LitRPG Podcast 132
LitRPG Podcast 132
Sept. 7th, 2018
Hello everyone, welcome to episode 132 of the LitRPG podcast. For the full show notes visit us at: https://litrpgpodcast.com/litrpg-podcast-132
I’m Ramon Mejia. I’m here to bring you the latest LitRPG news, reviews, and author interviews. I have 6 new LitRPG reviews just for you.
New Releases and Reviews:
Fine Kaiju fights, but the game/LitRPG part was just boring.
Score: 5 out of 10
Am NPC story just long enough to do a bit of world building and character development without being so long that it drags things out.
Score: 8 out of 10
Another funny and inappropriate C&C short story
Score: 7.3 out of 10
Frustrating dialogue and wand wavy powers over shadow the good parts.
Score: 4 out of 10
An interesting mix of sci-fi, hindu fantasy, and LitRPG MMO.
Score: 7.1 out of 10
Office Wars: Lab Coats Optional (33:36)
The Office Wars part got a bit repetitive but the Office Space style humor and real world story twists make a nice conclusion for the arc.
Score: 7.1 out of 10
(Play Music 2)
LitRPG News
To celebrate reaching 2000 reviews on Amazon for Chaos Seeds Book 1, Aleron Kong donated $1,000 to Wounded Warrior Project and will match the donations for up to an additional $1,000. So far litRPG fans have donated an additional $675.
https://www.facebook.com/LitRPGbooks/photos/a.214764818862862/745756299097042/?type=3&theater
Shemer Kuznits, author of the Life Reset series, recently received a 3D printed model of the MC for his series. He was nice enough to share pictures of the model and is even contemplating arranging for it to be made into a production model for fans to purchase. In the mean time, Jeff Hays took cosplaying to the next level and dressed up as the same character during DragonCon this year.
https://www.facebook.com/Liferesetlitrpg/posts/2486763188216738?__tn__=C-R
Rogue Dungeon was just selected by Audible editors for the BEST NEW RELEASE in FANTASY for September. The editors at audible only get to make one recommendation per category per month. So, Congrats to James Hunter.
https://www.audible.com/ep/s/sep18-editors-select?serial=&
The Votes are in! The people have spoken!
The Wizard and Warriors Choice Awards Winners
Wizard - Best LitRPG Series - Aleron Kong, The Chaos Seed series
Warrior - Best LitRPG Book - Dakota Krout, Ritualist
Noob - Best New LitRPG Author - Carrie Summers, Stonehaven League
https://www.facebook.com/LitRPGbooks/photos/p.744740265865312/744740265865312/?type=1&theater
DragonCon 2018 is over but I made a couple of videos showing off the highlights. Included is a recording for the Cyberpunk & Technology in YA panel, which had our very own Michael Chatfield and Aleron Kong on it.
The Trek to the LitRPG Booth https://youtu.be/VKsbnwQTLOY
DragonCon 2018 Highlights https://youtu.be/mMbVpHqteKo
Cyberpunk & Technology in YA panel https://youtu.be/VYBAH7g9zyU
Out Now!
Dan the Adventurer: A Gamelit Harem Fantasy Adventure (Gold Girls and Glory Book 2)
329 pages
Limitless (Project Chrysalis book 4) (Sept. 4th, 2018)
246 pages
Coast on Fire (The System Apocalypse Book 5) (Sept. 1st, 2018)
358 pages
Shard Wraith: A LitRPG Novel (Crystal Shards Online Book 3)
439 pages
Galactic Badlands: A LitRPG Space Western
209 pages
Guild Master: A LitRPG adventure (Tower of Power Book 1)
286 pages
Nightmare Keep (Euphoria Online Book 2) (Sept. 4th, 2018)
265 pages
A Clan's Honor: A LitRPG Adventure (Rogue Realms Book 1)
341 pages
1-7% Essentially this conversation between the AI and the MC about how he’s trying to get hidden abilities, classes, races, and titles and will spend hours and hours trying random requests just in the character creation section.
*Decent insight into MC mindset, but it does get tedious. Good way to see game details though.*
509 pages
Lots of tables may make this a challenging read for some folks.
A Demon Lord's Virtual [Magic Life]: Tutorial Zone
New LitRPG Audiobooks
The Goblin Siege - Codename: Freedom, Book 2
Shadows of the Great Forest (Realm of Arkon - Book 4)
The Slayer - A LitRPG Saga (Aether Gate Online, Book 1)
Upcoming LitRPG:
The Song Mistress: A LitRPG Journey (Uniworld Online Trilogy Book 2) (Sept. 8th, 2018)
Dead Gods (Land of Dreams Book 2) (Sept. 10th, 2018)
Eburnean Passage: A LitRPG Mystery (Sept. 15th, 2018)
Game Changer (Reality Benders Book #3) LitRPG Series (Sept. 24th, 2018)
Freehaven Online: Lady Thunderlord, Into Hades (Book 2)
(Sept. 26, 2018)
Couch Potato Chaos - Gamebound (Sept. 28th, 2018)
Kingdom of the Dead (An NPC's Path Book #2) LitRPG Series (Oct. 8th, 2018)
A Song of Shadow (The Bard from Barliona Book #2) LitRPG series (Nov. 19th, 2018)
Freehaven Online: Winter Dungeonland (Book 3) (Nov. 21st, 2108)
Onto New Releases and Reviews
(Play Music 3)
New Releases and Reviews
(Picture 1)
How To Train Your Kaiju: A LitRPG Kaiju Thriller (Kaiju Wars Offline Book 1)
It's not a game...
It was supposed to be a new tool for anger management. The deal was, I help beta test their new video game and get a microchip implanted in my hand to monitor my responses, and I get out on early parole. I have anger issues. And now Mom's dying. Staying in prison, even if it's only for a few months, isn't an option when she's got so little time left.
But a lot of things don't make sense. For example, why is Dad, who ditched Mom for another woman only a few years after I was born, so keen to make me go to college? And why on earth is the mysterious company whose game I'm playing, willing to pay so much money as an incentive to attack certain targets in their game?
And the game? I've never played anything like it. I'm a kaiju, a giant monster, an avatar of destruction. It's immersive and empowering and it just might be my ticket to taking control of my life.
Until a kaiju shows up on campus and the entire world changes...
My Opinion: 273 pages, $3.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
An interesting Kaiju fight story, but the LitRPG/game parts aren’t good.
Gameplay feels like Rampage with levels, health bar, rage meter, stats, and special abilities. The focus of the ‘game’ is to crush and destroys buildings, cars, people, tanks, and then alien spaceships until till MC takes enough damage to die. Not bad the first time, but it gets very repetitive quickly. The actual RPG parts of the story are minimal at best and there are very few details about the game besides some summaries about the MC jumping levels from 4 to 10 to 14.
The story is a combination of a whiny main character who is forced to play this game. It’s supposed to be a story of redemption with the MC getting the opportunity to grow beyond the loser reputation he has, but the journey there is filled with whine. The MC complains about his bad circumstances, how his anger keeps getting him in trouble, and how everyone thinks he’s worthless. Even the secondary characters get whiny with his female cousin being a complete pain that hates her dad and her rich girl life for no discernible reason.
There are a few neat twists in the story near the end but overall, it’s just an excuse to see new Kaiju fights. If that’s all you want, then you’ll enjoy the story a bit more than I did.
Score: 5 out of 10
How To Train Your Kaiju: A LitRPG Kaiju Thriller (Kaiju Wars Offline Book 1)
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Steamtown Chronicles 1: The Dark Market (An NPC Gamelit Novella)
Delmen MacDougall lived a relatively comfortable life compared to most. He had his enchanting shop, his flat above it, and his health. He even had a friend. Not everyone could make that claim. All he had to do was follow the mandates given to him by Governor Law, Steamtown's infamous steward. Non-citizens of Steamtown, called travelers, didn't make sticking to the mandates easy. They robbed him. They killed him, forcing him to resurrect. They hurled insults at him for being a dwarf or calling him an "NPC," whatever that was.
But when one traveler attacked his only friend in the world, Delmen eagerly abandoned his mandates and fought back. He earned himself a bounty that forced him to hide underground. Now a fugitive, Delmen must do everything in his power to gain his freedom again, and that means clearing his bounty by whatever means necessary. The alternative, being captured by the guards and locked up in Steamtown Stockades for the rest of his life, was not an option.
My Opinion: 104 pages, $1.99, Not Available on Kindle Unlimited
This is an story told from the point of view of an NPC who goes beyond what he’s prescribed to do. His restrictions aren’t programed but social, and when he breaks them he is forced to become more than he thought he could be.
The game mechanics are going to be familiar with mechanics pulled from games like Thief and Elder Scrolls. There’s a little bit of crafting thrown in too. But where the novella shines is in the exploration of the main characters (MC) search for his missing friend and the gradual revelation of what the world really is and who he is. It’s done really well, but doesn’t ignore the action and adventure readers expect either.
Overall, this is one of my favorite reads of the week. Partially because I had almost no expectations going in, so all the good bits were surprising. But also because it’s just hits that sweet spot of being just long enough to do a bit of world building and character development without being so long that it drags things out.
Score: 8 out of 10
Steamtown Chronicles 1: The Dark Market (An NPC Gamelit Novella)
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Taint Team (Caverns and Creatures)
When Cooper wakes up with mysterious bumps on his taint, will he and the Caverns & Creatures gang be able to piece together enough of the previous night in time to stop the curse from spreading?
My Opinion: 50 pages, $2.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
Another very funny and highly inappropriate short story from Robert Bevan. If you like the main Critical Failure series, these are always very funny side adventures those characters go on. Fair warning, there’s lots of cursing and potty humor.
Score: 7.3 out of 10
Taint Team (Caverns and Creatures)
(Picture 4)
Maelstrom Book 2 - A Portal LitRPG Novel
Even gods tremble.
After a lifetime of suffering and service toward his kingdom, Graldin was shattered as the wicked god, Bardos, killed what he most cared for. The princess.
Thrust into a fantastic new world, filled with monsters and new dangers around every corner, he was driven by grief and anger. Graldin denied Bardos the only thing powerful enough to rival his own, divine might out of spite, and became a thorn in the god's side. Bardos, in his fury, destroyed everything and anyone within his reach.
Graldin's life took a turn for the worse after getting conscripted by force, to stop an ancient evil that threatened to destroy the capital city of Nyttherion and what remained of the old civilizations. An all-out war between Bardos, with his armies of self-proclaimed light, and the struggling races is forced upon them.
Will anyone survive the oncoming war that would engulf all of the living and the undead, or would the slate be wiped clean and a new game of suffering put in progress?
My Opinion: 298 pages, $3.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
I thought I’d try out book 2 in the series, despite not enjoying book 1. The author mentioned he’d rewritten that novel after he and his co-writer parted ways. I’d genuinely hoped that book 2 would have addressed the issues I had with book 1 and become an amazing story. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case.
On a game mechanic level, things are about the same as they were in book 1. Generally familiar MMO concepts like character sheets, stats, levels, and classes, and damage notifications. They’re pretty consistently applied in the story, however there are other game mechanics are wand wavy as all heck. There are several times in the story where someone suddenly has a power or is transformed and there's no setup for it or a game mechanic to allow it. The author says at the beginning of the novel that the game world grows and changes around the characters but it really just feels like an excuse to wave away these frustrating inconsistencies.
Storywise, I unfortunately found it to be rather boring again. It felt like a level grind story with main character (MC) here getting unique power to absorb fraction of power of those killed, mushed with this recurring emotional torture from the bad guy.
There are thing that have improved from book 1. Fight descriptions are visceral. There’s lots of emotional evocation. There are some good attempts at creating character background. Not just for the main character but secondary characters like then orcs and the countess. But it's ruined by the dialogue. No one has a unique voice. Everyone kinda sounds the same, even using the same modern American slang even though almost no one in this story is from America or even earth.
Overall, I found the story to be boring. It's really just this level grind mixed with a story about the MC being tested and tortured emotionally. But the dialogue and the frustratingly inconsistent game mechanics pushed this into dislike.
Score: 4 out of 10
Maelstrom Book 2 - A Portal LitRPG Novel
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The Path (Just Cause Universe Book 14)
TRAPPED IN THE GAME
Vanitha is the world's greatest parahuman hacker, who can physically enter computer systems to control them from the inside. To relax, she's created a Hindu-themed multiplayer online role-playing-game called The Path. When a mystery presents itself, she goes to investigate the strange, new Malevolence.
It kills her.
She awakens inside the game as a new character, unable to use her parahuman powers to return to the real world. Nor can she access any of her administrative privileges. She can't even speak her own name. With no other options, she embarks upon a desperate quest to locate her body, a corpse run that may present her only chance to escape. All the while, the Malevolence is spreading like a cancer, rewriting and corrupting the game. It's a speedrun where failure will be lethal: get her body and her powers back before the Malevolence destroys the game and everything inside it-including her.
My Opinion: 237 pages, $4.99, Not available on Kindle Unlimited
This story is a mix of sci-fi, hindu fantasy, and LitRPG. It’s a bit overpriced at $4.99 for 237 pages and because it’s also not on KU, it’s less likely people will take a chance on this one. It’s by no means a perfect story but it is LitRPG and it has some interesting aspects that I think will intrigue some readers.
The most interesting aspect of the story, and what really sets it apart, is the inclusion of non-western influences in the MMO game world. The main character, Vanitha Bhat, is a Pakistani American parahuman with the ability to transform herself and enter and control computer systems. She creates an MMO that uses Hindu ideas for advancement. For example, in the game players need to earn Karma and Dharma to advance. Dharma earned from completing quests or tasks. Karma earned from acts with good intentions, selfless acts. Without enough of both, a player will be stuck at their current social class level and have limited job choices, levels, powers, and ways to advance.
When characters have enough Karma and Dharma they can reincarnate and create a new character with a higher threshold for Karma and Dharma points, thus potentially more powerful. Like increasing the level cap for a character. A player can reincarnate 4 times until they reach highest level Brahmin and become content creators for game.
There are still more traditional MMO aspects like character sheets, classes, XP, stats, and skills. Quest rewards include: Soma (rare health potions), XP, Rupees, and Dharma. XP can be used to upgrade skills, or stats. Or get new skills. Karma is not given as a quest reward though, and must be earned through acts. For example, early in the story the MC gives food to some street urchins to gain Karma.
Storywise, there is a kind of convoluted premise that doesn't make sense. The MC gets stuck in her own game by a mysterious force and is stripped of her admin and cyber powers and is sent off to a beta version of the game to start over. Oh, also, if she dies in the game, she dies permanently. It’s a bit frustrating but very in line with older cyberpunk concepts. To me, the entire ‘die in game die in real life’ is not a needed but understand why it’s there. To increase stakes. Every time I see it, I think it’s a lost opportunity to learn from death as a game mechanic.
Still, once the MC is in the game (7% mark), the story gets interesting. She has to power level through as much of the MMO as possible to get powerful enough to try and stop the mysterious force that’s destroying it. It’s a bit slice of life, in that you follower her as she creates a character, goes on some adventures/fights, reincarnates, and then creates another character with a completely different class. Then it cycles again. Each reincarnation is almost like a short story, with gradually revealed backstory for each new world, class, and adventure. Of course through each reincarnation, the MC is still working towards her main goal and more info is revealed about who/what the big bad guy is. Pretty neat, and it fits well with the reincarnation theme of the game world.
At the 80% mark, the story essentially abandons being LitRPG, and returns to the main series super hero thing or maybe just cyberpunk. It’s also kind of wand wavy how everything is resolved, but it likely fits with the larger series which I haven’t read.
Overall, I like this story in spite of itself. Mostly because the author tried to do something different in mixing Hindu concepts with the game mechanics and the story world. You can tell that the author tried to straddle the line between creating a litRPG story and keeping it faithful to an existing series, but the game mechanics were consistently implemented and they mattered to the story. Yes, there are some flaws that will annoy LitRPG readers, but if you like the unusual or can appreciate it when someone is willing to try something different, you may like this story like I did.
Score: 7.1 out of 10
The Path (Just Cause Universe Book 14)
(Picture 6)
Office Wars: Lab Coats Optional
Bran wakes in Neuroma, but has no idea what happened the previous night. He continues to progress through Office Wars while secrets start unraveling everything he thought he knew. Some secrets could destroy everything, while others open new paths. What future path will Bran's secrets reveal?
Vicky returns, but is she who Bran thought she was?
Plenty of laughs, more introspection, and a conclusion to this season of Office Wars inside. Do not worry, you will see Bran and friends in future series. All Odditek Online series operate in the same multiverse, you might even get a few hints at other stories that I'm writing or have written.
My Opinion: 295 pages, $3.99, Not Available on Kindle Unlimited
This third book wraps up this arc in the series. There’s still the same good humor and dungeon crawl for the Office Wars game, but I’ll admit that the ‘Office Wars’ part got a little repetitive. I felt like I’d read about the mazes, traps, monsters, and bosses already in the other books. Thankfully, the Office Space style of humor eventually returns towards the end of the book. That and the other parts of the story, the sci-fi/cyberpunk parts that reveal the larger world felt fresh and the entire series wrapped up rather well.
Score: 7.1 out of 10
Office Wars: Lab Coats Optional
That’s it everyone!
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Thanks for hanging out with me today. Until we can hangout again, remember to go read some LitRPG!
(Music 4)
Music Credits
"Blip Stream" "Mighty Like Us" "Big Shift" "Vivacity"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Some of the panels some authors with be on.
Michael Chatfield
Title: Social Media as an Effective Tool for Authors
Description: Social media can launch your career--or kill it. What's effective? What isn't? Learn how to navigate the tricky waters of social media.
Time: Fri 01:00 pm Location: Embassy CD - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Tyra A Burton, Denise Baker Camacho, Michael Chatfield, Jean Marie Ward, Lee Martindale, Aleron Kong)
-------------------
Title: Cyberpunk and Technology in YA
Description: Calling fans of "Ready Player One" and "Warcross"! Our panelists will be discussing their favorite YA featuring futuristic technology, hackers, video games, and cyberpunk worlds.
Time: Fri 02:30 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Mari Mancusi, Aleron Kong, Michael Chatfield, Carole E Barrowman)
Out Now!
Dan the Adventurer: A Gamelit Harem Fantasy Adventure (Gold Girls and Glory Book 2)
How To Train Your Kaiju: A LitRPG Kaiju Thriller (Kaiju Wars Offline Book 1)
Steamtown Chronicles 1: The Dark Market (An NPC Gamelit Novella)
Taint Team (Caverns and Creatures)
Maelstrom Book 2 - A Portal LitRPG Novel
New LitRPG Audiobooks
Adventures on Brad, Books 1 - 3 (A LitRPG Boxset)
Upcoming LitRPG:
Coast on Fire (The System Apocalypse Book 5) (Sept. 1st, 2018)
The Path (Just Cause Universe Book 14) (Sept. 3rd, 2018)
Limitless (Project Chrysalis book 4) (Sept. 4th, 2018)
Nightmare Keep (Euphoria Online Book 2) (Sept. 4th, 2018)
The Song Mistress: A LitRPG Journey (Uniworld Online Trilogy Book 2) (Sept. 8th, 2018)
Eburnean Passage: A LitRPG Mystery (Sept. 15th, 2018)
Game Changer (Reality Benders Book #3) LitRPG Series (Sept. 24th, 2018)
Freehaven Online: Lady Thunderlord, Into Hades (Book 2)
(Sept. 26, 2018)
Couch Potato Chaos - Gamebound (Sept. 28th, 2018)
Kingdom of the Dead (An NPC's Path Book #2) LitRPG Series (Oct. 8th, 2018)
A Clan's Honor: A LitRPG Adventure (Rogue Realms Book 1)
(Oct. 25th, 2018)
A Song of Shadow (The Bard from Barliona Book #2) LitRPG series (Nov. 19th, 2018)
Freehaven Online: Winter Dungeonland (Book 3) (Nov. 21st, 2108)
Onto New Releases and Reviews
(Play Music 3)
New Releases and Reviews
(Picture 1)
Faithful Defender: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure Novel (Aelterna Online Book 2)
He's found his new home. Now he has to defend it.
Denel's goddess has granted him the title of Paladin, and with it, the responsibility of protecting the people of his village, both reptilian and otherwise. The threats facing the faithful of Goddess Watch are numerous, and the last thing Denel wants to do is sit and wait for the enemy to come to him. Isolated and far from player civilization, Denel must forge bonds and friendships with races that view his friends as nothing more than monsters to be culled. Unbeknownst to him, he's no longer the only digital resident of Aelterna Online, and the newcomers are out to destroy everything he's worked to create! What he's become is more than the system is prepared to accept; what will he be forced to do to survive?
My Opinion: 335 pg, $3.99, Not Available on Kindle Unlimited
The cover art for this whole series does not do it justice, so please don’t judge it based on that. Book 1 did a good job of setting up a world in which the main character (MC) becomes the first digitized citizen of a fantasy VRMMORPG. It described not only an interesting magic and RPG system, but also did some good world building. Book 2 in the series builds and expands on that.
The scope of the story expands past the lizard person village the MC became apart of, to the larger game world. One of the things I like most about the series is the clear effort put into creating the cultures in the story. There are clear, distinctive, rules, social norms, rich histories for each race and community. It adds a subtle layer of depth to the world and an opportunity for some interesting storytelling.
There is still some good RPG progression and action too. In particular I liked how the MCs barrier magic is developing and how it was used in the story not just to protect but to give the MC an ability a story conflict could be shaped around. Crafting also returns in the story progresses in its own RPG way.
Overall, I had a good time reading the story and am always impressed by the author’s efforts to not only create rich characters but full cultures for them.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
Faithful Defender: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure Novel (Aelterna Online Book 2)
(Picture 2)
I Am Gamer
Lawrence is having a shitty day. His girlfriend is not only cheating on him but she’s cheating on him with his best friend. He had the added benefit of finding out about it firsthand. To make matters worse a legendary Native American God has sent him back to North America circa 1400 AD. What’s a Gamer to do?
From the creator of the hilarious Eryth Online and the action packed Warrior Academy series comes I AM GAMER!
This is the first book in a series that will span continents. Join our hero on his journey to unify the Americas and fight back against its foreign invaders. Using skills and knowledge from the future all revealed in a game type format, Lawrence Lawrence Wrath will save the world… or die trying…
Here is the attached musical playlist, it's available on Spotify and YouTube.
My Opinion: 406 pg, $3.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
**Note: There are small uses of marijuana in two small parts of the story. It’s not used any differently than drinking alcohol is but I also understand that some folks don’t like it in the stories they read.**
The beginning is a good setup for slice of life alternate fantasy history story. It shifts a bit from what I expected. It’s a little awkward after the MC is transported to this meshed up past. The MC is definitely OP with scaling weapons, clothing, and a bag of holding. But once the MC reaches the Native American tribe the story finds its pace. This is mostly because you get to see the world building at that point, not as recalled histories but as more fleshed out cultures, myths, and traditions. The pace of the action also picks up about there too with the MC fighting a range of beasts from prehistory and monsters from Native American legend.
The game mechanics aren't great, but they’re not bad either. They’re going to be familiar to most LitRPG readers and are consistent throughout the story. The MC levels, gains stat points her assigns, and learns/ levels many skills and abilities. But the MC starts out overpowered and his stat increases aren't as impactful as they could be. There are also RTS and crafting elements as the MC uses his OP ‘Total Recall’ ability that lets him perfectly remember anything he’s learned from the modern world to advance the technological state of the tribal society he is in.
Overall, it’s a fun slice of life story that has a lot of potential. Of the works the author has published, this likely has the widest appeal. Good action, good adventure, good community building and crafting too.
Score: 7.4 out of 10
(Picture 3)
Hunter's Bond: Apex Chronicles Book 1
When Simon immerses himself in the game world of Apex as Arheis the Guardian, he finds a living, breathing ecosystem that feels more real than anything he’s ever experienced before. The creatures that inhabit Apex are cunning, ferocious, and a massive challenge for even the most experienced hunter.
In order to rank up in the Hunters’ Guild and participate in the most prestigious hunts, Simon will have to slay increasingly more threatening creatures and use what he gathers to craft powerful armor and weapons.
But a fearsome beast stalks the jungle, untouchable even by the Guild. To have any hope of stopping her, Simon won’t just have to level up and hone his skills--he’ll have to put his trust in his fellow hunters.
And for a lifelong soloer, that’s no easy feat…
My Opinion: 357 pg, $4.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
Full disclosure: I received an advance copy for review. I purchased the novel after it was released.
The novel is heavily inspired by the Monster Hunter video game franchise. It’s not a copy but you can tell the author has a great love of the video game series and puts a lot of effort into incorporating the aspects of that franchise that are interesting and beloved.
The game mechanics: There’s a familiar MMO character sheet, levels, stats, skills, and special abilities. The only stat that feels new is the morale stat, which is supposed to add an element of loss to player death. Morale lowers after a death and reduces health regen, skill growth, etc. It’s essentially a debuff that can only be removed by learning from the last death.
Other game mechanics that are imported from the Monster Hunter games include the emphasis on gathering monster parts for crafting powerful and sometimes very specific weapons and armor for more challenging hunts. Monsters require research and observation before the main character (MC) in the story can even learn the monster’s name, much less the monster’s weaknesses or particular behaviors that will allow for a successful hunt. Like the game it’s inspired by, if a hunter does not do their due diligence and research, hunting powerful monsters just leads to repeated deaths.
The story: After the brief real life setup of who the MC is and how he can play a video game long term, the rest of the story stays in the VRMMO. This is essentially a slice of life novel that focuses around a series of monster hunts where the MC learns a new class and comes to appreciate just how realistic the game world is. There’s just enough story to tie together all the action scenes, provide enough character development to make the reader care about the characters, and there’s even a minor romance arc. However, most of the novel revolves around the hunts, so it’s noticeably action focused.
Overall, this is a good, entertaining action LitRPG novel that lots of folks will enjoy. Though, fans of the Monster Hunter games will hopefully appreciate all many notes and references to that franchise in the story.
Score: 7.4 out of 10
Hunter's Bond: Apex Chronicles Book 1
(Picture 4)
The Second Realm (Ten Realms Book 2)
When Erik and Rugrat entered the ten realms they didn’t know what was going on. They only knew that they had contracted the two week curse.
When entering the second realm they came to understand their character sheets, and part of the system that is called the ten realms. A place that the strong make the rules and the weak cling to them for protection and hope that they might be left in peace.
They passed through the trials of the Beast Mountain Dungeon, taking control of it and becoming the leader of nearly two hundred people.
Now in command of the Alva Dungeon and looking to forge a new future, they need more power, mana stones, dungeon cores, monster cores, if not then the Dungeon will stop functioning and they will need to relocate once again.
As they ascend to the second realm, Erik and Rugrat need to grow their skills, gain information and find a dungeon. It’s hardly ever that easy.
My Opinion: 696 pages, $4.99, Not Available on Kindle Unlimited
Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy for review. I purchased it when it became available.
A good second book in the Ten Realms series. This culvivation portal fiction LitRPG emphasis crafting, action, adventure, and community building.
The early parts of the book 2 focus on crafting and personally I really enjoy the realistic crafting combined with fantasy magical theory. But I also know other reader don’t love crafting as much as me, but no worry, the action and adventure seriously pick up after that section.
There isn’t much that can be said about the plot, it’s mostly slice of life and follows multi narrative perspective of several groups. The community established in book 1 works hard to push their communities development, trade, training, and networks. Then the two main characters work to not only improve their respective crafting, but cultivate their bodies and mana systems and of course go on fun adventures and kill lots of stuff to level. The multi-narrative structure provides some nice diversions during some sometimes long scenes with the main characters.
Overall, this is a good novel. Though it does feel like a collected serial story, with book 2 almost feeling like a direct continuation of book 1. It’s has a great page count for the price and because of it’s slice of life format, is easy to pick up and put down, and enjoy the many small adventures in the novel.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
The Second Realm (Ten Realms Book 2) (Aug. 30th, 2018)
https://www.kobo.com/lt/en/ebook/second-realm (UK)
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/second-realm (US)
That’s it everyone!
You can follow us on
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Thanks for hanging out with me today. Until we can hangout again, remember to go read some LitRPG!
(Music 4)
Music Credits
"Blip Stream" "Mighty Like Us" "Big Shift" "Vivacity"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Some of the panels some authors with be on.
Panels for James A. Hunter
Michael Chatfield - Panels
Title: Social Media as an Effective Tool for Authors
Description: Social media can launch your career--or kill it. What's effective? What isn't? Learn how to navigate the tricky waters of social media.
Time: Fri 01:00 pm Location: Embassy CD - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Tyra A Burton, Denise Baker Camacho, Michael Chatfield, Jean Marie Ward, Lee Martindale, Aleron Kong)
-------------------
Title: Cyberpunk and Technology in YA
Description: Calling fans of "Ready Player One" and "Warcross"! Our panelists will be discussing their favorite YA featuring futuristic technology, hackers, video games, and cyberpunk worlds.
Time: Fri 02:30 pm Location: A707 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)
(Tentative Panelists: Mari Mancusi, Aleron Kong, Michael Chatfield, Carole E Barrowman)
Aleron Kong, author of the Chaos Seeds series, and finalist for the Dragon Award for best fantasy series has modified his month long celebration giveaway. The original rules were meant to encourage voting in the Dragon Award. But some folks took it that Aleron was trying to buy votes and reported it to the Dragon Con officials.
Having asked Aleron about this he denies ever buying votes or making a vote for him a requirement of the contest. Personally I don’t think he’d ever meant to either but I also see how the wording of the posts might lead people to think so.
According to Aleron, the DragonCon officials and he talked and agreed that he hadn’t done anything to break the rules but that he’d modify the contest to a straight giveaway to remove any hint of an appearance of impropriety. Aleron also asked that I note that because the awards are fan driven, the rules encourage author’s to get their fans to vote. Link for those rules are in the show notes.
http://awards.dragoncon.org/faq/candidate-faq/
Out Now!
Faithful Defender: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure Novel (Aelterna Online Book 2)
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Gaia's Gambit: Evolution Online I (A LitRPG)
Special Thanks to Gene for catching this one.
World Keeper: Precursor (book 3)
Listed at 1769 pages, seems off. But still good length novel.
New LitRPG Audiobooks
Our review of the ebook: 6 out of 10
http://litrpgpodcast.com/litrpg-database/2018/3/22/warden-nova-online-1
Time of Change - Emerilia, Book 7
Our review of the ebook: 7 out of 10
Valley of Death: Apocalypse Gates Author's Cut, Book 2
Our review of the ebook: 7.4 out of 10
New Eden Royale: An Apocalyptic LitRPG Series
Our review of the ebook: 5 out of 10
http://litrpgpodcast.com/litrpg-database/2018/3/1/new-eden-royale-an-apocalyptic-litrpg-series
Accidental Duelist: Accidental Champion Trilogy, Book 1
The Legacy Builder: The Chronicles of Lincoln Hart: Barakdor, Book 1
Our review of the ebook: 7 out of 10
Upcoming LitRPG:
Dan the Adventurer: A Gamelit Harem Fantasy Adventure (Gold Girls and Glory Book 2) (Aug. 26th, 2018)
I am gamer (Aug. 26th, 2018)
How To Train Your Kaiju: A LitRPG Kaiju Thriller (Kaiju Wars Offline Book 1) (Aug. 27th, 2018)
Hunter's Bond: Apex Chronicles Book 1 (Aug. 28th, 2018)
The Second Realm (Ten Realms Book 1) (Aug. 30th, 2018)
Coast on Fire (The System Apocalypse Book 5) (Sept. 1st, 2018)
The Path (Just Cause Universe Book 14) (Sept. 3rd, 2018)
Limitless (Project Chrysalis book 4) (Sept. 4th, 2018)
Nightmare Keep (Euphoria Online Book 2) (Sept. 4th, 2018)
Game Changer (Reality Benders Book #3) LitRPG Series (Sept. 24th, 2018)
Freehaven Online: Lady Thunderlord, Into Hades (Book 2)
(Sept. 26, 2018)
Couch Potato Chaos - Gamebound (Sept. 28th, 2018)
Kingdom of the Dead (An NPC's Path Book #2) LitRPG Series (Oct. 8th, 2018)
A Clan's Honor: A LitRPG Adventure (Rogue Realms Book 1)
(Oct. 25th, 2018)
Freehaven Online: Winter Dungeonland (Book 3) (Nov. 21st, 2108)
Onto New Releases and Reviews
(Play Music 3)
New Releases and Reviews
(Picture 1)
The Ambrosia Quest: A LitRPG Novel (Omniverse Book 1)
What Does A Girl Have To Do For A Drink?
Elite MMO Gamer Alex Mills Is About To Find Out.
When UC computer science student, Alex Mills, suggests in a class assignment a programming change to the Omniverse, the world's most popular Massively Multiplayer Online Network, her professor and co-founder of the Omniverse shocks her by agreeing to implement it. To beta-test the new program, he offers a quest for unprecedented wealth and power awards to Alex and ten other of the most elite gamers in the world.
The Ambrosia Quest is a five-stage competition that takes place in a virtual alternative version of the United States. The final stage consists of identifying and consuming a drink that will bestow millions of real-life dollars and godlike virtual powers within the Omniverse.
A serial killer practicing her dark arts within the virtual U.S. sidetracks Alex's quest. Soon, the game evolves beyond merely solving clues for money and virtual powers to a life and death struggle between her and a brilliant, sociopathic opponent, The Highwayman.
To win the Ambrosia Quest, Alex must defeat The Highwayman in virtual reality. To survive, she must defeat the deadly serial killer in the real world.
My Opinion: 441 pages, $2.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
Author has lots of novels in a variety of genres. This one seems like an attempt to either to write to a market the author doesn’t understand or it’s just possibly innocently mismarketed. It might be considered VR suspense, but it is most definitely not LitRPG. Not even close.
There is a competitive VR combat game in the story but it’s not very game like, more realistic simulated combat with rankings. There is also a VR contest set in an alternate normal world where a small group of players have to travel around the US to solve clues, puzzles, and find items. However, no matter the setting there are no RPG mechanics or RPG progression. There are some brief poorly described sex scenes and some real life story with suspense elements. The main character Alex, is actually an interesting character but the story is just not LitRPG like it says it is.
Score: 4 out of 10
The Ambrosia Quest: A LitRPG Novel (Omniverse Book 1)
Loot Lord: A Gamelit Fantasy Novel (Dungeon Land Book 1)
Idon and his friends are in the adventure shop business—and business is terrible. The dungeon boom of decades past is sorely dead. The economy is in the outhouse. And the Guild has a stranglehold on any remaining riches to be gleaned from the tapped dungeons in the area.
They’ll be lucky to keep their heads above water for another week, and that’s only if the Guild doesn’t break their legs to recover mounting debts. Things are looking pretty bleak, when Idon finds a rather peculiar sword during a last ditch effort to scrounge up some valuable loot to sell.
Armed with a secret that could solve all their problems, the three friends know they can’t let anyone find out about the amazing new dungeon levels and the undiscovered loot therein.
But where there is loot…
There is always lurking death. Maybe the violent thugs from the Guild will end up being the least of their problems. Find out if they can live long enough to become the lords of loot!
My Opinion: 177 pages, $2.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
Mostly just a dungeon dive story and a small plot that’s suppose to connect the next book. Good action, RPG leveling basic but consistent. A slice of life dungeon dive. An entertaining read for what it is.
Score: 7.1 out of 10
Loot Lord: A Gamelit Fantasy Novel (Dungeon Land Book 1)
ERDE ONLINE - INSIDE: A LitRPG/GameLit Novel
Enter to play, win to escape.
It seemed like harmless fun at first, when Justin entered the world of ERDE Inside. He quickly discovers that the real game is trying to save his own reality.
Justin Schwartz is obsessed with ERDE, one of the most popular franchises in the world. The most recent iteration of the game has been in development for a decade, and is called ERDE: Inside, a virtual world that lives and breaths independent of its creators.
As part of a massive PR campaign, OMEGA-DEGA starts a contest for people to join the open beta of ERDE: Inside. Obsessed with getting in, Justin exploits the system to win a slot in the beta, but his actions don't go unnoticed. A hacker called Pnutxebra spotted Justin's exploit and blackmails the leadership of OMEGA-DEGA. Either they allow Justin into the game and trap him there until he finishes the Son of Schwarzvald questline, or Pnutxebra destroys ERDE: Inside so thoroughly they can't recover a decade of work.
Let the game begin.
My Opinion: 323 pages, $3.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
This is technically a LitRPG novel. It is set in a game world, and there is a small amount of RPG progression. But those elements are relatively minor. If you want a crunchy RPG action story, this isn’t it. Instead, this is a novel with some interesting characters, pop culture world building, and lots of dialogue. There is a minor amount of action but the story is basically this big philosophical narrative about the nature of reality and what it means to be alive.
It's all couched in a very outlandish premise of forcing the main character (MC) to play a full immersion fantasy game and trapping him there unless he finishes this game scenario to become king. But within that are some interesting adventures, and a lot of talking.
That’s one thing that will either push readers away or delight them, the amount of talking in this story. The dialogue is humorous sometimes, but a lot of is in the form of philosophizing and debate. So, if you’re into that you’ll enjoy this story. If you aren’t or just want something more action oriented, this may not be a good fit for you.
Overall, even though the debating got to be a little repetitive for me sometimes, it was a good read. I appreciated the philosophical themes, the sense of humor, and the pop culture references.
Score: 7.1 out of 10
ERDE ONLINE - INSIDE: A LitRPG/GameLit Novel
The Lost City: The Realms Book Two (An Epic LitRPG Adventure)
The sequel to the bestselling LitRPG epic Barrow King.
“I cannot believe that idiotic plan worked.”
The only thing Gryph wanted when he entered the Realms was to find his missing sister. Then he pissed off a power-hungry god, got stuck in the undead hell dungeon known as the Barrow and nearly had his soul consumed.
Then things trended upwards, and with the help of a ragtag group of companions, Gryph escaped to a verdant paradise of magic and wonder. But when his exposed secrets lead to betrayal and murder, Gryph is forced to accept an insane quest or his new friends will face the headsman's axe.
Now, to stop a world-conquering zealot from capturing an ancient weapon of incredible power, Gryph must become the one thing he never wanted to be, a leader. Standing in his way are a group of crazed cultists, an army of deadly magical machines, and friends who no longer trust him.
And he is still no closer to saving his sister.
The Lost City, the sequel to the breakout hit Barrow King, is an overflowing cauldron of leveling, world building, humor, and action.
My Opinion: 616 pages, $5.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
This is the 2nd book for the main character (MC) and the 3rd book in the series, it starts just after the end of book 1.
The game mechanics in the story are the same as last time, though there are larger periods where the story feels more fantasy than litrpg, mostly outside combat. Books 1 and 2 of the series had lots of RPG goodness and while they started as trapped in the game, they shifted to transported to a fantasy world with RPG rules. Still, book 3, has the least game vibe with most of the RPG stuff seen during combat situations, quest notifications, and lulls where the MC or another character levels.
Fights in the story are wonderfully described and rather epic. But much like they were in book 1, they get a bit wand wavy, with the main character sometimes seeming to have a near infinite supply of mana, stamina, and health and having access to skills or knowledge never described before. He really should have died during some of the fights, but that would have derailed the storyline a bit.
Storywise, none of the trapped in the game or the save the sister storyline exists. Instead, the novel’s storyline seems to mesh The Fellowship of the Ring, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, and some Cthulhu lore. There is some really good world building and epic struggles between the various forces in the story.
Overall, despite the few issues I had, this was a really good story that brought some epic scale to the series.
Score: 7.6 out of 10
The Lost City: The Realms Book Two (An Epic LitRPG Adventure)
Guardians Of The Round Table 2: Goblin Boots
When all actions have repercussions, it isn't really a game.
Returning to Inadon, Mallory and her companions are determined to level up, gain better gear and learn new abilities. They soon discover it might be more difficult than they realise when they encounter members of the dark forces. Will their actions have the wrong consequences or will they have time to gain the experience points they need before they become a target of the dark forces?
This story was written by Australian authors using Australian spelling.
My Opinion: 244 pages, $2.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
The novel is almost entirely slice of life adventuring. There’s not much else to it. Combat descriptions are mostly just ok. It’s fine if you just want something to pick up and put down. But I was a little disappointed that the big Guardians of the Roundtable thing wasn’t developed really at all, especially after all the time that went into that plotline at the end of book 1.
Score: 6 out of 10
Guardians Of The Round Table 2: Goblin Boots
Anomaly (Somnia Online Book 2)
As Murmur reels in the wake of the secret her friends tried to keep, her grip on what is real and what is virtual begins to slip. What's more, she's no longer sure who she can trust.
Stalked across the continent by a rogue with a vendetta, Murmur is forced to dig deep and develop her abilities before she finds a knife in her back.
Suspicion surrounds the AIs as well. Their behaviors are too human, their reports too perfect. Shayla and Laria must uncover the truth before the system raises concerns and Murmur is lost forever.
My Opinion: 354 pages, $4.99, Not Available on Kindle Unlimited
There are a lot of things I enjoyed about book 1 in the series but book 2 has lost me. It’s not a bad story, though there are noticeably more technical writing errors than in book 1. There’s just a shift in the story that made it less interesting to me.
Book 2 makes the game and RPG progression feel like secondary or even tertiary concerns. You can tell this is the case because of a couple things: less leveling on the part of the main character (MC), and the sheer number of POVs. In book 1, the MC and her group level like crazy, they earn about 17 of them. In book 2, the MC levels up 8 times. Some of that can be explained by levels being harder to get, but most of it is just that the author chose to spend less time on that aspect of the story. In book 1, there were some really neat flashbacks that helped build suspense and lead to a neat real world storyline. Now though, those flashbacks are replaced with numerous POV shifts between the MC, MC’s mom, MC’s friends, enemies, AI individually, AI together, and Game company people. The many POVs develop the new non-game oriented focuses on emotional exploration, intrigue, and cyber thriller elements.
The emotional exploration comes in the form of lots of talking and thinking from lots of characters. There really is a good portion of this done not only for the MC but what feels like most of the characters, through POV shifts. Cyber thriller elements include questions about emerging AI, intrigue, questions about what the game developers are using the tech for, what is really happening with the MC, and the shady goals of the AI. There’s still some MMO action adventure, with the MCs group doing some leveling and class progression but not as much as was in book 1 and it definitely feels relegated to a less important place in the story.
Overall, I just didn’t have as good a time with book 2 as I did with book 1. I’m just not as into all that emotion, intrigue, or cyber-thriller stuff as I am into just good gaming stories with lots of action. I think folks that like those elements more, will actually like book 2 more.
Score: 6 out of 10
Anomaly (Somnia Online Book 2)
Underworld - Through the Belly of the Beast (Underworld Book 2)
Surviving Lord Darius's attack has put Elorion's level over the top. He must soon leave the Mistress's Labyrinth for the unknown dangers of the Underworld.
There are three paths that stand before him. Should he absorb all the Blue Magic he can find, power level his fellow captives, or take on the bone palace alone?
The Underworld is waiting...
My Opinion: 352 pages, $4.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
A good sequel to Level Up or Die, this time Elorion and the gang are on the run from a dangerous enemy that’s sending minion after minion to kill them. It’s action scene after action scene with good lulls in between for RPG leveling, magical theorizing, and a bit of character development. But let's be honest, the best thing about the series is the action and power leveling, which returns in spades. There’s even a little bit of dungeon creation this time to add a little variety.
Overall, a good action oriented LitRPG novel that flies by.
Score: 7.7 out of 10
Underworld - Through the Belly of the Beast (Underworld Book 2)
That’s it everyone!
You can follow us on
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/litrpgpodcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LitRPGPodcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3-eBvpm-g7IkjfVktObGAA
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Our Webpage: www.litrpgpodcast.com
Other LitRPG facebook pages
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGGroup/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPG.books
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGsociety/
If you enjoy the podcast and want to support us you can also find all the other ways to support the podcast at www.litrpgpodcast.com/support
Thanks for hanging out with me today. Until we can hangout again, remember to go read some LitRPG!
(Music 4)
Music Credits
"Blip Stream" "Mighty Like Us" "Big Shift" "Vivacity"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/