I agree that a lot of the things you wrote are potentially problematic, though I’m not convinced that they were careless choices. However, with an entire forest going silent, it’s strange to focus on the experiences of one scritchy-scratchy squirrel. Most of this chapter is summarizing the end of Aedan’s second and the beginning of his third year at the academy. I know everyone has their own opinions but I think if you haven’t done so yet, actually read the whole book and then judge for yourself. It's epic fantasy, but epic fantasy with a difference as this is more fantasy in the Robin Hobb and Patrick Rothfuss mould, where the 'hero' is not all-perfect and highly skilled at everything they set their mind too, Renshaw's hero Aedan is intelligent and talented, yes, but he is also flawed, emotionally damaged by his childhood and those scars shape his present and future life.

They decide to stalk two foresters to see whether the girls or the boys are better at stalking people. Started with the character that readers don’t have to be introduced to, making it easier for them to move on to the new character and get the scope of what’s happening quickly. saw the whole thing so they decided to help Coren and Enna get a really nice stall up and running for them and direct traffic there.Yeah, there’s been a few other things happening these last few chapters (that ship was pretty cool), but, each chapter I’m just wondering when we’re actually going to get somewhere exciting. I am about a quarter into my second attempt at novel writing, and reading about someone who thought himself ready for publication (even if it was self-publishing), projectile vomiting on a level that already feels worse than the stuff I keep in mind when writing, is highly motivational. Oh, yeah, in this chapter we also find out that Liru’s sister was kidnapped by the Lekrau like Kalry was.

I know that this is something other readers will love as the schooling part of a fantasy book is, in my opinion, always a winner - think Roke from Le Guin's Earthsea, Hogwarts from Rowling's Harry Potter, the University from Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles.Regrettably, instead of focusing on Aedan’s weaknesses and inner turmoil, it much too quickly changes the topic onto other things. The sequel has also grown so long that it has finally turned into two books, each of which will probably be longer than the debut.

A hush of anticipation swept through the trees, causing forest creatures to hesitate in their scratchings and birds to falter in their songs. The driver scrambled onto the heap of timber where he peered out over a lush green pastureland, chuckled to himself, and dug his boots into the wood pile until he had a steady footing. While the Dawn of Wonder does fall in line with traditional fantasy tropes, and meanders a little during the middle chapters, Aedan’s top-notch characterization elevates the proceedings. Another chapter looks at rudimentary metalworking: because Aeden is just a kid and not OPed or involved in a soapy epic adventure (though super smart in the Ender’s Game sense) he and his class are relegated to the task of building up the army’s reserve of cheap weapons.Aedan is super excited, but Fergal tells him that before he can go to Lekrau to go rescue he has to be able to pass himself off as a local Lekrau. Aedan’s reflexes from all those grueling chapters of schooling take over and he knocks the guy down. As much as I like Aedan being wrong in this flashback, I think spec fic is overdue for a subversion of this trope. The date goes well, but throughout the chapter it’s shown that Ilona cares more about money than anything else so eventually Aedan doesn’t have a crush on her anymore.