The Enchanter

Oh, a classic book of what could have been. So much potential!<br /><br />(+) It's a magic school story. The world building is excellent. It certainly was a strange read. The potential kept me turning the pages despite lackadaisical pacing. <br /><br />(-) Lack of plot. The books start with a plot premise but that never progresses till last 3% of the book. All the middle is about the school life of the MC having events that rarely matter in big picture, obligatory duel and tournament notwithstanding. <br /><br />The worldbuilding is still great, but then without a plot to progress, it feels a bit standalone that reduced the impact. Even at the end the entirely flimsy and hasty plot resolution lacked the requisite buildup and failed to garner any oomph deserving of a finale. <br /><br />Somehow I still can't say I disliked this. More like ambivalent. <br /><br />The author has lots of potential, that I'll keep an eye out for in future.

I had a really good time with this one! The Enchanter is a strong debut, brimming with fun, excitement, and intrigue. <br /><br />This is a magical academy novel, so it follows some of those familiar tropes but with a few fresh spins on it that kept things interesting and helped cement this world as distinctly different from those in other series. One of those things being that the school is based around a gigantic tree, which I thought was a lot of fun. <br /><br />The main one, however, was the book's focus on enchanting items (as if you couldn't guess by the title). While we learn a bit about all of the different branches of magic in this world, we obviously spend the most amount of time learning about enchanting and the various types of enchanted items (like foci, artifacts, imbued items, etc.). Throughout the book, it was always fascinating learning a new layer to this process, coming to understand more and more the rules of what has turned out to be our hero Evander Tailor's primary area of study. Most of the time, progression fantasy has a big focus on training the characters' combat abilities, whether that be physical or magical power; while enchanted items do indeed have a benefit in battle (as we see in multiple fight scenes), Begley's approach was a breath of fresh air to me. I really enjoyed seeing how Evan chose the items he wanted to use, and how he could alter them with his magic to aid him. I also loved the section where we learned about components, and I hope we get to dive deeper into that in future books. <br /><br />I also appreciated how well being an enchanter ties into his past as a tailor's apprentice, which I can only assume will come into play in a more major way as the series goes on, as in this book the only real tailoring we got was Evan preparing himself and his date outfits for a festival. <br /><br />Which, speaking of that date, the romance in this book was my other favorite part. Which is good, because it was a pretty big aspect of the story. That being said, I wouldn't necessarily call this book a "romance," but it was an important part of Evan's character development. I thought Begley did a great job of crafting a young romance that felt believable and developed at a natural pace. There was no love at first sight, no attraction-despite-never-actually-spending-time-with-each-other, etc. We got to see these two guys hang out together a lot and let their chemistry grow before either of them actually makes a move on the other. Their relationship was very sweet, and I enjoyed watching it blossom as the book went on. <br /><br />While the scope of this book remained firmly in the school, the stakes grew pretty big by the end of it, setting up some interesting conflicts for the future of the series. I'm looking forward to seeing where Evan and the others go from here, as well as getting a better look at this vast, intriguing world that Begley has created.

<a href="https://youtu.be/jXvoL6KtDlk" rel="nofollow noopener">Check out my review on Youtube, where I post my thoughts on the books I read.</a><br /><br />The debut novel of Tobias Begley, The Enchanter enters the fields with a lot of promise and a quality of writing that constantly improves throughout its length. The world of Cré, in which the story takes place, is woven with a significant amount of interesting magic and potential; there are sorcerers, witches, druids, and numerous mysterious beings that wield magic in distinctive ways.<br /><br /><br />The magic system falls into the soft category, which is not a surprise. The great number of applications of Aura, the fuel behind the miraculous effects of the spell, makes creating a more rigid system a monumental task. In this case, however, I would say that the flexibility of the magic system aids in establishing the vast applications of magic more than it harms the story's believability. The rituals of enchanting, arguably the main strength and specialty of the protagonist Evander, is interesting and diverse, both dangerous and rewarding. It deeply affects how Evan and other side characters approach fights, providing not only ample benefits but also enough restrictions to keep it realistic and enjoyable. <br /><br /><br />The romantic relationship between Evander and Osheen is resolved relatively early in the story, unlike many other books where the culmination of such relationships risks contrivance to create an intriguing sense of frustration for the reader. Tobias, nonetheless, handles it realistically and concisely without harming the story in the least. Putting such a trope out of the way, character development and the possibilities of interactions between the small group of friends are greater than they would otherwise be, and the friction caused at the end of the book provides considerable ground for interesting plotlines in the next issues of the story.<br /><br /><br />Although The Enchanter has the usual hidden menace behind the scenes, the story is undoubtedly more slice of life than it is plot-driven; we accompany Evander in his journey to discover and excel at magic and its various applications, instead of watching him strive to complete an insurmountable goal. That is not to say the story does not have its healthy amount of tension, as the plotline set in the prologue acts as an encouragement to the protagonist's growth in power.<br /><br /><br />This is Tobias Begley's first dive into writing progression fantasy, and that is noticeable. The first third of the story is rough, it is clear the author is trying to find his voice to better tell the story. However, what is also clear is how significantly he improved his writing by the end of the book, as storytelling, plot introduction, and character interaction get progressively more subtle and interwoven in the world established. <br /><br /><br />The Enchanter, the first volume of The Journals of Evander Tailor, was a light read filled with interesting magical mechanics and intriguing characters. For a debut novel, it presents a lot of writing growth and promise for the books to come. Though the magic system could use a little more detailing and polishing, it's intriguing and fun, managing to grab my attention and keeping me turning the pages to find out what new clever invention Evander comes out with.

This book has everything I enjoy: <br />- characters I love<br />- a huge focus on the main character's interests such that we get to learn with them and really get a feel for how things work<br />- mental illness rep (the main character has anxiety)<br />- queer rep (the main character is gay)<br />- magic<br />- crafting<br /><br />Evan, the main character, actually reminded me a bit of Lindon from the Cradle series, which I also love. Both start out disadvantaged, they both have a huge desire to become stronger, and they both have a one track mind in regards to becoming strong. <br /><br />While there is some action near the end and an overarching plot regarding monsters popping up without anyone knowing who is behind it, I'd more categorize this as slice of life, as it largely focuses on Evan figuring out the intricacies of magic, witchcraft, and crafting. Oh, and seeing Evan navigate relationships and friendships. Which is awesome, because I love slice of life. This book felt cozy and safe and I loved every bit of it.<br /><br />I can't wait to see how Evan progresses, and how/if politics start to come into play in the next book. I have a feeling that whatever comes next will expand the scope of the world, and I'm here for it!

<strong>cute story of magical crafting</strong><br /><br />19 year old gay tailor finds out he has magic and learns how to make magical items and gets into magical fights.<br /><br />I enjoyed it and thought it was entertaining and wholesome.<br /><br />no sex<br />no graphic sex or violence<br />no harem<br /><br />yes crafting<br />yes fighting<br />yes romance

I bought this on a whim as it was recommended by an author that i like and I was pleasantly surprised. This book was such a welcome read for me.<br /><br />The basic plot is a guy goes to magic school and makes friends and learns sorcery. The execution is magical.<br /><br />For a while now i have felt that the progression fantasy has been stuck in a rut of the same tropes. Its an early genre and i enjoy it but theres so much focus on fighting and it seems to have a lot of straight bland office workers named jake or roy turning into the saviour of the world.<br /><br />This book was a step into a direction in a direction that i can only describe as more in line with traditional fantasy novels as opposed to online serials (even though it started out that way).<br /><br />It is long enough that it has time to delve into the characters and doesn't feel like you are constantly going from one action sequence to the next. Instead we get time to see these characters on their down time just hanging out but never feels like its meandering.<br /><br />Another thing that has been missing from prog fantasy is diversity. I have wished a lot for some of the stories i have read to feature both more women and lgbt characters and this book delivers.<br /><br />The Main character is great example of how to write a gay character without it feeling like a gimmick. One thing that i enjoyed about this representation was that there are some parts of the world that are not entirely on board with differing sexualities but most of society is. It never gets depressing but it does hint at a more life like complexity instead of it feeling entirely sanitised.<br /><br />I also should mention the mc's character. He suffers from slight agoraphobia and social anxiety BUT is not overwhelming to the point that it seems like a caricature. He is quiet, thoughtful and considered. Its such a different experience to read a character who shows an alternative sort of masculinity]. One that I could relate to more than many others in the genre. <br /><br />All in all this book is a great read. Colorful and light in tone and very comforting. I found myself sitting in the sun and drinking lots of tea while reading it.<br /><br />You should absolutely read it and i cannot wait for the next one. (less)

Really really enjoyed this story! I'm a sucker for any book that takes place in a magic academy and this was no exception. The setting was really fun, the magic system was easy to daydream about and I wasn't bombarded with constant world building. An MC that focuses mainly on creating magic items? I absolutely loved that and the author managed to keep those processes interesting the whole book. My only critique is about some of the dialogue and side characters. I felt that a lot of scenes ended way too quickly once Evan got what he needed, then it was on to the next chapter immediately. Mostly I think I wanted more time and development with other characters. Besides that and some editing issues, this was really good stuff and will most certainly be reading the next whenever it comes!

I started writing a review of this and it basically starts like this:<br />"There are three sides to me while reading a book: me, the reader, me, the author, and me, the editor. This time the editor in me was working at a full blast."<br /><br />With this, I'd like to mention that I will be reading the sequel to this when it comes out and I am also interested in the two series set in the same universe the author mentioned in his afterword.<br /><br />RTC

The adopted human son of an elvish tailor, Evander "Evan" was looking forward to a nice life as a tailor, taking over his father's shop once he passes. That was his plan, that is, until he suddenly discovers he has a magical aura. Now, his plan includes attending Yesgol Academy of Magic and avoiding failing out so he doesn't end up conscripted into the military.<br /><br />Though Evan adjusts well to this change in his life plans, he quickly finds himself involved in a secret society trying to bring reform to the current magic system, dealing with horrific beings summoned from another land that are incredibly dangerous, or catching the eye and interest of a noble-born young man who has been excommunicated from his family.<br /><br />With all of that going on, Evan has his work cut out for him.<br /><br />First, I have read several academy novels, and I have found that my interest level tends to vary based on how unique the story is. I can safely say that, while there are some similarities between this book and the Mage Errant series - especially in the personalities of the protagonists - there is enough differences that this book stands out, much like the Mage Errant series. This is only the first book in the series, and I am glad the author is continuing the series, because I definitely want to know what happens to Evan and Osheen.<br /><br />As opposed to many of the romantic relationships that we tend to see in these types of novels, the romance here was very much a slow-burn, with the romance developing throughout the book as the two characters spend time together. As a result, it felt much more real to me. I also liked the amount of time the author devoted to the interpersonal relationships among all the characters; it really helped bring the other characters to life. At the same time, the author spends a great deal of time on worldbuilding, but instead of feeling like a series of infodumps that just overwhelm the reader, the information was provided at times that made it relevant to the reader.<br /><br />The only real complaint that I have is with the way part of the plot was resolved at the end. For an aspect that was used to induce quite a bit of tension throughout the novel, it felt a bit too easy for me. That said, there are still plenty of ways that could come back up in a later book, and there is still the overarching plot of magic reform to continue in later books to deal with. At the same time, the way the plot was resolved wasn't unrealistic; it was just... it's almost like it was too easy, and now I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Who knows? Maybe it will in the next book. Aside from that, though, I absolutely loved this book, and I cannot wait for the next book.<br /><br />Also, I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook, which was narrated by Emily Ellet. At first, it was a little odd listening to a female narrator for a male protagonist. That didn't last long though. Ellet did a wonderful job with the narration, and I absolutely loved her performance of the different characters and the voices she used to bring them to life. I do hope that she will narrate any sequels published so I can listen to her narrate those as well.

This was sooo good!! I've been looking for this type of series but while there are some Light Novels line this I haven't had success finding a good western book that has this pacing. I can sometimes find high fantasy Slice of Life (like this year Legends and Lattes!) but not books that have a "cozy" immersive feel and still have a central adventure conflict that I miss. I've really loved this world and can't wait to be in it again!