LitRPG Podcast 203 - AG 5, Stormlands, Dream State bk 4, Axiom, The Realms Bk Six
LitRPG Podcast 203 - AG 5, Stormlands, Dream State bk 4, Axiom, The Realms Bk Six
Dec. 6th, 2019
Hello everyone, welcome to episode 203 of the LitRPG podcast.
For the full show notes visit us at: https://litrpgpodcast.com/litrpg-podcast-203
I’m Ramon Mejia. I’m here to bring you the latest LitRPG news, reviews, and author interviews. We have 7 new reviews just for you.
New Releases and Reviews:
Downtime and Death (Apocalypse Gates Author's Cut Book 5) (10:57)
More Town Building and a new race
Score: 7.7 out of 10
Stormlands: A New LitRPG Adventure (14:35)
Such poor writing
Score: 4 out of 10
Lost in the Game (Dream State Saga Book 4) (17:32)
Feels like a cyberpunk gamelit add on
Score: 7.3 out of 10
Axiom: A Divine Dungeon Series (Artorian's Archives Book 1) (22:18)
A cultivation sandwich
Score: 7.4 out of 10
Chaos Rising: The Realms Book Six: (An Epic LitRPG Series) (29:04)
Another Lex focused story
Score: 7.7 out of 10
Ian’s (Eye-Ann) Picks of the Week (34:12)
(Pic 0)
New Segment from Ian Mitchell a long time LitRPG community member who reads and reviews as much as me. He was nice enough to agree to join the LitRPG Podcast family as a new reviewer.
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Reborn: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 1
Quite a rush
Score: 9.5 out of 10
Axiom: A Divine Dungeon Series (Artorian's Archives Book 1)
An older MC
Score: 8.5 out of 10
(Play Music 2)
LitRPG News
Dave Willmarth, author of The Greystone Chronicles, has updated book 1 in the series with new cover art. Yaaay. He’s says he’s working on replacing all the early cover art so that it's a bit more in line with the better later cover art.
https://www.facebook.com/Litrpg-News-250565538697997/
Author John L. Monnk did an interview with the podcast Author Stories. Go give it a listen if you enjoy his work. He talks about what got him writing. Mostly about his non-LitRPG stuff, but he does talk about LitRPG at the 34 min mark. Oddly, he doesn’t credit his publisher at all for his new series, Mountaindale Press.
Luke's Merch page now open. Shirts, sweaters, mugs, phone cases. Go get your Ascend Online merch folks.
https://lukechmilenko.com/shop/
LitRPG Deals
Dec 2 - 9th Sales: Free or $0.99
Fortress of Shadows: A LitRPG and GameLit Adventure (Stonehaven League Book 2) https://amzn.to/2Dlj9Xj
A Dungeon's Desire https://amzn.to/2DliODQ
Guardians Of The Round Table 1: Dexterity Fail https://amzn.to/2qQ5eWA
Initializing (Somnia Online Book 1) https://amzn.to/2DljtFv
The Warped Forest (Gamemakers Online Book 1) - https://amzn.to/33ox6hJ
Puatera Online bk 1-3 https://amzn.to/2OUyLGu
Illusion (The Blacklight Chronicles Book 1) on sale $0.99, 11/29 - 12/6 https://amzn.to/2OUlKwP
The Fifth Survivor Books 1-6 will be on sale until Dec. 7th https://amzn.to/2DiAWhF
MSE and Space Knight Indigogo campaign
Update: campain reached its $15,000 minimum in less than 24 hours. It's fully funded for ebooks, audiobook, and print copies. Though there are some stretch goals.
The campaign also has a different set of rewards so that those who just want an ebook copy can get theirs on MSE's website sooner.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/space-knight-book-5-ebook-print-and-audio/
Out Now!
Darkness Conquered (dARkness: Online Book 3)
Rebel Star: A LitRPG Post-Apocalyptic Space Opera (System Apocalypse Book 8)
The Game of the Gods: A LitRPG Novel
Before Apocalypse: Dungeons of Perdition - Book 1 (A LitRPG and GameLit Adventure)
Dungeon World 4: A Dungeon Core Experience
New LitRPG Audiobooks
Towers of Heaven (A LitRPG Adventure) - Towers of Heaven, Book 2
Pathways - Dark Elf Chronicles, Book 3
Upcoming LitRPG:
Level Up: Update (The Knockout Book #2): LitRPG Series
(Dec. 9th. 2019)
Deadline (Afterlife Online Book 4) (Dec. 10th, 2019)
The Last Time Loop, Book #1: LitRPG Series (Dec. 10th, 2019)
Path of Darkness: BlackFlame Online Litrpg/Gamelit Universe (Glory of Formation Emperor Book 1) (Dec. 11th, 2019)
Quest for Justice: A LitRPG Saga (Hero Online Book 3) (Dec. 13th, 2019)
The Bare Hunt: A LitRPG/GameLit Novel (The Good Guys Book 7) (Dec. 14th, 2019)
Path of Darkness: BlackFlame Online Litrpg/Gamelit Universe (Glory of Formation Emperor Book 1) (Dec. 15th, 2019)
Respawn: Nightmare Mode (Respawn LitRPG series Book 4) (Dec. 18th, 2019)
Karma's Touch: A LitRPG and GameLit Fantasy Series (Chronicles of Ethan Book 3) (Dec. 20th, 2019)
The Wastes (Underdog Book #2): LitRPG Series (Dec. 23rd, 2019)
The Land: Monsters: A LitRPG Saga (Chaos Seeds Book 8) (Jan. 1st, 2020)
No Mistakes (World of the Changed Book #1): LitRPG Series (Jan. 6th, 2020)
The Destroying Plague (Disgardium Book #3): LitRPG Series (Jan. 9th, 2020)
Dragon Heart: Sea of Sands. LitRPG Wuxia Series: Book 4 (Jan. 22nd, 2020)
Quest for Dominion: A LitRPG Saga (Hero Online Book 4) (Jan. 24th, 2020)
Endless Fantasy Online: The Elk Kingdom (Jan. 31st, 2020)
Skull and Thrones: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (The Bad Guys Book 3) (Feb. 6th, 2020)
An Equation with One Unknown (Invasion Book #2): LitRPG Series (Feb. 10th, 2020)
Gods of Ash and Amber: A Gamelit Novel (Seeds of Chaos Book 4) (Feb. 29th, 2020)
The Incarnator (Project Stellar Book 1): LitRPG Series (March 9th, 2020)
Onto New Releases and Reviews
(Play Music 3)
New Releases and Reviews
(Picture 1)
Downtime and Death (Apocalypse Gates Author's Cut Book 5)
After visiting Nevada, California, and two Apocalypse Gates, Alvin was tired. With Gothy, and now Kuro, beside him, they faced necromancers, an undead army, and saved a Queen from assassination. Alvin could only wonder what was going to be thrown at them next...
First, however, a vacation was in order. Returning to Green River, seeing the first settlement he had helped build, and revisiting old friends was cathartic. Alvin knew that he would not be able to stay long, as something was bound to happen to push them back on the road again.
Alvin had to decide where they would go next, and had narrowed it down to two choices—south into Texas, or head north and east into Colorado and maybe the Great Lakes. Either choice would mean meeting new friends, new enemies, or both.
(This book contains adult situations, in all their horror and glory, including but not limited to: sex, abuse, drug use, and murder. It also contains graphic sex scenes, which portray elements of BDSM and harem. You’ve been warned.)
My Opinion: 528 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy for review. I purchased a copy when it became available.
A very good entry in the series. I really enjoyed the slightly slower first half of the story with the base and community building. There were different kinds of conflicts but good stuff. It was genuinely good to see some older characters and see how they fared since the MC last saw them. Though the 1st half of the story had less action, there is still some good fights and in particular I liked the use of the training room. It was a great way to add speculative action without murdering people permanently.
The 2nd half of the novel is much higher on the action. Good stuff. I won’t spoil things but it reminds me a bit of book 3 in the series.
There is still graphic sex in the story, but it is skippable.
Overall, a good story for fans of the series.
Score: 7.7 out of 10
Downtime and Death (Apocalypse Gates Author's Cut Book 5)
Stormlands: A New LitRPG Adventure
Status Report: Transformation Complete!
Race Generation: Human
World Generation Complete!
Paulos woke up one morning to find himself in a new world. Though he felt like himself, he wasn’t himself. The world wasn’t his. Yet, it felt familiar. He feels powerful here and purposeful. People in this world are strange, unfamiliar to him and yet he feels like he belongs to them. But this world is at the brink of destruction by something unknown. Caught between clan wars, only Paulos’s powers could save the world. But what are his powers and what is his purpose? The journey takes Paulos to find himself, find his clan and more so, find a purpose. But what if this journey was never real? Who is he then and where is he?
This is the first LitRPG novella of the series.
My Opinion: 140 pages, $2.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
This is such a weird and poorly done write to market story published by a company that makes sex novels and sudoku puzzles according to the links at the front of the novel.
The story dumps you into this world without context and a confused main character just reacts randomly to a bunch of stuff. There’s no plot, or background, or anything. Just events that happen without explanation and it all ends in this dumb sex scene.
Technically it is LitRPG. There are notifications, a status screen, HP, and all that, but it’s such a poorly written story that none of that matters.
Score: 4 out of 10
Stormlands: A New LitRPG Adventure
Lost in the Game (Dream State Saga Book 4)
With the Screamers held hostage out in the real world, it’s up to Noah to save them.
After years of believing Chloe’s brother was dead, a clue leads them to believe he’s alive and in need of a rescue. It’s a chance for everyone to finally make things right after the failed beta tests. Unlike the Ghost of the Dream State who controls them, Noah believes the former beta testers have a chance to live outside the game once more. But only if he can find them and free them from the Ghost.
This mission is personal for everyone: Chloe’s brother, Siena’s long lost high school friend, Keri’s boyfriend, Brock’s coworkers. Everyone has lost someone to the Screamers.
To save the lost Screamers, Noah and his friends must team up and venture into the real world. But the Ghost is willing to kill in order to keep the Screamers captive. Can Noah and his friends survive a quest outside of the game?
My Opinion: 335 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy for review. I purchased a copy when it became available.
I'd honestly thought the series was done. The characters at the end of book 3 had reached a peak in power and resolved their big story arc.
This latest entry feels like a cyberpunk add on for end game content for an MMO.The first 20% the story really just recaps the last story arc and explains why the main character (MC) and his team are still working for the company. There's also an added cheat ability that projects an enemies intention, which while cool gives the story more of a cyberpunk feel since it bypasses the normal game system. There are also several other places where a dev overrides or bypasses normal gameplay elements.
Story wise, things are pretty good but there are places where the plot feels forced in a particular direction. Characters act a bit odd and do things that feel out of place to further the plot in a particular direction.
On the game mechanics side the story is definitely more GameLit now. All the game mechanics from the previous books exist. All the virtual threats. However, there's little progression in terms of spell levels, or getting skill points for new powers, or anything since the characters hit a power cap in the last arc. It really feels like level capped players running around exploring the world, doing PvP, and refining their gameplay in small ways just for something to do. Or in this case to solve an issue affecting people IRL.
Overall, an entertaining story. Definitely more cyberpunk gamelit now. Which is fine. Story doesn't ever claim to be anything else. But I missed the RPG progression.
Score: 7.3 out of 10
Lost in the Game (Dream State Saga Book 4)
Axiom: A Divine Dungeon Series (Artorian's Archives Book 1)
A town put to the sword. The young forcibly recruited. An old man out for revenge.
After his town is put to the sword and the children are taken to replace the fallen, an old man is out for revenge. He’s ready to fail at the most difficult challenge in the world: cultivation.
Too corrupted to even take the first steps, the sly old elder simply agreed with those who told him that it was impossible. Then he quietly ignored them, rubbed his hands together, and started anyway. He had always failed in what he did: he lost his way from the academy, his command was devastated by a Mage, he lost his town, and now his last hopes for the future had been stolen by a group of raiders. The only thing that had never failed him was his sharp mind and philosophy. He would cultivate... no matter what it cost him.
A lifetime of failure can dull and dampen a soul. A reason to live, a goal, can change that in an instant. It is always darkest just before the dawn.
My Opinion: 448 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
I liked this story, but not nearly as much as the main Divine Dungeon series. If you're expecting that kind of dungeon core story, you will be disappointed.
I'd read part of this novel as part of it was released as a short story. Like that short story the early part of this novel, the first 25%, doesn't feel like it's related to the divine dungeon universe at all. It feels more like a fantasy story. But after the 25% mark, things shift and familiar elements come into the story. Essence, cultivation, mages, dungeons, etc. Familiar groups vying to control this area and its essence.
There's a huge amount of character development in the first and last quarter part of the novel with some major cultivation in between. At the 62% mark you get back to the story and main conflict, the MC now a cultivator.
Unfortunately, this isn't a LitRPG novel. Unlike the divine dungeon series, the use of clearly understood and repeatable techniques to gain rank doesn't exist for the MC. It still exists for everyone else, but the MC uses new experimental techniques he makes up to gain his powers and there's no clear way to track his progress. Even in the story the other cultivators mention it. Instead the story is more about the theory and process of cultivation (60% of the story) which makes it more of a cultivation novel.
Overall a well written cultivation novel.
Score: 7.4 out of 10
Axiom: A Divine Dungeon Series (Artorian's Archives Book 1)
Chaos Rising: The Realms Book Six: (An Epic LitRPG Series)
WAR IS COMING TO THE REALMS, and only Gryph and the power of his Godhead can prevent the apocalypse. With his loyal NPC Lex at his side, Gryph races to rescue a spy with information critical to the survival of his people.
A spy who happens to be Gryph’s younger sister.
But when an unknown foe rips Gryph from the Realms, Lex must lead a rag-tag bunch of companions to find the one man who can get Gryph back.
Their quest has barely begun, when Lex discovers that the Princes of Chaos have turned their malevolent eyes on the Mortal Realms. And where their gaze falls, destruction follows.
Can Lex and his allies prevent an extra-dimensional invasion in time to save Gryph? Or will chaos rise?
My Opinion: 464 pages, $5.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
This is another Lex story. Gryph, the main character (MC), in most of the series is gone and part of the story is about Lex and the gang trying to find someway to get him back. There are a few interesting plot twists here, but minimal RPG progression. Part of that has to do with the higher levels everyone is getting to, but another part is just that the story takes place somewhere that the game mechanics have a hard time coping with. Still, it's something that I’d missed. There was also one or two times the story felt a little wand wavy, but mostly really solid stuff.
Other than that, the novel was rather good. It zipped by in no time and I found myself just going along for the chaotic ride. Good action, nice chance to see Lex take center stage, and a way to wrap up a story thread from the last book and introduce a new one.
Score: 7.7 out of 10
Chaos Rising: The Realms Book Six: (An Epic LitRPG Series)
Ian’s (Eye-Ann) Picks of the Week - New Segment
New Segment from Ian Mitchell a long time LitRPG community member who reads and reviews as much as me. He was nice enough to agree to join the LitRPG Podcast family as a new reviewer.
(Pic 6)
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior Reborn: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 1
Quite a rush
I love the prose. And I so love tricksters. Silver fox and the hero MC are memorable characters. Alex definitely has an eternal hero vibe. Wuxia/cultivation books have a lot of training. It was very interesting here mixed in with good action. The author's Endless Online series is a favorite of mine and Warrior Reborn is definitely on par with it in my books. There's definitely some player hacks and creative use of skills and items here. So much is hinted at that following books better be grand adventures. I love reading wuxia and LitRPG, this does both well Long enough to have a complete story and short enough to leave me wanting more. Oh, and fox girls (PG so far).
Score: 9.5 out of 10
Axiom: A Divine Dungeon Series (Artorian's Archives Book 1)
An older MC
Hmm, the beginning with the description of village life did introduce Elder, the MC. I was wondering whether it was actually an adventure. When disaster strikes he takes up cultivation in his own way. Given that I'm a bit older Grandpa does Rocky and Rambo was a blast for me. Great reading.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
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/LitRPG.books
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGsociety/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheFantasyNation/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/541733016223492/
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/