The Path of Ascension 3

The Path of Ascension #3

by C. Mantis

Training. Glory. Practicing for War.

Shortly after pressing his Talents in an attempt for treasure netted an entire planet a reckoning against autonomous golems and a flying rift, Matt, Liz and his Bond Aster find themselves being sucked into a war.

With the sides being drawn between two rival kingdoms seeking approval to join the Empire proper, those running the Path of Ascension are offered a chance to choose sides and fight to gather experience. Garner glory, prizes and power.

With a kingdom’s survival on the line and the eyes of so many on them, which side will make it out on top, and how will this affect the team’s Path of Ascension.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Magic, Fiction, Adventure, Role Playing Games

725 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 17, 2023

Reviews

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is third in a series that builds up over time. Definitely read in order.

I'll be perfectly honest here, I didn't read this book. Okay, that's only partially true. I read this book while it was up on Royal Road because I decided I didn't want to wait for the author to publish the next bit. Which means I read a rawer, less edited version some bit ago.

That said, I'm still completely engrossed in the story even though I've caught up to the author's releasing on RR. This book contains a "babies first war" with Matt, Liz, and Aster picking a side and participating in battles where higher Tier observers yank people out before they can die. Which isn't before they experience some extreme pain as healers can put you back together so long as they have a brain to work with. And can I just say how I love that they have post-death counseling and the role therapists play in the series? Very well done.

Also in this story, we have the return of Melinda (the super healer in the first book) and her team. They're still friends and I love the dynamic with these characters during the tense trials of a war in all but fact. And the new people Matt and Liz find to extend their team, even if only temporarily during the war.

In all, I'm calling this a great win and an entire five stars. And I'd say I'm totally looking forward to the next book, but I've already read that one, too, on Royal Road...

A note about Chaste: This book has Matt and Liz become much closer and eventually become intimate in that way. It's about time. The author pulls the curtains closed way before any details hit, so I consider it still chaste. That's a close call, though, so substitute your taste as you find comfortable.

[Russell Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another entry in a pretty consistent series. If you've enjoyed the first two books, then you'll probably enjoy this one too.

Not a lot happens in this volume in the grand scheme of things. It felt more like a daily life experience as Matt & Company experience a training war. It's a mercenary experience since they are fighting for points and prizes rather than any true loyalty to either side. A "death" instead results in a point penalty and two weeks on the sidelines after a high-tier referee observer plucks them out of trouble.

Matt and Liz's relationship takes the next step, which is fine. I can't help but shrug at the whole thing. It's not really what I'm here for, but at least the author isn't beating me over the head with it too often.

I still wish the writing would improve a few notches. There were a lot of proofreading errors and flat writing. That being said, it rarely interfered with my ability to follow or picture the scene, so it's not the biggest deal. It just is what it is.

I'm curious about where this story's actually going. It honestly feels like we are still in the 1st Act and the genuine obstacles haven't shown up yet. The story isn't in any hurry to get there, which isn't a bad thing if you're in the mood for it. This series is pretty nice leisure reading in between other books.

[Stefan Bogdanski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine everyone around you gets some kind of superpower, but when it's your turn, you are stuck with something that is deemed detrimental even by the most benevolent AI. Want to know what it feels to bamboozle the heck out of a situation like this? Then step with me on the Path of Ascension!


Well, we can't choose the hand we're given, we simply have to play it to the best of our abilities.

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Read this review on the blog - the layout is better 😃.
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Path of Ascension is all about self-improvement in a distant future of humanity (and other types of beings). The story follows the main character - Matt - as he starts to find ways to turn his seemingly useless talent into something that will, sooner or later, rock the universe and all the great powers. It is an underdog story, where the underdog will inevitably turn into the top dog.

In the typical fashion of LitRPG, this is done with talents, levels (called tiers, in this case) and skills. And it is quite clear that the author has done some mathematics about his skills.
I like Matt - well, liking the MC is always something to be desired when reading a series. But I like him for the fact that he is down to earth, makes reasonable decisions and tries to come on top of a situation that seems utterly depressing at first. And he's far from the only likeable character throughout the story!


My opinion on Matt.

Of course, his bond Aster - an ice fox - and his girlfriend are great characters, too, but even some of the "villains" are actually likeable enough, and have a clear purpose they're following.

Another thing I really like is how breathing, living and fleshed out the world of this story feels like. It's almost like another character, and some chapters allow us to glance behind the curtain and see some of the intrigues played out on the higher levels.


Even the political stuff is intriguing enough!

On the downside are a few chapters that feel downright sluggish. Not everything moves the plot forward, and there is a lot of exposition. If that is not your style, you might want to skip - either the series, or a few pages here and there while reading. I think the pace could be better, but then again, this seems to be a common problem for the genre, and it isn't too bad here, overall.

All in all, one of the better LitRPG series so far, with detailed world building and really great characters. 4 out of 5 Phoenix feathers!

*This review is written for books 1 - 6 of the series*

[GaiusPrimus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baby's First War

Enjoyable book, everything just keeps getting turned up and up as the story continues.

Great character development, with the MC gaining confidence as the story continues.

Will definitely get the next one when it's available.

[Vikas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the vassal war on the tier 6 planet, and it was a blast. With this third book, I have read more than 1500 pages of the story and can't seem to stop. Of course, I have already started reading the fourth book as well. I love the LitRPG genre and will read a lot of it, so let's go on and Keep on Reading.

People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put, I absolutely love reading, so I have made it my motto to Forever Keep on Reading. I love reading everything except for self-help books, even occasionally. I read almost all the genres but YA, Fantasy, and Biographies are the most read. My favorite series is Harry Potter, but then there are many more books I adore. I have bookcases filled with books that are waiting to be read so I can't stay and spend more time on this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.

[William Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s the thing

I read this previously, and there are some changes.

All of the chapters focused on Melinda and her team were cut. Not a terrible loss, but some nuance is missing.

There’s also a humorous seen towards the end that was substantially changed. Having read the original, it’s even funnier now.

I will pre-order book for as soon as it is available.

[Danny Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first two books so much that I read up to chapter 200 which is probably the next couple of books. The training war will most likely be the emphasis of book 3. I enjoyed this arc more than the golem war. Really great story.

[Kurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am still enjoying the series, but some of its shortcomings are starting to become more apparent in this third installment. Chiefly, the lack of a copy editor, as I mentioned in my review of the first book. But secondarily, there are a lot of sub-plots and directions that seem to get kicked off, only to never be heard from again.

Both of these issues are extremely common for web serials published on RoyalRoad and the like, and again, I am enjoying the series overall, but boy would it be better with a bit more polishing.

[Clint Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

KU Review

A war with no casualties? Sounds like a good way to train our pathers. A step away from the fast advancement and experimentation, but a fun entry full of action.

General disclaimer: I want to be clear in that I do not factor cost into any review and as such, this is simply a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.

[Aaron Weinbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Idk if it’s this book but the world building is done really well to an extent I was shocked by

[Nina K Damas · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book, for sure reading the next one

[Smoke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still enjoying these books. They are a perfect read for me when doing something else like cooking, cleaning, or late at night. They are fun and straight forward, and hold my attention. I haven't ran into the normal issues a series like this usually ends with, where the characters are way too strong and odd plot points have to be introduced to overcome it. They are fun and not overly complicated, and sometimes that's just what I'm looking for in a book. The only thing I'm not a fan of is how each book ends, but i've mostly just come to terms with that by now.
With all the above being said, I hope they get a little more complex with the series plot, and more is happening in the greater world politics. The progression is super satasfying, but a little more to hold it together would be really nice and would make it a 5 out of 5 instead of 4 out of 5 for me.

[Rae Dreamsmasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook so I might be spelling peoples names wrong. I think Liz’s parents, Mara and Leon, stole the show in their little scenes. I love how Mara still has bird like tendencies. Also, I can’t wait to hear more about the character Luna, because why would Mara be totally freaked out and run away? I get that Luna train them, but I was dying laughing. I need to know more about the backstory

I usually like books that have big battle scenes like for example the last book of the wheel of Time was just one giant battle. This book somehow makes battle in warfare, boring. I love the character growth and to see a different people that grow but I kind of want to switch to another book. I’m not sure what I’ll read next.

[Aubria L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series gets better and better! I love the character growth and world progression. I think this might be my favorite thus far, if only slightly🤣

[Andrew G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unflattering coverart hides a seriously GOOD LitRPG series.

No spoilers! I have read a lot of these series, I’ve been really into this Isekai/RPG genre the last year or so. I’ve read at least 8 series up to their latest novel, and have sampled some others I didn’t want to go on with. I have to say, I had this book in my wish list for a LONG time. And that is because the coverart just seemed like this was cartoony and maybe campy. But eventually I pulled the trigger.

I’m so glad I did! I love the story, love the world-building, love the magic system, love the characters.

The story is great, and what makes it great is first that it does a great job mixing leveling and grinding with both big events and fights with real people as well as with character and world development. Second is the pacing. The way it weaves these elements together feels seamless. I never feel like skipping ahead when the MC reviews his stats for umpteenth time or when characters rehash topics endlessly as happens so much in other series. Even with battles that last days, the author may bring us in at the climax, or at the first skirmish, and then wrap it up off page and we are there for the aftermath. I love that we aren’t forced to endure page after page of the same skills and combat on various enemies and situations. At this point, we know our MC and what he can do, we don’t need to relive every single moment, just some highlights and the gist. That’s great welting. Third is just the thought that went into the world building, the magical system, and the characters and their development arcs. It feels so seamless, because it was carefully thought out. I can’t find any faults with the logic and decision making of characters within the bounds of what the author already established.

The world building is interesting and unique, I can’t find another series to compare it to. It’s very intriguing and parts of it are mysterious. For instance, I’m so curious as to what Ascension means exactly. There’s also a plethora of higher tiered characters who add depth and historical and political context to the universe the author is building. It seems to be a trope of this genre that most do the series are written entirely from the POV of the MC, this series does focus on the MC but jumps around to give us that needed context. The universe also has rules of war enforced by the society’s elites, even on each other. These rules aren’t simply there as a plot device to allow for progression, but it is woven into the way their world works. The rules make sense in the context of the universe the author had built. That’s next level writing! And so refreshing!

The magic system is very good in a number of ways. First, is that there are not simply an endless amount of classes, races, skills as so many series have, nor are they barely touched upon as happens in others, no there are a set number of levels, called tiers, and there are many skills but there are common ones shared by most tiered people. There are some interesting aspects of uniqueness per individual with their talents, concepts, and aspects which come into play at different, but not set, levels of progression. The combination of these unique talents with this pool of skills that anyone can access, by either buying them or getting lucky and getting them as rewards a system I love which levels the playing field, this combination means people can create their own unique paths up the tiers, and aren’t beholden to skill trees as is so often the case in the more complicated magic systems of some other series.

Finally the characters, live the back story of the characters. They couldn’t be more different, one’s a poor orphan, another the child of some of the most powerful people alive, another a beast evolving into sentience before our eyes. Yet despite those differences, they share values, not just of ambition, but of morality of what they value in others, friendship, kindness, respect, and honesty. There is real depth here with the characters, we see their weaknesses, what they struggle with, how they deal with adversity and mistakes. We are right there while they cope with trauma be it grief for Matt or inferiority for Liz. Finally, we directly address morality and right and wrong. One would think with the disproportion of power in beings of these series, morality would be a necessary part of character development, but it’s rarely addressed. Or if it is, it is done so in an unsatisfying way, such as a mental shrug cause the world is harsh or whatever. Not here, here we return to that topic again, as our characters try to become the people they want to be, not what abilities make them.

Some people may say the MC is overpowered. I would argue this is power fantasy, and that it is more of a trope for an MC to face a series of contrived issues to nerf their potential until the very end. In my opinion, it is much better to embrace what this genre really is instead of stringing us along to see the MC struggle for the sake of itself. The trick is in to giving the people what they want, power fantasy, and just weaving it into a gripping story not following the same old narrative structure we’ve seen countless times.

As to my dislikes, first as I mentioned in my intro, the cover art is unflattering at best, cartoonish at worst. I think the author should experiment with some different art, that was the only thing that turned me off for so long.

My only nitpick of writing is how marriages work with people being married for like tens of millennia if not more, and political marriages and how they factor into this world. To me, in the context of extended lifespans, those don’t make sense. Would make more sense for there to be maybe one or two exceptions to the rule that most people don’t marry but instead have various romances over the ages.

[Tony Hinde · Rating 3 out of 5]

My interest is barely holding on. It's the lack of stakes that is hurting the book. There's apparently a real war on the horizon... in the next few thousand years. That's why there are simulated wars and rewards for successful cultivation. But there's no imminent threat to liven things up.

I may read the following novella – or I may not.

[Gareth Otton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book just (by the barest of margins) scrapes a 3-star review out of this reader instead of a 2. The only reason for this is that I read until the end and plan to read the next book in the series because of my attachment to the characters and my interest in the potential of this series. As a novel though, this was pretty subpar.

The problem continues to be the same issue that I pointed out in my previous two reviews; action without meaning.

Action is only interesting in novels when it is meaningful to the story being told. Using that action as an excuse to show off cool powers or abilities will only take you so far. Without either meaningful stakes or an opportunity to advance the story in some significant way, action soon becomes tedious and starts to slow the story down instead of making it more lively.

This novel has a war where there are no real stakes because there is a plot device where no one dies. "Death" in battle instead just gets that person a 2-week time out before they can get back to the fight. So instantly all of the stakes behind a war get pulled right out of the story. There's no longer anything on the line, and the characters don't really have to worry about encountering any moral boundaries when they know they aren't really killing anyone.

So with the war side of the story providing a gaping void of filler for this novel, it relies once again on the core premise of this series to save it; cultivation/character progression. This is called the Path of Ascension, therefore ascending should be at the core of every decision driving these books. The first story saw 5 levels of progression for our main characters. The second story saw just one. Here... well moving the characters further along their path seemed to be entirely forgotten until right at the end, and by then it was too little too late.

It's a shame because every time this story did get back to that side of things, the story got interesting again. The time Matt spent enchanting, training and exploring his powers was genuinely interesting. But there's just so little of it to hold my interest.

So finally we are left with the final element of this novel that did manage to keep me reading to the end, and that is the characters themselves. I like them... pretty much all of them actually. I like their chemistry, their actions and their potential. One of the most fun moments in this novel was a reunion between Matt and the friends he made in the first novel. I am invested in them and their story and I would like to see them succeed and go on to great things.

So overall, this book was a bit of a disappointment to me. It prioritised action over storytelling and bogged the characters down in a war that forced them to stagnate their progress. There were many head nods to how they might have made small steps forward as though this was all part of some bigger plan thanks to their management team, but honestly, they made way more progress in the first book than they did in the second and third books combined, so I'm doubting that strategy.

I'll probably pick up the next novel to continue following Matt's story, but I am hoping for more. It will need to do a lot to win me over though, because I am someone who likes to re-read previous books before starting a new one to make sure the story is fresh in my mind, and I have no intention of re-reading this one any time soon. If the next book isn't all that good either, then I'll probably write this series off.

[Aelvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the disaster that was the golem war, Matt, Liz, and Aster have been enjoying their less-frenetic delving (while also making buckets of money). But when a Pather war is announced for the planet they're on, and their manager-to-be requires them to participate, it's back to fighting in the real world. And this war is going to push them in a number of unexpected ways . . .

So this is another long fight arc, but it's much better executed than the golem war (even though the team basically doesn't Tier up again). Everyone still manages to make progress, both with getting new skills, and learning to use their existing kits better. Additionally, one big thing that changes in this book is that the three of them learn to work as a team with some new people.

And the new characters are pretty fun. Since this is a long-term team up, there's a lot of depth to each of the new cast. I especially like the focus on Annie and her assassination specialty, as it provides a look at some of the sneakier battle styles.

I also really like Kelley, a crafter Matt befriends, as the two of them can geek out about magic and enchanting together. Matt hasn't really had this kind of down time with friends in a long while, so it's fun watching the two of them try to make (and break) things.

War-wise, the battles have their ups and downs. There are some nice small scale and large scale conflicts, and Matt ends up with a bigger role than he wanted in some parts. And in others he's just another cog in the machine, trying to hold a small patch of ground. I do like how towards the end the focus expands out a bit more and we can see the bigger picture behind the kingdom and the queendom. It does a lot to humanize the prince and his sister Cora, and show what they've had to deal with growing up, and how their reactions are similar even though they went in different directions.

Overall this was a good next arc for the series. The lack of Tier progression is once again making the series feel a bit like it's stalling, but at least there are a lot of other areas where the characters are growing and changing. I rate this book Recommended.

[RJ Penate · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars! Another great book to the series. I continue to love the character characters and the world building. The growth of each individual along with their powers is super fascinating and enjoyable. I really do love the manager team and I’m happy that they finally met up with Matt and his team. I enjoyed the battles that this book had. I enjoyed seeing Matt meet up with his original friends, Melinda and that group.
Cool to see how the war played out. Crazy to see how strong certain individuals are there is such a difference in scaling. Seeing macro with his sword fighting was very cool. I love training arcs. I really wish that the group that Matt had during the war stayed as a group. I really thought that the manager was going to say hey let them join. We have a plan for all of you guys, but that wasn’t the case. I like to see the different risks and powers again cool to see Matt’s friend Kelly get stronger as well as get an insight. I think there’s a lot of interesting concepts that this series has and cool to see everyone around the main character grow stronger. I cannot believe how far behind Melinda‘s group was cool to see them. Understand that they have slacked and cool to see them want to get stronger and push themselves to a higher standard. This was a good ending to this war arc as well as planet arc.
I hope to see Mara meet up with Matt and see how that goes. I really hope that Matt meets up with his ward group again in the future and that it happens soon. Overall, a great addition to the series might be my favorite book so far it’s tied between this and the first. Although the first was a great introduction to the series and the world. Now to start the next book and continue the series.

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book three was all about War Games. And my god did I love it. What a fun read. Its balance issues were far better than book 2. With action, story, power growth, relationship growth, and personal growth all having a chance to shine.

I’m so excited they’ve finally connected with their management team. I’m interested to seem them advance more. This book was not one for rift delving. But that made it fun as they improved in other ways. They collected some interesting new skills and improved on old ones. Plus it’s always fun to seem them work with others and how their abilities interact.

I love that the relationship between Matt and Liz is drama free. I was worried the series would either fall into the will they won’t they trope or into the dreaded drama at every turn trope. They’re a solid couple. With personalities and goals outside of their relationship.

I love how mental health was given a proper shout out throughout book. Properly this time compared to book two. With Aster and her rapid intelligence growth and how that may be affecting her, plus her social needs. And with Matt more and more slowly talking about his trauma of his parents death.

Also I desperately love Mara and Leon. So very, very much. They are hilarious great powers. A loving couple. Doting parents. And they’re comedy gold. I can’t wait for Matt and Liz to reach tier 10 so they’re agreement with Liz to stay away till then is lifted and they can meet Matt. They love him so much already it’s hilarious.

Was a super fun read. Author is doing a fantastic job of keeping in good faith of what the series is while also being in fresh and fun storyline’s.

On to book four!

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a while since I've been so conflicted over a book series. On the one hand, there are some interesting characters, interesting worldbuilding, and even after three books, several different large-scale plots identified where the story could go. On the other, so much of these books are the literal RPG grind of leveling that I'm not sure that I am interested in proceeding. It is one thing to put in the work in a video game to level up your character. It is another to read about low-level characters engaging in repetitive grinds to level up.

I think all of the first three books are quite similar. I was hoping that things would expand a little more by now. Book three focuses on the Pather wars, which pits to warring factions against each other in which the Pathers join sides. It is ostensibly a way to give the next generation real life war experience without the threat of loss of life - with very high level healers standing by to prevent true death. An interesting take on a fairly common trope in the genre, but I was interested to see where things went. Unfortunately, it was just more of the same.

This is not a bad book and it is not a bad series. I just don't know that I want to spend so much of my time grinding through when the payoff isn't that high.

I don't think I am going to pick up book 4 (I am still going to read the novella focusing on Matt's first group of friends from the playpen) anytime soon. I might turn back to this if I am feeling a nostalgic itch, but I hope anyone who comes across this has a different view and is greatly enjoining the series.

[Leslie Baptiste · Rating 4 out of 5]

good story, good character, introspection, but storyline and power progression are too slow.

First of all, I enjoy the story that’s why I’m giving this book this particular rating. What I didn’t like, was the fact that the location for the main characters were static. They were on a planet in a war game. I had to slog a little bit and skim through parts of the book because it wasn’t all that interesting. The characters did not tear up, they started at tier six at the beginning of the book and ended at tier 6. Their own personal growth did not develop in this particular book. The MC and his sidekicks are likable and so are the teams they allied themselves with. In my opinion, I think, instead of letting us know what’s in some of the side characters mind the author should concentrate on what’s happening in the growth and the tearing up, or leveling up of the MC. Yes, they did get skills that help them in battle, but they did not receive any power increases. according to the storyline, nothing should really happen until they reach tier 10, is that going to be five books from now? there are plenty of storyline threads that are being unraveled but unfortunately, the story progression and power up levels are very slow. If you don’t mind these issues you would like this book.

[Steve Naylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 4.0 stars

This was a good addition to the series. This series has a good balance between the world building, magic, fighting and character interactions. The group is part of a mock war to get experience. This is interesting because they really don't have any stake in which side they chose - the kingdom or the queendom. the group chose the kingdom for a couple of reasons. They didn't like the prince, but they did like his second in command. They had been with that group already, so they decided to continue there. Problems happened when people on the kingdom side betrayed them. It was interesting to follow along and think about what I would do in those situations. Would I change sides at that point? What do you do when you don't like the side that you are on but don't really like the other side either? Is better to be loyal or to look out for yourself? Is being loyal the best thing in the end? That part kept me on my toes. I didn't know who was going to win. The only thing I knew is that I wanted Matt, Liz and Aster to do well but that didn't necessarily mean that their side needed to win. Overall, I enjoyed the series and am looking forward to the next one.

[Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Books 1-4

Quite a engaging & fun read. Good enough that I binged all 4 books in 3 weeks.

What I liked the best:
+ Easy prose. Immersive enough to drag you in, but not too flowery to drag down the pace.
+ Engaging characters. The MC and his supporting cast are loveable and ones that I wanted to flourish and win. Though not overtly complicated, there's enough moral ambiguity to not make things all vanilla.
+ Macro world & characters. This is phenomenal. Loved the macro politics that defines actions of those we follow. The world is set up very well and it all makes sense. The macro super-powerful characters are exciting and I was happy whenever they make an appearance. The gradual buildup in scope perfectly baited me to binge finish this.

What I liked less:
- There's a lot of mana magic math. Pages of stats showing how certain attributes progress over the next few hundred years / 50 levels. There's also lot of calculations to explain the math behind power progression. It just felt dry to me and after the first few tries, I just skipped all those without any noticeable difference in reading enjoyment.

Highly recommended.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a real hard one to review. The world building is still on point, the MCs and secondary characters still flawed and interesting in several great ways. And the relationship feels real most of the time.
But...
This whole story about a 'simulated' war didn't sit well with me at all. Although there are weak in-world reasons it's simulated, it just feels like the author wanted a war story but without any risks or threats. It often felt like far too protective of the plethora of characters, with the largest risk being a loss of in-world currency which didn't mean that much to be honest.
Even the characters acknowledge that they've been forced into a pointless war which they have no real interest in!!
I understand others will love that story but for me it was exceptionally weak. I'd have preferred a real war with real stakes and risks.

And for the love of ascenders! Please STOP having higher tiers babysitting in the background ALL the time! You're constantly undermining the party's authority and impact in the setting.

Think I'll take a break from the series for a while.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took a turn off the path and into war games

The first two books were amazing, easily a five star and a four star respectively. I gave the second book a star less as it took a sudden dark turn and at times was hard to read; but that helped the characters progress.

This book I am genuinely at a loss of understanding as the characters did not do any delving worthy of keeping them on their path which they recognized and decided to fix that. However, they were forced to stay by higher powers to compete in war games where they absolutely did not increase their path.

I personally HATE reading about war. This book was difficult to say the least to finish as I can't find it in me to care about anything in this book except Matt and his party. There were pages I just scanned to get through the book as fast as possible.

If you like reading about intricacies of war and tactics and strategies than you will love this book... For the rest of you, possibly skip it.

[Doug Sundseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Better than book 2 of this series, this book was entertaining enough, but the progress here is quite slow. The entire book takes place at Tier 6. There are good battles and interesting changes to the characters, but it looks like the main characters are becoming too powerful for the storyline.

The author makes a point of emphasizing the overwhelming power differences between tiers, while at the same time showing many situations where that difference doesn't seem to apply. This includes the power levels of the main characters, btw. Frankly, the author seems not to understand the real effects of an exponential growth curve.

So far, this hasn't gone too far down the Lensman Arms Race track, but it feels like that's the general direction the series is trending.

If you like detailed combat descriptions and character build mechanics, this is a decent continuation of the series. We'll see how the next book feels eventually.

[Clayton Falter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative author -- Good Tale

But author needs to run his raw tale through a grammar-style AI to make the story more accessible and less tiring. Readers will frequently get lost within the chaos of a single sentence. Lots of wandering and conflicting sentence fragments on average. Same at the paragraph level. So there is lots of time spent in a state uncertainty about what the author really meant to say. I suspect that a lot of clever plot twists and fine points of dialog that are simply lost in grammar chaos.

So be prepared to focus on capturing on puzzling out the broad strokes of the tale and accepting the constant loss of 15% or so of story details. Still a worthwhile read. But again it could lots better with software assistance to unscramble the grammar (along with a final author approval of the result).

[Dennis Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Path of Ascension 3 is the first one I thought was genuinely good. Not full of potential, but good. This is the account of a practice war with heavy safeguards. None of the key characters are one dimensional, and there's a decent amount of intrigue, character interactions, strategic development, and conflict to keep the reader engaged. Of course, it is about characters playing at war with relatively minimal stakes. But that's because its being telegraphed in about as unsubtle a way as possible that there will be a war eventually, and this is basically their first crack at it. Given the slow pace of the overall story, and the path being completed at level 25, it might be a few more books before we get to something with more real and dramatic stakes. For now though, its good. I'm curious to see how its built upon.

[Randy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book but it was disappointing at the same time.

The writing is excellent, but the storyline is somewhat disappointing in this novel. The main characters go through a lot in this story still seems to stagnate on level growth to a certain degree. The only level growth they experience is at the beginning of the story and it’s really a left over from the last book. At this rate it would take a dozen Books before they make any significant increase. I have a feeling that the author will tell most of the stories at the lower levels, and then do time skips. So far the story is still worth reading, but it dragged quite a bit during this book. The whole story came across as the main characters being more like side characters in a different story.