Synopsis
A world on the precipice of the apocalypse. A secret forged in the flames of war. A chance to start over.
For John Sutton, only one of those three things matters.
Retired from a decade of brutal war, he wants nothing more than a quiet pastoral life while he does his best to stem the steady increase of his Doom Points before they hit 100, signaling the start of the end.
He’s been given a small farm on the outskirts of the empire as thanks for his service, but no matter how far he travels, it’s impossible to escape the war’s devastating effects on the world.
Bandits, suspicious townsfolk, a mysterious pair of siblings, and a secret that lurks in the mountains all threaten John’s peace. It will take all of his considerable power to keep from burning everything to the ground.
Review
“As my grandmother said, the past is but an unemployed ghost– it can only haunt you if you hire it.”
I loved this book. I was yearning for a fantasy western and this one perfectly scratched the itch. A retired soldier has been rewarded with a farm- 25 acres of land, 100 acres of forest, 3 pastures, a home, 2 barns, 6 cows, and 1 bull in a faraway village. How he builds up his farm, what new threats he encounters there, and what mysteries lurk within his military past form the crux of the story. It is perfectly balanced between being a cozy, slice-of-life, and action fantasy. It is genuinely a treat to read the farming aspects of the story. There is a scene where John, the MC, threatens a bull and a rooster and it brought me so much joy.
“What a farce. Most powerful person in an entire fantasy world, and I’m reduced to bullying farm animals.”
This book answers the question- what happens to the most OP character when the war is over? It needs a lot of skillful balancing to write a compelling story while the MC is very powerful and can beat any threat. How will they win, what are the consequences to the MC and the world, why and what are the restrictions to them not using their powers to solve every challenge they come across, and we still need them to use their powers a lot. If the OP character does not use their powers, it’s just not fun. It is also important that such a main character connects with the reader and feels very real. Seth Ring nails all this and more masterfully. Superman, One Punch Man, Murderbot, and Rohan from the Hybrid Helix fans, you will find a lot to love here.
“I didn’t want to wake you, since betrayal is a tiring business and you looked like you were sleeping well, but I am on a bit of a tight schedule”
I am not going to talk about any other aspect of the book but just list all the things I found enjoyable in the book: the cozy, slice-of-life vibes, the farming life, animal companions, the found family, John Sutton’s competence and skills, all the village characters, the antagonists, the monsters, the different classes of magic system. Overall, this is one the most enjoyable reading experiences I have had and I can’t wait to pick up book 2 soon.
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