J.J. Thorn's 3 favorite reads in 2023

All the Skills has very quickly become one of my favorite series and one that I recommend very often.

Started as a series on RoyalRoad, the series is different in a few very distinct ways. The first is the way it integrates cards into its major magic system. Since its introduction and popularity, several other card-based books have since been released, but All the Skills does a really good job of making the system feel natural and well-managed.

The novel's writing, character work, and pacing are very well done, as Honour Rae finely weaves character interactions with plot progression as you advance through the story.

Several driving forces in the story keep you wanting more. The pursuit of a full 'set,' the wish to reclaim what was once lost by the main character's family, the dream to fix the wrongs of the world, all these themes are grossly evident as you read and are not lost as you advance into book 2.

To finish, I'll say that another differentiating factor is how the book can appeal to a larger fantasy audience, meaning it is a great book for people who are on the fence when it comes to Litrpg & Progression Fantasy stories. That differentiator: Dragons are a key theme and component of the story.

If you haven't already, I thoroughly recommend checking it out.

This book hit a lot of the right notes for me in a way that is very hard to explain.

As someone who enjoys action-oriented novels that show apparent progression aspects and extraordinary abilities, I thought this book was an amazing example of a simple story done very well. This book doesn’t redefine a genre but executes a storyline well.

The characterization of the main character is also very interesting. Off-putting, frustrating to follow at times, and likely neurodivergent, the main character’s thought process is interesting to follow as you learn about him and ‘watch’ him interact with what is a very limited cast of characters.

I often like to think that the ‘rule of cool’ is also just as important as a well-executed narrative, and I think this story does that in spades. The uniqueness of the abilities, the execution and creativity, and the confined narrative made this a top story for me to read.

At 800 pages, this was the longest book I read this year by quite a bit. Despite its length, I believe the narrative does a great job at keeping you entertained and interested in what’s going on from start to finish.

There are a few key things that made this a top book for me.

First, the main character is someone who crafts (as in, they make their own equipment) gear that is near-perfect in a way that makes them truly unique. More than that, however, is how the author does an excellent job at making their knowledge of crafting and crafted items believable based on the main character’s background. Every is well-integrated, and minor details begin to matter as a result. Often enough, stories forget to make those things ‘matter.’

Secondary to that is the setting – an academy story, something we’ve all read before; Brian still does a good job creating something fresh and new.

Lastly, and this would be getting into spoiler territory, but there’s a plot-line regarding future-telling that I thought was very well done. So much so that despite my faults with the book, it still makes it on my list as top 3 for the year.