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Book of the Dead #1
Awakening
A forbidden Class. A dark power. Can Tyron prove he can still be a hero?With one touch of the Awakening Stone, Tyron receives an outlawed Class and his life changes forever.
His bright and promising future as the scion of two famous, monster-hunting Slayers is promptly torn apart and he must make a decision.
He can allow his Class to be purged from his soul as is required by his society, or can cling to it, abandon all that he knows, and rise from the shadow of his influential parents to prove the world that shunned him wrong.
It's time to show that even with an "evil" Class like Necromancer, Tyron can still do good.
Don't miss the start of the next hit LitRPG series from RinoZ, the author of Chrysalis. Book of the Dead takes on all aspects of Necromancy headfirst, from the tactical maneuvering of skeletons, to what it's like spending so much time amongst the undead.
His bright and promising future as the scion of two famous, monster-hunting Slayers is promptly torn apart and he must make a decision.
He can allow his Class to be purged from his soul as is required by his society, or can cling to it, abandon all that he knows, and rise from the shadow of his influential parents to prove the world that shunned him wrong.
It's time to show that even with an "evil" Class like Necromancer, Tyron can still do good.
Don't miss the start of the next hit LitRPG series from RinoZ, the author of Chrysalis. Book of the Dead takes on all aspects of Necromancy headfirst, from the tactical maneuvering of skeletons, to what it's like spending so much time amongst the undead.
542 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
751 people are currently reading
767 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
February 21, 2024
I got bored. You'd need a shot of adrenaline to bring the pace up to "plodding". Seriously, the author takes chapters to get to a thing. And then more chapters to plod out the aftermath so you can have chapters getting to another thing.
And it isn't helping that his family is genuinely kind and caring, forcing him to lie to them for the sake of keeping his nasty class. Nor that Tyron's friend group consists of two awful people and one naïf and none of them are close enough that they'd persist past discovering his class. My best guess is that the author is setting up some grand confrontation later on once Tyron makes his break from the community. You know, so that there can be oh no emotions!
Anyway, I dnf'd this once I got tired of waiting for things to happen. So very much pfaffing about. And then we get friend PoV where we learn how awful they are. Ugh. No thanks.
And it isn't helping that his family is genuinely kind and caring, forcing him to lie to them for the sake of keeping his nasty class. Nor that Tyron's friend group consists of two awful people and one naïf and none of them are close enough that they'd persist past discovering his class. My best guess is that the author is setting up some grand confrontation later on once Tyron makes his break from the community. You know, so that there can be oh no emotions!
Anyway, I dnf'd this once I got tired of waiting for things to happen. So very much pfaffing about. And then we get friend PoV where we learn how awful they are. Ugh. No thanks.
September 6, 2023
I'm not enamoured of the somewhat contrived and cliché premise and definitely not the book introduction. The introduction contradicts the facts of the story naming the necromancer class, bestowed upon him by the gods, as an Evil class, when in fact the only actually evil thing is the subclass tacked onto it by the evil entities of the reality the story is set in.
On the whole I am not into stories that are overburdened with hypocrisy and the idiocy that comes with it add to that a mentally impaired MC, the over-used 18year old wisdom deprived cliché fool type, and things,.. ugh. I have read other reviews referring to the main character as smart and a genius. I wish that was the case but at best he's the type of smart/genius person that needs a minder to take care of them.
The author is also setting himself and his mc up to walk a specific line throughout the story, a line that he in my opinion tumbled off in his last book series, the one with the ants.
So in all honesty I must say that the setup has me feeling more than slightly leery about the future of this story.
- I will edit this review as I progress through listening/reading this.
On the whole I am not into stories that are overburdened with hypocrisy and the idiocy that comes with it add to that a mentally impaired MC, the over-used 18year old wisdom deprived cliché fool type, and things,.. ugh. I have read other reviews referring to the main character as smart and a genius. I wish that was the case but at best he's the type of smart/genius person that needs a minder to take care of them.
The author is also setting himself and his mc up to walk a specific line throughout the story, a line that he in my opinion tumbled off in his last book series, the one with the ants.
So in all honesty I must say that the setup has me feeling more than slightly leery about the future of this story.
- I will edit this review as I progress through listening/reading this.
October 24, 2023
Surprisingly good.
A very smooth introduction. We took our time to get into establishing how the system impacts the society and I found it well done.
This series has the absolute best take on organic status sheet mechanics I've seen in any gamelit, bar none! Finally, someone dares to drop the stupid HUD concept!
The premise is quite intriguing, and the plot advances in a measured and sensible way. We mostly focus on the MC's POV,but we do get a few cutaway scenes for context. It's OK.
Having the MC get an undocumented class is a useful tool to expose the metaphysics of the magic system through the MC's frustrations. Clever!
While the MC is portrayed as a genius with good genes, I appreciate that he doesn't end up OP by the end of book 1, avoiding a common trap.
The mythology is still a bit confusing, but I like the variety of antagonists and their rather realistic portrayal. I can see a main plotline stretching through a number of volumes, instead of the typical episodic volume style so common in the genre. Another good point.
Finally, the narration was competent, which enhanced my experience of the book.
All positives!
A very smooth introduction. We took our time to get into establishing how the system impacts the society and I found it well done.
This series has the absolute best take on organic status sheet mechanics I've seen in any gamelit, bar none! Finally, someone dares to drop the stupid HUD concept!
The premise is quite intriguing, and the plot advances in a measured and sensible way. We mostly focus on the MC's POV,but we do get a few cutaway scenes for context. It's OK.
Having the MC get an undocumented class is a useful tool to expose the metaphysics of the magic system through the MC's frustrations. Clever!
While the MC is portrayed as a genius with good genes, I appreciate that he doesn't end up OP by the end of book 1, avoiding a common trap.
The mythology is still a bit confusing, but I like the variety of antagonists and their rather realistic portrayal. I can see a main plotline stretching through a number of volumes, instead of the typical episodic volume style so common in the genre. Another good point.
Finally, the narration was competent, which enhanced my experience of the book.
All positives!
July 31, 2025
YA-ish in tone but it's about a necromancer, so not really YA lol. I enjoy this series. It can be a bit gruesome but I love the humor as well, with the skull sidekick being a highlight.
December 5, 2023
One of, if not the best portrayal of an average person becoming a necromancer, with all it entails -- emotionally, morally, societally. Overall, one of my favorite surprises of the year and a fantastic LitRPG audiobook.
September 12, 2023
I have mixed feeling about this book. There is some things that I really liked and other things that I didn’t. I loved the world and magic system. But my problem is the characters specifically the side characters. Tyrion made up for it though he is great main character.
August 31, 2025
If you're looking for a realistic approach to a Necromancer main character living in one of the most grounded adaptations for how a real world might operate under game-like mechanics, then this is the story you're after.
Plot - 9/10, Characters - 9/10, Setting & Magic - 10/10, Writing - 8/10, Enjoyment - 10/10
Plot
Our main character, Tyron, is 18 years old, which means that he will receive his divinely ordained path in life in a public magic ritual. Picture the sorting hat event from Harry Potter, except everyone who turned 18 that year gets an assignment that will be their class for life. Unless they are assigned an "illegal" class, in which case they need to have their class and accompanying abilities magically ripped out of them, becoming a magical cripple who will never meet their full potential, but who can still pick up a sub-class as a baker or something if they try hard enough.
This world is also under constant siege by creatures called rift-kin, who, you guessed it, invade the world through dimensional portals that gradually widen if left alone over time. Luckily, some people are given martial or magical classes that provide skills to fight against rift-kin, and defeating rift-kin is the fundamental way for a person to gain levels, stats, and skills in their class. Unfortunately, there are more rifts than there are powerful slayers, with new rifts forming all the time and old rifts growing larger if left alone, which results in even more powerful creatures crossing the barrier.
Characters
Tyron is the son of legendary Slayers, so it's basically a given that he will awaken a powerful class and follow in his parents' footsteps. Some of his small-town friends are counting on it so they can form a party with him and leave their piss-ant town behind. Unfortunately, as the book's title and cover show, Tyron is given the Necromancer class, which is on the forbidden list. With only five days to officially report his class to the government, Tyron has to decide whether he takes the safe route, allowing his class to be ripped from him, or whether he will risk it all to follow his assigned path and hopefully show everyone that a class isn't inherently evil.
There are a variety of supporting characters from the extended family who essentially raised Tyron while his parents were off Slaying, as well as other Slayers, Slayer hopefuls, and then more regular folk with mundane jobs just trying to get by. One thing that I really appreciated with the character work was that every character had realistic in-universe wants and desires. Even characters who were fairly unlikable had reasons for their behavior and I never got the sense that anyone was simply a walking plot device.
Setting & Magic
The worldbuilding is where this story really shines, with extra attention given to the practicalities of practicing necromancy and living in a world with classes and levels. Anyone who has read many gamelit or litrpg stories probably has a tolerance for floating blue screens and monster bodies that dissolve into particles, but this is one of the stories that tries to make everything as grounded as possible.
Rather than simply saying "Status" and having a transparent blue screen appear in front of the character detailing their abilities, characters in this world perform a ritual with a piece of paper, a verbal recitation, and drawing some blood from a finger. The blood is pulled from their body and creates words on the paper, providing the information on their abilities, skills, and whether the gods believe the person has completed enough noteworthy achievements to earn some new levels or abilities. New sub-classes, stats, and/or abilities might be offered and the person marks off their choice in blood before having a bit of a pleasurable siezure as divine power makes it so.
Writing
The writing was pretty solid with no glaring errors that jumped out at me. The prose was functional with no real attempts at being flowery, which suited me fine. I appreciated the balance the author achieved with minor bits of mental exploration without devolving into prolonged navel-gazing. There were some interesting moral quandaries for our character while practicing necromancy as he had to decide what actions were acceptable to him and what might be a step too far. His goal is to become a powerful Slayer and show that a necromancer doesn't have to be a criminal after all, so he can't go slaughtering towns full of innocent people to provide resources for an undead army.
Enjoyment
I thought this was a fantastic book and I was riveted the whole time. It was refreshing to have a character who behaved rationally and proactively. There is no shortage of reactionary gamelit protagonists who have the plot happen to them. By contrast, Tyron is backed into a corner very early in the story when he receives his class and has limited time to make decisions, but he does what he can with what he's got. Once he makes his choices, he acts and commits, quickly reaching a point of no return.
I can't wait to go deeper into this series as there's a fair chance it will end up being one of my favorites.
Plot - 9/10, Characters - 9/10, Setting & Magic - 10/10, Writing - 8/10, Enjoyment - 10/10
Plot
Our main character, Tyron, is 18 years old, which means that he will receive his divinely ordained path in life in a public magic ritual. Picture the sorting hat event from Harry Potter, except everyone who turned 18 that year gets an assignment that will be their class for life. Unless they are assigned an "illegal" class, in which case they need to have their class and accompanying abilities magically ripped out of them, becoming a magical cripple who will never meet their full potential, but who can still pick up a sub-class as a baker or something if they try hard enough.
This world is also under constant siege by creatures called rift-kin, who, you guessed it, invade the world through dimensional portals that gradually widen if left alone over time. Luckily, some people are given martial or magical classes that provide skills to fight against rift-kin, and defeating rift-kin is the fundamental way for a person to gain levels, stats, and skills in their class. Unfortunately, there are more rifts than there are powerful slayers, with new rifts forming all the time and old rifts growing larger if left alone, which results in even more powerful creatures crossing the barrier.
Characters
Tyron is the son of legendary Slayers, so it's basically a given that he will awaken a powerful class and follow in his parents' footsteps. Some of his small-town friends are counting on it so they can form a party with him and leave their piss-ant town behind. Unfortunately, as the book's title and cover show, Tyron is given the Necromancer class, which is on the forbidden list. With only five days to officially report his class to the government, Tyron has to decide whether he takes the safe route, allowing his class to be ripped from him, or whether he will risk it all to follow his assigned path and hopefully show everyone that a class isn't inherently evil.
There are a variety of supporting characters from the extended family who essentially raised Tyron while his parents were off Slaying, as well as other Slayers, Slayer hopefuls, and then more regular folk with mundane jobs just trying to get by. One thing that I really appreciated with the character work was that every character had realistic in-universe wants and desires. Even characters who were fairly unlikable had reasons for their behavior and I never got the sense that anyone was simply a walking plot device.
Setting & Magic
The worldbuilding is where this story really shines, with extra attention given to the practicalities of practicing necromancy and living in a world with classes and levels. Anyone who has read many gamelit or litrpg stories probably has a tolerance for floating blue screens and monster bodies that dissolve into particles, but this is one of the stories that tries to make everything as grounded as possible.
Rather than simply saying "Status" and having a transparent blue screen appear in front of the character detailing their abilities, characters in this world perform a ritual with a piece of paper, a verbal recitation, and drawing some blood from a finger. The blood is pulled from their body and creates words on the paper, providing the information on their abilities, skills, and whether the gods believe the person has completed enough noteworthy achievements to earn some new levels or abilities. New sub-classes, stats, and/or abilities might be offered and the person marks off their choice in blood before having a bit of a pleasurable siezure as divine power makes it so.
Writing
The writing was pretty solid with no glaring errors that jumped out at me. The prose was functional with no real attempts at being flowery, which suited me fine. I appreciated the balance the author achieved with minor bits of mental exploration without devolving into prolonged navel-gazing. There were some interesting moral quandaries for our character while practicing necromancy as he had to decide what actions were acceptable to him and what might be a step too far. His goal is to become a powerful Slayer and show that a necromancer doesn't have to be a criminal after all, so he can't go slaughtering towns full of innocent people to provide resources for an undead army.
Enjoyment
I thought this was a fantastic book and I was riveted the whole time. It was refreshing to have a character who behaved rationally and proactively. There is no shortage of reactionary gamelit protagonists who have the plot happen to them. By contrast, Tyron is backed into a corner very early in the story when he receives his class and has limited time to make decisions, but he does what he can with what he's got. Once he makes his choices, he acts and commits, quickly reaching a point of no return.
I can't wait to go deeper into this series as there's a fair chance it will end up being one of my favorites.
May 18, 2025
Ok Litrpg - actually does get better (and less litrpg) at book 3.
September 18, 2023
Finally
Now I have to start off by admitting. I am a longtime fan of this series. I followed the web novel. That’s updated on an annual basis. Have I read this book? Absolutely several times actually is it worth reading? Yes. I had to verify the endpoint of the book here because like I said, I’ve been reading the novel online so I’m far past this point in the story but boy is this a good story. It is not your typical cookie cutter LITRPG Jean? No, no no no. This is a real story. You get a AMC you get a cast of sub characters, and the author is sure to take you on an adventure. Now the first book in the series does do a lot to set you up for what’s to come I won’t spoil any of it. You’ll be introduced to an MC. You’ll be introduced to a World you’ll discover what it’s like to be hated by everyone. That’s the beauty of this book. It doesn’t give you a perfect world where you are the hero and everybody loves you. he doesn’t even give you a perfect world where things are shiny and new. No it’s kind of dark here.
Message to the author
Spoilers ahead, potentially
Welcome to KU. Those of us who have been following you for quite some time I’m going to be sure to give you the ratings that you deserve. Make sure to promote your book back on the website so that people know to come here and let the people know this is a great series. I look forward to what’s coming in the future. I will say this sometimes I think things progress a little too slow in the story. It always picks back up. It ends up in a great place but sometimes I think things progress a little too slow.
Now I have to start off by admitting. I am a longtime fan of this series. I followed the web novel. That’s updated on an annual basis. Have I read this book? Absolutely several times actually is it worth reading? Yes. I had to verify the endpoint of the book here because like I said, I’ve been reading the novel online so I’m far past this point in the story but boy is this a good story. It is not your typical cookie cutter LITRPG Jean? No, no no no. This is a real story. You get a AMC you get a cast of sub characters, and the author is sure to take you on an adventure. Now the first book in the series does do a lot to set you up for what’s to come I won’t spoil any of it. You’ll be introduced to an MC. You’ll be introduced to a World you’ll discover what it’s like to be hated by everyone. That’s the beauty of this book. It doesn’t give you a perfect world where you are the hero and everybody loves you. he doesn’t even give you a perfect world where things are shiny and new. No it’s kind of dark here.
Message to the author
Spoilers ahead, potentially
Welcome to KU. Those of us who have been following you for quite some time I’m going to be sure to give you the ratings that you deserve. Make sure to promote your book back on the website so that people know to come here and let the people know this is a great series. I look forward to what’s coming in the future. I will say this sometimes I think things progress a little too slow in the story. It always picks back up. It ends up in a great place but sometimes I think things progress a little too slow.
October 8, 2023
Best Necromancer book I read so far.
September 13, 2023
So good!
Excellent storytelling and use of layered tension. Rational genius protagonist done well. The necromancy aspect is satisfying, too. Super enjoyable, highly recommend.
Excellent storytelling and use of layered tension. Rational genius protagonist done well. The necromancy aspect is satisfying, too. Super enjoyable, highly recommend.
September 7, 2023
review
Good first entry. The process to access the status screen and level up is outstanding and unique. Feels like our budding necromancer is the least sinister thing in this world. Lots of plot lines to explore.
Good first entry. The process to access the status screen and level up is outstanding and unique. Feels like our budding necromancer is the least sinister thing in this world. Lots of plot lines to explore.
December 31, 2025
I once again like the stories that RinoZ tells, and even more than the enjoying the story of the MC, for some reason I really enjoy the side characters (Dove, Elsbeth, etc.) I found this to be true in Chrysalis as well. A good LitRPG take on getting Necromancer as your class. The author does a good job of trying to describe how horrible finding bodies / butchering bodies would actually be, but it makes for an entertaining read.
December 5, 2023
I heard a few people say that this book did necromancers right, so I will see how it goes.
"You should have cared for the living" is such a great quote. I really hope it's a catchphrase from now on.
I can see why a lot of people are upset.
I was going to say this protag was nicely written when compared to the author's ants book.
The "skellie lover" was logical, thought before doing something stupid, and tried to better himself / his craft...
Then the author wanted to blackmail his readers into sympathizing with the character. So the author made the protag start blaming himself for shit that was out of his control/ someone else's fault. Probably as a means for the protag to seem "more human". Readers probably complained (was published piecemeal on Royal Road before this) that the protag was "too OP", "not human enough", or some crap. So the author made the protagonist stupid (throwing away all the character's background) so he can do stupid shit.
Why didn't he blame himself for his village friends trying to strip his class? If he gave the bully all he wanted, and put himself on a platter, none of this would have happened.
This is pissing me off like other reviewers, as I was actually enjoying the story up to that point.
I finished the book and I will pick up the sequel. I hope the author doesn't do stupid breaks in character in the next one, like he did in book one.
Also I felt the author strangled the progression of the protagonist in this one.
3/5 Stars
"You should have cared for the living" is such a great quote. I really hope it's a catchphrase from now on.
I can see why a lot of people are upset.
I was going to say this protag was nicely written when compared to the author's ants book.
The "skellie lover" was logical, thought before doing something stupid, and tried to better himself / his craft...
Then the author wanted to blackmail his readers into sympathizing with the character. So the author made the protag start blaming himself for shit that was out of his control/ someone else's fault. Probably as a means for the protag to seem "more human". Readers probably complained (was published piecemeal on Royal Road before this) that the protag was "too OP", "not human enough", or some crap. So the author made the protagonist stupid (throwing away all the character's background) so he can do stupid shit.
Why didn't he blame himself for his village friends trying to strip his class? If he gave the bully all he wanted, and put himself on a platter, none of this would have happened.
This is pissing me off like other reviewers, as I was actually enjoying the story up to that point.
I finished the book and I will pick up the sequel. I hope the author doesn't do stupid breaks in character in the next one, like he did in book one.
Also I felt the author strangled the progression of the protagonist in this one.
3/5 Stars
January 23, 2024
I had high hopes for this I have read several necromancer stories in the past and I highly recommend you read them instead (check out see these bones by Chris Tullbane). It’s actually incredible how the author somehow avoided every opportunity to make the story interesting or unique. When I started having these thoughts I gave it a pass thinking “well maybe the story we deepen as we go along I barely started this book after all” only to realize I was over half way done. How undiscriptive and short the other reviews are should have been a red flag. In the first few chapters the story introduces like 10 interesting character who we leave behind and that are never really replaced. We have interesting power ups put in front of us only for them to be refused in favor of better skeletons. Who wants the power to magically decay things or affect minds when you can have *gasp* 5 skeletons instead of 4. Completely uninspired take on necromancy slow as molasses pacing and characters who are interesting and then immediately abandoned after 3 chapters. What makes this concept interesting is trying to get away with being a necromancer without being discovered and maybe dealing with the societal implications of beings a necromancer. People either never figure him out or somehow figure him out in 30 seconds and regardless he spends most of his time in the woods by himself completely crippling the concept. There’s not even good combat or good lore to save this story from its lackluster writing and character work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2024
I found this to be pretty slow. Not glacially slow but more like molasses. The protagonist is given a taboo class, Necromancer. He's also given a subclass to start off with called Anathama. I really don't think it adds much to the story other than generate some tension and grant him a few extra spells. It feels like it sticks out to me.
He has a terrible choice, either to lose his class since it's illegal or die. His best friends turn on him and the spends the majority of the story alone. This is a LITrpg so there is quite a bit of focus on stats, skills, and abilities; I do feel like it was a bit excessive. I prefer that whole aspect to be more in the background. Though I will say I would kill for his Night Owl feat. The characters feel shallow in a, "This is the only thing we can do so that's it," kind of way.
Tyron's absolute refusal to use zombies irked me. He talked and talked about how skeletons drained his man so much and made things so hard but zombies didn't. Like I know they smell, I'm sure you could figure out a spell to fix that, and they'd be weaker than your skeletons but, you're in a dangerous forest you could use the backup. He also could only get experience if his minions killed something, not him.
On the list of things I absolutely hated, how Tyron would use the sleep spell on himself, Mage Candy, and the authors abuse of the phrase "Room to swing a cat".
I don't usually give partial ratings but I'd rate this as a high two stars. High enough that I'll very likely read the sequel but low enough that I doubt I'll ever reread it.
' “Nobody who renounces their first Class has risen to the top. Not one. Sub-Classes will never make up the loss, even for a human. That’s why I’m telling you, keep your Class. I don’t care what it is—Robber, Thief, Prostitute, heck, even a filthy Merchant.” He spat for emphasis. “That’s the Class that fits you, and your mother and I don’t care what it is. We’ll accept it just as we accept you. Okay? Stick to the path laid out before you. There’s no such thing as shame between us.”“Nobody who renounces their first Class has risen to the top. Not one. Sub-Classes will never make up the loss, even for a human. That’s why I’m telling you, keep your Class. I don’t care what it is—Robber, Thief, Prostitute, heck, even a filthy Merchant.” He spat for emphasis. “That’s the Class that fits you, and your mother and I don’t care what it is. We’ll accept it just as we accept you. Okay? Stick to the path laid out before you. There’s no such thing as shame between us.” '
' A sour feeling turned in Tyron’s gut. That man had tried to flee town back to his village without having his status read after the Awakening. After being caught by the marshals and dragged back to town, he’d been Appraised and then refused to renounce the Thief Class. The Mayor had cut off both his hands. Without the ability to steal, the would-be Thief would never be able to level up his Class, crippling him for life. ' Fucking yikes my dude.
' Secretly, Tyron hoped for the Wizard class. They weren’t suited for working as Monster Slayers, since their magicks were generally too broad. If he could rank up to Arch-Wizard then he’d get a tower somewhere and be left to his own devices until the kingdom needed him to drop a comet on something before returning to his books. ' I feel like everyone on this site feels that way.
' “Mage candy,” the voice of his mother sounded inside his head, a memory of her holding up a crystal just like this one in front of his younger eyes coming to mind. “Very useful in small doses, extremely toxic in large ones. If you end up being a spellcaster, it’s a good idea to start building up an immunity early, because if you’re anything like me, you’ll be chewing through these things,” she grinned, “like candy.” '
' “I hate zombies.”
“Everyone hates zombies, dear. You would have to be weird to like them.” ' The future class feats Tyron gets beg to differ.
' "To leave the empire you’d have to travel beyond the broken lands, and I’d give you a snowball’s chance in my undies that you’d make it through.” ' Dove is an interesting character but so very crass.
' “Shut up, idiot,” Beory growled, her face a mask of concentration. “Every time you talk it distracts me from my meditation.”
“Because I’m handsome?”
“No. Because you’re infuriating.”
“Infuriatingly handsome?”
“Shut. Up. Magnin.” '
He has a terrible choice, either to lose his class since it's illegal or die. His best friends turn on him and the spends the majority of the story alone. This is a LITrpg so there is quite a bit of focus on stats, skills, and abilities; I do feel like it was a bit excessive. I prefer that whole aspect to be more in the background. Though I will say I would kill for his Night Owl feat. The characters feel shallow in a, "This is the only thing we can do so that's it," kind of way.
Tyron's absolute refusal to use zombies irked me. He talked and talked about how skeletons drained his man so much and made things so hard but zombies didn't. Like I know they smell, I'm sure you could figure out a spell to fix that, and they'd be weaker than your skeletons but, you're in a dangerous forest you could use the backup. He also could only get experience if his minions killed something, not him.
On the list of things I absolutely hated, how Tyron would use the sleep spell on himself, Mage Candy, and the authors abuse of the phrase "Room to swing a cat".
I don't usually give partial ratings but I'd rate this as a high two stars. High enough that I'll very likely read the sequel but low enough that I doubt I'll ever reread it.
' “Nobody who renounces their first Class has risen to the top. Not one. Sub-Classes will never make up the loss, even for a human. That’s why I’m telling you, keep your Class. I don’t care what it is—Robber, Thief, Prostitute, heck, even a filthy Merchant.” He spat for emphasis. “That’s the Class that fits you, and your mother and I don’t care what it is. We’ll accept it just as we accept you. Okay? Stick to the path laid out before you. There’s no such thing as shame between us.”“Nobody who renounces their first Class has risen to the top. Not one. Sub-Classes will never make up the loss, even for a human. That’s why I’m telling you, keep your Class. I don’t care what it is—Robber, Thief, Prostitute, heck, even a filthy Merchant.” He spat for emphasis. “That’s the Class that fits you, and your mother and I don’t care what it is. We’ll accept it just as we accept you. Okay? Stick to the path laid out before you. There’s no such thing as shame between us.” '
' A sour feeling turned in Tyron’s gut. That man had tried to flee town back to his village without having his status read after the Awakening. After being caught by the marshals and dragged back to town, he’d been Appraised and then refused to renounce the Thief Class. The Mayor had cut off both his hands. Without the ability to steal, the would-be Thief would never be able to level up his Class, crippling him for life. ' Fucking yikes my dude.
' Secretly, Tyron hoped for the Wizard class. They weren’t suited for working as Monster Slayers, since their magicks were generally too broad. If he could rank up to Arch-Wizard then he’d get a tower somewhere and be left to his own devices until the kingdom needed him to drop a comet on something before returning to his books. ' I feel like everyone on this site feels that way.
' “Mage candy,” the voice of his mother sounded inside his head, a memory of her holding up a crystal just like this one in front of his younger eyes coming to mind. “Very useful in small doses, extremely toxic in large ones. If you end up being a spellcaster, it’s a good idea to start building up an immunity early, because if you’re anything like me, you’ll be chewing through these things,” she grinned, “like candy.” '
' “I hate zombies.”
“Everyone hates zombies, dear. You would have to be weird to like them.” ' The future class feats Tyron gets beg to differ.
' "To leave the empire you’d have to travel beyond the broken lands, and I’d give you a snowball’s chance in my undies that you’d make it through.” ' Dove is an interesting character but so very crass.
' “Shut up, idiot,” Beory growled, her face a mask of concentration. “Every time you talk it distracts me from my meditation.”
“Because I’m handsome?”
“No. Because you’re infuriating.”
“Infuriatingly handsome?”
“Shut. Up. Magnin.” '
April 2, 2025
Awakening was a slightly rocky start for this series, but there is a hell of a lot here to like.
1. Magic - This book doesn't shy away from having some fun in building out the necromancer magic system in plenty of detail. As someone who likes to sink his teeth into a well-developed magic system, this was a big plus for this reader.
2. Avoiding obvious clichés - Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of tropes in this novel, but just as many are avoided. I liked that the protagonist wasn't hung up on the issue with his absentee parents but instead loved them for who they were, allowing a unique relationship to develop. I liked how close he was with his auntie and uncle, without that being used against him. I liked the way his childhood friendships didn't linger simply for the sake of them starting the novel together. There's plenty more, but I'll stop there to avoid droning on.
3. The side characters - This book has some excellently written side characters. They are all well written, feel unique to each other, and have a surprising amount of depth.
This last point leads to the big flaw in this novel; the side characters are more interesting than the protagonist.
This wasn't always the case. The novel starts well and does a good job of setting up the protagonist. The problem is that when the main plot truly kicks in, the protagonist becomes focused on a single goal, and all his character work comes to a screeching halt. There's little emotion to be felt, not much in the way of personal growth (beyond necromancy), and he almost seems detached from the main story. In a novel filled with rich side characters, this became a problem because I cared more about the fate of the side characters than I did the main character.
Honestly, this protagonist issue is a big one for me. I am someone who needs a good protagonist to hook me into the story and get me invested in its progress. Right now, I am mildly invested despite my lack of attachment to this character, but that won't last forever.
For right now, though, this book has more positives than negatives, and I think it is worth a read. I hope that the author can put a bit more work into making the main character more interesting in the next book to take this series from something interesting to something potentially great.
1. Magic - This book doesn't shy away from having some fun in building out the necromancer magic system in plenty of detail. As someone who likes to sink his teeth into a well-developed magic system, this was a big plus for this reader.
2. Avoiding obvious clichés - Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of tropes in this novel, but just as many are avoided. I liked that the protagonist wasn't hung up on the issue with his absentee parents but instead loved them for who they were, allowing a unique relationship to develop. I liked how close he was with his auntie and uncle, without that being used against him. I liked the way his childhood friendships didn't linger simply for the sake of them starting the novel together. There's plenty more, but I'll stop there to avoid droning on.
3. The side characters - This book has some excellently written side characters. They are all well written, feel unique to each other, and have a surprising amount of depth.
This last point leads to the big flaw in this novel; the side characters are more interesting than the protagonist.
This wasn't always the case. The novel starts well and does a good job of setting up the protagonist. The problem is that when the main plot truly kicks in, the protagonist becomes focused on a single goal, and all his character work comes to a screeching halt. There's little emotion to be felt, not much in the way of personal growth (beyond necromancy), and he almost seems detached from the main story. In a novel filled with rich side characters, this became a problem because I cared more about the fate of the side characters than I did the main character.
Honestly, this protagonist issue is a big one for me. I am someone who needs a good protagonist to hook me into the story and get me invested in its progress. Right now, I am mildly invested despite my lack of attachment to this character, but that won't last forever.
For right now, though, this book has more positives than negatives, and I think it is worth a read. I hope that the author can put a bit more work into making the main character more interesting in the next book to take this series from something interesting to something potentially great.
January 25, 2025
depressing, DNF
I made it about 50% way through this book.
The editing in terms of word choice , spelling, formatting, and sentence structure was all completely solid.
Stories flow was pretty consistent , and you could tell the author had a plan.
The author may have been trying to solve the problem where everything that gets mentioned in any level of detail turns out to be in MacGuffin later on , and every character we meet has a specific destiny in the book. The apparent approach solve this is to add more detail.
It sounds great , except every name character has a purpose, and the result is a story that just drags on.i
The world building is done with depth, but there’s also a story that drags on and on to get anywhere.
The characters are also not particularly believable .
MINOR SPOILER:
The girl plans to be a priest of a deity who requires her to be a virgin, avoids the horny boys when she’s 15, avoid the horny boys when she’s 16 avoid the horny boys when she’s 17, avoid the horny boys even on her 18th birthday, then a few months later, on the day she waited her whole life for, after she’s received her class of priests so she can live the life She’s always wanted, she decides to sleep with someone she’s known her entire life, but doesn’t have any real feelings for, knowing that will end her ability to do what she’s always dreamed of doing. Really? Focused determined female lead throws it all away the day she’s about to start her new life? Not believable.
the other characters are either weak, stupid or evil. There’s nobody in the story that you can actually root for. Even the “hero“ goes from being a potentially interesting nerd to self-centered, power driven, narcissist.
Overall, the author hints to a larger shadowy secret that is used to enslave the population , which is the great start for antihero, except it’s a little bitty snippet across a story that just keeps dragging on to tell us the simplest things, so we don’t have a framework to put the story. We’re seeing inside of to understand that maybe there’s a redemption coming.
The author clearly has a plan and he’s doing a fantastic job of executing according to his plan, and if the style is for you, you’re gonna love the book.
The style is not for me , cannot recommend.
I made it about 50% way through this book.
The editing in terms of word choice , spelling, formatting, and sentence structure was all completely solid.
Stories flow was pretty consistent , and you could tell the author had a plan.
The author may have been trying to solve the problem where everything that gets mentioned in any level of detail turns out to be in MacGuffin later on , and every character we meet has a specific destiny in the book. The apparent approach solve this is to add more detail.
It sounds great , except every name character has a purpose, and the result is a story that just drags on.i
The world building is done with depth, but there’s also a story that drags on and on to get anywhere.
The characters are also not particularly believable .
MINOR SPOILER:
The girl plans to be a priest of a deity who requires her to be a virgin, avoids the horny boys when she’s 15, avoid the horny boys when she’s 16 avoid the horny boys when she’s 17, avoid the horny boys even on her 18th birthday, then a few months later, on the day she waited her whole life for, after she’s received her class of priests so she can live the life She’s always wanted, she decides to sleep with someone she’s known her entire life, but doesn’t have any real feelings for, knowing that will end her ability to do what she’s always dreamed of doing. Really? Focused determined female lead throws it all away the day she’s about to start her new life? Not believable.
the other characters are either weak, stupid or evil. There’s nobody in the story that you can actually root for. Even the “hero“ goes from being a potentially interesting nerd to self-centered, power driven, narcissist.
Overall, the author hints to a larger shadowy secret that is used to enslave the population , which is the great start for antihero, except it’s a little bitty snippet across a story that just keeps dragging on to tell us the simplest things, so we don’t have a framework to put the story. We’re seeing inside of to understand that maybe there’s a redemption coming.
The author clearly has a plan and he’s doing a fantastic job of executing according to his plan, and if the style is for you, you’re gonna love the book.
The style is not for me , cannot recommend.
January 1, 2024
Excessively Dumb Main Character!
In recent years, especially in the litrpg genre, the characters haven't been known for being especially intelligent in general, but here it's already over the top. The main character for an whole chapter(lvl 5)doesn't run away from a danger an entire town(with several teams of level 50) is facing and it's on the verge of surviving. At least 20 times it's mentioned how the hero feels guilty and should have tried to help or shouldn't have helped, and so on. (cammon, there is almost no one in the whole town weaker than him! He practically struggles to fight a single of the weakest creatures!!) Then at least 10 times it mentions in 10 different ways how the hero considers himself to be stupid, explicitly citing his wrong decisions. Overall, there is not a single correct decision in the entire book. The hero is drifting with the tide and only survives because the author protects him, everyone helps him, and those who are supposed to betray him are super cowardly and don't do anything meaningful. The system is superficial and the execution and absolutely unrealistic. It's explicitly stated several times that someone who unlocked the system, even if they're a first level in a profession, they'll be better than anyone who doesn't have that profession. Well in that case why would a lvl 2 Necromancer with skeletons that can't think, have no combat skills and so on, be fighting creeps that killed an entire squad of high-level heroes? That are in a party and so on? Such absolute nonsense is everywhere. Not to mention that an 18 year old man, "blushes" at every sentence, stutters when he speaks and is an absolute mould who has no agency whatsoever! Why would I want to read a book where the main character doesn't make any decisions? He spends an entire chapter hesitating on whether or not to do something and the next chapter he mentions 10 times how dumb he was?!!?!?!?! Who gives 5 stars to such trash anyway? This just proves once again that those who read this genre are more or less on the level of the mentioned characters..
In recent years, especially in the litrpg genre, the characters haven't been known for being especially intelligent in general, but here it's already over the top. The main character for an whole chapter(lvl 5)doesn't run away from a danger an entire town(with several teams of level 50) is facing and it's on the verge of surviving. At least 20 times it's mentioned how the hero feels guilty and should have tried to help or shouldn't have helped, and so on. (cammon, there is almost no one in the whole town weaker than him! He practically struggles to fight a single of the weakest creatures!!) Then at least 10 times it mentions in 10 different ways how the hero considers himself to be stupid, explicitly citing his wrong decisions. Overall, there is not a single correct decision in the entire book. The hero is drifting with the tide and only survives because the author protects him, everyone helps him, and those who are supposed to betray him are super cowardly and don't do anything meaningful. The system is superficial and the execution and absolutely unrealistic. It's explicitly stated several times that someone who unlocked the system, even if they're a first level in a profession, they'll be better than anyone who doesn't have that profession. Well in that case why would a lvl 2 Necromancer with skeletons that can't think, have no combat skills and so on, be fighting creeps that killed an entire squad of high-level heroes? That are in a party and so on? Such absolute nonsense is everywhere. Not to mention that an 18 year old man, "blushes" at every sentence, stutters when he speaks and is an absolute mould who has no agency whatsoever! Why would I want to read a book where the main character doesn't make any decisions? He spends an entire chapter hesitating on whether or not to do something and the next chapter he mentions 10 times how dumb he was?!!?!?!?! Who gives 5 stars to such trash anyway? This just proves once again that those who read this genre are more or less on the level of the mentioned characters..
August 21, 2024
Book of the Dead #1: Awakening by RinoZ - 4/5 Stars As a reader and not an author, I approach this review from the perspective of a consumer sharing their opinion based on personal experiences. RinoZ's "Book of the Dead #1: Awakening" offers a refreshing take on necromancy in the LitRPG genre. The author's portrayal of necromancy feels grounded and realistic, setting it apart from the often cartoonish representations found in many LitRPGs. The well-developed system and world-building contribute significantly to the book's appeal. The main character's approach to challenges is generally satisfying, demonstrating thoughtful problem-solving skills. However, one aspect that proved frustrating was the protagonist's reluctance to seek help from his high-level, capable parents. As a parent myself, I found it difficult to understand why the MC wouldn't at least seek emotional support from his family, especially given their apparent willingness to assist. This communication gap felt like a missed opportunity for character development and plot progression. It's particularly jarring when the "hero" character, portrayed as intelligent, overlooks such an obvious solution. However, I acknowledge that as a reader, I'm not privy to the author's long-term plans for the story or character arcs. Despite this minor gripe, the book's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. The realistic approach to necromancy, the engaging world-building, and the overall plot make for an enjoyable read. Rating Scale:
5 stars - Exceptional, life-changing, will reread multiple times
4 stars - Highly enjoyable, likely to reread, would recommend
3 stars - Decent read, might not remember long-term
2 stars - Not for me, struggled to finish
1 star - Poorly written or factually incorrect
In conclusion, I give "Book of the Dead #1: Awakening" 4 out of 5 stars. It's a strong entry in the LitRPG genre, offering a unique take on necromancy and a well-constructed world. While the protagonist's decision-making occasionally frustrated me, the overall quality of the story makes it a recommended read for fans of the genre.
5 stars - Exceptional, life-changing, will reread multiple times
4 stars - Highly enjoyable, likely to reread, would recommend
3 stars - Decent read, might not remember long-term
2 stars - Not for me, struggled to finish
1 star - Poorly written or factually incorrect
In conclusion, I give "Book of the Dead #1: Awakening" 4 out of 5 stars. It's a strong entry in the LitRPG genre, offering a unique take on necromancy and a well-constructed world. While the protagonist's decision-making occasionally frustrated me, the overall quality of the story makes it a recommended read for fans of the genre.
May 20, 2024
Shockingly good book. It's not of the LitRPG cannon so I wasn't expecting brilliance. If the series continues at the quality of this opener, it'll be an all-time great.
First, the writing is just damned good. I don't think I'm out of school here when I say that most LitRPG writing is mediocre. Great stories, characters, plot, systems, but below-average writing for a published book. In need of editing.
Not this book. The writing is excellent.
Second, the magic system is intriguing. It's simple in a way, but not simplistic. One aspect of it that I love is that the powers that are earned through leveling aren't these trivial things to use: you get a power, boom, you all of a sudden can use it instantly in any situation as long as you have enough mana/magic/whatever. In contrast, in the Book of the Dead, the spells themselves require study and mastery even after getting them. A mage will have to study and modify each spell, increasing efficiency and potency. Likely no two spells are the same in this way. Also, the casts the necromancer uses, like raising as skeleton, take time and intricate work, including butchering a corpse to remove the flesh (yes, butchery can be leveled!), fixing issues with the bones, creating a magickal lacework between the bones, etc. It takes time! It's not some wave-of-the-hand and up pops a skeleton. There's a level of detail, thought, and tradeoffs involved in the whole system and execution of powers that is excellent.
Third, Dove, a sidekick / mentor character, is raunchy and hilarious. Effective dark comedy in the context of the dark world the story takes place in.
I started reading book 2 immediately upon finishing book 1.
First, the writing is just damned good. I don't think I'm out of school here when I say that most LitRPG writing is mediocre. Great stories, characters, plot, systems, but below-average writing for a published book. In need of editing.
Not this book. The writing is excellent.
Second, the magic system is intriguing. It's simple in a way, but not simplistic. One aspect of it that I love is that the powers that are earned through leveling aren't these trivial things to use: you get a power, boom, you all of a sudden can use it instantly in any situation as long as you have enough mana/magic/whatever. In contrast, in the Book of the Dead, the spells themselves require study and mastery even after getting them. A mage will have to study and modify each spell, increasing efficiency and potency. Likely no two spells are the same in this way. Also, the casts the necromancer uses, like raising as skeleton, take time and intricate work, including butchering a corpse to remove the flesh (yes, butchery can be leveled!), fixing issues with the bones, creating a magickal lacework between the bones, etc. It takes time! It's not some wave-of-the-hand and up pops a skeleton. There's a level of detail, thought, and tradeoffs involved in the whole system and execution of powers that is excellent.
Third, Dove, a sidekick / mentor character, is raunchy and hilarious. Effective dark comedy in the context of the dark world the story takes place in.
I started reading book 2 immediately upon finishing book 1.
September 8, 2023
I wasn't sure about this book because I don't think that I like necromancers. Sure I loved George in Ilona Andrews Edge series. And I only read a few books where the antagonist is a necromancer and seriously those guys needed to be put down. So yeah I'm prolly a bit of a racist/specious when it comes zombies and necromancers.
But, rinoZ managed to make me love Anthony the ant 🐜 in Chrysalis the series, so much so, that I decided to challenge rinoZ into turning me into a necromancerphile. Well at least for one book anyway.
When the book started with a slow burn 🔥 I almost gave up on it. At that point the book reminded me of Blessed Time by Cale Plamann, prolly because I recently read it and both young protagonist received their special gift from the Gods. Which they would use for the rest of their lives but unlike Blessed Time, Tyrone gift was considered illegal!
But again it was a rinoZ bk and Phil Thron is a great narrator and he's always worth listening to, I'm sure glad I stuck with it! It was such an awesome story. It had a good ending but there's so much left to tell... Luckily bk2 will be released before the end of the year... I have so many questions!
Here's some quotes that amused me:
"What is going on and why can I see Dove's balls."
“But the second you wake up you better kill me or I’ll eat your ankles.”
“It’s with me in spirit!” the once-Summoner declared proudly. “My soul cannot be separated from its johnson, or its desire to ogle. Some things are fundamental to nature.”
But, rinoZ managed to make me love Anthony the ant 🐜 in Chrysalis the series, so much so, that I decided to challenge rinoZ into turning me into a necromancerphile. Well at least for one book anyway.
When the book started with a slow burn 🔥 I almost gave up on it. At that point the book reminded me of Blessed Time by Cale Plamann, prolly because I recently read it and both young protagonist received their special gift from the Gods. Which they would use for the rest of their lives but unlike Blessed Time, Tyrone gift was considered illegal!
But again it was a rinoZ bk and Phil Thron is a great narrator and he's always worth listening to, I'm sure glad I stuck with it! It was such an awesome story. It had a good ending but there's so much left to tell... Luckily bk2 will be released before the end of the year... I have so many questions!
Here's some quotes that amused me:
"What is going on and why can I see Dove's balls."
“But the second you wake up you better kill me or I’ll eat your ankles.”
“It’s with me in spirit!” the once-Summoner declared proudly. “My soul cannot be separated from its johnson, or its desire to ogle. Some things are fundamental to nature.”
December 13, 2023
Started out interesting but peaked at the starter town the second half was mostly a slog because the main character made no real connection with people, they came into and leave his life in a blink, he was mostly removed from the goings on, working on his levels in a cave and while in the first half he had to use his brains and family fortune to juggle things, in the second he got a sponsor in a contrived/clumsy way
MC in starter town seems like he has not only technical knowledge but also insight into his soundings and people. Maybe its lack of sleep or the repeated calls to the cthulhu hotline but in the second half the MC seems like the type of person who never would have made it out of starter town.
Like many flawed books this book also suffers from trying to be a series from the get go. This manifests in a number of cutaways to things and people that have no relevance to/effect on MCs ongoing story.
MC in starter town seems like he has not only technical knowledge but also insight into his soundings and people. Maybe its lack of sleep or the repeated calls to the cthulhu hotline but in the second half the MC seems like the type of person who never would have made it out of starter town.
Like many flawed books this book also suffers from trying to be a series from the get go. This manifests in a number of cutaways to things and people that have no relevance to/effect on MCs ongoing story.
September 8, 2023
So glad i decided to read!! Best I’ve read in months!!
You don’t have to be interested in necromancy or undead stories to love this book! It’s not a theme I would normally pick to read…. but I really love RinoZ’s other series about Anthony the Ant so I had to give it a try.
**I rarely feel inclined to leave written reviews (about 1/100 books read per year) so I’m not fluent in how to express why I enjoyed this book so much so here it goes. The world building, magic system and characters are unique, interesting AND easy to follow. The MC is different from a typical LitRPG, he’s not OP or infuriatingly stupid. He comes from a influential family but is not arrogant, nor does he lean on them to grow. He’s given the illegal Necro class but is determined to make the most of it in a “morally good” and sometimes humorous way. He learns about his illegal class as the story progresses and has to work hard for all his gains. Lol :)
There is so much more going on in the story than a Necromancer walking around with a hoard of undead! The side characters are interesting & so we’ll written you feel like you’ve met them yourself. Lots of humor!
There’s just the right amount of stats tables to give the info we need when we need it (in a unique way) without overwhelming the reader or filling in dead space.
The book ticks all my boxes & left me feeling fulfilled! It ended at a good point, not the dreaded cliffhanger…. BUT I can’t wait for book 2 to be released!!!
You don’t have to be interested in necromancy or undead stories to love this book! It’s not a theme I would normally pick to read…. but I really love RinoZ’s other series about Anthony the Ant so I had to give it a try.
**I rarely feel inclined to leave written reviews (about 1/100 books read per year) so I’m not fluent in how to express why I enjoyed this book so much so here it goes. The world building, magic system and characters are unique, interesting AND easy to follow. The MC is different from a typical LitRPG, he’s not OP or infuriatingly stupid. He comes from a influential family but is not arrogant, nor does he lean on them to grow. He’s given the illegal Necro class but is determined to make the most of it in a “morally good” and sometimes humorous way. He learns about his illegal class as the story progresses and has to work hard for all his gains. Lol :)
There is so much more going on in the story than a Necromancer walking around with a hoard of undead! The side characters are interesting & so we’ll written you feel like you’ve met them yourself. Lots of humor!
There’s just the right amount of stats tables to give the info we need when we need it (in a unique way) without overwhelming the reader or filling in dead space.
The book ticks all my boxes & left me feeling fulfilled! It ended at a good point, not the dreaded cliffhanger…. BUT I can’t wait for book 2 to be released!!!
December 16, 2024
I was drawn in by the synopsis and highly-rated reviews, but I found I had to force myself to keep reading, hoping it would get better. I read 260 pages, it did not get better.
The first noticeable point for improvement would be conciseness: it’s too wordy! The writing looks unpolished, dedicating entire paragraphs to ideas that could be cut down to a single sentence. The excessive wordiness delays getting to the action, causing both the tension and interest to suffer by the time we get there.
The second point for improvement is the plot progression. Actions are supposed to have meaningful consequences. But here, there’s chapters filled with empty character actions that have no impact on the overall journey. There’s multiple chapters of different character perspectives that don’t even contribute to the plot at all. Once I hit halfway through, it felt like most of what’s happening wouldn’t really matter.
Finally, at least for me personally: the lore. Having a forbidden class is less interesting somehow when ‘prostitute’ is a possibility. Instead of a dystopia where society is polarized by the Class System while in ruins by the Rifts (a world that makes sense for this System), it’s a generic medieval fantasy setting that just happens to have rpg elements like stats and classes. Potential intrigue felt wasted.
I will say I am a fan of Chrysalis, and I’m glad the author published their works.
The first noticeable point for improvement would be conciseness: it’s too wordy! The writing looks unpolished, dedicating entire paragraphs to ideas that could be cut down to a single sentence. The excessive wordiness delays getting to the action, causing both the tension and interest to suffer by the time we get there.
The second point for improvement is the plot progression. Actions are supposed to have meaningful consequences. But here, there’s chapters filled with empty character actions that have no impact on the overall journey. There’s multiple chapters of different character perspectives that don’t even contribute to the plot at all. Once I hit halfway through, it felt like most of what’s happening wouldn’t really matter.
Finally, at least for me personally: the lore. Having a forbidden class is less interesting somehow when ‘prostitute’ is a possibility. Instead of a dystopia where society is polarized by the Class System while in ruins by the Rifts (a world that makes sense for this System), it’s a generic medieval fantasy setting that just happens to have rpg elements like stats and classes. Potential intrigue felt wasted.
I will say I am a fan of Chrysalis, and I’m glad the author published their works.
August 11, 2025
Standard low-effort LitRPG.
The numbers mean nothing and are filler. Stupid fast leveling and constant skillups. The characters use modern vernacular and swears because the author just can't be bothered. Put-upon Larry Stu. Plot holes a plenty. Mustache-twirling cartoon villains. Contradicts itself constantly. Doesn't resolve major threads to make you buy the next book. World makes no sense and wouldn't work etc.
Why, if there are illegal and world-threatening classes don't they test kids immediately after they get them at the big ceremony and instead give them several days to run away? Bad writing. Why did his super loving parents not bother to show up for the most important day in their sons life using their crazy superpowers, or immediately find him when he was missing? Bad writing.
I'm being pretty negative because it's low effort garbage and it doesn't deserve your time. Watch an anime or read something by a vastly superior author. But despite this, if you're going to read LitRPG garbage, it is a better example of it. At least MC whose name I can't be bothered to remember doesn't have a magic dynamo in his chest and 5000 references to him fixing his magic pathways or some such BS. But if you take a drink every time the term "mage candy" gets used, you'll end up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning. There's really nothing to recommend it though, it just sucks less than the majority of the exponentially fast growing genre.
The numbers mean nothing and are filler. Stupid fast leveling and constant skillups. The characters use modern vernacular and swears because the author just can't be bothered. Put-upon Larry Stu. Plot holes a plenty. Mustache-twirling cartoon villains. Contradicts itself constantly. Doesn't resolve major threads to make you buy the next book. World makes no sense and wouldn't work etc.
Why, if there are illegal and world-threatening classes don't they test kids immediately after they get them at the big ceremony and instead give them several days to run away? Bad writing. Why did his super loving parents not bother to show up for the most important day in their sons life using their crazy superpowers, or immediately find him when he was missing? Bad writing.
I'm being pretty negative because it's low effort garbage and it doesn't deserve your time. Watch an anime or read something by a vastly superior author. But despite this, if you're going to read LitRPG garbage, it is a better example of it. At least MC whose name I can't be bothered to remember doesn't have a magic dynamo in his chest and 5000 references to him fixing his magic pathways or some such BS. But if you take a drink every time the term "mage candy" gets used, you'll end up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning. There's really nothing to recommend it though, it just sucks less than the majority of the exponentially fast growing genre.
January 2, 2026
A surprisingly well written-book.
As a fan of fantasy literature, as well as video games, I was apprehensive going in. Particularly because of my awareness of the proliferation of video game oriented fantasy literature from places like Korea and especially Japan.
That being said, I appreciate not only the delightfully well-constructed prose, but also the exploration of how "classes" and "levels" interact with the material world on a philosophical and scientific level, beyond simply being a gimmick, as I had first feared. While the lore is light, the world building is surprisingly extensive. Whether it is the intricacies of how undead-skeletons move without muscles or an unexpectedly fascinating section of the book devoted to the actual art of butchery, you'll be enthralled.
While this may not be the next Lord of The Rings or Wheel of Time, it is a well-constructed and enjoyable story, which I expect to only further improve as the author themself continues to improve as a writer.
I look forward to the sequel!
As a fan of fantasy literature, as well as video games, I was apprehensive going in. Particularly because of my awareness of the proliferation of video game oriented fantasy literature from places like Korea and especially Japan.
That being said, I appreciate not only the delightfully well-constructed prose, but also the exploration of how "classes" and "levels" interact with the material world on a philosophical and scientific level, beyond simply being a gimmick, as I had first feared. While the lore is light, the world building is surprisingly extensive. Whether it is the intricacies of how undead-skeletons move without muscles or an unexpectedly fascinating section of the book devoted to the actual art of butchery, you'll be enthralled.
While this may not be the next Lord of The Rings or Wheel of Time, it is a well-constructed and enjoyable story, which I expect to only further improve as the author themself continues to improve as a writer.
I look forward to the sequel!
May 10, 2024
Another Litrpg for me. I have to say that I didn't like the main character, Tyron, in the beginning. He seemed whiney and turned sour on his friends very easily. (Slight spoiler: turns out most of his "friends" really weren't such good friends after all). But, he grew on me as he showed affection for his aunt and uncle and really worked hard on his class.
This went into some detail about how magic would work to raise skeletons as minions for a necromancer which I haven't seen in most books. It showed the steps of improvement as well as the nasty disgusting parts to get skeletons from bodies. It didn't gloss over the draw backs of this class.
The pace overall was good but there parts were it moved a bit slowly. I enjoyed how Tyron wasn't overpowered in the beginning though he did make pretty quick progress through being magically gifted.
I will definitely be reading the next in the series.
This went into some detail about how magic would work to raise skeletons as minions for a necromancer which I haven't seen in most books. It showed the steps of improvement as well as the nasty disgusting parts to get skeletons from bodies. It didn't gloss over the draw backs of this class.
The pace overall was good but there parts were it moved a bit slowly. I enjoyed how Tyron wasn't overpowered in the beginning though he did make pretty quick progress through being magically gifted.
I will definitely be reading the next in the series.
September 6, 2023
My Rating System:
5- Perfect for my taste, I could not physically stop reading/listening and wanted more afterward.
4- Almost perfect, could not stop reading/listening, probably wanted more afterward.
3- I enjoyed the book and could see others loving it, I need to think if I want more.
2- I can see why others might like the book, but I could not, I do not want more.
1- What is this? What went wrong? Why did they do this? This doesn't make any sense! (No idea who it is for, but definitely not for me).
[Audiobook Version]
I enjoyed this book immensely. The characters felt alive... and weren't one dimensional. I was also not prepared to laugh as much as I did, even though the tone can get pretty dark at times. The witty remarks and banter between characters really helped bring the story to life in my opinion. I am eagerly waiting for the next one.
5- Perfect for my taste, I could not physically stop reading/listening and wanted more afterward.
4- Almost perfect, could not stop reading/listening, probably wanted more afterward.
3- I enjoyed the book and could see others loving it, I need to think if I want more.
2- I can see why others might like the book, but I could not, I do not want more.
1- What is this? What went wrong? Why did they do this? This doesn't make any sense! (No idea who it is for, but definitely not for me).
[Audiobook Version]
I enjoyed this book immensely. The characters felt alive... and weren't one dimensional. I was also not prepared to laugh as much as I did, even though the tone can get pretty dark at times. The witty remarks and banter between characters really helped bring the story to life in my opinion. I am eagerly waiting for the next one.
October 29, 2023
Book one
It's a necromancer story, what more do you need to know?
Okay I'll give some more information. The writing is very good. I only found two real mistakes.
If you have read enough of my reviews then you know I have a problem with the word grit.
It's actually okay for use in writing but the use of grit instead of gritted is so old fashioned that it bugs me. This is why you will find it listed with the actual mistakes I found on Goodreads.
If you enjoy this interesting take on necromancey and the very likable magic system that actually takes effort then you can find more of the story on Royalroad!
8/10 The MC is already OP in my opinion but he's going to get hella stronger.
See you on Royalroad!
It's a necromancer story, what more do you need to know?
Okay I'll give some more information. The writing is very good. I only found two real mistakes.
If you have read enough of my reviews then you know I have a problem with the word grit.
It's actually okay for use in writing but the use of grit instead of gritted is so old fashioned that it bugs me. This is why you will find it listed with the actual mistakes I found on Goodreads.
If you enjoy this interesting take on necromancey and the very likable magic system that actually takes effort then you can find more of the story on Royalroad!
8/10 The MC is already OP in my opinion but he's going to get hella stronger.
See you on Royalroad!
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