LitRPG Podcast 221 - Traveling the Dungeon, Mageblood, Grim Beginnings, A Snake's Life
LitRPG Podcast 221 - Traveling the Dungeon, Mageblood, Grim Beginnings, A Snake's Life
April 10th, 2020
Hello everyone, welcome to episode 221 of the LitRPG podcast.
I’m Ramon Mejia. I’m here to bring you the latest LitRPG news, reviews, and author interviews. We have 4 new reviews just for you.
New Releases and Reviews:
Traveling the Dungeon (Dungeon Travels Book 2) (07:43)
The traveling dungeon travels to new places
Score: 7.6 out of 10
Mageblood: A Fantasy LitRPG Series (Mephisto's Magic Online Book 1) (11:19)
Romance part wasn’t for me, but otherwise good
Score: 7.3 out of 10
Grim Beginnings: The Ashen Plane - Book I, A LitRPG Series (14:35)
Not bad, but not amazing
Score: 7.2 out of 10
A Snake's Life (20:26)
Push past the beginning for something really good
Score 7.7 out of 10
(Play Music 2)
LitRPG News
LitRPG SALES
With so many people stuck at home under quarantine or practicing social distancing. I thought I’d bring you some good LitRPG novels that are on sale, either as a way to help readers pass the time during this pandemic.
LitRPG Books on Sale
Ritualist (The Completionist Chronicles Book 1) FREE
The Good Guys Chronicles: Books 4-6 FREE
A Healer's Gift: Adventures on Brad: Book 1 FREE
AlterWorld: Play to Live. A LitRPG Series (Book 1) FREE
Patch 17: Epic LitRPG (Realm of Arkon, Book 1)
Continue Online Part One: Memories FREE
Amazon LitRPG search - priced low to high shows Free and $0 books. Varied results for good stories or ones actually LitRPG but nice place to browse.
Out Now!
Dungeon World 5: A Dungeon Core Experience
Expedition Newb (Sun & Shadow Online Book 2)
The Journal of Magus Falcon: with Claire's notes (Dungeon Wars Book 3)
Echoes: A Second Skin Novel (Second Skin Book 6)
Brightblade: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 1)
The Idle System (A LitRPG series Book 5): The Puppet Master
Absalom’s Heretic: A LitRPG Quest (The Everlands Book 3)
New LitRPG Audiobooks
Evolution (A Monster Battling LitRPG): Djinn Tamer - Bronze League, Book 3
Demon Lords - World-Tree Trilogy, Book 2
Deadline - Afterlife Online, Book 4
Learning to Fly - Thousand Tales, Book 5
Upcoming LitRPG:
Watchers Test: A LitRPG Saga (Life in Exile Book 1) (April 14th, 2020)
After Apocalypse: Dungeons of Perdition - Book 3 (A LitRPG and GameLit Adventure) (April 20th, 2020)
Winter Harvest: A LitRPG Sci-Fi Adventure (Space Seasons Book 1) (April 24th, 2020)
The Realm Between: Neverending Dungeon: A LitRPG Saga (Book 6) (April 24th, 2020)
Rogue Evolution: A litRPG Adventure (The Rogue Dungeon Book 4) (April 28th, 2020)
Resistance (Disgardium Book #4): LitRPG Series (April 29th, 2020)
Player Reached the Top. LitRPG Series. Book III (April 29th, 2020)
Gauntlet: A LitRPG Journey (Legends Online Book 5) (April 30th, 2020)
Ruthless (The Completionist Chronicles Book 5) (May 1st, 2020)
Aberrant Quest: The Blood Crown Book 2 (A LitRPG Adventure) (May 5th, 2020)
Warsinger: A LitRPG Dragonrider Adventure (The Archemi Online Chronicles Book 4) (May 8th, 2020)
Shattered Sword: A LitRPG Adventure (Eternal Online Book 1) (May 12th, 2020)
Gloominess +4: The Cradle of Gods. A LitRPG series: Book 4 (May 17th, 2020)
Biomedical Self-Engineering: Book 1 (May 17th, 2020)
False Skies (Challenger's Call Book 5) (May 20th, 2020)
Path of Alchemy: BlackFlame Online Litrpg/Gamelit Universe (Glory of Formation Emperor Book 4) (May 31st, 2020)
Legendary Dungeon Seed (May ??, 2020)
Four Beheadings and a Funeral: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (The Good Guys Book 9) (June 4th, 2020)
Aces High (Reality Benders Book #6): LitRPG Series (June 9th, 2020)
Stars Asunder: Book 9 in The System Apocalypse (July 1st, 2020)
The Enchanter (Project Stellar Book 2): LitRPG Series (July 8th, 2020)
Arrow of Justice - A LitRPG Novel: (Book 1 of the Vindication 2.0 LitRPG Universe) (July 31st, 2020)
War of the Posers (The Bad Guys Book 4) (Aug. 8th, 2020)
Intellectum [RealRPG series] Book 1 (Aug. 18th, 2020)
Onto New Releases and Reviews
(Play Music 3)
New Releases and Reviews
(Picture 1)
Traveling the Dungeon (Dungeon Travels Book 2)
Dale wanted to do more than survive as a dungeon core. His experience with the gods made it clear that with power, he could do as he pleased, and without it, he was simply a toy of the powerful. Unfortunately, it isn't just the gods who have plans for the Traveling Dungeon.
Follow Dale as he tries to create his own little world, study magic, enchant devices and create challenges for the gods and an [Arch-Mage]. All while trying to keep Miss Blue-Box happy.
From The Spire of the West to the Orcs of the South, to a discovery that will rock the world, Dale can't help but shove his stone where it doesn't belong.
My Opinion: 259 pages, $2.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
This is a good dungeon core novel. The dungeon travels all over the globe setting up entrances, so it isn't tied to any particular region or group and thus has almost limitless storytelling opportunities. The 2nd book in the series could be read as a stand alone as the story starts out in a new location, near some mages that the core wants to learn from and test in his dungeon. There's still a bit of RPG notifications but a larger bit of magical theorizing and world building.
The story is still a slice of life story where the dungeon builds traps, puzzles, and challenges, and is as entertaining as the first book. Yet, those parts weren’t what drew me in. That the dungeon can explore this RPG world and peek in on the cultures and fantasy races lends itself to some really neat world building sections. Between that and the good magical theorizing, it’s a good read for me.
Score: 7.6 out of 10
Traveling the Dungeon (Dungeon Travels Book 2)
Mageblood: A Fantasy LitRPG Series (Mephisto's Magic Online Book 1)
A dazzling world of wonder and power. Gifts from the game gods for every person. The perfect magic for every user.
Seth, a popular streamer, can’t wait to see what this new world has in store. It’s sure to be a blast for a guy who always plays a caster, and his friends are going to be right in the thick of it with him! The game boasts algorithms designed to read biometrics and brain patterns to find the perfect magical fit for the user—magic so personalized that no two casters will ever be the same. In fact, the game company is so sure they will always be right that you can’t remake your character.
Now, nothing is as it should have been, weird happenings abound and the group of streamers must fight to evolve their gifts before their livestream of the game.
Loading… Welcome to Mephisto’s Magic Online!
My Opinion: 269 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
I found myself rather uninterested until about 8% into the story. Earlier than that there's some character development stuff that just didn't work for me. Especially the stuff with the best friend who is a girl and potential romantic interest. The 8% mark is where character creation happens in the VR pod.
Once in the game, things are good. The characters explore the game world, fight monsters, quest, level, develop skill trees. All the stuff you'd expect. There are hints at a real world impact from the game, but it's not something that's developed heavily yet. Other than that and a romance thread, the story is fairly slice of life. No world needing threats, no one trapped in the game, no crazy AI. Instead it's about the main character (MC) and his friends playing the game, adventuring, meeting NPCs, crafting, and growing as the game forces them into classes and roles they wouldn't have necessarily chosen for themselves.
Overall, a good start to a slice of life series, though the romance storyline wasn’t my cup of tea.
Score: 7.3 out of 10
Mageblood: A Fantasy LitRPG Series (Mephisto's Magic Online Book 1)
Grim Beginnings: The Ashen Plane - Book I, A LitRPG Series
Twenty-five-year-old janitor turned Professional Gamer, John is so good at the latest virtual reality fantasy game that he attracts the attention of an imprisoned undead magical beast while competing in the Kingdoms & Valor World Championship. Murdered in his gaming chair and summoned to another world full of magic and wonder, John is given a choice: inherit the beast’s power and work to free it, or die...
Accepting the undead creature’s power and a second chance at life, John is given a new name: Grim. As a new man with the ability to use Death Magic, Grim sets off into the Ashen Plane to fulfill his quest. Join him as he befriends a mutated orc, fights an army of gnolls, and works to free his patron in this first book of the LitRPG series, The Ashen Plane.
My Opinion: 311 pages, $2.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
The beginning is the hardest to get through. Not because it's poorly written but because the setup of the story feels forced and a bit slow. The first bit, a battle between gods where our main one loses and sees a chance for a long term play, the part reader would get as a sample, feels straight fantasy and isn't really needed for the narrative. I read it and wasn't really interested in the story.
I actually put the book down and only weeks later came back to it. Only after that and an ok setup for the main character (MC) as a gamer did the story become interesting.
Even the first section where the MC is in the RPG world and gets his class and the crunchy stuff occurs is a bit dry. Once on the new world he gets an Orc life debt companion, which felt a bit forced since in later parts of the story it’s revealed there are major tribal taboos against dark magic and soul magic, of which the MC is a user. There are parts of the setup of the story that give clear goals for the series and this story, but they come off as a little forced.
Yet, the story is good when it stops trying to force things. There's good world building and it just takes time, about 30-40% or so, for the story to find its pacing and natural flow. From there it's a bit more slice of life with the MC training and going on some quests, gaining power to deal with the novel goals. The end oddly felt like it was a pause more than a fleshed out conclusion to a story arc.
Still overall, it's an ok story. It has solid writing and is a good try at creating some characters with unique classes. While there is standard questing and monster killing, there are also some good funny moments and good characters. Nothing bad about it. Nothing particularly amazing.
Score: 7.2 out of 10
Grim Beginnings: The Ashen Plane - Book I, A LitRPG Series
A Snake's Life
The afterlife isn't always what you think…
A loving father of three children, Albert lived a life of few regrets. He served his country far from home. He outlived his soulmate. He died alone.
However, his assumptions about a peaceful eternity, reunited with his wife, are thrown out the window when a meddling god digs his fingers into Albert’s afterlife.
The positive? He will have a chance to see his wife again.
The negative? He has to survive the dangers of the legendary World Tree for the next three hundred years. He’s been reincarnated into a world full of magical evolutions, monstrous deer, sassy ten-year-old elves, and untold hidden dangers. It won’t be easy, but if life has taught Albert anything it’s this: If something is worth having, it's worth fighting for. And he intends to fight.
My Opinion: 300 pages??, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
The first 14% of the story is a typical Re:Monster story with the main character (MC) reincarnated as a snake. He kills, eats, and evolves, and repeats the cycle. Not much else to it. And frankly a little tedious if you’ve read this kind of story before.
But after the 14% mark, the story becomes much much more interesting as the MC finally meets someone that he can talk to and there's some dialogue with someone besides himself. From then on there’s really good adventuring as the MC explores new worlds, interacts with people, and of course kills the heck out of some monsters so he can evolve into his next form. The evolution options are presented as notifications with specific requirements like killing 1000 water element creatures, or living for 100 years, or eating 100 lbs of stone or dirt. Another aspect of the story that was a draw was the murder hobo MC. Well, he’s not really a murder hobo, killing indescrimently, but he does kill a lot to further his goals, evolve, or just to get revenge against people that hurt him or ones he comes to care about. It’s a faithful representation of what it would be like to become a monster with only the memory of your former humanity guiding you.
Overall, a really good story once you get past the 14% mark.
Score 7.7 out of 10
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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/