Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Having recently finished with Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy grimdark with a little dose of grimdark, adding some grimdark on the top i was looking for something lighter to read. I requested some recommendations on a fb group of Fantasy Readers, and they didn't fail to deliver. Reading the blurb i decided this was what i was looki Having recently finished with Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy grimdark with a little dose of grimdark, adding some grimdark on the top i was looking for something lighter to read.
Reading the blurb i decided this was what i was looking for. After all, it was supposed to feature my favorite fantasy scheme. Well, finishing the book, i can tell you with certainty that it doesn't even slightly reflect these stories. And i'm so happy it doesn't! A Crucible of Souls is a fast pacing, yet relaxing and enjoyable read, featuring a mix number of archetypes, connotations and symbolisms, skilfully combined to present the inner troubles of the young Protagonist, trying to survive in a harsh and unknown to him environment, while having to earn his living, and eventually protect himself and those around him from a despicable evil.
Finally, it's worth mentioning that the book ends with a huge cliffhanger, so you should probably order the second book before you finish the first, for a fast and smooth transition. Recommended to all fantasy readers. View all 13 comments. HAVE I?!?!?!? Takes deep breath, swigs from Coca-Cola, takes another deep breath Gets control of self There, that said this is an excellent, even exceptional book.
Now I've seen some lower ratings. I've seen the "there's nothing new here" complaint. Okay, well I think there is at least a hint of "newness". While actual New plots and characters are almost impossible to come by after a few thousand years of oral and written stories every now and then somebody manages to assemble all the parts just right and get a "different take" on the wizard, sorcerer, magic system, or whatever and it all just seems to come together.
Of course that said this will also be a matter of taste. I get that. BUT, if you find that your taste in books has in the past been close to mine Of course by the same token if you have found in the past you mostly disagree with my taste that could be a different thing So what do we have here?
I have mentioned in the past that as a "general rule" I don't care for coming of age tales. That said it has become apparent to me that when I come across a coming of age tale done right it often ends up on my favorites shelf. This is also a tale of that type. We meet our young protagonist when his life is being forced into a change he doesn't want.
Events that are out of his control force him away from the home he's always known. He discovers facts about his past and his family he was not aware of. He also begins to be aware of some odd facts about himself. Now on the surface that does sound like the young hero finds his destiny plot line we've seen before But here it drew me in and didn't let go.
Look if you find you love chocolate cake do you avoid all other dishes that happen to be chocolate because the flavor isn't a new one? This is an excellent book, I give it my highest rating I'm doing that because it ends in a cliffhanger.
Yeah, I hate cliffhangers. View all 20 comments. I'm setting this one to the side. Right now it is just not working for me. Not that it is a bad book, because it is not, rather it isn't a good fit for my current mood.
View all 6 comments. When young Caldan's parents are brutally slain, the boy is raised by monks who initiate him into the arcane mysteries of sorcery. Growing up plagued by questions about his past, Caldan vows to discover who his parents were, and why they were violently killed. The search will take him beyond the walls of the monastery, into the unfamiliar and dangerous chaos of city life.
With nothing to his name but a pair of mysterious heirlooms and a handful of coins, he must prove his talent to become apprenti When young Caldan's parents are brutally slain, the boy is raised by monks who initiate him into the arcane mysteries of sorcery. With nothing to his name but a pair of mysterious heirlooms and a handful of coins, he must prove his talent to become apprenticed to a guild of sorcerers.
But the world outside the monastery is a darker place than he ever imagined, and his treasured sorcery has disturbing depths he does not fully understand. As a shadowed evil manipulates the unwary and forbidden powers are unleashed, Caldan is plunged into an age-old conflict that will bring the world to the edge of destruction.
Soon, he must choose a side, and face the true cost of uncovering his past. I've had an itch that needed scratching for awhile now. You see I grew up loving big fat epic fantasy. No joke, I couldn't get enough. Tolkien, Williams, Eddings, Jordan, and Feist And then I stumbled upon Sara Douglass in my teenage years, and it was game over. A local author I was hooked to the genre, bonded for life. I eagerly awaited every new release from Douglass, lining up at bookstores the internet was still young people!
Epic Fantasy was on the rise here in Australia, and life was good. And then, it wasn't. Somewhere along the way big fat epic fantasy stumbled, and the rise of darker and edgier books such as the ASOIAF series, and the sudden growth of the YA market, saw big fat epic fantasy basically disappear in Australia by the time I had hit university.
And come on, who doesn't love Joe Abercrombie and his work?!? Fantasy was still chugging along and growing nicely, and there were new Australian authors appearing to satisfy my need for great local writers Trudi Canavan, Karen Miller, and Kylie Chan spring to mind. But I still felt like something was missing. I yearned for a big fat epic fantasy that would sweep me away to another world.
A book that would celebrate much loved tropes without being cliched and predictable. And a traditional story that took me on a journey filled with danger and adventure. And so I went looking for one.
I scoured the shelves at the bookstores, and searched high and low for something to fill that hole. And then one day, whilst searching Amazon, I stumbled upon a self published book called A Crucible of Souls by a fellow called Mitchell Hogan.
The book seemed to be gaining good feedback from people, and the blurb sounded intriguing, so I investigated further. I was not disappointed. A Crucible of Souls scratched that itch, and then some.
And that brings me to today, with Harper Voyager's release of the paperback version of this book Hogan was signed to HV last year following the success of his self published stories. And I must admit, I had some concerns. Would they fiddle with the story too much? Would characters and scenes that I loved be cut throughout their editing process? Would the story still be as good as it was when I first took that leap of faith in ?
Well I am happy to report that it still rocks. And, in fact, it may just even be better this time around.
A Crucible of Souls tells the story of Caldan, a young man whose parents were mysteriously slain years earlier by forces unknown. Raised by monks, and initiated into the arcane mysterious of sorcery and magic, Caldan eventually decides to learn more about his parents and why they were killed.
Striking out from the monastery that has sheltered him for most of his life, Caldan is faced with dangers long thought buried, as the shadows of evil grow and circle around him, and the world teeters on the edge of destruction.
Got your epic fantasy feels working in overdrive yet?!? So what did I love about this book? Like I mentioned earlier, A Crucible of Souls scratched that itch that was bugging me for years on end. It features everything that I love about big fat epic fantasy. It has a central character who basically embarks on a 'Hero's Journey', an enthralling and incredibly amazing world that blew my brain sideways I mean come on But it also goes even further.
Hogan embraces what is truly great about traditional epic and sword and sorcery fantasy and its tropes and blends it with more modern elements to make it a fantastic read. The characterisation throughout the story, from Caldan right down to the lowliest peasant, is strong and full of agency and depth yes you want to strangle Caldan at times for his idiocy..
The battles, chases, and confrontations are all exciting, tense, and extremely well written, and the story and pace of the book fluid, fast, and dynamic. Just when you think Hogan will succumb to standard cliches he twists the plot and takes you along a different avenue.
I ripped through this book all over again in a frenzy, and adored every minute of it. In fact, I think this version from Harper Voyager is an improvement which is high praise indeed seeing as I adored the self published version over its predecessor.
The story itself feels a little tighter and quicker, and some of the padding has been cut out where it wasn't needed. And the maps They were a wonderful inclusion at the start that added yet another layer to an already brilliantly described world. So did I notice anything that I didn't like? No, not really. If I had one small criticism it would be that I wanted to know a little more about the magic and its various orders, but that in itself is the tiniest complaint and probably me just being too picky seeing as it's the first novel in a series you don't want all of your secrets revealed too quick!
A Crucible of Souls was my favourite book of , and it deserved the Aurealis Award it received that year. This version is better, and it hits all the markers that epic fantasy and sword and sorcery fans want and crave. Hogan has weaved a truly sublime tale that acknowledges and embraces well loved tropes whilst also offering something new and fantastic. Not only has Hogan scratched that itch that was bugging me, he has in fact held me down and tattooed this book onto my soul.
Australia's answer to Rothfuss and Sanderson, A Crucible of Souls is an absolute must read for old and new fans of the genre alike! I love it that much! A review copy was provided. View 2 comments. This was original and very well delivered. No information dumping in sight, which is no mean feat when setting up a new magic system and delivering all the elements you need in a complex story to take it forward into the next book. There were a few things that niggled.. I will say the pacing seemed slightly off at times This book provokes more questions than it provide This was original and very well delivered.
This book provokes more questions than it provides answers which is the perfect way to keep us reading, of course. I will definitely be continuing with the series. Far too many intriguing questions left unanswered not to! View 1 comment. Please let me know what you think about it! I really did not know this book or the series and this was a buddy-read with some members of the Fantasy Buddy Reads.
And I was blown away. The plot, the characters, the writing, the drama, the events - I think it is a great book. Most importantly, it has a spell: I was not able to put it down and I spent more of my Friday evening and night and Saturday morning to finish it. If I had one small complaint is that the book finished in a sort of cliffhanger; hence I will need to pick the other books as quickly as possible - and this adds to my always-expanding TBR list!
Yet, this is a good problem to have, especially as a book enthusiast. The story itself is just told in a very unusual way - the amount of day-to-day detail could have made the book extremely boring, instead all these details just added depth to the book! It just works and I was really positively surprised. I also believe the writing is fairly smooth but I guess it helped me I also had the audio book and the telling of the story was compelling!
Provided that the main story-line is Caldan's, the added value of Aidan and Vasile was just perfect. Vasile actually became one of my favorite characters and I am worried about his well being in the next book! It is a book about magic - yet magic is taught as to be available only in the form of constructive magic, which takes time and it is pretty much aimed at creating useful objects. I guess it is particularly relevant to the narration the time we spend in the monastery, to learn about magic as it is traditionally taught and considered.
It is certain that destructive and coercive magic does not exist. Yet, it does. And not only it does in the form of the biggest event that rattles the empire really, and specifically the city of Anasoma, but also through learning about the Protectors, a branch of the Sorcerers' Guild dedicated not only to protect sorcerers in general but in particular to find abuse of magic, destructive and coercive use of magic.
The characters in the books are really well portrayed, I found them credible and with some depth; I have to say some of the scare me - better said, it would scare me to stand right in front of them - such as Lady Caitlyn and Amerdan.
She really seems a very smart and interesting woman. I wonder what happened during the taking of Anasoma - and I hope she is fine and I will see her in the following books yes, plural!
Ah, and I want to learn to play the game of Dominion! It is such a great part of the book, I guess to some extent used to establish Caldan's ability but I love the extensive use of it and the importance it is given to it throughout the book - and a clever device also to introduce at least two characters in the book.
View all 3 comments. I really liked Caldan's story from start to finish and it was quite a different take on a fantasy coming of age story. I thought we were going to be at the monastery for the whole book, watching Caldan learn which I wouldn't have a problem with either , but the plot direction surprised me in a good way.
On the other hand, I really didn't like any of the other perspectives and found myself struggling through those chapters when they appeared. It took a lot of effort not to skim through them.
All I really liked Caldan's story from start to finish and it was quite a different take on a fantasy coming of age story. All of the secondary and minor characters were just not interesting to me.
I also had a minor problem with Caldan all of the sudden view spoiler [ being super good at crafting when all he could really do at the beginning was make a lock on a door and paper origami that would only last a few minutes hide spoiler ].
But all is forgiven because he is awesome. I find many fantasy books to be rather unimpressive. Few push the genre and many tag along on the typical themes. If only this book suffered from an unimaginative and over-used content I could have given it one more star. The main character is an orphan who suddenly gains magic powers. He's able to get out of scrapes through ingenuity. Let me guess - you've heard this theme before?
Okay, so most fantasy readers love the same 'ol story so I guess this is the reason for the high ratings. Characters I find many fantasy books to be rather unimpressive. Characters are all pretty much the same but not very believable. The main character tends to entitlement, even though he's an orphan, but is also so gosh darn nice. His love interest - if you can call it that - was just kinda linked with him by no apparent reason.
She's also completely not believable. She comes off as a rich girl with her flexibility of lifestyle and ability to pay for goods as needed. Then suddenly you are told her backstory is that her mom was a prostitute and she grew up poor. There really isn't any bad guy in the book except for a mage lady later in the book. It's pretty much a mysterious group of "bad mages. All in all, if you're a fan of fantasy books that just kinda tell a story that has magic, you'll probably be loving this book.
My problem is that I desire big concepts and character arcs, so this book wasn't at all my thing. This was an exceptional book.
It had been on my radar for the past few years after it won a bunch of awards but I wanted to wait until the entire series was published before starting to read it and I'm glad I did because now I can go get the 2nd book right away and not have to wait years for him to write it. At it's core it's a story we've all heard before that is ripe with tropes - orphaned kid, raised in monastery, exiled to the big city, apprenticed at a sorcerer's guild and then comes the Big This was an exceptional book.
At it's core it's a story we've all heard before that is ripe with tropes - orphaned kid, raised in monastery, exiled to the big city, apprenticed at a sorcerer's guild and then comes the Big Bad which threatens everything. I don't find anything wrong with tropes, there's a reason they work and a reason they become tropes in the first place IF they are done correctly. I fell in love with the characters. The pacing of the book had my turning pages at a good clip and there was never a time that I was bored or wanted to put the book down.
The plot was engaging and I found myself wanting to go back and read more throughout the day. The book just really appealed to me I have been having a string of 3 star books lately so it's great to have a book really grab you. Highly recommended. Being easy to read shouldn't be a book's primary virtue, but that's really what this one has going for it.
I really wanted to like it but it reads more like upper-tier fanfic than something that should have seen print. The dialogue is the worst part. It's clunky, unbelievable and bland, just like the speakers of said dialogue. I don't expect every character to have a verbal tick but when none of them do at all, it's really hard to get past. A character has two methods for expressing personality: Being easy to read shouldn't be a book's primary virtue, but that's really what this one has going for it.
A character has two methods for expressing personality: action and conversation. None of the supporting characters get much in the way of interesting dialogue and it remains mostly expository throughout.
The main character betrays almost no personality whatsoever beyond being rather pleasant in spite of the things that go on around him. He never conveys having a strong reaction to anything, even when the narrative says he is.
Aside from the few designated villains, everyone is also far too accommodating and gushingly reasonable with the main character.
Sure they may stomp their foot but he always gets to explain himself and they always get to explain themselves. I am not sure I can finish it. Taking a break to read Dynamo 5 and His Majesty's Dragon. I'll try again after that. That said, I think a dialogue doctor may have been able to save this thing. View all 5 comments. This was a really good and entertaining read!
I really clicked with the main character right away. The story was interesting, the characters well developed though at times a bit stereotype with the male as the hero and the females often in need of being rescued, it gets better in the later books though! Why I only give four stars? First of, due to said stereotypes and secondly, a lot of the ideas I've read before.
In fact I noticed quite a few This was a really good and entertaining read! In fact I noticed quite a few things that reminded me of all kinds of books I've recently read. It's not as if this story was a copy - it was different to all of those others over all - but it felt a bit like a part from book A, a part from book B, and so on. It still worked out fine over the whole book though - so if you are in search of a new epic fantasy to have a great time in a different world, this is just the book for you.
Very good This is Avery good book. Not quite five star, but not too far away. Plenty of magic and mayhem. I am looking forward to the next book. Jun 21, Scott Hitchcock rated it really liked it Shelves: epic-fantasy. I sort of expected this to be the traditional wizard school story like a Harry Potter or Name of the Wind but it was surprising view spoiler [Not one but two schools fail him and aren't the traditional all knowing wizards with all the answers hide spoiler ] in not following the norm.
It was also much darker than I expected a few times which for me is a good thing. A lot of loose ends left for the two books to come which I will be reading.
Solid 4. As a fantasy author, I'm extremely critical of other fantasy works. Rarely do I find works outside of Sanderson, Rothfuss, Ryan or Martin in this genre that intrigue me on an author's level. The magic system here is well thought out and I look forward to its depth increasing in future books. The main character, Caldan, is very likeable as is Moranda sp? I wanted more development of the Protector master, Simmins sp? One thing I give high praise to this story for is As a fantasy author, I'm extremely critical of other fantasy works.
One thing I give high praise to this story for is the side stories. In truth, I was just as intrigued, if not slightly more so, by several of those. They were expertly weaved into the main plot and I never felt like I wanted to just move on to get back to the main story.
Trust me, this is a skill and something author' struggle with. Hogan does it well. I was very captivated by Lady Kaitlyn and Vacille's sp? Caldan definitely felt naive at first as a character, but guess what?
He was! Others have pointed that out as a negative point, but it didn't bother me as I felt that was intentional. By the end of this first installment, he had grown and grown quickly. I think there's just enough tying up of loose ends to satisfy any reader of the genre and leaves enough open to make me want to eagerly move on to the next book which is out, thank goodness. Final note: this book is VERY light on foul language and contains almost no sensuality, only a few references.
It is YA safe and something I value in books. Hogan, like some other well-known authors, prove again that you don't have to muck up a book with profanity and sex to be entertaining and captivating. Truly, for a first book from a debut author, I am impressed. So will you be. Something I neglected to say in my review on Audible is that Oliver Wyman's narration was perfect. I mean really excellent. View all 8 comments.
Soon, he must choose a side, and face the true cost of uncovering his past. This is the author's definitive edition. Hogan's debut, appearing for the first time in print after digital self-publication in , is a multiple-narrator tale of sorcery and madness that draws upon grimdark and adventure-quest epics in equal parts but not in the best ways.
Caldan, an orphaned boy with rare powers, is taken in by monks and allowed to train at an exclusive monastery. But when he comes of age and commits a terrible crime, he's cast out and sent to find the truth behind his parents' murders. Culture shock thrusts the novice sorcerer into a larger network of dark plots and murderous intent, all centered on destructive sorcery, a barbaric art long thought impossible.
Hogan's description of raw magic ability, which is given nuance by its frequent connection to alchemical properties, will remind many readers of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.
In fact, much of the book's slow setup consists of a series of patchwork tropes hustled along through Hogan's frequently clunky expository dialogue. Once some patchy worldbuilding is established, the book becomes somewhat more readable, aside from the gratuitous violence sometimes sexual inflicted on women for the purpose of motivating male characters.
Great series! Finished all three over three sleepless nights. Well written, cool characters and great climactic action sequences. Apple Books Preview.
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