This is when everything just goes to hell.

Seeing all the reviews that pop up 1st, makes you think that this book is garbage. I can’t relate to these people’s tastes in the slightest. I think this is the best book in the series yet. The main problem with this series is that it is divided up into so many smaller chunks for the sake of making more money by having multiple sales. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me. I can’t come up with a better reason. But I feel that way about most book series nowadays. I can see how it appeals (from a marketing perspective) when you make a proper length story… to only get the monthly credit value for all your work. But… enough of that rant.

This book is the best one yet. The story pulls on the emotions and heart strings. There is no “lives happily ever after” within this section of the story. Everything goes to hell in a hand basket. Loss is an understatement. And I was drawn in through it all. Yes, I wanted to veer back to the MC when it swapped to some of the other 1st person narratives. But that’s because I was so enthralled into where Art’s story was going. But each of those were necessary to give the complete story. The flashbacks into Art’s previous life as Grey are paramount to establishing the current story.

I take my hat off to TurtleMe for the depth of this story. I don’t hand out 5 stars for just any and every book. I rarely give anything 5 stars on here. Because there is a clear difference between good… and great. But this story draws you in on such a detailed and intimate level. Where many stories fail because the MC faces no real hardship, no actual adversity; this is not one of those stories. This book shows the struggle of someone being in over their head… and loosing everything because of it. Art thought he was something special. He thought he could make a real difference in the war. He was looking for that “Happily ever after” ending. But that is not this story.

I am a fan of a classic tragedy. That “happily ever after” crap is bs. Real life breaks your jaw, and knocks your teeth out as it is stomping on your face into the ground. That is relatable. Loss is relatable. And this is where we find Art. There is no fairy tale ending. A real hero is forged through hardship. And Art is being forged.

I also believe that a hero is only as good as his antagonists. So many books and movies fail miserably in this. This is not the case in this series. Here we are given a charismatic psychopath, with the power and ability to achieve his goals, and enforce his will. He believes whole hardheartedly in his cause. He is calculating, ruthless, and is winning. Boy is he winning. Imagine Chairman Mao Zedong with super powers. And all the protagonists of this story are starting to look more like the protesters at Tiananmen Square. There is no light of hope in this chapter of the story. Dicathen has lost the war; and Art’s whole world has crumbled in all around him. This is proper story telling. This is how you build up to a proper ending.

The narrator is a true professional. He is one of the most talented you will find. His range is unreal. It’s not natural how many different characters he becomes to give this book life. I am amazed that he is the one doing the female voices. I assumed there was a woman doing it. He’s narrated quite a few books that I have in my library. But this story really made him stand out this time. I really took for his work for granted in the past.

I’m not sure what else there is I can say without going into the realm of “spoilers”. I love this series. I wish it wasn’t divided up into so many short installments. But this is a story worth returning to more than once. This is now in my favorites list. I’m so glad I grabbed the whole available series while it was on sale! Thank you TurtleMe for this story. I absolutely love the Isekai genera. And this is quality Isekai.