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Rogue Ascension #1
Rogue Ascension, Book 1
Multiverse Z came knocking, snatching all the humans from Earth to integrate with their game-like realms of limitless magic.
No warning. No tutorial. It's an instant transition where eighteen year old Joey Eclipse is thrust from his relaxing night playing video games to a stone room with two doors. There’s nobody but him. And the system messages asking some cryptic
[Adventurer or Commoner?]
[Greatness or Steadiness?]
And more.
Joey made his choices, choosing the path of a Great Adventurer, a limited and special category. A unique profile is designed for him with epic shadow, necromancy, and dragon magic. A new realm with endless possibilities and vicious monsters await him. The perfect environment to test his overpowered abilities and grow within the multiverse system.
Despite the challenges from these drastic changes, Joey can’t help but smile and go all in.
[Welcome to Multiverse Z.]
About the Join Joey on a new apocalypse isekai where humans from his old world are initiated into a game-like multiverse filled with limitless realms and endless fantasy themes. Watch him learn quickly, fight talking monsters, and use shady dragon powers to overcome obstacles while becoming overpowered. He will travel far and wide, make a few friends along the way, and maybe get huge quest from a princess of war. In this LitRPG are levels, stats, skills, spells, achievement hunts, and a main character who's more action-orientated and ruthless when facing PVP or PVE events.
- The MC starts strong. He works hard and progresses to be stronger.
- This is a blend of Isekai and apocalypse with a heavy emphasis on training and fighting to progress.
- Some readers describe this as He Who Fights With Monsters with a System Apocalypse.
- It's also a great read for anyone who likes Solo Leveling. Enjoy!
No warning. No tutorial. It's an instant transition where eighteen year old Joey Eclipse is thrust from his relaxing night playing video games to a stone room with two doors. There’s nobody but him. And the system messages asking some cryptic
[Adventurer or Commoner?]
[Greatness or Steadiness?]
And more.
Joey made his choices, choosing the path of a Great Adventurer, a limited and special category. A unique profile is designed for him with epic shadow, necromancy, and dragon magic. A new realm with endless possibilities and vicious monsters await him. The perfect environment to test his overpowered abilities and grow within the multiverse system.
Despite the challenges from these drastic changes, Joey can’t help but smile and go all in.
[Welcome to Multiverse Z.]
About the Join Joey on a new apocalypse isekai where humans from his old world are initiated into a game-like multiverse filled with limitless realms and endless fantasy themes. Watch him learn quickly, fight talking monsters, and use shady dragon powers to overcome obstacles while becoming overpowered. He will travel far and wide, make a few friends along the way, and maybe get huge quest from a princess of war. In this LitRPG are levels, stats, skills, spells, achievement hunts, and a main character who's more action-orientated and ruthless when facing PVP or PVE events.
- The MC starts strong. He works hard and progresses to be stronger.
- This is a blend of Isekai and apocalypse with a heavy emphasis on training and fighting to progress.
- Some readers describe this as He Who Fights With Monsters with a System Apocalypse.
- It's also a great read for anyone who likes Solo Leveling. Enjoy!
485 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2023
2376 people are currently reading
784 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
February 26, 2024
Edit to add the "cringe" section below.
Can I tell you how much I hate this cover. The one on Amazon at least looks like Joey as he is described rather than this watered-down version that looks like it's designed to erase his racial features. Anyway, Joey isn't so much down on his luck as he is crawling out of a really horrible start to life, only some of which is evident at the start. When he gets isekai'd into a fantasy setting with a system and classes and stuff, Joey chooses to grab the adventure by the horns and ride it as hard as he can. He selects the wildest choices he can and commits with everything he has. I found this immensely engaging as the foundation for a lovely power fantasy.
Like the main character, the author embraces the adventure wholeheartedly. Joey starts off on a raft in the middle of the ocean, his first act being to befriend a travelling kraken. Yes, with the tentacles. And their friendship grew over their interactions and became both deep and broad and I enjoyed it nearly as much as the wack-a-doodle adventures Joey finds himself thrust into.
The pace is strong, with just enough down time to avoid burnout. The author has a good sense of story and is wildly imaginative and I liked how everything held together. There's an interlude with the Siren city and its ruling princess that marked a turning point in Joey as he becomes less isolated and starts developing relationships beyond his kraken companion and I loved how this enhanced the story as much as it did his power curve which takes a turn here under the brutal tutelage of the princess. It's also here that the broader story reveals itself along with what will likely be the main questline. I enjoyed these interactions both for ramping the power fantasy and for building a variety of new relationships for joey to bounce off of.
I worried when Joey made landfall and had to say goodbye to his watery friend that the story would go full murderhobo. I'm glad to say it didn't. At least mostly. I liked Joey finding his way with the humans who had chosen to be "steady" instead of "great". It was interesting how he adopted some struggling steadies and helped them improve while learning that they needed to learn in different ways than he did.
And the book ends with a bang as Joey manipulates everybody and kills a bunch of folks (who will respawn because they're "steady") for the sole purpose of getting them to chase him around and gain levels because he needs the humans to get strong enough for the purposes of the realm quest. This is a brilliant development that only really makes sense because the author says so. But again, I loved it for the action and power fantasy and was happy to go along.
This is five stars despite some nagging weaknesses (like some things only really working because the author says so), including a note about craft below. And the caveat that you really need to be in it for the power fantasy as that really is the ruling element that drives a lot of the other elements of the story.
A note about craft: There are a lot of words that are simply used wrong. The one I remembered for the purposes of the review is using "awarded" instead of "rewarded" leading up to meeting the Siren princess. And some sentences with dropped words. It was a lot and if you're at all sensitive to that kind of thing, this is going to grate on you. A lot.
A note about cringe: A few of the top reviews here knock this story as "cringe" and one adds "edgelord". Both epithets are terribly subjective, but for me, I didn't get that feel at all. Joey is a young (18) dead-ender on Earth with a crappy shipping job barely able to make rent. He goes from there to a world that gives him power and rewards conflict and risk taking. He embraces the change wholeheartedly as a way out of his otherwise bleak future, but not so much so that he doesn't make friends. Indeed, the first thing he does is befriend a travelling kraken. Maybe that's the cringe? Befriending a kraken? I found that creative and interesting. Personally, I just see power fantasy with an unusual protagonist (short, young, black) and don't get the hate.
A note about Chaste: There's some chemistry between Joey and Maylolee, the Siren princess. Plus, they're nearly the same age and have the same appreciation for training and power leveling. But nothing develops between them while Joey is still in the Siren capital so there's no steam. Like at all. So this is very chaste.
Can I tell you how much I hate this cover. The one on Amazon at least looks like Joey as he is described rather than this watered-down version that looks like it's designed to erase his racial features. Anyway, Joey isn't so much down on his luck as he is crawling out of a really horrible start to life, only some of which is evident at the start. When he gets isekai'd into a fantasy setting with a system and classes and stuff, Joey chooses to grab the adventure by the horns and ride it as hard as he can. He selects the wildest choices he can and commits with everything he has. I found this immensely engaging as the foundation for a lovely power fantasy.
Like the main character, the author embraces the adventure wholeheartedly. Joey starts off on a raft in the middle of the ocean, his first act being to befriend a travelling kraken. Yes, with the tentacles. And their friendship grew over their interactions and became both deep and broad and I enjoyed it nearly as much as the wack-a-doodle adventures Joey finds himself thrust into.
The pace is strong, with just enough down time to avoid burnout. The author has a good sense of story and is wildly imaginative and I liked how everything held together. There's an interlude with the Siren city and its ruling princess that marked a turning point in Joey as he becomes less isolated and starts developing relationships beyond his kraken companion and I loved how this enhanced the story as much as it did his power curve which takes a turn here under the brutal tutelage of the princess. It's also here that the broader story reveals itself along with what will likely be the main questline. I enjoyed these interactions both for ramping the power fantasy and for building a variety of new relationships for joey to bounce off of.
I worried when Joey made landfall and had to say goodbye to his watery friend that the story would go full murderhobo. I'm glad to say it didn't. At least mostly. I liked Joey finding his way with the humans who had chosen to be "steady" instead of "great". It was interesting how he adopted some struggling steadies and helped them improve while learning that they needed to learn in different ways than he did.
And the book ends with a bang as Joey manipulates everybody and kills a bunch of folks (who will respawn because they're "steady") for the sole purpose of getting them to chase him around and gain levels because he needs the humans to get strong enough for the purposes of the realm quest. This is a brilliant development that only really makes sense because the author says so. But again, I loved it for the action and power fantasy and was happy to go along.
This is five stars despite some nagging weaknesses (like some things only really working because the author says so), including a note about craft below. And the caveat that you really need to be in it for the power fantasy as that really is the ruling element that drives a lot of the other elements of the story.
A note about craft: There are a lot of words that are simply used wrong. The one I remembered for the purposes of the review is using "awarded" instead of "rewarded" leading up to meeting the Siren princess. And some sentences with dropped words. It was a lot and if you're at all sensitive to that kind of thing, this is going to grate on you. A lot.
A note about cringe: A few of the top reviews here knock this story as "cringe" and one adds "edgelord". Both epithets are terribly subjective, but for me, I didn't get that feel at all. Joey is a young (18) dead-ender on Earth with a crappy shipping job barely able to make rent. He goes from there to a world that gives him power and rewards conflict and risk taking. He embraces the change wholeheartedly as a way out of his otherwise bleak future, but not so much so that he doesn't make friends. Indeed, the first thing he does is befriend a travelling kraken. Maybe that's the cringe? Befriending a kraken? I found that creative and interesting. Personally, I just see power fantasy with an unusual protagonist (short, young, black) and don't get the hate.
A note about Chaste: There's some chemistry between Joey and Maylolee, the Siren princess. Plus, they're nearly the same age and have the same appreciation for training and power leveling. But nothing develops between them while Joey is still in the Siren capital so there's no steam. Like at all. So this is very chaste.
November 30, 2023
Waaay too cringe. Cannot recommend to anyone past middle school. No depth what so ever. I mean MCs name is Joey Eclipse… and his class is Shade Dragon Rogue. What kind of corny mess is this. It only gets worse.
November 8, 2023
Young adult cringe lord
The MC is so cringe and aspects of the story building didn’t add up. Made it about a quarter of the way through and couldn’t make it through the rest.
The MC is so cringe and aspects of the story building didn’t add up. Made it about a quarter of the way through and couldn’t make it through the rest.
November 27, 2023
Poor and juvenile writing in combination with a very cringy edgelord main character made this very unpleasant for me to read. I do not understand why a lot of litrpg’s have their characters act normally with magical people/animals, but as soon as they interact with humans they become odd edgelord caricatures. I appreciate what the author was going for, a struggling guy gets a power fantasy restart in a new world, forcing him to adopt a cocky, brutal persona, but it wasn’t executed well enough for me. However, the setting, a water heavy high fantasy world, was quite cool. I hope the author continues to hone their craft as I think they have a lot of great ideas and worldbuilding, it just needs to be better supported. I do not recommend this book.
March 22, 2024
How is this published?
The writing is all over the place without any structure at all. It's just a collection of notifications and napkin notes about a partially conceived power fantasy. It's not really a story at all and the writing itself is on par with those beginner web novels that never go anywhere.
The writing is all over the place without any structure at all. It's just a collection of notifications and napkin notes about a partially conceived power fantasy. It's not really a story at all and the writing itself is on par with those beginner web novels that never go anywhere.
April 24, 2024
DNF. It’s really boring.
March 12, 2024
4.5, an interesting concept and magic system. Fast paced.
November 21, 2023
Young Adult
It's a young adult novel written in the LitRPG subgenre. It doesn't do anything specifically well, and both the story and the characters feel very shallow, but for a lighter more casual read without any heavy elements, it could be fun for some people. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
It's a young adult novel written in the LitRPG subgenre. It doesn't do anything specifically well, and both the story and the characters feel very shallow, but for a lighter more casual read without any heavy elements, it could be fun for some people. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
April 28, 2024
Very different premise than a lot of books in this genre. However, it didn't work for me. The MC is extremely obsessed and arrogant. His level advancement is ridiculous, and his relationships are bizarre. I don't plan to read on.
January 3, 2024
Go big or go home!
That kind of ends up being the theme for the MC of this book. The leveling system was interesting and the world-building was definitely intriguing. Looking forward to reading the next in the series!
That kind of ends up being the theme for the MC of this book. The leveling system was interesting and the world-building was definitely intriguing. Looking forward to reading the next in the series!
June 27, 2024
Forcing myself to attempt to finish this book was ridiculously difficult. Between the author leaving out crucial information to the character being completely disconnected from what he most likely should be was awful. The final straw was 61% of the way through the book according to Kindle where the character starts listing out the classes adventures could take.
Let's start with the main character. He's 18 and acts like he's got the life experience of a 40 year old. The character also just isn't anyone you can relate to, which is kindof the point of the whole transported to another world thing. Instead you get a character who immediately just jumps in and starts killing stuff no questions asked and basically acts like he's lived in this new world all his life. So why not make it a fantasy?
I mentioned the author failed to mention some things. If you have made it this far in my rant here are some things that would have been helpful to know and maybe will make you enjoy the book a lot more than I did. First off he gets a dragon skill. What the author fails to mention is this skill comes with a price of making his greed like that of a dragon and highly prevelent in his day to day life. The main character was actually transported to this world along with a whole host of other people. He being a great adventurer gets spawned in at a dangerous area that will give him an edge further down the road while everyone else gets spawned into a town. Finally the beginning of the book mentions that if he dies in the beginning area, or maybe it uses the word tutorial, he will be reset to a commoner and basically won't be able to fight monsters and will be nothing in this new world. What I don't think is clear and isn't stated by the time I dropped this book is that it's if he dies before he ascends to the next plane at lvl 100.
I apologize for the long rant and to who ever actually finished this review thank you for attending my TED talk.
Let's start with the main character. He's 18 and acts like he's got the life experience of a 40 year old. The character also just isn't anyone you can relate to, which is kindof the point of the whole transported to another world thing. Instead you get a character who immediately just jumps in and starts killing stuff no questions asked and basically acts like he's lived in this new world all his life. So why not make it a fantasy?
I mentioned the author failed to mention some things. If you have made it this far in my rant here are some things that would have been helpful to know and maybe will make you enjoy the book a lot more than I did. First off he gets a dragon skill. What the author fails to mention is this skill comes with a price of making his greed like that of a dragon and highly prevelent in his day to day life. The main character was actually transported to this world along with a whole host of other people. He being a great adventurer gets spawned in at a dangerous area that will give him an edge further down the road while everyone else gets spawned into a town. Finally the beginning of the book mentions that if he dies in the beginning area, or maybe it uses the word tutorial, he will be reset to a commoner and basically won't be able to fight monsters and will be nothing in this new world. What I don't think is clear and isn't stated by the time I dropped this book is that it's if he dies before he ascends to the next plane at lvl 100.
I apologize for the long rant and to who ever actually finished this review thank you for attending my TED talk.
October 28, 2023
Fabulous
I thought this would be a nice read but did not realize I would need the second book immediately. Let's just say Joey is a wild guy. Do not miss this opportunity to read this awesome book.
I thought this would be a nice read but did not realize I would need the second book immediately. Let's just say Joey is a wild guy. Do not miss this opportunity to read this awesome book.
January 27, 2024
DNF at 32%
The book reads very juvenile and YA.
The protagonist seems very OP but in a very repetitive and dull way. So far he is a one trick pony who power levels and gets one boon after the other without interesting motivation besides leveling.
The book reads very juvenile and YA.
The protagonist seems very OP but in a very repetitive and dull way. So far he is a one trick pony who power levels and gets one boon after the other without interesting motivation besides leveling.
December 16, 2023
Childish and simplistic writing with a few interesting growth elements.
June 16, 2024
This book is weirdly... bland
I don't even know how to describe it, just that it doesn't feel like an actual "great adventure" sort of story.
There's definitely a lot to like here, such as how the main character's first companion and denizen interaction is with a kraken. Super cool.
But when it comes describing the scenery (you know that Vista Seeker skill Joey has, whatever it was called) the author just describes it along the lines of "the sunset was beautiful" and moves on. The majority of the creatures/people encountered are barely described (I honestly don't know if the sirens have feet, I assume so, but for all I know they're mermaids) and even Curri (the kraken) is only mentioned [i]once[/i] as needing to be kept wet when traversing overland... a full week into the timeline (20ish chapters), with said kraken unconscious on a beach after a harrowing escape from a black moon demon.
Instead of, I don't know, the first time Curri exits the water. Literally never comes up and he transitions from land to water pretty much whenever the plot decides that it needs to happen without actually mentioning that it [i]happens[/i].
And I still have no idea what these Tides are that make water traversal so weird. Has something to do with the moons. And the areas between the tides are... empty space? It's called a "void" at one point. One of the Tides is a whirlpool (I think). The different Tides also have different climates, including a place that's basically frozen (so it's actually land?) and all the local monsters are ice themed.
I feel like this book had an adjectivore infestation. It's not devoid of descriptors, its just very light on them, particularly when talking about noun-ish things.
I don't even know how to describe it, just that it doesn't feel like an actual "great adventure" sort of story.
There's definitely a lot to like here, such as how the main character's first companion and denizen interaction is with a kraken. Super cool.
But when it comes describing the scenery (you know that Vista Seeker skill Joey has, whatever it was called) the author just describes it along the lines of "the sunset was beautiful" and moves on. The majority of the creatures/people encountered are barely described (I honestly don't know if the sirens have feet, I assume so, but for all I know they're mermaids) and even Curri (the kraken) is only mentioned [i]once[/i] as needing to be kept wet when traversing overland... a full week into the timeline (20ish chapters), with said kraken unconscious on a beach after a harrowing escape from a black moon demon.
Instead of, I don't know, the first time Curri exits the water. Literally never comes up and he transitions from land to water pretty much whenever the plot decides that it needs to happen without actually mentioning that it [i]happens[/i].
And I still have no idea what these Tides are that make water traversal so weird. Has something to do with the moons. And the areas between the tides are... empty space? It's called a "void" at one point. One of the Tides is a whirlpool (I think). The different Tides also have different climates, including a place that's basically frozen (so it's actually land?) and all the local monsters are ice themed.
I feel like this book had an adjectivore infestation. It's not devoid of descriptors, its just very light on them, particularly when talking about noun-ish things.
January 30, 2024
Kind of liked book one. The author had some creative uses of the protagonist's powers and the meta story arc was mildly interesting.
Then book two had a bunch of problems. The major kick ass female character from book one is changed into a wussy fan girl. The creative use of powers is replace by "I need to be 5 times stronger, I will magic up 5 clones" and "I need to be 10 times stronger, I will magic up 10 clones". Also the protagonist is often running out of mana, so he grits his teeth and somehow this gives him more mana.
There is a cult introduced where the cult members are so extreme they are willing to commit mass suicide to kill the protagonist, but there is no reason shown that would explain why they would be so extreme. And then that part of the plot is over and this super intense super extreme cult just...stops existing. Again no reason given.
The protagonist travels with some others for long enough that they start developing personalities, and then the author is like "nope, writing more than one character is too much work"and dumps them.
The protagonist is supposed to be working on a major quest at the start of the book but the author just seems to forget about it and goes off into a sub-quest that leads into another sub-quest and the book ends in the middle of that sub-quest.
The main character is supposed to be extreme and a horrible killer because we are told over and over "he killed the man in a horrible way" and "the man had a look of horror" and then suddenly the protagonist thinks to himself "this has gone too far, I don't want to be a horrible killer any more. Instead I want to be an assassin." WTF?
Then book two had a bunch of problems. The major kick ass female character from book one is changed into a wussy fan girl. The creative use of powers is replace by "I need to be 5 times stronger, I will magic up 5 clones" and "I need to be 10 times stronger, I will magic up 10 clones". Also the protagonist is often running out of mana, so he grits his teeth and somehow this gives him more mana.
There is a cult introduced where the cult members are so extreme they are willing to commit mass suicide to kill the protagonist, but there is no reason shown that would explain why they would be so extreme. And then that part of the plot is over and this super intense super extreme cult just...stops existing. Again no reason given.
The protagonist travels with some others for long enough that they start developing personalities, and then the author is like "nope, writing more than one character is too much work"and dumps them.
The protagonist is supposed to be working on a major quest at the start of the book but the author just seems to forget about it and goes off into a sub-quest that leads into another sub-quest and the book ends in the middle of that sub-quest.
The main character is supposed to be extreme and a horrible killer because we are told over and over "he killed the man in a horrible way" and "the man had a look of horror" and then suddenly the protagonist thinks to himself "this has gone too far, I don't want to be a horrible killer any more. Instead I want to be an assassin." WTF?
November 8, 2024
"Rouge Ascension: Book 1" by Hunter Mythos is a captivating start to what promises to be an epic series. The main character stands out, not just for their abilities and intriguing backstory, but for their morally ambiguous nature, which adds depth and complexity to the narrative. The supporting characters are equally well-crafted, each bringing their unique flair to the story.
The world-building in this book is top-notch. Mythos has created a vivid and immersive setting that draws the reader in from the first page. The intricacies of the world's politics and magic systems are well thought out and add layers to the plot.
The action scenes and battles are particularly engaging. They are not just there for spectacle but drive the story forward and reveal more about the characters and their motivations. Some of the fights are downright riveting, leaving you on the edge of your seat.
One of the most intriguing aspects is the main character's moral ambiguity. At times, their actions and decisions blur the lines between right and wrong, which keeps the reader guessing and adds a layer of suspense. This element hints at deeper plots and character development in future books, which I am eagerly anticipating.
Overall, "Rouge Ascension: Book 1" is a fantastic read that sets a strong foundation for the series. Hunter Mythos has delivered a story filled with intrigue, action, and well-developed characters. I can't wait for the next book to see where the story goes!
The world-building in this book is top-notch. Mythos has created a vivid and immersive setting that draws the reader in from the first page. The intricacies of the world's politics and magic systems are well thought out and add layers to the plot.
The action scenes and battles are particularly engaging. They are not just there for spectacle but drive the story forward and reveal more about the characters and their motivations. Some of the fights are downright riveting, leaving you on the edge of your seat.
One of the most intriguing aspects is the main character's moral ambiguity. At times, their actions and decisions blur the lines between right and wrong, which keeps the reader guessing and adds a layer of suspense. This element hints at deeper plots and character development in future books, which I am eagerly anticipating.
Overall, "Rouge Ascension: Book 1" is a fantastic read that sets a strong foundation for the series. Hunter Mythos has delivered a story filled with intrigue, action, and well-developed characters. I can't wait for the next book to see where the story goes!
January 19, 2024
Unhinged and entertaining!
Great world building. Interesting characters. Absolutely bonkers MC that just keeps you on your toes. It’s one of those things where you go, that’s crazy… count me in.
Sometimes the authors in web novel format like to take their time, or sludge through fodder quests to fill in the “adventures” that just add word count. It might work when you’re publishing a chapter or so every week, but in book form, it becomes punishing to the reader. None of that here. Great pacing, great flow of time, spending time appropriately and skipping through mundane periods of time when needed.
MC is OP, but not to the point where he is the only OP person out there. Lots of risk at stake that it is enjoyable throughout. He may have been lucky to be “chosen” at first but proves that his advantages are earned by working with what’s given. He isn’t special because his daddy is this and mommy is that. He is special because of the type of person he is, and what he does, to the point that you believe he’d still stand out if the only class he was given was a farmer.
It’s an absolute blast to read about a competent MC that can manage to surprise me with his choices. The world described in the first half of the book is absolutely gorgeous and unique. I truly truly truly hope that the series continues to deliver on this level of excellence in quality!
Great world building. Interesting characters. Absolutely bonkers MC that just keeps you on your toes. It’s one of those things where you go, that’s crazy… count me in.
Sometimes the authors in web novel format like to take their time, or sludge through fodder quests to fill in the “adventures” that just add word count. It might work when you’re publishing a chapter or so every week, but in book form, it becomes punishing to the reader. None of that here. Great pacing, great flow of time, spending time appropriately and skipping through mundane periods of time when needed.
MC is OP, but not to the point where he is the only OP person out there. Lots of risk at stake that it is enjoyable throughout. He may have been lucky to be “chosen” at first but proves that his advantages are earned by working with what’s given. He isn’t special because his daddy is this and mommy is that. He is special because of the type of person he is, and what he does, to the point that you believe he’d still stand out if the only class he was given was a farmer.
It’s an absolute blast to read about a competent MC that can manage to surprise me with his choices. The world described in the first half of the book is absolutely gorgeous and unique. I truly truly truly hope that the series continues to deliver on this level of excellence in quality!
August 18, 2024
DNF @ 41%
I understand why people state this is edgy and cringey, and sort of agree. The thing is, the MC is 18. Anyone at least in their mid-20s who's interacted with 18 year-olds will likely realize that adult or not, they're young. That's what this comes off as to me. It's not inherently a bad thing to make the MC act their age (or perhaps a bit younger), but in this case I can't say I enjoyed it.
The MC had a bit of a strange personality. In once case he's considering whether to jump into a fight against monsters the locals are loosing, but the fact that he'd be helping them never even comes up. In another, he's being treated pretty awfully as some sort of twisted "training" he doesn't get a choice in, and when it's done he instantly forgives the instructor before he even figures out if it was worthwhile.
Another issue is his fighting style. He insists I always enjoys playing rogues, but ends up fighting much more like a finesse based warrior. Yes he's cunning, but he's no rogue despite his class choice. Most of the things that could be described as roguish seem to be more a result of his element and creature choices rather than his class.
In the end I had to give up on this book. While the whole befriending a kraken and meeting ocean dwelling races was a pretty neat idea, I just didn't find myself enjoying this story or liking the MC.
I understand why people state this is edgy and cringey, and sort of agree. The thing is, the MC is 18. Anyone at least in their mid-20s who's interacted with 18 year-olds will likely realize that adult or not, they're young. That's what this comes off as to me. It's not inherently a bad thing to make the MC act their age (or perhaps a bit younger), but in this case I can't say I enjoyed it.
The MC had a bit of a strange personality. In once case he's considering whether to jump into a fight against monsters the locals are loosing, but the fact that he'd be helping them never even comes up. In another, he's being treated pretty awfully as some sort of twisted "training" he doesn't get a choice in, and when it's done he instantly forgives the instructor before he even figures out if it was worthwhile.
Another issue is his fighting style. He insists I always enjoys playing rogues, but ends up fighting much more like a finesse based warrior. Yes he's cunning, but he's no rogue despite his class choice. Most of the things that could be described as roguish seem to be more a result of his element and creature choices rather than his class.
In the end I had to give up on this book. While the whole befriending a kraken and meeting ocean dwelling races was a pretty neat idea, I just didn't find myself enjoying this story or liking the MC.
April 6, 2024
I’m 2 chapters in. I genuinely cannot believe this has nearly 5 stars and over 3000 reviews on amazon. The writing is REALLY BAD so far. I even bought the audiobook. You can tell the author has even edited this, because the narrator reads different sentences some times, but the edits actually look WORSE! Fragmented sentences everywhere!
To hear the narrator say “Plus One Per A Level” over and over made me want to throw up.
Then after hearing the description of “essence” the MC says, out loud, to himself, by himself “That’s uniquely different.” and then continues to literally talk out loud to himself for a while.
“Shade Dragon Rogue: This path might be one of a kind. Shade grants shadowy, necromantic, and dark powers.”
His character description says “Perhaps he will bear fruit”? It’s just really awkward phrasing.
When he learns about “Skills” it just calls them abilities over and over, like the descriptions are just bad. The rest of the chapter seems to use the words interchangeably, it’s super inconsistent.
And then a skill description that literally reads “This is why light, radiance, and other similar aspects exist. To beat back scary powers like these.”
The grammar is REALLY BAD. I’ll try. I’ll keep going for now but this book is super immature and hard to read.
To hear the narrator say “Plus One Per A Level” over and over made me want to throw up.
Then after hearing the description of “essence” the MC says, out loud, to himself, by himself “That’s uniquely different.” and then continues to literally talk out loud to himself for a while.
“Shade Dragon Rogue: This path might be one of a kind. Shade grants shadowy, necromantic, and dark powers.”
His character description says “Perhaps he will bear fruit”? It’s just really awkward phrasing.
When he learns about “Skills” it just calls them abilities over and over, like the descriptions are just bad. The rest of the chapter seems to use the words interchangeably, it’s super inconsistent.
And then a skill description that literally reads “This is why light, radiance, and other similar aspects exist. To beat back scary powers like these.”
The grammar is REALLY BAD. I’ll try. I’ll keep going for now but this book is super immature and hard to read.
January 3, 2024
The first half of this book is ~2 stars, but things pick up significantly in the second half of the book, so averaging it out to 3 stars for the overall review.
The premise the author sets up is an interesting one. Not revolutionary, but different enough to at least be intriguing. There's an awful lot of hand waving and "artistic license" to get the MC to the new world - you basically just have to accept that it is what it is and leave it at that.
The first half of the book was slow, but the second half of the book moved along at a good clip. Overall, it struck me as a reasonable attempt for a first time author.
The biggest issue overall: the MC is kind of a raging d**khead. There really isn't much that's likable about him. We'll see if that improves in the second book, but by the end of the first one, I couldn't care less if the MC lived or died.
Anyway, if you're a litrpg fanatic and running out of other options, it's worth reading. Otherwise, there are likely better series out there in which to invest your time.
The premise the author sets up is an interesting one. Not revolutionary, but different enough to at least be intriguing. There's an awful lot of hand waving and "artistic license" to get the MC to the new world - you basically just have to accept that it is what it is and leave it at that.
The first half of the book was slow, but the second half of the book moved along at a good clip. Overall, it struck me as a reasonable attempt for a first time author.
The biggest issue overall: the MC is kind of a raging d**khead. There really isn't much that's likable about him. We'll see if that improves in the second book, but by the end of the first one, I couldn't care less if the MC lived or died.
Anyway, if you're a litrpg fanatic and running out of other options, it's worth reading. Otherwise, there are likely better series out there in which to invest your time.
January 3, 2024
This is the first book I've read by this author.
What we have here is a portal fantasy. Joey is suctioned off to a new world and lands in the ocean, where he meets the war princess (underwater at her castle) along with her many war maidens. This is the set up for much of what happens in books one and two. The issue? There is a dread whale, level 300 that needs to be killed. That's going to require a lot of adventures so he best get started.
It also happens that Joey is a great adventurer. Below him are standard adventurers and then commoners, each one less powerful. That means that Joey learns faster and gives him an excuse to be OP compared to everyone else. If he dies even once, he'll be reduced to a standard adventurer.
That's the setup. This is a fast paced portal fantasy that almost turns into a harem novel (I was positive it was going to) but doesn't, thankfully. There is a bit of plot armor to make sure Joey gets to where he needs to go, but that's fine.
The editing is fine and the story moves at a quick pace. Everywhere he looks he faces conflict, sometimes for what he is and for other reasons. I enjoyed this and I've already read book two as a write this. Both books are 5/5*
What we have here is a portal fantasy. Joey is suctioned off to a new world and lands in the ocean, where he meets the war princess (underwater at her castle) along with her many war maidens. This is the set up for much of what happens in books one and two. The issue? There is a dread whale, level 300 that needs to be killed. That's going to require a lot of adventures so he best get started.
It also happens that Joey is a great adventurer. Below him are standard adventurers and then commoners, each one less powerful. That means that Joey learns faster and gives him an excuse to be OP compared to everyone else. If he dies even once, he'll be reduced to a standard adventurer.
That's the setup. This is a fast paced portal fantasy that almost turns into a harem novel (I was positive it was going to) but doesn't, thankfully. There is a bit of plot armor to make sure Joey gets to where he needs to go, but that's fine.
The editing is fine and the story moves at a quick pace. Everywhere he looks he faces conflict, sometimes for what he is and for other reasons. I enjoyed this and I've already read book two as a write this. Both books are 5/5*
November 7, 2023
good story, fast pace, no profanity.
Pretty good story about a MC. That’s learning to become great. Smart witty, fast paced book. No profanity. Excellent. The book may have been written for younger audience attention but I found it very well done. I will read the next book when it comes out. The only issue I have is, no spatial rings or pouches for the MC, the MC has to carry all his gear on pouches when he’s running and fighting not convenient and not very believable. The devices like these are standard tropes for lit RPG‘s, and I think as the hero the MC should’ve received one. After all the author gave his Kraken friend One. That’s my only complaint with the story.
Pretty good story about a MC. That’s learning to become great. Smart witty, fast paced book. No profanity. Excellent. The book may have been written for younger audience attention but I found it very well done. I will read the next book when it comes out. The only issue I have is, no spatial rings or pouches for the MC, the MC has to carry all his gear on pouches when he’s running and fighting not convenient and not very believable. The devices like these are standard tropes for lit RPG‘s, and I think as the hero the MC should’ve received one. After all the author gave his Kraken friend One. That’s my only complaint with the story.
August 26, 2024
Nice story
It is an expected overpowered MC story. However, few things need to be mentioned. MC is greedy and so takes unnecessary risks especially towards the end. Also him being solo is only in the sense that people he hang out with are temporary and he does the most if not all of the fighting usually but still I don’t recall a single time he was actually alone. In fact, he is a pretty social person in my opinion.
One thing I really liked is that he actually works on inçte his skill levels. I read many books where skill levels end up more in the background so I am glad here that isn’t the case.
It is an expected overpowered MC story. However, few things need to be mentioned. MC is greedy and so takes unnecessary risks especially towards the end. Also him being solo is only in the sense that people he hang out with are temporary and he does the most if not all of the fighting usually but still I don’t recall a single time he was actually alone. In fact, he is a pretty social person in my opinion.
One thing I really liked is that he actually works on inçte his skill levels. I read many books where skill levels end up more in the background so I am glad here that isn’t the case.
November 19, 2024
This is a really fast-paced fantasy of a type i was unfamiliar with; it seems to resemble the genre of anime called "isekai" where the protagonist is transferred to another world from our own. It focuses on progress (the protagonist getting stronger - another theme i seem to notice in the anime genre) which takes the driver's seat over character development to some degree. Still, i liked the character's motivation, however simplistic it might be, because it is relatable, and am willing to overlook the videogame tropes because the book delivers an immersive experience, and you immediately want to grab the next one.
March 13, 2024
A Great LITRPG Adventure
The MC is a poor kid, trying to live his best life in a harsh world. He’s getting by but life is hard for him. He is snatched from his home and presented with an opportunity to change the trajectory of his life from subpar to great. Of course he jumps in with both feet and begins the adventure of a lifetime. The character development and world building are colorful and exciting. The novel progression is fast paced and develops in unexpected ways. I highly recommend this novel and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
The MC is a poor kid, trying to live his best life in a harsh world. He’s getting by but life is hard for him. He is snatched from his home and presented with an opportunity to change the trajectory of his life from subpar to great. Of course he jumps in with both feet and begins the adventure of a lifetime. The character development and world building are colorful and exciting. The novel progression is fast paced and develops in unexpected ways. I highly recommend this novel and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
November 5, 2024
This was fun. Joey, 18, who had a hard start in life and is in a dead end job, decides to grab the opportunity afforded him with this new world, powers and the system. It drops him literally into the deep end, the ocean, and with a confrontation with a kraken. Now, this is where things take a turn you don't expect: the kraken is not some horrible monster but a merchant. The writer changes things up from what you normally would expect of some of the "monsters" and how you think things are going to go. I appreciated the unexpected.
May 9, 2025
I will bet tons of cash this was written by a 28 year oat latte drinking skinny guy who got bullied in high school. I guess you can argue it is mildly interesting when the writer paints a new world with cool sea creatures and fights but honestly I need to stop saying all these books are trash and write my own- because if this sees print and gets money for the author I seriously need to shut up and easily match his trash and make my own and get money from it. I suppose if you identify with 16 year old lame kids this would be a fine book for you.
October 22, 2023
Book 1 is a SUCCESS!
For a story to feel so general with the same trop of "sudden transport to a new world" to suddenly and successfully shatter expectations is just beyond joyful. You would think, "Kill, kill, kill" by the main character would be... well overkill, but instead, the story just builds towards greatness. High expectations for Book 2 indeed.
Thank you, Dear Author
For a story to feel so general with the same trop of "sudden transport to a new world" to suddenly and successfully shatter expectations is just beyond joyful. You would think, "Kill, kill, kill" by the main character would be... well overkill, but instead, the story just builds towards greatness. High expectations for Book 2 indeed.
Thank you, Dear Author
October 29, 2023
Not a nice boy
Not a bad start , the MC Joey is totally overpowered, arrogant and obnoxious , as he says he's not sure if he's a sociopath or a psychopath who takes great pleasure in mayhem , his Shade Dragon Breath is the most horrific ability , it's use should be a warcrime , his companions will hopefully grow and become more relevant because to be honest I couldn't care if Joey is crushed.I'm curious so I'll start book two but hopefully it'll be slightly less ridiculous.
Not a bad start , the MC Joey is totally overpowered, arrogant and obnoxious , as he says he's not sure if he's a sociopath or a psychopath who takes great pleasure in mayhem , his Shade Dragon Breath is the most horrific ability , it's use should be a warcrime , his companions will hopefully grow and become more relevant because to be honest I couldn't care if Joey is crushed.I'm curious so I'll start book two but hopefully it'll be slightly less ridiculous.
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