This was a roller coaster in narrative form. It was an excellent thrill ride that had twists and turns where I thought I had the story pinned down, then Larry would hit us with another curve that I didn't see coming.

And just like a good thrill ride, this story was FAST. PACED. The first few chapters were that proverbial initial, slow climb, then around chapter 5, you peer over the edge right before you are plummeting into this dynamic story of a motley crew who are thrust into a mystery at breakneck speeds.

The characters are extraordinary. Trax Bloodtrail is genuinely one of my favorite characters of all time. He was absolutely hilarious. Each character felt nuanced and unique enough that the reader would be able to identify who was speaking without any indicators, yet they felt familiar, especially for those who had had that ragtag group of friends.

The setting is boundless. Without going into spoilers, there are portals used in this world that lead to a variety of landscapes that are vastly different from each other. It's almost as if the characters are Larry's favorite toys and he is able to throw them into a new area with new challenges that are both environmental and circumstantial. This is gives Larry an infinite playground for these characters, and I will absolutely be along for the ride!

Finally, the plot isn't something revolutionary, and he leans into some of the tropes that we love, but he was able to spin it in a distinctive way. You have that primary story while you can see the greater plot that is the undercurrent of the series.

For anyone that loves Guardians of the Galaxy, Dungeons & Dragons, Mistborn, or really anyone that has decent tastes at all......you're going to LOVE. THIS. BOOK. This is an EXCELLENT book to get someone hooked on fantasy. A HUGE thank you to @aethonbooks for sending me an ARC and allowing me to dive into this story early. This is my favorite Larry Correia novel that I've read so far and I can't wait for the next one!

I'm a fan of Larry Correia, but that doesn't mean I take to all of his work. Honestly, some of it has left me cold. The last two installments of the Monster Hunter series come to mind.

But this... this is something different. In his newsletter, he describes how much he enjoyed writing Academy of Outcasts and that enjoyment oozes off every page. He loved writing it, and you love reading it. I never thought this adjective could apply to a book with so much darkness and violence in it, but Outcasts is charming. It pulls you into its world and leaves you wanting more. (Hence my preorder for the sequel.)

Why is it so captivating? Characters. The book is populated with characters you would love to meet and hang out with. Of particular note is the shark-monk Squalo, perhaps Correia's greatest creation since Agent Franks.

Story. We know where this is going pretty much from the first few chapters, but like a great screwball comedy (where the outcome is also certain) it's the twists and turns along the way that keep it interesting. Correia doesn't give his characters an easy time, and they face obstacle after obstacle as they navigate their way through an increasingly perilous situation.

Imagination. It just blazes off the page. The world building here is both spectacular and doled out in just the right amount. Outcasts transports you to a whole new world (actually several whole new worlds) each of which feels as real as the one we all inhabit.

This book just works. I think Mr. Correia hit it out of the park with this one. One of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time.

In strengths and weaknesses, this is typical of Larry Correia. The story is strong, well told, fast moving, and exciting. The characters are appealing and generally have a few strong traits that make them consistent. The weakness is that very characterization. There's nothing to the characters beyond those few traits - they are enough to drive through the story, but don't feel like full real people.

Still, I say this as someone who generally enjoys his stories, and this one is no exception. It's a fun and exciting read and you will not be wasting your time on it. It's fun, I'm glad to see him take on a new genre, and I'll probably get the next in the series too. Just a bit shy of first-rate.

I first heard about this book back in January and as I had just finished (and loved) Larry's last series, the Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, I happily hit the preorder button.

Now it's here, and I'm writing a review two days after it dropped. Another book from Larry that won the battle between me and sleep. This is a progression fantasy series, something that I had heard of and read a little of, but Larry has a way to make the conventions of the genre seem natural, rather than artificial and silly.

We have a fantastic new world of elemental realms, which factors into a detailed magic system that we explore from the perspective of someone just learning magic. Larry talks to us about how the magic works, and it all comes together naturally. One of the things I love about books that have detailed magic rules is that the characters can use those rules to their advantage, and it all clicks and makes sense, rather than seeming artificial and arbitrary. Larry's working with established tropes but he makes them his own and keeps it interresting.

And we have great characters. Larry always does a great job of giving you someone to root for and then broadening them and making them more than what you expect. And it has a great comic relief character who steals the show of every scene he's in.

And there are the action scenes. Larry is a master of putting his characters on a limited time to resolve a huge problem and then making them run the gauntlet to get there. You get fights, magic duels, a gunfight or two ... this is in no way slow and when taken with the time and care of the worldbuilding, it just works.

So if you like Larry's other works, and want to see what he'd do with this genre of story ... just order the book and the next one too. And prepare for some late nights.

Absolutely loved it. A fun read; I did it in one thoroughly enjoyable gulp, and immediately pre-ordered the next 2 in the series.

I enjoyed this book. It was funny. It had a good storyline and established a nice little fantasy world for future works. I am looking forward to the next part of the series.

I've read all of Larry's stuff and love them. This one was a bit off for me in a couple of ways.

First the writing felt more geared toward junior high (my 12 year old self would have loved this book). Issue is I can't let my 12 year old read it due to the language (He can't read MHI yet either). I would buy this for him and ask his friends if there was a cleaned up YA version of it, sort of how musicians release a clean album nowadays.

Second this is the first book of his that audible wasn't as good if not better then the written version. Larry's writing naturally lends itself to audible but this one just felt off to me. I read it while my brother listened to it. He complained about it so I also listened and was disappointed.

The actual story had plenty of action, ok not great plot twists. Characters were fun if but super deep. This felt like Larry was taking me through an adventure as a DM in an world adjacent to AD&D.

To sum it up. For me as an adult the book was probably 3 stars. Reading as my 12 year old self easily 5 stars. I split the difference and gave it 4.

Already pre purchased book 2 though...

Good book with fun enjoyable characters that contribute to the story rather than being cardboard cutouts in the background. The worldbuilding is enjoyable as well, introducing a fun new setting that can be seen as a blend of steampunk and fantasy. I liked the conversations between the MC and his friend from the Plane of Water the best but there was plenty of snarky humor and action to go around. For me the story was almost too short but with the sequel already waiting in the wings I understand the business reasons why. Great start to a new setting and I will be recommending this to others.

Up to Larry Correia's standard.

Good solid start to a series I know I'm going to enjoy. Great characters and hopefully more of their back stories to come, really looking forward to Magic and Bullets.

Book, great.

If you like sharks, it's the best you'll find in the genre.

The only defect is the wait until next episode comes out.

This was a good start to what promises to be an interesting series. If you have liked any of Correia's other works than you should enjoy this one. Oz is a hard worker and not a quitter. Which is why he continues his dream of becoming a wizard. In a world where wealth and patronage is everything he will have to build his own academy and recruit outcasts like himself and learn as they go. But first he must convince a mad wizard to give him a chance, survive the nobles he and his family are in debt slavery too, not blow himself up with experimental magic and somehow survive in a city where corruption and poverty are the rule. I also liked the worldbuilding and am looking forward to finding out just what happened to the closed gate.

Edited to add that there is no system tracking stats, spells learned or the level of understanding. So lit rpg light and no crunchy numbers going up. Not a criticism or something that bothers me but those who are looking for that should be aware.

Typical Correia: throws a thousand ingredients in, tosses and stirs and gets a perfectly formed story where everything fits, including the cleverest twists. A quick and thoroughly enjoyable read. Can’t wait for the next one.