Runic Cultivator by Joshua KernMy rating: 4 of 5 stars (...ish)
Runic Cultivator by Joshua Kern is currently the first and only book in the Realms & Runes. It's advertised as a Cultivation LitRPG Series. I’m not the biggest fan of RPGLit, but "Runic Cultivator" isn't your typical RPG – Joshua Kern throws out the usual LitRPG playbook and dives headfirst into the cultivation pool. If you are like me and haven’t really gotten into RPGLit before, take note: here are new rules and magical shenanigans, so give it a shot. Cultivation might be your thing. Also, be warned because cultivation puns are about to ensue.
The story ambles comfortably along, preoccupied with our heroes beefing up their spiritual six-packs. While this slow-and-steady narrative gym session sometimes had me skipping leg day and peeking at the clock, a quiet curiosity kept me on the treadmill. Erik and Ainsley's power-up saga is less about the rare high-octane battle and more about the homestead of the soul (sometimes quite literally) – even if it occasionally feels like the stakes are sweating less than we are. Kern delivers his tale with a Zen-like tranquility, sending readers on more of a spiritual walkabout than a bite-your-nails adventure. For a genre newbie, the cultivation jargon was a bit like reading a microwave manual in Klingon. Digestible? Sure. But I occasionally scratched my head and looked for a decoder ring. I am sure a fan of the genre wouldn’t have the same issue.
The protagonists, Erik and Ainsley, grow up before our eyes like a pair of power-hungry beanstalks. But when it comes to depth, it feels more like wading in the kiddie pool than diving into the deep end. Their dynamic is... complicated. These two have so much tension that if you strung it on a violin, you'd have the world's most uncomfortable symphony. They're married, but they're also still basically celebrate and platonic besties; I'm not sure whether to root for them or offer them a good marriage counselor. It doesn’t help that Ainsley spends most of her time in the form of an Arctic fox, so that’s bound to tone down the opportunities for romance as well… if you know what I mean.
Giving the book a rating was a challenge. Though "Runic Cultivator" might not have been my usual cup of chi-filled herbal tea, the book had an odd charm. Was I absolutely captivated? Not quite. But did I put it down and never look back? Also no. It skates a thin line between 'need to read' and 'casual fling' with a genre that's earned its cult following. "Runic Cultivator" is a book that flickers like candlelight – sometimes bright, sometimes dim, but consistently lit. So it lands between a three and four-star book, but given my teetering opinion and the limits of the platform, I'll round it up. If I could magic up some edits, I'd sprinkle in less stiffness between Ainsley and Erik and sprinkle on more spice to the story stew. I'm on the fence about the next book –It's a coin toss whether I'll seek out book two, but if it swans its way into my inbox, I'd give it a go. But despite its quirks and occasional cobwebs, it's got a room in the inn of my heart, if only for the night.
A special thanks to Aethon Books for providing a copy of this book for my perusal.
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