DM Wozniak establishes mood and atmosphere in a book that is sure to appeal to readers of the science fiction genre. Wozniak renders this world with skill.

The indivisible and the void is a dark new fantasy about Master Voider Democryos (DEM) who is searching for his wife and works for King Andrej X, training individuals in using voidstones to manipulate matter in an indivisible realm. His student and wife leaves him for another mysterious voider and suffering from the loss he sets out to confront her.

Great descriptions, fantastic characters and enough plots and subplots to keep it all intriguing. There magic, adventure and a little bit of romance. If you like slightly different, well-written fantasy novels this is the one to pick up!

This is a talented author. Much smarter people than I have reviewed this so I'll just say I enjoyed the crisp writing and interesting plot very much. Recommended! Looking forward to his future work.

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

"Like how a child in the womb must be to an expectant father -- priceless, yet unshaped. A paradox of the unknown and of certainty."

I was pleasantly surprised with Wozniak's The Indivisible and the Void. The tale opens with Master Voider Dem's discovery that his wife has left him for a mysterious gentlemen, and thus, Dem starts out on an epic quest to find her and figure out what the what happened. He picks up a cast of characters along the way, including an unnamed effulgent (aka The Religious Dude), Colu (aka The Tough Dude), and Chimeline (aka The Token Woman).

The plot, writing style, world building, and character development* are all very well done. The plot is action packed and sucks the reader in from the very beginning. It moved along at a steady clip, and it kept me guessing as to what would happen next. Wozniak did not throw in random fight scenes "just because" - every plot point served a purpose. Also, Wozniak's writing style serves the fantasy genre well. He doesn't use overly pretty nor flowery words, but I found myself highlighting well written passages more often than I expected. Although the plot and writing were well done, my favorite aspect of this book is the world building. Wozniak creates this society where you've got voiders - a subset of inhabitants who have magical powers that are granted to them via voidstones - and effulgents - a religious sect who "follow the way of the unwanting" and view possessing anything as bad news. Since the story is told from the viewpoint of the voider Dem, the reader (or at least I) initially found the effulgents to be irritating in a holier-than-thou kind of way. But as the story progresses and it's revealed why the effulgents are so adamant about sticking to their ideals... well, it turns the story on its head.

And did I say the character development was well done... with an asterisk? That's because the character development was only well done for the male characters. Not one but BOTH of the female main characters in this tale wound up being damsels in distress. It was quite the turnoff for an otherwise well written gem of a book. I mean, I know it takes place in some indeterminate year that may be in the distant past, but come on, it was published in 2019. Here's to hoping Wozniak can redeem himself on this front in the second installment.

So I was really pleasantly surprised by this one! The blurb isn’t too descriptive or intriguing, and I have to say I was a bit hesitant about the quality of the novel when I first started it. My suspicions seemed to be confirmed in the first half of the book, but then it started picking up and heading in an unexpected direction.

In this book we follow Democryos, a teacher and master voider at a prestigious university for voidance. His character is particularly interesting because we get to see this world’s magic system from the perspective of a master rather than a novice. Though not as fleshed-out with rules as I would have liked, the magic system gained a lot of depth from this perspective. It is explained pretty seamlessly through Dem’s thoughts and actions. I thought it was extremely unique and creative, and its central position in the story holds more depth than is revealed at first glance.

Another aspect that made Dem interesting was how unlikely of a protagonist he was for a fantasy-type novel–he’s short-tempered, privileged, and egotistical. He is adamant that his view of logic and reason is correct, and much of the novel centers around his selfishness. Fortunately, glimpses of morality begin shining through his rough exterior, and he undergoes some pretty satisfying character development. I really enjoyed seeing how his views and actions subtly changed throughout the story.

Perhaps what I found most interesting about the book was the central theme of reason versus faith–something that is still debated vehemently today. Wozniak did an excellent job of showing the extremities of each side through Dem, the scientist, and Blythe, a priest. He highlights how silly it is that neither seem to be able to compromise, both refusing to accept that anything but their own belief is correct. The way that the two end up entangling is refreshing, and maybe gives a little hope that the two sides can live in harmony.

The book had some issues with plot and pacing, and the world-building felt a bit jarring. I’m overlooking that because I thought the characters were excellent and it was a refreshingly creative take on speculative fiction– it doesn’t follow conventional paths and tropes. It is a bit difficult to get into, but I promise it will lead you in a completely unexpected direction (a good one!).

It ends on a cliffhanger, and I definitely want to continue the series.

“Everything in our creation is built out of infinitesimal building blocks, called the indivisible. There is nothing else, besides the indivisible and the void.” – Master Voider Democryos

The story begins in medias res with Democryos receiving a letter from his wife, explaining that she has left him for another man. Dem, who had believed her to be his one true love, is shocked and hurt and angry. After inspecting her bedroom, he finds out more about her infidelity and some clues as to where she could be headed. So he goes on a quest to find his wife, fight for her, and win her back seek vengeance on the man who is the reason for her betrayal.

Democryos is the Master Voider of the Northern Kingdom, living in a citadel and teaching other voiders at the university. With the help of so-called void stones, voiders able to see the smallest units of matter and alter them. But the power of the stones surpasses the human ability to wield it. Too much exposure and the voider risks voideath.

In this pre-industrial age, Democryos is one of the most powerful people in the country, second only to King Andrej X. And when the king learns of Dem’s situation, he insists on cheering him up by sending him home with Chimeline, a woman from his harem. But Chimeline is not who she seems to be and soon she and Dem find themselves on the road together, searching for the “veiled” man. While travelling the country, they are joined by a holy man with a dark secret and a soldier from enemy territory. In addition to learning more about the veiled man’s identity and facing dangers on their journey, they learn about the true nature of voidance from unexpected sources, and each is confronted with their own past and challenged in their world view.

The world building happens gradually and follows the natural progression of the story through which we discover interesting new places with even more interesting, complex and fully fleshed out side characters. But the main cast was amazing. All four characters (Democryos, Chimeline, the effulgent, and il-Colu) have a lot of depth. They are clearly flawed yet very likable and absolutely unforgettable. The story is driven by both, the characters and the plot: The convincing relationship dynamics, the justified tension and the required trust between the protagonists, was compelling and felt very real. And while I was reading, I had no idea what would happen next. And the big showdown has everything one could ask for: action scenes, unexpected elements, and a lot of suspense.

This book was SUPERB! I expected a lot when I saw all the 4- and 5-star reviews. And this book did not disappoint. Entering this beautifully imaginative world was a wonderful experience. And this was one of those rare reads that I did not want to put down. And every time I had to, I kept thinking about it all day, waiting to finally pick it up again.

In addition to the wonderful cast and incredible world, part of what made this read so sweet was the beautiful writing that never resorted to the use of pseudo-epic cliché phrases. And do you remember those books where the protagonist and the lover throw caution in the wind, forget about saving the world, and just focus on their love for each other? You will not have to go through that here. Instead, Wozniak gives us mature characters full of inner strength who are able to say, “There are more urgent things in this world than repairing a broken heart.”
It is a rare blend of literary speculative fiction, although I personally would put it in the category of science fiction and fantasy.

And – last but not least – look at this stunner of a cover!!!

I can’t wait to read Wozniak’s other books while I am expectantly waiting for the sequel.

Thank you NetGalley and D.M. Wozniak for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't know what to expect from this novel, but it drew me in and I couldn't stop reading it. Want a story that calls to you to keep reading? This is it. The world is well created, and it is really great to see a magic system which has a cost, without the wielder just being able to do whatever they want. Of course, intrinsic to the plot is that the cost is even more than anticipated...

Magic, questions of religion and belief, a mystery, a journey, a villain, even aliens - a well-crafted novel without any of the pieces seeming to be out of place. The main characters are well written and developed and the storyline is enthralling. The only thing that was missing from this novel was a strong, well developed female character. The two featured females were a little too 'damsel in distress'/love interest only in order to be compelling characters. Despite this, I was disappointed when I reached the end! I definitely look forward to the next one.

This is a skillfully delineated world where there is a form of magic based upon the use of 'voidstones', a mineral which allows practitioners to manipulate the world at the molecular level. Ability to do this is hereditary.

Also hereditary is a certain type of cultist who preach that use of the stones is completely evil; these cultists, known as Effulgents, are completely hairless and their offspring, if also hairless, must join them.

When the Master Voider's wife suddenly leaves him, the king of his realm also reveals that Democryos has not been putting enough enthusiasm into the war effort against neighboring kingdom Xi. As he traces his wife's flight away from the capital, he comes across another voidance lab than this own at the university-- one he didn't know existed but filled with his own inventions. One of his students is a traitor! But they are weapons of war, which means the king must know...

The mystery deepens as he and the harem girl assigned him by the king as 'consolation' continue their journey of discovering and revealing treachery, which leads to the very edge of their familiar world. Could those wacky Effulgents have been partly right?

Excellent read, with insights into human hearts as well as particle physics.

This was a great literary fiction book that mixes sci-fi, fantasy and religion. Very enjoyable, and the tone and pitch were just right. I enjoyed it so much that I'm now looking for the books following it, and will be talking about it on my blog in many ways in the coming months. It made a real impression on me.
**Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

The Indivisible and The Void by D.M. Wozniak:

“Each year, Democryos sends his brightest student into the war-torn countryside to work magic. But when his wife leaves him for a mysterious stranger, he finds his own life ravaged.

Forsaking the comfort of the citadel, he searches for her, traveling through the same forgotten lands where he sent his students. Along the way, he befriends an elusive member of the king’s harem, a holy man harboring guilt, and a maimed soldier. Together, they stumble upon a key—not only to the war, but to understanding the magic of voidance itself.”

“A lie is just another form of ownership.”
★★★★★

I was amazed by this book, even if it constantly reminded me of V.E. Schwab’s books, it didn’t felt like a copy of anything I’ve read. The story was original, the diversity of characters was original. Even when there were a lot of names, places, and concepts to remember the book didn’t felt like heavy read.
The development of the characters was actually one of the things that I appreciated most in this story. Their changes are understandable and even reliable making the feel real. You could actually separate characters within the dialog without the need of a reminder of who was saying what because each character had their own voice and personality imprinted on their way to talk and think.
Surprises and plot twist were just a turn of the page on this, so the story had always a bit of extra tension on every chapter, in that way the plot became less predictable every time. The author also explained a little from the past of the main character making the reader understand more about his concerns, his personal life and why he reacted in certain ways on specific event.
Even when there were flashbacks the lot remained in a logical way, not confusing the reader at all on what was happening. The way the author describes the world isn’t overwhelming so it makes it easier to add up a clear image of the scenes even when there were a lot twists and turns along the story.
The book ended on a cliff hanger but still managed to conclude the story it begins with. That make me even more exited to read the next one (comes out in 2020). I’m joyous to continue to unravel the mysteries the void keeps and to return to read such marvelous characters.
I would recumbent this book to people in general that love magic, diverse cultures and points of views, mystery and love. Specially teenagers, young adults.

I found this book magical.. I love the sci-fi/fantasy genre, but found it really interesting with the addition of religion. This book really surprised me and would highly recommend to readers. I will definitely be looking out for any more books published by D.M Wozniak in the future.

This was an incredible tale of intrigue, self discovery and ideas as well as magic set in a very well mapped out world with fleshed out characters and situation, highly recommend and look forward to future sequels.

I loved this book! For some reason the title and the blurb made me feel like it would be a different kind of story, but it turned out much better. The void is like the space between atoms or maybe molecules, which are the indivisibles. Voiders can enter the space between atoms and manipulate them when they hold a certain kind of stone. The kinds of things they can do are pretty creative, like constructing an air bubble around themselves underwater or entering the bloodstream to destroy harmful cells. When the head of the voider university learns his wife has left him for another man, he drops everything and pursues her, determined to know why she left. This has the potential for being a very sad story, but it's not. He realizes pretty immediately that he and his wife shared a very superficial and mostly lustful type of love. He really just seems compelled to know why she suddenly left, and as he starts searching for her he uncovers some big surprises and strange things. He meets several people along the way who enable him to solve the mystery of his wife leaving, but also the larger mystery of how the manipulation of the indivisibles in the void is possible, and where the void stones come from. Our protagonist is both endearingly naive and extremely powerful, and it's great to see him start to figure things out and change his mind about some really big issues.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I have been having a really hard time getting into fantasy books lately, which is really strange for me as that is my go-to but this book really got me out of that funk. The author has an incredible imagination!

Huge Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity!

Fat fantasy novels usually take me a few sittings to get into and several weeks to finish. I write this having raced through the book in less than 6 days.
Far more thoughtful and engaging than I expected it to be, the story took several left turns where I would have expected it to go elsewhere. That's not to say that it was entirely nontraditional, but that it struck a nice balance between what you might hope for in a fantasy novel and surprises.
Right from the start I was gripped and had to keep going, constantly wanting to know what would happen next. It was a thrilling ride and one I will not forget in a hurry. Great plotting, pace and excellent characterisation. I only wish that the second volume was available now!

One of the best fantasy novels I've read in awhile! It starts off slow, but it is very much worthwhile to get through the early pages as it soon become an engrossing and inventive tale. Very imaginative and I'll certainly be looking for the next book in this series. If you like fantasy adventures, I'm sure you will enjoy this one.

The magic in the novel lies in stones that give certain people unique abilities. There are only so many of these stones so the number of people who can wield them is few. There is also a religious backdrop to the story. Dem, the main character is the master teacher of those who have the stones. All of the students each year are sent to war, except for one per year that Dem chooses to send into the countryside to help the communities. Only things don't work out like he expected. Quite an adventure!

Thanks to D. M. Wozniak through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This fantasy/sci-fi novel from D.M. Wozniak was certainly unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The book is slow to start and I did hit a wall and stopped reading for a couple of weeks, but once I analyzed why I wasn’t finishing the book I realized that I really enjoyed it and really did want to finish it. So I did, that night. As much as it’s a fantasy/sci-fi novel it is really about religion and I think science. It incorporates magic and intrigue which I really like but it wasn’t overly too fantastical.
The characters were enjoyable main character Democryos was likeable enough but you did get frustrated with him at times but no more so then with Blythe the religious zealot that ultimately befriends Dem and joins him on the journey of finding his wife (who left him from some unknown man). There is really so much to this book that I couldn’t begin to describe the point in a few sentences, I liked the characters, the storyline, the writing style and I am definitely looking forward to the second instalment! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had really good twists and kept the reader guessing what might actually be going on behind the scenes. The book reads at time like a fantasy mystery book where the main character follows the clues to try and find his wife and what is really going on. On top of this the magic system is a very interesting concept and includes some interesting powers behind it and how the system works.

The Indivisible and the Void isn't adventurous but one of internal human conflict represented through Democryos and his journey with the most unexpected companions. His actions and decisions will keep you hooked until the last page and raise inevitable questions. I just cannot wait for the next part to be released.

The journey of Democryos starts from the loss of his young love but winds up into a destiny he didn't see for himself, a fate that leads towards help and perhaps impending doom?! Following him was worth the ride. The only let down for me (hence four stars) is the moments of Void dreaming which though ties the story in one, breaks from anxious, peak moments of excitement like a whiplash on a roller coaster. To add to it we see many grey morale characters and a let down of a villain.

Though the ending suits the first book precisely to fit the next book release, I highly advice the readers to keep their expectations in check about a high riding climax.

oid magic has to be carefully taught and managed, and Master Voider Democryos sends a student into the war-torn countryside each year to work that magic. Lady Marine, his wife and former student, leaves him for a mysterious voider. Obsessed with his missing wife, Democryos sets out on a quest into the countryside to search for her. The King sends Chemeline, a member of his harem, to comfort Democryos. He also interacts with Blythe, who leads worshipers of the "Unnamed," as well as Colu, the wounded soldier with a patch over one eye. Together, they discover the means to understand voidance itself.

There is a lot of worldbuilding, from the inherited ability to manipulate voidstones in the voiders, to the Effulgents, hairless cultists that preach the use of voidstones is evil. The nature of magic and the voidstones is fascinating, as is the eventual revelation of the "empowered," who can manipulate the axion of the series title. That is the ultimate power, and involves the axiondrive, which had once upon a time powered a starship the size of a citadel.

In addition to the main story are several side stories that eventually weave into the main plot. Once they all pull together, the story picks up its pace and is a fantastic ride. Dem has his prejudices challenged as the story progresses, and the teachings of both the voiders and the Effulgents interweave. Some of their shocking discoveries are easily guessed if you read enough about magic and fantasy novels, but the horror that they feel is very real, and they deal with it appropriately. None of the characters mentioned are there for no reason, and the hints at a larger world and universe are really tantalizing. I wished there was more about Chemeline's background and culture, but large parts of it actually aren't explained. Maybe in future books, it'll play a larger part.

While the main story is wrapped up fairly neatly, we get a bit of exposition after the fact in the mysterious voider's journal, as well as the chilling They're coming at the end. This is book one of the series, so that hook will absolutely get dealt with.

Epic style dark fantasy .
Wonderful ride , great well thought out plot and characters.
Book 1 of a hopefully plentiful series.

Such an imaginative, mysterious, and well-detailed world, I find myself already hoping for book 2 of this new fantasy series from D.M. Wozniak. I immediately connected with the main character Dem and found all of the characters to be well-developed. The characters experience a good amount of growth through the story and the villain is a great foil to Dem himself. They kept me guessing as they slowly revealed themselves through the plot situations that occurred. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd go with Blythe as I found him and his religion to be fascinating. I'm very impressed with the world building which was seamless throughout the story.

The whole book has a great flow to it by slowly introducing new places and people to create a whole picture and the plot delves into some deep topics that make you think like betrayal, drug addiction, trust, and regret. SO much happens in this story! I mean, I was hooked from the first chapter but the pacing is just right. This is even more impressive when looking at the reveals because BIG stuff happens. The world created here is totally different by the end of the book and watching the characters respond as they learn more was interesting.

For me though, I'm most impressed by and interested in the magic system. The indivisibles that make up this world and the void where you manipulate them is truly unique to other fantasies I've read and I loved it. I'd say this aspect has me most excited about the next book in the series. My one critique, and it's a small one, is I wish the ending hadn't been a cliff-hanger. I'm already sold, I want to read book 2, so I'm not really a fan of endings that just drop off BUT even though I'm complaining (probably because I just wanted more of it) I'm definitely keeping my eyes open for the next in this series. Definitely recommend this one to any fantasy reader.


Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank NetGalley and the author D. M. Wozniak for the opportunity to do so.

This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've had this book sitting on my kindle app since like last fall. I finally read it and Good Unnamed I am kicking myself for not reading this sooner! I feel like my mind exploded after that ending and I NEED book 2 right now!!

The Indivisible and the Void is an adult sci-fi that introduces us to the world of voidance. This science is what our main character has made his career on. Democryos is the Master Voider and has always believed that voidance is good and a useful technique to combat the evils of the world. When his young and beautiful wife leaves him for someone else, Dem needs to know why. Setting out the find Marine and ask her, he ends up on quite a journey that will change his whole life and beliefs.

I loved the world building. The faith of the efflugents and the science of voiders is a conflict that is all to real in our world. But the mysterious powers granted from the void add a magical element. After dinner with the king one night, Dem leaves with Chimeline, a girl from the King's harem. Dem soon finds out that Chimeline knows more than he would've guessed about the person Marine left with. After the discovery of the hidden laboratory, the two of them set off for the South to try and find Marine and answers about the blurred man she is with.

The beginning was a bit slow and took me a while to get into. But right around the 50% mark, there were several key revelations that blew my mind. After that, it took me one day to finish the rest of this book. I fell in love with the main characters: Dem for his scientific and logical mind, Chimeline for her passion and open mindedness, Blythe for his kindness and faith and Colu for his strength and ability to make me laugh. I loved this group and the answers they found together, they forged true friendships and I cannot wait to see what misadventures they'll cause in book 2.

Dem and Blythe had almost nothing in common when they meet. But the way their friendship and acceptance of each other develops, was fantastic. I loved seeing faith and science being able to get along. Plus what they discovered was mind blowing on its own.

Starts as a bit of a slow burner but evolves into a solid fantasy read. One of the best I can remover reading. The author has a fabulous imagination and the story was both impressive and inventive. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

What a grand adventure! I felt for Dem right from the start as he deals with the blow of his wife leaving him with an another man. It doesn't help that isn't really secret. Beyond that, as things unfold you find out more about him and what it means to be a Voider, of which he is a master and teacher under pressure to train others with his gift to aid the king. However, he's focused on finding his wife which takes him places and reveals things he'd never seen coming.

He isn't alone though and that brings me to my favorite secondary character, Chimeline. I just loved, loved, loved her and I'm so curious to know every little thing about her. The magic system was wonderful. The stones are creative and the concept of the void brilliant. The underlying messages and themes weave into the story out of sight, making it as deep as you wish, if you want to ponder them or you can simply enjoy the fantastic fantasy adventure.

I hope there will be more in this series soon, I'd love to step into this world again.

If you are tired with today’s life but still want to get a taste of what is going around you then pick up this book because it will take you straight to a world where there is magic and it will make you have a look into the cruel realities of our lives. What a ride it was. I read it in one sitting. It was a magnificent tale woven through beautiful writing .

I really liked this book cause it is a very unique fantasy. I have a soft spot for books that doesn't go with the mainstream so I really enjoyed it. . The main characters were interesting described and they felt likeble. I also liked the writing style very much cause it was very fluently and easy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


I’m a bit mixed on this one, there are parts I really like and others that just didn’t work for me. Wozniak did an interesting thing in almost blending fantasy and sci-fi together in one story. The Effulgency is a mysterious race and also a religion set apart from other humans. Then there are those humans who can touch and use the ‘void’ which gives them the power to manipulate the physical world. And these two sets of people are at odds with each other, and yet both are pillars of respectability and power. This entire premise was incredibly interesting, and perhaps why I struggled is that it took a back seat to a strange love story. A husband tracking down a wayward wife and then finding a new love driving the story rather than the bigger story of a world-altering threat seemed like a missed opportunity. However, I fully admit that I came in expecting something different and wasn’t in the mindset of reading any sort of romance. If I had, then it wouldn’t have been quite so jarring that there was so much focus on Dem’s love life. While it wasn’t what I expected, Wozniak set up an interesting world with the blending of fantasy and sci-fi and the ending of the story clearly leaves a path for future novels and it will be interesting to see where the story goes.

** A huge thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review

I hadn't heard of the author prior to selecting this title.. so it was a bit of a "judge a book by cover" (isn't the artwork just beautiful?) moment followed by ... "ooooh... now this sounds like something I want to read!"

Boy oh boy did Wozniak deliver.

What a story. The story opens introducing us to Master Voider Dem. His wife has left him and so as a reader we follow Dem into piecing together what has happened.

The concept of voidstones and using these to see divisibles (what things are made up of) within the void is well detailed; thought out and explained to the reader. The concept is quite fascinating. The idea of being able to manipulate and change objects around you. But what exactly is powering the stones themselves?

Along the way he falls into company with one of the Kings harem, Chimeline, and together they chase down his wife and the mysterious veiled man.

They meet up with an effulgent with a strong dislike to voiders and their "evil" stones. Yet somehow ends up joining the pair on their journey. This is probably one of my most favourite relationships between all the chacters. Two different sides learning from each other. I felt quite moved towards the end but no spoilers here!

I thought the story itself read very well; and I was quite taken with Wozniak's way of being able to describe something so beautifully. I wish I had written down the exact description but theres a part of the story where Dem and Chimeline are riding through long grass and Wozniak descibes the sounds, colours and movements being like the sea.

The plot comes together very well and very satisfying ending - I would love to read the next book.

The book was a delightful discovery.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The Indivisible and the Void is a mature fantasy tale with a hint of science fiction. The book follows a 40ish yr old man who has power, money, magic, and a beautiful wife--or does he? The story opens with his wife leaving him and he begins to learn that things he holds closest to his heart were never his to own.

After reading this book, I'm anxious to check out everything else from this author. It's an excellent book that ticks off just about everything I could ask for from fiction: great writing, world building, complex relationships, an epic journey, plot twists, magic. While the ending is somewhat predictable, how we get there is not, and I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns the characters take. The world building is excellent and imaginative. The magic system is very intriguing, clever, and smart.

Wozniak's writing is simple, clear, and beautiful. I usually find first person point of view writing cheesy, but the author did a great job balancing Democryos' thoughts with setting the scenes and description. The characters were unexpected and well developed. The relational tensions and drama were well written and thought provoking. The author does an excellent job of convincing the reader of one idea in the beginning of the book only to poke holes into it by the end, leaving the reader carefully analyzing the facts and beliefs. What do you have a right to call your own? Can you rightly judge a person by their appearances? And my favorite lesson from the book, what does a true friendship or mentorship look like? How do we love those around us and not simply use them for our gain? Do we sometimes use and abuse our friends without realizing it?

I'm looking forward to the sequel!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book!

I really enjoyed this! Not going to lie, I definitely thought I would hate it when I started- middle aged man whose younger wife leaves him so he abruptly leaves everything behind to follow her? No thanks. But the more I read the more I was pulled into the story line and grew to really connect with Dem. I liked that there was a lot of detail without getting too confusing, and you aren't left with too many questions at the end. I would definitely read more in this world!!

Master Democryos is a Voider. This means he is capable of manipulating the world around him: in his view, the whole universe is made up of Void and Indivisible (which is I guess, is like atoms).

I really liked the writing style, I was surprised to see very mature topics and speech in this book, which made it a much more interesting read, and the magic system was unique and fascinating.

I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. And I really enjoyed reading this book.

Master Voider Democryos has his world shaken when he finds a note from his much younger wife that she left him for someone else. She’s run away. Heartbroken, he’s determined to find her. He receives his first lead from the beautiful Chimeline, one of the King’s harem. Dem’s wife Marine has disappeared with another voider—an incredibly dangerous voider, who’s working on something secret that will change the war between them and the Xian Kingdom. Dem leaves the citadel with Chimeline to find his wife and the voider, but along the way, he meets others who help him uncover the secrets of voidance and shake his ideals to the core.

It might be strange that I classify this as a coming-of-age, considering it is an adult novel, and this is a genre usually tied to YA. However, I think that adults keep on learning as well, don’t we? We’re constantly stuck in one perspective, which can be challenged by others, and then we need to re-evaluate our worldview and adapt. And that’s what’s happening to Dem as well. What I particularly like about it is that it’s written in first person and present time. As a reader, you’re so immersed in Dem’s way of thinking that you become caught in it as well, and change with him as he comes to new insights.

It’s a great story about different sides, conflicting ideas, coming together, and finding common ground. In that sense, this story feels very contemporary, and it’s an important narrative for today’s world, where it often feels as if we’re only drifting further apart from each other.

The world-building in the Indivisibles and the Void is also great, and the magic system is different from what I’ve read before, which is a nice change. The so-called Voiders use stones with certain parts in it, and when they touch it, they enter the Void. Here, they can manipulate what they call Indivisibles, which changes parts of the world temporarily. Opposed to this, there’s the Effulgency, who follow the Unnamed. They claim that the Voiders use ‘black arcana’ and that their magic is evil. There’s a lot more to it, and I thoroughly enjoyed how it’s explored in this book. I can’t wait to read the next one!

I love this book and the world I was transformed into while reading it. I highly recommend this book and thank you to net galley for allowing me to read this book.

This was an amazing novel. Highly recommended for fans of the genre. Will be recommending the book for purchase.

This was an amazing fantasy/sci-fi read. Very unique and atmospheric, the story grabbed me on the first page and held my attention throughout the whole journey. I really need a sequel!

What surprised me the most was that the main character was in his forties - it was refreshing, because I don't see non-teenage or somewhat older main characters in fantasy books all that often.
The other thing I was immediately intrigued about was unique magic - based on touching the voidstones and looking at world in a completely different way. I must admit it gave me shivers.
Another thing was sudden sci-fi elements in a fantasy world later on which I didn't expect - and I loved it!

The story starts with a vague magic school aspect, but we quickly leave that in the background and go on a journey. We follow the main character Master Voider Democryos on his journey to find his young wife who left him. On his way he meets new characters, learns about secrets kept from him for years, and tries to find out what could be the actual reason for his wife leaving him. Is this a part of some sinister scheme he knows nothing about, even though he's the king's right hand?!

I really liked the writing style itself - it's flowing, easy to read and follow, and at the same time very beautiful and descriptive enough, but not too much.
The pacing of the story was good as well. I can see how the beginning of the book or the journey aspect could seem a bit slow to some people, but I personally don't think this book was slow or boring at all.

At the beginning it was a bit hard to really like and root for main character and his companions because they were all so very human - flawed, morally grey and quite ignorant. But that wasn't the negative thing - on the contrary, it made them very interesting to read about and I could see the potential in them to become so much more throughout their journey. As the story progresses, we see them learn, change, grow. I became very attached to them! The character development is one of the strongest parts of this book.
It was very interesting getting to know the world bit by bit, getting acquainted with different cultures and concepts and ways of thinking, seeing the world and importance of the quest expand unfathomably. I think there is still much more fascinating things to discover about this world and it's people.
I need more of Democryos and his friends, more of this captivating world and writing.
I can't wait for the sequel!

3,5 stars
There are things I enjoyed and things I really disliked, but overall a solid start for a series.
On the good side: the magical system was intriguing and I loved how it seemed almost scientific at times; the sci-fi twist was phenomenal, I can‘t wait to see was consequences it‘s going to have in the sequels! I enjoyed the relationship between the MC and the priest (from enemies with very different beliefs to allies and then friends). Lastly, I like the trope about the privileged and sheltered person who explores the world and realized hoe little he/she knew aout how things really are.
On the (very) bad side: the whole storyline about Democryos “desperately“ looking for his disappeared wife only to fall in love with another woman in the process!!! The books tells you how much Democryos is in love with his wife while not so subtly implying that she‘s manipulative bitch, a social climber with a huge lust for power and a cheater in order to justify him mooning over another woman. And of course, the only way his wife could redeem herself was by sacrificing herself which conveniently left the MC free to indulge in his feelings for the other woman (you know, there‘s no wife now so what could you ever object!?).
I think the female representation in general is very lacking, there are only 2 main female charachters in the whole book and they are heavily stereotyped: the traitorous and lying bitch lusting for power on one side, the saint on the over side (of course, she‘s an assassin but she can‘t be a morally grey charchter because she‘s Democryos love interest!).
I hope the problems are going to be fixed in the next, which I‘m going to read because the world building and the twists left me curious. It has great potential.

A world of magic from a different perspective, yet a familiar feel. One of the better fantasy books I have read in a while. Limited magic accessibility, a magic academy from the teachers perspective rather than the student or those new to magic, and plot twists throughout.

Great read.

This isn't a genre I would normally enjoy, but this book was surprisingly good. I'll be looking for more to read from the author. Hopefully they're all this enjoyable.

I thought this book was really well written! It’s not exactly the type of book I would reach for, but like they say, don’t trust a book by it’s cover. I think people who liked Ender’s Game or honestly, Stranger Things, would like this. It’s got right enough sci-fi and a mystery-esque sense to keep you turning the pages.

The Indivisible and the Void is an adventure into a new universe where "the magic of voidance is the gift of a few elites; where technology is somewhat distant and society has a world in which science and religion are on two opposing tracks. We follow the story through the eyes of the the Master of Voidance, Democryos, or Dem for short. His wife has left him for another man; not just a man but another gifted practioner of Voidance.. Dem is on a quest to find his wayward wife, discover who this other man's identity and while at it check in on students he sent to help remote villages.
Dem is accompanied by one the King's women from his harem and later by a maimed soldier and a priest who has a different view of voidance.
The ride is a wild one, the characters present unexpected dramas and the best part.....this is the first of a series.
If you love science fiction, a well written story and quirky characters, you are going to love this book. This reader is eagerly awaiting the second in the series.

“For when you hold a voidstone, everything changes.You no longer see the world. You see what the world is made of, moving around the ferocity of creation. You see the indivisible and the void.”

This story really left me speechless. How unique, imaginative and intense it was, with mystery and many twists and turns. The tension on every chapter made me want to read the next one right away!

The story follows Democryos, an extremely powerful voider who can enter into the void state by manipulating the molecules and atoms using the voidstone. But this powerful ability can be extremely dangerous and could lead to the voideath.

Democryos is married with another powerful voider, younger than him, and their relationship is intense and special, until one night his wife disappears and it is made to seem like she left him to run away with another man. Democryos feeling betrayed and angry will do everything to find where his wife is and along the way he will see that something dark and mysterious is hiding behind this disappearance. As the mystery deepens he finds other powerful and very interesting people who are willing to help him while he discovers that his power is stronger than he thought..

If you love fantasy, mystery and suspenseful page turning stories then you should definitely read this one!!

I can’t wait to read more of D.M. Wozniak’s books!! His imagination is phenomenal!!

Thank you NetGalley and D.M. Wozniak for providing this free e-book copy!

I must say that this was a genuine surprise for me never having heard of the author or the series I took a read of the blurb and found it piqued my interest a little and thought well I've nothing to lose by giving it a go.
I'm really glad I did firstly the protagonist Master Voider Democryos is interesting his motivation for his behaviour is pretty clear but there were small flashes of a darker side to his personality that worked well otherwise he'd have been too "goody" for my liking.
I recommend others to give this a try I'm moving onto book 2 right after finishing this which I don't do too often certainly not on the same night at midnight. Lol.
But I want more of the weird and wonderful world of Democryos.
4.5/5

The Indivisible and the Void was a dense book. Packed with plot and adventures, also rich world building that keep expanding as the story kept going. The writing style took a while to get used too, but the whole reading experience was great.

4.0 Stars. Thank you Net Galley for giving me an ARC for this. This was unique and nit what I was expecting and will definitely be sending it along to friends looking for some sci-fantasy that delivers!

What intrigued me about The Indivisible And The Void was the hook of a broadly medieval fantasy on the cusp of science. That is in here, but its charms are eventually more human. In particular, our viewpoint character Master Voider Democryos is a character who starts off as stuffy as his name. The head of magic for his warring kingdom, whose wife has just left him, is set in his ways and full of righteous fury, which seems to have much more to do with his pride than his wife. It is an engagingly spiky first-person perspective, he's basically picked a stubborn pompous University Professor as his lead, and the language he uses shows very much that he sees his wife as a possession rather than a lover. What follows is a picaresque hero's journey, albeit mainly one of unlearning what he thought he knew about the world and his assumptions. The book is episodic, and he picks up companions along the way (there is a feel of a D&D campaign here, not least as it manages more successfully than most to find a decent reason why he might have a cleric in his party).

The simplicity of the one viewpoint and journey narrative was quite refreshing after a lot of multi-viewpoint books, and this is certainly YA adjacent (if YA adjacent allows a fifty-something protagonist). The magic system at the heart of the book is interesting, it initially feels like a play on an atomic system (the world is divided between the indivisible and the void, and magicians can work with the void), though there is a big swing in the last third which turns this into a very different kind of fantasy novel. The book also teases for a long time the mysterious identity of its villain, which does turn out to be a bit of a disappointment when he is finally unmasked. But there is a propulsive narrative here that got me past some of the clunkier parts (there is an addiction subplot that never really works). What is more, the book ends with a massive tease for a very different kind of story, our medieval fantasy is about to be plunged into what appears to be a space opera, and that is really rather intriguing.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

I don't often enjoy this trope / genre of book to be honest. I wanted to give it a fair shot, and I've been trying to branch off a bit and try new reads. I'm glad I did.
The author is truly talented. The character development was amazing. I found myself liking almost every character, even the lesser known side ones. The world building? Beautiful.
Even if sci-fi/fantasy isn't your cup of tea, you'll be drawn into this storyline so easily.

I adored this book, more than I thought I would. And i'll definitely recommend it to others!

he protagonist of the story, MC Dem, wakes up one morning to find that his wife has left him for another man. However, as he embarks on a journey to uncover the truth, he meets a holy man, an ex-soldier named Il-Colu, and a woman named Chimeline from the king's harem who join him on his quest.

While the story utilizes common fantasy tropes, such as a group of outcasts going on a quest and a magical school, the author cleverly subverts them by presenting the perspective of one of the teachers rather than a student. This unique approach provides readers with a fresh and refreshing perspective on the genre.

One of the standout elements of the book is Dem's struggle between faith and logic, which adds depth and complexity to his character. The world-building is also well-done, with the details unfolding subtly and naturally throughout the story.

The magic system, which involves magical stones and necklaces that tap into the power of the void, is well-explained and easy to visualize. However, while the book excels in many areas, some readers may find themselves wanting more from the character of Chimeline, whose past is teased but not fully explored.

Despite some predictable plot points, the author's overall writing style is dark, imaginative, and thought-provoking, making it a 4-star read for many. Overall, If you enjoy a compelling story with a unique perspective and well-developed characters, this book is well worth your time.

"The Indivisible and the Void" by D.M. Wozniak is a stunning debut novel that deftly blends science fiction, philosophy, and poetry. Wozniak's prose is both poetic and precise, creating a rich and immersive world that feels both familiar and alien. The novel explores themes of identity, free will, and the nature of reality in a way that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.

Overall, "The Indivisible and the Void" is a masterful work of speculative fiction that will appeal to fans of the genre and literary fiction alike. Wozniak is a talented writer with a unique voice, and this novel is a must-read for anyone who loves thought-provoking and immersive storytelling.

One of the top fantasy books I've recently read!
It takes a bit to get going, but once you do, the story quickly picks up steam and proves to be well worth the effort.
Really creative, and I'll look forward to the subsequent book in this series.
I'm sure you'll like this one if you appreciate fantastical adventures.