Review Detail

What I liked: The Ancients Game is an inventive story involving alchemy, magic, and ancient spirits. Set in the 1920s, adding African dystopian elements with alchemical magic and magical trials gives you the ingredients for a creative tale. Our main character has lots of luck and can achieve opportunities that would not usually be available to her. Since this story involves some magical trials, a significant aspect of mentor/mentee interactions makes the trials more intense for the mentor, watching their mentee achieve the impossible.
I would have liked to see more of the trials. I felt they took a back seat instead of being the main aspect of the story. The main aspect ends up focusing more on the ancient spirits that are attacking the world. The trials felt rushed and slide-lined compared to the parts of the story focusing on the spirits. I wanted more about the trials and the position that Kellen was vying for.
Final Verdict: I think this would do better as a series than a stand-alone, as that would have allowed the trials and the ancient spirits to be equally fleshed out. There is a lot to like in this story, and who knows, maybe there will be another book. You never know.