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Warmaster #3
Warmaster 3: Gamboling Coil
Can the team survive an eccentric dungeon that might be alive?
The knowledge gained in the Repository directs Aderyn, Owen, and their team to the distant, lawless city of Obsidian, in search of the next clues to the Fated One quest. Obsidian is dangerous for low-level adventurers, and the overland journey through monster-infested wasteland takes months. When they learn of a dungeon called Gamboling Coil that can transport adventurers instantly anywhere in the world, they leap at the chance. But nothing in the dungeon is as it seems, and it will take all the team’s skills to make it out alive.
However, Gamboling Coil is only the first step. Obsidian’s black walls harbor criminals, outcasts, and warring factions. An entanglement in city politics, and an encounter with another Warmaster, may prove more deadly than the worst monster the team has ever faced.
Pick up Warmaster 3: Gamboling Coil today and join the adventure!
The knowledge gained in the Repository directs Aderyn, Owen, and their team to the distant, lawless city of Obsidian, in search of the next clues to the Fated One quest. Obsidian is dangerous for low-level adventurers, and the overland journey through monster-infested wasteland takes months. When they learn of a dungeon called Gamboling Coil that can transport adventurers instantly anywhere in the world, they leap at the chance. But nothing in the dungeon is as it seems, and it will take all the team’s skills to make it out alive.
However, Gamboling Coil is only the first step. Obsidian’s black walls harbor criminals, outcasts, and warring factions. An entanglement in city politics, and an encounter with another Warmaster, may prove more deadly than the worst monster the team has ever faced.
Pick up Warmaster 3: Gamboling Coil today and join the adventure!
- GenresFantasy
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 3, 2024
26 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Melissa McShane
94 books861 followersMelissa grew up a nomad, following her family all over the United States, and ended up living in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains with her husband, four kids, and three very needy cats. Her love of reading was always a constant during those uncertain years, and her love of writing grew out of that. She wrote reviews and critical essays for many years before turning to fiction, and was surprised at how much she liked it. She loves the fantasy genre and how it stretches the imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
June 5, 2024
This is third in a LitRPG series that builds over time. Read them in order.
My not very standard standard disclaimer applies, as with all of Melissa's books. She accompanied me literally halfway across the world and lets me read her books. I'd do anything for her so you can feel free to discount my rating and review if you like. I strive for honesty and that's all she has ever asked from me, but that's the kind of thing a liar might claim...
Anyway... This story is the next step for the companions on their quest to remove the level cap as the Fated One is fated to do. Owen is turning out to be a solid leader and the team is clicking along very well and tackling challenges that even higher level teams hesitate for. I love to see their growth, both in abilities and in teamwork; and even better in their party relationships.
This story starts with the team taking on another probably-sapient dungeon. The Gamboling Coil has definite opinions, many of them questionable (including taste in decor). But it's totally worth defeating it for the reward of moving them across most of a continent to get to the next step on the Fated One quest. I loved the twists and challenges, even if it had me on the edge of my seat at times.
The city of Obsidian is nearly a dungeon on its own with the factions producing a tangled political situation that makes it unsafe for people without their own power base to navigate. Even renting a faction (as new arrivals are heavily pressured into doing) is an uncertain protection and it doesn't help that someone powerful has a beef with, um, crap. Spoilers. I'll stop there.
The pace is fast and troubles pile up as Aderyn and her friends navigate their way through the twisted city. I'll admit I kind of hated the environment, even as I cheered on our heroes for their courage and wit as they found interesting and clever ways to move forward even against heavy head winds. And worked out some of their fears and developed closer teamwork on the way.
I think I'll leave it there and with five stars. I loved the story and not least because Melissa does a fantastic job with a relationship that is solid, but with room to grow (as all real relationships do). I can't wait for the next book, not least to see how they figure out how to Escort the Spoiled Darling...
A note about Chaste: Aderyn and Owen are together in this story. And that includes in a sexual way. There are some scenes with a lead-in to intimate moments, but they pull the curtain before developing to any degree of steam. I consider that fairly chaste, but it's close enough others might disagree.
My not very standard standard disclaimer applies, as with all of Melissa's books. She accompanied me literally halfway across the world and lets me read her books. I'd do anything for her so you can feel free to discount my rating and review if you like. I strive for honesty and that's all she has ever asked from me, but that's the kind of thing a liar might claim...
Anyway... This story is the next step for the companions on their quest to remove the level cap as the Fated One is fated to do. Owen is turning out to be a solid leader and the team is clicking along very well and tackling challenges that even higher level teams hesitate for. I love to see their growth, both in abilities and in teamwork; and even better in their party relationships.
This story starts with the team taking on another probably-sapient dungeon. The Gamboling Coil has definite opinions, many of them questionable (including taste in decor). But it's totally worth defeating it for the reward of moving them across most of a continent to get to the next step on the Fated One quest. I loved the twists and challenges, even if it had me on the edge of my seat at times.
The city of Obsidian is nearly a dungeon on its own with the factions producing a tangled political situation that makes it unsafe for people without their own power base to navigate. Even renting a faction (as new arrivals are heavily pressured into doing) is an uncertain protection and it doesn't help that someone powerful has a beef with, um, crap. Spoilers. I'll stop there.
The pace is fast and troubles pile up as Aderyn and her friends navigate their way through the twisted city. I'll admit I kind of hated the environment, even as I cheered on our heroes for their courage and wit as they found interesting and clever ways to move forward even against heavy head winds. And worked out some of their fears and developed closer teamwork on the way.
I think I'll leave it there and with five stars. I loved the story and not least because Melissa does a fantastic job with a relationship that is solid, but with room to grow (as all real relationships do). I can't wait for the next book, not least to see how they figure out how to Escort the Spoiled Darling...
A note about Chaste: Aderyn and Owen are together in this story. And that includes in a sexual way. There are some scenes with a lead-in to intimate moments, but they pull the curtain before developing to any degree of steam. I consider that fairly chaste, but it's close enough others might disagree.
June 25, 2025
the amount of luck going their way is kinda getting over the top, but I still really enjoyed this
April 30, 2025
This book is 3rd in the series. While my review does not contain spoilers for THIS book, it does assume that you've read the previous 2. (If you haven't, you really should. They are amazing.)
I LOVE this series. It just gets better and better. Here is why:
1) characters and relationships: There are now 2 romantic relationships involving primary characters. (Yay!) I love that they are realistic relationships in a fantasy setting. Their conflict isn't trite, trivial, or contrived. It feels very authentic and is managed through communication and compassion.
2) "gameplay" element is clever, unique yet consistent across the series. I love the challenges the characters face and how they work together while still being individuals with Strengths and weaknesses. (I still wish they were my team!)
3) twist and turns: I love it when a book draws me in, and I just have to know how the characters will get out of their next predicament. Then it's not an obvious solution, but it is always a satisfying solution.
4) While magic exists, it has limits, and those rules are clearly followed with believable outcomes. There is attention to detail when it comes to world building and magic that sets apart great fantasy.
I've said it in previous reviews. These books are just so fun. I am so excited that there are more being released this year!
I received a copy of this book through ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I LOVE this series. It just gets better and better. Here is why:
1) characters and relationships: There are now 2 romantic relationships involving primary characters. (Yay!) I love that they are realistic relationships in a fantasy setting. Their conflict isn't trite, trivial, or contrived. It feels very authentic and is managed through communication and compassion.
2) "gameplay" element is clever, unique yet consistent across the series. I love the challenges the characters face and how they work together while still being individuals with Strengths and weaknesses. (I still wish they were my team!)
3) twist and turns: I love it when a book draws me in, and I just have to know how the characters will get out of their next predicament. Then it's not an obvious solution, but it is always a satisfying solution.
4) While magic exists, it has limits, and those rules are clearly followed with believable outcomes. There is attention to detail when it comes to world building and magic that sets apart great fantasy.
I've said it in previous reviews. These books are just so fun. I am so excited that there are more being released this year!
I received a copy of this book through ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read
June 5, 2024This next step on the journey for Aderyn and her friends has a lot of random stuff thrown in that I thought would be fun, namely:
* a dungeon that moves
* a Baba-Yaga style hut but with frog legs instead of chicken legs
* Godzilla
* John de Lancie as Q from ST:TNG
* factions color-coded for your convenience
* introduce another Warmaster
* writing political intrigue that didn't make me want to curl up and die
That last was a big motivator. I feel completely inadequate to the task of writing politics in my fantasy worlds, and every time my plots succeed I'm convinced it was sheer luck and I'll never do it again. But the factions governing the city of Obsidian, which is just a couple of steps away from anarchy, intrigued me enough to overcome those objections.
The dungeon, Gamboling Coil, was actually a throwaway line from Warmaster 2: Winter's Peril when they're trying to learn things about the Repository. Since one of the high-level spells that was lost after the level cap is Greater Teleport, transiting long distances in this world is complicated. And I hate writing travel and thought it would be incredibly boring if half this book was the team slogging across the continent. Why Gamboling Coil has a personality, and what that personality is, remains a mystery, because I've totally forgotten why I made that decision. It cracks me up regardless.
The book is broken into three parts: Gamboling Coil, the political intrigue in Obsidian, and the first quest in the Fated One quest chain. Each part has something I love, though most of those things are invisible to the reader. Because writing is such a solitary act, there are things that go into a book that only I am aware of, and most of those are spoilers--but if you've read the book (or don't care about spoilers), here are a few tidbits of background info.
I love the narrator, Talon David, but all narrators have limits, and hers is being female and thus unable to sound like Patrick Warburton (my choice for Weston) or John de Lancie (how I hear the voice of Gamboling Coil). She made up for it in spades by voicing Jessemia of the White perfectly. As I reviewed the audio for this one, I kept losing it every time Jessemia said something, it was that perfect an echo of my inner voice. (Since Talon also makes Owen sound legitimately like a young man, I regret nothing in my choice of narrators.)
I like this one a lot despite my feeling that I spitballed too much for it to work this well. One of the joys of writing is having disconnected plot points and characters come together, and I certainly experienced that joy here.
* a dungeon that moves
* a Baba-Yaga style hut but with frog legs instead of chicken legs
* Godzilla
* John de Lancie as Q from ST:TNG
* factions color-coded for your convenience
* introduce another Warmaster
* writing political intrigue that didn't make me want to curl up and die
That last was a big motivator. I feel completely inadequate to the task of writing politics in my fantasy worlds, and every time my plots succeed I'm convinced it was sheer luck and I'll never do it again. But the factions governing the city of Obsidian, which is just a couple of steps away from anarchy, intrigued me enough to overcome those objections.
The dungeon, Gamboling Coil, was actually a throwaway line from Warmaster 2: Winter's Peril when they're trying to learn things about the Repository. Since one of the high-level spells that was lost after the level cap is Greater Teleport, transiting long distances in this world is complicated. And I hate writing travel and thought it would be incredibly boring if half this book was the team slogging across the continent. Why Gamboling Coil has a personality, and what that personality is, remains a mystery, because I've totally forgotten why I made that decision. It cracks me up regardless.
The book is broken into three parts: Gamboling Coil, the political intrigue in Obsidian, and the first quest in the Fated One quest chain. Each part has something I love, though most of those things are invisible to the reader. Because writing is such a solitary act, there are things that go into a book that only I am aware of, and most of those are spoilers--but if you've read the book (or don't care about spoilers), here are a few tidbits of background info.
I love the narrator, Talon David, but all narrators have limits, and hers is being female and thus unable to sound like Patrick Warburton (my choice for Weston) or John de Lancie (how I hear the voice of Gamboling Coil). She made up for it in spades by voicing Jessemia of the White perfectly. As I reviewed the audio for this one, I kept losing it every time Jessemia said something, it was that perfect an echo of my inner voice. (Since Talon also makes Owen sound legitimately like a young man, I regret nothing in my choice of narrators.)
I like this one a lot despite my feeling that I spitballed too much for it to work this well. One of the joys of writing is having disconnected plot points and characters come together, and I certainly experienced that joy here.
Read
July 3, 2024After a long period of Live, Interrupted, I was at last able to return to this fun, fast-paced novel. Once again, I'm amazed at how quickly I get sucked into this series, considering that I'm unfamiliar with LitRPG and gaming. It's the characters. I love following their arcs as they develop in complexity.
I also love the inventiveness of the dungeons and the quests. The world, and the wider questions are there, and I have no doubt that awareness will continue to widen out. It's a pleasure to watch it unfold.
With this episode, a new, deliciously obnoxious character joins the group, promising a whole lot of catalyst action. I won't say more; what I will say is that I especially loved watching Isold's development in this, and the eventual conversation that he and Aderyn had...
Nuff said. Looking forward to Book Four!
I also love the inventiveness of the dungeons and the quests. The world, and the wider questions are there, and I have no doubt that awareness will continue to widen out. It's a pleasure to watch it unfold.
With this episode, a new, deliciously obnoxious character joins the group, promising a whole lot of catalyst action. I won't say more; what I will say is that I especially loved watching Isold's development in this, and the eventual conversation that he and Aderyn had...
Nuff said. Looking forward to Book Four!
April 23, 2025
I feel like the story this time was a bit rushed. Or maybe story isn’t exactly the right word. The journey. The journey of the protagonists was rushed. They just got their clue to find the first chosen-quest, but find out its in a borderline criminal high-level city, in an area with high level monsters. Instead of training a bit and getting strong enough to survive, they decide to just teleport right into it. Why? For our group, which was reasonably responsible and cautious this is totally out of character and illogical. Traveling there by foot would’ve been the necessary training they needed. Maybe take some more dungeons, quests or caravans on the way. The argument - It just as dangerous to take the long way with many risks as it is to take the teleport dungeon and take a huge one - is pretty stupid. Many small risks make you stronger, one huge risk kills you. How are they gonna get away from the center of the high level zone? Why the rush in the first place? They just started their adventure like 6 - 7 weeks ago. They have no business going to those places yet, much less try a world changing quest. A quest that is not gonna run away, a quest they don’t even know if they really want to tackle in the first place. I dont know of they author didn’t have enough ideas for the way or if she was scared they readers would get bored, but this genre is litRPG. A huge part of RPG is normally they side quests and the grind for levels. Thats most of the enjoyment really. This is even a rare occasion when I‘d say a time skip might be a good idea. Having the team finish the story and reach lvl 20 or whatever after only a couple of months in story time would be ridiculous. Also, we’ve just had them be the underdog and low level in the last book. A bit variety would be appreciated. There is also the problem that most stories that increase the the requirements for level ups exponentially around the middle usually reach a point when they can’t keep up the consistency towards the the three quarters mark and start handing out power- and level ups left and right. I can only hope this won’t be the case for Warmaster.
Aside from that I still like the story quite a lot. I love a creative low stakes adventure with cozy moments, romance, comrades and exciting fights and dungeons. And Im still gonna read the next part.
Aside from that I still like the story quite a lot. I love a creative low stakes adventure with cozy moments, romance, comrades and exciting fights and dungeons. And Im still gonna read the next part.
June 20, 2024
I have to say, this is not my favorite of the series. I loved the first two books because it had both the fast plot of an RPG plus the character depth that Melissa McShane's books always have. But in this book, it felt like more RPG and little advancement in character arcs. I'm not saying it was bad. The story was still interesting. I just missed the focus on character development. But it had a great ending and I look forward to the next book when we get to see a new character bring chaotic interaction to the group.
June 6, 2024
Good stuff
I read it so fast. I want more but it just came out. The story has good pacing and good world building. It's not necessary to start at book one but it helps.
I read it so fast. I want more but it just came out. The story has good pacing and good world building. It's not necessary to start at book one but it helps.
February 28, 2025
love these books!
I am really enjoying this series and I highly recommend these books. I’d ur looking for a fun easy read this is it
I am really enjoying this series and I highly recommend these books. I’d ur looking for a fun easy read this is it
April 18, 2025
I'm really enjoying this series. Very good pacing, quality characters, and solid storytelling. 👍🏽👍🏽
April 30, 2025
I know this is light reading. But still it all was a bit too easy. Not a lot of surprises. But most of all, too easy.
December 30, 2024
Story is Great. Length is too Short
Nearly my same review of Book Two: very enjoyable story, length is too short, and the title of the book isn't the major plot of the book. Of course, the third point isn't really a big deal, just off-putting and very unusual. I feel this book and book two need to be combined into one book, give the story's plot points some room to breathe, to show off, and allow some better pacing. Great author and very knowledgeable of words and using them, especially uncommon ones. It felt rushed. Rushed reading. Rushed through the story and the plot. I will keep reading because the story and characters are great, I just won't rate the story very high.
Nearly my same review of Book Two: very enjoyable story, length is too short, and the title of the book isn't the major plot of the book. Of course, the third point isn't really a big deal, just off-putting and very unusual. I feel this book and book two need to be combined into one book, give the story's plot points some room to breathe, to show off, and allow some better pacing. Great author and very knowledgeable of words and using them, especially uncommon ones. It felt rushed. Rushed reading. Rushed through the story and the plot. I will keep reading because the story and characters are great, I just won't rate the story very high.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews