John died and was reincarnated into a world that resembles his favorite RPG. His in-game level carried over with him and he is overpowered in this run-down world. Keeping his stats secret he looks for a way home, but there are others, reincarnated with stats from their own games hunting for him.
Legends of Tarthirious: The Complete Collection
The Legends of Tarthirious series is composed of five separate stories originally published as a kind of serial series. The first book is my favorite. It has so much potential. It setup a world where citizens of the U.K. had to pay back the national debt by a certain period or they'd get deported. Kylia, the main character (MC) was not only responsible for her part of the debt, but an inherited portion from her family when they died. The game she plays is her way to get ahead and pay. Otherwise she faces deportation. This is a good premise, it makes the game stuff matter. It also introduces this threat from rebel forces that want to take the system down. Good real world stuff too.
Unfortunately, starting right from book 2 the premise shifts. It becomes more about moving Kylia and trying to keep her out of the hands of the 'bad guys.' The game stuff, while still a big part of the content of the novels, stops mattering to the story. Since Kylia no longer has any hope of paying her debt back all she's really playing for is fun, to hang out with her boyfriend, or just to kill some time till the story gets back to the real world stuff. Even though some of the game stuff it is entertaining as short stories, they don't effect the novel story at all. Which makes them ultimately feel pointless and like filler.
I kept reading each novel in the series hoping it would get better or at least as interesting as the first book but it never did. The last book felt a bit rushed to tie everything up and while it does, overall the whole thing wasn't very satisfying.
Oakshield Junction
Omnibus Collection of Strength Build and Dexterity Build.
Nick Stanners has no money. No job. No prospects. He lives in one of the most crime-ridden apartment blocks on the west coast. His girlfriend uses him for a place to stay. His father is on life support. Rent is due next week…
Games are Nick’s passion. He's played them all - well, the old screen ones anyway. He's never been able to afford an Immersion tank and the amazing games that come with them, but he's seen the webcasts. He knows the names of every superstar pixel runner. His heroes.
So when he's picked out of the crowd to participate in a competitive, quest-driven dark fantasy RPG, his brain melts. Could this be his opportunity to get ahead? Or will he be chewed up by the machine, just another failed pixel runner by the side of the road?