Imaginative, but lacking

Let me start off by saying I love the series. I'm a huge fan. The system the author put in place to define magic is incredibly imaginative, yet paints a very plausible and graspable image for the listener. It reads like how magic really would be if it was a force in our existence.



The book reads like a video game, and for me that was one of the things that drew me to the book the most. I want so bad for this to be adapted into a video game that plays the system exactly how it's written in the book. the possibilities could be endless.



But this unfortunately is where the authors strength lie; in the imagination of the world and characters, but not so much in the execution.



While the world, the foundations, and the systems are incredibly well developed, the characters are almost entirely underdeveloped. With the exception of a few characters, most of the characters have the same underlying traits and humor that the author does. This unfortunately has many of what should be the most diverse and important characters being read as if they are the same person with a different skin.



Especially in this fourth installment in the series, when everything is at it's climax, and the peril is the most perilous, the author pulls the reader out of their immersion and emotions with ill-timed, corny jokes, often from characters that should be the most serious or brooding. Some of the most ominous and foreboding characters that have been shadowing the book from the beginning have become a joke, and I can't take them seriously anymore.



I don't mean Zenocide. He's exactly how he should be.



Overall I would highly recommend anyone who loves RPGs, RTSs, and Dungeon building games to read this series. You will absolutely love it. Just be prepared for the awkward jokes that turn what should be an emotional ride, into somewhat of an uncomfortable read/listen.