3.5⭐️

It started off pretty slow but when the story picked up, I was locked in! I really like the world building and how the multi-verse/alternate reality concept played out. The characters, basically the cadre, are interesting and very likable; I like that they all have depth and personality. The pacing overall was a little up and down for me sometimes but I didn’t mind it too much because the plot, the magic system, the interpersonal & intrapersonal growth of the characters got me hooked anyway.

I enjoyed reading Eli’s journey navigating through the new world and his overall self-discovery, but I’m also excited to read about Mirah and her story. I’m looking forward to diving deeper into the Citadel’s history and the progression of the harmony; I feel like this book did a great job building it up with the right amount of information to hold attention without giving up too much.

I’m definitely looking forward to get back into this world, I just know more things will unfold and I’m here for it!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

‧₊˚✧ 4.5 ✧˚₊‧
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, so a big thank you for the opportunity to read this book before release. I must admit, I was a tad afraid because of the Goodreads rating, but my fear was not based, because I really enjoyed this book a lot.

The first thing that caught my attention was how autismcoded Eli was, and same my dude. I really could get into his thought patterns because of this. It also made Eli so real as a character. You feel his struggle around his identity and that he's finding his place in the world. I loved seeing him grow as we go along in the story and I can't wait to see him grow into his role even more.

This definitely is a characterbased fantasy where relationships have a lot of importance. The assignment of the cadre was a bit unexpected with his past with 'real life Greg' vs his current situation with 'this world's Gregor'. I really expected Jase to be there, but I can appreciate being throw off in this kind of situation.

In the beginning this book also gave me major Barbie movie vibes, which is a compliment by the way. I think it was the way in which the author captured the magic, as well as the big 'zero to hero' arc this story is giving. Eli is no strong main character we often see nowadays, he struggles, but finds his own way in the world.

I also loved the magic system a lot. The way of the paths and that some are lost or buried is really interesting and I can't wait to see it all unfold in the next book. I wonder what forces they will have to battle. Will it be them vs the current system or will there be an actual villain in the future? Whatever it is, I really want this next book stat.

My takeaways: real characters in the beginning of their arcs, interesting magic system and general amazing vibes. Do consider picking this one up!

Many thanks to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the ARC.

First and foremost, for readers who are avid fans of manhwa stories with plot device of starting a new life in another fantasy world and discovering one’s newfound potential towards an adventure-filled journey, this book is for you. Aura Wielders: Citadel basically tells a story of a young Mormon guy who is stuck with fulfilling his missionary duties out of his mom’s wishes and his self-doubt over the faith he confesses with. His internal conflict brought him to a situation where his friend, out of concern for him to offer him a lifeline to escape that duty, made a decision that eventually pushed the main character to an entirely new world where aura wielding is a reality.

This book will definitely have a certain demographic of readers and should target those manhwa readers because based on my personal reading experience, I find similar plot devices and this book follows the familiar formula which is easily recognisable and will resonate with manhwa readers. Upon finishing this book, I was totally hooked with the future of this series and I’m looking forward towards whatever future world-building, lore, and character dynamics this will offer in the sequels.

I went into the novel without any expectations, but when I was at the point beyond Chapter 5, I got the hang of it. I was expecting another fairly standard manhwa trope with steady unfolding of events, and honestly, that’s pretty much what I got. There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about the premise, like the familiar tropes of main character’s personal motivation to do better in a new life, freedom that comes with own difficulties, underdog who isn’t overpowered from the start, finding unusual abilities and establishing new goals in life could be expected. However, the execution is what kept me reading, plus the fact that this is just Book 1 of the series helped me manage my expectations to wait for more in the next books to come.

I really enjoyed the pacing of the story because the author didn’t jumped right straight away in introducing a heavy world-building narrative. Introducing the story by focusing first on the protagonist’s situation, internal conflicts, and state of mind in the first 5 chapters is an intelligent decision. I also liked seeing how the author dealt with introducing other characters without unnecessary details, because in this type of stories, what matters most is the elaborate telling of events and intricate building of magic system without trying too hard on describing the character’s personalities.

Although this book landed perfectly to me and I wanted to give it 6 stars rating out of 5 stars, I also recognise that this might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Especially for people who are more exposed to other prominent authors who have already established their names in fantasy fiction genre. Others might find this book lacking in terms of action scenes, elaborate system building, or would find the lack of lore (e.g., a legend about the heroes of Aegis conquest or expounding on the members of miracle generations like Caelum, Petyra, and Terraes) not engaging.

That being said, I think the author knows exactly what it wants to be. The book is not necessarily trying to reinvent the formula for this genre. Instead, it is taking familiar tropes and using them to tell an entertaining story by incorporating Native Indian lores as a substitute to the typical eastern Murim world structure. If you enjoy fantasy action stories with gradual pacing and realistic character development, I’d recommend giving it a try.