I give this book an overall rating of 4 stars.
I enjoyed the book, especially the world building. It reminded me of the Lord of the Rings. This is my first time reading a fantasy where there was no romance, yet I was still captivated.
Thank you, Stacey Bureker, Net galley and the publisher, for granting me access to the e.ARC!!!

This book gave Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter type vibes. A little different than my normal spicy trope, this one was a fun magical non-romance. It was an easy read, so maybe recommend it to YA who are wanting a fun book full of magic and friendship in an academic setting. Maybe a bit simple for heavy fantasy readers, but it was a fun adventure non the less.
Thank you NetGalley and Stacey Bureker for the advanced copy of this book!

The overall rating for this book was a 3.75.
I really enjoyed the premise. It was a semi cozy fantasy with Lord of the Rings vibes. Humans are seen as lower class and can only be slaves, and our main character Kye, had a pretty rough go of it during his life with people treating him horribly.
I loved Arden and his “don’t piss me off” attitude mixed with a “I will say whatever I want” mouth. His dialogue was the funniest.
The dialogue as a whole was a little bit clunky in some spots. I did feel like a couple of the characters fell a little flat, Umbree and Valor, but other than that I liked the book. The world building was cool and the magic system is good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this e-ARC.

If you like Lord of the Rings, fantasy, and (sort of?) ya style writing then you will love this book!

Started off strong with good backstory and world building. It was really interesting from the beginning. We went right into action in the first few chapters, which of course I love, and then are introduced with more characters and plot lines. I have to say I really enjoyed how lots of little details you think aren’t going to be important tend to pop up later, and it works great!

The book just got better and better as it went on! I could tell the author got more comfortable with writing as the story progressed.

The ending was so strong, and I will 100% be reading book 2 when it comes out! Such a cliffhanger and leaves you wanting more and more from this amazing fantasy world.

Also- such a unique plot line. Humans at the bottom of species hierarchy, being born into slavery and looked down upon. I always love stories about the breaking of social norms so this was great hahha.

“ ‘Idiots are everywhere. I find it best to pay them no mind or risk becoming one of them yourself.’ “

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher/author for giving me an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!!!

4/5⭐️

I'd like to thank the author and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC :)

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book! We had some rainy summer days this past week, and I have to say, this story couldn't have been more perfect for the occasion! Literally couldn't put it down! The pacing was very enjoyable, not too fast, nor too slow. It has a high fantasy plot with a cozy touch to it, which made it easier to digest than some of the popular books it reminded me of such as The Name of the Wind and The Lord of the Rings. It's a story about hope, determination, and friendship. I recommend this book to all the fantasy lovers who want a breath of fresh air in between their dense 1000p epic fantasies.

Plot:
We follow Kye, a human, who has been a slave to a powerful mage since he was a kid. Kye, fortunately, ends up in an unfortunate situation where he betrays his master in order to save an elven mage. Arden, the elven whose life he saved, in turn, saves Kye by making him his acolyte and teaching him how to become a mage as well. We see how Kye deals with the hardships of being the first ever human acolyte, which isn't very well-received by the Magi Council and fellow acolytes, while also anticipating his previous master's return to settle unfinished business.

Characters:
Kye is a very charismatic MC, he's easy to like and relate to. The development of Kye and Arden's relationship is very entertaining to witness. Arden comes off as very "je m'en fous", but is actually very deeply caring and protective over the ones he loves. It's nice to see Kye slowly warm up to his new master/teacher and friends, in contrast to the timid boy he was when he was enslaved. Although the main characters are solid and well-written, the side characters are what made this book whole for me. Not only the enjoyable side characters like Celeste, Mireen, and the dwarves, but also the annoying ones. I feel like a well-written bad guy should piss you off, and the ones in this book definitely did that!

World building and magic system:
The story takes place in the Six Realms, where humans are seen as lowlives and are supposed spend their lives serving all other magical beings. Amongst those magical beings, some are mages. This world very much reminded me of Tolkien's Middle Earth with the orcs, dwarves, elves, wizards, lost magical artefacts,... Mages can travel through realms via portals, opened by the Magi Council when needed. Overall, the world building wasn't very extensive, especially if you compare it to other fantasy books, but it was enough to envision the setting. The magic system is nothing too complicated. It's easy to understand and follow along with.

Writing:
Very simple writing, which can be either a good or a bad thing, depending on your preference. In this instance, I found it to be a rather good thing. There aren't many fantasy books out there (that aren't romantasy) that are this easy to digest, so it was refreshing to experience the contrary for once! The length of the book, combined with the not overly descriptive language made it a fast-paced and easy read. There's no ambiguity, which made it a bit predictable at times, but thrilling nonetheless. It was nice to have different chapters or parts following different people, which really added a certain suspense factor that was very enjoyable. My only remark on the writing is that "Kye said, Arden said, he said, she said,..." became a little repetitive, and I wish the author was a bit more creative in expressing the character's dialogue.

I can't wait to see what happens next in Kye and Arden's story!

Join underdog Kai and his unlikely friends on a classic adventure of good versus evil. Beyond the Cobbled Road: Fading Light reinforces the familiar notion that great things, while not always what they first seem, can have humble beginnings.

As an experienced adult reader with a background in fantasy, I found the pacing and content mild and predictable at times, perhaps more suitable to engage a younger audience. With an ending that does eventually escalate and leaves big questions unanswered, I believe many readers will look forward to continuing the tales of our plucky human hero.

I received my copy as an ARC through NetGalley and leave this honest review freely.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Gives you everything you could ask for in a fantasy book! Intrigue, mystery, revenge, magic, other worlds, life or death battles, and a cliffhanger! Can't wait until the second book!

This book was a very, very fun read. Very character driven, which I personally am a huge fan of. I agree with other reviewers calling this Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit like, it absolutely is! I liked how atmospheric and descriptive the writing was. The plot-point of humans being the lesser beings in a magical world makes this book stand out in the crowd of tropes within fantasy. There are a very fun multitude of creatures to read about in this universe, such as orcs, goblins and elves. It felt very much like those old school punchy fantasy books. I throughly enjoyed the dialogue, it felt very natural and fun to read between characters, especially between Arden and Kye. My major complaint would that the pacing had me either tearing through the text or struggling to stay interested. Regardless, a good solid read, especially in today’s fantasy genre, and that I’ll definitely keep in mind to check out the next future release!

Thank you, NetGally and Stacy Bureker, for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Final Verdict: 3.5 Stars.

I have mixed feelings about this one. This is one of those stories where the premise sounds good, and the worldbuilding and characters are interesting enough to match, but the writing just isn’t there yet to make it fully come to life. I’m pretty sure it’s just a me thing, but I found the writing quite clunky, and the voice was not strong enough to enrapture me.

One of the biggest pet peeves I have is how similar all the character voices sound to each other. There is very little distinction between them that shows their differences in class and personality. I’m not way that they are badly written characters, they’re not. However, I just couldn’t get attached to them as I should have because they didn’t feel like real people.

Additionally, I found the world-building to be interesting. This certainly isn’t your regular fantasy story, and it pretty much strays away from all known tropes. Again, I didn’t think the writing in its current state could fully encompass it. I did not feel drawn into the world in such a way that I could easily picture it and become immersed, which I found such a shame.

Now, this isn’t to say that this is a bad story. It’s not. In a world where most fantasy is romantasy, if you’re looking for someone who has deep relationships without romance being forefront, then this is your book.

This novel has a lot of good things in it. I simply felt the writing could not match its grand scope entirely, but it’s still worth giving a read!

I've been searching for a cozy fantasy that is easy to binge and fun, and this is exactly that! Kye is an amazing character and I love the dynamic between him and Arden. With lower stakes, this book is just a good time. I also believe this was the perfect set-up for what is sure to be a remarkable series! I hope to learn more about Kye's magic in the next book. But that's what the first book of a series is supposed to do, leave you with just the right amount of questions. I very much enjoyed this.

A great new fantasy novel with Lord of the Ring vibes. The main character Kye is a human in a world where humans are below dirt but he becomes an acolyte. Arden the elf master of the Magi Council sees Kye's potential and teaches him to work magic something a human has never been allowed to do. This book was full of politics, magic, overcoming the odds, and found family. I really enjoyed it and hope that another will be coming soon so I can visit the Six Realms again.

I enjoyed this debut fantasy and I'm glad I spent my time reading it. It's plot-driven with static character arcs. It is the first book of a series to come. The book does not resolve all the conflicts, but one major conflict is resolved, so I would not consider the ending to be a cliffhanger. I would say the major theme was prejudice and the most major literary trope is found family. I think it is slightly similar to a lot of academic magic school works because the majority of the book is the main character learning to use magic. However, the plot is not confined to just that aspect, so it doesn't fit neatly into that trope. I will be interested to read more from this author in the future.

This book has single handedly reinspired my love for the fantasy genre.
I ate this UP, and I will be thinking about it for… a while. Or at least until the next book comes out. (I will definitely be begging for the opportunity to review that one early as well.)

This is very “Lord of the Rings” coded. It has a very similar vibe to Tolkien’s work. Honestly though? I liked this so much more.
It is not often that I come across heavy fantasy that is easy to read and actually keeps my wandering mind engaged- but this provided!

In this world, humans are of the lowest status. They are often looked down on and used as slaves or servants to higher species. Kye is one of these human slaves. Overworked and mistreated, with no hope of a better future.
Until- he saves the life of an elven mage, Arden.
Despite everyone’s disapproval, Arden takes Kye under his wing as his acolyte, determined to teach him magic and allow him to become the first human mage.
Kye must now learn to wield magic, navigate the discrimination he faces as a human, and combat darker forces at work.

Where do I start? This was too good.
There was tension.
There was drama.
There was action.
There was potentially a little romance brewing?
I mean, what else can you really ask for?

I love the characters. Kye and Arden are really giving wholesome father/son duo here.
ALSO, the way Arden talks is so hilarious to me?! A high elven maister that kind of talks super casually, despite everyone else being so proper- I found that so entertaining.
Celeste is also such a cute addition to this story! She is a side character, but I love her energy. She is radiating positivity and warmth.
Really adorable!

The writing is also great.
It isn’t confusing or difficult to read, and does not contain a lot of very complex language.
I also thought it was a really good length.
Fantasy books can often tend to be a bit long, which makes me shy away from them. This however, was a very appropriate length. Not too short to where the story is rushed, but not too long to where things feel like they are dragging.

There is only one thing I would change about this book, and it has nothing to do with the writing/story itself.
There are abrupt scene changes between the Kye/Arden parts and the Umbree/Orin parts. I think it would be slightly easier to read if there was some separation on the page, so you know you’re transitioning from one to the other.
With this being said- it is not really a huge deal, and it did not impact my enjoyment of the story at all! It just took my brain a second to adjust.

Overall, this was definitely for me. I loved it. I would give it more than 5 stars if I were able. I will be patiently awaiting the second installment of this masterpiece.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and publisher/author Stacey Bureker for providing me with the eARC of “Beyond the Cobbled Road: Fading Light”, in exchange for my honest review!
publication date: August 29th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads: August 8th, 2025

This is a very well fleshed out story with good world building and likeable characters. I liked that is bordered on cozy with lower stakes than a lot of other fantasy. The writing prose is very pretty.

This book has a really interesting premise. When humans are only considered worth as slaves and servants, how does a young man even dream of something better?
Human Kye saves the life of a visiting elven maister (one of the highest magic users), Arden, when Kye's owner tries to kill Arden. Arden, in turn, sees Kye's potential to wield magic and names Kye as the first ever human apprentice to learn magic. As you can imagine, Kye's new situation is not met with overwhelming support by the rest of the Six Realms magic users and apprentices.
Kye and Arden undertake both developing Kye's abilities and battling the while also combating a dark mage to save all six realms.
I found the book's premise a good one and both Kye and Arden are interesting characters who work well together. While this is the first book in the series, there are no cliff hangers that make you frustrated while awaiting the next in the series.

I fancied reading a book more focused on fantasy than romance, and it did not dissapoint ✨️

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy cosy fantasy (magic-focused) with a touch of politics, a *very* minor romantic subplot (which I expect will develop in subsequent books) and plenty of action!

I found the characters well developed and unique. I particularly liked Ardens sassy, take-no-sh*t attitude and seeing the development of Kye's confidence, both personally and as a mage. The found family element added a welcomed, cosy vibe.

Although this is the first book in a new series, I am pleased to say that it did not end on a major cliffhanger. The plot line was interesting with the right amount of action to keep the story moving. There were mysteries unsolved and questions unanswered but nothing that leaves you dreading the wait for the sequel. I would have liked more information about Kye's training and magic development, the other realms and characters backgrounds BUT I expect this was at least partially intentional and that the author has saved further details for the subsequent books. I can imagine too much more detail would have been overwhelming for some readers.

It was a quick read for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to reading what will happen next in Kye's journey and finding out more about their world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this eARC ✨️

This was a good book, Kye and Arden were probably my most two f stories characters, especially Arden,

My only kinda “negativity” would just be how the wording and certain things were said/phrased because of the time period/era they were in, it just gave major Bridgerton vibes and I wasn’t really a fan of all that.

But all in all, I did enjoy this read and so thankful I got the chance to arc read it!

Thank you NetGalley & Stacey Bureker for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this book!

One of the only issues I had was with the dialogue. Kye and Saiyah speak like they’re straight out of Pride and Prejudice—flowery, formal, and old-fashioned—but it randomly drops off at times. It was especially odd because Kye, despite having grown up enslaved, speaks as if he were privately tutored, while Maister Arden, a figure of authority, speaks in a more modern and straightforward tone. It was a strange stylistic choice, and I personally think the story would’ve flowed better if everyone spoke more plainly and consistently.

One moment that really stood out to me was when the Council discussed the events that took place at Umbrees. The way certain characters twisted the story genuinely frustrated me—in a good way. It was a perfect example of how people reshape events to fit their own narrative. That scene was one of the strongest in the book and really pulled me in, making me want to keep reading to see how everything would unfold.

The pacing felt a bit off in places, and I started to lose focus about a third of the way through. Some of the magic Kye uses is genuinely cool, but the story doesn’t really explore how he learned it. A lot of things are brushed over with a “tell” rather than “show” approach, and I would’ve appreciated more depth and detail in those areas.

The dream where Kye is charmed and sees his mother was much darker than I expected. At first, it felt a little out of place—but looking back, the tone of the book does gradually darken, and I’m curious to see if that continues in future installments.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story. The characters felt distinct, and I’m reeeally curious about what’s going on with Orin and how the stones work. I’ll definitely be looking out for the next book in the series!

4/5 stars

This book was phenomenal, the writing was so good! I like Kye as a character, Arden is a fun maister who bends the norms of the Magi Council. The plot was fast paced and explained things as we went, which kept things moving and not stale. Saiyah is a great character who sees past the races of others, when the other acolytes failed to see past Kye as his race. I'll be interested in seeing what happens in the next book!