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Isekai Leveling: System Unlocked
What if you died, only to wake up in a new body, in a world where magic is real and battles are fought like in a video game?
That's what happens to James Thompson, who finds himself reincarnated as Talon Nightstrider, a young man with a destiny to become a powerful member of the Blackfang Guild. But Talon is not just any member; he is connected to the System, an advanced interface that displays his stats and powers, and allows him to level up like in an RPG.
Join Talon as he navigates this new world, uncovering secrets about his past and the guild he has joined. Will he be able to survive the dangers that lurk around every corner and become a legendary hero, or will he succumb to the darkness and become a villain? Find out in this LitRPG adventure, full of action, magic, and intrigue.
That's what happens to James Thompson, who finds himself reincarnated as Talon Nightstrider, a young man with a destiny to become a powerful member of the Blackfang Guild. But Talon is not just any member; he is connected to the System, an advanced interface that displays his stats and powers, and allows him to level up like in an RPG.
Join Talon as he navigates this new world, uncovering secrets about his past and the guild he has joined. Will he be able to survive the dangers that lurk around every corner and become a legendary hero, or will he succumb to the darkness and become a villain? Find out in this LitRPG adventure, full of action, magic, and intrigue.
- GenresFantasy
490 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2023
372 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 15, 2023
This is an OP heroic power fantasy.
That would be fine other than the mediocre writing and boring story. The initial dialogue reads like a high school play. The good guy vibe from the main character and his guild is unrealistic in its intensity. The combat is poorly done, there is never a feeling of jeopardy making it all moot. The entire thing feels like a tutorial section of an RPG, and we all know how boring those are.
That would be fine other than the mediocre writing and boring story. The initial dialogue reads like a high school play. The good guy vibe from the main character and his guild is unrealistic in its intensity. The combat is poorly done, there is never a feeling of jeopardy making it all moot. The entire thing feels like a tutorial section of an RPG, and we all know how boring those are.
August 28, 2023
Isekai Leveling: System Unlocked had the potential to be an exciting fusion of litrpg and transmigration, but it ultimately fell flat for me. The novel's shortcomings were evident right from the start, as it delved heavily into info dumping, bombarding the reader with a barrage of information. This storytelling approach persisted throughout the book, making it a challenging read. When it comes to worldbuilding, the age-old adage of "show don't tell" was sorely missed. We were constantly given the protagonist Talon's reactions to various stories and settings, but it would have been far more engaging to experience these places firsthand rather than just being told about them. The incorporation of transmigration in the narrative appeared to serve as a convenient pretext for delivering information, rather than delving into the genuine experiences of abruptly inhabiting a different body.
While there might be hope for more exploration in future books, the transmigrated teen too quickly abandoned his previous identity, referring to himself as the person whose body he now inhabited even in his internal dialogue.
One glaring issue was the unrealistic acceptance of the fact that a friend had been replaced by someone else in their body. It felt like a missed opportunity to explore the emotional and psychological ramifications of such a situation.
Even when intriguing stories were hinted at, they remained unexplored, leaving the reader unsatisfied.
"This is the Fountain of Reflection," Rafe explained. "It's a symbol of the town's resilience, as it was built to commemorate the town's survival of a devastating drought that lasted for years. The town came together to build this fountain, and it's now the center of the town's social life."
Talon was amazed by the story, and he couldn't take his eyes off the fountain.” (page 43).
One intriguing aspect was the main character's alignment, leaning towards the side of good while working in an assassins guild. However, the rapid progression of the protagonist towards becoming overpowered felt formulaic and lacking in depth. His swift leveling and exceptional perks at each level-up didn't leave much room for suspense or character development.
The characters in the story came across as rather one-dimensional. A significant portion of the other guilds appeared to be stereotypical antagonists, engaging in typical villainous behavior such as breaking instruments, making threats, and generally behaving unpleasantly. Even the supposed relationship budding between Talon and his love interest felt somewhat shallow, fixating on her physical attractiveness and a vague sense of connection between them, rather than delving into the complexities of their bond. Instead of providing a deeper insight into their relationship, the narrative seemed to rely on you filling in the blanks saying "...they continued to talk, sharing stories and laughter late into the night" (page 235).
One common issue in many LitRPGs is the tedious nature of character sheets. However, this book successfully addresses this concern by streamlining the process. It provides a more efficient experience by clearly labeling new skills and marking stat changes, which I found to be quite commendable.
In the end, I won't be continuing with this series. There are undoubtedly better isekai litrpgs available that offer more engaging storytelling and worldbuilding. While the book may have been available on Kindle Unlimited at no monetary cost, it unfortunately cost me valuable time that I wished had been better spent elsewhere.
While there might be hope for more exploration in future books, the transmigrated teen too quickly abandoned his previous identity, referring to himself as the person whose body he now inhabited even in his internal dialogue.
One glaring issue was the unrealistic acceptance of the fact that a friend had been replaced by someone else in their body. It felt like a missed opportunity to explore the emotional and psychological ramifications of such a situation.
Even when intriguing stories were hinted at, they remained unexplored, leaving the reader unsatisfied.
"This is the Fountain of Reflection," Rafe explained. "It's a symbol of the town's resilience, as it was built to commemorate the town's survival of a devastating drought that lasted for years. The town came together to build this fountain, and it's now the center of the town's social life."
Talon was amazed by the story, and he couldn't take his eyes off the fountain.” (page 43).
One intriguing aspect was the main character's alignment, leaning towards the side of good while working in an assassins guild. However, the rapid progression of the protagonist towards becoming overpowered felt formulaic and lacking in depth. His swift leveling and exceptional perks at each level-up didn't leave much room for suspense or character development.
The characters in the story came across as rather one-dimensional. A significant portion of the other guilds appeared to be stereotypical antagonists, engaging in typical villainous behavior such as breaking instruments, making threats, and generally behaving unpleasantly. Even the supposed relationship budding between Talon and his love interest felt somewhat shallow, fixating on her physical attractiveness and a vague sense of connection between them, rather than delving into the complexities of their bond. Instead of providing a deeper insight into their relationship, the narrative seemed to rely on you filling in the blanks saying "...they continued to talk, sharing stories and laughter late into the night" (page 235).
One common issue in many LitRPGs is the tedious nature of character sheets. However, this book successfully addresses this concern by streamlining the process. It provides a more efficient experience by clearly labeling new skills and marking stat changes, which I found to be quite commendable.
In the end, I won't be continuing with this series. There are undoubtedly better isekai litrpgs available that offer more engaging storytelling and worldbuilding. While the book may have been available on Kindle Unlimited at no monetary cost, it unfortunately cost me valuable time that I wished had been better spent elsewhere.
May 24, 2023
Help me read more books
I really don't know what to say about this one. The story itself wasn't all bad, it just wasn't executed very well. First, it seemed to be written on something like a 5th grade level, (nothing wrong with that, just not the kind of thing I typically look for when hunting for things to read). It's overly simplistic, and completely unrealistic at the same time.
I think that with a decent editor, it could be a much better book, but it'd have to be an editor that actually knows something about the martial arts (for one thing), most of the moves described in this book, (especially in the last few chapters), just aren't very likely. (sure, they *could* happen, but in an average fight, it isn't likely). The levelling system is off the wall, since it took multiple thousands of xp to go to level 4, then he got level 5 with a single influx of only a couple thousand xp. The main character was such a brown noser, it made the story hard to read. Oh, yes, that's exactly what I will do, Oh, of course, you're right. Even if somebody agrees with everything someone else says about their actions, I doubt there's 1 person in 10 that will simply agree to everything without injecting their own point of view (which is perfectly valid btw).
No, I just can't do it. Not going to be continuing with this series.
Plus, the sermons need to be left out. When I want to hear one of those, I go to church. I read books for entertainment, being preached to is not my idea of entertainment.
Sorry folks, but the main character just doesn't do it for me.
I really don't know what to say about this one. The story itself wasn't all bad, it just wasn't executed very well. First, it seemed to be written on something like a 5th grade level, (nothing wrong with that, just not the kind of thing I typically look for when hunting for things to read). It's overly simplistic, and completely unrealistic at the same time.
I think that with a decent editor, it could be a much better book, but it'd have to be an editor that actually knows something about the martial arts (for one thing), most of the moves described in this book, (especially in the last few chapters), just aren't very likely. (sure, they *could* happen, but in an average fight, it isn't likely). The levelling system is off the wall, since it took multiple thousands of xp to go to level 4, then he got level 5 with a single influx of only a couple thousand xp. The main character was such a brown noser, it made the story hard to read. Oh, yes, that's exactly what I will do, Oh, of course, you're right. Even if somebody agrees with everything someone else says about their actions, I doubt there's 1 person in 10 that will simply agree to everything without injecting their own point of view (which is perfectly valid btw).
No, I just can't do it. Not going to be continuing with this series.
Plus, the sermons need to be left out. When I want to hear one of those, I go to church. I read books for entertainment, being preached to is not my idea of entertainment.
Sorry folks, but the main character just doesn't do it for me.
August 25, 2023
DNF - like others have said this is written like a pre-teen novel but not marketed as such.
Hand-holding everywhere and repetitions, even the MC gets congratulated like they are a kid. I kept a bit at it but they turned in a quest and in that section, they repeat that they finished the quest. The MC said it, the side character said it, the person at the guild said it, the system quest text in full said it and then they said "Good job!" to the MC. Full stat screens re-reading quest or skill descriptions and etc.
Just poorly executed even if it was for preteens. Maybe if they were like 6-7 you need to handhold them so much but then you'd probably not be killing so much.
Hand-holding everywhere and repetitions, even the MC gets congratulated like they are a kid. I kept a bit at it but they turned in a quest and in that section, they repeat that they finished the quest. The MC said it, the side character said it, the person at the guild said it, the system quest text in full said it and then they said "Good job!" to the MC. Full stat screens re-reading quest or skill descriptions and etc.
Just poorly executed even if it was for preteens. Maybe if they were like 6-7 you need to handhold them so much but then you'd probably not be killing so much.
September 14, 2024
This was a good book and worth 4.5 stars so I rounded up. I listened to the audio version that a friend had bought. I thought it was a stand alone novel until near the end. Now I might have to look for the other books in the series and buy them or if possible read them on my kindle app. Keep up the good work. Your book wasn't the greatest but it didn't need to be it was good enough to keep me entertained. I can honestly say it is better than many others that I don't rate because everyone has people that like their work and most books are entaining to someone and isn't that what we are looking for? So keep writing your universe is an interesting one.
June 5, 2023
a fun world with interesting premise
I would say the only detriment to the book was how I felt that the dialogue between every character was a little to direct. No subtlety or nuance everyone spoke like that were writing an expository essay. That being said it was a nice change how positive everyone in the series was even in horrible circumstances. I liked the story in of it self and find my self wanting to see what happens next.
I would say the only detriment to the book was how I felt that the dialogue between every character was a little to direct. No subtlety or nuance everyone spoke like that were writing an expository essay. That being said it was a nice change how positive everyone in the series was even in horrible circumstances. I liked the story in of it self and find my self wanting to see what happens next.
August 22, 2023
Good Story line
Really liked the development of Talon, MC.
It was a good story.
MC And friends all had a since of purpose.
I felt the writing of the book should have been more in a first person point of view like a diary format based on how it was written. It actually would have been cool and different that way.
I will definitely read Volume#2 When it comes out.
All in all I appreciate this story and the direction its going from start to finish. #Blackfang
Really liked the development of Talon, MC.
It was a good story.
MC And friends all had a since of purpose.
I felt the writing of the book should have been more in a first person point of view like a diary format based on how it was written. It actually would have been cool and different that way.
I will definitely read Volume#2 When it comes out.
All in all I appreciate this story and the direction its going from start to finish. #Blackfang
May 31, 2023
For what is a pretty commonly portrayed class for a protagonist in high fantasy, I haven’t seen too many rogue/assassins in LitRPGs. A good chunk of the book is tutorial mode as the MC gets walked through low level tasks with his higher level teacher. The moral ambiguity of MC was intriguing and help create a compelling narrative.
June 14, 2023
This one is a weird one, seems like it was written for pre-teens. This kid is way to accepting that he died and was reborn into new world and into a guild of assassins.. Then he is way to trusting of taking everything coming from the mouths of said murdery assassins as truth. Seriously this takes place in the first 30 minutes of the book, its nuts.
November 9, 2023
Has potential, but pithy
Character development was shallow, continuous use of pithy sentiment. Didn't feel real...
He never seemed to be in any real danger, took any serious damage.
Wanted to like it, read all the way through to see how the character developed. Otherwise, I would have quit a few chapters into the book.
Character development was shallow, continuous use of pithy sentiment. Didn't feel real...
He never seemed to be in any real danger, took any serious damage.
Wanted to like it, read all the way through to see how the character developed. Otherwise, I would have quit a few chapters into the book.
April 28, 2023
Epic start to a promising series
This is an extremely action packed litrpg read. I enjoyed the amount of detail and depth of this book.
The characters are extremely easy to get behind. I really hope there is more.
This is an extremely action packed litrpg read. I enjoyed the amount of detail and depth of this book.
The characters are extremely easy to get behind. I really hope there is more.
May 12, 2023
Good character and store but
I really enjoyed the overall store and character building but there was so much over explaining it dragged down the story. I was able to skip pages and didn’t feel I lost anything.
I really enjoyed the overall store and character building but there was so much over explaining it dragged down the story. I was able to skip pages and didn’t feel I lost anything.
May 23, 2023
Good read
I think the title was not accurate. There was a lot of action, but not well done. I still enjoyed reading this book. I recommend this book to anyone who like progression type of books.
I think the title was not accurate. There was a lot of action, but not well done. I still enjoyed reading this book. I recommend this book to anyone who like progression type of books.
November 11, 2025
There are multiple problems with this book. The author for example forgets that he gave the character a 50% bonus on XP - giving the character kills where he gets 50 XP meaning pre-bonus his XP would be 33.3333333333333333... to infinity.
April 27, 2023
Loved it.
Start to finish I didnt slow down my enjoyment of this book. I tore through it and am excited for the next one to release. Definitely a page turner.
Start to finish I didnt slow down my enjoyment of this book. I tore through it and am excited for the next one to release. Definitely a page turner.
May 13, 2023
Generic
LitRPG as it would be if written by ChatGPT using any game manual and your early teen creative writing attempts as a source.
LitRPG as it would be if written by ChatGPT using any game manual and your early teen creative writing attempts as a source.
May 23, 2023
Great Story
What a great story from a new author
Solid world building
Great system
Likeable MC
What more could you ask for?
What a great story from a new author
Solid world building
Great system
Likeable MC
What more could you ask for?
August 2, 2023
Saw some hate on this one but I actually really enjoyed it. I thought it was entertaining and I had a good time reading it.
August 21, 2023
Written for 3rd graders
December 18, 2023
Felt very unfulfilling throughout!
Not quite clear how overpowered MC is, and storyline was relatively lacklustre.
Not quite clear how overpowered MC is, and storyline was relatively lacklustre.
dnf
October 12, 2024DNF at 59:13 of 9:59:44.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews