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!

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 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.

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 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

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.

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.