Mr. McCane
Outfreakingstanding!
I attempted to read this in April (2025) and ended up pausing on it. It was just impossible for me to get into it. I somehow prepared myself for a heroic grimdark sorcery ass kind of book. Yes, I was ready for some fire-breathing dragons and sword fighting. That’s what I get for not reading summaries. Anyway, after a few chapters of this book, it was clear that this was at the very least dark academia. I love dark academia, but I had just finished reading The Poppy War, so…
About two weeks ago (7 months later), because of the release of “The Strength of a Few”, I lowered by expectations, picked it back up and started over. OMG, it blew me away.
Quick spoiler free summary
Three years after a horrible incident, a 17-year-old boy, Vis Telimus finds himself in an orphanage. Some terrible people have taken over the government, and Vis seeks revenge.
Vis must attend a prestigious school and rise through the ranks in order to accomplish his mission. But there is a magic system involved that may stand in his way. So instead of quizzes and exams, we get survival, betrayal, alliances, and manipulation.
This book took me on a ride, and I really enjoyed it. What surprised me is how the author kept my attention the entire time. I usually could not care less about the Roman Empire, but the plot and the fact that you can’t trust anyone in the book kept my eyes glued to the pages. Vis is the man! I’m jumping straight into book 2.
Outfreakingstanding!
I attempted to read this in April (2025) and ended up pausing on it. It was just impossible for me to get into it. I somehow prepared myself for a heroic grimdark sorcery ass kind of book. Yes, I was ready for some fire-breathing dragons and sword fighting. That’s what I get for not reading summaries. Anyway, after a few chapters of this book, it was clear that this was at the very least dark academia. I love dark academia, but I had just finished reading The Poppy War, so…
About two weeks ago (7 months later), because of the release of “The Strength of a Few”, I lowered by expectations, picked it back up and started over. OMG, it blew me away.
Quick spoiler free summary
Three years after a horrible incident, a 17-year-old boy, Vis Telimus finds himself in an orphanage. Some terrible people have taken over the government, and Vis seeks revenge.
Vis must attend a prestigious school and rise through the ranks in order to accomplish his mission. But there is a magic system involved that may stand in his way. So instead of quizzes and exams, we get survival, betrayal, alliances, and manipulation.
This book took me on a ride, and I really enjoyed it. What surprised me is how the author kept my attention the entire time. I usually could not care less about the Roman Empire, but the plot and the fact that you can’t trust anyone in the book kept my eyes glued to the pages. Vis is the man! I’m jumping straight into book 2.
I have mixed feelings about this read. There were things that I really enjoyed, like the suspense during the first few chapters. I literally felt like I was in the house with the FMC.
I immersed read this with both the physical copy and audiobook. The narrator (Sheena Jones) did an amazing job.
I loved the short chapters and the initial intense story building.
But then I felt like I was reading a book I'd already read before. I predicted every twist except the final one. Typically, my predicting the twist wouldn’t affect my overall rating, but I disliked the last twist so much that I ended up deducting a star because of it.
Also, this book was full of the same old tropes that I’m tired of reading.
The FMC who makes dumb decisions repeatedly.
The illiterate police officer, who can’t solve a crime and could not care less about a victim.
Every male character is violent and/or a cheater.
When you have all the evidence but question if what’s occurring is really happening.
It may sound like I hate the book, but that’s not the case. I started out loving it and ended up not loving it so much. I’m sort of stuck in the middle.
I have mixed feelings about this read. There were things that I really enjoyed, like the suspense during the first few chapters. I literally felt like I was in the house with the FMC.
I immersed read this with both the physical copy and audiobook. The narrator (Sheena Jones) did an amazing job.
I loved the short chapters and the initial intense story building.
But then I felt like I was reading a book I'd already read before. I predicted every twist except the final one. Typically, my predicting the twist wouldn’t affect my overall rating, but I disliked the last twist so much that I ended up deducting a star because of it.
Also, this book was full of the same old tropes that I’m tired of reading.
The FMC who makes dumb decisions repeatedly.
The illiterate police officer, who can’t solve a crime and could not care less about a victim.
Every male character is violent and/or a cheater.
When you have all the evidence but question if what’s occurring is really happening.
It may sound like I hate the book, but that’s not the case. I started out loving it and ended up not loving it so much. I’m sort of stuck in the middle.
I have mixed feelings about this read. There were things that I really enjoyed, like the suspense during the first few chapters. I literally felt like I was in the house with FMC.
I immersed read this with both the physical copy and audiobook. The narrator (Sheena Jones) did an amazing job.
I loved the short chapters and the initial intense story building.
But then I felt like I was reading a book I'd already read before. I predicted every twist except the final one. Typically, my predicting the twist wouldn’t affect my overall rating, but I disliked the last twist so much that I ended up deducting a star because of it.
Also, this book was full of the same old tropes that I’m tired of reading.
The FMC who makes dumb decisions repeatedly.
The illiterate police officer, who can’t solve a crime and could not care less about a victim.
Every male character is violent and/or a cheater.
When you have all the evidence but question if what’s occurring is really happening.
It may sound like I hate the book, but that’s not the case. I started out loving it and ended it not loving it so much. I’m sort of stuck in the middle.
I have mixed feelings about this read. There were things that I really enjoyed, like the suspense during the first few chapters. I literally felt like I was in the house with FMC.
I immersed read this with both the physical copy and audiobook. The narrator (Sheena Jones) did an amazing job.
I loved the short chapters and the initial intense story building.
But then I felt like I was reading a book I'd already read before. I predicted every twist except the final one. Typically, my predicting the twist wouldn’t affect my overall rating, but I disliked the last twist so much that I ended up deducting a star because of it.
Also, this book was full of the same old tropes that I’m tired of reading.
The FMC who makes dumb decisions repeatedly.
The illiterate police officer, who can’t solve a crime and could not care less about a victim.
Every male character is violent and/or a cheater.
When you have all the evidence but question if what’s occurring is really happening.
It may sound like I hate the book, but that’s not the case. I started out loving it and ended it not loving it so much. I’m sort of stuck in the middle.
Let me start off by saying that I’m pretty new to the romance genre in general, and that this is my first romance novella.
This is a short quick read (100 pages). The book is about a hard working woman who is very organized, successful, and is working on her startup. The problem is, she is not taking time out for herself.
She agrees to take some much needed time off to attend a wedding, but ends up getting stuck in Puerto Rico. While there, she meets a guy and together they have an unforgettable weekend.
I enjoyed the plot and it had so much potential, but I felt like the pacing was too fast for me. Again, maybe this is what romance novellas are like. Idk 🤷🏾♂️
If you’re looking for a quick romance that’s heavy on the spice, I found one for you.
Apparently, I’m more geared for slow burn romances. By the end of this one, I was left with several unanswered questions. I needed less spice and more story.
Let me start off by saying that I’m pretty new to the romance genre in general, and that this is my first romance novella.
This is a short quick read (100 pages). The book is about a hard working woman who is very organized, successful, and is working on her startup. The problem is, she is not taking time out for herself.
She agrees to take some much needed time off to attend a wedding, but ends up getting stuck in Puerto Rico. While there, she meets a guy and together they have an unforgettable weekend.
I enjoyed the plot and it had so much potential, but I felt like the pacing was too fast for me. Again, maybe this is what romance novellas are like. Idk 🤷🏾♂️
If you’re looking for a quick romance that’s heavy on the spice, I found one for you.
Apparently, I’m more geared for slow burn romances. By the end of this one, I was left with several unanswered questions. I needed less spice and more story.
It was a good read. I was expecting a memoir and didn’t realize that it was actually a self help book on how to adapt to obstacles that may get in the way of your success. That’s what I get for never reading the synopsis lol.
If you know 50, he’s always going to speak his truth. I was surprised how vulnerable he was in this one. I enjoyed some of the personal stories he told about him and various celebrities. I laughed out loud several times, and I believe I now know how to sell drugs effectively.
The only issue I had was that sometimes he over explained things. He would drop some knowledge, then tell you a drawn out story explaining the same thing. Sometimes it worked for me, and other times I felt it wasn’t needed.
I read both the physical and audiobook. I recommend this to anyone who needs a little push in life and anyone who is a fan of 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson).
It was a good read. I was expecting a memoir and didn’t realize that it was actually a self help book on how to adapt to obstacles that may get in the way of your success. That’s what I get for never reading the synopsis lol.
If you know 50, he’s always going to speak his truth. I was surprised how vulnerable he was in this one. I enjoyed some of the personal stories he told about him and various celebrities. I laughed out loud several times, and I believe I now know how to sell drugs effectively.
The only issue I had was that sometimes he over explained things. He would drop some knowledge, then tell you a drawn out story explaining the same thing. Sometimes it worked for me, and other times I felt it wasn’t needed.
I read both the physical and audiobook. I recommend this to anyone who needs a little push in life and anyone who is a fan of 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson).
