This one has a strange introduction - setting the scene, a carriage hit-and-run which turns into some kind of black comedy and is ultimately rendered moot because the "victim" was a zombie. I suppose it is to set the tone for the story. What sounds like a crisis, actually is not.
Mira's purpose here is two-fold, to travel to Karanak, the City of Requiem to investigate the nearby dungeon, the Ancient Temple Nebrapolis, and seek information about the recent demon incursion as well as the possible whereabouts of one of her fellow Wisemen, Soul Howl the Elder of Necromancy. What follows is much like the first volume.
A lot more world-building: About the city of Karanak, the structure of the Mage's Guild, and how becoming " real" has changed the VRMMORPG game.
There's also more of Mira showing off her summoning skills as well as her "immortal arts", which are basically magical martial arts. What I like about this is that it is not "just" her showing off. It's not about a power-trip or just some vicarious power fantasy for the reader. No, Mira's showing off has a purpose.
You see, Mira is a summoner who is passionate about summoning magic, but in the 30 years since Danbulf's disappearance, summoning has declined in popularity to the extent that summoners are rare. The fairly high-level party she encounters in this book, who has seen and done a lot over a long period of time, has no idea what she is capable of, because they have never seen a high-level summoner before. Thus, Mira's showing off is actually promotion of her profession in order to attract others to it. Given how under-staffed her kingdom is right now, and how a competent summoner can generate a small company of knights on a moment's notice, she has every reason to toot her own horn.
Because I enjoyed all of the above in the first volume, I very much enjoyed this one as well. I think the author is enjoying plotting up drama or suspense only to immediately deflate it. There's this one scene where a boss-level enemy is introduced, and the narration talks up how difficult it would be to defeat, requiring a large group of high-level players, "Or one Wiseman".
This is one of the perks in having an (over)powerful protagonist, there is no need to waste words or space trying to convince a reader that each and every situation is hopeless/perilous/etc. while simultaneously writing some sort of victory for the protagonist. The author can instead focus on some other goal, in this case, demonstrating the "immortal arts" and expositing on a goal of the protagonist besides "survive".
Frankly, it is impressive that the author managed to hold my attention for over 270 pages without a central villain or major drama while still using the listed premise. Well, there is a wide-scale crisis at the climax, but no central villain just yet.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "She Proclaimed Herself Pupil of the Wiseman - volume 2" an A+
Click here for my next book review: The Magic Attic Club - Princess Megan
Click here for my previous book review: Sword Art Online- Alicization volume 13
Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).
His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.
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