LitRPG Podcast 174 - The System Apocalypse Book 7, Dungeon Craft Online, Dark Elf Chronicles Book 3
LitRPG Podcast 174 - The System Apocalypse Book 7, Dungeon Craft Online, Dark Elf Chronicles Book 3
June 4th, 2019
Hello everyone, welcome to episode 174 of the LitRPG podcast.
I’m Ramon Mejia. I’m here to bring you the latest LitRPG news, reviews, and author interviews. I have a shorter show this week because I’m recording earlier than normal. I have 3 new reviews just for you and some great LitRPG news.
Before we begin, I want to give a quick shout out to Jordan Harpole for joining the podcast Patreon and helping to support us.
https://www.patreon.com/geekbytespodcast
New Releases and Reviews:
Stars Awoken: A LitRPG Apocalypse (The System Apocalypse Book 7) (07:46)
New story arc puts the MC out into the galaxy for an action oriented reset. Good stuff.
Score: 7.6 out of 10
Dungeon Craft Online Book 1: Endless Dungeon (Part 1) (09:31)
Interesting aspects, but a bit too much plot armor for me.
Score: 6 out of 10
Dark Elf Chronicles Book 3 : Pathways (14:23)
A good continuation of the series
Score: 7.5 out of 10
(Play Music 2)
LitRPG News
Congrats to Dakota Krout on his release of the last book in the Divine Dungeon series, the novel had a massively successful launch with it hitting #12 on all Amazon’s paid novels. That’s out of all of Amazon, not just in a specific category. Congrats Dakota.
Dave Wilmarth did a written interview with the GameLit Society
https://www.facebook.com/GamelitSociety/posts/612968802556706
The Independent Audiobook Awards will be live broadcast June 7th, 2019 at 8:30pm,(CST). You can watch at the link below. There is a whole GameLit Category for the audiobook awards, and Dakota Krout will be presenting that award.
https://spectrumaudiobooks.com/live-independent-audiobook-awards/
The LitRPG Podcast will be at the HereHow Festival in Kansas City. We’ll be moderating a panel on GameLit/LitRPG with some amazing authors and narrators: Jeff Hays and Andrea Parsneau, members of Soundbooth Theater, along with authors Dakota Krout, Charles Dean, Dave Willmarth, and Harmon Cooper.
SATURDAY, JUNE 8th 11:00am - 12:15pm at the Kansas City Public Library's Park Plaza Truman Auditorium. So if you’re in the area, come on by and say hello. If you can’t make it, we’ll try to Live Stream the panel for everyone.
If you want to help out, please leave questions for participants in the comments section. We have a whole hour to talk so your questions will be super useful!
Out Now!
Steel Line: Hub World LitRPG Book 3
Realm of Noria [LitRPG series. Book 2. The Life]
RE: Alternate World Online: Volume 3
Realm Walker: Fate and Dreams: Book Three
New LitRPG Audiobooks
Life Reset: Hobnobbing - New Era Online Book 3
Upcoming LitRPG:
Dungeon World 2: A Dungeon Core Experience( June 5th, 2019)
Viridian Gate Online: Absolution (The Alchemic Weaponeer Book 2) (June 5th, 2019)
*Slight issue with the pre-order page, but the Shadow Alley Press Facebook page says the release date is on schedule.*
Apostle of the Sleeping Gods (Disgardium Book #2): LitRPG Series (June 10th, 2019)
Ruins of Rimnir: The Conjurer: A Gamelit Series (June 10th, 2019)
Troll Nation (The Rogue Dungeon Book 3) (June 11th, 2018)
Home, Siege Home: A LitRPG/GameLit Novel (The Good Guys Book 6) (June 13th, 2019)
Login Re:Coded: A LitRPG Novel (Incipere Online Book 2) (June 14th, 2019)
City of Freedom (Adam Online Book #2) LitRPG Series (June 20th, 2019)
Djinn Tamer: Evolution: A Monster Battling GameLit Adventure (Djinn Tamer - Bronze League Book 3) (June 20th, 2019)
Kingdom Come: A LitRPG Dragonrider Adventure (The Archemi Online Chronicles Book 3) (June 22nd, 2019)
Shyft - Book 2 - Stealthcaster: (A LitRPG Adventure) (June 25th, 2019)
Ball of Light - Evolution (June 2019)
The Time Master (Interworld Network Book I): LitRPG Series (July 18th, 2019)
Cannibal. Demon of the Mind. A Post-Apocalyptic Survival LitRPG Series (July 23rd, 2019)
Nora Hazard Book 3 - Accounts Payable (July 2019)
Hero GO! (Champion is Playing Book #3) LitRPG Series (Aug. 5th, 2019)
Invasion, book 1: A Second Chance (Aug. 8th, 2019)
Zones of Alacria: The Dragon Gate: Epic GameLit / LitRPG (The Experimental Alchemist Book 1) (Aug. 31st, 2019)
First Song 2 (Aug 2019)
Onto New Releases and Reviews
(Play Music 3)
New Releases and Reviews
(Picture 1)
Stars Awoken: A LitRPG Apocalypse (The System Apocalypse Book 7)
John Lee has left Earth behind him as he travels to the capital of the Galactic Council. Seeking rest and an answer to what the enigmatic System is, John plans to spend his time reading and researching on Irvina. But fate has other plans for the human Paladin. Faced with a new quest and a Galactic Society that is as unfair to its citizens as it was to Earth, John must decide if his desire for a quieter life outweighs his conscience.
Stars Awoken is Book 7 of the System Apocalypse, a LitRPG post-apocalyptic series that combines modern day life, science fiction and fantasy elements along with game mechanics.
My Opinion: 320 pages, $4.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
This is a good reset of the series with the main character (MC) in the larger galactic arena fighting well trained fantasy aliens and system users. The story shrinks with it being more about him and his action adventures with an emphasis on PvP combat, training, and Galactic guild quests as the avenue of adventure. There’s still a connection to earth and the events there but this is a new story arc for the series and I personally liked the reset.
Score: 7.6 out of 10
Stars Awoken: A LitRPG Apocalypse (The System Apocalypse Book 7)
Dungeon Craft Online Book 1: Endless Dungeon (Part 1)
Awoken on the cold, hard dirt in a near-pitch-black underground cavern, Cassandra Flynn must face the real possibility that she is a digital representation - a player, as it were - in an unknown game.
How did she get here? Where was her 'real' body? Did she even have a real body?
Facing a myriad of unanswered questions, she must learn about her new world and forge a life for herself in this timeless, endless dungeon.
With only a wand, a pickaxe and a certain spunky pet raptor by her side (hiss!) will Cass uncover the secrets of the game? Or stumble to her death in the inky blackness of the unknown?
Who knows what lies on the other side? If anything...
My Opinion: 90 pages, $2.99, Available on Kindle Unlimited
A slice of life/trapped in a game story, with some minecraft elements used to shape the landscape, build, and craft.
Story wise, it’s pretty slice of life. The MC wakes up in the game with no memory of how she gets there and has to learn how the endless dungeon works. She explores, follows quest prompts, kills mobs, and crafts. There is this minor cyberpunk element with permadeath, trapped players, and corrupted code that I didn’t like but it’s not a big part of the story. Also, very sudden ending.
The RPG game mechanics are automated with the main character (MC) getting new spells, abilities, and crafting recipes as she levels. I would have liked to have seen a little more choice in that regard, but it’s not bad. The health and mana progression is more reminiscent of tabletop games with a d6 roll used to determine increases as the MC levels, which I liked. I also liked the minecraft elements for shaping the land and crafting, it was something I don’t see in LitRPG often. Though I think it’s underutilized in the story.
A few story/game mechanics that dropped my enjoyment. There’s a pet summoning/raising mechanic in the story and while the pet is cute, it’s also honestly smarter than the MC. Instead of the MC figuring something out the author uses the pet to explain something to her. It makes some gains feel cheaper since they're handed to the MC. Also the pet she summons is a higher level than her, which just feels off without some other mechanic explaining why. Like some meta magic feat or sacrifice or taming feature.
The magic system is also a little more 'wand wavy' than I liked. The MC can simply imagine or wish for a new spell and have it show up in her spellbook. There are also a couple places where the MC channels power from the earth to save herself instead of using her mana, effectively ignoring the game mechanics established. These are minor things which exist because there’s permadeath in the story for some unneeded reason and they just dropped my enjoyment of the story a little.
Overall, there are some neat elements to the story and it’s a decent read if you don’t mind some thick plot armor for the MC. I minded though.
Score: 6 out of 10
Dungeon Craft Online Book 1: Endless Dungeon (Part 1)
Dark Elf Chronicles Book 3 : Pathways
Mace and Shari continue to pursue their mission to eliminate the Black Flame. Nearing the city of Graf, they and the crew of the Sea Sprite were ambushed on the river. After suffering losses and stopping to make repairs, they have been approached by two drow thieves walking out of the woods. An epic battle awaits them in Graf, where they’ll try to eliminate Garya, the drow priestess who has become master of the Black Flame.
Griff and Lisa are leveling quickly so that they can join Mace and Shari at Darkstone. But they need to risk a trip to the real world surface for a food run, and are unaware that two monstrous zombie titans are awaiting them at the grocery store.
Another survivor is found! One with the skills and knowledge to potentially speed up the process of getting them all permanently uploaded into the game. But he’s far away, and facing real world challenges of his own.
The kingdom building continues, along with crafting, epic battles, diplomacy, new magic spells, legendary loot, and intrigue. But can all the humans survive the zombie apocalypse long enough to upload themselves?
My Opinion: 363 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
The multi-narrative story continues, splitting story telling time between real life apocalypse threats and fantasy VRMMO adventure. The groups each have their own problems IRL and in game that they’re dealing with but are getting that much closer to at least coming together in game. Personally, I liked the addition of Tex, the rooting-tooting cyberneurologist. I also like how the author pimps his fibble merch in the story.
Game mechanic wise, there’s an expansion on the kingdom building stuff and crafting plus the usual action-adventure.
Overall, even though I liked the survivalist real life stuff a bit more than the VRMMO fantasy, I had a good time reading it.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
Dark Elf Chronicles Book 3 : Pathways
That’s it everyone!
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(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/