LitRPG Podcast 242- Aether’s Guard, Disgardium 5, Tower of Damnation 2, Skeleton Soldier Couldn’T Protect The Dungeon
LitRPG Podcast 242- Aether’s Guard, Disgardium 5, Tower of Damnation 2, Skeleton Soldier Couldn’T Protect The Dungeon
Sept. 4th, 2020
Hello everyone, welcome to episode 242 of the LitRPG podcast. 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:
Aether’s Guard - Aether’s Revival Book 2 (08:40)
A bit less action, but a good book
Score: 7.6 out of 10
Holy War (Disgardium Book #5): LitRPG Series (12:51)
Some interesting twists
Score: 7.7 out of 10
Tower of Damnation (A LitRPG and GameLIT Saga): Book Two, Arcana (15:10)
No Tower Climbing, Odd shifts in story, good action
Score: 7.3 out of 10
Skeleton Soldier Couldn’T Protect The Dungeon (19:14)
Monster MC with Regression time powers
Score: 7.6 out of 10
https://www.tappytoon.com/en/comics/skeleton-soldier-failed-defend-dungeon
Ian’s (Eye-Ann) Picks of the Week (23:46)
(Pic 0)
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)
Gamified - Book One: Beastmaster (A Fantasy LitRPG)
Mom's an NPC, oh no!
Score: 8.0 out of 10
I love the troll regeneration
Score: 8.3 out of 10
The Mechanical Crafter - Book 2 (A LitRPG series) (The Mechanical Crafter series)
Metal man makes a new pet
Score: 8.0 out of 10
(Play Music 2)
LitRPG News
LitRPG Deals
Dave Willmarth was nice enough to let us know about a couple of his book that will be on sale.
Battleborne will be $1.49 AUD on zon Australia for all of September
And Shadow Sun Progression (Book 4) will be $.99 in both US and Canada for all of Sept
More Plagiarized stories
Even claim copyright. All these stories are abandoned which makes them targets of this kind of theft.
God of Harems is stolen from Lust Knight on the Wuxia World and
https://m.wuxiaworld.co/Lust-Knight/
Tartarus Online is taken from a Royal Road and Scribble Hub story of the same name, Tartarus Online
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/22476/tartarus-online
The Law God is a copy and past of a story on Web Novel of the same name, Law God written by Krizantem. Only the rip off version changed the main character’s name from Artic to Arcon.
https://www.webnovel.com/book/the-law-god---artic_14534871605679405
Dragon Blood Type is stolen from the webnovel story Blood Type: Dragon. Also only changing the main character’s name from Elric to Leic.
https://www.webnovel.com/book/blood-type%3A-dragon_15065424106754005
Nightmare Speedrun is stealing from Isekai Speedrun found on the Royal Road and Scribble Hub.
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21107/isekai-speedrun
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/3413/isekai-speedrun/
The Assassin System is a rip off of Assassination System
https://www.webnovel.com/book/assassination-system_10852246906190705
Isekai Warfighter taken from the story of the same name found on scribblehub written by steryx.
https://www.scribblehub.com/series/72601/isekai-warfighter/
The Order is a rip off the Royal Road story of the same name written by P.K Dionysus.
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/21121/the-order
Out Now!
Veil Online - Book 1 (a LitRPG MMORPG Adventure Series)
Reborn: Evolution: A LitRPG Series (Warlock Chronicles Book 1)
Zee Locked-In (OVR World Online Book 1)
Silver Fox & The Western Hero: Warrior's Oath: A LitRPG/Wuxia Novel - Book 4
Myriad Stars: Sage, book 1. A LitRPG Universe
The Weaponized: A Sci-Fi LitRPG (Part I)
New LitRPG Audiobooks
Rookstorm Online Book 1: New Game Adventure: Rookstorm Online Saga, Book 1
Dungeon Bound - Dungeon Bound, Book 1
Bloodline: ScourgeWorld, Book 1
The Boneless Dungeon : Rebirth
Aether's Blessing - Aether's Revival, Book 1
The Crafter's Darkness: A Dungeon Core Novel
Upcoming LitRPG:
A Snake's Path (A Snake's Life Book 2) (Sept. 8th, 2020)
Something (Full Murderhobo Book 1)
(Sept. 9th, 2020)
Dungeon Worlds: A Reborn Online LitRPG Adventure (Sept. 9th, 2020)
PrimeVerse: Trial by Magic: A GameLit/ LitRPG Adventure (Sept. 10th, 2020)
Fragment of Divinity: A Litrpg Adventure (Defying Divinity Book 1) (Sept. 12th, 2020)
Stolen Lives: A LitRPG/GameLit Novel (The Underhill Chronicles Book 1) (Sept. 15th, 2020)
The Guild Core 1: Dragon Bourne (A Dungeon Core LitRPG/Cultavation Epic) (Sept. 16th, 2020)
Claimed (Olympus Reborn Book 3) (Sept. 18th, 2020)
Labyrinth to Tartarus: The LitRPG Saga Continues (The Eternal Journey Book 3) (Sept. 21st, 2020)
Tycoon - Trudging the Path to a Modest Life in a Fantasy World: A Fantasy LitRPG Series (Book Two) (Sept. 29th, 2020)
Sovereign (The Gods' Game, Volume IV): A LitRPG novel (Sept. 30th, 2020)
Seas the Day: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (The Bad Guys Book 5) (Oct. 1st, 2020)
Final Odyssey: A LitRPG Journey (Legends Online Book 7) (Oct. 1st, 2020)
Dungeon Crawler Carl (Oct. 2nd, 2020)
Awaken Online: Inferno (Tarot #3) (Oct. 3rd, 2020)
Watcher’s Fate: A LitRPG Saga (Life in Exile Book 3) (Oct. 6th, 2020)
City of Goblins (In the System Book #1): LitRPG Series (Oct. 7th, 2020)
The Otherworld (Underdog Book #4): LitRPG Series (Oct. 26th, 2020)
The Fallen God: A LitRPG Adventure (Eternal Online Book 3) (Oct. 27th, 2020)
The First Peak of the Force: A LitRPG Wuxia Series (The Heavenly Throne 3) (Nov. 10th, 2020)
Quest for the Ember Relic: A Phoenix Online LitRPG Adventure (Nov. 23rd, 2020)
The Twilight Hatchling: A LitRPG Adventure (Dream Stream Reality Book 2) (Dec. 1st, 2020)
In Service of the Pharaoh (League of Losers Book #2): LitRPG Series (Dec. 3rd, 2020)
The Tribute (Project Stellar Book 3): LitRPG Series (Dec. 10th, 2020)
The Dark Champion (Interworld Network Book #3): LitRPG Series (Dec. 16th, 2020)
Small Unit Tactics (Volume #2): LitRPG Series (Dec. 28th, 2020)
Spear of Destiny: A LitRPG Dragonrider Adventure (The Archemi Online Chronicles Book 5) (Dec. 31st, 2020)
Onto New Releases and Reviews
(Play Music 3)
New Releases and Reviews
(Picture 1)
Aether’s Guard (Aether’s Revival Book 2)
Gregory’s life changed when his aether sparked to life during the Age Day ritual. He left his old friends and his old life behind, and was taken to the Magi Academy to start training to serve the Vela Empire. Suddenly alone and out of place, he prepared for the worst.
When the beautiful novice, Yukiko Warlin, asked if they could be friends, his life changed again. After six months of duplicity from the people who they had thought of as friends, Gregory and Yukiko isolated themselves from all the other novices.
Gregory chose a path considered impossible for his training, and Yukiko followed, pushing each other to strive ever harder. When Yukiko’s betrothal was annulled, the two friends were free to express the deeper feelings that had developed between them.
The first tournament for the novices was brutal on the two young lovers. Both of them were pushed to the absolute limit, but they endured. When they took the top two spots, their fellow novices dropped the pretense of friendship, when neither would bow to the machinations of their peers.
Now, the rest of their first year stands before them. It’s become clear that they should join a clan, but where can they find one that would treat them both fairly and equally?
(This book contains some adult themes.)
My Opinion: 662 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 good book that builds on the last by increasing the depth of relationships between the two main characters Gregory and Yukiko, and adding in new people to their group. There is a feeling of familiarity as the story repeats the threats from other students and the tournament. The biggest world building shift is the addition of guilds which offer protection and larger threats. There are also lots of little stories in the slice of life novel that flesh out the everyday aspect of life for the citizens and how the characters fit in with them.
Same light RPG aspects with a dash of cultivation with plants, drinks, and meditation that increase aether.
While there was a bit less action than book 1, it's a good story that developed the characters well.
Score: 7.6 out of 10
Aether’s Guard - Aether’s Revival Book 2
Holy War (Disgardium Book #5): LitRPG Series
Under the protection of Nergal the Radiant, the Alliance’s armies march confidently toward Tiamat’s temple. Scyth’s old tricks are no longer working. The Legate of the Destroying Plague and his friends have a difficult choice to make: bow to the wishes of the Snowstorm corporation and complete the quest of the Nucleus, surrender to the preventers, or retreat in the battle for Tiamat’s temple to win the war?
One thing is sure: they’re going to need allies. And sometimes, old enemies can make the best friends.
My Opinion: 408 pages, $6.99, Not Available On Kindle Unlimited
Full disclosure: I received an advanced copy for review, I purchased a copy when it became available.
At first I thought the story would just continue the PvP stuff from the previous book. While that is still part of the story, I also appreciated the author's decision to send the MC on a solo journey (no spoilers). It was a great twist I could not have foreseen and gave me some ideas about future issues for the game world.
There were also a few neat IRL scenes that I liked, both because they kept the threat to the MC in the real world high, but also because they let him be a young person for a little bit which made the character feel more real.
Overall, the story continues the larger battles from the last book, but adds some interesting twists that keeps it from being repetitive. I had a good time reading it and would recommend it for anyone who likes the series.
Score: 7.7 out of 10
Holy War (Disgardium Book #5): LitRPG Series
Tower of Damnation (A LitRPG and GameLIT Saga): Book Two, Arcana
After entering the colosseum, Bradley found himself fighting dozens of gladiators every day in hopes of earning more experience and coins. Over time, his name thundered in the ears of others, giving him the chance to enter the competition hosted by one of the Duke’s of Hell, Iscanthar, himself. Bradley, with Ralph supporting him, hopes to dominate the tournament and procure a specific item—a key.
My Opinion: 210 pages, $2.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
No Tower Climbing, Odd shifts in story, good action
A fairly decent sequel. It seems to abandon any actual tower climbing this book but it may return in the next one. Instead, you get a decent conclusion to the gladiator thing and a shift to a larger attempt to grind XP by leading an army into battle.
I’ll admit, it was an odd shift. I didn’t feel like the main character (MC) really earned the position of leadership he was given and it was also a bit of a personality shift for the MC. Oddly, a small side note - there were an odd number of typos and even editor notes left in the story. I thought the notes added something funny, but don’t think this was intentional.
But the action is still good and this is a slice of life story, so it’s not too out of left field. There’s an increase in tension in the story as the MC realizes he doesn’t have the years to prepare for the big cataclysm, which helps justify some of the story advances. Still, a little bit of loss of enjoyment with the loss of the tower climbing.
Score: 7.3 out of 10
Tower of Damnation (A LitRPG and GameLIT Saga): Book Two, Arcana
Skeleton Soldier Couldn’T Protect The Dungeon
His only purpose was to protect his master. And yet he was powerless to protect her.
But fate has more in store for him as he gets another chance to protect his master once more and change his destiny.
My Opinion: 90 chapters, Free/Paywall
This is partially an RPG power up story and partially a Save Point story. The main character (MC), the skeleton, dies and finds himself back 20 years when he was first raised by a low level necromancer. He also has an RPG interface and inherited the stats, though not levels, he earned before he dies. He not only gets the chance to protect someone he’d previously failed to save, but if he dies he just gets reset to that point when he was raised. This changes a bit as the story advances with the MC being reset to different Save Points as he increases his levels, fights monsters, uncovers plots, and levels.
The story is pretty slice of life, but interesting. It has a slower pace but there’s a good bit of world building done between fights and leveling with slowly revealed plots between factions that the MC realizes he has to navigate through. The repeating theme of him losing or dying and then learning from his mistakes or using the reset to take an entirely different path doesn’t get old as it’s a great way to shift the story in any number of ways between the various factions and antagonists.
I also liked how the RPG powers develop with the MC never feeling too overpowered before he’s faced with more challenging opponents and being forced to grow again. The MC has levels, stats, skills, and special abilities that open up whole new ways to gain powers. Good stuff.
Overall, the pacing is a little slow sometimes but the action and the Save Point respawns allow for some interesting storytelling and I had a good time reading the web comic.
Score: 7.6 out of 10
Skeleton Soldier Couldn’T Protect The Dungeon
https://www.tappytoon.com/en/comics/skeleton-soldier-failed-defend-dungeon
Ian’s (Eye-Ann) Picks of the Week - New Segment
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)
Gamified - Book One: Beastmaster (A Fantasy LitRPG)
Mom's an NPC, oh no!
A pretty good start for a series. All good PG fun. I very much appreciate when the first book in a series can stand by itself as a complete story. Plus a hook at the end. It was nice to read something that wasn't so grim and dark. A bit scary, sure. I enjoyed reading Gamified all the way through. I had a high school movie vibe. A couple hours of adventure that gets mostly tied up by the end. I've enjoyed just about every Portal book that I've read so far. And yes, Mr Biggles made it work. I wonder if the author played Tallowmere (a steam game with a Mr Biggles).
Score: 8.0 out of 10
Gamified - Book One: Beastmaster (A Fantasy LitRPG)
(Pic 7)
Battleborne
I love the troll regeneration
I read this in 2 stages. I enjoy Dave Willmarth's writing. Easy to read, good dialog, interesting characters. Around the middle of the book Max the battleborne is getting ready to go both hunting orcs and make peace with them. He'd been battling hard with the dwarves fighting the bad guy gray dwarves. After that he's hanging out with the king and other high ranked dwarves and almost everyone was getting along just great. The battles were pretty epic. I just wasn't in the mood for all of this everything is going great stuff. It didn't fit with my dark funk at the time. So I put it down. Feeling better now I finished it today. The trip out to the orcs was some pretty good adventuring. I can't slight the story because it didn't sync with my foul mood at the time and everything's set up for some awesome battles in the next book. So maybe Max doesn't dwell on his dark side. There are a lot of cool elements in Battleborne. And I really do like dwarves, orcs, and goblins. Dave Willmarth gets some decent witty banter in. Worth a read. Maybe Max will get a girlfriend next book.
Score: 8.3 out of 10
(Pic 8)
The Mechanical Crafter - Book 2 (A LitRPG series) (The Mechanical Crafter series)
Metal man makes a new pet
This was a fun read. I found having a mechanical man as a protagonist an odd choice, but it works. Repair has a quest, a goal, and a short time to finish it - 33 days. A lot of cool LitRPG elements woven well: crafting, combat, blacksmithing, mining. Repair and his goblin friend Greebo build a crew, befriend some other adventurers and work on solving a mystery. Mechanical crafter 2 was a pretty easy read and it had goblins and explosions. I look forward to book 3.
Score: 8.0 out of 10
The Mechanical Crafter - Book 2 (A LitRPG series) (The Mechanical Crafter series)
That’s it everyone! Thank you for watching/listening.
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/