Sunday, 26 July 2026

EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS Book 1


Emperor Of The Borderlands (Book 1) by Alex Toxic and Eugene Astakhov
Book 1 in the Emperor Of The Borderlands series
Narrated by Victor Warren
Genre: progression fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


“Honor is the true measure of a man.” On this principle I built a powerful empire, united disparate lands and destroyed the greatest threat to our world. I died as a true warrior should: in battle. But instead of being granted a well-earned rest, I awoke on the border of a foreign kingdom, in the body of a noble-born outcast — with a noose around my neck.

Never mind if all that remains of my former greatness is a memory. Give me any backwater farm and I will turn it into a formidable stronghold! Give me any scruffy band of scoundrels and they will become the backbone of my new army! My experience, my knowledge and my memories remain with me.

Still, time is pressing. In the forests of this world, I encounter old foes: the same creatures that once nearly destroyed my kingdom. They have infiltrated even here. And only I, who know their nature, can stop them before it is too late. A new empire must rise, or this world will fall.
Source: Info in the "About Emperor Of The Borderlands (Book 1)" was taken from amazon on 26/06/2025.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
This series is being sold as historical progression fantasy. They have cars. Machineguns and automatic rifles. Smartphones which they call magophone with internet (which they call Aethernet). Socialmedia. Does that sound "historical" to you??

By the way, what do they power the magophone with? Do they have electricity?? What do they power the cars with? Do they have petrol?...

This is my first Eugene Astakhov read. But I am an old fan of Alex Toxic. Having said that, this book awfully reads pretty similar to The Dark Healer series by Alex Toxic and Nadya Lee. The same foreign realm enemy. The same modern-like society but with magic at the same time as technology. The same progression fantasy. The same wise hero.

This is my first Victor Warren audiobook. I like his voice. It is not grating to the ears. However, he has the tendency to read on without pause or break or notice or any indication at all that he is now reading a different scene. I know because I am reading the kindle ebook at the same time that I am listening to the audiobook and the ebook indicates a change of scene by separating the text with three asterisks. So if you are just listening to the audiobook alone, without reading the ebook or text, you would get confused as to why the narrative no longer make sense. Ah, maybe because the scene has changed...


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = (11 hrs and 1 min listening time)
Plot = 4
Narration = 3.5


Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Emperor Of The Borderlands Series:
EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS (Book 1) EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS (Book 2) EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS (Book 3) EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS (Book 4) EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS (Book 5) EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS (Book 6) EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS (Book 7)


 
Meet The Authors

About Eugene Astakhov:
Eugene was born in Moscow in 1989. Since an early age, he spent countless hours in imaginary worlds, dreaming about someday creating one of his own. Despite pursuing a career in law, his passion for storytelling never waned. In 2022 he made the bold decision to leave office work behind and dedicate himself to writing full-time.

An avid fan of the LitRPG genre, Eugene devoured every series he came across but never quite found something to scratch that itch of immersing yourself in the adventures of a rogue creeping around enemies. So, he decided to take matters into his own hands and wrote Viasheron. This completed series, consisting of 9 books, has sold over 44,000 copies on Russia's second-biggest self-publishing website, garnering praise from readers and establishing Eugene as a rising star in the genre.

Eugene finds inspiration in various sources, including video games, fantasy and sci-fi books, TV shows, and tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. As a big fan of D&D, he brings his love for immersive storytelling and world-building to his writing, crafting vivid and engaging tales that transport readers to other realms.

His path is a reminder to all aspiring writers - you only need to take up a pen to create art of your own. And remember, "There are other worlds than these."


About Alex Toxic:
Alex Toxic was born in 1978. He liked reading and playing video games from childhood. These two hobbies found ideal common ground when the LitRPG genre arrived.

Alex dreamed of becoming an author but the profession seemed just too complicated to him. So he began working first as a journalist, then as a TV anchor and then as a documentary filmmaker.

There came a point when Alex had run out of books he wanted to read. The authors simply couldn’t write new ones fast enough. The only way out was to write a book of his own. That’s how he launched into the passion that would with time become his primary profession.

Alex believes that the most important thing in a book is its main character. He or she has to be strong and unrelenting in the face of whatever challenge arises in their path, and they must always triumph.


The Narrator

About Victor Warren:
Audiobook narraotr / voice-over artist. Actor. Director. Screenwriter.

Victor began his career in LA as a film and television actor, then moved to the east coast to raise his children. An award-winning actor, director, screenwriter, fight director and audio-book narrator. In all these disciplines, he's won close to 30 awards. He is a Sundance table read finalist and recipient of Nevada International Film Festival's First Time Director award. Victor is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University where he majored in acting and directing. After graduation, he worked at Universal Studios playing the comic at the western stunt show. Victor continues to work successfully living on Cape Cod where he raised his family and is bi-coastal flying in where the work leads him.



FTC Disclosure:
The print book/ebook and/or audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Sunday, 19 July 2026

UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR: Volume 6


Unintended Cultivator: Volume 6 by Eric Dontigney
Book 6 in the Unintended Cultivator series
Narrated by Adam Verner
Genre: fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


Never owe a fox a favor…

With his body cultivation at least temporarily under control, Sen sets out for his long-awaited reunion with the divine turtle, Elder Bo. It is a fraught meeting where Sen learns hard lessons and unwelcome truths, and despite his advancement, his old obligations still threaten to pull him back.

Years before, the nine-tail fox Laughing River did Sen a “favor.” The fox is finally ready to collect on that debt. Of course, if you give a fox an inch, they’ll try to take a mile.

The trifling matter that Laughing River wants Sen to accomplish is retrieving an old relic from some ruins. What could be simpler for a powerful core cultivator?

Yet, the demon is in the details, and Laughing River left out a few. Like the horde of devilish beasts, the potent wards, the fact that the ruins are the size of a city.

Sen will have to draw upon all his power, threatening the newfound balance in his body cultivation, to fulfill his obligation, or else risk the eternal enmity of a nine-tailed fox.
Source: Info in the "About Unintended Cultivator: Volume 6" was taken from amazon on 18/02/2026.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


Glimmer Of Night
My Thoughts:
Again, another middle chunk of a bigger book. Not recommended to be read on it's own. As per usual, the ending is a cliffhanger, even as it ended the current journey in this installment. Yeah, Sen goes off on journeys. Fights evil and almost gets dead. That is the trend of this series. Our author also likes to bash him around.

In this book we meet Misty Peak. I'm still of two minds whether I like her or not.

And let's not forget Glimmer Of Night! Him, I definitely like!


I wonder if the demon would appear in future installment(s) of this series...

Another thing I like about this book/series is the art. I like the cover art, banners, and the associated art of this book!! Kudos to the cover artist!

Middle chunk or not, I still enjoyed this book immensely!

Kudos to the narrator for another job well done!


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (14 hrs and 12 mins listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 5


Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Unintended Cultivator Series:
Book 1: UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR Book 2: UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR Vol2 Book 3: UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR Vol3 Book 4: UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR Vol4 Book 5: UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR Vol5 Book 6: UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR Vol6 Book 7: UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR Vol7 Book 8: UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR Vol8 Book 9: UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR Vol9 Book 10: UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR Vol10


 
Meet The Author

About Eric Dontigney:
Raised in Western New York, Eric Dontigney has lived in New Mexico, Florida, Wisconsin, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. He currently resides near Dayton, OH. He is a fan of photo-realism and impressionist paintings, coffee, and well-made food.

Not wishing to tarnish the good names of writers who have come before him, he refuses to name influences. He will admit to reading Neil Gaiman, Harlan Ellison, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ayn Rand, Stephen J. Cannell, Jim Butcher, Kate Chopin, Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Camus, James Baldwin, Tim O'Brien, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and Stephen King.


The Narrator

About Adam Verner:
Adam Verner is a full-time narrator and voice talent with over one hundred titles recorded. He is the recipient of AudioFile Earphones Awards for Pavilion of Women by Pearl S. Buck and The Big It by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. Adam earned his MFA in acting from the Chicago College of the Fine Arts at Roosevelt University.



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Tuesday, 14 July 2026

AJAX'S ASCENSION: THE DIVINE WITNESS


The Divine Witness by Keleros
Book 1 in the Ajax's Ascension series
Narrated by Boise Blue and Ally Frey
Genre: LitRPG portal progression fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


Reborn on Gryndor with the mythical trait [Divine Witness], Ajax swears to live a life of no regrets. This time, he will seize every opportunity, fight every monster, and plunder every treasure as he enjoys life to the fullest.

If only it were that easy. Humans are considered one of the weakest sentient races, confined to their patch of land but that hasn't changed their nature as they fight amongst themselves forced to split their sources of power instead of unite for the greater whole. In order to see the entire vast richness of the world, Ajax must battle for his life and respect, gaining levels and forcing the other races to acknowledge his and humanities worth.

Ajax’s Ascension to the top won’t be quick or easy.
Source: Info in the "About The Divine Witness" was taken from amazon on 10/07/2026.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
I tend to stear clear of LitRPGs. I actually looked for LitRPG indications at amazon before I bought this one. Seeing none, this book got bought. Then just to realise that it IS LitRPG! **face palm** Complete with dungeons and personal stats. I am not a gamer, so there are nuances of the gamer culture that might have passed over my head.

First chunk of a bigger book.

I have resigned myself to this kind of serieses. Where it is actually just one big book. But you buy chunks of a bigger, sold as full books. Therefore, it can get pretty expensive. Buying the entire book in pieces.

There are two narrators. A male and a female. I don't know which is which though. The male narrator is the main one. Which is understandable since our protagonist is male. But the male narrator reads with a little singsong that I am not fond of. The female narrator reads the lines of female characters' POV and there aren't that many. Still it is nice to hear a female voice for female characters!


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3.5
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = (16 hours and 3 minutes listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 4


Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Ajax's Ascension Series:
Book 1: THE DIVINE WITNESS Book 2: THE CAPITAL Book 3: THE BARON Book 4: THE TOURNAMENT Book 5: THE DELVES Book 6: THE DOUCHY


 
Meet The Author

Keleros:
Author of the Ajax's Ascension series.
In the sprawling realm of LitRPG and GameLit fiction, where dungeon dives and stat sheets often overshadow soul, Keleros has carved out a space defined not by spectacle, but by substance. Known for the Ajax’s Ascension series, Keleros draws readers in with a story that unfolds less like a power fantasy and more like a reckoning — a gritty, immersive journey where growth is earned, pain has purpose, and the stakes feel startlingly human.

It all begins with The Divine Witness, a novel that throws its protagonist, Ajax, into the hostile world of Gryndor — not as a chosen one with infinite power, but as a human among stronger, faster races, armed with a rare trait and an unrelenting will to rise. Each step Ajax takes through dungeons, noble courts, and his own shifting morality is steeped in the kind of tension and introspection that fans of slower-burn progression crave. The sequel, The Capital, pushes the narrative deeper, intertwining political maneuvering with personal growth in a way that elevates the stakes without losing the soul of the story.

Keleros’s writing is meticulous without being mechanical. Readers have praised the author’s ability to blend complex system mechanics with emotionally resonant character arcs — a balance few in the genre manage to strike. It’s not just about XP and loot. It’s about consequences, identity, and resilience in a world that rarely offers second chances.

Despite their growing readership — 10,000+ followers and counting on Royal Road — Keleros remains something of an enigma. There’s little public backstory, no splashy origin story, just the consistent pulse of someone who writes because they have to, because this world and these characters demand it. That quiet dedication speaks volumes to fans who’ve followed the series chapter by chapter, watching Ajax claw his way upward, one hard-won level at a time.

Whether you're new to the genre or a veteran of virtual battlefields, Keleros’s work offers more than a power climb. It’s an invitation to question what strength really means — and what it costs to pursue it.
RisingShadow




The Narrators

Boise Blue:
Boise Blue is a popular voice actor and audiobook narrator. Best known for narrating various fantasy, litRPG, and fiction titles, frequently collaborating with publishing groups like Royal Guard Publishing.


Ally Frey:
Ally Frey is a professional audiobook narrator who frequently collaborates with co-narrator Boise Blue on LitRPG and fantasy series. She is well-known for voicing titles like Dead Freeze by Misty Vixen and the Ajax's Ascension series by Keleros.



FTC Disclosure:
The print book/ebook and/or audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.