J.W.

A somewhat different LitRPG experience

Revisado: 10-05-23 El oyente recibió este título gratis

First, the narrator did a fabulous job here. I found the way Jonathan Waters did different voices and in-game notifications was great for being able to discern when different things were happening in the story.

The story starts as a slightly different take on LitRPG. Instead of being thrown into a world like an Isekai story or some of the other common tropes, this one brings the world to the players. The classes and skills were a bit light on the details, but that might suit some readers more as it kept the action moving.

Adler does stick the landing on this one, as the very end had me quite interested in finding out where the plot will go next. I recommend the book for fans of LitRPG and apocalyptic sci-fi.

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Another fabulous dark fantasy

Revisado: 05-26-23

First off, the book is very well read. The performance is excellent, with good range and consistency.

The story is once again epic, with real consequences for the characters and a good mystery at the core. I love this series and I bet you will too.

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Maiyamon expands

Revisado: 02-07-21 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I adored the first book in the series, and honestly would have been happy with more of the same. MacLeod, however, didn't just keep the sort of happy-go-lucky feel of the first book--she expanded the world of Maiyamon and explored more serious issues using the template she'd created in the first book to full effect.

the characters are as delightful as the first book, and the Maiyamon battles are intense and hectic. I enjoyed some of the more enclosed settings here, while also missing at times the broad fun of the first novel. This feels like a middle novel that brings on the challenges and intrigue without losing sight of what made the first novel so great. I highly recommend it.

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Monster Collecting with surprising depth

Revisado: 12-19-20 El oyente recibió este título gratis

I love Pokémon. I love monster collecting games in general, and have tracked down a bunch on Steam and other platforms. I’ve always craved books that capture (hah!) that same feel of excitement, exploration, and bonding with creatures of games like Pokémon. Kay MacLeod’s The Carnelian Fox is a fantastic book that does exactly that.

In the world of Maiyamon, some corporation made real life monsters that could be caught out of everyday creatures. Of course, this included giving them stats, bonuses, and other things that go along with monster catching games. The company faded and interested in the ‘mons faded along with it, but the ‘mons remained, and became a problem for the real world to deal with.

Jump forward in time, and we get to follow Sam, a Maiyamon trainer who wants to better herself and her team as she sets out to become a great trainer. She gets paired with Lucy, a wealthy young woman who wants to use her Maiyamon(s) for show (think of dog shows), in order to protect her and earn some money. From there, readers follow a series of adventures, competitions, and more as we get exposed to the world of Maiyamon.

MacLeod has created a beautiful experience with this book. The battles feel just like what I had hoped for–real time, epic battles between ‘mons that still have a kind of pseudo rock-paper-scissors aspect to them. The battles are one of the major highlights of the book. I also quite enjoyed the bonding between the Maiyamon and trainers that happened. Sam cares for her critters, and their interactions are sometimes touching. I didn’t expect to feel emotional in this book, but I did. MacLeod’s characterization is great, and genuine (often witty) dialogue is the name of the game.

I was surprised by the depth of the plot, too. Characters that could have been superficial had much more going on behind the scenes. There's also plenty more story to go, as MacLeod has made a world and storyline that has branches going well beyond the immediate novel.

For audiobook lovers, I should note I listen to books at between 2 and 3 times speed. I did slow down to 1x speed to listen for a bit and I thought the reading was slower than normal, but that is possibly just my own being used to 2-3x. It does read well at 2-3x speed, and I might recommend speeding it up if the reading seems slow to you.

The Carnelian Fox is a great indie read that absolutely, at last, scratches that Pokémon itch. If you like monster training games and have longed for a novel that can give you that same feeling with a great story, you should run and grab this book. I recommend it.

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Awesome book but we need it unabridged

Revisado: 12-22-17

Look this book is one of the best ever but I wish we had an unabridged version on here. Very annoying to miss out on so many great one liners and interesting plot.

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Awesome book but we need it unabridged

Revisado: 12-22-17

Look this book is one of the best ever but I wish we had an unabridged version on here. Very annoying to miss out on so many great one liners and interesting plot.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona