I regret that I have to agree with some of the other reviews that were less than positive. The story had potential, and could have been very good. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my hopes.
It feels quite undeveloped and unpolished in many ways. Another reviewer mentioned that it felt like a rough draft, and that seems perfectly stated. This really needed a few more drafts, and the skills of a good editor.
Before my disappointment set in, the first thing I noticed was that the writing is quite dry. The dialog in particular is almost robotic. The world feels like an unpopulated wasteland, lacking very much personality or texture after the first 1/4 or so.
The fight scenes are particularly bland – in most cases, it is simply stated that a fight was taking place, that a few sword strokes were exchanged, and a combatant was defeated. They lack description, and any sense of tension or excitement. Contrast this with the outstanding fight scenes in “Son of the Black Sword” by Larry Correia – a master class in writing sword combat it ever there was one.
I did have one very good laugh, but it was at the book’s expense. There is a line that says: “The other monks, already prostate on the ground, groaned and started having seizures.” Yes, you read that correctly – prostate, not prostrate. I don’t know if that was an error in the text, or a slip of the narrator, but I laughed for several minutes about that.
The narrator, for his part, seemed to do a respectable job with the material. Although I can’t point out anything stellar, I also can’t complain about anything in his performance, either.
Ultimately, I struggled to get through this book, and I don’t think I will be continuing with the series.