The start of The Witch and the Beast introduces readers to a dark and mysterious world, filled with magic, danger, and a profound sense of unease. The story begins with the introduction of a young girl named Nyx, who is marked by a curse and possesses the ability to see the true forms of magical creatures. Nyx serves as an intriguing protagonist, as her cursed status forces her to live a life of isolation and secrecy. The main idea of the story becomes evident as Nyx is tasked with capturing a dangerous and elusive witch named The Beast. The pursuit of The Beast becomes a central focus, driving much of the tension and conflict in the narrative. As Nyx delves deeper into this quest, she uncovers shocking truths about herself and the world she inhabits.
Once inside the Spire, they discover that Orden is working against them, and controlling Derek via a ring she game him. Sera drinks a mysterious potion that Corin got during his judgment, which made her vastly more powerful (temporarily) and changed her attunement. They finally defeat Orden, relying on Sera's Summon of Seiryu to knock out Derek, although doing so damages Sera's attunement to the point it prevents her from speaking or using magic. As soon as they think they are safe, Jin shoots Vera in the back, but Corin manages to knock Jin out before he kills Vera. After stabilizing Vera, Corin summons Katashi, who takes Vera and Orden, Changes Corin's Brand into an attunement, and gives Sera his sword before teleporting them to Keras, who escorts them to Derek's house.
Corin Cadence The point-of-view character for this book, and the main protagonist, Corin is an introverted enchanter, who keeps ending up in the middle of things. I won t spoil the climax of the book, but it was packed with thrilling action that is expertly built up from all of the characters various experiences throughout the book up to this point.
As Nyx delves deeper into this quest, she uncovers shocking truths about herself and the world she inhabits. The start of The Witch and the Beast sets the stage for an exciting and dark fantasy adventure, brimming with secrets, magic, and complex characters..
Review: Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe (Arcane Ascension #1)
Been meaning to read this for years, and I'm glad I finally have!
This was a lot of fun. I've never been a huge LitRPG fan, and I felt like this book did a fantastic job of toeing that line, bringing in an abundance of video game influence, without veering into actually being a LitRPG with literal stats and things like that.
My favorite parts of the book were actually those more video game-y parts, where Corin was exploring the spire's shifting rooms. It was fun reading him react and try to formulate plans to deal with puzzle elements that felt familiar from a lot of games, as well as seeing the variety of monsters that were thrown at him. As I said, it's very game-y, but the way Rowe writes it makes these elements still feel grounded and believable within the reality of the world he's created. It was thrilling seeing Corin (try to) solve these complex puzzles, slay monsters to earn rewards, and find magical artifacts that assisted his ascension of the tower.
I also quite enjoyed the relationships between Corin and the various characters from his past as well as those he comes to meet at school. The pacing slowed down a bit once he left the tower, kind of sucking some of the urgency of his quest to find his brother, but it didn't take long to settle into the book's new groove. I don't have a huge amount of experience with magic school books, but this felt like a solid entry in the genre. It's clear that Rowe has a ton of magic rules and world history intricately plotted out, and I always love when a book's world feels this vibrant and fleshed out. No detail rang hollow; this felt like a fully realized world, rich with history and monsters and magic. Even more so than the magic itself, I loved learning about the spires and the visages. I also found it fascinating that different spires/kingdoms grant different attunements.
One thing I will say is that while it's obvious Rowe has figured out a lot of the kingdoms' backstories, giving some nice texture to the story, I wish a bit more of it had been laid out for the readers. It's possible I just missed something, but I didn't really understand why exactly a new conflict was brewing amongst the countries. (Unless Edria is where the Tyrant in Gold is from and I just missed that detail entirely.) It's also possible, though, that this conflict is what will be a major driving force in the rest of the series, so we may come to learn more about it as Corin does.
I won't spoil the climax of the book, but it was packed with thrilling action that is expertly built up from all of the characters' various experiences throughout the book up to this point. An aspect of progression fantasy I love is seeing these tiny little moments add up and come together in exciting (and sometimes surprising) ways in one big showdown, and this book did not disappoint in that regard. As we learn more about the book's central mystery, too, I must admit that some of the reveals truly caught me off guard. There are still a ton of lingering questions, and I am intrigued to see how they resolve.
It's a fun, vast world that Rowe has created. And given the amount of books already available in it, spanning multiple series, I'm excited to dive in and experience so much more.
4.5/5
Goodreads
The World Andrew knocks the world building aspect of Sufficiently Advanced Magic out of the park. Much of the world is focused around characters gaining and learning how to use their attunements. It sounds a bit video-gamey, and it is, but Andrew ties everything up in a very logical and satisfying way.
.
Reviews for "The Witch and the Beast: An introduction to a world of witches and beasts"
1. Emily - 1/5
"The Start of the Witch and the Beast was a total disappointment. The story lacked depth and the characters felt flat and uninteresting. I couldn't connect with any of them. The plot was predictable and unoriginal, making it difficult to stay engaged. The writing style was also quite dry and did not do justice to the potential of the concept. Overall, I found the book to be a tedious read that failed to live up to its premise."
2. Mike - 2/5
I had high hopes for "The Start of the Witch and the Beast," but it fell short in many ways. The pacing was extremely slow, making it hard to stay invested in the story. The characters were one-dimensional and their motivations often felt forced and unrealistic. Additionally, the world-building was lacking, leaving me feeling disconnected from the setting. While the book had potential, it ultimately failed to deliver a compelling narrative. I wouldn't recommend it to others looking for an engaging fantasy read.
3. Sarah - 2/5
I found "The Start of the Witch and the Beast" to be a disappointing read. The writing was inconsistent, with some parts feeling rushed and others dragged on unnecessarily. The character development was weak, and I struggled to care about their fates. The romantic subplot felt forced and lacked chemistry between the characters. Overall, the book failed to capture my attention and left me feeling underwhelmed. I would advise others to look elsewhere for a more captivating fantasy novel.