OK magic system, but everything else is flat

First, what I liked:

- The magic system is decent. Not super hard fantasy, but it feels like there's something cool to dig into there.
- The way the smarter characters think systematically is better than par.
- It wasn't very long.

Now, what I didn't like:

- Zero character arcs. The characters' circumstances change, but they are internally static.
- The plot is designed as an unraveling mystery, but it plays out as a sequence of predictable events with a few random turns which feel out of the blue.
- Despite having imperfect information, almost everything goes the protagonists' way. When things take a turn, the tension is almost instantly dissolved, as the protagonists either planned ahead (without the reader's knowledge), or simply turn out to be extra powerful/competent as suits the plot.
- The main characters' motivations and thought processes are spelled out in *excruciating* detail through narrated internal monologues. It is as though the author either does not trust himself to convey motivation through action, or does not trust the reader to infer it.
- At times, non-viewpoint characters suddenly turn in unexpected ways, which would be great if we knew them *at all*. But since we've only briefly encountered them, and their motivations haven't simply been stated to us like the viewpoint characters, these turns feel unmotivated and arbitrary.
- There is exactly one female character with any significant screen time, and the boys all want to smooch her because she has a pretty smile.

Some more random notes that don't fit in list form:

There are scenes where characters quip at each other, which are clearly intended as comic relief to make the characters more relatable. I found these scenes extremely cringey, and did not feel that they integrated with the characters' personalities in an organic way.

I also generally found the writing to be generally clumsy. For example, early on, we see "'Resh,' she cursed lightly, using a popular expletive that literally meant ‘raw garbage’." Inventing universe-specific curse words is, of course, a sci-fi/fantasy staple, but that is by far the most unnatural way I've ever seen it done. This is also another case of the author seeming not to trust the reader to understand anything that isn't spelled out.

On a related note, some of the writing gets a bit… memey. I'll freely admit that whether this bothers you is a matter of personal taste, but I found the use of phrases like "vague note is vague" to be rather distracting.

I would forgive most of these things if the fundamentals were there. If this book had a compelling plot or relatable characters with interesting arcs, I'd be happy overlook almost everything I've written here. But it unfortunately lacks those things.

61 people found this helpful

Eyebrow Raising

How many times can you repeatedly use the phrase "quirked a brow," and/or "raised an eyebrow?" It seemed to be the go-to and extremely annoying/overused reaction to almost everything. I felt the writing was lacking in expressions of character.

19 people found this helpful

I did want to like it

I started this book with hopes it would be great, but found the characters flat, the action dull, and interactions predictable and shallow.
The Magic system sounds cool, but I wish they did more with it.
the storyline was also so slow I didn't realize we were through till it ended. I kept waiting for it get better and kept hopeing it would grab my attention and take me along for a thrill. it never seemed to get there.
I did manage to get lost several times with my attention wandering because it was so boring. this forced me to backtrack and try listening again many times. it just wasn't worth the effort.

I love Nick Podehl and will continue to support him, but this book just wasn't for me.

63 people found this helpful

Hot and Cold

Would you try another book from Andrew Rowe and/or Nick Podehl?

Yes.

What about Nick Podehl’s performance did you like?

All the voices were very distinctive and fit the character's personality. I thought he really overacted in the first chapter with Taelien, but I got used to his style and it stopped bothering me.

Did Forging Divinity inspire you to do anything?

No. Who comes up with these questions?

Any additional comments?

Pros:
The characters are distinct and colorful- especially Jonan and Lydia.
Lydia was definitely on the same level as the male characters in terms of her roll in the story and her development. There are some raunchy jokes made by both male protagonists, but I never felt like her primary purpose for being there was to be a love interest. And she was not defined by her looks or her sex appeal. A+++.

Cons:
This book reads more like a text book or an encyclopedia most of the time. My goddess, the author will interrupt literally anything to lecture the reader on every little detail of the world. And it feels like a mind-numbing lecture. Most of it is totally irrelevant to what is happening, it's repetitive, it's dull, and it's voluminous. He never has the information come up naturally during the course of the story. Good luck remembering any of it if/when it becomes relevant.
The author over-explains everything, not just the world. A character will say something, and another character will sit there and analyze the statement for 3 pages. He or she will imagine every possible scenario before taking any action. It makes the story drag.
What the heck is up with the main character and wanting to jump off a bridge after killing an enemy in self defense? Wasn't he in military training for 6 years? I just don't find him believable at all. I believe that he would be haunted- heck, just being in the torture chamber seems traumatic, but his reaction was too simplistic.

I am more than half way through the book but I don't know if I will finish it.

49 people found this helpful

The Original Series but Great as a Sequel Series 2

This is the fourth book I’ve read by Andrew Rowe and despite loving the first three, I was hesitant to start this one. I had grown to love the world of Arcane Ascension and wasn’t sure I wanted to spend time with these other characters, even if there was supposedly some tangential relationship between his two series. I’m very glad I powered through my doubt. I loved this book and spending time with these characters and this system of magic. The multiple viewpoints also made the read a little more fun. Especially as I got a greater understanding of the world

I can’t say for sure which series should be read first but I will say the author did a really impressive job of making sure no matter where you started the second series you tackle would give you some really great moments of payoff. This series has now completed its initial trilogy so there will at least be some finality to it, and I can’t wait to read the next two. I’ve actually already started book 2.

As for the narrator I've run out of great things to say about him at this point. Long story short is that Nick Podehl makes every book he reads better and becomes the definitive voice for the characters he helps bring to life.

6 people found this helpful

Meh

What was most disappointing about Andrew Rowe’s story?

i just did not connect with the characters

Have you listened to any of Nick Podehl’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I like Nick's performances, this story was just weak

19 people found this helpful

Enjoyed the tale, but . . .

It feels as if the writer is lecturing to a class of second graders. All of the time-outs to explain the magic system are annoying and uncalled for, a brief explanation would suffice, then let us figure it out as we go along. The thoughts of the characters are the same, they think something, then explain why they think that. The plot was interesting, and the narration was excellent, but the writing style was just not up to par for this type of story.

18 people found this helpful

Ahhhhhhhhh!

I want to like this book because the magic theory is so intriguing and the characters have so much potential. But where there are successes there is some severe shortsightedness, and frankly it makes the book unreadable in my opinion. Disclaimer: I'm only halfway through the book. It it's very hard to listen to even with the great performance of Mr. Podehl. I'm going to try and finish because I purchased it.

C- for character development:
There are some great moments with these characters. But they seem to start having already gone through their character arcs. They seem manufactured and convenient to fit in with the story, the story should mold around them.
I also barely care about the three main characters and don't care about anyone else. It's like when your girlfriend is telling you a story about Becky and Corey and you've stopped listening because you don't know these people and you don't care.
Most of the time the three characters have the same vocabulary and almost the same personalities.

F for believable dialogue and actions:
In my opinion this is the worst part of the book. The best word for the interactions of these character is tedious. They all have the same over analytical perspective, they all try to come up with analogies, they all use pieces of their undeveloped tragic past to consol one another.
They came together so conveniently before we got a chance to know of them and really care.
... I just can't do it

C for plot:
It is interesting but I don't feel that any of the stakes are high. They sneak around and do stuff but there is little purpose and meaning to what they do.

I feel really bad about this review but it's true for me. I support the effort and clean story of Mr. Rowe and would love to explore this world from a more developed point of view.

4 people found this helpful

It was alright

It was alright, just alright. If your looking for the next big thing keep looking but your looking for a read that fills a gap inbetween series this might do.

18 people found this helpful

Definitely a keeper

Any additional comments?

I immediately was swept into this book right from the beginning. The world and character development were nicely done. I like the idea of the use of magic causing a physical cost to the user. The action scenes were incredibly engaging. Nick Podehl is as masterful as ever. I had a hard time putting this one down. Moving on to the second book and I already can't wait for the third.

18 people found this helpful