Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I love a good medieval fantasy. Sadly, this wasn't. It had the potential to be, there were some wonderfully unique ideas in this book that could have made for a really great story, but it wasn't well utilized here. The main character is so inconsistent. One moment he'll be so whiny you want to slap him, and the next he can do no wrong. At one point he's told that he needs to pander to a bunch of petty nobles and make them feel important, so he takes about 5 minutes before he makes a "You're with me or against me" speech and everyone is thrilled with him. He talks about how he's just a poor little ranch boy who doesn't know ANYTHING about making important decisions and leading people, but then he makes grandiose speeches with ease. He doesn't even ask advise about what to say or how to present himself. Also, there are WAY too many conveniences in here. He's always saved just in the nick of time by (insert plot contrivance here). He has what he needs handed to him practically on silver platters. Need healing? Here's a potion. Now take a nap. Need fighting skills? Here's a book. Need a sword? Oh look! Here it is! He does go through a few trials and tribulations, but they are always over so fast that it never actually FEELS like he's earning anything. Look out! There's a monster! Oh, it's already dead and no one got more than a minor scratch. Moving right along then. There's also an annoying amount of filler in this book. It felt like it stretched on forever and I kept reading useless details I didn't care about. There's more I could say but I think I've made my point. This book has great potential but is horribly executed. I'm sure the following books in the series get better, but I have no interest in reading them.