Tiny Elf Arcanist

January 15, 2024

Journeyman by C.F. Welburn

1–2 minutes

Coming back to Balagir’s oddisey reminded me how much it resembles a D&D campaign mixed with a dark fairytale.

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*This review is for book 2 in the The Ashen Levels series and it contains spoilers for Fledgling*

Summary

After leaving the northern wilds, Balagir finds new missions through islands, each with an ailment more unusual than the previous one. It doesn’t help that the crew of the pirate ship he finds himself aboard isn’t as accepting of the ashen.

Cover of The Ashen Levels: Journeyman, by C.F. Welburn

Title: Journeyman

Author: C.F. Welburn

Series: The Ashen Levels #2

Pages: 156

Publication date‏: ‎August 8, 2018

Review

Coming back to Balagir’s odyssey reminded me how much it resembles a D&D campaign mixed with a dark fairytale. Just what I loved from the first one.

I was excited with Balagir to find the piper again and new opportunities for smoke. We see him in a leader role this time, but turning more into the stereotype of the ashen everyone talks about: He’s not above blackmailing and looking for a better offer rather than doing what’s morally right.

This time I mostly consumed it via audiobook, and I’m amazed at the range of voices and accents of the narrator.

I wished some of the quests were more developed, as they tended to be resolved way too quickly. Ultimately, I enjoyed the first book more than this one, but I’m still intrigued by the world and overarching story.