Bastion
- Downloads：8610
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-10 04:19:12
- Update Date：2025-09-08
- Status：finish
- Author：Phil Tucker
- ISBN：B09KNXZZR5
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Steve Lawyer
，
This is a review of an ARC provide by the author for an honest review。 First off this is going to be my first review。 I have read many books but never has a book gripped me to the point of having a hard time setting it down。 Found my self going to bed at night wondering how Scorio and band was going to get into and out of trouble again。 The author has a way with worldbuilding that is in depth but allowes you to understand the nature of the places and magic in somewhat simple terms while being co This is a review of an ARC provide by the author for an honest review。 First off this is going to be my first review。 I have read many books but never has a book gripped me to the point of having a hard time setting it down。 Found my self going to bed at night wondering how Scorio and band was going to get into and out of trouble again。 The author has a way with worldbuilding that is in depth but allowes you to understand the nature of the places and magic in somewhat simple terms while being complex enough to leave a lot of intrigue and mystery at his disposal to leave the reader wanting for just another few minutes to read finding out what is going to happen next。 Thanks Phil Tucker。 I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Scorio and all his friends in the future。 。。。more
Dave Snowdon
，
I've been a long time fan of Phil Tucker and have read his Godsblood trilogy， Chronicles at the black gate and Euphoria Online series。 So I was really happy to hear he had new book in the works and even happier to be given a chance to read an advance copy。 Bastion is set in a new fantasy world with an premise that is new and， I think， quite unusual。Having characters re-incarnate without memories is a nice way of allowing us to discover the world of Bastion through their eyes。There a nice mix of I've been a long time fan of Phil Tucker and have read his Godsblood trilogy， Chronicles at the black gate and Euphoria Online series。 So I was really happy to hear he had new book in the works and even happier to be given a chance to read an advance copy。 Bastion is set in a new fantasy world with an premise that is new and， I think， quite unusual。Having characters re-incarnate without memories is a nice way of allowing us to discover the world of Bastion through their eyes。There a nice mix of well-fleshed out characters with realistic imperfections and the plot has many satisfying twists， turns and surprises。I had real trouble putting this down and， having finished it， am already waiting for the next book in the series。 。。。more
Shaun
，
I wanted to start by saying that I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。I have read all of Phil Tucker’s work， and what I have always enjoyed is how grounded the struggle is for the main protagonist。 This book is no exception。 It grabbed me from the unexpected beginning where they awaken from death to an immediate test to the ups and downs during Scorio’s journey and the amount of grinding that he must do just to make a single step forward。 I have always been fas I wanted to start by saying that I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。I have read all of Phil Tucker’s work， and what I have always enjoyed is how grounded the struggle is for the main protagonist。 This book is no exception。 It grabbed me from the unexpected beginning where they awaken from death to an immediate test to the ups and downs during Scorio’s journey and the amount of grinding that he must do just to make a single step forward。 I have always been fascinated by “Progression fantasy” where there are stages and specific power levels within the world。 I enjoyed this western take on this topic， and it reminds me very much of a gritter version of Will Wights Cradle series。 I would highly recommend this to people who are interested in a grounded progression fantasy book where the protagonist doesn’t always win that is coupled with a sprinkle of the “power of friendship”。 If you pick this book up， you’re in for a ride！Since Amazon isn't responding to my emails to fix my main account's ability to review， I'm posting this on my backup account！ Totally loved the book however。 。。。more
James Olinde
，
I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 Up front， this is my first experience with the ARC process， and it has been a great first book。 I thoroughly enjoyed Bastion through all its phases。 The atmosphere at the beginning was stifling but also matched what Scorio （the MC） was experiencing。 From Scorio’s resurrection to the ensuing events， it’s written with great care to allow you to feel the action and empathize with the characters。 Phil categorizes this book as a progression I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 Up front， this is my first experience with the ARC process， and it has been a great first book。 I thoroughly enjoyed Bastion through all its phases。 The atmosphere at the beginning was stifling but also matched what Scorio （the MC） was experiencing。 From Scorio’s resurrection to the ensuing events， it’s written with great care to allow you to feel the action and empathize with the characters。 Phil categorizes this book as a progression fantasy and it certainly has aspects of that throughout， but I wouldn’t say it’s solely progression。 The world building， story arc and characters could also be in any well written epic fantasy。 This is a very enjoyable book and I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes。 。。。more
Ed Otto
，
I got this book as an ARC reader in exchange for an honest interview。What a fun ride this was！ Philip Tucker's newest novel is classified as a progression fantasy， so of course one would expect all the genre conventions that come with it。 There's a hero that is striving to improve himself， and people that try to block his way。 The hero is never overpowering， so when he succeeds despite his struggles， the victory feels well earned。Yet what I loved most about Bastion was the world。 What an interes I got this book as an ARC reader in exchange for an honest interview。What a fun ride this was！ Philip Tucker's newest novel is classified as a progression fantasy， so of course one would expect all the genre conventions that come with it。 There's a hero that is striving to improve himself， and people that try to block his way。 The hero is never overpowering， so when he succeeds despite his struggles， the victory feels well earned。Yet what I loved most about Bastion was the world。 What an interesting layered world it was。 It took some time to understand the layout and nature of Bastion， but as someone who loves exploring secondary worlds in Fantasy， I was hooked。 I fully recommend reading it just for the setting alone。 The interesting characters and progression are icing on top。 。。。more
Maureen
，
This book is truly an epic fantasy！ Phil Tucker does such an amazing job writing these epic fantasies， that I could not turn down the chance to read this in advance。 I love his world building， character building， and just fantastic story telling。 From start to finish， it was hard to put the book down。 His stories are all unique and enthralling from start to finish。 I can’t wait to read more from Phil Tucker！
William West
，
Very fun read。 This was my first book from Phil and I have to say I enjoyed it immensely。 If you are looking for a book that will take you into a wonderful fantasy world and will give you hours （if not days depending on reading speed） of enjoyment， definitely pick this up！
A。C。 Cobble
，
Huge scope， vivid & imaginative worldbuilding， breath-taking action， and enough heart to carry you through it all！ It's billed as progression fantasy， and is sure to be a bit with that crowd， but epic fantasy fans are going to love this one too。 Huge scope， vivid & imaginative worldbuilding， breath-taking action， and enough heart to carry you through it all！ It's billed as progression fantasy， and is sure to be a bit with that crowd， but epic fantasy fans are going to love this one too。 。。。more
Michael LaChance
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An epic fantasy of the first order。 A remarkably unique world brought to life by Tucker’s writing style。 Mystery， action and unexpected turns that leave the reader wanting to know what happens next。 I’m very anxious for the next book in what I hope will be a long series。
Jacques Smit
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I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I have read the Chronicles of the Black Gate series by Phil Tucker， and although I enjoyed it， Phil has gone to another level in Bastion， which far exceeded my expectations。 The story of Bastion， and for the most part， the story of Scorio， was one that I could not put down。 When I started reading the ebook， it felt like the large number of pages would be more than sufficient to tell the story from start to finish。 How wrong I was， I received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I have read the Chronicles of the Black Gate series by Phil Tucker， and although I enjoyed it， Phil has gone to another level in Bastion， which far exceeded my expectations。 The story of Bastion， and for the most part， the story of Scorio， was one that I could not put down。 When I started reading the ebook， it felt like the large number of pages would be more than sufficient to tell the story from start to finish。 How wrong I was， and here’s to hoping that a sequel is imminent。 The story is vast and complex， creating twists and turns， all the while asking more and more questions。 The world of Bastion is nightmarish， but beautiful at the same time。 Never did I image that Hell could be so described with the abundance and diversity of not only the fauna and flora， but the consequences of engaging with those by humans - although could they still be called humans having achieved their level of power？ I loved the book， the characters， the world， their individual and collective struggles， as well as the effort of and perseverance of each Great Soul needed to succeed / progress to greatness。 。。。more
kartik narayanan
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It has been a while since Phil Tucker finished his last series - about three years。 So it came to me as a pleasant surprise when he sent me the ARC of his latest book - Bastion。 As can be expected， I dropped everything else and read the book from front to back on the same day。 And it is fantastic。Phil Tucker's trademarks of excellent world-building as well as brilliant characterisation are， once again the standout features of this book。 I am not going to get into the story （or even run the minor It has been a while since Phil Tucker finished his last series - about three years。 So it came to me as a pleasant surprise when he sent me the ARC of his latest book - Bastion。 As can be expected， I dropped everything else and read the book from front to back on the same day。 And it is fantastic。Phil Tucker's trademarks of excellent world-building as well as brilliant characterisation are， once again the standout features of this book。 I am not going to get into the story （or even run the minor risk of spoilers）， since the reader would be best served discovering it for themselves。 What I love， in addition， about this book is how Phil Tucker has once again challenged himself， by picking another sub-genre of fantasy for his story-telling。 The progression fantasy elements of the book are great， but the characters also stand out so well。 This is what determines whether a book is like a dry statistic textbook or if it is a story where we get to experience what the characters go through。I highly recommend this book for Phil Tucker fans， Progression Fantasy readers， people looking for a their next fantasy fix， or for someone just looking for an entertaining story。 。。。more
Sara
，
quite a ride！I read was asked to give an honest review as a an ARC reader。 This was a bit of a rollercoaster but worth the the read。 The mystery and world building are classic Phil Tucker。 I found myself constantly rooting for and simultaneously pulling my hair in sympathy for Scorio。 Definitely worth a read。
Sundeep
，
I enjoyed reading the "Euphoria Online" series by Phil Tucker。 So， I decided to jump at the chance of an ARC copy of a new epic progression fantasy series when I saw a tweet from the author。Turned out to be a great decision。 I found it a compelling read and finished this massive tome in just 3。5 days。Despite the sprawling epic setting， the main focus is Scorio's journey。 Right from the first chapter when Scorio is reborn （along with many others）， he faces a series of challenges and setbacks。 Alo I enjoyed reading the "Euphoria Online" series by Phil Tucker。 So， I decided to jump at the chance of an ARC copy of a new epic progression fantasy series when I saw a tweet from the author。Turned out to be a great decision。 I found it a compelling read and finished this massive tome in just 3。5 days。Despite the sprawling epic setting， the main focus is Scorio's journey。 Right from the first chapter when Scorio is reborn （along with many others）， he faces a series of challenges and setbacks。 Along the way he gets help from other characters， learns about the world， political structure and his own magical abilities。 All of these flowed well with the fast paced plot， with Scorio's strong determination shining bright。 Some of his gambits were incredible， but the author handled it well with the consequences。 The tone was dark and serious， with a handful of lighter moments providing breathing space。I hope the future books will give us more POV chapters compared to the few interludes in this one。 There are plenty of interesting characters and reading such a big book majorly from a single POV gets a bit tedious。Overall， I had plenty of fun reading Bastion and would highly recommend to those who enjoy epic and/or progression fantasy。Link to my blog post 。。。more
Dan Phillips
，
Fyi- I received a arc of this book in exchange for a honest review and this is my first time reviewing so bear with me。 I'll go over some specific things I liked but to boil it down to blurb level - read it， its good stuff and worth the time reading it。There is a ton of things to like about Bastion， from the unique hellish landscape to the weirdness of the flora and fauna and the powers of the characters but my favorite is the way the progression elements are handled。 Echoing other reviewers Bas Fyi- I received a arc of this book in exchange for a honest review and this is my first time reviewing so bear with me。 I'll go over some specific things I liked but to boil it down to blurb level - read it， its good stuff and worth the time reading it。There is a ton of things to like about Bastion， from the unique hellish landscape to the weirdness of the flora and fauna and the powers of the characters but my favorite is the way the progression elements are handled。 Echoing other reviewers Bastion is more good storytelling than a numbers go whee book。 Don't get me wrong， there is satisfying growth with the characters but its not the absolute sole focus。 There is slowly unfolding mystery in the where's and whys of this world which is nicely handled。Again I'll reiterate- this book is a worthy contribution to the progression genre and to fantasy in general。 Also， the whole reason I volunteered to read the arc and provide a review is that I've read and enjoyed Mr。 Tuckers other works so if you're looking for more worthy reads check his other stuff out。 。。。more
Raoul
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Bastion is an amazing read， it’s an epic fantasy with litrpg elements that blend well together。 The story follows Scorio who is cast out and left to die but he’s resolved to live and grow more powerful。 If you’ve read any other of Phil’s other books you will love this one。
Gill Hopkins
，
‘Bastion’ is an ambitious， absorbing and highly enjoyable addition to the sub- genre of progression fantasy tales。 I was hooked from the beginning by the intriguing plot line and the gripping and exciting opening sequence。 Scorio， the main character， is ‘reincarnated’ in Bastion after more than two hundred years， along with a cohort of other ‘Great Souls’， but is then publicly denounced as a traitor to Bastion and is condemned to be banished to almost certain death for crimes he cannot remember。 ‘Bastion’ is an ambitious， absorbing and highly enjoyable addition to the sub- genre of progression fantasy tales。 I was hooked from the beginning by the intriguing plot line and the gripping and exciting opening sequence。 Scorio， the main character， is ‘reincarnated’ in Bastion after more than two hundred years， along with a cohort of other ‘Great Souls’， but is then publicly denounced as a traitor to Bastion and is condemned to be banished to almost certain death for crimes he cannot remember。Scorio is abandoned and left alone， with a burning sense of injustice and unfairness。 This is the motivation he needs to survive and to deal with the many perilous situations ahead。 Phil Tucker has created a great cast of characters to inhabit Bastion; I loved the strong character development and in particular the themes of loyalty and camaraderie。 The characters are well drawn， authentically presented， and the dialogue is realistic。 The author is particularly good at using empathy where appropriate and I liked his thoughtful portrayal of the dynamics between Scorio and his closest friends。 Although this book is long， the pacing is good throughout， the plot line is strong and interesting and there are a number of unique twists and turns。 Scorio is a great character， constantly willing to undergo tortuous training and gruelling combats in order to develop ever greater powers and abilities。 Scorio just never gives up， even though at times the odds against him seem insurmountable。 Although it is to be expected in a fantasy story where the characters have access to magical artifacts， powers and abilities， the author is good at creating scenarios where his characters are challenged in new and inventive ways。 The author has also created a world where the politics and realities are there to be challenged and where Scorio appears to be the key to unlock Bastion’s secrets， which appear to be many。 I received an advance copy of this book in order to write an honest review as I have enjoyed other Phil Tucker books。 Regardless of that I can say that I would have purchased it and I am intrigued to find out more about Bastion， about Scorio’s past， and how his journey progresses。 。。。more
Phil
，
I received an ARC from the author。 I'll keep it short， and spoiler free。Live， Die， Repeat。。。 In Hell。 We follow the adventures of Scorio as he fights his way in order to return home and regain his memories。I got hooked by Scorio's relentless drive and stayed for the unique setting。 And what a setting it is， the city of Bastion is worth the read in and of itself。 Those searching for something slightly different in fantasy， look no further: good plotting with it's fair share of twists and turns， a I received an ARC from the author。 I'll keep it short， and spoiler free。Live， Die， Repeat。。。 In Hell。 We follow the adventures of Scorio as he fights his way in order to return home and regain his memories。I got hooked by Scorio's relentless drive and stayed for the unique setting。 And what a setting it is， the city of Bastion is worth the read in and of itself。 Those searching for something slightly different in fantasy， look no further: good plotting with it's fair share of twists and turns， and intrigue galore， Scorio's mysterious origins being the slow burn through the book and beyond。Bastion is Phil Tucker's first foray into the niche sub-genre of progression fantasy but long time readers should not worry as they will still find the author's great world building and characterisation they've grown familiar with through his previous saga， Chronicles of the Black Gate。 I'd say it's more of an epic fantasy opus with one of the focuses being on the leading character leveling up。Clocking at around a thousand pages， his book is a time investment but it comes with great rewards。 A great read that I highly recommend。 。。。more
Marija Herceg
，
Phil Tucker has surpassed himself with Bastion。 The Bastion universe is rich and inventive。 It's like nothing I could have imagined myself。 I am in awe of Phil's ability to create a fantasy world that is so different， so huge yet intricate， and so well described that I can visualise it and immerse myself in it。Scorio is a worthy main character。 He is unfairly cast out， he is angry and stubborn， fiercely loyal and innovatively clever。 He acquires friends and the camaraderie is one of my favourite Phil Tucker has surpassed himself with Bastion。 The Bastion universe is rich and inventive。 It's like nothing I could have imagined myself。 I am in awe of Phil's ability to create a fantasy world that is so different， so huge yet intricate， and so well described that I can visualise it and immerse myself in it。Scorio is a worthy main character。 He is unfairly cast out， he is angry and stubborn， fiercely loyal and innovatively clever。 He acquires friends and the camaraderie is one of my favourite aspects of this story。 The interactions are occasionally intense， occasionally funny， and the progression of friendships is as relevant to the plot as the progression of abilities。This is the first progression fantasy novel I have read， and I can attest to not needing to be a progression fantasy fan to thoroughly enjoy this book。 The friends increase their powers and gain new abilities， but the plot is actually about self-discovery and understanding how the world works and how they fit into it， which I found fascinating。 The world is amazing， complex， epic， and works very differently to ours。 The reader is brought along the journey of discovery with the friends and each new aspect is a riveting reveal。Almost the entire novel is from Scorio’s point of view， which I really liked。 There is very little context switching or loss of immersion as the story progresses。 Scorio’s life is eventful so there is no chance for the plot to become boring， and he skips from one battle to the next intrigue with dogged passion and radical schemes。I had goosebumps and shivers as I finished reading this book， and I can't wait for the next one！I was given an advance copy of Bastion in exchange for an honest review。 With a book this good， it’s very easy to be enthusiastically honest。 。。。more
Drew
，
I've read books in the past by Phil and was incredibly excited to be part of his advanced reading committee for this book。 The biggest thing that captivates me with Phil's writing are the worlds he creates and this book did not disappoint。 He has once again built a world that had me absolutely transfixed from start to finish。 I found myself reading wherever I could fit a page in。 I loved the interaction between the main character and his friends， and the tensions and conflicts fit together snugl I've read books in the past by Phil and was incredibly excited to be part of his advanced reading committee for this book。 The biggest thing that captivates me with Phil's writing are the worlds he creates and this book did not disappoint。 He has once again built a world that had me absolutely transfixed from start to finish。 I found myself reading wherever I could fit a page in。 I loved the interaction between the main character and his friends， and the tensions and conflicts fit together snugly。 This was my first introduction to the progression fantasy sub-genre and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 Overall this book was a very fun read that left me satisfied and eager for the next installment。 。。。more
Eric Mac
，
The first of what promises to be an epic fantasy series for the decade and a true must readWith this new series， Phil Tucker firmly cements himself in the ranks of the elite writers and world builders。 His word craft has always been superb， with a richness of vocabulary that has been sadly lost among many writers in the recent decades and continues to be second to none in this installment。 What sets this newest work apart is his world building， character development and pacing are polished to pe The first of what promises to be an epic fantasy series for the decade and a true must readWith this new series， Phil Tucker firmly cements himself in the ranks of the elite writers and world builders。 His word craft has always been superb， with a richness of vocabulary that has been sadly lost among many writers in the recent decades and continues to be second to none in this installment。 What sets this newest work apart is his world building， character development and pacing are polished to perfection with an ideal mix of action， suspense， mystery and jovial camaraderie。 Like a master musician， Tucker plays with the tempo to reel you in to his world until you find yourself invested to the point of not being able to put the book down。 Quite honestly， I could not put the book down and to the detriment of my night's sleep， stayed up reading despite the consequence of fatigue at work the next day。 It was also definitely worth it， even for a hobbit-esque person such as myself who greatly enjoys their sleep and routines with a typically modest 9pm bedtime。The book starts off in a new world where we know nothing， but we are together with the characters insofar as they are learning as we do and the lens we share grows with time。 Characters struggle and grow and as they learn， so do we and the world takes on ever more depth and complexity。Part political commentary with accompanying intrigue， part moral theoretical piece of what defines who we are and part story off the strength of the bonds we choose and those chosen for us at birth。 A story of friendship and redemption， of proving ourselves and of how society and expectations can begin to shape our realities。I attempted to not give any spoilers away; it would be unfair of me to rob anyone of the joy of discovering the story on their own。 A true must read and if you're like me， read multiple times。 The only detractor is the necessary wait at the end for the next installment of what will likely be a magnum opus or chef d'oeuvre。 This series will be the talk of the fantasy literature world 。。。more
Nicolae
，
Another great read from Phil Tucker…Firstly: I have been part of the arc reader group and received a free copy for an honest review。 Nevertheless， I will buy one as soon as is available as writers like Phil deserve all the support。I would start with: “You must read it！” but it won’t do justice。 I have read his previous works on Chronicles of the Black Gate and the Empire of the Dead and they were brilliant。 Bastion is following on their footsteps as a start to a great journey that I cannot wait Another great read from Phil Tucker…Firstly: I have been part of the arc reader group and received a free copy for an honest review。 Nevertheless， I will buy one as soon as is available as writers like Phil deserve all the support。I would start with: “You must read it！” but it won’t do justice。 I have read his previous works on Chronicles of the Black Gate and the Empire of the Dead and they were brilliant。 Bastion is following on their footsteps as a start to a great journey that I cannot wait to see how it unfolds。 The struggles of the protagonist （Scorio） are well paced and the way he overcomes them is masterfully written in a satisfying and convincing way。 The hero portrait and his journey are well planned， and I hope that the following books will be packed with adventures in this strange and magnificent world。 Who doesn’t enjoy a different take on Hell？？？ I’m a gamer myself， so the books felt really close to home as I recognized patterns， arcs， and methods in developing the main character and felt very easy to read without complicated plots and hundreds of names to remember。I’m happy Phil decided to write again as I truly enjoyed his books。 。。。more
Eric Luptak
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I want to be up front and admit that I received this book in advanced as part of an ARC group。 I have never been part of an ARC group and I have never posted a book review。 I have read books other books by Phil Tucker and enjoyed the experience。 As a result， I felt fairly assured that this would be a good read and I was right。 In fact， I believe this is his strongest book to date。 He did a great job world building。 It’s unique。 Scorio is the protagonist and he is joined by Leonis， Lianshi and Na I want to be up front and admit that I received this book in advanced as part of an ARC group。 I have never been part of an ARC group and I have never posted a book review。 I have read books other books by Phil Tucker and enjoyed the experience。 As a result， I felt fairly assured that this would be a good read and I was right。 In fact， I believe this is his strongest book to date。 He did a great job world building。 It’s unique。 Scorio is the protagonist and he is joined by Leonis， Lianshi and Naomi。 They find themselves in a middle of an enormous bigger than life war that has been going on for centuries。 Nevertheless， this book is not dark and brooding。 Scorio is a character of hope who is driven to succeed but not at all cost。 Although， sometimes he needs to be reigned in by his friends。 His friends are “real” friends。 They are not backstabbers or ingenuous。 They all are fighting the same battle and striving for the same successes together。 I am all about seeing character development in the books I read。 All of these characters show emotional and physical growth throughout the book。 As a result， you find yourself rooting for all the characters to be victorious。 You find yourself hurting when they hurt and celebrating when they achieve a milestone。 Scorio has the main protagonist can be a bit much” in the first 1/3 of the book。 Nevertheless by the time the book concludes those characteristics that felt overbearing are the characteristics that push him and his friends to tough well earned victory。I am going to give this book 4 stars。 Understand that I grew up on Tolkien， Brooks， Fiest， Butcher， Norton， McCaffrey， Salvatore and Card。 These are the greats。 Phil Tucker books have that potential。 Every one of his books have continued to show added depth， complexity and maturity。 Bastion is a great read。 If you like the fantasy genre and want to read a unique story with good character development I highly recommend that you try it。 。。。more
Lyndi Shoaf
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Phil Tucker has done it again。 This has quickly jumped to be one of my new favorites。 I loved the black gate series and this one is just as amazing。 I better at read g than I am at writing but I would definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys a great fantasy。
Luis Lebron
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The story is great and the writing keeps you going where you could not put down the book to the end。 I enjoyed this story and looking forward to others to come。 I recommend this book to anyone that love these types of books。 Keep up the great writing。
Dave
，
I went into Bastion with high hopes， having read and thoroughly enjoyed Phil's previous Chronicles of the Black Gate series， as well as his Kickstarter backed LitRPG trilogy Euphoria Online。 Bastion is a lengthy read， clocking in at over 800 pages and Phil takes his time fleshing out a complex world， nuanced characters and giving real weight to the challenges that the protagonist and his friends face。 Unlike many progression fantasy books， Bastion is not a LitRPG and doesn't pad the page count w I went into Bastion with high hopes， having read and thoroughly enjoyed Phil's previous Chronicles of the Black Gate series， as well as his Kickstarter backed LitRPG trilogy Euphoria Online。 Bastion is a lengthy read， clocking in at over 800 pages and Phil takes his time fleshing out a complex world， nuanced characters and giving real weight to the challenges that the protagonist and his friends face。 Unlike many progression fantasy books， Bastion is not a LitRPG and doesn't pad the page count with stat tables， rolls and the like - the page count is 100% story。Tucker has created a wonderful protagonist in Scorio， whose struggles and failings are authentic and make his story all the more compelling。 Unlike many progression fantasies， Scorio is not a Mary/Marty Sue who easily sails to victory - his successes are hard won， and not cheapened by plot armor。Althought I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book， I found myself staying up too late for more than a few nights to read Bastion， and plowed through it in under a week。 Phil has outdone himself with this new series， and I can't wait for the next installment。 Highly recommended！ 。。。more
ROBERT R
，
This has to be one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a long time， on par with Stephen King’s Gunslinger Dark Tower series。 I couldn’t put this book down。 Just when I thought I had things figured out， a plot twist appears。 Once I started reading it I was hooked。 I am anxiously awaiting the second book。 I’ve read the book twice and fully expect that I’ll read it again。 Despite its size， it’s a fast-paced book – very difficult to put down。There’s a fair amount of self-evaluating by the ch This has to be one of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a long time， on par with Stephen King’s Gunslinger Dark Tower series。 I couldn’t put this book down。 Just when I thought I had things figured out， a plot twist appears。 Once I started reading it I was hooked。 I am anxiously awaiting the second book。 I’ve read the book twice and fully expect that I’ll read it again。 Despite its size， it’s a fast-paced book – very difficult to put down。There’s a fair amount of self-evaluating by the characters， but it didn’t affect the pace of the story and wasn’t so overwhelming that I was tempted to skim over the pages until I got back to the action。Lot’s of questions。 What role does Nissa play in upcoming events？ Does this band of warriors continue to grow？ Are the Manticore friend or foe？ What’s waiting in the Rascor Plains？ What is Bastion？ The residents of Bastion refer to it a hell， are the Great Souls demons？ 。。。more
Lee
，
This is one of the best books I've read this year。 It's set in a rich and interesting world， and the characters are more then just 2 dimensional cardboard cutouts。 I love this book and can't wait for the next one in the series。 This is one of the best books I've read this year。 It's set in a rich and interesting world， and the characters are more then just 2 dimensional cardboard cutouts。 I love this book and can't wait for the next one in the series。 。。。more
Jeff
，
The world building displayed in this story is exceptional。 The characters， social structure， environment and all else that goes into world building is cohesive and presented in a way so as to suck you in。 You won't come back out until the story runs out of words。 And you won't want to come out then。 The world building displayed in this story is exceptional。 The characters， social structure， environment and all else that goes into world building is cohesive and presented in a way so as to suck you in。 You won't come back out until the story runs out of words。 And you won't want to come out then。 。。。more
Dan
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I was excited to read this novel having first discovered Phil Tucker when he published his fantastic fantasy series "Chronicle of the Black Gate" He'd disappeared from view for the last couple of years so it was a delight to receive an ARC of his new novel， the first part of a projected trilogy。 It's a hell of a book as well， rounding out at over a third of a million words but one I completed in just over two days。This book is very different to his previous work and fits in the genre of Progress I was excited to read this novel having first discovered Phil Tucker when he published his fantastic fantasy series "Chronicle of the Black Gate" He'd disappeared from view for the last couple of years so it was a delight to receive an ARC of his new novel， the first part of a projected trilogy。 It's a hell of a book as well， rounding out at over a third of a million words but one I completed in just over two days。This book is very different to his previous work and fits in the genre of Progression Fantasy， where characters "level up"， sometimes quite literally， as the book goes on， developing new skills。Its the story of a society sent to the pit of Hell where they battle against demons and fiends in an attempt to conquer and return home。 Over a thousand years an elite group of Great Souls repeatedly reincarnate， with no knowledge of their previous lives， to train and fight in the Academy and so do battle once more。 This book is the story of Scorio who， on being reborn， is cast out from society due to unknown events from a previous life。 It follows him as he attempts to reenter the Academy to train， level up and fight。The biggest problem this book has is an almost overwhelming similarity to the popular Cradle series by Will Wight。 Phil credits Will in the authors notes with inspiration for the series。 There are too many shared ideas to list here but if you've read Cradle you'll recognise similar ideas about cores， mana， core damage， fruits， treasures， naming systems and even similar characters。 There are ideas of randomised trial rooms that I recognise from the Arcane Ascension series and of battle progression from the Rage of Dragons。 It's heavily influenced and full of tropes from LITRPG novels but does its own thing with it。The length of the book might be off putting to some but it's actually an easy and compelling read that gripped me and kept me going until the end。 I could easily have started the next in the series immediately。If you're happy to retread familiar themes and ideas and love progression fantasy you'll get a lot out of this book and I would recommend it without hesitation。 。。。more
Arjan Noordhoek
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