Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts

Wednesday, 28 October 2026

EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS Book 2


Emperor Of The Borderlands (Book 2) by Alex Toxic and Eugene Astakhov
Book 2 in the Emperor Of The Borderlands series
Narrated by Victor Warren
Genre: progression fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


“Power is given to those who are willing to accept responsibility.” My village expands, my men master martial arts, and my magic grows ever stronger. But my enemies are also hard at work — an interrogator spreading false accusations, a monster hunting down the innocent, and a highborn countess who wants my head.

But there’s one thing they don’t understand: every trial hardens me and every enemy only makes me stronger. With each passing day, more and more people learn my name. With each ritual, my magic becomes more powerful. With each victory, more allies join my side. My goal remains unchanged: transforming this disparate and divided backwater into a unified bastion against the encroaching darkness.
Source: Info in the "About Emperor Of The Borderlands (Book 2)" was taken from amazon on 28/06/2025.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
Middle chunk of a bigger book. Cliffhanger ending. Not recommended to be read on it's own.

In this book they explained a little bit more about the magophone (their smartphone equivalent). It runs on some type of magic. It does not run out of battery. There technology is better than ours. And they call this series a historical.

I like that Prokhor was joined by his father. This is also the book where Pyotr Pavlovich Stremyannikov the lawyer, entered the scene.

Things are getting a little bit more tense as enemies are circling closer. And things are getting more complicated for Prokhor as the old life of Prokhor is catching up.

At this point Prokhor is not yet an emperor of the borderlands. So, I take it that this series will follow the story arc of Prokhor becoming the emperor of the borderlands...

Besides not pausing nor giving any indication when the scene has changed, Victor Warren also gives a bad imitation of an Italian accent, that made me laugh!


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


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) EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS (Book 8) EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS (Book 9) EMPEROR OF THE BORDERLANDS (Book 10)


 
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.

Friday, 23 October 2026

THE SORCERER (Book 1)


The Sorcerer (Book 1) by Victor Pylaev
Book 1 in The Sorcerer series
Narrated by Daniel Wisniewski
Genre: progression portal fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


Was he a hero, a warrior, a savior, a defender of the helpless? A knight without fear or reproach? No, nothing like that. Even among the gifted, he was known as a sorcerer, a warlock, a shapeshifter — one with a reputation firmly rooted in the darker side. But even such a man wouldn’t turn his back on an old friend in need, especially not when the world seemed on the brink of collapse.

If only he had known the consequences his meddling would bring!

His genius didn’t help him, and his unique ritual sent him farther into the past than intended. Worse still, it cast him into an alternate history — the year 1909 in the Russian Empire. This strange new world is ruled by aristocrats with powerful magical talents, and all manner of evil spirits, ghouls, and monsters crawl out of Breaches in reality, spilling into the streets of St. Petersburg. Now, with no friends, no allies, no money, and no title, he’s stuck in the body of a skinny teenage boy. To survive, he must regain his former abilities, learn new ones, and find a way back home. But for him, this is just a minor setback.

His mission is far from over. He still has a job to do: save his world.
Source: Info in the "About The Sorcerer (Book 1)" was taken from amazon on 23/06/2025.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


My Thoughts:
This is my first Victor Pylaev read and I like the story. I like the world. I like the premise. But somehow I find myself needing breaks from it every now and then all the way to the end. So, pace-wise, this was not a quick read, even with the convenience of the audiobook format.

The world building is beautiful!

There isn't much of a plot. But I am not looking for twists or layered plots. This is fantasy after all. Not crime fiction. Even though the ending kind of resolved the current dilemma in the book, it also pointed towards the next book at the same time in a cliffhanger ending.

I am an old fan of Daniel Wisniewski. But I've never heard him narrate entirely in a Russian accent. As always, Daniel Wisniewski did a wonderful job of bringing this book to life with his own distinct flavour of narrating a book! Kudos to the narrator!


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = (8 hours and 49 minutes listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 4.5


Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The The Sorcerer Series:
THE SORCERER (Book 1) THE SORCERER (Book 2) THE SORCERER (Book 3) THE SORCERER (Book 4) THE SORCERER (Book 5)


 
Meet The Author

About Victor Pylaev:
Hi, I'm Viktor Pylaev — an author, a chemist by education, a motorcycle enthusiast by passion, and at heart, just an ordinary person who loves to tell stories.

I earned my Master’s degree in Chemistry from St. Petersburg State University in 2010, but storytelling has always been my true calling. My writing journey began while I was living and working in China, where I gained my first readers through a LitRPG project that became popular in Russia.

Since then, I’ve written over fifty books across various genres, with a special love for combining fantasy, adventure, and mystery. When I’m not writing, you’ll often find me on the road, traveling the country on two wheels. Motorcycles are my second great passion after literature.

I’m always excited to keep creating, improving, and sharing new stories. It means a lot to see more and more readers around the world discovering and enjoying my work. Thank you for being part of this journey!


The Narrator

About Daniel Wisniewski:
Audio book Narrator, Character Voices, Baritone, Bass, Tenor, Heroes, Villains, Dark, Bright, Young, Old, Comedy, Tragedy, Accents, Dialects.

I am a New York based actor who has performed across a variety of platforms both domestically and internationally. I am also a graduate of Ithaca College with a BFA in Musical Theatre, have studied and worked as a dialect coach, have access to a professional grade studio, and am an experienced editor. When not performing, I can usually be found either leading my friends on a DnD campaign or playing in one myself (usually as a dashing Half-Elf bard or brazen Half-Orc fighter).



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

Sunday, 18 October 2026

UNINTENDED CULTIVATOR: Volume 9


Unintended Cultivator: Volume 9 by Eric Dontigney
Book 9 in the Unintended Cultivator series
Narrated by Adam Verner
Genre: fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobookAudiobook


In the Jianghu, there is only the illusion of peace…

Sen has returned from the capital and reluctantly begun the work of building a sect. Yet the endless politics, rivalries, and logistical burdens of leadership weigh heavily on a man who once answered to no one. Every day pulls him deeper into a life he never truly wanted.

Only the looming war with the spirit beasts keeps him from abandoning it all.

Yet, not even distance can allow someone as famous as Judgment’s Gale to go undisturbed for long. Emissaries from sects begin to intrude on his small corner of the world. Some come with benign intentions, while others come to put the former wandering cultivator in his place.

Once, Sen could simply walk away. Now he has a sect to protect and a daughter whose safety he will defend at any cost. Sen may find that war of a different kind is unavoidable…
Source: Info in the "About Unintended Cultivator: Volume 9" was taken from amazon on 19/07/2026.


Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


Glimmer Of Night
My Thoughts:
Another middle chunk of a bigger book with cliffhanger ending. Not meant to be read on it's own.

It's been a while since I've read book 8 and I've read numerous LitRPG and/or similar books since then. So when I started with this book, it was a bit slow with me trying to remember the characters and events from previous books that were mentioned in here. Despite that, it didn't take me long to get engrossed into the story again!

I tried to stretch it out. I took breaks. I picked up other books. It still finished too soon for me! It felt a whole lot shorter than 12 hours and a half!

Falling Leaf
Happy to see Glimmer Of Night and Falling Leaf again! It's like meeting old friends again! What I wished though was that there was more of Ai! She was mentioned several times but only mostly in third person. Someone else was thinking of her. Or she was talked about by other people. Precious little of actually her and her birds!

This book is mostly about the sect war and the impending war with the Beast King. Which to me means that more books are coming our way! Can't wait for Book 10!


Quantitative Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (12 hours and 31 minutes listening time)
Plot = 2
Narration = 5


Overall Rating: 4 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.