The Power of Formations

This story dives into cool characters, neat (and strong) magic systems, and bases itself off out CS theory and fundamentals to a light degree, making this deeply enjoyable for someone who is going through this now (I caught that P/NP thing half way through, sneaky author).  Pushes all the right buttons for me. 

18 chapters in, and I am very much enjoying the story.  It has lots of world-building, without doing infodumps.  It has action, without being overwhelming an non-stop.  It has humor and an interesting MC.  

Still waiting on more information as to how the magic system works, and so much else.  Given that the story is being told from the pov of the MC, and he doesn't know yet either, I imagine we will be learning all these things as he does.   

Overall, this is a well written, entertaining story.

 As of chapter 30 its a great start. Its quite light hearted and cheerful, i blew through all 30 chapters out atm in a hr and a half. If your looking for a lighthearted story this is the best on RRL by far. Just reading it put me in a great mood.

Honestly one of my current favorite reads on RL. The MC is well thought-out and relatable. Plenty of World building and Magic explanation without total overload. Finally criticism would be more story in the first semester. That plenty of antics the MC could get up to not knowing how to read.

(after reading CH30) Awesome, relatable characters with a neat take on mystical powers and related technology. Looking forward to the rest!

This story has the typical, OP MC and tries to do it in a unique way. While the premise is good, it then starts to open plot holes and almost kills itself. Then, to finish itself off, the mechanics of the writing is poor at best.

Let's look at some holes. The MC is uneducated and worries a great deal about his lack of ability to read, BUT is able to get the titles of problems in a book that uses unfamiliar terms that have nothing to do with farming. He thinks about "abstract" and "constructions" while being a ten year old, uneducated farm boy that is supposedly a migrant worker when they have not moved for ten years and he has the time to fill his room with the things he made before having any exposure tinkering tools, etc. Where did the initial breakthrough come from? Well, seems he had it all on his own without any form of education or even exposure to magical devices in this magical world.

All of this continues to a lack of foundation and continual contradictions. If the MC can't read well, how does he know the chapter tittles in the book when they use words never expressed by a farmer? If the MC was never taught this stuff before, how did he even start making his horde of devices? If the bugs are so massive destructive, why would the farmers even be there? They take on dozens of beetles, each large enough to destroy an entire field of crops, which are supposedly common, but the farms somehow survive?

Then there is the writing... There are lots of repetition mistakes that should be easily avoided by basic editing. It would be like me saying, "The completion of the new device was completed successfully and in an original way." If it is new there is no reason for original and why say both completion and completed? While not a direct quote, there are several issues like that on every page I got to. Add to this improper word use and odd punctuation.

Lots of people say it gets better. Fine. I'll never get there. It is just too bad working through the start.

this is incredible! it really gets at the essence of postmodern expression. Laghaz as a character is written so well, and its incredible how much of the character is developed on subtext. Great work, looking forward to seeing more in the future.

Good books are so hard to find but when found their chapters are so few. I mean really, really hard to find, I wish the chapters at least had 300 but who knows if the even pace is the reason why the novels are good. [no hypocrisy, no pride, no timidity, no delusion, no stupidity, no over blown exaggeration, no dramatic sentimentalism, no ego addict completely blind idiot, fresh air...]

I FEEL GOOD.

COMMENTS...

@DJERUKNIPIS - There is an excessive amount that can be known intuitively and also done intuitively. You should know about simply machines right?, nobody needs a ridiculous amount of knowledge to build simple machines nor does it stop them from working. Second the reason it is called talent or rare or unsual is that it occurs at a low frequency, otherwise humanity would not have "stone age" or have the word "invention". Third, so called food shortage is simplistic thinking, could it be you imagine that all technology that is useful immedately gets spread or even accepted for that matter, what do you think businesses exist for?. Seriously, did you go to school or is your scientific and historic background simply lacking?.

@DEIMOS - Another person with poor historic background. Without hidden or double identities, how do you think spies manage to stay alive or ensure the safety of their families. Without pretense or false idiocy, how many emperors and heirs inheriting from the parents or previous systems would end up dying, I can tell you more than we know in history or in present time.

@700118 - I can only say "seriously", then shake my head and say you read too little, your experiences in life are too narrow or that you simply read terrible books. 

@SHANEL2018 - I don't agree that conflict is required, if it comes, it comes, if it doesn't, it doesn't, same with life, do you believe that conflict is a neccessary part of life? [that is like saying it is neccessary for all people to "suffer".]

@REIL-RHIIL - Seriously, would you cause trouble in the name of making your life interesting, seriously?. It's a exploration, a journey, a subject, it not a movie clip in "fast forward" or criptic "unknown mathematics". Different lives, different paths and harry potter did not cause trouble, the world was simply troubled and harry potter was unfortunately in that world, with an unfortunate background.

@CHAWKI89 - Do you know what a child is ?. As for being a boring read, it only means you do not understand life and do not understand literature. You are simply reading the wrong genre, yet being impatient, look at the tags and summary so as to avoid confusion. [do you know what corny or cliche is?, it is bias, did you read any personal bias?]

@SAMAI - It is a good book. An editorial is just improvement on perfection.

@STEADY - I can only say you being are myopic and also have not read chinese novels..

@ASCUS - You are reading the wrong genre and are being myopic.

@TYCKA - Also reading the wrong genre and are being myopic. [Are you a believer of war?,]

@SUDRA - Terrible and disjointed criticism, at it's best is micro management and entitled complaints, are you complaining it is not a good book or that it is not a perfect book?.

@WISPEACEKEEPER and @HIS&HELLO - Seriously?. Really?. 

As of chapter 30, the mc has done a ood few amazing things. And while there is a tag for secret identity, he has received 0 credit for most if not all his work.

He doesnt have some moniker or pen name he hides behind. He doesn't have a secret identity. He just never gets any credit and it goes to someone else. 

Personally I never liked secret identities where people have to pretend to be weka or dumb but I thought I would give this one a chance. 

I was not dissapointed so much as I was upset and annoyed that the character hasn't received any credit for his work and then blows it off like it means nothing. I to a point that all he cares about are puzzles but it's inhuman, just, unnatural to have absolutely 0 reaction that that while still feeling peer pressure and other reactions. 

The mix of no anger but still being scared, sad and shy annoys me. If a character has emotions then they need ALL of them. Not just the ones they need to push the story along. And if he struggles with emotions it needs to be presented more directly.

I know I've said a lot of negatice things towards the story. However I do love it. And my criticism comes from that love. I want to be able to love the story and know its the best it could possibly be. My perspective may not be perfect but its all I can give.

Thank you for reading and please give the book a chance before blowing it off because of my comment or any other.

This review is meant as constructive criticism not as bashing, do not take it as such.

Overall: This story is enjoyable but requires a substantial suspension of disbelief because at its core, the world (though interesting) is about as divorced from realism as you can get. Despite this, it is still quite enjoyable which says much for how good this novel has the potential to be should its flaws be polished (and edited) out.

Problems:

- Dialog is ametur, wooden and almost every conversation in the novel does not feel "real"

- Characters act and speak in ways that are odd, and each tend to have a very bland feel to them.

- World is too idealistic to be real and feels fake as a consequence. The MC is at a school that has intelligence as a pre-requisite for enrolment, the fact that there is no way to test out of being a squire is idiotic and contrived.

- The MC has no agency and doesn't really affect events, instead being thrown around by the plot at whim of the author.

- MC has no sense of self preservation, dignity or worth. He doesn't act in rational ways either outside his problem solving in formations. If he is as smart as he is supposed to be and we are told that he is, it is incredible that he manages to be as dense and blind to the world around him.

- Characters lack their own agendas, goals and motivations.

Benefits

- CHARM. This world has such an amazing amount of promise that it is almost unreal. With a proper editor and a much needed major transfusion of realism, this novel has the possibility of becoming something truly special.

In conclusion, please for the love of god find an editor with a jaded world view, your story will become something truly godlike if you do. This story is something I'd like to see reach its full potential.