James Maxwell delivered a good book that kept me intrigued and reading for longer than I should have. The world building is solid, characters and different races are interesting to read about. For me the issue with the writing style wasn't as bad as people made it out to be, it's an easy to read book with good action, nice plot and an ending that leads to a sequel. A sequel I will want to pick up to see what happens next. For anyone that likes a story about an underdog becoming champion set in an interesting world and with a lot of action this is a book to add to your reading list.

*** An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ***

An intriguing new addition to the fantasy-adventure genre for young adults and adults alike! This is a great introduction to this series, filled with adventure, action, and fantasy. The characters are well done and the world building is well crafted. I look forward to the next in this series.

I wanted to like this book. I have a broken foot from a very early childhood injury. I wanted to sympathize with the injured warrior but his fighting abilities with a mangled foot are pretty much magic. I broke 3 of the metatarsals in my left foot, the bones all healed straight, and I had corrective surgery as an older child. My foot looks normal unless you got close enough to see the old surgery scar and the slight lump running along the top. Let’s just say it doesn’t feel awesome... I just couldn’t quite buy that a character whose foot was mangled far far worse than mine, who had the crudest treatment at best, would or could become a great warrior. You just don’t move that fast when your leg might randomly go out from under you. At least he never needs to worry about cold weather aches I guess.
Aside from that the writing is adequate adventure story writing but it does very much tell you and not show you. It’s a pretty straight forward writing style. It’s not awful, it’s just not good. I was disappointed because it sounded like fun and the world does seem interesting.

I really enjoyed this book. It was so different from typical fantasy books I have read. The different species and terrains were a breath of fresh air compare to some same old fantasy stories told. Very adventurous and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment.

The story is very well written. What an intriguing idea. I couldn’t put the book down. Filled with magic and wonder. The characters are so dynamic and real.

Although flawed, this is decent. The book has been a top seller on Amazon for a month or so, and there are many helpful reviews from smart readers. Since I can't add anything additional that's helpful, I'll just say that action fantasy fans will probably like this one.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!