Reviews
"Author Wolfgang Edwards shows that his powers of creativity are not to be trifled with as he builds an unforgettable world of magic and supernatural science that rivals some of the great fantasy authors of the past. This book delivers over and over again. Displaying an impressive knowledge of sci-fi, fantasy, steampunk and even dystopian literature, Edwards spins out one breathless story after the next. All in all, Edwards knocks it out of the park."
Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★½
"The premise is impressively original, imaginative and gripping. Initially, I thought this would be a purely steampunk sci-fi novel, but the concept is more than that, teasing the boundary that separates fringe science and its mainstream counterpart while incorporating dark fantasy horror. The plot is well-thought out and just as imaginative as the premise. Despite its name, the University has its share of bureaucracy and the world-building is laden with dogmatic teachings, overbearing families, greed, inequality, and other societal problems.The protagonists have to rise above all these and battle their inner demons at the same time, while trying to accomplish their ultimate goal at the University. Wolfgang Edwards does a great job of weaving the stories together.
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Eccentric, dark, and with solid characterization, this debut for Students of Madness series is an absolute joy to read and hard to put down. Edwards is an excellent storyteller, and I look forward to reading more about brilliant minds challenging the bounds of logic and sanity."
Lit Amri, Readers' Favorite, ★★★★★
"One doesn't expect horror, fantasy, and sci-fi steampunk atmosphere to intersect in stories which edge into all three genres without thoroughly immersing themselves in any singular path; but that's one of the pleasures of The University of Corporeal and Ethereal Studies: readers who look for a blend of the macabre, the supernatural, and the unique will appreciate the author's approach to injecting all of these aspects into stories that build upon each other to create both independent tales and intersections between different realities."
Divine Books Blog
"An intriguing read! A dark sci-fi/fantasy with an interesting steampunk twist. I was quickly pulled in and enjoyed the ride. 'Wonderfully gruesome' comes to mind (Rhysand reference XD) This story is highly detailed in the gore department, but that just makes it all the easier to imagine! I defiantly felt like part of the world, and enjoyed meeting the characters and hearing their stories, horror and all!"
Stephanie Lynn, Adventures thru Wonderland
"The premise is impressively original, imaginative and gripping. Initially, I thought this would be a purely steampunk sci-fi novel, but the concept is more than that, teasing the boundary that separates fringe science and its mainstream counterpart while incorporating dark fantasy horror. The plot is well-thought out and just as imaginative as the premise. Despite its name, the University has its share of bureaucracy and the world-building is laden with dogmatic teachings, overbearing families, greed, inequality, and other societal problems. The protagonists have to rise above all these and battle their inner demons at the same time, while trying to accomplish their ultimate goal at the University. Wolfgang Edwards does a great job of weaving the stories together.
Eccentric, dark, and with solid characterization, this debut for Students of Madness series is an absolute joy to read and hard to put down. Edwards is an excellent storyteller, and I look forward to reading more about brilliant minds challenging the bounds of logic and sanity."
Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
"Readers shouldn't be daunted by the novel's length. The University of Corporeal & Ethereal Studies is a lengthy book. I joke that I have only the time and attention span for short stories and quick novels. So--when I saw the length of this book, I was a little worried. However; I shouldn't have been. The novel's hundreds of pages are broken into smaller segments as the author tells the individual stories--and then connects them all as the book concludes. In spite of the length, I had a tough time setting the book aside between stories.Readers will be drawn into each story--and caught up in the underlying connections through to the end.
The author creates a great series foundation with this book. The author puts a lot of time into building this first book of the series and into his characters and their individual stories. Readers are able to understand each of the characters and their roles in the larger story with great depth. The author then unites these characters toward the end as a means of launching them onto the next stage of the series.
The University of Corporeal & Ethereal Studies is a bit predictable--yet, still interesting. I think most readers will be able to guess the outcomes of some of the individual stories--and even foretell the ending as the scenes progress. However; the book is still an interesting read for fans of science fiction and fantasy novels. There were moments that brought thoughts of Harry Potter--while others made me envision Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The author's writing style blends elements of darkness,human nature and horror into science fiction and fantasy with ease.
The book's format is a little different. I was immediately drawn to the first story of the book. As that story seemed to end; I struggled just a bit to settle into the next story--and found myself needing to resettle as each character's story was presented. The individual stories are rather long and detailed. This writing style builds a very well done foundation to the series--but, it takes a bit of adjustment for the reader to transition from character to character.Toward the end of the book, the transitions between characters happened a little more quickly and were easier to flow through.
Would I recommend The University of Corporeal & Ethereal Studies. I really liked this book and I really look forward to continuing to read the series. The author creates a lot of background, develops a number of characters, and really devotes a lot of time toward drawing the readers into the series. There is something for fantasy fans,supernatural fans, science fiction fans--and even for dark, human nature realists--in this book. I would recommend this book to fans of any of these genre--and even to short story fans as the authors writing style tends to build one novel from short story like segments."
Angela Thompson, A Mama's Corner of the World