How I Built a Magic Empire, Book 1 Audiobook By Konstantin Zubov, Ben Hooson - translator cover art

How I Built a Magic Empire, Book 1

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How I Built a Magic Empire, Book 1

By: Konstantin Zubov, Ben Hooson - translator
Narrated by: Hannibal Hills
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I have been reborn from an advanced techno-magic world into a world where magic is still in its infancy.

In this new world I have the body of a young baron and my entire worldly possessions are one village—a village surrounded by monsters and hostile aristocrats on the fringes of a young, rapidly expanding empire.

The other thing I have, though, is knowledge beyond what this world has dreamt of, and nothing will stop me from building my own magic empire!

©2024 Konstantin Zubov; English translation copyright 2024 by Ben Hooson (P)2025 Tantor Media Action & Adventure Fantasy Gaslamp Magic Village
Interesting Magic System • Young World Setting • Good Voice Range • Decent Character Development • Engaging Town Building

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Great world, great MC. Fun journey watching him mix knowhow from prior life & world with new situation where magic is still an emerging thing. Don't want to give any spoilers, but this series avoids the bog down & slow progression issues where many litrpg's turn into a boring grind and struggle to give any real challenge or meaning to journey of the MC. This continues to be fun with a blend of keystone cops, combat & satisfying scheming by a competent MC.

I have over 1,200 books on Audible and have bothered with doing less than 10 reviews. This series is a promising one in a genre starting to get cluttered with copy cats.

One of the best undiscovered new LITRPG series.

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overall, I will say that it is an ok book and that I did buy the second book. I have been searching for a while for a fantasy kingdom from scratch story, so I am glad I found this.

Narration wise, I did find understanding the differences between some of the voices. Some translations seemed a bit off, but they were minor and could just be the writing, tonal stuff like would a fancy Barron really be that informal in word choice.

There were some odd fixations in the story on things that make me wonder if the author is super young or just from a different culture. for example an odd fixation on alcohol. yes, people drink socially. why feel the need to express that MC didn't always drink, but when making deal do as the romans do. It is a magic world, we are suspending our disbelief already, why is that the thing we need to explain?

That being said there are a handful of tropes that I had to get past here. I see them as things I have to look past to get through, but if they are show stoppers for you, give this one a pass. potential spoilers ahead.

-It feels like every attractive women seems to want to get with the MC. It gives little to no reason why. He isn't overly charismatic or trying to make this happen, yet everyone seems to fine him irresistible for some unexplained reason.
-This is a story where a person is transitioned into a new world. his knowledge is more advanced than the new one. That is fine and I actually think the lack of description of how that happens, due to it being a month before the book starts works out fine. it explains some of his advanced magical knowledge. I am for that, it is pretty much half this genre. However he seems to be a social adept and master strategist and tactician too and it doesn't explain why his previous world made that the case.
- the story ends on a cliff hanger making you need to get the next book to see if it is related to the book 1 plot point or a new one kicking off.

So overall, due to the topic being one I have wanted to see, it was fine. I did get the next one, so it wasn't all bad. Just an ok book.

lays the groundwork for what the title says

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the narrator seems to enjoy making it so literally every character sounds like a 90 year old man trying to yell. Story isnt terrible but also isnt really that good yet as of this book. probably going to skip the next ones.

narration could use work, nothing special yet

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I would recommend listening to it I personally liked it a lot but I will say there's a couple things that Go against the story which seems to hurt the ratings I think

in my opinion the constant back and forth transition between the villagers and the main character is quite frustrating sometimes You're in the middle of a battle scene with the main character only to go back to what the villages are doing and talking about that day which is relatively pointless discussion I don't mind transitions it's just that it happens so much in the story this at one infuriating time in the story specifically towards the end of the book battle your left on the fringes of finding out what happened only to go back to the village 2 hours earlier to talk about what a bunch of girls are doing which just takes away from the entire anxiety of the consequences of the battle


also it's the constant life and death attacks that the main character has to constantly put up with that doesn't make much sense The first day he arrives pretty much to the next week is just constant fighting.... I understand that this is supposed to be on the fringes of civilization in the frontier so there's going to be a lot of attacks and monsters sure but it just feels too much for a story....

also the whole Go rescue the downed airship part of the story they had to travel 4 km and that entire time they constantly fought monsters which doesn't make any sense The villagers made a point in the beginning of the series that monsters didn't attack the village all that much yet for some reason it seems like everywhere the main character goes every 5 seconds there's a monster

but there's a lot that I really really like about the story as well I enjoy the main character the narrator the story and his knowledge how he has used his knowledge really well so far that the story takes place in a world that's relatively young usually we don't get these kinds of stories most of the time the story starts thousands of years after and all of a sudden cataclysm starts Right after the main character shows up like a year later I don't feel like that's going to happen in this story and it's quite nice to see a young world and thinking the main character has many years to potentially grow his town / empire

it's a really good story

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It's not bad, its not good. Storyline is decent, has a good premise just not overly attractive as a whole.

Reader has poor inflection and raises his voice at odd and un-needed times. the way you know the MC is talking consists of the reader nearly yelling his lines.

mediocre at best.

It's OK

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