I could tell from the start that I was interested in this book, and that it was well-written. Unfortunately, it also opened up pretty immediately with the main character being a) unlikable and b) a horrendously cringe-inducing neckbeard. THANKFULLY, a) he does appear to develop in some positive directions in the latter half of the book and b) the portrayal of and interactions with a certain female character which made me grimace repeatedly took place all early on. I’ve gone through a few other books with one or the other issue, and make it a practice to give them a chance to improve- luckily in this case that happened.
By and large, I enjoyed the characters, the banter, and most of all the worldbuilding and the powers. I want more, and look forward to seeing how the final twist (it’s a good one, and not just an abrupt gut-punch) plays out in future novels. I also finished the book hopeful that the main character won’t stay a person who I instinctively dislike every time he opens his yap.
Will Watt does a strong job as lead narrator, and the rest of the cast does great jobs as well. My only complaint was that there are some sound effects thrown in, and they felt a bit haphazard. I only recall hearing one or two that I thought added to the narration, while the majority pulled me out of it because they necessitated a pause in the narration or just were so abrupt. They weren’t pervasive, so I didn’t consider it a major flaw, but by the same token…I think I’d have actually enjoyed the book more without any.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.