Phil Tucker (1)

In a sundered world whose dominant religion believes in reincarnation, and largely ties individuals’ intrinsic moral worth to where they were born, the protagonist Asho was given a rare opportunity to elevate himself and train to become a knight under the lord whose life his father saved. Yet many only see as far as his origin, and he himself comes soon to witness both the death of his protector and troubling revelations about the faith. Still, he is determined to support his lord’s widow and new liege to the best of his abilities.

So far feels like very solid and fairly classical Epic fantasy with a welcome fresh coat of paint (like the orcs initially present as hired shock troops in the opening battle, but then having a POV and developments back home rather than being just endless disposable mooks irretrievably in thrall to some villain).… (meer)

Interesting world where people get reborn without any memory.
Meanwhile they cultivate mana into their heart to get better and to develop higher levels with special abilities.
All is set against the MC but he prevails against all odds. Good thing is that the story changes throughout the book a lot. therefore it is not the same old grinding like a lot of cultivation books do.
I would like to see a bit more character development -especially in the side kicks of the MC.
Looks like a good series to follow.… (meer)

I got this book as an ARC reader in exchange for an honest review.

What a fun ride this was! Philip Tucker's newest novel is classified as a progression fantasy, so of course one would expect all the genre conventions that come with it. There's a hero that is striving to improve himself, and people that try to block his way. The hero is never overpowering, so when he succeeds despite his struggles, the victory feels well earned.

Yet what I loved most about Bastion was the world. What an interesting layered world it was. It took some time to understand the layout and nature of Bastion, but as someone who loves exploring secondary worlds in Fantasy, I was hooked. I fully recommend reading it just for the setting alone. The interesting characters and progression are icing on top.… (meer)