Blood of a Novice

The Eternal Ephemera #1

by Davis Ashura

Cam Folde will shake the very fabric of creation... or see all his hopes turn to ash.

The son of the town drunk, Cam never figured on letting his family name hold him down. He always strove to dream bigger, to fight for something better, to achieve more than what everyone else expected of him.

But as they say, ‘once a Folde, always a Folde’, and when a decision to rescue a friend leads to disaster, fortune’s favor is lost. Cam spirals away from his dreams and ambitions; his fall finally ending at the bottom of a bottle.

However, all hope is not lost. Cam rises, supported by family and friends. And when a powerful Master of Ephemera offers him a chance to walk the Way into Divinity and achieve redemption, Cam seizes the opportunity. All he has to do is survive the Ephemeral Academy, the very school where the next generation of Masters are trained. There, Cam just might achieve the greatness he's always sought, and with friends at his side, including an irrepressible Awakened panda, it even seems possible.

And yet Cam will soon discover that the Way into Divinity is as steep as it is arduous, and there are more fearsome things than humans who brave its perilous climb...

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Epic Fantasy

774 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2022

About the author

"

Davis Ashura is an author of such sublime depth and beauty that his works have been known to cause a tear to fall from the eyes of even the hardest of hearts.
Just kidding.
But he does write.
This humble writer, who refers to himself in the third person, resides in North Carolina, sharing a house with his magnificent wife who somehow overlooked Davis’ eccentricities and married him anyway. As proper recompense for her sacrifice, Davis then unwittingly turned his magnificent wife into a nerd-girl. To her sad and utter humiliation, she knows exactly what is meant by ‘Kronos’. Living with them are their two rambunctious boys, both of whom have at various times helped turn Davis’ once lustrous, raven-black hair prematurely white (it sure sounds prettier than the dirty gray it actually is). And of course, there is the obligatory strange, adopted cats (all authors have cats-it's in the by-laws). One eats everything placed before him and the other has the world's stinkiest breath.
When not working – nay laboring – in the creation of works of fiction so grand that hardly anyone has read a single word of them, Davis practices medicine, but only when the insurance companies tell him he can.

Reviews

[Nick Borrelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review posted on my blog Out of This World SFF:
https://outofthisworldrev.blogspot.co...

BLOOD OF A NOVICE is quite unlike many fantasy books that I have ever read. It's not your standard fantasy fare with tropes galore and there are a number of surprises and elements along the way that I honestly didn't expect. For one thing, one of the characters is a talking panda. That in and of itself should show you that nothing is off limits in Ashura's latest offering.

That theme carries throughout this doorstopper of a book and the cast of characters (in addition to the talking panda) is vast and deep. I had never read a Davis Ashura book before and I'm not sure if that hampered my understanding of the overall universe, as this is part of a backdrop that the author has already written stories in.

I have to admit that I didn't get into this book right away because I felt that it took a while for the story to get rolling. There is quite a fair amount of setup and once again, maybe if I had read some of Ashura's earlier books this may not have been an issue for me. That being said, after about the first hundred pages things did start to pick up and I enjoyed following Cam's personal journey through this magical and fully fleshed out world.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes some adventure fantasy, a cool magic system, and a main character who gets tested time and time again and must overcome many barriers in an effort to achieve their ultimate goal. This truly is a book that takes you across a wide landscape of fantastical locations and delivers a satisfying tale that should keep most fantasy readers entertained throughout.

BLOOD OF A NOVICE is the first Davis Ashura book that I have read but it certainly won't be my last.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC copy of this book for this blog tour. But as always all the opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to Mihir for inviting me to take part of this #blogtour!


Blood of a Novice is Davis Ashura's new series The Eternal Ephemera within the An Anchored World's universe.

At the beginning of the story we find Cam Folde and his 3 closest friends as they go on the search of a Pathway to become Novices. To say that things don't go the way they thought or wanted when they enter one, is an understatement. Cam's life changes for the worse. Luckily friends and family help him recover and he's able to turn his life around for the better. And thanks to an Ephemeral Master, he has the opportunity to walk the Way into Divinity.

As always I'll try to keep this review spoiler free.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The journey Cam begins is exciting, and as events take place, we can see that not everything that's broken can be fixed. Cam becomes really weak and sickly at the beginning of the story, he spends years like that, drowning in a bottle. When a way for him to recover is found, he has been sober for a while, he takes it. Things go terrible wrong again but Cam's better. After some events he finally leaves town. It's during this journey when we finally met one of the most pure and wonderful characters ever, Pan (an Awakened Beast /Panda). We see their friendship develop as well as their abilities.


"Friendship isn't a business transaction. You don't owe me anything."


We meet new characters, all of which are very well realised. Cam as a character is very relatable and really enjoyed the fact that even though things don't always align, he never gives up.
The world building is wonderful. The magic system is complex but very well explained and developed. I found the pacing and writing style made this book highly entertaining and sometimes really funny. I really appreciated that Cam is not shown as a perfect character, he is very flawed.

"Accept himself, even his flaws, and he might find an easier way of being."


We spend a considerable amount of time with Cam, as he navigates the Ephemeral Academy, making enemies and friends, training, studying, reading, meditating, battling his addition (with help with his friends, family and his very own found family, not only his will) all of which I really appreciated.


"He'd do his best and that would have to be enough."


There are so many funny moments, that gives the story a nice feeling of light-heartedness in the right spots. I really enjoyed and felt that all the fighting scenes and all the war tactics were very cinematic.
And while some political maneuvering were interesting, I think we'll see it in more detail in future books.

"We fight so that those who come after might not have to fight so hard. So that everyone can live free and pursue their own happiness."


Overall, this is a wonderful story, that can be read without any previous knowledge of the world, that's entertaining, with a fantastic magic system and characters that you cannot help but to root for.

[Cassidee Lanstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

“All is Ephemera, and Ephemera is All.”

Blood of a Novice by Davis Ashura is an adventure fantasy novel that provides non-stop entertainment. There’s no lull in the story, even though it’s a bit of a chunky novel. Cam Folde comes from a family with addictive tendencies and he’s determined to not go down the same path. He wants achieve great things in his Ephemeral journey and at a young age, makes some decisions that will determine the rest of his life.

We are immediately introduced to his friends Tern, Lilia, and Jordil, all determined to make strides in their journey together. Tragedy strikes, and Cam’s life is changed forever. This cycle seems to continue in his life; tragedy and the overcoming of that tragedy. Cam never gives up, even when he is forced to choose a Tang that he wouldn’t have otherwise.

“You made the right decision––trying to save him––but sometimes the right decision doesn’t always lead to the right outcome.”

The magic system is well-fleshed out and intricate while still being easy enough to understand. This was my first delve into the Anchored Worlds and I felt pretty immersed without having read any of the other series. Though Cam is dragged through some pretty horrendous losses, the overall town of the novel is hopeful and has a lightness to it. It reminded me of playing a fantasy video game; it was often filled with humor and silliness, but the stakes stay high. In the beginning, I was wondering if it was going to be a Soldier Son type of book (I’m a huge Robin Hobb fan but those were depressing even for Hobb), and overall, it was definitely much lighter in tone than that. A lot of the bad things that happen to Cam happen early on and things start to look up for him.

If you love a good found family trope, Blood of a Novice will be up your alley. I loved the adorable Pan, an Awakened Beast in the form of a Panda. Though Cam’s interactions with his friends and the people in his town starts off tumultuous, he slowly but surely builds a support system to guide him on his journey.

“You have many reasons to resent your lot in life, but it doesn’t seem healthy. Would it not ease your heart to let it go?”

This was a great book to start off my November with. I think I’ll even go back and listen to the audiobook, which was released today. There’s so much to take in and it’s narrated by Travis Baldree, a fantasy favorite. In fact, although I only read the first Cradle novel, as I was reading, I thought to myself that this would be a good book for fans of the series.

Thanks so much to Mihir for inviting me on this book tour and to the author for a complimentary copy of Blood of a Novice for my enjoyment. All thoughts are my own!

[Tony Hinde · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a long but consistently decent novel. The protagonist was relatable and the setting was familiar. I had no problem with the pacing or the quality of the characters. While I doubt many people will hate this book, for me it was unmemorable.

The eventual destination of Cam is obvious, Weld's dark secret, and the mysterious origin of Professor Grey are all fairly obvious. Unfortunately, the remaining mysteries are insufficient motivation for me to continue this series.

[David Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood of a Novice follows the early career of Cam Folde, a young man from a disreputable family (they're the town drunks) in a remote rural community a long way from anywhere.

Through a mixture of his own enterprising nature, some good luck (and then a dollop off bad luck) he receives enhancements to his magical nature. I should explain that in Cam's world (labelled 'The Salvation') everyone has, to a greater of lesser degree, what we might think of as supernatural powers (so perhaps the world 'magic' is not really appropriate). These powers derive both from innate nature and talent and also from absorbing natural 'ephemera', intense training and study and other means - to say too much would be spoilery.

As such, the events early on are key to Cam's future, both establishing him as something of a chancer and showing how that luck he finds (or rather, the bad part) not only makes him a pariah in his community but also shapes his abilities in good and bad ways. Part of the result of this is a disability or perhaps an imbalance that will constrain his choices but also drive him to greater efforts in order to overcome it.

Cam's progress from his hometown reveals to us a wider world of good and evil, one influenced by South Asian mythology and stories. Ashura has written "As far as Blood of a Novice is concerned, this is the background of how it came to be. The philosophy and theology of the series started with a dream, which was weird. That isn't my thing. Anyway, the dream began with a question: "What is God?" That definitely isn't my thing, and I sure don't know the answer to that question. But at the time of the dream, I also didn't care. It was 2 AM, and I just wanted to go back to sleep. But sometimes when your mind is racing in the middle of the night, you can't sleep no matter what you want. This was one of those times, and in the end, I ended up imagining the theology of Blood of a Novice. Later on, I found out it was similar to the first three chapters of the Bhagavad Gita as translated by Eknath Easwaran."

Here we meet sages and divines (the story opens with a battle between two gods) and learn about the pathway to divinity - that honing of abilities and talents can take a young man or woman a long way. We see the deadly danger posed by rakshasas, human or animal-formed monsters that erupt into the world and contest with the sages and theeir novices, acolytes and other supporters for dominance.

It's a brilliantly depicted world, teeming with menace as much as with politics. As a young man from the wrong side of town, and one with a reputation for drunkenness as much as bad luck, Cam is unpopular with the young nobility who comprise the majority of the scholars at the academy which he eventually manages to join. Ashura makes this clear, but doesn't waste a great deal of time detailing how this plays out day to day - focussing instead on the big themes: Cam's (painful, slow) advancement and the eventual challenges and battles into which he's flung.

Cam comes over as a thoughtful, if anguished, natural leader of the team, to which he's assigned and to whose successes he's key. He has plenty of regrets, but doesn't dwell too much on them, and very much looks to the future. There are though clouds in that direction, with Ashura dropping hints of something, some cause or plan, working its way out behind what we see.

While Cam is the focus of the novel, we see a little from other perspectives too, for example Weld, an arrogant young man to whom Cam takes an instant dislike (and who I suspect will prove to have more to him than we're allowed to see here - at least I hope so as I'l have liked him to play more of a part than he does) and one or two others besides. Weld is one of half a dozen or so Novices grouped with Cam in "Light Squad", who, with Cam's teachers, are the central characters of the story. Among the teachers my favourite characters was Sarai, a woman of some mystery with whom Cam had a previous encounter with which made something of an impression. Her exact history, status and intentions are though teasingly obscure, making her one of the most interesting figures here.

In all, Blood of a Novice is an extremely readable fantasy, using Cam's (in particular) attempts to progress in skill and power to illustrate the mythic and ethical basis for its world, as well as the dangers that world faces. There's plenty of action, and the magical basis of existence and life is taken for granted providing skills and talents that can be exploited in different degree by everyone from the humblest fieldhand to the most powerful Sage. With some threatened disturbances to the even tenor of Cam's life looming by the end of the book it will be interesting to see how that plays out in succeeding volumes.

[Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Davis Ashura constantly pumps out awesome stories. Blood of a Novice adds to the existing world from A Testament of Steel and A Warrior's Path, but set with a tone of progressive fantasy with a more structured magic system. The characters are flawed and deep, as is usually the case with Mr. Ashura's books. I won't go into detail to avoid spoilers, but know that the start of this new series is among the best that progressive fantasy has to offer.

[Beba Andric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so chuffed to revisit this world!


Witnessing a battle between Rainen and Borile as s child, both terrified and excited Cam, he wanted the same power as he had witnessed that day. The lowest of the low in a society disregarded and ignored Neophytes, he aspires to dive the Pathway, for a chance to evelate his standing and that of his alcohol ridden family. Entering the Pathway doesn't achieve what Cam had hoped, instead the consequences are tragic. I really enjoy the way the author gets one to rally around the less fortunate, the belittled, wanting them to be better, to be whole, cheering them on


Character development is so good, steadily laying block upon block to reveal uniquely complex individuals, different yet interesting. It's not a fast paced action packed book, rather a steady journey, step by step lighting the path ahead with the unknown, a journey of interspection, of growth, of conviction, of betterment and advancement, of achievement and of friendships forged. The pace picks up halfway through the book, propelling me and the characters to powerful battle scenes.


Cam is... special. He's caught the attention of the Wilde Sage, why, he has no idea. He's ousted from his village, no clue what the next step is. He was brought back from the brink of death but given an equally bad deal which will see him to an early grave. But then...yes, then, a whole lot of unbelievable events has him stay his day of demise and with his newly found companion, Pan Shun, who's a Panda by the way, they enter the Academy. The growth in Cam throughout the book is spectacular, he goes from a nobody to the leader of the Light Squad, his team mates become firm friends, even Weld, the professors grudgingly start to respect him, well Saira and professor Grey were always in his camp, just, now, the others have joined them in admiration. With Saira's proposal, Cam has a new dilemma, he's loyal towards Master Winder and yet.... I know the next book will soar to new heights!


I do enjoy the author's storytelling, all his books had me captivated and this one is yet another I've tucked firmly under my belt, loathe to give it up. There are so many wonderful aspects to this tale, it's impossible to capture it's magnitude. For those who enjoy The Cradle series by Will Wight, this one's for you 

[Shaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long-time fan of Ashura’s works, I feel as if I can confidently say that this may be one of his best works yet, and is absolutely one of my favorites! I was incredibly fortunate to be given an ARC, and found myself sucked into the new world of Golden pretty much instantly.

I’ll do my best to keep this review brief and spoiler free. Blood of a Novice follows Cam Folde, a no good boy from a no good family in a backwater town, who suddenly finds himself given the opportunity for more. Much, much more. His opportunity doesn’t necessarily come in the best of ways, however, best explained by a phrase encountered later in the book: “Creation occasionally requires destruction.” Cam’s life, to be blunt, sucks. However, he’s driven to better himself, and throughout the novel he does so, despite setbacks and his own self doubt.

While I loved the main character of Cam Folde, I found myself drawn to the surrounding characters more, to the point I may start my own personal Pan Fan Club. Toward the end of the book I even found myself wondering how bamboo tastes. Is that weird?

The other members of Light Squad were Just as complex and intriguing as Cam, and I loved each and every one of them. Even Weld Plain, who is frustratingly dense in a lot of aspects was a brilliantly written character and I wish there had been more of his back story given. (Pssst! Mr. Ashura, could we get a stand-alone of Weld, by any chance?) All of the members of Light Squad have their own particular sets of flaws, but that only makes them stronger characters, in my opinion. Who DOESN’T have flaws that hold them back somehow?

I was also particularly taken by the mysterious benefactor in the book, the Wilde Sage, or Master Winder. I had a marvelous impression of him in the beginning of the book, and he was easily one of my favorite characters for a while. However, nearer the end I found myself feeling that he’s, as they say, pretty sus. I hope that more of HIS story will be explained too, in time.

All in all, this was an incredibly brilliant addition to Ashura’s Anchored Worlds, and I cannot WAIT to read the next installment to see what’s in store for Light Squad next!

[Progressional Fantasy Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: Legendary

Review (By Oscar): I loved this character-driven, cultivation book! Most PF always seems to fall into the category of 'plot over character.' This is not the case for Blood of a Novice.​ Instead, we get to follow Cam as he struggles to cope with his tragic experiences, and the misfortunes he has stumbled upon. His character, along with all the others in this book, are splendidly written and there are couple of Cam's more sad scenes that hit me decently hard. But, even with that darkness there is a faint humor and levity from the surrounding characters, giving an interesting, well-rounded read. One of my favorite characters is probably Pan Shun, a talking panda whose cheerful demeanor always helps to bring up the mood. This book has a cultivation system for its progression, however it takes an interesting route I haven't seen before of being based on states of matter. This book is set in an academy which allows us to delve deep into the magic of the world, and the world in general. The world is a large world that feels very well built, though perhaps somewhat reminiscent of the worlds in many other books. However, that doesn't take away from this incredible book in the slightest. All in all, I'm incredibly excited to how Cam's journey will unfold (pun intended) in future books!

If you want to see more reviews for great books check out progressionalfantasyreviews.com! I hope this helps you in finding your next read!

[Glen Cossey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

. Another great read , couldn't put it do
wn and sad it ended . Can't wait For the next installment!

[Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book is a cross between his first Novel A Warriors Path and Will Wights Cradle series. The main character is relatable and throughout the book you are generally afraid for him and his friends. The setting is familiar (similar to previous work) which makes the book easy to visualize. If you are a fan of his work, there are plenty of Easter eggs that will leave you smiling. This is a great series that is perfect for anyone who loves his earlier work or the Cradle Series by Will Wight. I highly recommend the audiobook, the voice acting is amazing. Plus everyone loves Pandas!

[Rex Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot, world building, magic system, action sequences. All of these are great and would have made for a good read on their own but, the character development is where this book really stands out. Cam, the main character, is a young man curse to carry the name of a no good family and the expectation of worthlessness that comes with that. Things go from bad to worse and Can goes through some pretty heavy situations. This book addresses Cam's issues as well as those of other characters in such a natural and realistic way that it's hard not to find them relatable and get caught up in their stories just as much, if not more, than the overarching plot of the book. The dialog is so fluid that nothing in the book seems forced or out of place and the characters are, mostly, quite lovable.

To those who have read other Anchored Worlds novels, this book does not disappoint with the connections to the others series. We get to see a familiar character and there are name dropping moments and other fun tidbits throughout.

I was fortunate enough to receive a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Randy Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood of a Novice introduces us to Cam and into another part of Anchored Worlds. While this work is a little darker then his other works that he has written it is deeper, I read this while I was dealing with some life issues and honestly it helped me cope with them.

In the very beginning Cam deals with the death of several characters and how he deals with that and how he grows is what shapes his character further into the book. I loved the book and read it twice. I do hope you give it a try, if you enjoyed any of Mr. Ashura’s books then read this. His writing continues to grow and develop.

I love this book and his other writings. Read it that’s all I can say

[Luke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Clumsy and awkward and packed with tropes, I read about 30% and did not finish.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great ideas with an unusual setting - a continent (world?) based on India.

Terrific representation of (alcohol) addiction - unique for a fantasy novel.

Lackluster characterization of anyone besides the protagonist, complete with fairly unsympathetic takes on allies - including those he is meant to look up to.

Somewhat uneven plot points with power levels not really making sense - like, if Glories are so much more advanced than Novices, why are Novices able to take them out so easily?

Really, really, really heteronormative and frankly uncomfortable takes on power dynamics in relationships. The fact that we are led to believe that a romantic bond may form between the 20-year-old protagonist and his 32-year-old teacher, who first met one another when they were 15 and 27 respectively, tremendously grosses me out. Frankly, I see more romantic tension between Cam and Pan, and I'm not even a fan of slashing non-queer characters...

I dunno. Maybe the following books are better written, but I am having trouble getting over the poor writing combined with the author's need to pair everyone up into these neat little (heterosexual) relationships. Some people are single! Some people are gay! Sometimes a book is better if you leave out romance! I may read more in the series, but I need a break before I read any more.

[MrG LikesBooks&Booze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another novel by Mr. Ashura, and another character and series that I can't get enough of.
I can't wait to see what more we learn and experience in this Eternal Ephemera series.
Taking place in Salvation, which I believe is mentioned during the Instrument of Omens series, we are introduced to an entirely different system of magic, while we see numerous subtle references to the things from previous series in Mr. Ashura's Anchored Worlds.
The concept of different Tangs, and different benefits based on those is interesting, as is the way that they are interconnected and how something that is seen as a weakness becomes a sources of strength for our main character. The awakened beasts are a really interesting introduction, and make for some truly enjoyable characters.
Of course, the inclusion of Rukh and Jessira, with subtle nods to who they are that you'd understand from reading his previous works.
I really enjoy this and am looking forward to the next books in both this and the Instument of Omens series.
I also can't wait to see what other worlds and stories Mr. Ashura might come up with for his Anchored Worlds universe.

[Andy Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blood of a Novice

As the son of the town drunk, no one has high expectations for Cam Folde. Even less so when he turns to the bottle. However, that’s when fate gives him a second chance and a chance to study at the Emphemeral Academy. It will not be easy though, he will have to study and train harder than all the nobles just to catch up.

I’ve really enjoyed the other series in Davis Ashura’s Woven World. This is the first series to go into cultivation though. It works really well! It is also great to hear the previous characters discussed. My favorite new character has to be Pan though. I really hope this series has many new entries! Needless to say, Travis Baldree does amazing with the narration.

Content Warning: none

[Rex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I admit I went into reading this book with a pissy attitude. I wanted to know what was happening to Cinder and Anya not start a quest with some unknown so I was a little upset. But having read all od Davis's books I thought why not.
I thought it started out slow and about one third of the way through I almost gave up. But I didn't and I'm glad that I stayed with it. There are some aspects I didn't care for. But all in all a good read. I'll look forward to the next release of this series.
But he needs to get back to Instruments of Omens so we can see what is happening to Cinder and Anya.

[Vivek Satyasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

great start to a series

I thought this was a great first book. I love progression fantasies and there are many things this book does well such as the character motivations and the overall plot direction. But I wish there was more consistent tension driving the story as well as more diversity in the magic system; there hasn’t been much that we’ve seen so far that the mc and co do with their powers besides thinking and moving faster. That will likely change so I don’t count that against the series quite yet. I will definitely read the next book. If you’re a fan of progression fantasy give it a shot!

[Sesler · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating System:
5- Perfect for my taste, I could not physically stop reading/listening and wanted more afterward.
4- Almost perfect, could not stop reading/listening, probably wanted more afterward.
3- I enjoyed the book and could see others loving it, I need to think if I want more.
2- I can see why others might like the book, but I could not, I do not want more.
1- What is this? What went wrong? Why did they do this? This doesn't make any sense! (No idea who it is for, but definitely not for me).

[Audiobook Version]

[Tyler · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is one of the few books I didn't manage to read all the way through which is fairly unusual. Usually I end up putting a book down due to the content (namely being blatantly offensive and without value to the story), but in this case the content itself wasn't problematic, but the writing was atrocious. The writing jumped around without transitions, and I was often left wondering in the 100 or so pages I did read if I somehow skipped a page or a few paragraphs (I had not). I'm not sure if the later books were a little more refined, but I can not recommend this book to anyone.

[Koffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A promising new series with a unique cultivation system. The world building is decent, the action is great. There are the usual tropes from the Xianxia genre but they aren't a negative thing. I feel like this series has the potential for greatness. Especially with my favorite narrator Travis Baldree as the one voicing the series.

[Adam Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting spin on cultivation and progression fantasy

So right out of the gate, the system for advancement in this book is weird. Once you get beyond that, it is a fresh take. The characters are all well done, and feel truly individual. There are some interesting things going on behind the scenes that I hope get delved into more in the next book.

[Jerry Huggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! A lot like other fantasy books it follows a young group learning about magic. Interest kind of magic. This book sends a good amount of time explaining have it works. Wish I knew this series wasn’t done before I started. Was ready for the next book as soon as I was done.

[Phil X. Katz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fine story from Mr. Ashura

If you're not familiar with Davis Ashura you're missing a ton of great writing.

He has created a world with wonderful deep characters, a great deal of intrigue, and if course, magic and mayhem!

This may be his best so far! Can't wait to read the next part!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing story!

This is the first story I have read by this author. I is a really good story but a lot of it could have been taken out. I skipped over a lot of stuff it would get boring in some places.

[Wesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The world building is too convoluted and inconsistent. To the point of making it hard to read.

For example (as Novices - the lowest level) the ‘team’ somehow take on several Adepts and Acolytes midway through the book). Leaving you thinking what?!?!

[Netta Pressman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all of Ashura's books so far but I am not sure I'll continue with this particular series.
Too much emphasis on the magic system and not enough on an actual story. Sorry... I much prefer the other anchored worlds

[Daryl Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great continuation but different!

A very good captivating story. I was delightfully surprised when characters from the previous stories were mentioned. Can’t wait for the next installment!

[Splke]

Dropped, Couldn't sludge through any more boring. The MC is mediocre at best in respect of personality and abilities. I got about a 1/3 through the book and nothing happened that made me want to keep reading.