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Phantasm #1
Phantasm
An ordinary young woman wakes up in a real-life sword-and-sorcery role-playing game in this epic fantasy adventure for fans of The Witcher and Elden Ring.
The Worldwalkers of legend are beings touched by Fate and transported from another realm, tasked with a grand destiny. Traditionally, they prevent great cataclysms or the fall of empires. Whatever their undertaking, their appearance brings about momentous change. It’s been some two hundred years since the last Great Game, but the time has come again. Seven are chosen, and the game begins once more . . .
Kandis Hammond doesn’t remember much before her arrival, naked and alone, in a locked stone barn. The twenty-four-year-old junior financial research analyst from Sydney simply sat down in front of her computer, and the next thing she knows she’s here—and someone very angry is just outside. But the most puzzling thing of all is the glowing letters that begin appearing before her eyes. When the enigmatic System tells her she has abilities and skill points to spend, Kandis realizes she’s entered a role-playing game. Only it’s not on a computer or TV. It’s all too real.
After getting her bearings as a Worldwalker—and some clothes—Kandis learns she must head out in search of her purpose in the grand destiny. Unsuited for physical combat, she’ll have to rely on her wits and charm to survive. Of course, that won’t be easy. Wherever Worldwalkers go, trouble follows. Whether it’s a feral fox, a treacherous wizard, a thirsty vampire, or something much, much bigger, it’s simply the nature of the Great Game. And Kandis better not lose . . .
The Worldwalkers of legend are beings touched by Fate and transported from another realm, tasked with a grand destiny. Traditionally, they prevent great cataclysms or the fall of empires. Whatever their undertaking, their appearance brings about momentous change. It’s been some two hundred years since the last Great Game, but the time has come again. Seven are chosen, and the game begins once more . . .
Kandis Hammond doesn’t remember much before her arrival, naked and alone, in a locked stone barn. The twenty-four-year-old junior financial research analyst from Sydney simply sat down in front of her computer, and the next thing she knows she’s here—and someone very angry is just outside. But the most puzzling thing of all is the glowing letters that begin appearing before her eyes. When the enigmatic System tells her she has abilities and skill points to spend, Kandis realizes she’s entered a role-playing game. Only it’s not on a computer or TV. It’s all too real.
After getting her bearings as a Worldwalker—and some clothes—Kandis learns she must head out in search of her purpose in the grand destiny. Unsuited for physical combat, she’ll have to rely on her wits and charm to survive. Of course, that won’t be easy. Wherever Worldwalkers go, trouble follows. Whether it’s a feral fox, a treacherous wizard, a thirsty vampire, or something much, much bigger, it’s simply the nature of the Great Game. And Kandis better not lose . . .
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 30, 2023
On the surface, this is a relatively standard isekai LitRPG. The worldbuilding is fairly standard and having a female protagonist isn't completely unheard of. But saying it's common or unoriginal would be doing this story a disservice.
I really liked Kandis and I liked even better that the blurb is completely wrong about "someone angry" being her first experience in the new world. Her first encounter is a farm couple who are kind and understanding and do their best to give her a solid start in her new role as a worldwalker. Further, this set a great tone the story that followed. Yes, there are jerks and even criminal schemers plotting evil, but Kandis doesn't have a hard time finding friends and helpers along the way, either.
And I really liked her creative approach, starting with maximizing her charisma and seeing how things went from there. This lead her to a class with illusion at its base and meant that she would have to approach challenges sideways. Which she did very well, I think, particularly with how the author drew from her background as a financial risk analyst. Her musings about risk/reward and test/revise cycle hit my nerd spot dead on—and without slowing the pace or being intrusive. And I liked how the author threw in social challenges as contests the system would acknowledge. Which meant the author also had to deliver believable verbal combat with clear win and loss conditions. A challenge they actually delivered elegantly and that's way harder than it looks.
The ending, while abrupt, isn't really a cliffhanger, but it did lose some of my sympathy. Enough to drop half a star, but since it was riding a clean five stars all along I'm going to round up anyway. I'm very interested in the next once it's out and I hope it lives up to this outstanding start.
A note about Chaste: There is no romantic interest in this story so there isn't even a little kissing. I consider it very chaste.
I really liked Kandis and I liked even better that the blurb is completely wrong about "someone angry" being her first experience in the new world. Her first encounter is a farm couple who are kind and understanding and do their best to give her a solid start in her new role as a worldwalker. Further, this set a great tone the story that followed. Yes, there are jerks and even criminal schemers plotting evil, but Kandis doesn't have a hard time finding friends and helpers along the way, either.
And I really liked her creative approach, starting with maximizing her charisma and seeing how things went from there. This lead her to a class with illusion at its base and meant that she would have to approach challenges sideways. Which she did very well, I think, particularly with how the author drew from her background as a financial risk analyst. Her musings about risk/reward and test/revise cycle hit my nerd spot dead on—and without slowing the pace or being intrusive. And I liked how the author threw in social challenges as contests the system would acknowledge. Which meant the author also had to deliver believable verbal combat with clear win and loss conditions. A challenge they actually delivered elegantly and that's way harder than it looks.
The ending, while abrupt, isn't really a cliffhanger, but it did lose some of my sympathy. Enough to drop half a star, but since it was riding a clean five stars all along I'm going to round up anyway. I'm very interested in the next once it's out and I hope it lives up to this outstanding start.
A note about Chaste: There is no romantic interest in this story so there isn't even a little kissing. I consider it very chaste.
July 17, 2026
This was a solid, if flawed, Isekai LitRPG. It had a fun premise and delivered a nice mix of action, adventure, and intrigue.
The setup was typical but still fun. Kandis Hammond, a junior financial research analyst from Sydney, suddenly awakes to find herself Isekaied into a random barn in a D&D-style fantasy world! It is one with full LitRPG-style stats to power up everything from her physical and magical attributes to her social skills. Not confident in her combat abilities, Kandis immediately dumps most of her points into charisma and decides to become a mage who relies on illusion magic. It turns out Kandis is one of Seven Champions of the Gods summoned from Earth for some mystery Game of the Gods.
It was a fun enough story. Kandis was pretty likeable and easy enough to root for as she tried to survive in her new fantasy world. The pacing was pretty solid. Kandis levelled up in this first instalment but definitely did not become superpowered. She had to rely on her wits and cool illusion magic to survive.
The focus on intrigue and deception rather than direct combat, and the cool nature of the magic Kandis chose, was the big highlight of this book. It was great! Kandis ended up finding tons of interesting uses for her magic. We did still get some action and adventure, but it was definitely a big plus in my eyes to see a character use invisibility and illusion as their main powers instead of raw strength.
The world was a solid enough one. It is a pretty typical D&D or anime-style fantasy world. It had dungeons to delve into to help with levelling up and everything from Orcs to Beastkin non-humans. Though Kandis did land in the human Kingdom of Latorra, so the major folks were human.
The plot was decent enough. Kandis spent time in two villages and got caught up in a bunch of adventure and intrigue in both!
This one did have a few flaws. The series is HARD LitRPG with tons of stats. I felt that was most apparent and problematic in the first 10%–20% of the book, but luckily it did settle after that into more tolerable updates. I had to push through the tons of stats early on, and they were a bit of a nightmare in audio!
The next flaw is a bit of a mixed bag. This LitRPG system/world was pretty unique as it had social as well as physical contests that folks could win and gain experience from. It was a pretty fun twist to have Kandis win at things like conversation and intrigue while also having to resist stuff like intimidation. It led to some fun dynamics and was a fresh twist on the typical system. It has its own drawback, though, as the nature of the social magic and its real consequences could feel a little mind-controlly and non-consensual. It was only hinted at, as this was not exactly a dark fantasy in tone, but it was definitely a disturbing element. I’ll read more books for sure, and it will be interesting to see how this aspect of the worldbuilding develops.
The other slight negative was the occasional man-writing-woman vibe. On the whole, this series was pretty tame, and this book did not have much in the way of romance as Kandis settled into her new world, but it had the odd eye-roll-inducing moment like Kandis leering at her own body the first time she saw her reflection in fantasyland! The story had a few moments like that, but nothing particularly disturbing or impacting my enjoyment. Just stuff that inspired the occasional eye-roll.
Another slight flaw was the fact that the secondary characters felt a bit throwaway. I think that was mostly because Kandis seemed to feel that way about them rather than them not being established well enough as characters, which was pretty weird! We met a bunch of folks in the first village Kandis landed in, she seemed to form some emotional bonds, then she was shunted to the next village and everybody in the old one was not even a second thought!
I got this one via Audible Plus, and while it was not top-tier quality, I do think I’ve enjoyed what we got enough that I’ll buy the next instalment. This had its flaws, but Kandis is likeable, and I do love the social duels, the cool illusion/invisibility magic, and the fact that Kandis relies on her magic, wits, and deception rather than strength or direct combat. It is a fun change, and the plot is still interesting enough.
Rating: 3.5 Stars.
Audio Note: I thought Katherine Littrell was great with the audio. She did a good job with the voices, and her Australian accent perfectly suited our Australian lead character!
The setup was typical but still fun. Kandis Hammond, a junior financial research analyst from Sydney, suddenly awakes to find herself Isekaied into a random barn in a D&D-style fantasy world! It is one with full LitRPG-style stats to power up everything from her physical and magical attributes to her social skills. Not confident in her combat abilities, Kandis immediately dumps most of her points into charisma and decides to become a mage who relies on illusion magic. It turns out Kandis is one of Seven Champions of the Gods summoned from Earth for some mystery Game of the Gods.
It was a fun enough story. Kandis was pretty likeable and easy enough to root for as she tried to survive in her new fantasy world. The pacing was pretty solid. Kandis levelled up in this first instalment but definitely did not become superpowered. She had to rely on her wits and cool illusion magic to survive.
The focus on intrigue and deception rather than direct combat, and the cool nature of the magic Kandis chose, was the big highlight of this book. It was great! Kandis ended up finding tons of interesting uses for her magic. We did still get some action and adventure, but it was definitely a big plus in my eyes to see a character use invisibility and illusion as their main powers instead of raw strength.
The world was a solid enough one. It is a pretty typical D&D or anime-style fantasy world. It had dungeons to delve into to help with levelling up and everything from Orcs to Beastkin non-humans. Though Kandis did land in the human Kingdom of Latorra, so the major folks were human.
The plot was decent enough. Kandis spent time in two villages and got caught up in a bunch of adventure and intrigue in both!
This one did have a few flaws. The series is HARD LitRPG with tons of stats. I felt that was most apparent and problematic in the first 10%–20% of the book, but luckily it did settle after that into more tolerable updates. I had to push through the tons of stats early on, and they were a bit of a nightmare in audio!
The next flaw is a bit of a mixed bag. This LitRPG system/world was pretty unique as it had social as well as physical contests that folks could win and gain experience from. It was a pretty fun twist to have Kandis win at things like conversation and intrigue while also having to resist stuff like intimidation. It led to some fun dynamics and was a fresh twist on the typical system. It has its own drawback, though, as the nature of the social magic and its real consequences could feel a little mind-controlly and non-consensual. It was only hinted at, as this was not exactly a dark fantasy in tone, but it was definitely a disturbing element. I’ll read more books for sure, and it will be interesting to see how this aspect of the worldbuilding develops.
The other slight negative was the occasional man-writing-woman vibe. On the whole, this series was pretty tame, and this book did not have much in the way of romance as Kandis settled into her new world, but it had the odd eye-roll-inducing moment like Kandis leering at her own body the first time she saw her reflection in fantasyland! The story had a few moments like that, but nothing particularly disturbing or impacting my enjoyment. Just stuff that inspired the occasional eye-roll.
Another slight flaw was the fact that the secondary characters felt a bit throwaway. I think that was mostly because Kandis seemed to feel that way about them rather than them not being established well enough as characters, which was pretty weird! We met a bunch of folks in the first village Kandis landed in, she seemed to form some emotional bonds, then she was shunted to the next village and everybody in the old one was not even a second thought!
I got this one via Audible Plus, and while it was not top-tier quality, I do think I’ve enjoyed what we got enough that I’ll buy the next instalment. This had its flaws, but Kandis is likeable, and I do love the social duels, the cool illusion/invisibility magic, and the fact that Kandis relies on her magic, wits, and deception rather than strength or direct combat. It is a fun change, and the plot is still interesting enough.
Rating: 3.5 Stars.
Audio Note: I thought Katherine Littrell was great with the audio. She did a good job with the voices, and her Australian accent perfectly suited our Australian lead character!
zzz-books-not-for-me
August 8, 2026DNF:50%
After trying a few LitRPGs I think I am starting to understand why it's so hard for me to resonate with the genre in general. I will list some of the issues below, baring in mind that some of these apply even for popular titles like Catharsis and He Who Fights with Monsters. As I am most definitely not the target market please take this review with a grain of salt.
1. The Robot Protagonist - reading from Kandis's POV makes me feel numb. She is transported to another world (forget about learning who she used to be before that), she accepts and adapts to her new reality and gets straight to the game mechanics. No panicing, no questioning how this happened, no desperation to find her way home. She is like a robot with uploaded tasks to complete and a few variables to deal with on the way.
2. Look! Numbers! - We have the typical stats and skills menu that allows the character to grow. No, don't expect any emotional or spiritual growth. Kandis is just grinding: kills monsters, talks to people to level up her charm skills, upgrades armor and weapons, etc. Her personality and motivations are as complex as a seagull going after fallen french fries. There is no culture shock, no miscommunication, everything is based on numbers and everything works out.
3. Pacing? - I am half-way through and the whole plot is repetitive and uneventful. We follow Kandis's everyday activities of going to work during the day and clearing dungeons in the evening. She gathers a few people to join her party so she can grind even better. There is something about black-mailing and political stuff, but I am beyond caring.
4. NPCs - All side characters are as colorful as the shades of gray on my white wall.
5. You are Special! - Kandis finds out from the beginning that someone like her, a world-hopper, usually plays an important role and she might end up needing to save the world... I think she cared more about leveling up and killing stuff than whatever was happening in her new home.
6. Charm - If someone doesn't agree with the MC they are automatically evil or they need to bebrainwashed mind-controlled charmed... into obedience.
Conclusion:
I wanted to like it, but so far, apart from Death Has Joined the Party I am finding it really hard to connect to the LitRPG genre... If however you are looking for something unique - a character who uses charm and illusion to achieve her goals (including defeating monsters), a cozy slice-of-life type of adventure in a fantasy world, a female protagonist who is practical, diligent and curious about her predicament, rather than crying, panicing or gushing over handsom men - then give Phantasm a chance. The "game-mechanics" also seemed to be well-thought-out with interesting ways to level up and branch into different unique upgrades. Overall, Phantasm didn't feel generic, it didn't try to just copy what's popular, and I am pretty certain the LitRPG genre will continue evolving thanks to books that try to break the norm.
After trying a few LitRPGs I think I am starting to understand why it's so hard for me to resonate with the genre in general. I will list some of the issues below, baring in mind that some of these apply even for popular titles like Catharsis and He Who Fights with Monsters. As I am most definitely not the target market please take this review with a grain of salt.
1. The Robot Protagonist - reading from Kandis's POV makes me feel numb. She is transported to another world (forget about learning who she used to be before that), she accepts and adapts to her new reality and gets straight to the game mechanics. No panicing, no questioning how this happened, no desperation to find her way home. She is like a robot with uploaded tasks to complete and a few variables to deal with on the way.
2. Look! Numbers! - We have the typical stats and skills menu that allows the character to grow. No, don't expect any emotional or spiritual growth. Kandis is just grinding: kills monsters, talks to people to level up her charm skills, upgrades armor and weapons, etc. Her personality and motivations are as complex as a seagull going after fallen french fries. There is no culture shock, no miscommunication, everything is based on numbers and everything works out.
3. Pacing? - I am half-way through and the whole plot is repetitive and uneventful. We follow Kandis's everyday activities of going to work during the day and clearing dungeons in the evening. She gathers a few people to join her party so she can grind even better. There is something about black-mailing and political stuff, but I am beyond caring.
4. NPCs - All side characters are as colorful as the shades of gray on my white wall.
5. You are Special! - Kandis finds out from the beginning that someone like her, a world-hopper, usually plays an important role and she might end up needing to save the world... I think she cared more about leveling up and killing stuff than whatever was happening in her new home.
6. Charm - If someone doesn't agree with the MC they are automatically evil or they need to be
Conclusion:
I wanted to like it, but so far, apart from Death Has Joined the Party I am finding it really hard to connect to the LitRPG genre... If however you are looking for something unique - a character who uses charm and illusion to achieve her goals (including defeating monsters), a cozy slice-of-life type of adventure in a fantasy world, a female protagonist who is practical, diligent and curious about her predicament, rather than crying, panicing or gushing over handsom men - then give Phantasm a chance. The "game-mechanics" also seemed to be well-thought-out with interesting ways to level up and branch into different unique upgrades. Overall, Phantasm didn't feel generic, it didn't try to just copy what's popular, and I am pretty certain the LitRPG genre will continue evolving thanks to books that try to break the norm.
July 9, 2025
This was so weird! I thought I’ve read Litrpg before but I guess I haven’t because all the stats and levels up and these distracting update messages for skills were new to me. I’m not sure I enjoy it but I did finish it and I am going to read the next one.
The common critique of these types of books stand true for this one, there is a certain lack of emotion and human feeling going around. You expect a person to be grateful to people who help them along the way but our heroine saw the father of her friend(new friend but still) get murdered in front of her but was within seconds impressed by the rewards she got in the dungeon level he defeated for her. Like “Ooh! Cool! Shiny! That will be useful!” kind of reaction. I was all ??? have a little heart lady.
It is somehow rewarding though to watch her level up and I like that a lot of the ‘fights’ are actually just her overcoming difficult social interactions and some political intrigue. That means you’re following behind a fairly competent and bright heroine with some tricks up her sleeve others don’t expect.
The common critique of these types of books stand true for this one, there is a certain lack of emotion and human feeling going around. You expect a person to be grateful to people who help them along the way but our heroine saw the father of her friend(new friend but still) get murdered in front of her but was within seconds impressed by the rewards she got in the dungeon level he defeated for her. Like “Ooh! Cool! Shiny! That will be useful!” kind of reaction. I was all ??? have a little heart lady.
It is somehow rewarding though to watch her level up and I like that a lot of the ‘fights’ are actually just her overcoming difficult social interactions and some political intrigue. That means you’re following behind a fairly competent and bright heroine with some tricks up her sleeve others don’t expect.
March 31, 2025
3.5 🌟 I liked the focus on charisma based/social combat (though there was a good ammont of focus on physical combat as well) which you don't normally see. I feel like the cut away to other characters midway through was jarring and threw the momentum of the story off, and the ending just kind of happened, which was a bit of a dissapointment. But all together good!
June 27, 2024
It took me a while to really get into this book, but I'm happy I didn't drop it after all.
The audio narration by Katherine Littrell was really competent, even if the Aussie accent does take some getting used to 😅.
The Good
The main intrigue of this book is actually quite good, even though it's barely mentioned in this volume (or at least not enough for my liking).
While we focus on the MC, I like that there are other world walkers across the world having to deal with their own brand of culture shock.
The real story picks up around about a third of the book and the secondary characters are well fleshed out; while their first function is info dump, it's done elegantly enough not to be glaring.
I also really liked that the system didn't become the bloody story. That's rare in the subgenre.
The Less Good
There is something desultory, almost clinical, about the narration tone that made relating to the MC rather hard for me. Especially in her lack of empathy for human death. There was not enough in her backstory to explain her callousness. That bothered me throughout the book.
I somehow wanted more of the other isekaied folks to put the MC into perspective and maintain a link to the greater scheme of things.
The Bad
The status sheets! The bloody status sheets! I know it works fine in print, but in an audiobook, it's just... Argh!!
The end of the book was too abrupt. I don't know if the book is a repackaging of a web novel, but that was not well done.
The Conclusion
I enjoyed it! I haven't enjoyed Gamelit in quite a while! I will look for the next one.
The audio narration by Katherine Littrell was really competent, even if the Aussie accent does take some getting used to 😅.
The Good
The main intrigue of this book is actually quite good, even though it's barely mentioned in this volume (or at least not enough for my liking).
While we focus on the MC, I like that there are other world walkers across the world having to deal with their own brand of culture shock.
The real story picks up around about a third of the book and the secondary characters are well fleshed out; while their first function is info dump, it's done elegantly enough not to be glaring.
I also really liked that the system didn't become the bloody story. That's rare in the subgenre.
The Less Good
There is something desultory, almost clinical, about the narration tone that made relating to the MC rather hard for me. Especially in her lack of empathy for human death. There was not enough in her backstory to explain her callousness. That bothered me throughout the book.
I somehow wanted more of the other isekaied folks to put the MC into perspective and maintain a link to the greater scheme of things.
The Bad
The status sheets! The bloody status sheets! I know it works fine in print, but in an audiobook, it's just... Argh!!
The end of the book was too abrupt. I don't know if the book is a repackaging of a web novel, but that was not well done.
The Conclusion
I enjoyed it! I haven't enjoyed Gamelit in quite a while! I will look for the next one.
August 23, 2023
This book is strange. The writing quality could definitely improve. It wasn't as engaging as it should/could have been. The story was interesting and had potential to be more, but it felt like the author was in a hurry. The first few chapters felt like a bit of an info dump, albeit in the form of the MC figuring out the system. I don't have anything against stats but the sheer volume in the first few chapters was a bit much, and I'm not all of the explanations really made sense to me. The book was shorter than average (not unusual for the genre) but by the time I hit the halfway point, the main 'issue' and the solution to it felt like the amount of content typical of a first book in a series, crammed into half of an already short book.
Another example of the author rushing was when the MC finally reveals to her friends that she's a Worldwalker. It's supposed to be this big thing and best kept a secret, so I was curious how they'd react. "I told them my story". That's it. That's how it's done, as little more than a footnote in an unrelated paragraph. I completely missed it at first and was confused when the MC's friends casually mentioned her being a Worldwalker. I thought the author had missed something major until I went back and found that one line.
Then there's what others say about the ending. It's definitely sudden. It feels like the end of the story arc, but it's unsatisfying in the extreme. It's entirely possible it's not the end and will be continued in the next book, but the ending for this book suggests otherwise.
I may read the sequel but I doubt I'll bother with any more if they're written. If you skip this book you wouldn't be missing much.
Another example of the author rushing was when the MC finally reveals to her friends that she's a Worldwalker. It's supposed to be this big thing and best kept a secret, so I was curious how they'd react. "I told them my story". That's it. That's how it's done, as little more than a footnote in an unrelated paragraph. I completely missed it at first and was confused when the MC's friends casually mentioned her being a Worldwalker. I thought the author had missed something major until I went back and found that one line.
Then there's what others say about the ending. It's definitely sudden. It feels like the end of the story arc, but it's unsatisfying in the extreme. It's entirely possible it's not the end and will be continued in the next book, but the ending for this book suggests otherwise.
I may read the sequel but I doubt I'll bother with any more if they're written. If you skip this book you wouldn't be missing much.
July 11, 2024
3.5 rating.
I liked the book and binged read it in one sitting but the book has a lot of flaws.
The good:
1. The writing flowed nicely and made for an easy non-fatiguing read.
2. Interesting Litrpg system.
3. Overall story was intriguing.
The bad:
1. Neglecting reflection over events that SHOULD have evoked emotion in the character
2. Inconsistent behaviour.
3. The beginning felt really unnatural and stilted. Should have either spent more time there or removed it.
I liked the book and binged read it in one sitting but the book has a lot of flaws.
The good:
1. The writing flowed nicely and made for an easy non-fatiguing read.
2. Interesting Litrpg system.
3. Overall story was intriguing.
The bad:
1. Neglecting reflection over events that SHOULD have evoked emotion in the character
2. Inconsistent behaviour.
3. The beginning felt really unnatural and stilted. Should have either spent more time there or removed it.
April 27, 2023
A good start
So I have to admit, I’m actually on what we probably be considered the 2nd book in the series. I will keep my review only to this book. I will start out by saying it’s a great book to read of MC in the transporter to a new world and has to find her way. The character does not go the traditional hack and slash route. Instead, she goes for illusion. I won’t say anything more. Now the beginning read like a story of red before just a very first few chapters when she’s getting her feet up under her, but after that, when she branches out into the world begins the world for what it is. A place for opportunity and she takes advantage of these opportunities. I don’t want to spoil anything but she is not overpowered instead, she is a thinker and comes up with creative solutions to problems.
This is a book I recommend five stars, and if you read this book, go online, find the other chapters and read those as well. If you’re like me, you won’t want to wait until the second book in the series drops.
So I have to admit, I’m actually on what we probably be considered the 2nd book in the series. I will keep my review only to this book. I will start out by saying it’s a great book to read of MC in the transporter to a new world and has to find her way. The character does not go the traditional hack and slash route. Instead, she goes for illusion. I won’t say anything more. Now the beginning read like a story of red before just a very first few chapters when she’s getting her feet up under her, but after that, when she branches out into the world begins the world for what it is. A place for opportunity and she takes advantage of these opportunities. I don’t want to spoil anything but she is not overpowered instead, she is a thinker and comes up with creative solutions to problems.
This is a book I recommend five stars, and if you read this book, go online, find the other chapters and read those as well. If you’re like me, you won’t want to wait until the second book in the series drops.
June 22, 2025
3.5/5
An isekai book. My first one at that.
I am familiar with the concept and how repetitive it can be. I picked it up because of that. I wanted something to turn my brain off to and it delivered and more.
I listened to the audiobook, instead of reading it. I would not recommend it to be honest. Not that the audio book is bad in any sense, it is actually great. It's the amount of information that thrown to you in the notifications that is the issue. For example, she read the info of some of the abilities in the first chapter and I had forgotten all of it 5 minutes later. It is essential to the book, but even when I was paying my full attention, I was still going back minutes to re-listen to the explanation.
All in all, I like the FMC. She is smart and even though she has the plot armour, it's more shuttle and only comes on when in dire situations. So there are mistakes or decisions that she does and doesn't get away with. The book tries to play fair and I appreciate it.
I will definitely continue the series and hope that it doesn't disappoint.
Thank you for reading. 😄
An isekai book. My first one at that.
I am familiar with the concept and how repetitive it can be. I picked it up because of that. I wanted something to turn my brain off to and it delivered and more.
I listened to the audiobook, instead of reading it. I would not recommend it to be honest. Not that the audio book is bad in any sense, it is actually great. It's the amount of information that thrown to you in the notifications that is the issue. For example, she read the info of some of the abilities in the first chapter and I had forgotten all of it 5 minutes later. It is essential to the book, but even when I was paying my full attention, I was still going back minutes to re-listen to the explanation.
All in all, I like the FMC. She is smart and even though she has the plot armour, it's more shuttle and only comes on when in dire situations. So there are mistakes or decisions that she does and doesn't get away with. The book tries to play fair and I appreciate it.
I will definitely continue the series and hope that it doesn't disappoint.
Thank you for reading. 😄
November 24, 2023
Overall a fresh take on the Genre. Marvelous to have social interactions be meaning full and part of the xp/combat mechanics of the system. Still the usual complaint about the genre though. Stat sheets are on the one hand necessary but on the other quickly become padding to increase the page count. These particular stat sheets are initially informative and necessary, but they are reprinted in total to many times. To all authors in this genre, remember the purpose of stat sheets is most often served with a simple posting of the changes and not the entire sheet. Keep the focus on the main elements of plot and character which make for good fiction in any genre. In this case those two elements are strong enough to overcome the overuse of stat sheet reprints.
July 24, 2023
KU Review
Interesting system with all kinds of social battles outside of combat. Makes for fun interactions especially navigating around nobles. Definitely a series to continue.
General disclaimer: I want to be clear in that I do not factor cost into any review and as such, this is simply a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
Interesting system with all kinds of social battles outside of combat. Makes for fun interactions especially navigating around nobles. Definitely a series to continue.
General disclaimer: I want to be clear in that I do not factor cost into any review and as such, this is simply a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
August 13, 2023
An isekai based on social intrigue is an exciting concept.
The general story was excellent, as was the overall character development. The whole thing was readily a five star right up till the VERY abrupt ending. While there was enough closure to keep it from being a cliffhanger, it was still incredibly jarring.
The general story was excellent, as was the overall character development. The whole thing was readily a five star right up till the VERY abrupt ending. While there was enough closure to keep it from being a cliffhanger, it was still incredibly jarring.
February 15, 2024
I liked it, and it took me until the second book to realize why I didn’t like it as much as I wanted to - the MC acts out empathy and builds relationships, but doesn’t palpably miss the people she’s not with. Very much a love the one you’re with approach to life and it didn’t feel true to me.
I really liked the quant aspect, but ultimately this is not going to be a re-read for me.
I really liked the quant aspect, but ultimately this is not going to be a re-read for me.
February 18, 2024
Good and Different
This books is just like an rpg game but the main character is a lot different. She uses her brains and has that beauty that can captivate anyone. To top it all off, she has magic that is considered support magic. I can tell this book will hit differently from the normal isekai being born to overpower the world. I enjoyed reading this book.
This books is just like an rpg game but the main character is a lot different. She uses her brains and has that beauty that can captivate anyone. To top it all off, she has magic that is considered support magic. I can tell this book will hit differently from the normal isekai being born to overpower the world. I enjoyed reading this book.
February 16, 2023
Good story, poor ending
The story was alright, the MC is quite likeable and there are some interesting side characters. The ending however was very sudden and not all that well done.
The story was alright, the MC is quite likeable and there are some interesting side characters. The ending however was very sudden and not all that well done.
December 5, 2023
Great book!
Very original and different Isekai book than I though, great story, awesome characters, nice world! For once not an overpowered MC.. The book is quite long and reads pretty much as two differents parts of the same story
I can’t wait to read the second book!
Very original and different Isekai book than I though, great story, awesome characters, nice world! For once not an overpowered MC.. The book is quite long and reads pretty much as two differents parts of the same story
I can’t wait to read the second book!
April 21, 2024
Interesting Premise
The world walker idea is rather nice. The lack of a good epilogue is extremely annoying. We leave the story not safe, not happy and with no temporary resolutions.
The world walker idea is rather nice. The lack of a good epilogue is extremely annoying. We leave the story not safe, not happy and with no temporary resolutions.
December 3, 2024
Enjoying this series
First book by this author, and I'm pleased to say I'm hooked. What would you do if you wake up in a new world? Blue screen in your face, choices to make, and a world to explore
First book by this author, and I'm pleased to say I'm hooked. What would you do if you wake up in a new world? Blue screen in your face, choices to make, and a world to explore
January 14, 2026
Nice relaxing LitRPG. I enjoyed the take on social contests. All the stats go a little overboard sometimes, especially in the audio version. All in all I really enjoyed it, but was not completely hooked (like with Carl for example).
March 28, 2026
DNF 82%. Juvenile.
This book quickly moved from standard Isekai/progression to medieval political intrigue. The problem was, the manoeuvring lacked realism. This is the cosy YA version of Machiavelli.
This book quickly moved from standard Isekai/progression to medieval political intrigue. The problem was, the manoeuvring lacked realism. This is the cosy YA version of Machiavelli.
April 15, 2026
This book seems to start out as a relatively typical LitRPG / Isekai style novel, however the main character quickly makes several decisions that are unusual. I like the different take on what choices the main character makes and the potential for the series.
October 19, 2023
Fun RPG
I hope the next book goes a bit more in depth on the other champions and their experiences. I couldn’t put this one down, it was great.
I hope the next book goes a bit more in depth on the other champions and their experiences. I couldn’t put this one down, it was great.
January 12, 2024
Solid LitRpg with a focus on Social Skills rather than combat ones (though there is also combat too). A few minor typos and an abrupt ending are the only thing keeping this from a 5 star story.
February 29, 2024
Really enjoyable
June 23, 2024
great book
Loved the book… the story line was interesting and the mixture of the rpg aspects didn’t seem forced. Can’t wait for the next
Loved the book… the story line was interesting and the mixture of the rpg aspects didn’t seem forced. Can’t wait for the next
Read
July 30, 2024Note to self: There was an F-word on the first page, hence I decided not to try it.
January 18, 2026
Not much occurs, things just occasionally happen to the protagonist. Not unenjoyable, but I won't be continuing with the series.
January 14, 2024
Rating 3.5 stars
My enjoyment of this book was kind of up and down. It started off pretty well. The overall story itself isn't new. A typical Isekai brought to another world story. There were a few things that stood out. The MC was female which only happens in a minority of these type of stories. I listened to the audiobook and the MC was Australian. The author also seemed to take into account that the MC was a woman. A woman is different from a man. They have different strengths and weaknesses. Most of these stories try to ignore that aspect. This one didn't. The MC was given +1 to charisma due to being a woman instead of the +1 to strength that a man would have gotten. She decided to lean into the charisma stat and picked a magic system around that aspect. She chose illusion magic. Her strengths were geared toward intelligence, intrigue, deception and misdirection.
So, it started off pretty strong. Something a little different. That is why I was a little disappointed in what happened over the next couple of hours in the audiobook. It turned into a typical dungeon run. She fought monsters and leveled up. It pretty much ignored her entire build. My enjoyment started to wain at that point. It started out as a 4-star story and dropped to a 3-star story if not less. Then the author redeemed herself in my eyes. The ending of the book was much more in line with what I was expected which caused the rating to go back up. Not quite back to what it could have been due to middle section of the book but enough to get me to read the next book.
My enjoyment of this book was kind of up and down. It started off pretty well. The overall story itself isn't new. A typical Isekai brought to another world story. There were a few things that stood out. The MC was female which only happens in a minority of these type of stories. I listened to the audiobook and the MC was Australian. The author also seemed to take into account that the MC was a woman. A woman is different from a man. They have different strengths and weaknesses. Most of these stories try to ignore that aspect. This one didn't. The MC was given +1 to charisma due to being a woman instead of the +1 to strength that a man would have gotten. She decided to lean into the charisma stat and picked a magic system around that aspect. She chose illusion magic. Her strengths were geared toward intelligence, intrigue, deception and misdirection.
So, it started off pretty strong. Something a little different. That is why I was a little disappointed in what happened over the next couple of hours in the audiobook. It turned into a typical dungeon run. She fought monsters and leveled up. It pretty much ignored her entire build. My enjoyment started to wain at that point. It started out as a 4-star story and dropped to a 3-star story if not less. Then the author redeemed herself in my eyes. The ending of the book was much more in line with what I was expected which caused the rating to go back up. Not quite back to what it could have been due to middle section of the book but enough to get me to read the next book.
February 16, 2026
Started strong but got worse
While book one was great and even book two wasn't that bad. By book four it has started to get...unenjoyable. First the MC starts to lean heavy into Charisma to the point she is basically mind controlling everyone. Any time anyone disagrees with her, she leans into her 'persuasion' or other social skills. Which make them unable to argue with her for 24 hours. Even if they don't want to agree they have to. While the author tries to make this seem like it isn't mind magic. It is.
She basically takes away a person's will and makes them do what she wants. Which is mental rape. Simply put. She starts doing it to everyone. Kids, innocents, randoms. Anyone who disagrees with her, she uses her skills to make them agree.
Then she stands on a moral point of 'not killing' even when it would make all her problems vastly more simple. Big bad guy who kills tons of people. Either try to get him legally taken care of or ignore while he kills more. Instead of just....killing him. The whole later points of the book revolves around complicated 'plots' to deal with her enemies without killing. Sure using magic to force them to obey for 24 hours is good against their will but killing...Baaad!
It just becomes rather stupid at that point. So I dropped the series at book 4. Perhaps others will like the whole, lots jump through a million hoops to not kill and be blackmailed. Where I think a dagger to someone's throat would save more lives and solve her problems. It's very annoying for me to read.
While book one was great and even book two wasn't that bad. By book four it has started to get...unenjoyable. First the MC starts to lean heavy into Charisma to the point she is basically mind controlling everyone. Any time anyone disagrees with her, she leans into her 'persuasion' or other social skills. Which make them unable to argue with her for 24 hours. Even if they don't want to agree they have to. While the author tries to make this seem like it isn't mind magic. It is.
She basically takes away a person's will and makes them do what she wants. Which is mental rape. Simply put. She starts doing it to everyone. Kids, innocents, randoms. Anyone who disagrees with her, she uses her skills to make them agree.
Then she stands on a moral point of 'not killing' even when it would make all her problems vastly more simple. Big bad guy who kills tons of people. Either try to get him legally taken care of or ignore while he kills more. Instead of just....killing him. The whole later points of the book revolves around complicated 'plots' to deal with her enemies without killing. Sure using magic to force them to obey for 24 hours is good against their will but killing...Baaad!
It just becomes rather stupid at that point. So I dropped the series at book 4. Perhaps others will like the whole, lots jump through a million hoops to not kill and be blackmailed. Where I think a dagger to someone's throat would save more lives and solve her problems. It's very annoying for me to read.
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