Firebrand: The Novice

A Progression Fantasy Epic

By: D.E. Olesen

Narrated by: Steve Campbell

Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

He didn't ask for his rare powers. That doesn't mean he won't use them....

Martel's only ambition is to become a Weathermage, able to ensure good harvest and prosperity for his family. But he'll have to graduate from the Imperial School of Magic first.

A few problems. Martel is from a rural farming village. He has no experience with the harsh and deceitful ways of the imperial capital. And there are plenty who would take advantage of his naivety to see him fail, from fellow students to masters.

Plus, he's twice as old as the typical novices, having spent his childhood hiding his gift for magic out of fear. And he's of Tyrian descent, who once stood as enemies of the Empire and are still treated by many Imperials as such.

But they all underestimate him at their own risk.

For Martel is fire-touched. A power so rare that if he were found out, the Empire would force him to join their endless wars...and he'd rather not be forced to unleash it....

Experience the tale of Martel the reluctant fire mage in the Firebrand LitRPG series. Join him from his humble beginnings as a hapless novice at a Magic Academy. This is character-focused and lighthearted progression fantasy at its finest, with a detailed magic system and a world filled with detail.

©2023 Aethon Books (P)2023 Aethon Audio

slice of life but not

it kinda feels like a slice of life story, except it doesn't fulfill any of the normal trends in that genre...
it has humour and a lot of emotions...

it's not exactly YA, though it flirted with the line several times...

regardless, I had a lot of fun with the book and will definitely pick-up the next one...

Steve has more voices than James McAvoy in Split, all of them awesome...
truly a joy to the earholes, especially with his ability to infuse his words with emotions...

Had potential MC ruined it

Read the summary and book looked intriguing ,started off good but the MC was so naive it made it a chore to listen, then he has a savior complex and needs to help every single
Character I ended up forcing myself to listen the rest of the story just to feel my credit wasn’t wasted

Great story

Awesome story, main character loves to help people and it makes the story really enjoyable.

Great Start!

This book reminds me of The Nothing Mage in some aspects but I still want to see where the author goes with this. The narration was not bad and I was happy with it. I hope to see the next one come soon!

Good Story!

I had a great time listening to this. The story was easy to follow, fun, and entertaining. There were a bunch of heartwarming moments too. The cast of characters were very interesting. Weasel's gang members were so adorable.

As always, Steve Campbell did a phenomenal job with the narration! He's so talented!

Looking forward to listening to the next installment.

mc is dumb

like no joke dude is like licking paint levels of dumb, the mc has no sense of direction and neither does this story, the world building is alright but the mc really really takes this story out back and old yellers the fk outta anything that could have been good

A well done magic school adventure

I enjoyed the story for a couple reasons. The MC was a realistic person who has flaws, and the adventures sometimes bordered on slice of life. The was drama, but nothing world ending. Also the length made the purchase worth it!

Unfortunately I never connected up with the MC.

Well unfortunately I found myself in the wrong audience to appreciate this litRPG. I couldn't quite connect with the MC, Martel. He wants to be a weather Mage but needs training from the Imperial School of Magic first. As he makes his way to register, he finds out that he's too old, but fortunately he has a letter of recommendation, and that gets him in... The book turned out to a cozy slice-of-life academy adventure and a slow slog... so slow that I was bored throughout most of the book...
I'm not sure if it was Steve Campbell's fault or the story itself but I kept looking for the, shoe to drop, on unsuspecting Martel, giving me more of the action I was craving, but it never did... Don't get me wrong though because there is some action, just not enough for me. So if you're into academia and a slice-of-life story 🤔 go for it, but count me out.

Here's a quote that amused me:

"You cannot help anybody if you are dead. At least ask for advice the next time. She quickly added, from somebody other then Maximilian who has the survival instint of a slug in a salt mine."

Meh

It’s passable, it has all aspects for an amazing school life chosen one story. My issue is the dialogue, after reading this I have zero interest in the friends or love interest(s). The MC is also an absolute fool. As if being raised in a small town makes him ignorant in all aspects of humanity or that women have moods or people steal? This story is very hollow but strikes the right marks to keep interest while you wait for something of substance. If I had to read book two for a school assignment I would be annoyed.