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80AD #1
The Jewel of Asgard
Take a very ordinary, very unhappy 14 year old boy, Phoenix. He's bored by school, hates his step-father, feels like he has no control over his life. In fact, the only things he does like are computer games and martial arts.
Add a smart, miserable 14 year old girl, Jade. She's the youngest of seven girls; teased and picked on; a misfit; her own mother doesn't get her. All she likes is books and botany.
Throw both these kids into a computer game - 80AD - AND into their avatar's bodies. Phoenix and Jade aren't 14 year old kids any longer. They're 17 year old warriors, confused and trapped in an ancient world of warfare, magic and death. They're stuck in 80AD Britain To Phoenix, it's fun - a gamer's dream come true. To Jade, it's a nightmare.
In order to get home, they have to play out Level One of 80AD. They have to find the Jewel of Asgard.
To do that, they must face murderous thieves, creatures of the Dywyllwch Brennau, uncanny powers of the Druids and the might of the invading Roman army.
Can they master their new bodies and survive in Iron Age Britain?
Can they beat the Romans to the Jewel and win Level One?
Will they make it home or will they be defeated by their arch-enemy, Feng Zhudai?
If he wins, they are stuck in 80AD forever - but is that so bad?
Add a smart, miserable 14 year old girl, Jade. She's the youngest of seven girls; teased and picked on; a misfit; her own mother doesn't get her. All she likes is books and botany.
Throw both these kids into a computer game - 80AD - AND into their avatar's bodies. Phoenix and Jade aren't 14 year old kids any longer. They're 17 year old warriors, confused and trapped in an ancient world of warfare, magic and death. They're stuck in 80AD Britain To Phoenix, it's fun - a gamer's dream come true. To Jade, it's a nightmare.
In order to get home, they have to play out Level One of 80AD. They have to find the Jewel of Asgard.
To do that, they must face murderous thieves, creatures of the Dywyllwch Brennau, uncanny powers of the Druids and the might of the invading Roman army.
Can they master their new bodies and survive in Iron Age Britain?
Can they beat the Romans to the Jewel and win Level One?
Will they make it home or will they be defeated by their arch-enemy, Feng Zhudai?
If he wins, they are stuck in 80AD forever - but is that so bad?
209 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2011
83 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Aiki Flinthart
43 books69 followersAiki lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband, (Ernest), teenage son (Leonidis - not their real names, obviously), aging dog and directionally-challenged fish.
In between being a wife, running a business full-time and helping Leonidis with homework, she squeezes in a few hobbies, including:
Martial arts, painting, writing, reading, bellydancing and playing three or four musical instruments. Occasionally she even sleeps. Very occasionally.
In between being a wife, running a business full-time and helping Leonidis with homework, she squeezes in a few hobbies, including:
Martial arts, painting, writing, reading, bellydancing and playing three or four musical instruments. Occasionally she even sleeps. Very occasionally.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
July 15, 2014
I recently found this book and the other books of this ebook series for free on Smashwords. This first book was a pretty good read!
Here is what the story is about:
14 year old Phoenix and Jade are both miserable at home (Phoenix has a hard time with his stepfather and Jade's mothers and sisters pick on her) and wish to escape their real lives. When they both retrieve a yin-yang necklace and a demo version of the new computer game 80AD that is not yet available to the public, they play it for a while. It is only when a freakish electrical storm zaps them into the game that Jade and Phoenix become the characters they created (a warrior and a half-elf healer mage) that they must play the entire game to get home completing all five levels. In this first one, they must steal the Jewel of Asgard before the Romans and Feng Zhudai do in ancient Britain known as Albion and Brittany from the druids at Stonehenge. With a boy thief named Brynn and a Roman warrior named Marcus, can they succeed in their mission or will their world and themselves cease to exist? Read this book and find out for yourself.
I enjoyed this story. It was interesting how they introduced tree fairies, ogres, living plants and more into the story in ancient Britain. This story had tons of fantastical elements in it with action in it too. For three days, I was entranced by this book and almost couldn't put it down, but had to as I had to save time to read my other reads. I finished this last night and can't wait to see what will happen in the rest of the series. If you love action, adventure, fantasy, and having it set back in time, then you'll enjoy this book and the rest of the 80AD series as each book is set in another part of the world in ancient times. Definitely check it out.
Here is what the story is about:
14 year old Phoenix and Jade are both miserable at home (Phoenix has a hard time with his stepfather and Jade's mothers and sisters pick on her) and wish to escape their real lives. When they both retrieve a yin-yang necklace and a demo version of the new computer game 80AD that is not yet available to the public, they play it for a while. It is only when a freakish electrical storm zaps them into the game that Jade and Phoenix become the characters they created (a warrior and a half-elf healer mage) that they must play the entire game to get home completing all five levels. In this first one, they must steal the Jewel of Asgard before the Romans and Feng Zhudai do in ancient Britain known as Albion and Brittany from the druids at Stonehenge. With a boy thief named Brynn and a Roman warrior named Marcus, can they succeed in their mission or will their world and themselves cease to exist? Read this book and find out for yourself.
I enjoyed this story. It was interesting how they introduced tree fairies, ogres, living plants and more into the story in ancient Britain. This story had tons of fantastical elements in it with action in it too. For three days, I was entranced by this book and almost couldn't put it down, but had to as I had to save time to read my other reads. I finished this last night and can't wait to see what will happen in the rest of the series. If you love action, adventure, fantasy, and having it set back in time, then you'll enjoy this book and the rest of the 80AD series as each book is set in another part of the world in ancient times. Definitely check it out.
February 19, 2012
Phoenix, an only child, lives with his mom and stepfather in a very well to do neighborhood yet he is very discouraged with is life because his stepfather is always on his case for one thing or another. Jade, also disgruntled with her life, is the youngest of seven sisters. As such she is always being picked on by her siblings. Even her mother seems to find something wrong with everything she does. Each of them begin playing the pre-release version of a computer game called 80AD. Soon after beginning the game they find themselves IN the game, as in this is now real life, albeit in the year 80AD in Brittany (what is now called England). The first level of the game is called The Jewel of Asgard. Phoenix and Jade find that they need to work together to locate and take possession of the jewel before they lose their seven lives. As they embark upon their quest they find out that they must be successful or their "real" lives (21st century) will be negatively impacted. What an adventure they have as they travel the roads of ancient Brittany fighting Roman soldiers, encountering elves, and Druids along the way.
As I read I was interested to read how Phoenix struggled with the conflicts between his 21st century personality and the 1st century personality of the character he created. On several occasions this led to his struggling to make a decision that would work to his benefit as he progressed. There are a couple of things that he learns along the way. One is that the decisions he makes impact more than just himself. Therefore, he needs to think things through in order to figure out what is best for the entire group and not just him alone. Another thing he learns is that being "in charge" isn't just a matter of being the boss and telling everyone what to do. As he comes to understand the real responsibility that goes with leadership he comes to better understand how challenging it can be. These are wonderful lessons which the reader can also learn as the story unfolds.
This ebook, which I read on one of the Barnes & Noble Nook readers purchased for the classroom by the Miscoe Hill PTO, was so enthralling that it was hard to put it down. There were several places throughout the book that an edit for grammar/word usage would have been helpful. With one or two exceptions it was easy to figure out what should have been written instead of what actually appears in the text. Overall it is quite an enjoyable story. This is the first of five books in the series, each one devoted to one of the levels of the game. I look forward to reading the rest of them and hope that they are as interesting and enjoyable as this one was.
As I read I was interested to read how Phoenix struggled with the conflicts between his 21st century personality and the 1st century personality of the character he created. On several occasions this led to his struggling to make a decision that would work to his benefit as he progressed. There are a couple of things that he learns along the way. One is that the decisions he makes impact more than just himself. Therefore, he needs to think things through in order to figure out what is best for the entire group and not just him alone. Another thing he learns is that being "in charge" isn't just a matter of being the boss and telling everyone what to do. As he comes to understand the real responsibility that goes with leadership he comes to better understand how challenging it can be. These are wonderful lessons which the reader can also learn as the story unfolds.
This ebook, which I read on one of the Barnes & Noble Nook readers purchased for the classroom by the Miscoe Hill PTO, was so enthralling that it was hard to put it down. There were several places throughout the book that an edit for grammar/word usage would have been helpful. With one or two exceptions it was easy to figure out what should have been written instead of what actually appears in the text. Overall it is quite an enjoyable story. This is the first of five books in the series, each one devoted to one of the levels of the game. I look forward to reading the rest of them and hope that they are as interesting and enjoyable as this one was.
May 19, 2012
I got this book for free on the Nook but it is so good I would have gladly have paid for it.
The basic premise of the story is somewhat traditional, young people thrown into an adventure and expected to save the world. But the specifics in the way it is told is new to me. The characters each are playing a computer game, by some strange events they are thrown INTO the computer game, except that the world appears to be real.
Having some knowledge and enjoyment of computer games and Role-Playing Games would help anyone reading this book, especially at the start of the book when they are creating their characters and playing it just as a computer game.
One nice effect of the computer game element is that because the book characters become their computer game characters the book doesn't have the annoying thing that happens in some books where children become very powerful heroes in a short amount of time. There are other gaming elements, such as a concept of a number of lives, recruiting NPCs, character skills and quests.
The pacing of the book is excellent with a good balance between action sequences and slowing scenes.
The characters are very well written, they have interesting personalities and you are drawn into their story. They are fairly stereotypical though, for example the boy Phoenix chose to be a fighter in the game, he enjoys battles and adventures, and wanted to play in the game world straight away. The girl wanted to be a pretty half-elf wizard and wanted to go home instead of going on adventures.
The characters have some development, Phoenix begins to feel bad about killing enemies and starts to take the world seriously instead of just being a game. It is also interesting to see how at first his real life skills and the skills of his character are sometimes in conflict with each other but he learns how to use both world abilities in unison.
Another nice thing is that the characters act in a real way. For example they need to pee and poop, and they miss their families.
The appendix is good, as it gives some information about the Romans, their armies and about Britain and its people.
There are a few spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, but not enough to take away from the book.
As there are some mildly violent fighting sequences and one use of the word "bastards" this book is probably suitable for teenagers or older.
As the rest of the series is free on the Nook I will be reading them as well, even if they weren't free I would get them.
The basic premise of the story is somewhat traditional, young people thrown into an adventure and expected to save the world. But the specifics in the way it is told is new to me. The characters each are playing a computer game, by some strange events they are thrown INTO the computer game, except that the world appears to be real.
Having some knowledge and enjoyment of computer games and Role-Playing Games would help anyone reading this book, especially at the start of the book when they are creating their characters and playing it just as a computer game.
One nice effect of the computer game element is that because the book characters become their computer game characters the book doesn't have the annoying thing that happens in some books where children become very powerful heroes in a short amount of time. There are other gaming elements, such as a concept of a number of lives, recruiting NPCs, character skills and quests.
The pacing of the book is excellent with a good balance between action sequences and slowing scenes.
The characters are very well written, they have interesting personalities and you are drawn into their story. They are fairly stereotypical though, for example the boy Phoenix chose to be a fighter in the game, he enjoys battles and adventures, and wanted to play in the game world straight away. The girl wanted to be a pretty half-elf wizard and wanted to go home instead of going on adventures.
The characters have some development, Phoenix begins to feel bad about killing enemies and starts to take the world seriously instead of just being a game. It is also interesting to see how at first his real life skills and the skills of his character are sometimes in conflict with each other but he learns how to use both world abilities in unison.
Another nice thing is that the characters act in a real way. For example they need to pee and poop, and they miss their families.
The appendix is good, as it gives some information about the Romans, their armies and about Britain and its people.
There are a few spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, but not enough to take away from the book.
As there are some mildly violent fighting sequences and one use of the word "bastards" this book is probably suitable for teenagers or older.
As the rest of the series is free on the Nook I will be reading them as well, even if they weren't free I would get them.
June 29, 2012
When I read the summary, I thought this could either be a bad version of Tron or a book that blossoms into its own. Luckily this was the latter. The plot was good; it was slow in a few places, but overall fairly fast. The only real drawback I saw was that the characters were not very well developed. Maybe it's the age difference between myself and the characters or that it's the first book in the series. Either way, I have the remaining four books so I intend to find out.
July 11, 2012
This promises to be a great series of five books. The action is fast and well paced, the characters are interesting and show room for improvement of character. Well done
October 9, 2015
I got this 5 book set for free on Amazon. I don't usually read game based books but the premise of fantasy, ancient Bretons, Romans, Druids n mythology creatures sounded intriguing. Boy am I glad I did.
The author links all the above along with some important historical facts into a totally fascinating read. It captures u from beginning to end. There r the usual typos with misspelled words or omissions, but that never deters me nor detracts the rating, unlike some other reviewers. I had also read the other reviews n don't get the same vibes for some of the characters such as Jade. But then that's just me:)
Phoenix, a boy of 13, is given 2 presents by his mother. 1 is a necklace n the other is a pre-release of a game called 80AD not scheduled for actual release yet. The necklace is part of a set that was found in an antique store in London. They each fit together perfectly n represented the Chinese yin yang symbol for harmony n balance. One part of the symbol was silvery with a gold dot in the center, n the other was golden with a silver dot in the center. His mother n father both wore the necklaces but upon his father's death, the necklace he wore was never found. His stepfather imposes strict rules on Phoenix n punishes him by taking away his after school activities. The only thing he has left is his Aikido, but if he makes it home late that too will be taken away. If anyone needed to be bashed in this story why not his stepfather? Who really in their right mind would truly get upset over a growing young boy eating the last 2 two slices of pizza or drink the last can of soda. They live in a mansion so it's not like he doesn't have money to replace the items.
Jade is the 7th daughter of a 7th son. She also 13 n treated like the "Ugly Duckling" n "Cinderella". She would rather read a book or help her father with his plants as he prepares for his Botany classes at Cambridge. Unlike her older sisters n mother who r interested only in boys, dresses n makeup. Not that her mother is interested in boys but she caters to her other daughters with no thought for Jade unless there's work to be done. Case in point, Judy( her sister) burns her hand n Jade ( although peeling a whole bag of potatoes) rushes outside to get a leaf of her aloe vera plant. Instead of thanks, her mother n sisters r disgusted with the icky substance provided by the plant even though it brings instant relief. After peeling the bag of potatoes for potato salad for her older sister's wedding, Jade returns to a secret hideaway n is left by the family. How on earth do u not know one of ur children is missing n why didn't her sisters say something to their mother n father before they left the house. Anyway she convinces her father to let her play his new game 80AD while the family is away. Unbeknownst to her she finds the other compliment of the Yin Yang necklace in her hideaway.
Phoenix has chosen a warrior as his avatar for the game while Jade chose a beautiful elven as hers. Each r wearing the necklaces as they prepare to play the game but something happens. Instead of being in a virtual game they are actually thrust by magic into the real life world of 80AD with five quests to perform. To find out how they survive n what
obstacles they face u will need to read the stories. U will not be disappointed for they r hard to put down once u start reading. I' m on to part 2.
The author links all the above along with some important historical facts into a totally fascinating read. It captures u from beginning to end. There r the usual typos with misspelled words or omissions, but that never deters me nor detracts the rating, unlike some other reviewers. I had also read the other reviews n don't get the same vibes for some of the characters such as Jade. But then that's just me:)
Phoenix, a boy of 13, is given 2 presents by his mother. 1 is a necklace n the other is a pre-release of a game called 80AD not scheduled for actual release yet. The necklace is part of a set that was found in an antique store in London. They each fit together perfectly n represented the Chinese yin yang symbol for harmony n balance. One part of the symbol was silvery with a gold dot in the center, n the other was golden with a silver dot in the center. His mother n father both wore the necklaces but upon his father's death, the necklace he wore was never found. His stepfather imposes strict rules on Phoenix n punishes him by taking away his after school activities. The only thing he has left is his Aikido, but if he makes it home late that too will be taken away. If anyone needed to be bashed in this story why not his stepfather? Who really in their right mind would truly get upset over a growing young boy eating the last 2 two slices of pizza or drink the last can of soda. They live in a mansion so it's not like he doesn't have money to replace the items.
Jade is the 7th daughter of a 7th son. She also 13 n treated like the "Ugly Duckling" n "Cinderella". She would rather read a book or help her father with his plants as he prepares for his Botany classes at Cambridge. Unlike her older sisters n mother who r interested only in boys, dresses n makeup. Not that her mother is interested in boys but she caters to her other daughters with no thought for Jade unless there's work to be done. Case in point, Judy( her sister) burns her hand n Jade ( although peeling a whole bag of potatoes) rushes outside to get a leaf of her aloe vera plant. Instead of thanks, her mother n sisters r disgusted with the icky substance provided by the plant even though it brings instant relief. After peeling the bag of potatoes for potato salad for her older sister's wedding, Jade returns to a secret hideaway n is left by the family. How on earth do u not know one of ur children is missing n why didn't her sisters say something to their mother n father before they left the house. Anyway she convinces her father to let her play his new game 80AD while the family is away. Unbeknownst to her she finds the other compliment of the Yin Yang necklace in her hideaway.
Phoenix has chosen a warrior as his avatar for the game while Jade chose a beautiful elven as hers. Each r wearing the necklaces as they prepare to play the game but something happens. Instead of being in a virtual game they are actually thrust by magic into the real life world of 80AD with five quests to perform. To find out how they survive n what
obstacles they face u will need to read the stories. U will not be disappointed for they r hard to put down once u start reading. I' m on to part 2.
June 27, 2013
Considering this is a free book, as is the rest of the series, the Author is either unaware of her talent for writing or simply doesn't care much for charging for the work.
From the first book in the series you can already tell how much thought and planning went into the series roots. The story seems well grasped and described as if someone had already been there and done it. Characters are rich with witty comments and realization of their current circumstances. Little is known about the quests until needed and no one has much choice but to follow them to the end.
A well written tale that grabs your head, smacks it against the pages until you've finished the book and hopes you've remembered the little in's and out's for the sequel. Then tantalize's you with a second, third, fourth and fifth book to repeat the process.
A must read for gamers, geeks, sci-fi nerds and fantasy fans.
From the first book in the series you can already tell how much thought and planning went into the series roots. The story seems well grasped and described as if someone had already been there and done it. Characters are rich with witty comments and realization of their current circumstances. Little is known about the quests until needed and no one has much choice but to follow them to the end.
A well written tale that grabs your head, smacks it against the pages until you've finished the book and hopes you've remembered the little in's and out's for the sequel. Then tantalize's you with a second, third, fourth and fifth book to repeat the process.
A must read for gamers, geeks, sci-fi nerds and fantasy fans.
May 9, 2014
A light, fast-paced adventure that's highly enjoyable.
I was looking for a quick, fun read that wouldn't be too involved to enjoy bit by bit as I read it in between activities on holiday last week. I didn't know what I was getting into, because I enjoyed it so much that I am hell bent on continuing to read all the other four books in this brilliant series to see what happens at the end. All five books are free on Kindle and they are truly superb. I will be looking for more by this writer when I'm done!
If, like me, you adore both ancient history and modern day video gaming, you will love this easy read. The characters are relatable and genuinely nice kids, the side characters are delightful, the villains are fun to hate and the plot was a constantly-moving stream of action, magic and suspense. On the whole this was an excellent read; I can't wait to see what happens next!
I was looking for a quick, fun read that wouldn't be too involved to enjoy bit by bit as I read it in between activities on holiday last week. I didn't know what I was getting into, because I enjoyed it so much that I am hell bent on continuing to read all the other four books in this brilliant series to see what happens at the end. All five books are free on Kindle and they are truly superb. I will be looking for more by this writer when I'm done!
If, like me, you adore both ancient history and modern day video gaming, you will love this easy read. The characters are relatable and genuinely nice kids, the side characters are delightful, the villains are fun to hate and the plot was a constantly-moving stream of action, magic and suspense. On the whole this was an excellent read; I can't wait to see what happens next!
June 11, 2012
Feeling disconnected from their families, unwanted, and alone two teenagers open up a pre-release game and step into a world unknown. Once in the world they find each other and become trapped in the game. Their only hope? Beat the levels in order to get out and get home. Jade and Phoenix are two loveable characters on an adventure we've all imagined from time to time. They come across an unlikely duo to join their team and try to defeat the level so they can get home. I like the adventures and it was edited very nicely. Surprisingly fast read but well worth every page. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book.
July 21, 2012
This is a well-crafted story about a pair of young teens who end up being sucked into a reality based directly on a video game they play. The story is engaging, the characters feel real, and the story itself is well-paced and fun to read.
There are some grammatical and typographic errors in the book, but they are not overly distracting. The book and story are good for older children and teens to read. I enjoyed the story thoroughly and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
There are some grammatical and typographic errors in the book, but they are not overly distracting. The book and story are good for older children and teens to read. I enjoyed the story thoroughly and am looking forward to reading more from this author.
March 4, 2012
Pretty good read. Would not guess this were only an ebook; well-edited and decently written. Free for nook, but worth paying for. Young boys should enjoy the adventure, and Jade is a good character for girls to identify with. Recommended for age 12 and up, possibly 10, for young readers who like fantasy, Harry Potter, Narnia, or the Percy Jackson series.
February 2, 2023
I loved this book.
It had Celtic/Welsh words in it a little bit which I liked because begin welsh i could understand what it meant before the book told you the translations.
Considering this book was free it was great and I really think the author should at least make some money from a job well done and start charging for it.
there wasn't really much I disliked about this book
It had Celtic/Welsh words in it a little bit which I liked because begin welsh i could understand what it meant before the book told you the translations.
Considering this book was free it was great and I really think the author should at least make some money from a job well done and start charging for it.
there wasn't really much I disliked about this book
November 19, 2012
I Really got into this book. I know it is a teen book, but sometimes they are the best ones to read. The Jewel of Asgard held my attention throughout the entire book. I couldn't put it down. I found it as well written as the Harry Potter Series.
February 18, 2012
seems promising :) I'll make sure to read the rest..
August 20, 2012
Not very deep, but an enjoyable read.
May 17, 2019
80AD level one The Jewel of Asgard by Aiki Flinthart
This novel reminded me of an MMORPG-oh wait-it really is an MMORPG. I think anyone hooked on those MMORPG's has often wondered what it would be like to be in the game-really in the game. If you're like me and you know that your avatars have all died at least 30 times or more then it's only a passing thought. One that you let go of really quickly.
Of course this one is a free one- in fact all five books are free- and that's all five levels. Of course we've all often thought about writing a book based on our favorite game and so here we have someone who has- well I think the game is made up- but it all works in the way expected. I'm a fan of Science Fiction but having delved into to MMORPG's I had to check these books out.
80AD is targeted to young adults but it's a pretty darn good story and its quite entertaining for all ages. There are two major characters Phoenix and Jade the to unsuspecting teens who will get trapped in the game. Phoenix builds his character out of his desire to escape from his stepfather's abrasive behavior. Phoenix needs something to take out his aggressions on so he creates a warrior. Jade doesn't fit in and has been hoping if she hides that the rest of here family her 6 older sisters will forget about her and leave her behind. When she gets that wish she finds herself with a free night and obtains permission to play the game on her father's computer. She is intelligent and knowledgeable about herbs and healing plants so of course she creates an Elvin halfbreed healer/magic Avatar.
The story starts with Long Baiyu - a prisoner below someones castle or keep- using magic as his last resort to possible escape.
The game; 80AD, is still in development so the two copies we know of are supposed to be standalone copies of a beta version. But, this story includes a bit of magic before the game starts. Phoenix's mother gives him her half of a yin yang charm necklaces that she and her late husband had. Phoenix's father died in a car accident and his half of the pair was lost. There is a reference to an old couple at the time of the accident.
Jade's family has recently moved into a house that has several places that seem almost like mystery hiding places and she's found a pouch containing a strange necklace with a charm. The house was previously owned by an old couple.
They are both playing the game the same night and although it is not set up to do the MMORPG they somehow connect to each other and lightning strikes and the find themselves trapped in the game.
Phoenix is excited that he's now this big burly warrior and inside a game that seems so real. Jade wants only to get out of the game, which is quickly becoming too frightening for her. That's not going to happen soon and they are about to find out that they need to at least finish this level and that the stakes are high.
Both characters are quite strong and they easily play off of each other since they are almost polar opposite from the start. They each have a slot in the game for one helper and that's how they acquire Brynn and Marcus, a thief and a Roman. Since in this game a Roman would be the enemy we can see where this is all going.
This unlikely quartet set out to acquire the Jewel of Asgard which is the quest of the first level. Jades hope is that when they finish this level they can return home.Phoenix is hoping for as much conflict as he can stand.
Soon the reality of not having bathrooms and showers and restaurants and refrigerators and soft comfortable beds all seem to wear on both Phoenix and Jade. Their helpers don't know of those things so they can't miss them. Add to that the conflict and the pain and trying to reconcile deaths in a game that now seems too real to ignore and things start to get old for them both.
The only thing keeping them going is that they are convinced that if they fail the quest that it will be the end- not just for the game but for the world they're trying to get back to. They don't even know if they have the requisite seven lives and are very much reluctant to give up even one.
The quartet are all very different and engaging characters and the story moves along quickly though for me that thought that this is a novel about a game keeps looming in the back of my mind. It takes an effort to keep the reading of the story on some serious level but Aiki does a fair job of keeping things real.
I loved this book and any gamer should enjoy it and its a good book for Fantasy lovers. There's five levels so there's five books and as far as I can tell they are all free, which is hard to understand considering how engaging the first one is but I'm not going to complain.
There's even a bit of history and mythology buried in the story.
Thanks, Aiki for the entertaining read with good clean fun and the requisite amount of violence; and if the other four books match the level of this one I'm sure I'll polish them all off in no time.
J.L. Dobias
This novel reminded me of an MMORPG-oh wait-it really is an MMORPG. I think anyone hooked on those MMORPG's has often wondered what it would be like to be in the game-really in the game. If you're like me and you know that your avatars have all died at least 30 times or more then it's only a passing thought. One that you let go of really quickly.
Of course this one is a free one- in fact all five books are free- and that's all five levels. Of course we've all often thought about writing a book based on our favorite game and so here we have someone who has- well I think the game is made up- but it all works in the way expected. I'm a fan of Science Fiction but having delved into to MMORPG's I had to check these books out.
80AD is targeted to young adults but it's a pretty darn good story and its quite entertaining for all ages. There are two major characters Phoenix and Jade the to unsuspecting teens who will get trapped in the game. Phoenix builds his character out of his desire to escape from his stepfather's abrasive behavior. Phoenix needs something to take out his aggressions on so he creates a warrior. Jade doesn't fit in and has been hoping if she hides that the rest of here family her 6 older sisters will forget about her and leave her behind. When she gets that wish she finds herself with a free night and obtains permission to play the game on her father's computer. She is intelligent and knowledgeable about herbs and healing plants so of course she creates an Elvin halfbreed healer/magic Avatar.
The story starts with Long Baiyu - a prisoner below someones castle or keep- using magic as his last resort to possible escape.
The game; 80AD, is still in development so the two copies we know of are supposed to be standalone copies of a beta version. But, this story includes a bit of magic before the game starts. Phoenix's mother gives him her half of a yin yang charm necklaces that she and her late husband had. Phoenix's father died in a car accident and his half of the pair was lost. There is a reference to an old couple at the time of the accident.
Jade's family has recently moved into a house that has several places that seem almost like mystery hiding places and she's found a pouch containing a strange necklace with a charm. The house was previously owned by an old couple.
They are both playing the game the same night and although it is not set up to do the MMORPG they somehow connect to each other and lightning strikes and the find themselves trapped in the game.
Phoenix is excited that he's now this big burly warrior and inside a game that seems so real. Jade wants only to get out of the game, which is quickly becoming too frightening for her. That's not going to happen soon and they are about to find out that they need to at least finish this level and that the stakes are high.
Both characters are quite strong and they easily play off of each other since they are almost polar opposite from the start. They each have a slot in the game for one helper and that's how they acquire Brynn and Marcus, a thief and a Roman. Since in this game a Roman would be the enemy we can see where this is all going.
This unlikely quartet set out to acquire the Jewel of Asgard which is the quest of the first level. Jades hope is that when they finish this level they can return home.Phoenix is hoping for as much conflict as he can stand.
Soon the reality of not having bathrooms and showers and restaurants and refrigerators and soft comfortable beds all seem to wear on both Phoenix and Jade. Their helpers don't know of those things so they can't miss them. Add to that the conflict and the pain and trying to reconcile deaths in a game that now seems too real to ignore and things start to get old for them both.
The only thing keeping them going is that they are convinced that if they fail the quest that it will be the end- not just for the game but for the world they're trying to get back to. They don't even know if they have the requisite seven lives and are very much reluctant to give up even one.
The quartet are all very different and engaging characters and the story moves along quickly though for me that thought that this is a novel about a game keeps looming in the back of my mind. It takes an effort to keep the reading of the story on some serious level but Aiki does a fair job of keeping things real.
I loved this book and any gamer should enjoy it and its a good book for Fantasy lovers. There's five levels so there's five books and as far as I can tell they are all free, which is hard to understand considering how engaging the first one is but I'm not going to complain.
There's even a bit of history and mythology buried in the story.
Thanks, Aiki for the entertaining read with good clean fun and the requisite amount of violence; and if the other four books match the level of this one I'm sure I'll polish them all off in no time.
J.L. Dobias
October 7, 2017
DNF at 43%. 'Stuck in an RPG game' is one of my favourite tropes, but that means I've consumed a lot of this media and am very critical of it.
One of the biggest immediate problems is that the game being played in this novel simply isn't logical or even any fun. I don't think the author had played any RPGs (online or otherwise) before writing this, because her game involves completely nonsensical things like female players/avatars being banned from 50% of the game's content/options, not receiving money or sellable items from killing enemies, having to equip money in order to spend it, and so on. Logically, this isn't a game anyone would develop, let alone play. And it's not much fun to read about, either.
The other, equally large, problem is that the characters simply aren't likeable or all that sympathetic. Readers will let logic slide a bit if the characters are enjoyable, likeable, or relatable. Unfortunately none of the characters are very deep. They're more like cardboard cutouts. And unfortunately they're not even cardboard cutouts that make sense - it feels like random traits got thrown into piles rather than traits that make sense for the characters' backgrounds. It feels like everyone is constantly having moodswings for no reason.
I suspect these problems (or the characterisation, at least) will improve as the books go on and the author gains experience, but I can't keep reading and waiting for that point when it may still be many books off.
The author had an interesting idea, and a new market in aiming this overused trope at a much younger audience than others have, but ultimately the book reveals a lack of research, editing/feedback, and character development/planning.
One of the biggest immediate problems is that the game being played in this novel simply isn't logical or even any fun. I don't think the author had played any RPGs (online or otherwise) before writing this, because her game involves completely nonsensical things like female players/avatars being banned from 50% of the game's content/options, not receiving money or sellable items from killing enemies, having to equip money in order to spend it, and so on. Logically, this isn't a game anyone would develop, let alone play. And it's not much fun to read about, either.
The other, equally large, problem is that the characters simply aren't likeable or all that sympathetic. Readers will let logic slide a bit if the characters are enjoyable, likeable, or relatable. Unfortunately none of the characters are very deep. They're more like cardboard cutouts. And unfortunately they're not even cardboard cutouts that make sense - it feels like random traits got thrown into piles rather than traits that make sense for the characters' backgrounds. It feels like everyone is constantly having moodswings for no reason.
I suspect these problems (or the characterisation, at least) will improve as the books go on and the author gains experience, but I can't keep reading and waiting for that point when it may still be many books off.
The author had an interesting idea, and a new market in aiming this overused trope at a much younger audience than others have, but ultimately the book reveals a lack of research, editing/feedback, and character development/planning.
December 13, 2017
80AD is a new computer game. A teenage boy, Phoenix, and a teenage girl, Jade, begin to play the game only to be drawn into the world for real. Trapped and unable to get home, they have no choice but to complete the objective of level one. This requires them traveling to Stonehenge, finding the Jewel of Asgard and returning it to its rightful owners. No small task as they have to contend with the Roman, who also want the jewel.
Taking into account that the book was written for a younger audience, I enjoyed the story. It has good additions of magic, action and suspense. It does have violence, but it is not too graphic and there are no sexual references. The only thing I did not like was the gratuitous emotional self-talk. It did not find it genuine and it portrayed the characters as whiny whilst slowing the story. In doing so this aspect took up words which could have been used to advance the plot. Having said that, I’m aware that there are readers who prefer more emotional characters than I do. I can recommend the book to young readers and I will be continuing with the series in due course.
Taking into account that the book was written for a younger audience, I enjoyed the story. It has good additions of magic, action and suspense. It does have violence, but it is not too graphic and there are no sexual references. The only thing I did not like was the gratuitous emotional self-talk. It did not find it genuine and it portrayed the characters as whiny whilst slowing the story. In doing so this aspect took up words which could have been used to advance the plot. Having said that, I’m aware that there are readers who prefer more emotional characters than I do. I can recommend the book to young readers and I will be continuing with the series in due course.
April 5, 2023
This book is a dream come true for anyone who's played video games. The story follows two kids, Phoneix, and Jade, who are both struggling with their families and decide to play the new game as a means of escape. Rather than playing the game, instead, they are thrown into the game with the quest to find and safely deliver the Jewel of Asgard to its rightful owner. Phoenix, and Jade, previously not knowing each other, begin to learn more about the other and about themselves. Throughout the story, they make many friends, sacrifice for each other, and discover that the Jewel isn't exactly what they expected it to be.
I loved the book! The story ended on a cliffhanger so I ended up reading the whole series and was really satisfied with the ending that would make anyone happy. It was exciting and unique in the way that the world functioned for them in a way that was similar to a video game with different perks.
Content warning: violence
I loved the book! The story ended on a cliffhanger so I ended up reading the whole series and was really satisfied with the ending that would make anyone happy. It was exciting and unique in the way that the world functioned for them in a way that was similar to a video game with different perks.
Content warning: violence
January 28, 2023
Πραγματικά υπέροχο! Τι να πρωτοπείς για αυτό το βιβλίο; Τους χαρακτήρες του ή για την υπόθεση και τα plot twists που δεν σε αφήνουν σε ησυχία; Τουλάχιστον δύο συμβάντα μέσα στο βιβλίο με εξέπληξαν τόσο πολύ που πραγματικά δεν ήξερα τι να πρωτοπιστέψω. Η πλοκή ήταν απίστευτη αν και για κάποιους μπορεί να θεωρηθεί σχετικά αργή όμως οι μάχες είμαι σίγουρη πως θα δικαιώσουν όποιον το ξεκινήσει. Οι χαρακτήρες πολλοί και καλογραμμένοι με εμβάθυνση. Ουσιαστικά ακολουθούμε την προσπάθεια του Phoenix και της Jade οι οποίοι έχουνε παγιδευτεί μ��σα σε ένα demo mmorpg παιχνίδι, το "80 AD" να σώσουν τον κόσμο τους από ένα μεγάλο κακό. Για να το πετύχουν αυτό πρέπει να περάσουν από πέντε δοκιμασίες, μια για κάθε βιβλίο. Το συστήνω ανεπιφύλακτα και στους πιο απαιτητικούς. Η γραφή του συγγραφέα είναι τόσο καλή που πραγματικά δεν θα θέλετε να το αφήσετε από τα χέρια σας ή να κλείσετε το Kindle σας.
July 30, 2013
I enjoyed this book, but I have to criticize a few things. The general plot was well written, and it kept me interested enough to read more. That being said, though, it seemed to me like this book was an example of a good first draft that could have used some more revisions before being released.
I would have liked to see the author spend more time developing her characters. I can see that he put in an effort to give them basic personalities, but he wrote those personalities into the story a little awkwardly. The characters seemed like cardboard cutouts, it was difficult to care about them.
There were a number of minor plot points that didn't make sense. The ones I'm thinking of contain spoilers so I won't mention them here. I'll just say that that's a reason to revise your work, so that you make sure everything fits together properly.
There were a number of historical inaccuracies. For example, the Druids never had anything to do with Stonehenge. I'm willing to forgive those, though, because any game based on historical events is bound to have inaccuracies and to take some creative liberties to make things more interesting. After all, this is an 80 AD with magic and fairies.
One thing that kind of grates at me about this book is that it becomes extremely obvious that the author has never played an MMORPG in her life - or even just a regular computer role playing game for that matter. That makes the whole premise of the book come off as incredibly insincere and non-genuine.
Right away I can hear people objecting "You can't possibly know that!". Well, I think I can, and there are several strong clues. I'll let you be the judge:
1. Before being magically transported into the game, Pheonix spends some time wandering through the woods and killing bandits. Then he heads to a local tavern for a bite to eat. When it comes time to pay, however, he suddenly realizes that he forgot to equip his character with money.
Here's what's wrong with that:
- There is no such thing as an RPG in which you have to remember to equip your character with money. Money is a basic attribute of your character, and each character starts out with the same amount.
- Phoenix had just spent some time wandering around the woods and killing bandits. In RPG's, when you kill something you get any money or objects it was carrying. So even if the game gave Phoenix no money to start out with, he'd have a few coins to rub together after his little stint killing bandits.
- In RPG's, you don't buy first and pay later. You make the payment, and then you get the object you purchased. You don't get a chance to stiff the merchant NPCs (non player characters) by grabbing the object and then refusing to pay.
2. When Jade enters the tavern, she's refused service because she's a woman. Even if this were a historically accurate depiction of how things worked in the year 80 AD (which I'm pretty sure it's not), no game company is EVER going to program a game in which female players are denied the same services as male players.
3. Phoenix, who we're told is an experienced gamer, is stumped and has to look up the words "charisma" and "dexterity" when he's creating his character. These are very common character attributes in RPG's! There is no way that Phoenix would be stumped by these words. I think it's clear that it's the author who doesn't know that these are common attributes that any experienced gamer would understand.
4. Phoenix is confused at the fact that he can even see Jade in the game, because the pre-release allows access to the servers but not other players. That wouldn't happen. There's no sense in giving players access to the servers but not to other players. The only reason the servers exist is so that players can play together. You don't even need an internet connection to play an RPG by yourself.
5. The players are given seven lives. That's nonsense. RPG's do not use limited lives. If you die, you either restore from a save point or get booted back to the beginning of the level. In an MMORPG (online RPG) you might get to spend some time in an underworld until somebody casts a resurrection spell on you, or perhaps you make some kind of deal and get resurrected but lose some experience points.
What makes this idea even more ridiculous is that game companies pretty much stopped using limited lives in the early 90's. Nobody thinks anymore that it's a good idea to make your players start all over from the very beginning and loose all the hard work they put into their game if they run out of lives. That's an idea of game mechanics that we've happily moved past.
Was Super Mario the last game that the author played?
I think it's really clear that the author has never played a computer RPG. That's a serious flaw if the whole premise of your book is that your characters are trapped inside of one.
I can give a little more leeway to this kind of thing after they're magically transported and the game becomes "real". I figure that the game mechanics probably fall to the side a little in favor of real world physics when that happens.
But the problem still remains that the whole premise is that these characters are stuck in what was supposed to be an RPG. If that premise doesn't feel genuine, then it takes a lot more willing suspension of disbelief just to get into the story.
If the author didn't care enough to try playing a computer RPG beforehand, she could have just written this book as a standard "mysteriously transported to a magical land" story and there wouldn't have been much difference.
Overall, this was a decent story that kept me interested. I just really wish that the author had taken the time to revise and think through all the different aspects of her work.
I would have liked to see the author spend more time developing her characters. I can see that he put in an effort to give them basic personalities, but he wrote those personalities into the story a little awkwardly. The characters seemed like cardboard cutouts, it was difficult to care about them.
There were a number of minor plot points that didn't make sense. The ones I'm thinking of contain spoilers so I won't mention them here. I'll just say that that's a reason to revise your work, so that you make sure everything fits together properly.
There were a number of historical inaccuracies. For example, the Druids never had anything to do with Stonehenge. I'm willing to forgive those, though, because any game based on historical events is bound to have inaccuracies and to take some creative liberties to make things more interesting. After all, this is an 80 AD with magic and fairies.
One thing that kind of grates at me about this book is that it becomes extremely obvious that the author has never played an MMORPG in her life - or even just a regular computer role playing game for that matter. That makes the whole premise of the book come off as incredibly insincere and non-genuine.
Right away I can hear people objecting "You can't possibly know that!". Well, I think I can, and there are several strong clues. I'll let you be the judge:
1. Before being magically transported into the game, Pheonix spends some time wandering through the woods and killing bandits. Then he heads to a local tavern for a bite to eat. When it comes time to pay, however, he suddenly realizes that he forgot to equip his character with money.
Here's what's wrong with that:
- There is no such thing as an RPG in which you have to remember to equip your character with money. Money is a basic attribute of your character, and each character starts out with the same amount.
- Phoenix had just spent some time wandering around the woods and killing bandits. In RPG's, when you kill something you get any money or objects it was carrying. So even if the game gave Phoenix no money to start out with, he'd have a few coins to rub together after his little stint killing bandits.
- In RPG's, you don't buy first and pay later. You make the payment, and then you get the object you purchased. You don't get a chance to stiff the merchant NPCs (non player characters) by grabbing the object and then refusing to pay.
2. When Jade enters the tavern, she's refused service because she's a woman. Even if this were a historically accurate depiction of how things worked in the year 80 AD (which I'm pretty sure it's not), no game company is EVER going to program a game in which female players are denied the same services as male players.
3. Phoenix, who we're told is an experienced gamer, is stumped and has to look up the words "charisma" and "dexterity" when he's creating his character. These are very common character attributes in RPG's! There is no way that Phoenix would be stumped by these words. I think it's clear that it's the author who doesn't know that these are common attributes that any experienced gamer would understand.
4. Phoenix is confused at the fact that he can even see Jade in the game, because the pre-release allows access to the servers but not other players. That wouldn't happen. There's no sense in giving players access to the servers but not to other players. The only reason the servers exist is so that players can play together. You don't even need an internet connection to play an RPG by yourself.
5. The players are given seven lives. That's nonsense. RPG's do not use limited lives. If you die, you either restore from a save point or get booted back to the beginning of the level. In an MMORPG (online RPG) you might get to spend some time in an underworld until somebody casts a resurrection spell on you, or perhaps you make some kind of deal and get resurrected but lose some experience points.
What makes this idea even more ridiculous is that game companies pretty much stopped using limited lives in the early 90's. Nobody thinks anymore that it's a good idea to make your players start all over from the very beginning and loose all the hard work they put into their game if they run out of lives. That's an idea of game mechanics that we've happily moved past.
Was Super Mario the last game that the author played?
I think it's really clear that the author has never played a computer RPG. That's a serious flaw if the whole premise of your book is that your characters are trapped inside of one.
I can give a little more leeway to this kind of thing after they're magically transported and the game becomes "real". I figure that the game mechanics probably fall to the side a little in favor of real world physics when that happens.
But the problem still remains that the whole premise is that these characters are stuck in what was supposed to be an RPG. If that premise doesn't feel genuine, then it takes a lot more willing suspension of disbelief just to get into the story.
If the author didn't care enough to try playing a computer RPG beforehand, she could have just written this book as a standard "mysteriously transported to a magical land" story and there wouldn't have been much difference.
Overall, this was a decent story that kept me interested. I just really wish that the author had taken the time to revise and think through all the different aspects of her work.
July 30, 2013
I enjoyed this book, but I have to criticize a few things. The general plot was well written, and it kept me interested enough to read more. That being said, though, it seemed to me like this book was an example of a good first draft that could have used some more revisions before being released.
I would have liked to see the author spend more time developing her characters. I can see that he put in an effort to give them basic personalities, but he wrote those personalities into the story a little awkwardly. The characters seemed like cardboard cutouts, it was difficult to care about them.
There were a number of minor plot points that didn't make sense. The ones I'm thinking of contain spoilers so I won't mention them here. I'll just say that that's a reason to revise your work, so that you make sure everything fits together properly.
There were a number of historical inaccuracies. For example, the Druids never had anything to do with Stonehenge. I'm willing to forgive those, though, because any game based on historical events is bound to have inaccuracies and to take some creative liberties to make things more interesting. After all, this is an 80 AD with magic and fairies.
One thing that kind of grates at me about this book is that it becomes extremely obvious that the author has never played an MMORPG in her life - or even just a regular computer role playing game for that matter. That makes the whole premise of the book come off as incredibly insincere and non-genuine.
Right away I can hear people objecting "You can't possibly know that!". Well, I think I can, and there are several strong clues. I'll let you be the judge:
1. Before being magically transported into the game, Pheonix spends some time wandering through the woods and killing bandits. Then he heads to a local tavern for a bite to eat. When it comes time to pay, however, he suddenly realizes that he forgot to equip his character with money.
Here's what's wrong with that:
- There is no such thing as an RPG in which you have to remember to equip your character with money. Money is a basic attribute of your character, and each character starts out with the same amount.
- Phoenix had just spent some time wandering around the woods and killing bandits. In RPG's, when you kill something you get any money or objects it was carrying. So even if the game gave Phoenix no money to start out with, he'd have a few coins to rub together after his little stint killing bandits.
- In RPG's, you don't buy first and pay later. You make the payment, and then you get the object you purchased. You don't get a chance to stiff the merchant NPCs (non player characters) by grabbing the object and then refusing to pay.
2. When Jade enters the tavern, she's refused service because she's a woman. Even if this were a historically accurate depiction of how things worked in the year 80 AD (which I'm pretty sure it's not), no game company is EVER going to program a game in which female players are denied the same services as male players.
3. Phoenix, who we're told is an experienced gamer, is stumped and has to look up the words "charisma" and "dexterity" when he's creating his character. These are very common character attributes in RPG's! There is no way that Phoenix would be stumped by these words. I think it's clear that it's the author who doesn't know that these are common attributes that any experienced gamer would understand.
4. Phoenix is confused at the fact that he can even see Jade in the game, because the pre-release allows access to the servers but not other players. That wouldn't happen. There's no sense in giving players access to the servers but not to other players. The only reason the servers exist is so that players can play together. You don't even need an internet connection to play an RPG by yourself.
5. The players are given seven lives. That's nonsense. RPG's do not use limited lives. If you die, you either restore from a save point or get booted back to the beginning of the level. In an MMORPG (online RPG) you might get to spend some time in an underworld until somebody casts a resurrection spell on you, or perhaps you make some kind of deal and get resurrected but lose some experience points.
What makes this idea even more ridiculous is that game companies pretty much stopped using limited lives in the early 90's. Nobody thinks anymore that it's a good idea to make your players start all over from the very beginning and loose all the hard work they put into their game if they run out of lives. That's an idea of game mechanics that we've happily moved past.
Was Super Mario the last game that the author played?
I think it's really clear that the author has never played a computer RPG. That's a serious flaw if the whole premise of your book is that your characters are trapped inside of one.
I can give a little more leeway to this kind of thing after they're magically transported and the game becomes "real". I figure that the game mechanics probably fall to the side a little in favor of real world physics when that happens.
But the problem still remains that the whole premise is that these characters are stuck in what was supposed to be an RPG. If that premise doesn't feel genuine, then it takes a lot more willing suspension of disbelief just to get into the story.
If the author didn't care enough to try playing a computer RPG beforehand, she could have just written this book as a standard "mysteriously transported to a magical land" story and there wouldn't have been much difference.
Overall, this was a decent story that kept me interested. I just really wish that the author had taken the time to revise and think through all the different aspects of her work.
I would have liked to see the author spend more time developing her characters. I can see that he put in an effort to give them basic personalities, but he wrote those personalities into the story a little awkwardly. The characters seemed like cardboard cutouts, it was difficult to care about them.
There were a number of minor plot points that didn't make sense. The ones I'm thinking of contain spoilers so I won't mention them here. I'll just say that that's a reason to revise your work, so that you make sure everything fits together properly.
There were a number of historical inaccuracies. For example, the Druids never had anything to do with Stonehenge. I'm willing to forgive those, though, because any game based on historical events is bound to have inaccuracies and to take some creative liberties to make things more interesting. After all, this is an 80 AD with magic and fairies.
One thing that kind of grates at me about this book is that it becomes extremely obvious that the author has never played an MMORPG in her life - or even just a regular computer role playing game for that matter. That makes the whole premise of the book come off as incredibly insincere and non-genuine.
Right away I can hear people objecting "You can't possibly know that!". Well, I think I can, and there are several strong clues. I'll let you be the judge:
1. Before being magically transported into the game, Pheonix spends some time wandering through the woods and killing bandits. Then he heads to a local tavern for a bite to eat. When it comes time to pay, however, he suddenly realizes that he forgot to equip his character with money.
Here's what's wrong with that:
- There is no such thing as an RPG in which you have to remember to equip your character with money. Money is a basic attribute of your character, and each character starts out with the same amount.
- Phoenix had just spent some time wandering around the woods and killing bandits. In RPG's, when you kill something you get any money or objects it was carrying. So even if the game gave Phoenix no money to start out with, he'd have a few coins to rub together after his little stint killing bandits.
- In RPG's, you don't buy first and pay later. You make the payment, and then you get the object you purchased. You don't get a chance to stiff the merchant NPCs (non player characters) by grabbing the object and then refusing to pay.
2. When Jade enters the tavern, she's refused service because she's a woman. Even if this were a historically accurate depiction of how things worked in the year 80 AD (which I'm pretty sure it's not), no game company is EVER going to program a game in which female players are denied the same services as male players.
3. Phoenix, who we're told is an experienced gamer, is stumped and has to look up the words "charisma" and "dexterity" when he's creating his character. These are very common character attributes in RPG's! There is no way that Phoenix would be stumped by these words. I think it's clear that it's the author who doesn't know that these are common attributes that any experienced gamer would understand.
4. Phoenix is confused at the fact that he can even see Jade in the game, because the pre-release allows access to the servers but not other players. That wouldn't happen. There's no sense in giving players access to the servers but not to other players. The only reason the servers exist is so that players can play together. You don't even need an internet connection to play an RPG by yourself.
5. The players are given seven lives. That's nonsense. RPG's do not use limited lives. If you die, you either restore from a save point or get booted back to the beginning of the level. In an MMORPG (online RPG) you might get to spend some time in an underworld until somebody casts a resurrection spell on you, or perhaps you make some kind of deal and get resurrected but lose some experience points.
What makes this idea even more ridiculous is that game companies pretty much stopped using limited lives in the early 90's. Nobody thinks anymore that it's a good idea to make your players start all over from the very beginning and loose all the hard work they put into their game if they run out of lives. That's an idea of game mechanics that we've happily moved past.
Was Super Mario the last game that the author played?
I think it's really clear that the author has never played a computer RPG. That's a serious flaw if the whole premise of your book is that your characters are trapped inside of one.
I can give a little more leeway to this kind of thing after they're magically transported and the game becomes "real". I figure that the game mechanics probably fall to the side a little in favor of real world physics when that happens.
But the problem still remains that the whole premise is that these characters are stuck in what was supposed to be an RPG. If that premise doesn't feel genuine, then it takes a lot more willing suspension of disbelief just to get into the story.
If the author didn't care enough to try playing a computer RPG beforehand, she could have just written this book as a standard "mysteriously transported to a magical land" story and there wouldn't have been much difference.
Overall, this was a decent story that kept me interested. I just really wish that the author had taken the time to revise and think through all the different aspects of her work.
November 15, 2020
Although this is not the sort of book I would normally read I have to say that I did enjoy it. The story line was well thought through and the main characters introduced well. There was sufficient going on to keep my interest but nothing particularly outstanding to rate it any higher. There were battles, magic, a bit of history and a few surprises along the way all linked to a computer game! It does lead directly into the next adventure, which I will read but there are five parts to the whole story although going by this book they can be read independently as this one was a complete story in itself.
May 21, 2018
Two separate kids with far from ideal home lives get sucked into a video game that could have consequences for the real world.
I may not be the target audience for this book. The "hardships" the two main characters have in the real world are an overbearing step-father (who also seems to be rich, and they say the character lives in a mansion), and the other just has lots of sisters who are vain and self centred.
The story is a bit slow to get going as they realise what has happened and find a few companions along the way, but picks up in the second half.
I may not be the target audience for this book. The "hardships" the two main characters have in the real world are an overbearing step-father (who also seems to be rich, and they say the character lives in a mansion), and the other just has lots of sisters who are vain and self centred.
The story is a bit slow to get going as they realise what has happened and find a few companions along the way, but picks up in the second half.
May 23, 2019
Fun and educational all at the same time!
The author put in some foot work to make sure these were in very realistic historical settings. If only video game actually did that well...
The first book starts you out in England and is rendered very well given the Roman occupation at the time, and the rebellion of the locals...
There is a good bit of fantasy in it (it's based off a video game ..sort of...) but even so the real world happenings of the time are made known.
Very good read and sweet characters.
The author put in some foot work to make sure these were in very realistic historical settings. If only video game actually did that well...
The first book starts you out in England and is rendered very well given the Roman occupation at the time, and the rebellion of the locals...
There is a good bit of fantasy in it (it's based off a video game ..sort of...) but even so the real world happenings of the time are made known.
Very good read and sweet characters.
June 1, 2021
I saw book One and Two of this series at the very reasonable price of $0.00 on Amazon and decided to give it a go.
It took a bit to get into the story, and all I could think about was the movie "Jumanji", as it is players sucked into a video game.
However, it is more complex plot-line, with multiple layers, and as a bit of a bonus you get to learn about Celtic Briton under the rule of the Romans.
The story took a while to draw me in, but once I was hooked, I powered through this book and straight onto number 2 (The Hammer of Thor).
It took a bit to get into the story, and all I could think about was the movie "Jumanji", as it is players sucked into a video game.
However, it is more complex plot-line, with multiple layers, and as a bit of a bonus you get to learn about Celtic Briton under the rule of the Romans.
The story took a while to draw me in, but once I was hooked, I powered through this book and straight onto number 2 (The Hammer of Thor).
January 9, 2020
When I started reading this book, I thought Phoenix was just going to play the game a lot but... NO!!!
It was completely different but I don't want to spoil it.
My favourite character was Phoenix because he loves to fight and is always blood thirsty.
People who love history and magic I know would love this book!!
I gave this book five stars because it had a mix of fighting, tension and anger.
I am definitely going to read the rest of the series.
It was completely different but I don't want to spoil it.
My favourite character was Phoenix because he loves to fight and is always blood thirsty.
People who love history and magic I know would love this book!!
I gave this book five stars because it had a mix of fighting, tension and anger.
I am definitely going to read the rest of the series.
December 21, 2019
As an adult reading this YA book, I found it an easy yet interesting read. I have played some (MMO)RPGs alongside my partner who is a bigger fan. Having that little bit of knowledge, I liked seeing the elements of these games incorporated into the story. I haven't read anything like this before and truly enjoyed it.
February 22, 2019
Nicely written high fantasy, easy on beginners and fun for veterans.
July 13, 2019
Good book.
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