Stone Will

Great start... ended ok.

This book started off great and I really enjoyed the story as a whole.

About half way or more through, it sort of stalled but the MC does keep developing. Around this time the story slows down towards the last event.

The end was ok but not great. I will continue with the series for sure. The voice acting was pretty good all around.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Absolutely Brilient but not a LITRPG.

First I will say I love this book and hope the series continues for a long time and the next book is on it's way soon. However this is not a LITRPG book so don't expect that. This is a cultivation fantasy book and if you don't know that genre it is great and check them out. Also if you like this book check out Transcendental Misappropriation very similar concepts when it comes to dieing in this world and being reborn in another one as a genius. Also try Unsouled. It is similar to this book where the main character is a weak boy from a small village isolated from the monsters and god like cultivators that live outside the valley. His determination and motivation drives him to seek true power. If you liked those book or they sound intersting then you will also like this one.

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

Filler you say?

Warning: This is a completley subjective review written 5mins before the book ends. There may be spoilers.

Before I decided to listen to Stone Will one of the so called "reviews" I looked over said that the first six hours of this book was filler, and that the author needs to learn how to write.
Considering that this is probably the first real review I've written after listening to almost 40 books on audible (with many being what I believed to be some of the best of their genre) this is the first time I've felt like I NEEDED to buckle down and write a review. Especially since it's about this intriguing work.

*SPOILER ALERT*
What made the first six hours of this book interesting to me was not the fact that the protagonist, in true Isekai style, was "transferred" (if we can call it that) to another world. That's been done a million and one times. But it's the way that it was done that caught my interest. I realized that the first part of the book is actually the beginning and ending of both his lives.

It has limited litrpg elements, while also having traditional cultivation elements. But it merges them together to create a unique relationship between the two that I rarely see, which is always a plus for me.
Although I was expecting to be dissapointed by the first six hours because of the "filler" comment. I found that I really enjoyed the entire build-up to the dragon scene. Especially when he, as an infant, could hardly ever stay awake despite his desires to... hehe.

I also like how the author portrayed the protagonist as someone who had a very unfortunate life (which may be an understatement) but has never been broken by it, and has always found a way to keep going, no matter the circumstances. This is a trait I admire about the character because there are some scenes that were hard even for me to listen to. Yet he still somehow found a way to not completely and utterly lose hope. I feel that these dark scenes were necessary because they contribute to the image of Hajad's stone/iron Will.

By the end of the book, I found myself so invested that I dreaded the fact that It had to end. And I found myself counting the hours until it did. So I decided to write a review in the hopes that people would decide to give this work a try for themselves despite what reviews may say. I did, and I wasn't disappointed.
10/10 would listen to good filler again.

8 of 11 people found this review helpful

Great Cultivation Book

This is the type of story that is so expansive, with so much for the main character to do and accomplish that I felt the book could have easily gone on for another 17hrs, and still I wouldn't have been ready for the book to end. This is a cultivation book (with a minor litrpg influence), so if reading with that understanding you will find this a great read and listen.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Not Yet Sasisfied

I honestly was interested for much of this book. Plenty of familiar themes, and the unique aspects absolutely intrigued me. I began to feel differently when sudden detailed descriptions of a certain female character foreshadowed her possible fate. The main character already had better motivations for his path, it felt almost distracting when it came to pass. By the conclusion of that line of plot I did appreciate what the author had done with it, but still felt it was more of a detraction from the story as a whole. It did leave him in an interesting position to move forward, but also introduced negative conditions immediately. I guess life can be like that, it’s one reason I get lost in stories, but it took something away from the experience for me personally.

In general the focus is on certain themes. Everybody loses on some level. Like a darker version of actions having consequences or that there is always someone above you. It isn’t repeatedly acknowledged, but always comes as an eventuality. So far it feels like this is the way this world is, the ridiculous size is often referenced and occasionally even expanded.

A coming reckoning is often proclaimed, but even that is alluded to lead to self destruction. Common enough, but there is room left for a unique spin on it. I do love that the main character doesn’t just want vengeance, but also to be able to repay kindness.

So, the main character suffers, then there are flashes of unimaginable good fortune. His loses are never final, but even his victories have drawbacks. I can live with all that, if in a satisfying story. Some were great and felt appropriate or deserved, some pulled me out of the story a bit.

I enjoy a character who can fight through pain and overcome, but when it is usually the justification for progress, it loses some meaning. His personality also seemed somewhat fluid. Even at the end I have no solidified sense of him, couldn’t really guess what he’d ever do. I’d only be able to generally categorize him and list a few unique traits. He had a couple dominant aspects at any given point, as people often do, yet I wasn’t often sure why he went any given direction, or chose a response. It was just up to the author, which is of course always the case, it just ended up noticeable. Not all the time mind you, but often enough that it left an impression.

Now, there were many interesting elements, and I’ll probably optimistically pick up the sequel. I go through enough audio books to warrant patience for anything with potential. I was just personally left unsatisfied from most of the second half, enough to mention it.

I really enjoyed the review about the first six hours not being filler. Reviews are so important, especially the top one, because that is what potential readers first see. I often edit my reviews to make sure I’m giving works a good chance. I’d prefer every book, even those that miss the mark for me, receive a favorable top review. So, I came back to make sure this book gets a fair shake and saw that other review. Maybe a little praise heavy, but I’m glad someone did get to enjoy this. It is art and the author no doubt worked hard to create it. You might love it too. I certainly won’t be refunding it, and will likely try the sequel.

9 of 13 people found this review helpful

Exposition railroad

literally nonstop exposition. From the word go, it simply doesn't get out of the exposition mode of story telling and it nearly drove me crazy to finish this.

5 of 8 people found this review helpful

How Much Exposition is Too Much Exposition

Putting aside huge freaking plot holes, Like for example a 6 million troop battle, the logistics in moving / feeding such forces is on a scale that the author does not understand at all. First, trying to sneak into enemy ranks of up to 4 million and thinking sabotaging food stocks is going to do anything is a down right joke in both cases.

Then you have 60% of the book is Exposition and Bragging going on to a point it becomes mind numbing.

Look I get the fact the author does the stereo typical thing of setting up the MC and then tear him down in some story arch, but doing it over and over again does not help move the plot along, which in this case I don't see any except revenge on a King he is serving,

5 of 9 people found this review helpful

crap

Narrator seems to lack any excitement or major variation in tone of voice withering any happy emotion depicted in the story and emphasizing only the depressing bits beyond belief.

Story repeatedly crushes every hope and dream of a slightly happy ending. It forces the protagonist to lose everything then when he rebuilds even a spark of happiness it is immediately smothered with extreme prejudice.

Great cultivation novel!

I really enjoyed the back story, origins and all that. It was a pretty unique take on the genre. The MC kind of reminds me of someone having taken a prestige class, so the level is low and the advancement difficult, but the rewards are great and he can punch above his weight class.

Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this book, and will certainly buy the next one. I think the translation was fantastic, and, with the narration, I think the fluency of it honestly beats out many of the native english writers in this genre.

do yourself a favor and check it out

if you're a fan of superhuman gritty fantasy epics, this is a series for you. a well-thought-out world. has light RPG elements. evilness abounds but it's not dwelt upon unlike so many authors who seem to savor pain. a lot of repetition of theme but in a good way. some humor however the author doesn't over reach. very bloody. Ultra cool. a lot longer than most of these novels run , but it almost never gets bogged down. great value for your dollar. narrator has a salivation problem, didn't care for some of his pitch choices and his female voices suck. he is tolerable though.