LitRPG Podcast 134

 

LitRPG Podcast 134

Sept. 21st, 2018

I’m Ramon Mejia. I’m here to bring you the latest LitRPG news, reviews, and author interviews.  I have 8 new LitRPG reviews just for you.

Before we begin I want to give a shout out to our newest Patreon subscribers: Lachlan Franquemont, Halvor Haukvikand, and J.S. Grulke who are helping to keep the podcast free and ad free. Thank you Lachlan, Halvor, and J.S.

If you want to help support the podcast, consider doing so on Patreon: www.patreon.com/geekbytespodcast


New Releases and Reviews:

First Login (The World Book 1) (13:05)

Mostly original, but does plagiarize from Ascend Online

Score: 4 out of 10.

https://amzn.to/2QvhweU

Eburnean Passage: A LitRPG Mystery (19:28)

Not a half bad detective story, just not really LitRPG

Score: 4 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2Lvl4u4

Traveler's Zone: A LitRPG YA Fantasy (The Revelation

Chronicles Book 2) (22:46)

The best stuff from book 1 is gone, bored with what’s left

Score: 5 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2xdfR4K

Coast on Fire (The System Apocalypse Book 5) (27:21)

Slow start as the MC politics around, good mid and end action.

Score: 7.2 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2wMy8GV

The Wang is the Hardest Part (Caverns and Creatures) (30:28)

Funny

Score: 7 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2xorjvs

The Song Mistress: A LitRPG Journey (Uniworld Online Trilogy Book 2) (32:49)

Mostly slice of life adventuring, but good bard class development

Score: 7.4 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2MZFj82

Shard Wraith: A LitRPG Novel (Crystal Shards Online Book 3) (36:16)

Few wand wavy moments, but good story mostly with resolution of several plot points.

Score: 7.5 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2CywY7p

First Song, Book One (Anthem of Infinity 1) (39:42)

That 25% mark will make or break this for many readers.

Score: 8 out of 10

https://amzn.to/2xnz048


(Play Music 2)


LitRPG News


Pangea Online Book One: Death and Axes, is free until 9/23/18. https://amzn.to/2NpkP9y


Travis Bagwell, author of the Awaken Online series, is doing a giveaway. All you have to do is comment on the Facebook page for the contest (link in the shownotes) with with what race/class/build you would pick if you were to start playing AO. He’s giving away some nice concept art and some cool posters with original artwork he had commissioned.

https://www.facebook.com/da3strikes/photos/a.560250477513419/902160873322376/?type=3&theater



James A. Hunter, author of the Viridian Gate LitRPG series has started a Patreon page. Some of the rewards for supports include early access to writing, exclusive artwork, copies of the ebooks, posters, signed physical books, and more. So, if you’re a fan of his, go support him on Patreon folks.

https://www.patreon.com/JamesAHunter


Daniel Schinhofen, author of the Alpha World, Last Horizon, Binding Worlds, and Apocalypse Gate series, has finally joined the modern world and made a website. But he has nice commissioned artwork there as well as his blog and links to social media there.

http://schinhofenbooks.com/






Dakota Krout recently had the 2nd audiobook in his completionist chronicles released and it’s been doing really well. It hit #2 in Sci-fi and fantasy, #37 in ALL audio books, #1 in Epic fantasy, Science fiction, and Cyberpunk!  So congrats man on that.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155710182197703&set=pcb.10155710202862703&type=3&theater


Speaking of Dakota Krout. If you didn’t know, he’s not only one of the most popular LitRPG authors, but he also started his own publishing company. He recently released the list of the first titles to come out from that company, including the new Divine Dungeon novel. Woot!!


GameLit/LitRPG Titles


October 5th - Red Mage: Advent by Xander Boyce @Author Xander Boyce

October 12th - Pixel Dust: Party Hard by David Petrie (GameLit)

October 19th - A Touch of Power: Siphon by Jay Boyce Siphon - A Touch of Power Series

October 26th - Peaks of Power: Beginnings by Paul Campbell - Author

November 2nd - The Divine Dungeon: Dungeon Desolation by Dakota Krout

https://www.facebook.com/MountaindalePress/posts/465879460573456?__tn__=C-R




Last month, book 2 in the Aelterna Online series was published. Unfortunately, some readers reported that instead of getting book 2, then just got a copy of book 1. I reached out to the author for a comment and he was nice enough to respond.


Thanks for reaching out, it’s appreciated.

Yes, there was an issue. Due to an error, the original Goddess Watch manuscript was uploaded instead of the Faithful Defender manuscript. The error lasted approximately 36 hours, from September 9th to the evening of September 10th. My VA brought it to my attention and uploaded the correct file but the damage was done. I was camping at the time and had no idea anything had gone wrong, and my editor who had sent the new file in didn’t check my email. Mistakes that won’t happen again.

The correct version is live now, and I’d appreciate any mention you can make. I am very sorry that this happened to people. As I’m Canadian and the Amazon Canada site doesn’t allow gifting, I am limited in what I can do. I believe that if readers delete the book from their Kindle and then redownload it, they should get the correct version. Otherwise I think they would have to return the book and repurchase.

Thanks again for reaching out to me, and I am so sorry this happened to anyone. This is the nightmare scenario for any author, as I’m sure you know.

Sincerely,

Mitch



Out Now!   

Southern Kingdom: Evolution Online II

https://amzn.to/2pp9N5U



Cavern of Spirits: A LitRPG and GameLit Adventure (Stonehaven League Book 3)

https://amzn.to/2NnXgOk


Infinite Exodus: A SciFi LitRPG (Infinite Exodus Book 1)

https://amzn.to/2PQLWXV


Freehaven Online: Lady Thunderlord, Into Hades: A LitRPG Adventure

https://amzn.to/2pq37Ep


The FPS Deity: A Fantasy LitRPG Series- Book 1

https://amzn.to/2NmjnVz



New LitRPG Audiobooks  



Rogue Dungeon: A litRPG Adventure: The Rogue Dungeon, Book 1

https://amzn.to/2poqcY4


Regicide: The Completionist Chronicles Series, Book 2

https://amzn.to/2DpQC5Z


Freehaven Online Dragonsbane: A LitRPG Adventure

https://amzn.to/2xoEL2j


The Right to Arm Bears - Threadbare, Book 3

https://amzn.to/2PUQEnN



Upcoming LitRPG:


Game Changer (Reality Benders Book #3) LitRPG Series (Sept. 24th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2uMPCSi


Freehaven Online:  Lady Thunderlord, Into Hades (Book 2)

(Sept. 26, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2ID8Kq4


Couch Potato Chaos - Gamebound (Sept. 28th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2uEJ4Fj


Rebirth Online: A litRPG Adventure (Sept. 30th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2xyH4z5


The Arena’s Call (Aventures on Brad: Book 4)

(Oct. 1st, 2018)



*****Red Mage: Advent (Oct. 5th, 2018)**********


Kingdom of the Dead (An NPC's Path Book #2) LitRPG Series (Oct. 8th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2NMOPca


Dan the Destroyer: A Gamelit Harem Fantasy Adventure (Gold Girls and Glory Book 3) (Oct. 12th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2xpl1vv


The Blades of the Borderlands (Epic LitRPG Adventure - Book 11) (Fayroll) (Oct. 16th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2x8L0Xl


Random: The Chaos Of Lincoln Hart (Barakdor Book 6) (Oct. 14th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2pnPGFl


Siphon (A Touch of Power Book 1) (October 19th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2xqkKZb


*********Peaks of Power: Beginnings (October 26th, 2018)******


BASE Status: Online: An Unlikely Hero's LitRPG Journey (Oct. 31st, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2xHs1DB

*The description sounds cyberpunk, but the author says it’s LitRPG*


Neverfall: Mark of the Hero (Book 1): (A Gamelit Lit RPG Series)

(Nov. 1st, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2NBUgxs



*****Dungeon Desolation (Divine Dungeon book 4) (Nov. 2nd, 2018)*******


The Parallel: A SciFi LitRPG (Infinite Exodus Book 2) (Nov. 8th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2xz4uo4


Guardians Of The Round Table 3: Singed Feathers (Nov. 18th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2xzTDdL


A Song of Shadow (The Bard from Barliona Book #2) LitRPG series (Nov. 19th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2Ph0Dn1


Island Kingdoms' War: Evolution Online III (A LitRPG) (Nov. 20th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2xpCV1o


Hero (Level Up Book #2) LitRPG Series (Dec. 10th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2xdfMhs


Freehaven Online:  Winter Dungeonland (Book 3) (Nov. 21st, 2108)


Onto New Releases and Reviews


(Play Music 3)


New Releases and Reviews


(Picture 1)


Diving into a revolutionary new video game, Jason and his friends are working to move their entire guild to Pro-Gamer status. Unlike the current line of MMORPGs and PVRMMORPG games on the market, FIVRMMORPG introduces a new gaming technology unlike anything experienced before.


Choosing a Nightmare start to get ahead of the wave of new players starting the game, Jason finds himself alone in the wilds tasked with saving a group of refugees from goblin invaders. Although he manages to save the survivors that is just the beginning of his trials as he desperately fights to bring them back from the edge of annihilation.


Jason is quickly swept up in the adventure as he struggles to build a home for his guildmates and the NPCs that he’s saved. As the trouble heats up, he quickly discovers that marauding goblins are the least of his concerns.


Warning: This story contains adult situations, foul language, MMORPG-style violence and other fun things. Read at your own risk.


My Opinion: 233 pages, $2.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited


There’s a bit of controversy around this story. The author admits being inspired by the LitRPG story Ascend Online, but takes that inspiration a bit too far and actually word for word copies sentences from that story. This is mostly seen in the early part of the novel with the novel description, quests, the character creation section, and some plot points. Like being dropped into the game in the middle of a battle with some goblin raiders, saving some NPCs from that attack (literally the same quest dialogue), and being tasked with getting resources to rebuild that community (very similar quest dialogue). However, after reading the novel in full, most of it is still original. After the 50% mark of the story, it’s completely original. It’s just a shame that anything like this exists in the story. Copying and pasting from someone else’s work, even in minor instances is just not ok.


Now, on the review side of the story. It is well written. There are lots of gamer references. This novel is mostly setup for the series. With the early part establishing gamer cred and introducing the MC and his friends who you won’t see in-game in this novel. There’s a small story arc with a PK group and some dungeon crawling. The one complaint I’d have on the story side is that the MC is just over powered for his level. It’s supposed to be bonus from being a early adopter of the game but it honestly makes the fights feel a little cheaper. Still, fights are entertaining and the antagonists in the story are fun to root against.


The game mechanics are heavily inspired by Ascend Online but the main character (MC) takes a different spellsword path, choosing frost magic and eventually light magic. There are lots of numbers, character sheets, ability and skill descriptions.


Overall, if the author didn’t have those issues with copying someone else, this would have been a good read. But I just can’t support this. If the parts that are copied are changed, I’ll change my review.


But until then it gets a score: 4 out of 10.

First Login (The World Book 1)

https://amzn.to/2QvhweU


(Picture 2)

Eburnean Passage: A LitRPG Mystery

Henry Gallagher used to be the best detective out there.


Now he's all washed up. Eburnean Passage is an MMO with deep pockets and a big tournament every year.


When the top player is killed right before the big payout, Henry gets one more chance to solve a case and make a comeback.


Problem: He's never played the game.


And worse: the person that hires him is the prime suspect, the new top player, a stunningly beautiful woman. Henry can't shake the feeling she's as good at playing him as she is at playing the game.


My Opinion: 290 pages, $2.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited


There’s about 12% of the novel where the main character (MC) goes on quests and levels up. The scenes don’t matter to the story and feel like they’re there just to fulfill some requirement so the author can slap on LitRPG on the cover. The other 88% of the story is a mystery, where the MC searches for clue and learns about a VR game and tournament that ultimately doesn’t matter to the mystery either. It bothers me that the MC looks in the game for clues, it’s a cyberpunk trope that never works well. But overall the detective story isn’t half bad and strings the readers along with red herrings, false leads, and lots of speculation about who done it.


Overall though, as LitRPG, which is what I’m primarily judging this as, it just isn’t.


Score: 4 out of 10

Eburnean Passage: A LitRPG Mystery

https://amzn.to/2Lvl4u4


(Picture 3)

Traveler's Zone: A LitRPG YA Fantasy (The Revelation Chronicles Book 2)

Chris Pavesic continues the amazing story of Cami Malifux with Book 2 of the Revelation Chronicles.


Escape from a world of darkness into a magical realm of limitless adventure.


In Starter Zone, Cami kept herself and her younger sister Alby alive in a post-apocalyptic world, facing starvation, violence, and death on a daily basis. Caught by the military and forcefully inscribed, Cami manages to scam the system and they enter the Realms, a Virtual Reality world, as privileged Players rather than slaves. They experience a world of safety, plenty, and magical adventure.


Indeed, magic, combat, gear scores, quests, and dungeons are all puzzles to be solved as Cami continues her epic quest to navigate the Realms and build a better life for her family. But an intrusion from her old life threatens everything she has gained and imperils the entire virtual world.


Time to play the game.


My Opinion: 170 pages, $4.99, Not available on Kindle Unlimited


The best part of book 1 in the series was the post apocalyptic world where water itself was the enemy. Sure there were lots of  more traditional threats, but water was the new one. People were inscribed onto water to get them into wetware computer systems. But some systems broke and those now crazed minds joined the water cycle and would try to take over people if consumed. It was cool.


In book 2, that threat is nowhere to be seen. Instead it continues on in the idealism of the end of book 1.  The main character (MC), Cami, sends her sister and their pet to school and goes off to the next realm, the traveler zone. There she’s supposed to face greater challenges that shape her as a person and learn about her Fae magic for her race and class stuff. Only instead of facing any kind of challenge, she becomes this half baked pacifist and intentionally tries to avoid conflicts of any kind that might force her to kill NPCs or creatures that won’t respawn. There’s some travel scenes, but it’s mostly boring dialogue and a bunch of non-combat quests.


While there is a small story thread at the end that relates to the real world, it's more of a setup for the next book. Overall, I was just bored for most of this story.


Score: 5 out of 10

Traveler's Zone: A LitRPG YA Fantasy (The Revelation Chronicles Book 2)

https://amzn.to/2xdfR4K


(Picture 4)

Coast on Fire (The System Apocalypse Book 5)

Reluctant ruler of the settlements in British Columbia, John and his friends must now face even greater dangers as they seek to free other human settlements from Galactic control in North America. But John's enemies have begun to take notice of the burgeoning resistance and take steps to stop him and the human resistance including bringing in Master Class help. Can John navigate the treacherous waters of Galactic politics and human interests without compromising his beliefs or sacrificing his friends?


My Opinion: 346 pages, $4.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited


Book 5 in the series starts off with lots of talking. There’s less action in the beginning and more upkeep about how the main character (MC) is dealing with being a leader and the individual community needs versus his capacity to manage it all. More politics, alliance talking, maneuvering among factions. The MC is looking to free Canadian cities from aliens or make alliances against bigger galactic dominance. The big fights are scattered through the middle of the story with the really big ones at the end, much like other books in the series.


Overall, this is a fine book in an action focused series. It’s a bit slow towards the beginning with all the political maneuvering, but the large scale PvP like battles are good when it gets there.


Score: 7.2 out of 10

Coast on Fire (The System Apocalypse Book 5)

https://amzn.to/2wMy8GV


(Picture 5)

The Wang is the Hardest Part (Caverns and Creatures)

https://amzn.to/2xorjvs

Funny


Score: 7 out of 10


(Picture 6)

The Song Mistress: A LitRPG Journey (Uniworld Online Trilogy Book 2)

After the events which caused Cadence to lose consciousness within Uniworld Online, she was now being monitored by the company in charge of the game – Unitech. This surveillance meant that the fledgling Song Maiden had to watch what abilities she used within the game, otherwise she might attract the wrong kind of attention and be accused of cheating or hacking.


Despite these setbacks, Cadence is joined once again by her friends Brendare and Wengla, as well as Mera – the grateful young woman they had narrowly saved from being sacrificed by Corrupted Druids. With new gear and a renewed drive to find and punish the player-killers who had killed Cadence, they journeyed onward, getting stronger and picking up allies along the way.


But danger is just around the corner as they learn that Brendare and the “mysterious Bard” are being hunted by guilds wanting to know the secret behind their winning dungeon run. And, when Cadence and her party are forced to quickly make their way toward Lightforge – the Human capital city – they are presented with a whole new challenge: crafting.


With everything going on within the game, Cadence is ecstatic because her body in the real world is also healing faster than her doctor had expected. In addition to her limbs recovering from the abuse they suffered at the hands of her attackers, something else is starting to heal which will change her life forever…



My Opinion: 253 pages, $3.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited


A good follow up to the first book. The story is still a nice slice of life adventure with the main character (MC) reacting to the various adventures she’s thrust into. Her RPG bard powers are getting a bit OP with the ability to switch subclasses, but it’s still a fun cute story. I did like the real world advancement with game company, though many readers will be frustrated by the cliffhanger ending. Overall, I had a fun time reading and that’s always the most important part.


Score: 7.4 out of 10

The Song Mistress: A LitRPG Journey (Uniworld Online Trilogy Book 2)

https://amzn.to/2MZFj82


(Picture 7)

Shard Wraith: A LitRPG Novel (Crystal Shards Online Book 3)

"What darkness within the Labyrinth awaits?"


After defeating the Shadow King and opening the gateway to the mysterious Labyrinth of Onizoso, Reece's hopes are dashed when a surprise attack leaves his girlfriend's life hanging in the balance.


To save her, Reece and his friends must enter the labyrinth in hopes of finding the one person who may be able to bring her back to life...but in a place where players turn into Shard Wraiths, their hopes may already be lost.


Now Reece will have to navigate a strange new world fraught with dangers, while fending off a pursuing army and racing against the clock. And with his arch nemesis lurking just outside, the labyrinth might be only the start of his troubles.


To protect the ones he loves, Reece will have to challenge both his fears and principles, or risk losing everything and becoming a Shard Wraith himself.


But the Labyrinth holds many dark secrets and what he discovers within, may not only change the outcome of their mission, but redefine the very nature of the game world itself...


My Opinion: 439 pages, $4.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited


A good third book in the series, it has all the action and adventure that fans love and expect. However, you can tell the series is heading towards a conclusion because there are finally some good resolutions of some series conflicts, including emotional, political, and physical stuff. There are also some good callbacks to stuff from book 1 that I'd honestly forgotten about, that I feel like the author is trying to make sure gets tied up too.


Storywise, a good portion of the novel focuses on following through with the labyrinth storyline and finding someone to resurrect their fallen friend. But the story isn’t there the entire time, there is still the real world story with community the main character (MC) came from trying to decide what to do about their diminishing resources and hints at some political infighting.


Game mechanic wise, there are a couple wand wavy moments where the MC should have died, but he Neo’d (from the matrix) his way out of things. While this lessened my enjoyment of the novel a little, it’s still a good story and for the most part follows the rules it’s established.


Score: 7.5 out of 10

Shard Wraith: A LitRPG Novel (Crystal Shards Online Book 3)

https://amzn.to/2CywY7p


(Picture 8)

First Song, Book One (Anthem of Infinity 1)

It has been two years since the Shift—when most technology stopped working, and the laws of physics changed. Humanity has been brought to its knees. Like other survivors, Noah Henson has heard rumors of the Aelves. Among other guesses, predatory aliens seem as good as any other theory for what caused the Shift.


But for Noah, everything else takes second place to survival, sometimes even self-respect…or any sort of decency. Lawless, post-apocalypse America had forced Noah to make many difficult decisions, and he has never seemed to choose correctly. However, despite hating himself, he doesn’t have the strength or the courage to change.


He will get a lucky break in a big way, though—a mysterious orb with otherworldly power.


In time, perhaps Noah will find another path. And if he does die during the Shift, maybe it won’t be the end of his story.

Sometimes, another chance can be an opportunity for redemption.


My Opinion: 316 pages, $5.96, Available on Kindle Unlimited


A great novel that I almost stopped reading at the 25% mark. The twist there shifted the entire story into a different sub genre of LitRPG and the suddenness of the shift actually made me put the novel down. I had to talk to myself for a couple minutes and reassure myself that both authors are both good storytellers and to trust what they were trying to do here. Thankfully I'm good at talking myself into things cause the story after the 25% starts a little slow and almost feels like a new novel in some ways but builds into something great. Like really satisfyingly stuff. Without spoiling things for you I can assure you the story is LitRPG and eventually does reconnect with the first 25% of the novel.


Minor things to warn about, and the most frequent complaint in reviews online, is that the beginning of the story doesn't have a lot of LitRPG elements, those don't really show until after that 25% mark but after that they show up regularly. Also, in that early section the MC is a bit hard to root for, but it’s all setup for character development later, as is most of that section.


Score: 8 out of 10

First Song, Book One (Anthem of Infinity 1)

https://amzn.to/2xnz048



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)

https://amzn.to/2KXSEbE

 

 

How To Train Your Kaiju: A LitRPG Kaiju Thriller (Kaiju Wars Offline Book 1)

https://amzn.to/2KK1GJd

 

 

Steamtown Chronicles 1: The Dark Market (An NPC Gamelit Novella)

https://amzn.to/2ohnt27

 

 

Taint Team (Caverns and Creatures)

https://amzn.to/2PNRkvZ

 

 

Maelstrom Book 2 - A Portal LitRPG Novel

https://amzn.to/2ojtrQg

 

New LitRPG Audiobooks  

 

 

Adventures on Brad, Books 1 - 3 (A LitRPG Boxset)

https://amzn.to/2BWdYPF




 

Upcoming LitRPG:

 

 

Coast on Fire (The System Apocalypse Book 5) (Sept. 1st, 2018)

 

 

The Path (Just Cause Universe Book 14) (Sept. 3rd, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2LHHGwc

 

 

Limitless (Project Chrysalis book 4) (Sept. 4th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2OJ9Tjn

 

 

Nightmare Keep (Euphoria Online Book 2) (Sept. 4th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2woHBmE

 

 

The Song Mistress: A LitRPG Journey (Uniworld Online Trilogy Book 2) (Sept. 8th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2MZFj82

 

 

Eburnean Passage: A LitRPG Mystery (Sept. 15th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2Lvl4u4

 

 

Game Changer (Reality Benders Book #3) LitRPG Series (Sept. 24th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2uMPCSi

 

 

Freehaven Online:  Lady Thunderlord, Into Hades (Book 2)

(Sept. 26, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2ID8Kq4

 

 

Couch Potato Chaos - Gamebound (Sept. 28th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2uEJ4Fj

 

 

Kingdom of the Dead (An NPC's Path Book #2) LitRPG Series (Oct. 8th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2NMOPca

 

 

A Clan's Honor: A LitRPG Adventure (Rogue Realms Book 1)

(Oct. 25th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2K93VWo

 

 

A Song of Shadow (The Bard from Barliona Book #2) LitRPG series (Nov. 19th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2Ph0Dn1

 

 

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)

https://amzn.to/2N3y8sh

 

(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

I Am Gamer

https://amzn.to/2NiOygf

 

(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

https://amzn.to/2Nsbdac

 

(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)

https://amzn.to/2N3y8sh

 

 

Bitter: Book Four

https://amzn.to/2O1gaaF

---

 

 

Gaia's Gambit: Evolution Online I (A LitRPG)

https://amzn.to/2ORpSvE

Special Thanks to Gene for catching this one.

 

 

World Keeper: Precursor (book 3)

https://amzn.to/2vUPe4O

Listed at 1769 pages, seems off. But still good length novel.

 

 

Keeper's World: Hell's Game

https://amzn.to/2MWt7l5


 

New LitRPG Audiobooks  

 

 

Warden: Nova Online, Book 1

https://amzn.to/2P1GUro

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

https://amzn.to/2PxX7pe

Our review of the ebook: 7 out of 10

 

 

Valley of Death: Apocalypse Gates Author's Cut, Book 2

https://amzn.to/2MHuEib

Our review of the ebook: 7.4 out of 10

http://litrpgpodcast.com/litrpg-database/2018/7/5/valley-of-death-apocalypse-gates-authors-cut-book-2

 

 

New Eden Royale: An Apocalyptic LitRPG Series

https://amzn.to/2wljo0G

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

https://amzn.to/2OXXsk0

 

 

The Legacy Builder: The Chronicles of Lincoln Hart: Barakdor, Book 1

https://amzn.to/2o3ffdZ

Our review of the ebook: 7 out of 10

http://litrpgpodcast.com/litrpg-database/2018/3/22/the-legacy-builder-the-chronicles-of-lincoln-hart-book-1


 

Upcoming LitRPG:

 

 

Dan the Adventurer: A Gamelit Harem Fantasy Adventure (Gold Girls and Glory Book 2) (Aug. 26th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2KXSEbE

 

 

I am gamer (Aug. 26th, 2018)

 

 

How To Train Your Kaiju: A LitRPG Kaiju Thriller (Kaiju Wars Offline Book 1) (Aug. 27th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2KK1GJd

 

 

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)

https://amzn.to/2LHHGwc

 

 

Limitless (Project Chrysalis book 4) (Sept. 4th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2OJ9Tjn

 

 

Nightmare Keep (Euphoria Online Book 2) (Sept. 4th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2woHBmE

 

 

Game Changer (Reality Benders Book #3) LitRPG Series (Sept. 24th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2uMPCSi

 

 

Freehaven Online:  Lady Thunderlord, Into Hades (Book 2)

(Sept. 26, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2ID8Kq4

 

 

Couch Potato Chaos - Gamebound (Sept. 28th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2uEJ4Fj

 

 

Kingdom of the Dead (An NPC's Path Book #2) LitRPG Series (Oct. 8th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2NMOPca

 

 

A Clan's Honor: A LitRPG Adventure (Rogue Realms Book 1)

(Oct. 25th, 2018)

https://amzn.to/2K93VWo

 

 

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)

https://amzn.to/2MAGNFm  

 

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)

https://amzn.to/2MOGCGV

 

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

https://amzn.to/2wfh7nz


 

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)

https://amzn.to/2vtKoLA


 

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

https://amzn.to/2vJD66I


 

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)

https://amzn.to/2MH4aKu


 

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)

https://amzn.to/2L5OLS4  


 

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

Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/geekbytespodcast

Our Webpage: www.litrpgpodcast.com  

 

Other LitRPG facebook pages

https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGGroup/

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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/