovery that the kobolds have abducted as many as six hundred men, women and children and are eating them. One ghastly battle follows another as Hump, Bud, Vamir and Celiane fight to rescue the villagers. Can they succeed when betrayed by a Prince of the Kingdom?
"The Hedge Wizard" isn't dull but it is dreadfully repetitious.
July 27, 2022
A lighter but fun satisfying take on the genre
I’m pretty new to lit RPG but after reading a few now I decided to give this a shot and found it quite refreshing. It’s got a young adult feel to it and though it features some graphic gore and touches on dark themes it doesn’t get super bogged down in stats and heavy resource management and has a breezier sort of pace to it. I do enjoy these things but this book just felt a bit lighter to read which was a nice break though that doesn’t mean it’s not good. The story is solid, the progression is done well and I really enjoyed how sharp some of the dialog was - there’s a wit and a warmth to it that was really enjoyable and made me care about the characters. I also enjoyed the teamwork and no dues ex machina - It feels like the character is having a realistic growth and not just like the authors writing out a derivative power fantasy which can sometimes happen with these books. I’d definitely recommend this.
I’m pretty new to lit RPG but after reading a few now I decided to give this a shot and found it quite refreshing. It’s got a young adult feel to it and though it features some graphic gore and touches on dark themes it doesn’t get super bogged down in stats and heavy resource management and has a breezier sort of pace to it. I do enjoy these things but this book just felt a bit lighter to read which was a nice break though that doesn’t mean it’s not good. The story is solid, the progression is done well and I really enjoyed how sharp some of the dialog was - there’s a wit and a warmth to it that was really enjoyable and made me care about the characters. I also enjoyed the teamwork and no dues ex machina - It feels like the character is having a realistic growth and not just like the authors writing out a derivative power fantasy which can sometimes happen with these books. I’d definitely recommend this.
August 8, 2022
This reads like a good D&D campaign.
Your character starts off losing his master to a stray bolt from a goblin. Now having to fend for himself, he heads on out to a newly emerged dungeon to try and see if he could get some coin. Pretty normal mage background. Now all of the party starts to meet in the village near the newly emerged dungeon and their D&D campaign officially begins.
With that in mind, the story developed well. The mc is a bit unreliable as a narrator sometimes, but if you think of it as the author playing as his character in a campaign, you'll find that it can be excused.
Can't wait for the next installment. Hopefully it delivers.
4.0 out of 5 stars.
Your character starts off losing his master to a stray bolt from a goblin. Now having to fend for himself, he heads on out to a newly emerged dungeon to try and see if he could get some coin. Pretty normal mage background. Now all of the party starts to meet in the village near the newly emerged dungeon and their D&D campaign officially begins.
With that in mind, the story developed well. The mc is a bit unreliable as a narrator sometimes, but if you think of it as the author playing as his character in a campaign, you'll find that it can be excused.
Can't wait for the next installment. Hopefully it delivers.
4.0 out of 5 stars.
July 10, 2022
Fantasy readers are lucky to have a huge selection of titles to chose from these days, but finding good books in such a large crowd can be a challenge. Here, we have a rose in a field of daisies. The story has a classic feel in the tradition of a fairy tale, and does a good job of oscillating between sweet and tense in a way that will feel familiar to fans of The Princess Bride. While I did feel that some of the battle scenes dragged on too long, they were still creative and fun -- just too much of a good thing. Overall, a solid magic system, decent plot, and some genuinely snarky snark combine with a relatable MC to make this one a winner.
December 1, 2022
Hump, yes our main character is just an apprentice when his master dies on him. As he takes control of the situation Hump starts thinking ahead and he grabs for his Master's spell book. Surprisingly the book takes control of not only him but forces Hump to pair with it. So starts the Hedge Wizard. Yes, this is LITRPG but it feels like a regular fantasy novel. Hump grows and we can keep stats but the system and the features are not the important thing. Its the story.
Hump is joined by Bud of Blackthorn who tried joining he Adventurer Guild but failed. They luckily joined a dungeon which turns into a lucky break.
Hump is joined by Bud of Blackthorn who tried joining he Adventurer Guild but failed. They luckily joined a dungeon which turns into a lucky break.
June 30, 2022
developed well
Fish novel starts out a little uneven, is the main character is incredibly weak. There are also signs that he may be a bit of an unreliable narrator.
But once all the parts are in place, the story really starts to shine.
I’m going to pre-order the next book in the series. That’s my recommendation.
Fish novel starts out a little uneven, is the main character is incredibly weak. There are also signs that he may be a bit of an unreliable narrator.
But once all the parts are in place, the story really starts to shine.
I’m going to pre-order the next book in the series. That’s my recommendation.
July 3, 2022
I very much enjoyed this book! If you don't really like litrpg then don't let that classification put you off of this one as it's very much fantasy for the most part. It was a bit slow to start off but very quickly built into a funny, engaging read with quirky characters. I'll definitely be lined up to buy the next one in the series!
April 2, 2024
DNF
If a character or situation doesn’t grab me from the beginning, I am less inclined to stick with the story. That is what happened in this book. After 7 or so chapters I didn’t care enough to continue. Also, I didn’t see any sign of this being LitRPG, which is why I rented it. DNF
If a character or situation doesn’t grab me from the beginning, I am less inclined to stick with the story. That is what happened in this book. After 7 or so chapters I didn’t care enough to continue. Also, I didn’t see any sign of this being LitRPG, which is why I rented it. DNF
June 23, 2022
Knight, Wizards and Dragons!
A fun light read. A young wizard and his companions dive into a dungeon to rescue helpless villagers and defeat an evil necromancer! Because that’s what hero’s do but really it’s all for the loot! Fun read would recommend.
A fun light read. A young wizard and his companions dive into a dungeon to rescue helpless villagers and defeat an evil necromancer! Because that’s what hero’s do but really it’s all for the loot! Fun read would recommend.
July 2, 2022
Was a story
Can't rave but it was at least a story. Characters are a bit shallow and I really didn't find anything spectacular about the story. Bit unique perhaps, still a story though.
Can't rave but it was at least a story. Characters are a bit shallow and I really didn't find anything spectacular about the story. Bit unique perhaps, still a story though.
June 30, 2022
So much fun
Good old fashioned adventure. Funny and charming with great dungeon action. Not really LITRPG, but totally fun. can't wait for book 2
Good old fashioned adventure. Funny and charming with great dungeon action. Not really LITRPG, but totally fun. can't wait for book 2
July 1, 2022
I enjoyed this book immensely
I really liked this book. That's it. I just need fifteen more words to get this posted. Boogey boogey boogey
I really liked this book. That's it. I just need fifteen more words to get this posted. Boogey boogey boogey
September 30, 2022
A creative litrpg that is fairly smooth and engaging.
A creative litrpg that is fairly smooth and engaging.
Alex Maher delivers a litrpg that is focused more on the story than the “system.” While the story does use a class system that any D&D player would be comfortable with along with familiar but unique enough magic system it feels a smooth part of the world. The elements of rpg are there of course but the author shows the give and take that the power of the protagonist requires. So at least for the first outing the main protage is not Overpower. The story is appropriate for young adults and above.
The story is told in a third person limited point of view, with a strong plot and world building that distinguishes the story from other Litrpg’s. The characters are well rounded for the most part with plenty of intrigue as the truth of who and what some of them are for good and ill.
The voice actor Tim Gerald Reynolds brings the characters to life with his light british accents. The story did keep me engaged with it as I drove and finished it up in a couple days. There is some good humor and plenty of action in the story. The struggle of the main protagonist whether to step up and be hero or to make safer decisions add some spice to the story as well as the “Chosen,” adventures verses the average human adventures.
Not the most complex of stories but deeper than many litrpgs that balance worldbuilding with adventrue.
A creative litrpg that is fairly smooth and engaging.
Alex Maher delivers a litrpg that is focused more on the story than the “system.” While the story does use a class system that any D&D player would be comfortable with along with familiar but unique enough magic system it feels a smooth part of the world. The elements of rpg are there of course but the author shows the give and take that the power of the protagonist requires. So at least for the first outing the main protage is not Overpower. The story is appropriate for young adults and above.
The story is told in a third person limited point of view, with a strong plot and world building that distinguishes the story from other Litrpg’s. The characters are well rounded for the most part with plenty of intrigue as the truth of who and what some of them are for good and ill.
The voice actor Tim Gerald Reynolds brings the characters to life with his light british accents. The story did keep me engaged with it as I drove and finished it up in a couple days. There is some good humor and plenty of action in the story. The struggle of the main protagonist whether to step up and be hero or to make safer decisions add some spice to the story as well as the “Chosen,” adventures verses the average human adventures.
Not the most complex of stories but deeper than many litrpgs that balance worldbuilding with adventrue.
December 2, 2023
A really fun fantasy with lit-rpg elements (mostly in that there is a very structured magic system - no stat points).
Apprentice Hump has just buried his master after a stray goblin arrow *spelled* his end. Now Hump must take up his spell book and staff and muddle his way through a treacherous world as only a hedge wizard can do. I thought this was a really fun read and classic high fantasy. The cover of the book states is a lit-rpg progression fantasy book, which it does have a very structured magic system and a spellbook which reveals secrets at certain points, but I think this is a very accessible fantasy book and probably a nice intro point if someone is vaguely interested in lit-rpg stories. The world and characters were great (although minor quibbles with Vamir, his character seemed to jump around a bit), and, having just binged all three books, I’m happy to report the books improve each time and maintain a good sense of steady progression. Content warning in that there are a lot of battles/dead bodies, but it never really reveled in it.
Highly recommend if you want a high fantasy adventure.
Apprentice Hump has just buried his master after a stray goblin arrow *spelled* his end. Now Hump must take up his spell book and staff and muddle his way through a treacherous world as only a hedge wizard can do. I thought this was a really fun read and classic high fantasy. The cover of the book states is a lit-rpg progression fantasy book, which it does have a very structured magic system and a spellbook which reveals secrets at certain points, but I think this is a very accessible fantasy book and probably a nice intro point if someone is vaguely interested in lit-rpg stories. The world and characters were great (although minor quibbles with Vamir, his character seemed to jump around a bit), and, having just binged all three books, I’m happy to report the books improve each time and maintain a good sense of steady progression. Content warning in that there are a lot of battles/dead bodies, but it never really reveled in it.
Highly recommend if you want a high fantasy adventure.
April 4, 2024
Book one
This book wasn't bad but it hit a couple of my pet peeves.
I'm not a fan of soul bound items.
I'm not a fan of pet dragons.
I'm not really a fan of nice dragons either.
The fight scenes went on to long.
I'm still trying to understand how they were able to attack the belly, throat, or drive a sword into the salamanders brain by driving the sword through its chin.
It's a matter of size. I doubt they were bigger than knee high.
Same for the kibolds. I doubt they are very tall either. Sounds like even Hump was taller than them and he is described as being pretty short. So why would you even try to ram a sword into its chin and into the brain?
I also got tired of the hoard in the last fight. One second it reads like there aren't many left. The next second it reads like there are hundreds.
The editing was really pretty good. I only found a few mistakes and will list them on Goodreads.
5/10 I'll probably be dropping this series for awhile. At least till I run out of other books to read.
This book wasn't bad but it hit a couple of my pet peeves.
I'm not a fan of soul bound items.
I'm not a fan of pet dragons.
I'm not really a fan of nice dragons either.
The fight scenes went on to long.
I'm still trying to understand how they were able to attack the belly, throat, or drive a sword into the salamanders brain by driving the sword through its chin.
It's a matter of size. I doubt they were bigger than knee high.
Same for the kibolds. I doubt they are very tall either. Sounds like even Hump was taller than them and he is described as being pretty short. So why would you even try to ram a sword into its chin and into the brain?
I also got tired of the hoard in the last fight. One second it reads like there aren't many left. The next second it reads like there are hundreds.
The editing was really pretty good. I only found a few mistakes and will list them on Goodreads.
5/10 I'll probably be dropping this series for awhile. At least till I run out of other books to read.
November 13, 2022
Not a bad read. Just good enough to keep you occupied while you do other things. The narrator for the audiobook was a little too... old? I found it hard to believe the main characters were teenagers.
July 6, 2023
Enjoyable
A truly nice start for this series. Well thought out adventures that draw you in. I look forward to the next installment.
A truly nice start for this series. Well thought out adventures that draw you in. I look forward to the next installment.
October 23, 2025
Big fan of hump. Great character and good power magic power system. It’s always Hump Day
March 24, 2025
It's slow and arbitrary, the plot doesn't really stand up to scrutiny, and the magic doesn't follow any rules.
I give it two stars, purely because it's mostly grammatically sound (not 100%, mind you. It would still profit from some editing, but there's a lot worse in the genre.) Other than that, there's nothing really creative here; it's an amalgamation of ideas you've all seen before, executed poorly.
One moment, the protagonist has, according to himself, used up all his power and couldn't possibly keep fighting: which is why, for the next 10-20 pages, he sits in a corner and watches everybody else do all the work. Literally, he just sits there and you get pages upon pages of descriptions of how cool everybody else is, while the protagonist you get instead is just... kind of along for the ride, being a really annoying little shit. But when the plot demands it, all of a sudden, he can cast spells again without restrictions. That is: he can cast one of his two incredibly generic spells he uses for literally everything (generic force blast / rock throw. That's it... that's the cool magic you get to read about. No, wait: he can also do a force shield sometimes, though only when the plot wants it to exist, otherwise it doesn't.)
Magic in fiction is only fun if there are rules to make sense of it. Otherwise it's literally just a convenient Deus ex Machina. In Hedge Wizard, the rules of magic are so arbitrary, it sucked all the fun out of the experience for me. It's basically described has having no rules from the outset though, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised: the idea is, that the technique doesn't matter, it's all about "will." So basically: there are no rules to it whatsoever, other than what the author deems convenient at any given point in time.
The combat scenes are pretty much 80% of the book, or at least it felt like it to me. They are drawn out and basically never end. The fight is seemingly over? BUT WAIT! Another enemy appears / the previous enemy suddenly raises from the dead / [insert any number of ways to draw out a fight beyond what's reasonable.]
The actual plot is incredibly lackluster. You could probably rewrite it accurately - without missing any actual information - in a hundred pages or less. It has no business being as drawn out as it is. How the author managed to stretch this to more than 400 pages is genuinely kind of impressive to me.
The protagonist is ye olde "snide 16-year-old-who-behaves-like-a-jaded-45-year-old." There's nothing interesting about him, other than the fact he's kind of annoying, and his constant "quips" are really bad.
You get almost no meaningful character progression or interaction: it's all just drawn out combat scenes, and in most of them, the protagonist is either:
a) a complete waste of space
b) a convenient Deus ex Machina that doesn't play by any rules whatsoever
There's absolutely no inbetween.
Major Spoilers:
I dropped it after the reveal that the "bad guy" didn't die at like page 400 and didn't even bother with the last 20 pages. Why did I just read a hundred pages of drawn out, incredibly dry and generic combat (including the most generic, boring "villain monologue" you could think of), just for the author to go: "shucks, after all of that, they got away. Better luck next time." That's got to be the most dissatisfying end to a book I've come across in a while. It feels like such a disrespectful waste of my time...
I wouldn't have minded it quite as much if the "boss fight" hadn't taken what felt like 100 pages on its own. He was defeated about 10 times, but every time the author went: "BUT THERE'S MORE", and suddenly the fight started again (insert an undead dragon reappearing 3 times, an army of goblins getting involved [again, yawn], arbitrary demonic powers, surviving being literally stabbed through the eyes, chest etc... I just wanted it to stop.)
Well... that was a complete waste of my time.
I give it two stars, purely because it's mostly grammatically sound (not 100%, mind you. It would still profit from some editing, but there's a lot worse in the genre.) Other than that, there's nothing really creative here; it's an amalgamation of ideas you've all seen before, executed poorly.
One moment, the protagonist has, according to himself, used up all his power and couldn't possibly keep fighting: which is why, for the next 10-20 pages, he sits in a corner and watches everybody else do all the work. Literally, he just sits there and you get pages upon pages of descriptions of how cool everybody else is, while the protagonist you get instead is just... kind of along for the ride, being a really annoying little shit. But when the plot demands it, all of a sudden, he can cast spells again without restrictions. That is: he can cast one of his two incredibly generic spells he uses for literally everything (generic force blast / rock throw. That's it... that's the cool magic you get to read about. No, wait: he can also do a force shield sometimes, though only when the plot wants it to exist, otherwise it doesn't.)
Magic in fiction is only fun if there are rules to make sense of it. Otherwise it's literally just a convenient Deus ex Machina. In Hedge Wizard, the rules of magic are so arbitrary, it sucked all the fun out of the experience for me. It's basically described has having no rules from the outset though, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised: the idea is, that the technique doesn't matter, it's all about "will." So basically: there are no rules to it whatsoever, other than what the author deems convenient at any given point in time.
The combat scenes are pretty much 80% of the book, or at least it felt like it to me. They are drawn out and basically never end. The fight is seemingly over? BUT WAIT! Another enemy appears / the previous enemy suddenly raises from the dead / [insert any number of ways to draw out a fight beyond what's reasonable.]
The actual plot is incredibly lackluster. You could probably rewrite it accurately - without missing any actual information - in a hundred pages or less. It has no business being as drawn out as it is. How the author managed to stretch this to more than 400 pages is genuinely kind of impressive to me.
The protagonist is ye olde "snide 16-year-old-who-behaves-like-a-jaded-45-year-old." There's nothing interesting about him, other than the fact he's kind of annoying, and his constant "quips" are really bad.
You get almost no meaningful character progression or interaction: it's all just drawn out combat scenes, and in most of them, the protagonist is either:
a) a complete waste of space
b) a convenient Deus ex Machina that doesn't play by any rules whatsoever
There's absolutely no inbetween.
Major Spoilers:
I dropped it after the reveal that the "bad guy" didn't die at like page 400 and didn't even bother with the last 20 pages. Why did I just read a hundred pages of drawn out, incredibly dry and generic combat (including the most generic, boring "villain monologue" you could think of), just for the author to go: "shucks, after all of that, they got away. Better luck next time." That's got to be the most dissatisfying end to a book I've come across in a while. It feels like such a disrespectful waste of my time...
I wouldn't have minded it quite as much if the "boss fight" hadn't taken what felt like 100 pages on its own. He was defeated about 10 times, but every time the author went: "BUT THERE'S MORE", and suddenly the fight started again (insert an undead dragon reappearing 3 times, an army of goblins getting involved [again, yawn], arbitrary demonic powers, surviving being literally stabbed through the eyes, chest etc... I just wanted it to stop.)
Well... that was a complete waste of my time.
September 14, 2022
Interesting
Overall I really enjoyed this one.
Some definite pacing issues; some parts absolutely dragged, but of over description happening. Other parts seemed to whiz past and could have done with a bit more time.
Very interested in the world lore of having two distinct systems of power for people to progress along. Hopefully see more of it in the next book as that was one part that didn't see enough detail.
Thumbs up
Overall I really enjoyed this one.
Some definite pacing issues; some parts absolutely dragged, but of over description happening. Other parts seemed to whiz past and could have done with a bit more time.
Very interested in the world lore of having two distinct systems of power for people to progress along. Hopefully see more of it in the next book as that was one part that didn't see enough detail.
Thumbs up
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