Justin M

A vast improvement over the last two books.

Reviewed: 01-25-24

I listened to the first and thoroughly enjoyed it except the sound effects everyone agrees suck. The next book was alright for the most part and became unbearable when what's her face came into the story and quit after my best when I saw there was 7hrs left. The next one was awful as well. This one might be better than the first book. Definitely less childish voiced sound effects even though they're still around and a likeable main character to anchor the story around who we were introduced although at an older state previously. I can't completely remember but it's nice in a series when there is something that at least connects one book to the next directly. The prequel to recluse was kinda alright but really made me loath every second later on.

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You realize you have male readers right?

Reviewed: 01-02-24

Omg the dude wrote like every female character to be absolutely hostile while being utterly and completely toxic. I'm so sick of this in the modern times, I honestly wouldn't expect an old story to be that way. The last one I actually had to skip after having around 7hs left cause that second main character girl was absolutely one of the most insufferable characters to listen to in hundreds and hundreds of listens. I don't have an issue with conflict between characters and randoms but gosh damn it's been a bombardment in these last two books. I kinda want to just push through it but it's so early on and it seems like he wrote it to be that way as a lore thing now which I didn't catch once in the first book. These are free to listen to and still I don't think I can manage it.

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Had to quit, beginning is dull but quickly becomes unbearable when the sub tyrant becomes a second main character.

Reviewed: 12-24-23

I got to the point where the healer lady was guilt tripping the main character for whatever after he was singing and playing guitar for how he treats the insufferable sub tyrant that just plagued this guy's life the moment he met her. Oh she can feel what he feels or thinks or something? Well thats a you problem. The guy had nothing to do with her getting bound to him like that, he can't break the bond or do anything about it and she has done nothing but be utterly toxic the entire time and seems like she came to find him? I'd honestly just shove off and be literally anywhere else than around something like that or jump off the highest place I could find if I couldn't get away. I mean he thinks she looks nice and she snaps at him and I'm pretty sure when he didn't have his shirt on she said something about admitting he has a nice body? She has no empathy whatsoever. He could literally be dying and she'd probably just try to save him because she dies too due to the bond. This book is pretty dull for the beginning but it has become more and more unbearable since she came in as a second main character. Don't make your main characters unlikable. It's a shame too cause I was looking forward to the next book after the first one but this is some prequel to Recluse which you don't really know for a decent while with none of the characters from the first book. Overall this wasn't very strong to begin with but good lord it's horrible I can't believe I wasted my time listening to this when I could be listening to something not so horrifyingly toxic. Maybe she has some redeeming turn around later or maybe they end up liking eachother but it's not worth the pay off to even sit through another minute. I can only think of a couple books out of the hundreds of random books I've listened through that are so bad I stopped listening to them. This is one of two and this book is lucky enough to at least not be the worst one buts it's number 2 worst out of hundreds. The other one I'm pretty sure was a dragon furry fantasy by an author that only knew how to write by characters conversing and dropping exposition dumps. I honestly want to place it below that but in all good faith can't because that was a special kind of hell I stumbled upon and literally wish I could be mind scrubbed.

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Oh Why!

Reviewed: 12-22-23

The voiced sound effects are awful. It's like if you are watching a movie instead of hearing a horse trot some one held up a poster saying clompy clomp clomp while saying clompy clomp clomp. Sucks you right out of the story. This was a weird book but I kinda liked it. I couldn't finish the next one it was a travesty, it's a prequel to Recluse and has a unbearable second main character that comes in at some point with none of the characters from this one. Like founding of Recluse or something. It was also pretty dull then that character came in and made it my second worst random book out of hundreds of random ones I've listened too. Seems like they dialed back the voiced sound effects in future ones so that's a plus I guess.

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Wow just wow

Reviewed: 12-05-23

I had to stop listening to these because it felt like the story was giving me brain rot. I even tried to tune out and just have it as background noise while I work but even then my subconscious was still picking up crazy nonsense. I don't even know where to begin it's like a 16 year old wrote this. Everything is just a big exhibition dump. When someone talks to someone they hardly know they just lore drop their lifes story way more than anyone would in real life sucking you right out of any possible immersion. The romance is friggin weird in this and everyone's just talking about banging each other n stuff, not just that though like half dragons and half demons banging n whatnot like lord almighty. The character depth seems forced, which is about as good as I can describe, while still being utterly and completely shallow. This also has the ring of a female protagonist written by a dude. World painting.... there is none or very little if any. Most authors give you some kind of description of what the protagonist is seeing and how people look but not here. The vast majority of the story that I could stand to listen to is mostly all conversing and inner monologue but mostly conversation. The narrator isn't really bad but she was probably also suffering brain rot from actually having to read this with potentially multiple takes which would be a mild form of torture for me. Leave me on an island with nothing to read but this and I'd toss em out to sea or burn em to preserve my sanity. If the author reads this and you want to take anything away from this. Read or listen to some great authors. See how their stories progress, how they paint the world for you to see into, how the inner monologues of the protagonist is done and how they have characters interact with eachother. If I seem harsh it's because one it's all true plus I am out of returns and lost however much a credit is for this after taking a chance on it.

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Definitely Worth a Listen

Reviewed: 12-05-23

It has great story and it left me wishing we got to sit on each protag longer, especially Alerics. I listened to Origins first and there is a definite difference in pacing, these being quicker due to being different stories than one long arc. Origins had a lot more world building and more time for character development, these are kinda slices of that world after hundreds of years or something. Alerics was my favorite which was slightly unfortunate since it was the first. Will and Sibils stories are strong as well but didn't get me as much as Alerics. If I could place a reason why it may be because his had a party during the whole story. Wills felt like he was pretty isolated most the time but it led to an interesting dynamic with the group he was traveling with. Sibil had companions but wasn't as strong a presence as the group from Alerics. Luckily this didn't have my main gripe from Origins which in Sibil constantly tried sacrificing or confronting powerful people trusting they will keep their word or hinging that the conflict will end on it which is dumb and it happened countless times without her learning from it or much of anything coming of it. Slight spoilers here. If I have one gripe in this book it's during Sibils where we get to listen over and over about being consumed by the light, what's her face legendary keeper as well and which for the story.... nothing really came of it. There is a bit of character development with it at the end but it's pretty subtle. I would have preferred her just having a unique powerful ability without the drama of it since there was no repercussions anyway, every time it came up it was like the story crashed to a hault then has to rev to pick back up again. Again it was a bit unfortunate that Alerics part was first. The characters in his party were unique and friggin hilarious at some points which gave it alot more light heartedness even with the darker tones than the others. Everything with Gustav was great just wish he was in the party the entire time so we could hear his nonsense the whole time but him leaving and the mind stuff it did with the others was great too. Plus I forgot his name already but Branson's I thinks interactions with him even to the end was somehow my favorite thing in the entire audiobook. To say the least I will probably relisten to this audiobook at some point just for Alerics part. I did enjoy that they are all present at some point throughout the different protags parts. Overall it was great and I'd recommend others listen. Only thing I'd ask of the author is to write a Origins length story but with the dark/humorous lighthearted style from Alerics story. It was great definitely the entire audiobook.

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Like the story dislike people just being dumb.

Reviewed: 11-25-23

I had a similar complaint for another book I listened too. I love everything about it maybe past half way now but holy cow how dumb can the lead protag be. Spoilers now so careful. There was several points on the way to this point but the absolute dumbest so far was Sable deciding to go to Gohl, or however it is spelled, told him she was the child of a legendary rebel they killed and would want. Thinking that oh they would just over look the Northern attack and defeat because Gohl said he would say there is not enough gold to be worth it if he takes her to the emperor. I mean come on. No remorse for Bastion the one person from the enemy side that helped and shared how much her mother changed his view of the world and strived to conquer as peaceful as possible as an ambassador, then was ran through by the guy who was supposed to deliver her to the empire and save her home right in front of her.... please. So ridiculously outright dumb. There could have been a million ways her identity to the empire could be discovered and it was her own dumb idea that her life was more important to the empire than a whole land for colonizing that has plenty of gold and resources to be worth it all hinged on a general who worked with Vivian and tricked that army to attacked there homes undefended while they came south. Then gets mad, upset and argues with friends and allies that are against these stupid ideas.. Some is ok but gosh darn there are other ways of moving the plot along without making the lead protag half braindead. Then on top of it I just got to the point where Reeses Cup is near dead and she's telling him will you come with me I'd like to live in a cottage just by ourselves or by herself. Really, the dude just asked that same thing earlier in the story and you didn't then. What changed now? The imminent doom that's about to sweep in from the empire that you played a major part in. I'm not saying a lead protag can't be mildly dumb but that becomes grating save it for other characters at least that way the dumb isnt the main point of view your reading from. Was there more? Of course. Ding dong walking right into the church grounds or whatever to confront Vivian multiple times, especially the last one. Dumb on Vivian and whoever else not just having a shoot on site order cause if I saw someone causing that much trouble and was evil I'd say any sign of her put a crossbow bolt in her chest and be done with it. Nope let her stroll right in, let me stroll right into a known evil woman's lair that just excited someone innocent by dragon fire. Now you maybe saying wow he must really hate this audiobook but no it is fantastic except the willfully dumb parts. Character growth, heroes journey, the journey in general, conflict, intrigue, I thought the play stuff was pretty cool, but she walks right up to a defeated general who already sent word he was defeated and says I'm super wanted take me but leave my homeland alone.... Mmmm Ok.

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2 people found this helpful

Dumb People Do Dumb Things

Reviewed: 11-09-23

I'm about half to 3/4s of the way through and although I feel invested and enjoy the story it seems like the heroes spend most of their time dealing with being treated like traitors and end up getting incarcerated to move the plot along. Leaders of all factions seem incomprehensibly dumb, I don't believe you! No follow up and incarcerated. I would normally say this is nearing spoiler territory but think it's a vague enough warning to what you are getting into. The main characters do oddly dumb things as well. I feel bad about giving the story 3 stars but I can't in good conscious give it more. A lot of the overall story, plot and characters, character development is alright but when "smart" people do dumb things is the only thing you think of is the way to move the plot forward and they couldn't think of anything else it kinda brings the story down. I'm fairly generous with reviews and it pains me but after happening enough times for me to have to zone out, shut my brain off, cover my ears and go lalala for the 4-5th time in just half - 3/4 of the way through I'm sure it's probably enough to be far worse for others that aren't as generous. Now I will say if you can get past that nonsense the rest of it is stellar, the relationships are a bit meh but relationships aren't easy and can swing wildly book to book author to author I give it a pass not the worst I've seen. Narrators are great, I recognized the female narrators voice from something else I've listened to and generally found both of their performances to be good overall. They both swing through multiple voices in a pretty unique perspective from male character side for a chapter or something to the female characters side for one and you get a weird thing where you hear the characters you were listening to done with a male voice done with females vice versa and brings a sort of inner voice kind of feel to how the current character is taking in the world. Do I recommend it so far? Sure, it's lengthy, the narrators are good, the overall story other than my earlier gripes is good and it will make long days at work or driving go by a bit faster.

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Reviewed: 11-03-23

ooooooooooooooooooo! Gosh darn why. Why! I listened to the station core compilation 3 times, listened through the other involved core series from these and got stoked to see Milton come back with all the others we got attached to. We all knew it was coming but still sad to see it. Hopefully they all make a return someday. If I had any complaint for the dimensional core books it would be to have just a little more involvement from the others, obviously juggling that many would be difficult but it really felt like they were more background characters to Milton's crew side characters and Milton's main character. I honestly wouldn't change anything anyway though, solid story on a grand scale, hopefully one day grander. A neat companion story would be a slice of life of each of the cores and some of the other characters that kinda gets a few chapters to see things from their point of view during certain events or just between events. Like at the where at Heaven for the decades, what was Fred working on, days when he gets a break to be with his wife and what not what do they get up to, Fred's interaction with the other cores and crew from his perspective. For example him and his wife go out to get food and sit down after whatever it is they were working on. They are talking and hear an explosion, a pause then Wisp busts through the floor from dozens beneath and keeps going and they just go back to talking while drones repair the damage. They go back through their portal to update their friends and son on the crazy nonsense that they are getting into in Milton's dimension and hang out for a bit.

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1 person found this helpful

Why is there no more books on these two?

Reviewed: 09-21-23

Pretty ridiculous this is one of my favorite Warhammer books out of all of em.

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