Spawn Point

The NextWorld #2

by Jaron Lee Knuth

Arkade won. He's reached the maximum Level, he's found every magic item, and he gets to spend every day with the girl he loves. But not everyone is happy he's still playing. When his unquenchable thirst for adventure introduces a brand new threat to everything he's accomplished, he'll need the help of all his friends, old and new, to save everything he's sworn to protect.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2014

About the author

Jaron Lee Knuth was born in western Wisconsin in 1978. Suffering from multiple illnesses as a young child, he was forced to find an escape from his bedridden existence through the storytelling of any media he could find. Science fiction and fantasy novels, television programs, films, video games, and comic books all provided him with infinite worlds for his imagination to explore. Now he spends his days creating stories and worlds in the hope that others might find somewhere to escape as well.

He would love to reply to any questions or comments you may have for him at jaronleeknuth@gmail.com

Reviews

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kinda got a Empire Strikes Back vibe while reading this book. The first story everyone seemed to live happily ever after but it seems living in a video game does come with a price.

I enjoyed this book so much. I had to pace myself or I would have finished this book in less then a day.

I am at a loss for words. I got a sequel to one of my favorite books and I loved it. I can't wait for book 3.
:)

[Danyel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a much better book than the first as the meta world develops. I'm looking forward to the next installment. This was most definitely a middle book in a series, complete with a strangely Matrix-esque "watch out, here I come," ending sequence.

Worth a read...and an additional star.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I have to say, I liked this one better than the first one. Perhaps it was because most of the world building was already done, so there was less to distract from the story. I generally like world building though, so that may not be it, but regardless, this one flowed much more smoothly, and it told a very good story. Still not LitRPG, but gamelit to be sure. If you're looking for levels, skills and character advancement, this may not be the book you want to read, but if you just want a pretty good story, and one with staying power, with gaming elements, then this is the perfect story for you. I suspect this one will stick with me for a long time.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Level Zero series starts off easily enough. Kade, aka "Arkade" is living it up in DangerWar with is new Level Zero girlfriend, Cyren. He's made a life for himself in the virutal world, assisting the other level zeroes and civilians develop their newfound independant programming from the game administraters. All is well until a virus enters the world, wiping out everything...except for Arkade. Forced to return to the real world, Kade slowly succumbs to depression and outwrith hopelessness. The real world is death. He wants to return to DangerWar. But because he broke the rules he is sentenced to death by the world government. That is, until someone helps him escape...

Many of the old gang, Fantom, Ekko, Xen, and Grael return to assist Arkade his crusade to save Cyren and the level zeroes from being permantently deleated from the game's Trash Bin. It's a race against time and the beginnings of a revolution that will test Arkade like never before. Lucky for him, he's got his trust revolvers, some powerful and resourceful friends, and a gamer's attitude.

I admit that I'm enjoying this series more than I thought I would. It's not the most original tale and many of the subplots have been done before. Most of the characters feel like archetypes, but it's still nice to see the old gang again. I look forward to seeing where Arkade and company are going next.

[Devin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book is even better than the first, anxiously awaiting the final instalment on the series.