Who Would Like This Book:
If you love clever magic systems, detailed worldbuilding, and watching a main character grow both in power and personality, this one’s for you! "Mother of Learning Arc 1" shines with its time loop twist - think Groundhog Day meets magic school - and a protagonist who uses logic, experimentation, and perseverance to solve increasingly complex mysteries. Fans of Progression Fantasy, those who like characters who actually learn from their mistakes, and readers who enjoy web serials will probably be hooked from the first few chapters.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some folks find the story’s early pacing slow, especially with a lot of repetition due to the time loop premise (heads up if overbearing siblings annoy you). The main character starts out prickly and emotionally distant, which isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and there’s very little romance if that’s something you look for. A few readers didn’t enjoy the audiobook narrator, so you might want to try a sample before diving in.
About:
Mother of Learning by Domagoj Kurmaic is a progression fantasy novel centered around Zorian, a magically gifted student trapped in a time loop. He relives the same month, gaining new skills and knowledge as he navigates through complex magical mysteries and personal growth. The story blends magic and strong character development, showcasing Zorian's transformation from a self-centered individual to a more empathetic person while exploring deep moral dilemmas.
The writing style is immersive, with a focus on logic and experimentation, making it engaging for readers who enjoy detailed worldbuilding. While it starts slowly, the plot unfolds with captivating twists, intertwining Zorian's challenges with themes of friendship, ethics, and survival. The well-paced narrative maintains reader interest, and the characters are well-developed, contributing to a satisfying overall experience.
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From The Publisher:
Zorian Kazinski has all the time in the world to get stronger, and he plans on taking full advantage of it.
A teenage mage of humble birth and slightly above-average skill, Zorian is attending his third year of education at Cyoria's magical academy. A driven and quiet young man, he is consumed by a desire to ensure his own future and free himself of the influence of his family, resenting the Kazinskis for favoring his brothers over him. Consequently, Zorian has no time for pointless distractions, much less other people's problems.
As it happens, though, time is something he is about to get plenty of.
On the eve of Cyoria's annual summer festival, Zorian is murdered, then abruptly brought back to the beginning of the month, just before he was about to take the train to school. Finding himself trapped in a time loop with no clear end or exit, he will have to look both within and without to unravel the mystery set before him. He does have to unravel it, too, because the loop clearly wasn't made for his sake, and in a world of magic even a time traveler isn't safe from those who wish him ill.
Fortunately for Zorian, repetition is the mother of learning…
★ Royal Road's Top Rated novel, finally available in eBook! ★
Ratings (172)
Incredible (76) | |
Loved It (59) | |
Liked It (25) | |
It Was OK (7) | |
Did Not Like (5) |
Reader Stats (251):
Read It (178) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (41) | |
Did Not Finish (6) | |
Not Interested (25) |
4 comment(s)
I wanted to like the book more than I did. I finished but it ends on a disappointing cliffhanger clearly meant to stretch the book out.
Slow pacing
Zorian Kazinski is woken up by his sister, argues with his mother and takes the train to school for his third year. The first month is perfectly normal until the summer solstice approaches and he dies. Only to wake up on the first morning before the train. Again. And again. And again.
I adored this. Zorian Kazinski is the fkn bomb. Plans upon plans. Devious, stubborn, determined, it's perfection. I love a good fanfiction with a time loop so it's not really much of a surprise I loved this. That said, I've only recently learned these progression stories exist outside of the realm of fanfiction. But they do and I'm finding them immensely satisfying. Something about reading about a character getting things done and winning at life just works for me. Granted, this is only my second series and apparently this is the pinnacle of the genre - so it's probably all downhill from here.
But Mother of Learning was an epic read. Zorian was a boss at accumulating knowledge and skills and although he was somewhat reserved at the start, I love how he comes out of his shell and begins to cultivate relationships with other people. I loved Zorian's sister, Kirielle and I loved Novelty (the large talking telepathic spider who
helps to train him
). The meeting between them was hilarious. I loved how the aranea
work with Zorian to disrupt plans and create a trap for the third time traveller.
I really hope they're not permanently dead. They were my fav.
This ends on a major cliffhanger, but it's built up so well that I can't help but feeling like it ended exactly where it should. I think I'd be feeling less appreciative though if there weren't already three more volumes to read. Overall this was freaking incredible and has me hooked. I can't wait to read more. 5 stars.
The characters were down to earth and realistically flawed.
The plot was straightforward with no derailing romantic filler and with a minimum in the cheap wish fulfilment, this book is a rarity in the YA category and should be used as a standard.
Prose is kinda weak tho.
What can you read after
Mother of Learning?
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