"There's only one rule...don't get hit."
Ryan's life sucks.
His brother is a jerk, his mom is sick, and his legs are next to useless thanks to a neurological disorder. Plus the world ended two centuries ago from nuclear war. Now, what's left of humanity live below ground, with the only escape from reality being the massive VR world of Crystal Shards Online.
But even ingame, Ryan's life sucks. Unable to play a combat class due to his condition, he works as a miner, earning barely enough to get by and not nearly enough to afford the operation that will save his mom's life.
When Ryan discovers an item that grants the ability to dodge any attack, however, he has the chance to become one of the game world's most elite and sought after players: a Dodge Tank.
But for someone who's never played a combat class, success isn't so easily had.
To save his mom, Ryan will have to overcome his disability and level his way to the top. But the real-world consequences are more far reaching than he ever could have imagined and the fate of not just his mother, but humanity itself, may be resting in his hands...
My Opinion: 339 pages, $3.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
Full disclosure: The author sent me a copy of the novel for review. I purchased it when it became available.
This is a good, fun, action intense story with a bit of romance.
It’s not without its small flaws though. The obstacle the main character (MC) has to overcome, his inability to play a combat class, doesn’t make sense. I mean, why would the game stop him from swinging a sword or casting a spell but have no problem with the MC swinging a pickaxe?
The middle of the story also has XP grinding that gets a bit tedious and there are some serious level skips. Sometimes as much as 10-15 levels a fight. But the real life story motivation is interesting and the romance helps break up the grind. Yet, even these small inconsistencies can be ignored in favor of the quick story pace and interesting story line.
The game world uses the Final Fantasy Tactics approach to multi-classing. Classes can be switched when out of combat. Advanced classes have prerequisites that need to be unlocked. These mechanics set the novel apart from other LitRPG stories that force characters to only chose a single class the entire story. The author also does a great job highlighting an unusual play style like the dodge tank.
Overall, this is a good LitRPG story that has a really interesting twist ending.
Score: 7 out of 10