Joe’s body is failing him. In order to make his last weeks of life more palatable, he goes into full digital immersion. This new process will allow him to play in a virtual environment with a fake, but healthy and strong virtual body. As soon as he steps into this new environment he meets his virtual assistant, an Evolving Intelligence (E.I.), who takes the form of someone close to him and goes by the name, Spooky. After explaining how the game will function, she gives him his first items.
Before Joe and Spooky can begin playing the game, they are both summoned to a reality where magic is real. Due to the coincidental timing of this event, Joe believes this is all just part of the digital immersion. He is unaware that the summoning has healed his real body, making him now truly young and powerful. As he still believes that he's dying, he lives every moment to the fullest, unaware that he is now a near immortal. What will happen to his assistant, the E.I., once placed in this new reality? Will they survive their new environment or will the myriad of dangers swallow them up?
My Opinion: 242 pages, $2.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
The majority of the story is world building, character development, game mechanic exploration, and explanation. While it’s all well done it takes a long time to even get to the first fight scene (40% mark) and there are only a few fight scenes in the entire novel. A good portion of the story focuses introducing the main character to the world, him developing the first members of his new kingdom, and small stories about other beings that exist in this RPG world. Good stuff, just not the most action oriented story.
Overall, I had a good time reading about the different magical choices available to the MC and learning about the game mechanics implemented in this world. Gotta love a magical learning skill based on empathy.
The few combat scenes were good. Unfortunately, there are lots of game mechanics that are introduced but never developed. Including castle/kingdom building, dungeon diving, and large scale fighting with other kingdoms. It would have been an 8 if the story had developed those mechanics. But it’s still good. Hopefully, they’re things we'll see in book 2.
Score: 7 out of 10.
You're Not Allowed to Die (The Twenty-Sided Eye Series Book 1)