James Mace

New Achievement!

Revisado: 02-24-25

**NEW ACHIEVEMENT!**
You completed the longest book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series (over twenty-eight hours) in less than three days. You must either really like this story, or your own life is so depressing you're desperate for any sort of escapism.
Rewaaarrd? The twenty-eight hours of escapism were the reward! Now get back to work, take a shower, quit ignoring your significant other ... and your cat, whose food dish he can almost see the bottom of!

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Jeff Hays Brought Me Here

Revisado: 08-22-24

I am a HUGE fan of Soundbooth Theatre, particularly (and to no one's surprise) Dungeon Crawler Carl. While eagerly awaiting the next in that series, I searched for more of Jeff Hays' narrations. Dungeon Lord caught my attention just enough to give it a go. Recently, I've had trouble getting into some LitRPG series, even though I am a fan of the genre. More often than not, I'll grind through the first book and give the rest a miss. I admit, I struggled a bit with the opening chapter of DL, only because one character our protagonist, Edward, has to deal with is so insufferably annoying and hateful. Thankfully, his appearance is mercifully brief and he gets what's coming to him. I'm pretty sure he was merely a device to get Edward to the plot.

The premise of Dungeon Lord is sound, without falling into predictable cliches ... at least not too predictable. There are just enough twists to keep the reader guessing, while avoiding subversion of expectations simply for its own sake (a trope that has turned most modern story telling in both books and cinema into complete trash). What's more, the characters were relatable and likeable; my favourite being Lavy the Witch. All have their flaws and we see growth in each.

What really sells it for me is Jeff Hays' stellar narration. There are many capable voice actors out there, but I've never heard anyone as versatile. The talented Annie Ellicott also appears, though in just two characters. This released about three years before Dungeon Crawler Carl, so you can definitely hear the evolution of his skills, which were already fantastic in DL, plus some voices he would later use in DCC. Ed sounds similar, though not exactly like Carl. A female ranger with a small role has definite signs of what would become the voice of Donut the Cat. Charon undoubtedly served as inspiration for Mordecai. And there is no mistaking Jeff used Lavy's voice for Samantha the sex doll head, which I absolutely loved.

One Side Note: This is not a book for younger or sensitive readers. There is copious profanity, some sex (though it avoids going overboard on the details), with a lot of graphic violence, including some that's quite uncomfortable. In most LitRPG, even those with overt violence, innocents like children are almost always spared. That is not that case here. In this realm, no one is safe, which does add a gritty / realistic edge to a fantasy story.

Overall, the story kept this a proverbial page-turner, enhanced by Jeff and Annie's talents, plus the always top-notch production from Soundbooth Theatre. I see there are currently five books out, so I hope this series keeps its momentum. Now, on to Book Two!

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Fitting End to the Series

Revisado: 04-28-24

Jacques McKeown is definitely Yahtzee Croshaw's strongsuit. I tried one of his other books, and the characters were so blatantly stupid and downright hateful with no redeeming qualities at all, that I gave up halfway through. If he has a weak point, it's the tendency to have at least one incredibly vapid, brain-dead teenager with a really stupid voice who you just want to punch in the face. Thankfully, the annoying teenager from the previous Jacques McKeown books (who I'm glad was used sparingly) is now an adult.

Dashford Pierce, aka Jacques McKeown, is past the midlife crisis / hearkening for the glory days of star pilots. He's now into full-blown identity crisis, while kicking himself for screwing up how well his life had turned out, and now everything has gone sideways (to put it mildly). And yet, he's jaded, without coming across as a bitter old man who feels sorry for himself. In fact, he owns his mistakes and is very self-deprecating in a way that readers can appreciate. The story is well thought out, the pacing neither too slow nor too frantic. There is a solid cast of both old faces and new. The plot twists were structured into the story in ways that made sense, even if we didn't see them coming.

On a side note: Am I the only one who actually likes Penelope Warden? She reminds me of Morgan Proctor from Futurama (quite possibly my favourite side character who only got a single episode). In one particular scene that I won't spoil, I half-expected to hear Warden yell, "Dirty boy!" at Dashford.

And while I would like to see more of Jacques McKeown, it makes sense the way they ended it here. Too many stories / franchises overstay their welcome to the point they become parodies of themselves.

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Talented cast, okay story, annoying characters

Revisado: 01-12-24

Some complain about this not being an audiobook, but an ensemble piece, but I actually like the format. It reminds me of old radio plays, like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If done properly, they can be brilliant, and Audible has fantastic production quality. I absolutely loved "Space: 1969" and so I looked forward to "Third Eye."

This started off as a very promising premise and definitely had its moments. Neil Gaiman is fantastic as the narrator, and Felicia Day gives a great performance as Laurel. The promising ideas, unfortunately, gave way to tired tropes and cliches, despite openly mocking stories with cliched tropes. Every step of the story was predictable, not just the ending. Worst part was, the highly talented cast was wasted voicing characters who were mostly super annoying, and / or vapid, predictable stereotypes, played obnoxiously over-the-top. Sybil, who's given so much screen time, has no redeeming qualities at all, is reprehensibly selfish and just a hateful person you want to die a horrible death, which (spoilers) unfortunately never happens. Every scene she was in, I wanted to stab myself through the ears. The story would have been so much better (at least another star or two in the rating) had she been cut. Kate was fine as a character, but geez her voice was like nails on a chalkboard! She's fifteen, so why does she sound like a screaming five-year-old? Laurel works fine as the protagonist, even if she is 100% the stereotypical reluctant hero with a predictable arc. The one character I actually liked, whose entire story is a side quest with no impact on the main plot, was Tracy, the stuffy school guidance counsellor, who reminded me of Morgan Proctor from Futurama. She was awesome, and easily the best part of the story, despite limited screen time.

The moments of humour, while not laugh-out-loud, helped move the story along, only to be completely ruined by every scene Sybil is in (which is over half), or whenever Kate's horrific voice makes her sound more like a tantrum-throwing toddler than before. I really wish someone had proofed the story and gotten a few re-writes in, because the potential for something fantastic was definitely there.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Adams himself wasn't a big fan of this one

Revisado: 12-19-23

First off, I am a HUGE Hitchhiker's Guide fan. I've read all the books multiple times, and loved Martin Freeman's narration of the series (Stephen Fry narrates the first book, and is an absolute legend, like always). I do still enjoy this one, though when re-reading the entire series, I sometimes give this one a miss. It is just so bleak. Adams had no issues playing with dark topics in his other books, but there was always a payoff at some point. This one is just a kick in the teeth from the onset.

Adams himself expressed disappointment with this final volume of his epic series. He felt bad for Arthur, stating that he was in a bad place in his own life and took it out on his character. He especially regretted ripping Fenchurch out of the story, with no explanation and just to be mean to his protagonist. While the ending is extremely bleak, for Arthur it almost feels like a release as he accepts oblivion with a smile. Sadly, Douglas Adams is no longer with us and cannot give us the sequel this story deserves. Yes, I know a sequel was written, "And Another Thing," but honestly, it read like fan fiction and I couldn't get into it at all. I think in his own head canon, Douglas would consider "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish" to be the true series ending, as it does end on the perfect note.

While this is my least favourite of the series, it still gets above average marks from me. I like to think of it as Arthur having a fever dream, and that the series really ended with he, Fenchurch, and Marvin learning God's message to his creation in the last book.

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NEW ACHIEVEMENT!! Awesome start to a great series!

Revisado: 09-30-23

It took a few minutes for the story to get going, but thankfully, there wasn't an over abundance of exposition. Once the starts, it never lets up. I love how the plot unfolds a little at a time, all the while Carl and Princess Donut are simply trying to stay alive and "level up."

And speaking of Princess Donut, I was really nervous about how she'd be written. I love cats, but the idea of a pampered show-cat as a companion / co-dungeon crawler had the potential to be extremely annoying and toxic. Thankfully, Donut is neither of those things. In fact, she is AWESOME! She is totally what you'd expect of a spoiled "princess" cat, while still managing to be both likeable and downright hilarious. Her actions which cause Carl to burst out in his soon-to-be famous catchphrase are irritating to him, yet hysterical to the reader. And hey, what's not to like about a cat that can shoot the spell, Magic Missile, out its eyes?

As for secondary characters, there are a lot more than I expected. A few have an air of mystery about them, some are downright hateful, but thankfully they do not overstay their welcome. And not all meet happy, or even hopeful endings in this first volume. In fact, I would best describe this story as a "Dark Comedy." It is very funny, laugh-out-loud in a many places, while also unafraid to go down very dark paths. It pulls no punches on the graphic violence either. This is definitely not a book for "sensitive readers." While there is some social commentary, none of it is ham-fisted, nor does it ever feel like the author is trying to force any sort of messaging or agenda on the reader. That is the mark of a good story-teller.

Overall, this was an awesome read that I could not stop listening to. The story is brilliant, as is the narration and effects. I'm assuming Jeff Hayes does all the voices, as no one else is listed in the credits. If so, he has a very impressive vocal range, able to span genders and species. You actually believe Princess Donut's voice is coming from a pompous, talking, female cat! Jonathan Waters and Amy Landon are two other voice actors that come to mind with such a broad range.

I do hope this series keeps its momentum and doesn't run out of steam (which one series I recently cut short unfortunately did). This first volume does an excellent job of laying the groundwork, with just enough lore / world building. Can't wait to see what Carl and Donut receive next in their achievement loot boxes!

EDIT: I've now blasted my way through the first six books and eagerly await the seventh.

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NEW ACHIEVEMENT!! Awesome start to a great series!

Revisado: 09-30-23

It took a few minutes for the story to get going, but thankfully, there wasn't an over abundance of exposition. Once the starts, it never lets up. I love how the plot unfolds a little at a time, all the while Carl and Princess Donut are simply trying to stay alive and "level up."

And speaking of Princess Donut, I was really nervous about how she'd be written. I love cats, but the idea of a pampered show-cat as a companion / co-dungeon crawler had the potential to be extremely annoying and toxic. Thankfully, Donut is neither of those things. In fact, she is AWESOME! She is totally what you'd expect of a spoiled "princess" cat, while still managing to be both likeable and downright hilarious. Her actions which cause Carl to burst out in his soon-to-be famous catchphrase are irritating to him, yet hysterical to the reader. And hey, what's not to like about a cat that can shoot the spell, Magic Missile, out its eyes?

As for secondary characters, there are a lot more than I expected. A few have an air of mystery about them, some are downright hateful, but thankfully they do not overstay their welcome. And not all meet happy, or even hopeful endings in this first volume. In fact, I would best describe this story as a "Dark Comedy." It is very funny, laugh-out-loud in a many places, while also unafraid to go down very dark paths. It pulls no punches on the graphic violence either. This is definitely not a book for "sensitive readers." While there is some social commentary, none of it is ham-fisted, nor does it ever feel like the author is trying to force any sort of messaging or agenda on the reader. That is the mark of a good story-teller.

Overall, this was an awesome read that I could not stop listening to. The story is brilliant, as is the narration and effects. I'm assuming Jeff Hayes does all the voices, as no one else is listed in the credits. If so, he has a very impressive vocal range, able to span genders and species. You actually believe Princess Donut's voice is coming from a pompous, talking, female cat! Jonathan Waters and Amy Landon are two other voice actors that come to mind with such a broad range.

I do hope this series keeps its momentum and doesn't run out of steam (which one series I recently cut short unfortunately did). This first volume does an excellent job of laying the groundwork, with just enough lore / world building. Can't wait to see what Carl and Donut receive next in their achievement loot boxes!

EDIT: I've now blasted my way through the first six books and eagerly await the seventh.

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Fantastic start to a great series

Revisado: 09-25-23

I'm just going to say upfront that I am not into superhero stories at all. DC, Marvel, etc. hold zero interest for me. Only reason I even gave this a try is because I really liked Drew Hayes' NPCs series. Right out the gate, this one had me intrigued. It kept me reading, with more characters being introduced a little at a time (no mass-dump expositions). I'll not give away anymore, only to say that, within the first few chapters I was completely hooked. Drew Hayes does an excellent job of balancing plot with character development. The premise of most of them belonging to a villain's guild is a nice twist that could have been so easily turned into a boring cliche, yet here it works brilliantly. Both the villains and the "capes" are fully fleshed out characters. Everyone has their own strengths, flaws, and are allowed to grow as people. That's been true across all of Drew's books and is easily the strongest aspect of his writing. Nice thing, too, is while there are characters we're naturally inclined to hate, none of them are caricatured, one-dimensional stereotypes. They're actually interesting.

Tori, our main protagonist, is quite believable as someone in her early twenties. She's smart, but makes a lot of the same mistakes we all did at that age, only with greater consequences. She's allowed to fail, doesn't always win, and her lessons learned (sometimes very painful) are believable. For someone who's supposed to be a "Meta" human, she's actually quite relatable. Same goes for her friends, and especially her mentor, Ivan / Fornax (who can best be described as "complicated" in a good way). As much as I enjoyed this first book, the sequel, which is a gargantuan read, is even better. Here's hoping Drew carries on with this series, though I also hope he's able to go back to his NPC works! Honestly, I don't know how he juggles multiple series, with their massive casts of characters, as well as he does.

Adding to the story's enjoyability is Amy Landon's narration. She is an extremely talented voice-over artist, able to bring depth to such a large cast. I'll be checking out other works she's narrated.

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Series has run out of steam before the finish

Revisado: 09-24-23

*Spoilers Follow*
This series took a bit to grow on me. The premise of events taking place both in the real world and a VR sim MMORPG was a different take. I really got into it, as the pacing and tension were well done. The characters weren't exactly deep, but mostly likeable enough. The previous book was probably the strongest, at least to me. But now the series has run out of steam, with this volume falling completely flat at the end. Which is really too bad.

The best part (and where it gets its stars from me) involved Haley's struggle with her impending real world death from a fatal autoimmune disease. The entire book could have easily been about how, or even if, Haley's consciousness / "soul" could transfer into the virtual world, with all the ethical and scientific baggage that entails. Instead, the most interesting part of the entire story is little more than a sideplot, with her actual soul transfer super easy, barely an inconvenience. The other players have some decent buildup from previous volumes, but don't really have much to do in this one. And sadly, the characters of Stonehaven are just not interesting. Seriously, I couldn't care less about any of them. They feel like single-purpose NPCs, which I know defeats the whole premise. The dwarves are especially annoying, cliched stereotypes. You know what I'm talking about: Scottish accents (okay, that's true in all fantasy these days), hit things with hammers, obsess about beards, get drunk and act stupid. They're basically obnoxious frat boys / girls. I honestly felt nothing anytime one of them was at risk of getting killed, and kind of wish they'd all snuffed it.

And speaking of super easy fixes, the defeat of the unstoppable demon army in a one-shot that involved Devin sitting in a stone chair was really anticlimactic. And now, their nemeses for the next book go from an unstoppable demon horde to toxic gamers, who are only introduced sporadically in this book ... seriously? Every scene they are in is SO ANNOYING!!! They're cardboard stereotypes with zero depth and no agenda other than being obnoxious jerks. At the end, they and the NPCs of Stonehaven have been warped somewhere unknown, with Devin and company having to save them in the next book. But honestly, I just don't care. Nils, the toxic player leader, is so obnoxious, I refuse to read a book with him as the antagonist. His traitor-in-waiting, Ashley, isn't any better. Had this story focused on Devin et al trying to save Haley's spirit before she dies, with the final book them all battling the demon horde, would have been fantastic. Boring NPCs being rescued from toxic games (if, indeed that is the entire plot of the next book), just doesn't interest me at all.

Sadly, while I enjoyed the previous books, think Carrie Summers is a very talented writer, and the performances from Soundbooth Theatre are excellent (hence the performance 5 stars), the series for me ends here.

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A promising story marred by unlikable characters

Revisado: 04-08-23

I consider myself a Yahtzee Crowshaw fan, having thoroughly enjoyed his Jacques McKeown series. So I thought I'd give this one a go, thinking it sounded like a Harry Potter meets Sherlock. The premise is decent, and the world has potential. However, there is NOT ONE likeable character in the entire story! Every last one of them is a complete moron, whose stupidity makes the reader despise them. I wanted to like Alison, the main protagonist, and her having an eidetic memory is a fun trait to play with. But then she keeps making choices that are so insufferably STUPID, like giving her government credit card to an annoying teenager who is completely brain-dead ... gee, what could possibly go wrong? I've noticed Crowshaw has a tendency to write young people as stereotypically vapid, obsessed with their smart phones, dumb as a box of rocks, with no redeeming qualities at all, whose very existence makes you want to vomit. Seriously, they're all identical, regardless of gender or background. This was somewhat tolerable in Jacques McKeown as there were only one or two. Though they had minor roles, they definitely detracted from the story and added nothing. Here, there are multiple brain-dead youths. Listening to their exaggeratedly annoying voices on the audiobook was like nails on a chalkboard. Seriously, they were absolutely hateful. The adults are scarcely better, and tended to be one-dimensional caricatures with no depth. One was a cut-and-paste Snidely Whiplash! The in-your-face mockery of PC culture, where everyone gets offended by everything, is so ham-fisted it doesn't feel like satire; just obnoxious, predictable, and boring. All of this is really a shame, because I do like Crowshaw as a story-teller and narrator, but this was a total miss. It could have been redeemed if there had been at least one interesting character who we actually care about, or at least not want to tie rocks around their ankles and throw in the river. With about five hours left I finally threw in the towel, because I no longer cared what happened to anyone in the story ... or rather, I was hoping a meteorite would strike the planet and vaporise everyone, but knew if I kept listening I was going to be disappointed. Seriously, give this one a miss. And not that Yahtzee needs to take advice from someone like me, but I really hope he QUITS PUTTING ANNOYINGLY STUPID TEENAGERS INTO HIS STORIES!

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