The Sorcerer's Inception: The Scrolls of Azbel Book 1

By John Bradley Mangold

When a demon assaults her hunting party, Master Dominic assigns Maluem her founding quest with his dying breath. The Sorcerer's Inception, it is a mission every Acolyte dreams of. Yet for Maluem it brings only sorrow, along with an Acolyte to instruct. When her meditations grant her a glimpse of an ominous prize, Maluem realizes she has gained a vital clue. But, to decipher her vision's true meaning, she must return to the childhood home that once banished her. Maluem's return will not include a warm welcome. She will have to use all of her cunning, or her first journey may lead them both into an unmarked grave.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B086PQXLPF
• ISBN13: 9798621220181
• Release Date: April 2020
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Starts strong but loses focus halfway through

"The Sorcerer’s Inception" is J.B. Mangold’s debut novel. In some ways, what he is able to accomplish is impressive. The first scene, which encompasses the first five chapters, is packed with development. It very competently introduces the main character and supporting cast, sets up the world, and introduces the magic system. Mangold does not use exposition dumps or other sub-optimal tools to accomplish this, instead weaving all the pertinent information into an action sequence. To make things even better, this action sequence and its consequences develop the main character and profoundly impact the trajectory of the story. Each plot event leads logically to the next, building momentum as the protagonist drives the story toward a solid objective. But at the halfway point, things begin to fall apart beginning with an encounter which, while a result of the protagonists’ previous actions, is not related to the main plot or character arcs in any meaningful way. From here, things go further off the rails as events have little to do with each other and do not tie to the first part of the story in a cogent manner. This leads to an unfortunately unimpactful climax and ending. Technical issues including words used incorrectly, missing words, improper capitalization, and missing letters often make sentences difficult to decipher. General word choice and sentence structure also impeded my ability to easily digest and enjoy the book. The biggest problem with the book is an unlikable protagonist. Her snide attitude, proclivity to actively antagonize others, general condescension, and egotistical approach to life made me instantly dislike her. She does not improve measurably across the novel, but instead doubles down on this attitude by being a jerk to her only friend, demonstrating how difficult it is for an unlikable protagonist to carry a story. But despite myriad shortcomings, this book was engaging enough to keep me reading to the end, and the potential it displays means I will definitely give the sequel a chance.