This was a really well done young adult novel, it had a great fantasy element going on. The characters were everything that I wanted and they worked in this plot. I was invested in what was happening to these characters and what was going on. Hadrian White writes a great story and can’t wait for more from them.

A fun and engaging read about one man’s journey to cultivating in modern times where the world is changing with abilities and magic.

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely buy a physical copy of it, if it was available near me. The cover of this book drew me in instantly following the description. It reminded me of a cultivation donghua with a modern setting.

Characters named Jack seem to be my favorite. Jack, our main character, gets the short end of the stick as he has a lightning affinity which is the most undeveloped and seemingly useless ability from the remaining four: water, fire, wind, and earth. However, that didn’t push Jack down for long. He learned to cultivate, take risks, trust and follow his gut as well as never get arrogant with his accomplishments. Jack’s ability to just accept his faults and setbacks, while working towards improving them made me enjoy his character more.

Told from Jack’s point of view, we get to understand Jack’s personality whilst learning about the changing world. I think this was done really well because Jack is also learning like us which made the descriptions, questions and curiosity interesting. I enjoy when a book doesn’t dump all the information on the reader but gradually incorporates it into the story. However the writing style could use some fine tuning. The tenses get mixed up a few times and sometimes I felt there was a lack of emotion and progression in some scenes.

There are multiple side characters in this story that are Jack’s friends. So far, I would say none of them are playing a big role in Jack’s journey but they are valuable assets to the story. Helping Jack grow both in his cultivation, knowledge and skills; these characters each stand out in their own way. I will be really sad if one of these characters gets seriously injured in a future installment. There isn’t a major villain here, except one fellow hunter who has taken it upon himself to “get back” at Jack.

The plot is pretty simple yet filled with mystery. There is a lot that happens but ultimately nothing too plot heavy. Jack goes on multiple jobs, both easy and hard and in each one he’s successful, gets stronger and goes home The mystery element is also only pertaining to why there are monsters. There really isn’t an end goal or motive in this story except survival.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and although the writing needs improving I’ll still be picking up the next book. For me, I think I liked Jack’s character the most which made me intrigued enough to continue reading the story. I also enjoyed that the story was focused on the growth of our character and discovering his lightning affinity and cultivation without romance or rivalry. I think that actually helped the story because it would otherwise have been a bit messy.

I definitely recommend to give it a try if you’re willing to overlook the writing flaws and just witness a journey of growth in a modernized magical world.