I had issues with the audiobook itself mainly not being able to play it. There was also an issue of it randomly closing on me or skipping. From what I was able to listen to, I did enjoy. The magic system was interesting and I liked where either was going. It did seem like the writing style was more for a younger audience than I was expecting.

Actual Rating 1.5

The writing style makes this read more like a YA or NA than an adult work. The writing is somewhat simplistic and the author relied on telling more than showing, which led to the whole thing feeling like it was written for a younger audience. There were also more technical things that made it feel like it was targeting a younger audience, like having short chapters that picked up exactly where the last one had left off. The work also didn’t have a fantasy feel for a few reasons, one of which was that there were more modern phrases and words scattered throughout. The lack of any meaningful worldbuilding also kept it from feeling like a true fantasy.

The characters weren’t complex or developed well. The work was more focused on stats and building strength than on the characters as people. The plot was painfully linear, and it was really more of a series of cause-and-effect events than a real plot. I did like the RPG part of the book and how the author used cards and abilities for this aspect, though.

Unfortunately, aside from the RPG aspect which was done well, most of the rest of the book was quite weak. The narrator did a great job, though, so if you’re planning on checking this one out I recommend the audiobook. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Initial thoughts:
As a first-time LitRPG reader, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this book. I am an avid gamer, and while I’d heard of the LitRPG genre before I never thought I would be able to get into it. Let’s say, that when I first started the book, I wasn’t too invested. I thought it was a slow start and I was having a hard time getting past the RPG elements in prose form. However, once I understood the format, I started having a super fun time with this book to the point that it felt like I was playing a video game!

Final thoughts:

I enjoyed this book a lot. The magic system is incredibly interesting and there were multiple times I felt myself wishing this was a real game so I could play the different classes and experiment with the card system. I found the card system a little hard to imagine at first, a part of me couldn’t help but think of it as a physical card, but after some time it became clear that it’s more of a spiritual thing instead of a physical one.

I enjoyed the characters and thought they were all unique in their own ways. I LOVED Corvis. The little sassy bird was something else and I can't wait to see the larger part he holds in the story. I liked Mateo as a main character, although I did get the sense that he’s a true video game protagonist protected by the outlines of the plot. Of course, why he excels at everything is explained early in the book, so since I was expecting it, it didn’t feel too much like plot armor. Rose and Eric really grew on me. There were a few characters that we didn't get to spend a lot of time with, but I was left wanting to know more about them which I count as a win!

Ultimately, this book was the training montage of the video game, so nothing too great happens for its plot, however, there are various allusions to a bigger plot to come, and I’m honestly interested in where it goes for Mateo and his team.

I think Seth Ring’s writing is engaging. I never found myself bored with it, although I think on a line editing level there could be some improvement that would help drive the reader deeper into the world and its environments.

Finally, I listened to the audiobook, and I greatly enjoyed the narrator, they did a good job differentiating the characters and making them all feel unique. Ultimately, I await the next book eagerly!

Conclusion: If you’ve never read a LitRPG before, I think this book is a great way to get started and I completely recommend it!

This is an amazing fantasy beginning. The Wizard Solomon’s Apprentice Mateo finds his life has changed after the arrival of a government official. After a brief magical moment that Mateo won’t be able to recall once finished. He wakes up to find out he’s now a slave & must quickly learn to submit & survive to past the tests both spoken & unspoken. Such an amazing adventure I want to read the rest!

This book was amazing!

The narrator who read this book has to be one of the most talented voice actors I've ever heard. He was incredible at doing the different voices and accents and making each character easy to differentiate.
I have to admit, I hadn't read the description of the book beforehand. I just saw the amazing cover and was immediately interested. I had no clue what a LitRPG would be like but I am so happy I tried it out!
I loved the way the story was told. So slice-of-life but so adventure filled and exciting too. The world building was seamless and the magic system is such a unique idea!
I will absolutely be looking into this author's other works because this feels like a lifetime love book to me.

This was definitely more middle-grade than I expected; like Yu-Gi-Oh meets Ranger's Apprentice.

The story follows 14-year-old Mateo as he's betrayed by his master and sent to a military training camp. Here, he'll learn how to survive, and hopefully how to become a Duelist.

So, essentially the story is a training montage only lengthy and drawn out. Mateo meets a couple of other misfits that he bands together with immediately - him telling them what to do because he's a know-it-all whereas the other two are incompetent idiots. Obviously.

Mateo is definitely the kind of character that always rubs me the wrong way. He's a brown-noser who always figures things out first and is the pet of whoever is in charge, and he tells everyone else what to do and they generally obey without question. He's such a bland character.

I did like the other two, though - nothing particularly new, but I did like that they had their own things going for them. The characters on the whole are nothing particularly fresh, and as such a lot of the interactions are familiar scenes. I didn't care too much for any of the characters, but young ones who don't read a lot should find themselves relating to at least one of them.

The card/duelling system was a little too much for my fantasy tastes. Cards slot into a person somehow which I didn't totally understand, but then I was never a big Yu-Gi-Oh kid. I think collectors of 'duelling' cards like Yu-Gi-Oh and Magic the Gathering will understand this a little better and appreciate it on a whole other level. For me, it seemed like a bit of a gimmick that just wasn't enough to save a rather bland story from being completely unoriginal.

After reading, I can conclude that I'm very much NOT the target audience for this one. It wasn't for me at all, but I think there's plenty here that younger readers will enjoy. It's an adventure story which keeps things relatively simple while setting up for a grander adventure to come.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

This was fun, who doesn't love a good training montage. The magic system was interesting, with card magic and battle magic. I love the teamwork of the feathers and how they all work to make each other better.

Interested in reading more, and Corvis and his role is intriguing.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator had a good range.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. It’s so incredible. I felt hooked the whole way through and I’m so happy I was given this audiobook. The plot was incredible and unique. There’s mystery and adventure and suprisingly none of the characters make moves to move the plot along that are dumb. Everything has been well thought out. I especially loved the training sequence with the feather because it just felt so cozy with the occasionally routine they get into. The characters are amazing, especially the main feather. The writing is really well done and I just really enjoyed listening to this. Can’t wait to have this series on my bookshelf and share it with everyone to read.

I'll be publishing my review on Goodreads and StoryGraph 18th September and on Tik tok most likely will add to a monthly wrap up post with review the beginning of October.