Book Review: Mother of Learning ARC 3 by nobody103 or Domagoj Kurmaic
Cover art by: Mansik Yang
Mother of Learning: ARC 3 by Domagoj Kurmaić
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: Mother of Learning (Book #3 of 4)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Progression Fantasy, Web novel
Pages: 743 pages (Kindle edition)
Published: 6th September 2022 by Wraithmarked Creative (Indie)
Mother of Learning has been one heck of an entertaining ride, and the beginning of the end is here.
I can’t believe I am near the end of Mother of Learning by nobody103 or Domagoj Kurmaic, the first web novel series I read, and I’ve been very impressed with the journey I took here so far. I know this is one of the most highly regarded web novel series out there, and indeed, this isn’t a sign that ALL or even the majority of web novels are as good or well-polished as this. But I would be lying if I said I won’t check out any other web novel fantasy series after I am done reading this series. Worm by Wildbow, A Practical Guide to Evil by ErraticErrata, and The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba are top priorities. These are just a few examples. For now, though, I have only one volume/story arc left in the series, and I will read that next month. Considering the all-connecting nature of the entire series between each installment, because this is one web novel divided into four volumes, please understand that I am very limited in what I can say here without giving spoilers. So I will keep this review briefer than usual. This is my favorite volume in the series so far, and there is a big potential the fourth and final volume will top it.
“It’s not true fun unless you regret it immediately afterwards.
The story in Mother of Learning: ARC 3 continues immediately after the big revelations at the end of the previous volume. The origin of the time loop has been revealed. Zorian and Zach are pressed for time to redouble their efforts to prevent the potential cataclysmic disaster once the time loop inevitably expires, which means every choice can no longer be undone. This will sound repetitive, but I am once again impressed by how great the author keeps the story turning and interesting with constant revelations and development in a very engaging way. Seriously, I mentioned my dislike of the first 35% of the previous volume. I said the first 35% of volume 2 felt like filler and was unnecessarily long. After reading volume 3, I am happy to be proven wrong. My experience remains true, and I will not change my statement on that until I do a reread. But none of the parts in the previous two volumes felt redundant now. As the series approaches the end, Kurmaic has started to implement every foundation of story, lore, and world-building he has established in the previous volumes into effect here. None of them felt wasted now, and I loved the improvements in writing quality and witnessing more pivotal encounters and events.
“Silly old girl, making such blunders at your age. It’s just as they say: you learn all your life and still die a fool.
One of the finest improvements and changes in volume 3 that worked for me was how the narrative involved the supporting characters extensively more than before. Some readers might not like the direction here. Mother of Learning is still Zorian’s story, there’s no doubt about that, but here, it felt like it’s no longer his story alone. This is now Zorian AND Zach’s story together with the friends and acquaintances they met on their journey. And for me, it made the series more compelling and intriguing. I think the story risks repetitiveness if, let’s say, up to the third volume, the plot still focuses exclusively on Zorian. The duo and friendship between Zorian and Zach, as they tried their best to come up with ideas and untangle the mess they were in, were refreshing to read. And I am so happy to see how much Xvim, Taiven, and Silverlake continuously developed throughout the series. Heck, not only that. We also finally see Zorian’s infamous brother, Daimen, in action. And the main villain, too!
“Learning a language is never a wasted effort, young man… It develops your mind and expands your horizons!
Another thing I criticized in volume 2, again the first 35%, was how boring Zorian’s time outside of Cyoria’s academy was. That notion no longer applies here. With the expansion of Zorian’s abilities and a few surprising new POVs, Zorian’s time outside the Cyoria academy in this book was captivating. Everything felt incredibly well done, in my opinion. Sure, there were a few sections where the conversations and scenes felt drawn out or slightly too long, but they weren’t a big deal in the grander scheme. I wish I could talk more in detail rather than being vague about everything here. But seriously, if you have started reading the series, you will want to get here. The last few chapters of this book were just intense, bonkers, and unexpected, in a good way.
My smaller-sized review of Mother of Learning: ARC 3 is not a negative sign for the series. As I said at the beginning of this video, I believe this penultimate installment of the series is my favorite of Mother of Learning so far. Reviewing a web novel series is a different kind of experience compared to reading and reviewing a series of novels. It is clear from how each book in Mother of Learning ended that the storytelling structure here is meant to be read and treated as a web novel fantasy series. This means each book in the series ended and began as if there were merely a change in chapter progression instead of volumes. But despite that, I can certainly say this. The reading experience has been pretty damn good so far. It has been difficult postponing reading the next volume instantly after the mega cliffhanger this volume has. And with that in mind, I will read the fourth and final book in the series next month. The beginning of the end has been established with recognizable force. It is time to find out how Domagoj Kurmaic will conclude the series.
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