Reviewed:
This Michael Loucks story, writer of the very extensive "A well-lived life" series of series, is radically different from them. In my opinion this is a good thing (having previously abandoned those series) as the quality of his writing was always top notch even as I bored of the subjects.
This is tagged Isekai, and high fantasy, the former new to me. However if you like those genres, I am sure you will appreciate the writing and the story. It certainly delivers on those tags, with the main protagonist(s) being dragged into a parallel medieval magical timeline. I still can't make up my mind if there is one or two main character(s) for the story, but while it follows both, to me the story seems to use Miri as an adjunct, rather than the focus that follows on Matthias
The mechanism for moving to the parallel universe here allows some back and forth travel (at considerable 'expense', presumably so as not to overpower them - so far). This travel with objects, does allow considerable advantages to be accrued and Matthias uses the imports to generate funds.
Serious spoilers from here...
Having funds is a good thing, as Matthias (and Miri to a lesser degree) introduce changes to building, plumbing, and mechanisation, political and government operational reforms (small 'p' and 'g'), aiming for a more empowered populace.
Nothing major then... hah!
Along the way in this book we have had a number of sub-plots to follow, woven around treachery, ascension to the throne, a mysterious rebel group, and foreigners spying as a prelude to war. Oh, and the aforementioned reforms. These have been nicely interwoven, and have fit the needs of the story well, not allowing any of the threads to grow stale.
The end of the story follows the resolution (apparently anyway) of several sub-themes, and the announcement of war, and as a break works very well and sets up the follow on book(s).
The writing delivers it's story near transparently, and the pacing and layering of the main story and sub-plots seem interlace nearly seamlessly.
Well worth a read.
Myth