I will continue to update as I go, beware of spoilers:
The base building is ignored by the MC and pawned off to people in the background. The MC is so unaware of what has happened as he visits the same places that were introduced in book one that it is disappointing. I enjoy base building and this MC couldn’t care less after the tower reaches level one in book one. Suddenly our MC’s most prominent line is “hmmm”, no matter the seriousness of the damn situation!
First 10 chapters: circular story line that doesn’t take the MC anywhere and shows his lack of focus. His nemesis tells him about a potential danger in book one and he loses himself in his research for two years and ignores the characters we grew attached to in book one. Not a very endearing character trait for an MC. He’s lucky he didn’t sit in his tower while the world burned down around him during that two years because his head was up his @ss.
11-20: Our MC observes his apprentices and guard acting completely irresponsible for five days and then leaves them alone… seems like a logical next step for an absent minded Wizard that is led around like he is a noob.
Ignoring his subordinates gets more frustrating the more the MC does it and to top it off he ignores the plot of the innocent for a “his view”. This passes the point of humorous indifference and just shows a callous and selfish character. I’m not sure his positives offset the constant @sshole attitude perspective the writer tries to endear us to. More BS drama between new apprentices and he takes no time to ask questions and just plows forward with wanting to know their research on magic… more selfish @sshole lines where he ignores what people around him are saying while he lives in his self absorbed world. Who finds that charming?
So glad the MC can talk about no longer liking strawberry wine while a fight for life is happening right in front of him as he is lost in his thoughts and hoping the same people will soon be finished making noise to stop bothering him. 12 widows made and the MC just casually walks away before the fight is even finished. Now he’s grouchy and giving advice to someone on handling death when his absent mindedness and lack of give a shit probably contributed to some of those deaths?
The MC founded an orphanage but in his thoughts he doesn’t know if he wants to help them survive a war? I keep taking stars off as the book goes on. So disappointing after getting hooked on book one.
Here is the shallow character development that makes the book unappealing:
Female assistant is a snobby slut
Male assistant one is an idiot who screws Nyads
Male assistant two screws his brother over by sleeping with female assistant
Guard one is a coward who chases after the cook
The cook runs her mouth to the spy merchant
Another writer who believes describing food and meals is a good substitution for solid writing.