I really love the AO series. Is the dialogue always on point? No. Is it the best series I’ve ever read? Again, no. But it is a truly enjoyable story and I like the way Travis Bagwell engages with philosophical notions of morality. I’m also enthralled with the world he’s creating.
This installment continue to build on that world, tying AO Ember Series in with the main series – if you didn’t read about Finn (who I’m much more interested in than Jason), then you’ll likely not really follow why the Avatar of the Flame is set in his doggedness and will leave some of the interactions between Jason and Alfred a bit puzzling until the very end.
That said, with all of the characters being presented and all of the varying threads, there’s a certain amount of the LitRPG element that’s falling through the cracks. I’m listening to the earlier books again and we’d get a bit more information as to the quests, stats and strategies put forth by the characters. This book was completely devoid of any quests and interactions and previously influential characters have taken a severe backseat. Also, Jason seems to have forgotten some pretty solid spells since book one (Curse of Silence, Curse of Weakness, anyone?)
That said, the introduction of Wesley was a welcome angle and his inevitable foibles towards the end of the book had me gasping for air from laughter. Overall I’m looking forward to the next books and am currently listening to the series again.