- Title:
- Magical After: Dark World Book 1 Part 1
- Author:
- David Gunter
- Release:
- November 14, 2020
- Format:
- Audiobook, Kindle
- Narrator:
- Aaron Smith
- Series:
- Dark World
I opted to start with part 2 of book 1, it left me very curious to see what I missed in part 1.
The first part of this story is primarily world-building, and it does an excellent job of it. It sets the scene, introducing the characters, a little backstory, lore, and the ‘gameplay’ of the virtual world the story is primarily set in.
In an effort to keep my reviews spoiler-free, I’ll refrain from mentioning actual dialogue or character names. Certain characters and their interactions with each other and the world had me laughing constantly. From the narrator badmouthing a disembodied voice to the stubborn warrior who tries to equip armor that’s beyond his level, only to get dizzy and fall every few steps.
While you could skip part 1 and not miss out on too much world-building, as most of it is covered in part 2. At least to a degree that you’d understand the basics, I wouldn’t recommend it.
I really think this series is worth a read. It’s a new and relatively unique take on the fantasy series we’re all so familiar and in some cases, bored with. I’ve always loved medieval fantasy, but there are only so many times I can find ‘orc kills dwaf, dwarf clan retaliates’ and political assassinations interesting.
The audiobook is about half as long as part 2, making it an excellent sampler for the series. The end result is a story that sets the stage, so to speak, and doesn’t require a large time commitment to see if it’s for you. It lacks a lot of the system sounds and stat readings I found tedious in part 2, which likely saved a lot of time. Though by the sounds of it, they also lack a little of the polish introduced in part 2.
NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.