Usually, I subtract one star if a story isn't finished, and this absolutely needs a sequel, but it was such a great story that I deviate from my own rule.

It's a powerful story about all sorts of things, and although there is a war in the making, something else seems to be happening, too, as the title says.

We don't know what it is, but it could be something grand, not disastrous.
It's one of the rare fantasy novels where no magic is involved, and none is needed.
What is needed is training, perseverance, and skills.
I thoroughly enjoyed taking part in Aedan's education, his struggles, his weaknesses, and his strengths -- and at times I could have shaken him -- then again, his friends were there to help him do the right things.
Aedan is a strategic mastermind, but has to learn that theory and practice are very different.

I love the idea that the education doesn't just comprise weapon skills, but all other aspects, too, be they boring or not.
I like the idea of getting to know not only different languages, but cultures and traditions, too. This should be mandatory for every school, imo, maybe then there wouldn't be so much war and hatred in this world, most of which is based on ignorance.
Aedan has to overcome his hatred and prejudices in order to learn about his enemies, and I hope I won't have to wait for a whole year or longer to find out how he'll cope.

Tim Gerard Reynolds does another perfect job at narrating this story. When listening to him, I'm really deep into the story and out of this world.
He was the perfect choice for the book, and I hope he'll be commissioned to narrate any sequel. ( )

This is a tough book to review. There were so many things going right, but the pacing and structure of the story made it drag for me. Did the book need to be this long? Probably not. I think the segmentation of plots into discrete parts was the ultimate downfall. Had some of these threads interwoven and worked together it would have seemed less episodic, and I would have felt like there was a cohesive story. As it was, I was bored by the end of the book and just waiting for it to wrap up. ( )

occasionally engaging, but the characters and dialogue are so childish and cliched that I only made it a few chapters in. ( )

Managed to make it to approximately 30%. Wanted to like it, but just couldn't.
The main character is one of those perfect boys who accomplish amazing feats, but golly gosh gee, everyone hates or bullies him save a handful of people. Everywhere he goes, there are 10 bullies to one ally.
What finally crossed the line for me is (Spoilerish) Aiden's father is abusive toward him and his mother. At one point the mother finally stands up to him and he leaves, furious. Despite the abuse that literally causes Aiden to piss himself and collapse if a man gets too aggressive toward him, both he and his mother pine for his return.
"For all his abusiveness, he was still husband and father, and they missed him."
Can't and won't read another word after that.
Rubbish. ( )

I was doing a lot of walking so I needed something long that would capture my interest and distract me as my knee complained. I certainly found that here!

Aeden gets himself into the academy to learn to be a marshall. Full of energy and curiosity, he is the type to take any warnings to avoid certain areas as a dare and gets some of his friends to join him. They uncover some amazing secrets hidden in the lower levels of the academy.

Aeden is a likeable young man who deals with bullies and overcomes his humble background in his quest to become a marshall. The narrator, Tim Gerard Reynolds did a wonderful job of telling the story and giving different voices and accents to the various characters.

I will certainly consider investing in the time for the next episode of Aeden's adventures. ( )