The Frailty of Perception: The Asher Bloom Chronicles by Joey Rawlings is the first in a series of stories following Asher Bloom. Asher Bloom is oblivious to his beginnings but he has never worried about where he came from. You see, he has Raglan. Raglan, who found him and took him under his wing when he was small; Raglan, who has taught him everything he knows, how to survive. Until now. All of a sudden, Asher’s life is turned around, upside down and everything he thought he knew now comes into question. Asher Bloom suddenly finds himself on a journey of discovery, to find out who he is and, perhaps more importantly, what is his role is. Asher is about to find out, on a journey with another boy and girl from his training school, just what his past held, the traumatic events that led him to where he is now. The events that now see him in a desperate bid to survive as he is hunted by murderers will determine Asher’s future. But what does that future hold?

The Frailty of Perception: The Asher Bloom Chronicles by Joey Rawlings was an interesting read. Slightly reminiscent of the Harry Potter books to start with, the book soon leads you on a tumultuous journey, one that I found myself living alongside Asher. Being the first in a series, the book contains a lot of groundwork and character development but that doesn’t detract from the real story here. A very well written book, and it would be interesting to see if the next one holds the same appeal.

The Frailty of Perception - the first book in the Asher Bloom Chronicles by Joey Rawlings - is a fantasy book that will definitely transport you into a world different to ours, and yet similar. The main character Asher Bloom is anything but ordinary. He has a gem fused in one of his hands, and roams the streets of various places with Raglan, who found him on the streets. Until the day things change a bit. I will not spoil the details, but keep it short: Asher ends up in a world within our world, hidden from the eyes of normal humans. It is a world in which magic exists and in which everyone has an auger, a gemstone that uses the wearer's blood to create powerful magic. In the beginning, many people are suspicious because Asher comes from "The Blind", and wears a mark on his auger that is connected to a dark part in history. He is sent to the magic school, Mantlecrest, and meets other teenagers who are learning to control their magic. Of course, it does not all go smoothly, and some characters will not support Asher, who might very well be more than just another student.

It is hard to summarize The Frailty of Perception by Joey Rawlings as so much is going on in that epic story. And epic it is. I have to admit I was at first worried that it would be like Harry Potter - and I could never get into Harry Potter, maybe I'm too old for it. This novel, however, is the kind of fantasy that is a bit darker and that also has quite a few quotable sections in it. I love it when I can read a book and feel like I have to mark certain passages to later write down in my book of quotes. The Frailty of Perception is a very well written novel and the words draw you into the book. It is very easy to imagine this book being turned into a movie at some stage. It combines the idea of a society that is hidden within our world with magic, politics, adventure and loyalty between friends. There are chapters in the book during which you do not want to be disturbed, page after page gets turned, and when one problem is solved, the next one turns up - just as exciting as the one before. Even though the book is quite long, you shouldn't be surprised if you arrive at the end and wish it could have been even longer.

Asher Bloom knows nothing of where he comes from, but that doesn't bother him. He has Raglan, and that is all he needs. Raglan found Asher when he was young, took him in and has raised him and taught him everything he needs to know to survive, or at least up until now that had been the case. Suddenly everything that Asher knew has been turned upside down. Joey Rawlings takes us on a journey into a fantastic world where Asher is not only unique among the normal population, but even among the special population of his type that is trained, he is unique. The Frailty of Perception is a fantasy tale that follows Asher Bloom as he learns who he is and what his role in this new world will be.

As you read The Frailty of Perception, you will notice similarities to other fantasy stories, but at the same time you will see differences. Asher enters the training school and is immediately befriended by a young girl and boy, the trio becomes one. Yet this trio is nothing like any fantasy story trio you have ever read about before. Joey Rawlings does a wonderful job of using parts of classic fantasy stories that draw readers in and mixing then with new ideas to make a brand new fantasy that takes the reader to new and better heights. Young adults and older readers will enjoy this book as both will find different levels of meaning in the book as they read. This is one that parents can share with their children.

The Frailty of Perception, Book I of The Asher Bloom Chronicles by Joey Rawlings centers on a teenager with a unique identity and a significant destiny. Living his life as a street rat together with Raglan, a father figure and his only companion, Asher has a secret that he must keep hidden at all times. Yet his past has caught up with him. In order to survive, Asher must embrace his true identity and master the power that he inherited.

The prologue is excellent; an absolute attention-grabber. The world-building for this epic fantasy is original and intriguing; cities of Cruaar, a group of cultists named Mortis Skulk who relentlessly hunt Asher, a special gemstone called auger, and so on. Complete terminology lists are provided at the end of the book, which is a great help for readers to familiarize themselves with the world system that Rawlings created.

The writing in The Frailty of Perception is rich with vivid and imaginable scenes. That said, Raglan’s caring and protective sentiments toward Asher, his knowledge regarding the teenager’s special destiny and his decision to forsake the old world are made known several times, which I find rather superfluous. However, this does not put too much of a dent on the good pacing of the story. Rawlings also infuses the element of suspense: deaths are substantially gory without being exaggeratedly explicit, fight scenes will keep readers on edge, and there are magical as well as ethereal beings to satisfy epic fantasy enthusiasts.