LitRPG Podcast 252 - Delvers 4, Tallrock, The Infinite World Book 3, Dungeon Seeker
LitRPG Podcast 252 - Delvers 4, Tallrock, The Infinite World Book 3, Dungeon Seeker
Nov. 20th, 2020
Hello everyone, welcome to episode 252 of the LitRPG podcast. I’m Ramon Mejia.
I’m here to bring you the latest LitRPG news, reviews, and author interviews. We have 6 new reviews just for you.
Special thanks to a returning patreon supporter Ryan DeBruyn.
New Releases and Reviews:
Delvers LLC: Golden Handcuffs (Book 4) (08:35)
Good action, but also setting up the next book
Score: 7.6 out of 10
Tallrock: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Farming Livia Book 1) (14:48)
Good farming, but not much action or challenges
Score: 7.1 out of 10
Moonlight Banishes Shadows (The Infinite World Book 3) (23:36)
Don’t regret a moment of lost sleep
Score: 8 out of 10
Dungeon Seeker (28:40)
Such a dark and gory webcomic
Score: 7.7 out of 10
https://mangadex.org/title/19141/dungeon-seeker
Ian’s (Eye-Ann) Picks of the Week (33:32)
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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)
Dragon Heart: Land of The Enemy. LitRPG Wuxia Series: Book 8
Hadjar goes on a field trip
Score: 8.7 out of 10
Dungeon Crawler Carl: A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure
Carl's boxers
Score: 8.5 out of 10
(Play Music 2)
LitRPG News
(none)
Out Now!
Dinosaur Warlord 2 (Dinosaur Warlord a 4x LITRPG Series)
Hive Queen: A Dark Fantasy LitRPG (Trinity of the Hive Book 2)
The Experimental Alchemist: A LitRPG Adventure
-This is a republish of an earlier novel released under the name Zones of Alacria - The Dragon Gate (Experimental Alchemist Book 1). The new novel is a combination of the original one and what seems like the planned 2nd book in the series. It’s twice as long as the original and if you enjoyed the original, you’ll likely enjoy this republish undisclosed omnibus-ish thing.
This isn’t disclosed in the novel description and the author also changed their author name slightly to make a clean break from the previous work though you can see the out of print version on the K.R. Dimmick author page https://www.amazon.com/K-R-Dimmick/e/B07VQMZ6B5?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1605918338&sr=1-1-spell
Fair Dinkum Dungeon Diving (The Aussie Mana Apocalypse Book 2)
Dungeon of Chance: Even Odds: A Dungeon Core Novel
Lair: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure (Henchman Book 1)
New LitRPG Audiobooks
Seran's Reach - Enora Online, Book 5
Shroud of the Wahrsager - Enora Online, Book 6
Caym: A Fantasy LitRPG (Enora Online, Book 7)
Altered Realms - A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure (Ascension, Book 1)
Fairyed - A LitRPG Adventure (Monsters, Maces and Magic, Book 4)
Upcoming LitRPG:
Berserker: A LitRPG Urban Fantasy Adventure (Apocosmos Book 1) (Nov. 24th, 2020)
Cashing in (Luck’s Voice - Book 2) (Nov. 25th, 2020)
A Grim Demise and Even Worse Resurrection : Boneknight Series Book 1 (A Dark Fantasy LitRPG)
(Nov. 27th, 2020)
Sixth Realm Part 2: A LitRPG Fantasy Series (The Ten Realms Book 6) (November 30th, 2020)
Biomedical Self-Engineering : Book 2 (Dec. 1st, 2020)
The Twilight Hatchling: A LitRPG Adventure (Dream Stream Reality Book 2) (Dec. 1st, 2020)
The Broken Battlemage: The Doomsday System book 1, a LitRPG series (Dec. 1st, 2020)
DLC: A LitRPG Adventure (Beta Tester Book 4) (Dec. 2nd, 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 Dungeon Destroyer: A LitRPG Level-Up Adventure (The Dungeon Slayer Series Book 2) (Dec. 13th, 2020)
The Keepers of Limbo (The Range Book #1): LitRPG Series (Dec. 14th, 2020)
Drawing the Line: A LitRPG/GameLit Novel (The Underhill Chronicles Book 2) (Dec. 15th, 2020)
Dinosaur Warlord 3 (Dinosaur Warlord a 4x LITRPG Series)
(Dec. 15th, 2020)
The Dark Champion (Interworld Network Book #3): LitRPG Series (Dec. 16th, 2020)
The Guild Core 2: Core Sworn (A Dungeon Adventure) (Dec. 17th, 2020)
Sidekick: A Superhero LitRPG Adventure (Henchman Book 2) (Dec. 18th, 2020)
High Gloom: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (Bad Guys Book 6) (Dec. 22nd, 2020)
Small Unit Tactics (Volume #2): LitRPG Series (Dec. 28th, 2020)
Keys of Four Elements (Primacy Online Book 5) (Dec. 30th, 2020)
Spear of Destiny: A LitRPG Dragonrider Adventure (The Archemi Online Chronicles Book 5) (Dec. 31st, 2020)
Labyrinth of Fright (Underdog Book #5): LitRPG Series (Jan. 4th, 2021)
Reborn: Evolution: A LitRPG Series (Warlock Chronicles Book 2) (Jan. 12th, 2021)
Shadow Seer (Rogue Merchant Book #3): LitRPG Series (Jan. 18th, 2021)
Watcher's Repose: A LitRPG Saga (Life in Exile Book 4) (Jan. 19th, 2021)
Player Reached the Top. LitRPG Series. Book IV (Jan. 20th, 2021)
Ascension: A LitRPG Journey (Legends Online Book 8) (Jan. 31st, 2021)
Onto New Releases and Reviews
(Play Music 3)
New Releases and Reviews
(Picture 1)
Delvers LLC: Golden Handcuffs (Book 4)
After helping save a country on Ludus from a demon invasion, Henry and Jason could use a break. Unfortunately, life moves on, and new problems will appear, especially for their friend, the new ruler of Berber. Being orb-Bonded adventurers wielding powerful magic means they have the responsibility to do what others cannot.
Some members have left, and there will be new additions. The Delvers LLC team is solid. But while Henry creates new magi-tech and Jason perfects his deadly power, evil forces are gathering. The men from Earth had better enjoy what down time they have, because it’s not likely to last.
Events on Ludus and out among the rest of the universe are spiraling towards something terrible. Henry Sato, Jason Booth, and Nora Hazard might find themselves being drawn towards the center of the conflict, or knowing their luck, fall right into it.
My Opinion: 314 pages, $5.98, Available On Kindle Unlimited
This is a good, action-ish transition to a new big arc for the series. The first 20% is mostly reminders about who everyone is, what happened in the last book, and the month between those events and the start of this novel. It’s a good catch up but also lays down new problems for the expanding cast and meshes in some of those new characters. Mid story positions the group for expanded adventures with a leading quest that provides most of the action in the novel. I liked that the author added a way to sneak in some close personal combat and a little powering up as those have been traits of the series. The late story does a bit of world building but really is the setup for book 5. It’s a giant tease for action I’d like to read about immediately but still have to wait for.
Overall, the story does a good job transitioning the story into a new arc of adventure. The action is still there, there’s some crafting, and setup for new adventures and challenges for Henry, Jason, Nora and the crew. Good stuff.
Score: 7.6 out of 10
Delvers LLC: Golden Handcuffs (Book 4)
Tallrock: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Farming Livia Book 1)
An untapped frontier. Reaping and sowing. Redemption through growth.
Matt is running from a life that he no longer wants, and he’s found a solution. By logging in to the newest game, Livia, he gains chances that he can’t get anywhere else. Matt chooses to cut out a new life for himself on the edge of civilization, by venturing to the frontier town of Tallrock. As soon as he gains his class, the newly minted Cycle Mage has one goal: farming.
Now known in-game as Kastigan, he gains a starting bonus parcel of virgin land that he will need to convert to farmland from the ground up. Kastigan needs to decide what to grow, what animals to raise, and who to hire; all while dealing with a Legion Commander who hates him for no apparent reason, surviving in the wild land where monsters roam freely, and uncovering lost relics from a forgotten time.
If he succeeds, he will create a new home for himself. If he fails, he will lose not only his farm, but all the workers, crops, and beasts that he has spent every last penny to acquire.
My Opinion: 379 pages, $4.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
A VRMMO story where the MC is looking to make a living selling/auctioning items. He chooses to try the rare farming route instead of traditional adventuring. Along the way he meets a lizard-woman who is a beast tamer and together they explore, farm, breed stock, and adventure.
The first 15% is a bit of an info dump and I had to push through some of the more unneeded details. But by the 20% mark, the story gets on track for the adventure, exploration, and farming. The only real negative is the lack of action or any antagonists. Up until the 70% mark, there's not any real obstacles to what the MC does and there's no antagonist in the story.
Game mechanics are detailed, especially the magic system with elemental affinity determining which spells could be taken and how powerful they were. I also liked the beast bonding process. There was specific resource use and some real risk of failure and it made any success feel rewarding. Mini games are used for skill use. There's a bit of crafting and use of magic to farm. Other MMO game stuff is fairly standard: levels, skills, abilities, health, mana, etc.
Overall, it’s an ok story. The lack of action or any real challenges for the MC meant there wasn’t really any tension. Even the IRL problems the MC was dealing with seemed to be put off till the next book. And maybe that’s where the challenges for the MC will come up. But for now, the story does farming well, has solid and consistent game mechanics with some cool potential future features. If you can enjoy a slice of life story with little conflict but lots of farming and animal husbandry, this may work well for you.
Score: 7.1 out of 10
Tallrock: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Farming Livia Book 1)
Moonlight Banishes Shadows (The Infinite World Book 3)
Feeling unwanted and still reeling from his encounter in the Garden of Clarity, Trent Embra leaves the city to find out what else the world has to offer. Making his own decisions for the first time, an adrift Trent latches onto the Quest in his Status telling him to survive alone on the wilds for two weeks. With only the doctrine of Sergeant Cullen to guide him, and a sword to depend on, Trent puts his back to Al’drossford and heads south to find out how different life as an Adventurer is compared to the one he has been leading.
My Opinion: 508 pages, $2.99, Available On Kindle Unlimited
Don’t regret a moment of lost sleep
The story returns to the solo and small group dungeon dives and leaves behind the larger politics. There’s still a few scenes that develop the narrative of the Al’drossford city, but for the most part book 3 is a lot like book 1, in that it focuses on action adventure. Trent’s story of self discovery is a little muted, but his power leveling and skill building is great. The author also resets giving the main character (MC) a group and I think it works well for the most part. The game mechanics are done well, though there’s nothing new that hadn’t been described in previous books.
Overall, the story is great and I practically devoured this massive story in one sitting, staying up into the wee hours of the morning to finish the adventures that are told. Don’t regret a single moment of lost sleep.
Score: 8 out of 10
Moonlight Banishes Shadows (The Infinite World Book 3)
Dungeon Seeker
Junpei Takeda, a high school student, is childhood friends with Noriko Tatsumiya and the bully Kido Shouta. One day, during the usual course of bullying Junpei, they were suddenly summoned to a different world by the whim of "God". Summoned Heroes with cheats, or so he thought. But it turns out Junpei's stats were even worse than an average farmer. Tricked into a deathly labyrinth by the only one he trust, he walks the journey for revenge.
My Opinion: 33 chapters, Completed Series, No English Publisher
This is a very dark RPG dungeon dive story that is initially setup like many Isekai stories. A group of teens are teleported from their world to another, only in this case it's by a megalomaniac deity who is bored and very cruel. The main character (MC), Junpei, is given substandard starting stats while his bully classmates are given nicely boosted ones along with powerful classes. Once on the new world, the MC clings to his humanity despite the hardship of the world and pairs with the one childhood friend that was brought to the world. He’s tricked into sacrificing himself to a dungeon and that starts the cruel, brutal journey of a guy hell bent on revenge. Most of the story takes place in the dungeon and the MC has to fight these terribly powerful monsters and gradually give up everything that makes him human in pursuit of his goal. There’s lots of fighting, levels, abilities, and dark and tragic stories along the way. Yet, the ending is pretty satisfying once you get there and this is one of the few magas I’ve read with an actual clear ending.
Overall a good read, if you are ok with gore, and dark themes.
Score: 7.7 out of 10
https://mangadex.org/title/19141/dungeon-seeker
Ian’s (Eye-Ann) Picks of the Week
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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)
Dragon Heart: Land of The Enemy. LitRPG Wuxia Series: Book 8
by Kirill Klevanski
Hadjar goes on a field trip
Still my favorite LitRPG series. Hadjar Darkhan is a smart tough guy. I hate to say but I've lost track of why he came to this school with his partner Einen of the Islands. Eventuakly he is to compete in a tournament, But in this volume, he and Einen are off to find treasure, a crypt, and a martial arts inheritance. Nothing goes as planned of course. These books have some of the best battles. They aren't crunchy but they do have a lot of style and an a cinematic feel to the. Lot's of awesome action.
Score: 8.7 out of 10
Dragon Heart: Land of The Enemy. LitRPG Wuxia Series: Book 8
Dungeon Crawler Carl: A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure
by Matt Dinniman
Carl's boxers
I like the quirky humor. Sometimes it's squirm worthy. Carl and donut make a great team. It's a bit of inverted tower series. The beginning reminded of Labyrinth. This one is by the same author that brought the world kaiju surgeon. It's fun, gross in places. The game aspect is there but fortunately doesn't dominate things. A good read. I wish I hadn't started it at 11pm. Plus some great explosions!
Score: 8.5 out of 10
Dungeon Crawler Carl: A LitRPG/Gamelit Adventure
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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/