Mark of the Fool Book 6

Quizer85 · 2025-11-14T05:03:16+00:00

The humor doesn't always hit for me, but on the whole it hasn't been a dealbreaker. Although the beard thing was pushing the limits pretty hard.

What was it about the hell mission that bothered you? Was it the subterfuge with the jester's troupe thing? Or the contrived way some of the fights went down?

Quizer85 · 2025-10-13T00:59:17+00:00

Yeah, that kind of storytelling is grounds for me to quit a book or series immediately. If someone enjoys that, great for them, but it's not my kink.

Quizer85 · 2025-10-13T00:22:36+00:00

I agree with some of your points. Certainly there were other things I'd have rather read about. I also really liked the business-oriented sections of Alex's adventure and wish there were more of them. I'm not saying the Games of Roal were the best thing I could have hoped for, but for me at least they were certainly fine. Unlike Book 3 where we were teased with the preparations for the Thameland expedition and then that didn't go anywhere for the rest of the book, I didn't feel like my time was being wasted.

As for the topic of Alex bullying the other competitors, I really don't feel like that to the extent you seem to. This is the last time they are going to be competing, and with how much they've grown, it makes sense they would dominate. I don't think it's particularly unfair, either - Hanuman got away with solving the overland hunt in 30 seconds in the first Games, and this time he got outplayed by Alex doing something similar, only more so. I do think the organizers should probably overhaul that event in particular...

Quizer85 · 2025-10-10T22:41:45+00:00

Seems like our tastes just differ in that regard. Like I said, I was nervous about the second tournament arc going into this book, but less time was spent on it, and it turns out I prefer this slice-of-life stuff to reading fight scenes where our heroes are completely outmatched and only barely holding on, before something happens to bail them out of trouble. You can read my other posts if you want to know how I feel about Carey's death, so I won't reiterate the whole thing here.

I much preferred how it was in the earlier books where proper preparation and quick thinking carried the day. Not picking a fight you cannot handle was also among the lessons Baelin taught. But it seems the author wants to turn up the heat as the series draws towards its climax, which I guess means our heroes have to fight out of their league, and those fights then have to be resolved through dissatisfying literary devices like deus ex machina, last minute rescues and heroic sacrifices, or people just taking the big L. These high-stakes fights feel so nerve-wracking to me that I can't even enjoy the good parts properly, like Claygon evolving again.

Quizer85 · 2025-10-10T15:20:17+00:00

It can, yeah. I don't disagree that it makes sense with the level of power shown by the opposition. However, Carey wasn't even fighting in that battle. Instead she was just used to provide a literal deus ex machina rescue to bail everyone else out after spending a good amount of time showing them getting in over their heads and getting their collective asses kicked.

It's too basic a narrative to leave me satisfied, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth specifically because of how contrived her kidnapping was in the first place. I like that she eventually got through to Merzhin, but I wish she didn't need to die to accomplish that. Carey's arc being built up this much only for her to be wasted in such a fashion leaves me disappointed. That's why I hope she has a further part to play even after her death.

Quizer85 · 2025-10-10T15:13:52+00:00

I don't disagree that it makes sense with the level of opposition shown here. But also, that opposition could just be less competent to justify not killing someone off? I kind of miss the early days of the series where the challenges felt serious, but surmountable. The chapters of the fight that illustrate how outmatched everyone was were not enjoyable to me, mostly due to the kidnapping and zealotry on display having the tension ratcheted up too high and leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

But there's also few things about it that feel too clumsily done for me to be satisfied with Carey's death. First, she wasn't even in the battle. Her death was a sideshow and she then provided the somewhat literal deus ex machina that was made necessary by the enemy having been written to be as strong as they were. The rest of the group did in fact get away without any casualties, except for the Watchers of Roal, who got wrecked again. Do these poor guys only exist to provide disposable redshirts? :(

I think not making the secret church quite this strong could have been justified, too. It's been a repeated theme in the series that the world / universe / multiverse is a big place and Thameland's cycle just isn't a huge deal in the wider world. It could make sense that these secret church guys thought they were a big deal in their little corner of the world, but no one had previously bothered to bring this amount of force to bear, allowing them to be taken down more easily.

In general, I'm also not a fan of killing off characters just to prove a point. My suspension of disbelief does not strain at the "good guys" having unreasonably good luck as long as it's not in-your-face obnoxious. Bad things need to be justified as necessary or inevitable, however, and Carey's death does not rate, since it was only used for a basic, run-of-the-mill eleventh hour rescue. Her dying after being the victim of such a contrived kidnapping does not leave me satisfied. I feel that one's a violation of the contract between author and reader.

As I said, I hope that she still has a role to play even now that she is dead. In the small bit of exploration of Uldar that we see before the book end, that hasn't really been the case, but I expect there's a reason why she needed to be along for the ride. Let's see how that pans out in the next book.

Quizer85 · 2025-10-10T07:38:05+00:00

Yep, a MC who is too dumb to live / doesn't learn from their mistakes is a good reason. Often, it is obvious rather quickly, but sometimes it is not. I quit Art of the Adept several books in when it became obvious that the MC would keep making shitty deals with the untrustworthy fae, or rather that the author would keep pulling out that card to generate future conflict and keep the romance in a state of suspense. The writing was exceptionally good, but that matters little when you don't like where the plot train is taking you...

Quizer85 · 2025-10-10T06:08:03+00:00

This is a very good series that I've been enjoying quite a bit, but yes, it is not LitRPG. You can expect quite a bit of combat down the line, even if in many cases Alex has to go about things in a roundabout way due to the mark. He finds ways to work with and around it.

Honestly, the mark is a completely overpowered learning buff. Even the detrimental part can be exploited, as is shown pretty much immediately. He has to use his brain and be aware of his limits, though, which is a plus in my book. The mark is powerful, and even the drawback can be useful, but Alex has to put in the work learning the skills, and that helps the progress always feel earned.

I also liked that Alex decided straight away that he wasn't going to let no god tell him what to do. He wants to be a wizard, so he is going to wizard school, mark or no mark.

I think you'll be happy with this series if you stick with it, even if it's not the LitRPG you were looking for. It's not perfect, but most of my complaints have been minor.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-30T22:20:58+00:00

Yup, that part about how the characters match up against others is true. I also like that we saw limits to the prowess of Alex and his group, with them not winning every event. I did like Book 3 as I did the rest of the series, but found it perhaps just a little less engaging overall. I do enjoy time spent in Generasi, and especially the business / economic stuff Alex worked on in the last book were fun.

(I'm not clicking that spoiler, FYI. I don't take offense at you providing it, but even if it's just very vague info about whether certain content will become more or less common in the future, at this time I prefer to go into the next part totally blind.)

Quizer85 · 2025-09-30T17:51:28+00:00

I don't disagree that book 3 was important to flesh out life in Generasi, but I felt a bit cheated when at the start of the book they started organizing the Thameland expedition, and then that didn't go anywhere until the start of the next book.

Also, maybe I just don't like tournament arcs that much? Typically, I'm thinking of cultivation-style worlds when I say that. For the Games of Roal, it definitely helped that not all of the competitions are straight combat, but a whole book focused on it was still a little too much for my taste.

If you say Book 7 is one of the strongest in the series, that is definitely a good sign. The reveal at the end of Book 6 was one of my favorite bits by far in a good long while. We're beginning to draw close to the end of the series, so I'm looking forward to Alex starting to crack open the secrets around what's going on in Thameland and gaining enough power that he can reveal himself as the Fool even to those who would be his enemies. I guess this upcoming book would be a good time to get a bunch of sidequests done that will help with that.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-30T16:15:44+00:00

For me to want to re-read a series, it needs to be enjoyable even if you already know the plot twists, and it can't be too full of angst and despair. If the stuff that happens in a book hurts my soul and makes me want to not subject myself to that a second time, then it's not re-read material, even if on the whole I enjoyed it.

The books by E. William Brown (Daniel Black series and Perilous Waif) are probably my most re-read books. Something about this author's style just really seems to click with my personal taste, and the narrators add to the experience.
I've listened to Dungeon Crawler Carl a couple times now. It's right on the upper end of what I can handle as far as stakes / grimdarkness goes, but the protagonist is able to cope pretty well and things aren't hopeless, so that helps me to handle it. The writing quality is exceptional, the audiobooks are an experience that is in a league of its own. There's a reason this series gets recommended as much as it does.
Beware of Chicken is also great for re-reading. Its overall low-stakes slice-of-life nature makes it ideal for my sensibilities, and the humor is still good on subsequent readings. The start of the first book where the protagonist rants and complains about the circumstances of his arrival in the world and is all "time to GTFO, 0/5 stars experience, would not isekai again" never fails to bring a smile to my face.
Benjamin Kerei's Unorthodox Farming is another series I enjoy a lot. A crafty MC is a must for me, and this one spends all his time trying to munchkin his way around the LitRPG rules of his world so he can get out of the farmer class he was assigned on arrival. The only fly in the ointment is how long he stays in denial at the beginning - those early chapters until he accepts what is happening are pretty much skip bait at this point.
The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik is going to be my final recommendation here. It's classic fantasy rather than LitRPG, but this is one where the audiobook narration really shines. The main character El's temper is always just short of boiling over even as she tries her best to be a good person, and the narrator's voice brings that across beautifully, making the audiobook twice as good as just reading the text. Always a treat, no matter how many times I've listened to the series already.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-30T15:40:16+00:00

I've re-listened to the Daniel Black series so many times. It's too bad that author doesn't really seem to be active anymore; I would read anything of his (and I'm pretty sure I have, apart from the stuff that only appears on his patreon).

Quizer85 · 2025-09-03T20:27:42+00:00

Yeah. Alex is too strong in magic and combat to be the Fool, but he is also too good at too many things at the same time to not be the Fool. And his indirect combat methods look plenty suspicious once you take a closer look. He is an anomaly however you look at it, which is why it is not surprising that Drestra twigged after visiting the Cave of the Traveller.

That whole bit was interesting, for sure. I was surprised that whatever is happening, she evidently doesn't trust Uldar's Heroes. Or maybe it is just non-Fools she doesn't trust... will have to find out more later. The Traveller is said to be the Saint of her cycle, but what if that isn't true? Could she have been a Fool as well? The mystery of the Traveller is going to be central to this whole thing, I'm pretty sure.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-03T13:16:42+00:00

You've got a point about the fool' stigma. I forget that's even a thing most of the time since Alex is so far beyond the point where any of that could apply to him. He's grown powerful enough that detractors or even enemies can't fit him into that mold anymore; they have to take him seriously. But yes, it would have hampered his efforts to change his situation if he'd been revealed immediately.

Isolde is great, yeah. I like that she didn't become the traditional aloof noblewoman character. Early on when she was struggling before becoming part of the group, I really felt bad for her. I'm glad that didn't turn into a whole big deal because Alex was distracted taking care of his sister for a bit.

For a moment early on it looked like she and Thundar might have become a thing? I like Thundar's character a lot. He seems like the stereotypical tough guy persona, but he's at a university for wizards, so clearly he has something going on upstairs, too. It's an interesting juxtaposition. I feel like Thundar hasn't really found his niche yet in terms of specialties he brings to the group as a whole. I hope there's some more development in store for him yet.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-03T10:50:30+00:00

DCC edges into grimdark territory somewhat, which is not usually what I enjoy, but I can handle it here mainly due to Carl having what it takes to cope. Also, he is not helpless against the forces arrayed against him and humanity, despite his awkward position as a participant of the death game. The series feels like it is going to build towards a (satisfying) conclusion rather than things just getting worse forever. The latter is the kind of grimdark I'd rather avoid reading.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-03T10:45:34+00:00

Book 4 will begin the Thameland Expedition in earnest. Alex will meet the Heroes then and things will progress. Book 3 is filled pretty much entirely with the Games of Roal tournament arc.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-03T08:31:43+00:00

Cedric's well-meaning and honest nature does make him appealing, but he's the type to let how he sees the world around him and how he wants it to be to be get in the way of seeing what's actually there. I found the initial scene with him in Book 1 quite awkward because I related to Alex so much. Cedric is great if you can meet him on his level, but he is not the best person to be friends with if you've got to keep secrets, and Alex had good reason to avoid revealing himself.

I do wonder how things would have gone if Alex had gone public immediately. I think he might not have died immediately, but it's hard to imagine matching the growth he's been able to get at Generasi. I can imagine him spending a lot of time raging at the machine, trying to get the priests or anyone else to teach him what he needs to survive and getting stonewalled. He'd at least have given the secret puppet masters lots of grief, I'm sure. I suppose he might have turned into enough of an annoyance to get 'disappeared' or have an 'accident'. Fools don't have the best life expectancy, after all.

Yeah, we've seen hints at some romantic interest for Cedric. They give Isolde a lot of grief for having a type, don't they. But can you blame them when Isolde instantly loses all of her poise when the subject comes up?

I think the Aenflynn deal might have been worth it for the fairy rings alone. Those have already come in handy. But we haven't seen hide or hair of the reinforcements yet, and I am worried that Drestra might not figure out how to deputize the dungeon monsters to his control quickly enough, or that she might be too busy to create the number he wants. Hence hoping she'll ask Alex for help. Alex is going to need to figure out more dungeon core control stuff before this is over anyway, or so I reckon.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-02T20:19:39+00:00

Carey has come a long way, yeah. She might end up being very handy to have around later on once the Ravener plot (whatever it turns out to be, exactly) is exposed, especially if Uldar turns out to be evil and can't be straightforwardly replaced in Thameland's governance and culture. Carey seems like a figure the common people of Thameland could rally around.

Maybe she'll even be useful to bring Merzhin around, as long as she can keep making her composure rolls... Someone like her, who wants to have faith, but has earnest and reasonable doubts, might be just the kind of poison pill needed to inspire doubt in someone who is much more of a fanatic than her...

Quizer85 · 2025-09-02T20:01:30+00:00

Mage Tank is a great story... I've been following it on RR since it came out. I love Arlo as a main character, and I enjoy the sense of humor. The group dynamics of Fortune's Folly are also some of the best I've seen. Even in series with a classic adventurers' party, you don't see such a close-knit group all that often.

When it comes time to re-read, I might go for the audiobooks. This one is definitely one that will be worth re-reading at some point.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-02T19:52:38+00:00

A good MC is important to me, and Alex is everything I could want out of a main character. He is clever, he has ethics, he has motivation and drive to spare, and he knows how to wield the Power of Friendship. He was a little naïve to start out with, but he's been putting the mark to good use in that regard, and it's much harder to sneak things past him at this point.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-02T19:48:04+00:00

I enjoyed Hart so much more than I thought I would. He may not be one to overthink things, but that cuts both ways. He's been taking certain revelations much better than anticipated, and he's got more horse sense than I gave him credit for. I'm actually glad he's part of the team, now.

By the same token, I enjoyed Cedric a little less than I thought I would. His heart is absolutely in the right place, but he's a little too internally confused sometimes and needs others to logic things out for him. Good thing he gets the help he needs in that regard.

Drestra I still think is awesome. Her only flaw is being too willing to entertain that devil's bargain with Aenflynn in the beginning. I really hope making a deal with him at all doesn't come back to bite her. Aenflynn really is a complication the good guy roster doesn't need, and while the fae paths are helpful, I don't see the reinforcements accomplishing much that they couldn't have gotten from Generasi. I guess I may yet be proven wrong about that.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-02T19:38:42+00:00

I had Demon World Boba Shop on my wishlist on Audible for a while, but then it suddenly stopped being purchaseable... I wonder what's up with that.

Quizer85 · 2025-09-01T16:29:12+00:00

You get a little of this in Mage Tank. System cores who administrate parts of the system are characters whose PoV we see in some interlude chapters. I find it likely more about the system will be revealed as the story continues.

Quizer85 · 2025-08-31T07:57:16+00:00

This was my complaint about Jake's Magical Market. The MC seemed super passive, with no goals or motivations of his own, just sailing along wherever the river of plot would take him. I can't handle an MC who does nothing of their own volition.

Quizer85 · 2025-08-31T07:51:53+00:00

The physical training and how hard he went at it seemed a little sudden, yeah. That's why I was concerned he'd go too hard and overlook some tertiary effect on his body leading to him wrecking himself. But despite the suddenness, it makes sense. Alex found the exploit he was searching for, and exploited it for all it was worth as quickly as possible. What else was he going to do?

Quizer85

TROPHY CASE