Metal Mage (Metal Mage, #1) by Eric Vall

Metal Mage (Metal Mage, #1) Reviews

• 
  William Howe

  Boring
  
  The sex parts read like it was written by an inexperienced teenage nerd. The whole plot is such blatant wish fulfillment it gets boring. Mistakes with horses and steel and...you don’t make a horse kneel to mount, steel requires more than just purified iron, quenching a sword in cold water is a terrible idea, an orphan half-elf who was viciously teased as a child should have a few psychological hang ups...
  
  The world building is pathetic. The ‘bad guy’ all but had dancing fat men in speedos waving signs to advertise his identity. For all there is an order of mages, almost a month after arriving and we have only met two.
  
  Wow. He made guns. Yippee. Of course, making sufficient ammo to supply even a company of soldiers is a non-trivial enterprise, but They Have GUnS!!! Ridiculous.
  
  The proofreading is well done. The plot moves consistently, so I guess the editing is good, though anyone who actually read this and said it was ready to be published should be banned from the industry.
• 
  Steve Naylor

  Rating 3.0 stars
  
  This was just okay. I was hoping for a little more coming from the guy the wrote the summoner series which I thought was really good. The story follows Mason who is transported to another world to be a hero. In this universe energy is never created or destroyed so when a person moves on from one life, they start another one in a different dimension/universe. Mason though has a special connection with the being that controls this process. He gets to choose where he wants to go and how. He was on reborn on earth by his choice because he needed a break from being a hero, however now once he was on earth, he never thought he fit in. Now that it is time to move on again, he has decided on a world of magic and adventure again. He ends up being dropped into a situation were a female fire mage is fighting for her life. He ends up helping her kill the monster and during the process finds out that he also is a mage, except his magic is over earth. She takes him back to the city so he can be trained. He finds out there that he is more powerful than he thought. Not only does he have magic over earth, but he also is the first known person who can also control metal.
  
  Mason is kind of cocky but also a pretty good guy. He immediately flirts/teases the half elf fire mage who apparently has been shunned by the humans even though everyone thinks she is insanely hot. I didn't like the pacing of the story. Right away Mason offers to protect the kingdom with his life in exchange for being taught magic. He wasn't really taught anything though, he was told to do something and he just did it. I never heard any actual explanation of how he was supposed to use magic, he just kind of figured it out on his own, so how is that teaching. He also worked himself silly. After only being there a few days he decided to design and build a gun, and also a motorcycle. Most of the story involved him figuring out how to make these two pieces of equipment. After he and the half elf hook up, they end of having tons of sex, though the author didn't go into too much detail of their sex life except to explain there was a lot of it. Then a women from a neighboring kingdom comes and asks for help and he immediately starts drooling after her. The author kept describing her as the brunette beauty. I felt the Mason was being somewhat of a creep/pervert at this point. I didn't it so much with the half elf, but with this new woman I felt Mason was being creepy, especially since he was still having lots of sex with the half elf.
  
  The bad guy was obvious from the beginning. This book was just okay, I was hoping for something more though.
• 
  Iori

  New book by Eric Vall! This one was awesome and get you in the action from the get go. Mason is a pretty decent guy, a bit cocky but with the heart in the right place; The two females love protagonist are awesome and not trophy girls. They shine by their personality and how awesome they are, no dainty flower there. The antagonist isn't clear at first but show himself to be rather obvious...
  
  This book is awesome you should read it.
• 
  James

  A interesting mashup of genres.
  
  This was a unique blend of some modern technology and the fantasy DandD world. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in this series. The MC was interesting and the supporting characters are interesting and important to advancement of the plot.
• 
  Sean

  meh meh meh such a mary sue and a dick and cheesey and ugh.
• 
  Jay Collins

  3 to 3.5 stars, Some what typical for this type of book but I liked it. Likable characters and a good introduction to this new world. I will for sure continue with this series. This is one of the better books by this author.
• 
  John #Audible

  Alright soooo, let's talk about the MC. He is 1000% a Gary Sue type of character, but doesn't listen or learn from anyone trying to TEACH him something. He is your typical know it all as well and asks to join this harry potter school of mages thing. He then begins to ask the head mage, why why why to everything the head mage tells him to do, oh and he does not listen to any orders given by head mage that let him in the school in the first place.
  
  Now saying all of that, that is why I am not dinging this book. I am dinging it because the author doesn't seem to have any clue about what would REALLY happen to a 20th century man in a 10th century world when he decides to make GUNPOWDER/GUNS and freely starts to explain it to everyone who asks how it works!! He would be captured or even killed on sight because of that knowledge, every kingdom in that world would want to for that knowledge. The geo political chaos of that alone would cause massive uproar.
  
  I am not even going to go into the mass production of weapons, gunpowder, shells and rounds that this guy started doing and how the total time of doing any of it does not add up even remotely, mage power or not.
• 
  Amyiw

  Very simplistic and obvious. The plot moves along and might be interesting to someone, I would direct teenage boys but that might be sexist and ageist. Still that is my take as to who the audience is for. Mason is a nerd that instead of reborn is just transported to a new realm and reality after a goddess tells him he is "special". And he is "oh so special" great at his new powers, which he then insists he needs training so pledges loyalty to a country/nation, he knows nothing about (other than maybe that it is feudal) and has a strong "feeling" that the grand mage trainer is evil. But hey, since the sexy half-elf mage that he saves initially is loyal, shouldn't he be? Especially since the goddess told him to save her.
  
  And oh, the goddess shows a past image of him sexual with the goddess herself. All the women that are sexy to him find him sexy and they are fine with sharing with no real understands before hand of even who one another are. Sex scenes are written like a wet dream, has sex with one then turns around and has sex with the other then again and a 4th time. Multiple orgasmic male and auto bisexual females. So Mason's sexual prowess is "awesome" like Emmett from the Lego movie. Everything is awesome.
  
  Then there is the gun making and the edging of blades with his "magic", OK I'll suspend some belief but then don't go into detail and not talk about barrel honing, riffling and twist ratios, and other missing parts. He makes them from memory of sight, really? and then the bullets, I'm not even going to go into the making of those as
  Mike Briggs (deceased husband of
  Patricia Briggs) wrote a great piece on casting and making silver bullets that went into complications of bullets in general also. Either keep it simple or learn the whole process. So suspending all mechanical belief, we have to get a motorcycle also at the end, magic powered, yet geared, wow! Not. So cool maybe for the audience the book is meant for.
  
  So I give it 2 as it didn't bore me totally but I was glad when it was over. I can see some enjoying this and I didn't hate the characters though they were predictable... very.
• 
  Frances Law

  Fun and guns.
  
  Mason Flint isn’t your average guy although he has been living as one his whole, boring life. But then the goddess Nemris decides that he’s had long enough to rest and it’s time to get back to work! So she plucks him from Earth into her realm and shows him that there are many parallel worlds. She offers him a choice while knowing all the time which one he’ll choose. Illaria is in danger and it needs a hero. When Mason gets there the first person that he meets is the beautiful Ignis Mage Aurora and he finds himself battling an enormous reptile with her. That is when he discovers that he is a Terra mage, a mage who can manipulate the earth. Aurora can manipulate fire and there are others who can manipulate air and water plus two others. One is supposed to stand for good and the other is evil.
  While Mason is being tested by the head of the order, Mage Abrus, it becomes apparent that he is more than just a Terra Mage; he is a Metal Mage! It’s not long before Mason is playing with his powers and deciding that it would be much easier to kill these monsters that keep popping up if he had some guns! Of course, the beautiful Aurora is there to help despite the lack of enthusiasm from Abrus. Then, wonder of wonders, another beautiful woman appears who offers her help. I couldn’t work out why he didn’t have a couple of men there to help with the work except that it was better for the storyline. Ah well, a small matter.
  This is a fun story that is bound to be loved by all the guys out there as Mason is the embodiment of every guy’s daydreams!
  There’s lots of action and the author has put some thought into justifying Mason’s knowledge. It’s suitable for all ages.
• 
  Myth Oceanas

  I give it two stars just because in a certain light, I could see someone getting enjoyment out of it and I would recommend it to someone who is just starting the genre as a opener. Its really just boring and generic, follows the normal LitRPG harem template; Lazy hold your hand world building, cookie cutter characters that are very inconsistent, dumbs down and explains every small detail just to fill page instead of letting the reader use their imaginations, and finally the story overall was just uncreative and there was no hook.
  
  The writer definitely needs to work on his structuring and character building, first. The MC is very generic and acts like a 14 year-old in an adults body, he makes immature jokes constantly. Hard to build suspense when he is just eye raping every girl he sees. Sex scenes that are just boring, writer really needs to read some good romance novels. Just banging random girls really just makes the scenes empty and meaningless.
• 
  Travis

  I avoided this book for a while, because harem books generally don't appeal to me, because I'm not thrilled with the way women are generally portrayed in such books. However, I'm not sorry I finally broke down and read this one. It's a pretty good story, and while the harem aspects are there, they don't really impact the story all that much. There's some of that wish fulfillment going on for sure, and that irritates me, but for the most part, it doesn't interfere with the story all that much, though I suspect future volumes will be heavier on the harem aspects, which might not appeal to some, but the story itself is a good one, and as long as we get more of that, and perhaps a bit less of the perfect woman falling instantly in love with our hero, wanting to do whatever he wants nonsense, it could turn out to be a pretty good series.
• 
  Robert Gene Rosero

  I finshed 3/4 of the book and had to stop. I really liked the idea of a metal mage. Something like the metal benders in the Avatar Last Air Bender Universe butthe main character is so unlikeable. Every interaction he has with a woman is just him ogling and fantasizing about her. The story isnt even fun or original and the main character doesnt have any qualities that make him endearing or an expert. It reads like an incels fantasy. And if you look at my reviews I would say I'm fairly easy to please as a reader but good lord was this bad. I do give the author credit that he seems to write alot and I like authors who have alot to say but this was so bad I dont even want to venture reading his other titles. I cant help but expect those to be more incel fantasy. Let me know if his other series are worth checking out.
• 
  Al

  A short, simple yet fun story. Sadly, most readers will know what is going to happen long before the story develops. But maybe in this case it is more about the journey instead of the destination.
  
  What is amusing is the "love scenes" are quite demure compared with most PNR or even most chick-lit.
  
  Will I read the next book? Yes, but I oddly don't really care about the characters. It is not that I dislike them, it is more that they are not compelling nor is the story really. I guess what I am saying is that I liked it, but it wasn't really a page turner (like anything Ilona Andrews has written).
• 
  Galaleo Fowler

  My favorite so far!
  
  While Eric Vall has used magic in many of his books I think this has been my favorite. His simple magic system sets some limitations but keeps the overall power levels in sync. The main character is good but not great while his companions, or at least the half elf, is more flushed out. I’m really looking forward to the adventure and power developments in this new series.
• 
  Steve

  Uneven, includes a lot of sexy-times and artificially-extended sexual tension which made it seem like filler to me. A ruthless editing of this and turning the result and the second book (caveat that I'm speculating here, haven't read that one yet) into one book would work better for pacing. I found the MC rather irritating which I think coloured my opinion of the book. If you're a fan of Vall's books you'll probably like this one more than I did as this one seemed typical.
• 
  Eric Cooley

  Interesting book
  
  Traveller from our time and place is brought to a medieval world with magic by a goddess.
  A pretty good story that at the end trips itself up with sex then harem sex.
  In my opinion it would gave been better without the harem stuff. Otherwise a decent mage in a new world. Better than most.
• 
  Ronda

  Enthralling
  
  Got bored and the cover looked cool. Ho boy did I choose a good book. The start was a little quick, but honestly did not care. Seen the premise before, but this book took it to a new level and didn't just explain things with "magic did it". Feels more fleshed out than most novels I've read. Looking forward to future installments!
• 
  Curtis

  Fast and Fun
  
  A furious fantasy romp well worth your afternoon to read. Uncomplicated but not exactly simple. It’s a bit like “What if you rewrote ‘A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court” as a fantasy harem, with more action, and the MC was a Metallica fan”? Heh... recommended.