It provided a human face to cranky-old wizards. I was apprehensive because of the bland title and generic seeming subject matter. I was wrong. I fully enjoyed this series. It was at times emotional without being sappy, funny without relying on lame jokes.
The main character has character. He’s not just a stand in for the reader, but someone fleshed out with understandable desires, deep history, many flaws, loves the “petty wizard tricks”, ever curious about the world around him, and loves research and discovery.
I turned to it looking for something different from my normal litRPG/progression fantasy and it delivered. Despite the issues he faces, still has the heart of a slice of life story.