The story began well with a boy, Bartholomew, meeting a strange little man, then waking up in a different universe where he is taken on as a wizard's apprentice. Along with Bartholomew, we learn about the new world and its magic in great detail. The world building is excellent. I really felt as if I was there with Bartholomew, but I soon found myself weighed down with detail and longing for some action to move the story forward. Though there were a couple of good action sequences when Bartholomew was conscripted into the King's army and again when Alamandar set a test for him, between these events were long sections that dwelt almost exclusively with Bartholomew's training and his experiments with trying to make a wizard's staff. Months passed with no other event than training, and what could have been covered in a few paragraphs took up pages. A specific example of this long-windedness is a game which is explained in great detail in a scene that doesn't move the story forward at all.The first hint of a story other than that of a boy training as a wizard came at 32% of the way through when Alamandar mentioned a quest, but even when he begins his quest a long time later, there is no antagonist to get in the way of what he seeks, therefore, there is no dramatic tension and essentially no true plot. A story of a journey is not a plot unless someone or something acts to thwart that journey. Here, the story just ambles along from place to place. We are introduced to some interesting animals, given plenty of extended descriptions of the world around and occasionally given some small interaction that has a little drama, but none that gels the journey into a solid plot. Bartholemew's character is well-developed. Yuari took longer to get to know and she seemed to have little reason for her grumpiness in the beginning, but eventually she began to emerge as a fully rounded character, and their growing relationship is well dones as is the banter between them. The book is well-copy edited and proofed, which to be commended, however good copy-editing alone does not make a good book.The prose suffers from too many adverbs and expositional writing, and the story in general is bogged down with unnecessary detail and pages of description. Perhaps, had the prose been more immediate, it may have held my attention better, but as it I was, I found myself skimming to get to the point where the story moved on. At fifty percent of the way through, it still didn't feel as if I'd got to that point.There are some lovely philosophical musings in the story and the overall thrust of a man becoming a boy is a good one, but overall, none of the good points outweigh the lack of the essentials of a good plot.People who like exploring rich other worlds without requiring a strong story may enjoy this book as it is.3 starsAIA Reviewers