Suzanne

Delightful

Revisado: 04-09-25

This went in places I never would’ve expected. Discovered because of Freeman‘s narration. I will be looking for more from this author.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Truly Delightful

Revisado: 03-26-25

So many plot- or character-device Easter eggs here. Hard as it may have been to write, this project is clearly a writer’s love affair with speculative fiction. Well done.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

This is not a complete novel

Revisado: 01-23-25

Overall, I was engaged. The plot is familiar, which isn’t a bad thing. The narrator made the cringey evil character even more cringeworthy.

But… this isn’t a full story. It’s part one of a serial—not a series—though it is marketed as a series. It finishes at the height of action like you’d expect in an old TV show laying its bets on next season’s opener.

I would recommend it if it were marketed as a serial but as it stands I can’t. I think both author and narrator are talent, but neither makes up for failing expectations of a full story arc.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Very fun first contact

Revisado: 12-16-24

Some of the most first-contact fun I’ve had in a while.

Engaging characters across the board; Taylor gives real depth and interest to what in other hands would be mere archetypes.

Well planned and beautifully executed. Reminds me of mid-career Niven (Integral Trees), but I’m not entirely sure why.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Good work, but I like my gamer lit a little more fantastical

Revisado: 08-26-24

This is all around a good book. Good backstory, interesting character voice, well narrated, etc. The progress didn’t grab me. Maybe there’s more in book 2 to set up the outrageous delights I look for in lit RPG/gamer lit. The author has the skill for it, that’s for sure.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Literally shouted no at the because of waiting until book 12

Revisado: 08-14-24

I don’t know how much has been planned since book one, but this brings a lot of different pieces together in a way that works very well for the series.

I was wondering how he was going to level things up for Jason and still make it interesting because we are going some strange places. I was not disappointed. I think we might be looking at the joy of discovery that was the premise of book one all over again. Time will tell.

Some of the battle scenes dragged on for me but the character development and interaction that happened during them made up for that. Wonderfully read, as always. Can’t wait until 12.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Great storytelling

Revisado: 04-05-24

Four books in and this is the first lit RPG series I’ve read with actual video games as video game that’s worth the read. Amazing storytelling. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is there are a handful of contextual translations that don’t quite flow in English. Still, amazing work.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Love LitRPG. This one wasn’t for me.

Revisado: 01-20-24

From cutely quirky branding to creepy whistling torturers, there’s a lot to enjoy in this book. The premise is great and the writing is engaging. The combat is fun and genre-typical over the top, albeit in a semi-real-world sort of way. For authoritarian types in the mood for an adventure story with bad assery and family heroics, this title is probably just the right fit.

It wasn’t for me. I skipped the last half hour, though someone left a spoiler review so I don’t feel like I am missing much.

There’s a lot that I found lacking in this title. I didn’t like the hero at all. He had his good moments, but mostly he is someone I would want to avoid IRL even when he is being “nice.” The secondary characters were interesting, especially the family, yet their having more than tropes to act out vs. personalities needed a little more weight to the latter IMO.

There were some interesting writing choices that could have been cool for some readers but failed in my case. For example, I spent chapters 5-16 growing increasingly annoyed that the hero’s perception of his family seemed a lot like they were his possessions, mere extensions of himself rather than people he cared about for their own sake. About chapter 17, I realized that I didn’t know anyone’s name and that the author was using a literary device. It might have been more effective had misogyny not fit in so well with the stereotype associated with the type of person the hero is. Maybe that’s intentional and maybe I’m reading too much into it. Either way:

The sum is that it did not work for me, though it has a fair amount to commend it to the right audience.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Chef’s Kiss

Revisado: 11-18-23

This was entertaining and thought-provoking take on some of the traditional sci-fi standards. The cast was great and the writing was tight.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Not for me. Better LitRPG out there

Revisado: 07-08-23

This is the first lit RPG I have read it is literally just narrative of somebody playing a really cool MMORPG. The story was lacking. The language and grammar were sometimes cringeworthy, though they improved towards the 2nd half.

I also had a hard time with the narration. While the narrator did a decent job, the volume was too variable. For example, the yelling got very loud. There were also some sounds that were not just cringe worthy but actually made me cringe like nails on a chalkboard. I’m sure this was a deliberate choice, but it’s not some thing that I want to hear in an audiobook.

All in all, a decent attempt, but one that misses the mark for the genre.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña