OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "End of the Last Great Kingdom (The Brimstone Chronicles Book 1)" by Victor Rose.]

End of the Last Great Kingdom is a fantasy novel with adventure, action and overcoming impossible odds. I typically hate when people describe something as "thing A meets thing B", but really the quickest way to describe End of the Last Great Kingdom is to call it Harry Potter meets Game of Thrones. It has plenty of violence, (not-overly-descriptive) gore and implied/threatened sexual assault like Game of Thrones, but features 10-15 year olds as the main cast. Like the Harry Potter series, it also features plenty of magic and kids taking on responsibilities even trained adults would find frightening.

Leaf was a mage school student without magic. Fearing his inevitable removal, he desperately chooses the only test he has any hope of passing - trial by combat. Despite the fact that it almost definitely means death for Leaf, the idea of being removed from mage school is even worse - enlighten (those who can use magic) are considered a higher social status than everyone else, and being removed from the school would likely mean a life of hard labor or even slavery. After somehow surviving the battle his life of being bullied and looked down upon are over, and he chooses the name Brimstone as his mage name.

Brimstone isn't entirely safe: he's a mage who still can't actually use any magic himself. He's also so poor he can't afford the necessary robes and weaponry he needs to continue his schooling, let alone afford eating three meals a day. The name he's made for himself also makes him a target of bigger, tougher students who want to show off, and when The Order comes around investigating a creature that killed numerous students he's made into a scapegoat.

Victor Rose's End of the Last Great Kingdom is the first entry in The Brimstone Chronicles and it didn't disappoint. The introduction of the book set a masterful scene detailing thousands of years of history. The wars and politics were epic, but the story of Brimstone and The Order is just as crazy. A great deal happens in these 234 pages, yet I was hooked from the beginning and never felt confused. Because mages choose their names when they're officially made mages it was easy to keep characters apart - Brimstone survived an amazing fire spell, Heat is a girl who specializes in fire magic and Neutron's specialty is electrical magic. Each character has a hidden depth to them as well - Neutron has a checkered past that may explain his lack of shyness toward violence and Heat comes to Brimstone due to something that threatens to destroy her. The three make a unique team, especially since they're all in their early teens (or younger!) at the beginning of the book. Their loyalty and friendship is as legendary as the acts they perform.

Aside from a few grammatical errors scattered throughout the book, I only had two negative thoughts about the book. First, it really could've used more detail. As I said, a lot happens in this book, and if it was all given the page space it deserved this would've been 300-500 pages long. Some portions of the book were perfect as they were, but some really epic moments lacked a bit of luster and weren't as exciting as they could have been. Second, the ages of the characters just felt wrong. To think of 10-15 year olds having to deal with savagely murdering people, potentially being raped and torturing others was a bit too dark even for me. If I let my mind forget their ages it wasn't bad at all, but when I'd remember it was just a little off-putting. It's worth mentioning again, though, that the descriptiveness of the violence is never too gory and there's no actual sexual content in the book, just a few threats or mentions of it.

I really enjoyed my time with End of the Last Great Kingdom, and I'm looking very forward to book two. This one wrapped up enough bows to feel like a genuine book one ending while it left me in a perfect place to begin book two. I devoured the book, finishing it in a day and a half of reading, and didn't even want to put it down when I did. While I'd give the book 3.5 stars if I could, my official rating is 3 out of 4 stars. Anyone who loves a good fantasy novel with a fast pace will love it!

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End of the Last Great Kingdom (The Brimstone Chronicles Book 1)
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This sounds epic. Your review really drew me into the book. I think the length is good because I don't like to read anything over 350 pages. Thanks.

This sounds fantastic. It's definitely a book I would go for.

Sounds like there is a lot of potential in this book, but I worry about the lack of detail. I'm a big fan of fantasy stories, especially one's that are fully developed and detailed! Interesting review, thanks

I wish I could get the book by this is nice work

A story that can arouse students interest in reading! New and exciting!

I can actually say that this book is so interesting, This book really caught my attention since I read its title. I really enjoyed reading this and I know it can also be enjoyed by other Fantasy lovers like me. This book really drives me into a different world and the writer really did a great job

I typically don't enjoy books that seem almost like something else, but this one does sound unique. It sounds like the author puts their own spin on things, and I'm interested to see what that is! I'm glad you enjoyed this one, and it's something I'm going to have to put on my list!

A mage school student without magic? Sounds like Harry Potter with a twist. A dark fantasy featuring a mage school student without magic, unique creatures, and plenty of action sounds good. Too bad about the grammatical errors and the lack of details. I am glad you enjoyed the book despite its faults. Thank you for the review!

An orphan trying to pass magic school and having 2 friends kind of also reminds me of Harry Potter. Though I agree that it's inappropriate for 10-15 year olds to be in those situations in the book, I guess in the real world there are also those who are very unfortunate to be forced to grow up fast. Thanks for the very honest review.

Sounds like an interesting read. Thank you for the comprehensive introduction to the characters. I am not sure how I feel about the 'dark' aspects but, hopefully, I too will be able to separate the characters from their ages during these parts.

Another great review...your detail and easy to understand explanations, still make you a favorite reviewer of mine. Thank you! I have to admit that I was also surprised when the ages of the characters were mentioned. I thought I was possibly overreacting, but hearing you say the same, I know I wasn't. Either way, it does sound like a book that is full of adventure and keeps the reader engaged throughout. This isn't a genre I usually read, but maybe it's time I take a step outside my box! Congratulations to Victor Rose on being chosen for #BOTD!

Great review! You've really peaked my interest. I love a good fantasy adventure and this one sounds epic. This sounds like a book that both my teenagers and I will enjoy. We all live to read and it's great fun to discuss things we've all read. The Harry Potter series was like this for us. Thanks so much for sharing.

I appreciate the review, though I don't fancy the book because I am not a fan of witchcraft.

Great Review! I love Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire so this sounds like something I would be interested in! I will add it to my shelves!