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Ultimate Level 1 #2
Ultimate Level 1: Shattered Limits
Consume.
A rare Black skill, one decreed by the gods to never be seen again.
Max is finally getting a handle on the skill, finding enjoyment in battling and striving to grow his skills and stats. His new friends don't know the whole truth, but they flee trouble together, arriving at the human capital of Peltagow. With a new city to explore and dungeons to delve, the party sets their sights on gaining levels and acquiring stronger items.
The gods aren't done with Max, continuing to pull strings. Death is just a single misstep away for Max.
The adventure of Max, Tanila, Fowl, & Batrire continues!
A rare Black skill, one decreed by the gods to never be seen again.
Max is finally getting a handle on the skill, finding enjoyment in battling and striving to grow his skills and stats. His new friends don't know the whole truth, but they flee trouble together, arriving at the human capital of Peltagow. With a new city to explore and dungeons to delve, the party sets their sights on gaining levels and acquiring stronger items.
The gods aren't done with Max, continuing to pull strings. Death is just a single misstep away for Max.
The adventure of Max, Tanila, Fowl, & Batrire continues!
479 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2024
1297 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
September 20, 2024
This is second in a LitRPG fantasy story. Read in order.
You know what you are getting. Seriously. I was glad to see Max's party grow and come together in this story. They're finding their pattern and figuring out how to grow with him without being left behind. And I like that Wilson includes them dealing with periodic jealousy with Max having such a broken power that makes him good at everything. And yes, he is still the Gariest of Gary Stus.
This still has all the problematic bits of the first. I rolled my eyes nearly out of their sockets when he nearly broke the house at a casino. Because he's special. A wayside casino in a six-story inn on the road to capital city. Do I have to point out the ridiculousness of this as an authorial construct? Bearing in mind that there has been zero mention of gambling up to this point? And that this is a fantasy world without any mention of elevators? And that the inn is beaver themed in such a way such as to parody Buc-ee's (including themed plushies)?
As before, the power fantasy is still strong with a good pace and excellent action. And I like the dungeon exploration. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Max has a good heart and is honestly kind. So it isn't all bad.
It ends on a minor cliff-hanger, though not a strong one. It's enough that I'm not even tempted to go up to four stars. So it's a solid three.
A note about Kindle reading: For some reason, loading this book freezes the Kindle app on both my iPad and my PC. So I have to read this on my phone. Which is just weird. I don't even know where to report this as an issue...
A note about Chaste: Max still has zero interest in the women around him. Which is becoming increasingly weird with the cute, unattached elf chick in the party. There's obvious trust and appreciation. Even some random blushes. But nothing headed towards intimacy. It's getting to the point where that needs an explanation of some kind. Still, this is pretty chaste as it stands.
You know what you are getting. Seriously. I was glad to see Max's party grow and come together in this story. They're finding their pattern and figuring out how to grow with him without being left behind. And I like that Wilson includes them dealing with periodic jealousy with Max having such a broken power that makes him good at everything. And yes, he is still the Gariest of Gary Stus.
This still has all the problematic bits of the first. I rolled my eyes nearly out of their sockets when he nearly broke the house at a casino. Because he's special. A wayside casino in a six-story inn on the road to capital city. Do I have to point out the ridiculousness of this as an authorial construct? Bearing in mind that there has been zero mention of gambling up to this point? And that this is a fantasy world without any mention of elevators? And that the inn is beaver themed in such a way such as to parody Buc-ee's (including themed plushies)?
As before, the power fantasy is still strong with a good pace and excellent action. And I like the dungeon exploration. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Max has a good heart and is honestly kind. So it isn't all bad.
It ends on a minor cliff-hanger, though not a strong one. It's enough that I'm not even tempted to go up to four stars. So it's a solid three.
A note about Kindle reading: For some reason, loading this book freezes the Kindle app on both my iPad and my PC. So I have to read this on my phone. Which is just weird. I don't even know where to report this as an issue...
A note about Chaste: Max still has zero interest in the women around him. Which is becoming increasingly weird with the cute, unattached elf chick in the party. There's obvious trust and appreciation. Even some random blushes. But nothing headed towards intimacy. It's getting to the point where that needs an explanation of some kind. Still, this is pretty chaste as it stands.
June 3, 2024
While entertaining, it wasn't as good as the first book.
The plot seemed to be very much railroaded, but I did like the internal struggle and the peeling of the layers on what's going on.
The one thing that was extremely distracting though, was the lack of editing in the book. There are so many errors, things get repeated and sometimes conflicted. I would urge the author to focus on that, as the story is entertaining on it's own.
The plot seemed to be very much railroaded, but I did like the internal struggle and the peeling of the layers on what's going on.
The one thing that was extremely distracting though, was the lack of editing in the book. There are so many errors, things get repeated and sometimes conflicted. I would urge the author to focus on that, as the story is entertaining on it's own.
May 4, 2024
To much whining
Wow would have been a good book but the writer made the character a whiny brat always please be my friends!! Not worth the time it took for me to be disgusted with this writer and book
Wow would have been a good book but the writer made the character a whiny brat always please be my friends!! Not worth the time it took for me to be disgusted with this writer and book
April 24, 2024
good book
A great continuation of the series with a rude ending. Please note that there were no hints or reminders of the first book and this continued as if you had just finished reading book 1. I had to stop and really think to remember events and characters from the first book and should have found a summary or reread parts of the prior book.
A great continuation of the series with a rude ending. Please note that there were no hints or reminders of the first book and this continued as if you had just finished reading book 1. I had to stop and really think to remember events and characters from the first book and should have found a summary or reread parts of the prior book.
April 25, 2024
epic progression fantasy
Great characters, great writing. Exciting times for the MC as he grows and evolves along with his abilities. This story is absolutely awesome and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys prog fiction.
Great characters, great writing. Exciting times for the MC as he grows and evolves along with his abilities. This story is absolutely awesome and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys prog fiction.
May 30, 2024
Great read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression type of books with lots of action.
I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who likes LitRPG and progression type of books with lots of action.
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May 13, 2024A good read
A good read well written and skilfully put together the story is very addictive I am enjoying the books to the full try them there very good
A good read well written and skilfully put together the story is very addictive I am enjoying the books to the full try them there very good
May 25, 2025
Consume, Devour, Ingest, Munch!
Max Hoste/Seth Pendal Consumes Skills, Statistic, Health, and Magic from those he kills. He has a rare "Black Skill" and that has marked him for death by powers ranging from nobles, to governments, to gods. Fortunately, he has some friends: Tanila, Batrire, and Foul; the elf and two dwarves who have formed an Adventurers' Party with him; who help him hide from those inimical powers as they grow their own strength and power.
This is the second book in a LitRPG trilogy (or series - depending on how many more novels are added past this second novel). It? is an excellent read for those who like the genre.
Max Hoste/Seth Pendal Consumes Skills, Statistic, Health, and Magic from those he kills. He has a rare "Black Skill" and that has marked him for death by powers ranging from nobles, to governments, to gods. Fortunately, he has some friends: Tanila, Batrire, and Foul; the elf and two dwarves who have formed an Adventurers' Party with him; who help him hide from those inimical powers as they grow their own strength and power.
This is the second book in a LitRPG trilogy (or series - depending on how many more novels are added past this second novel). It? is an excellent read for those who like the genre.
April 24, 2024
Good story, not as good as book one.
I really enjoyed reading book one. It was a surprise and delightful. Book two is good but lacking. The author added modern identity politics in the beginning and it was unnecessary. Not a story killer, but you could feel the implied message and box's trying to be checked.
The biggest criticism of book two was the wishy-washy turn of the main characters. Several times in the story the characters were crying and had to have their feelings validated and confirmed by being pandered two from their companions. It felt forced and different from book one. Overall the story was fun and fast but for the pandering that broke the pacing in the storytelling immersion. I hope book three gets back to just pure fun fantasy without preaching or trying to be all things to a " modern world"; which this is not, its fantasy. I hope the author just concentrates on entertaining and storytelling, and not on Amazon box checking for modern world politics.
I really enjoyed reading book one. It was a surprise and delightful. Book two is good but lacking. The author added modern identity politics in the beginning and it was unnecessary. Not a story killer, but you could feel the implied message and box's trying to be checked.
The biggest criticism of book two was the wishy-washy turn of the main characters. Several times in the story the characters were crying and had to have their feelings validated and confirmed by being pandered two from their companions. It felt forced and different from book one. Overall the story was fun and fast but for the pandering that broke the pacing in the storytelling immersion. I hope book three gets back to just pure fun fantasy without preaching or trying to be all things to a " modern world"; which this is not, its fantasy. I hope the author just concentrates on entertaining and storytelling, and not on Amazon box checking for modern world politics.
June 12, 2024
4.5 stars
There are lots of ways to have an over-powered protagonist while still making their life a challenge. In this series, Max can absorb skills and attributes from those he kills, but only if the ability exceeds his own. Thus he can only grow by punching up. In addition, his abilities are a death sentence, so he must keep most of them hidden from the public lest he be unmasked. Nice!
I worry that these limits will disappear once his party enters the Tower. I don't want a Tiger Vs. Rat story. Perhaps if the author leans on Max's internal conflict – since his power is actively and inherently tempting him to evil.
Many people are averse to cliffhanger endings and may be upset with this book's lack of closure. I found it exciting, and now want to continue the series even more.
There are lots of ways to have an over-powered protagonist while still making their life a challenge. In this series, Max can absorb skills and attributes from those he kills, but only if the ability exceeds his own. Thus he can only grow by punching up. In addition, his abilities are a death sentence, so he must keep most of them hidden from the public lest he be unmasked. Nice!
I worry that these limits will disappear once his party enters the Tower. I don't want a Tiger Vs. Rat story. Perhaps if the author leans on Max's internal conflict – since his power is actively and inherently tempting him to evil.
Many people are averse to cliffhanger endings and may be upset with this book's lack of closure. I found it exciting, and now want to continue the series even more.
May 7, 2024
What happened?
This story started to fall apart in the second half of the first book and continued to fall from beginning to end in the second.
Nothing frost the start of this series even matters he just forgets about it, ignores it, or changes the plot after the fact.
This story started to fall apart in the second half of the first book and continued to fall from beginning to end in the second.
Nothing frost the start of this series even matters he just forgets about it, ignores it, or changes the plot after the fact.
November 5, 2024
Lost 2 stars for NOT writing a Recap.
I think every reader needs to start doing this to force authors to write a quick Recap chapter, which readers can skip if they remember, and those who don't won't stop reading the series.
I think every reader needs to start doing this to force authors to write a quick Recap chapter, which readers can skip if they remember, and those who don't won't stop reading the series.
June 25, 2024
Cliffhangers?
You want me to give you a nice review right after I finish reading your book?
Do you?
Then don't end it on a cliffhanger.
You want me to give you a nice review right after I finish reading your book?
Do you?
Then don't end it on a cliffhanger.
September 26, 2025
A solid series with lots of combat and delving. Native MC, OP MC, Dungeon and party relationships focused.
I like that the MC is OP. I don’t think that’s a bug in this genre, it’s a feature. I like his party and the few expanding side characters. They are not carbon copies of each other. I like the focus on combat and delving, to a degree, but the variety of this combat does make it more engaging. I also like the hints at the larger plot going on.
But the larger plot is barely given word count through the first five books I’ve read. And that is unfortunate because I need more breaks from delving. As despite the variety of it, there aren’t real stakes as the entire party has plot armor, and they are always gonna come out on top or in rare cases escape and survive. Though the stakes feel decent for this overall plot, it’s simply not engaged enough in my opinion. I would like to see more fights with people outside of the dungeon.
MCs path, and the schtick of the series, is that his special skill means he doesn’t level like other people, he is always level one. The uniqueness of this gimmick really only serves as a teaser for the series to grab potential readers’ attention. And even that, the title is kind of vague on that point. I’d have named the series Stuck at Level 1, or Always Level 1, something like that. Apart from that, it really only blurs the progression of the MC in practice. It’s difficult at any point to say where his stats would truly land him as a conventional person. We only know when it’s occasional guesstimated by the characters.
But all of that, I wouldn’t count off for when considering my rating. There’s a lot of variance in this genre, and there’s room for this specific style as well.
I count of for character inconsistency and lack of realism. I don’t like how some of the party characters always repeat the same interactions with the MC, like say when it’s time to open a chest, but this does get better after the first few books. I am also sick of the emotional swings. One minute MC is in his feels about killing someone or letting his maniacal skill take over, the next minute he’s slaughtering dozens of people and giving over control to his skill and it’s no big deal. “Had to be done.” The skill part of this makes sense eventually as it’s revealed the skill is adjusting to the MCs personality and has less of a problem with him not being a min/max psychopath. Another weirdness of this series is how all these side characters are constantly gassing up the MC for being the best person they have ever met. Like seriously, no one talks like this. Maybe that’s my American culture, but you talk about people like this at their weddings and funerals. At most, the vast majority of people would think of him as such a person but only tell him at most, he’s a good person and they trust him, etc.
I also count off points for context breaks. That is the characters using English idioms despite this not being Isekai. Another is encountering tower levels based on other worlds in this universe that the characters should have no context for. Yet they know what a bike is; they know what a gun is, they know what a plane is; they know what an alarm sounds like (not the action of raising one or a bell but an electric buzzer). This is something some authors do, unconsciously, and it’s immersion breaking and frankly sloppy.
After five books, I am honestly finding myself skimming the tower/dungeon levels to get to the chest openings and any stat/skill gains. As I said, it’s all repetitive as this isn’t the kind of series killing off party members, so far at least. And I really wouldn’t want it to be. There’s plenty of series like that, but this one is a good guys win story and killing off characters after five books would seem less like a narrative atmosphere and more like contrived drama.
All in all a decent series. I may have gone on at length about my issues with it, but I’m only counting off one star for them. I hope that once the tower focus of the series is finally past us, we can get to the interesting stuff, at least interesting for me. And when that happens I may put this series in my recommend list on my profile.
I like that the MC is OP. I don’t think that’s a bug in this genre, it’s a feature. I like his party and the few expanding side characters. They are not carbon copies of each other. I like the focus on combat and delving, to a degree, but the variety of this combat does make it more engaging. I also like the hints at the larger plot going on.
But the larger plot is barely given word count through the first five books I’ve read. And that is unfortunate because I need more breaks from delving. As despite the variety of it, there aren’t real stakes as the entire party has plot armor, and they are always gonna come out on top or in rare cases escape and survive. Though the stakes feel decent for this overall plot, it’s simply not engaged enough in my opinion. I would like to see more fights with people outside of the dungeon.
MCs path, and the schtick of the series, is that his special skill means he doesn’t level like other people, he is always level one. The uniqueness of this gimmick really only serves as a teaser for the series to grab potential readers’ attention. And even that, the title is kind of vague on that point. I’d have named the series Stuck at Level 1, or Always Level 1, something like that. Apart from that, it really only blurs the progression of the MC in practice. It’s difficult at any point to say where his stats would truly land him as a conventional person. We only know when it’s occasional guesstimated by the characters.
But all of that, I wouldn’t count off for when considering my rating. There’s a lot of variance in this genre, and there’s room for this specific style as well.
I count of for character inconsistency and lack of realism. I don’t like how some of the party characters always repeat the same interactions with the MC, like say when it’s time to open a chest, but this does get better after the first few books. I am also sick of the emotional swings. One minute MC is in his feels about killing someone or letting his maniacal skill take over, the next minute he’s slaughtering dozens of people and giving over control to his skill and it’s no big deal. “Had to be done.” The skill part of this makes sense eventually as it’s revealed the skill is adjusting to the MCs personality and has less of a problem with him not being a min/max psychopath. Another weirdness of this series is how all these side characters are constantly gassing up the MC for being the best person they have ever met. Like seriously, no one talks like this. Maybe that’s my American culture, but you talk about people like this at their weddings and funerals. At most, the vast majority of people would think of him as such a person but only tell him at most, he’s a good person and they trust him, etc.
I also count off points for context breaks. That is the characters using English idioms despite this not being Isekai. Another is encountering tower levels based on other worlds in this universe that the characters should have no context for. Yet they know what a bike is; they know what a gun is, they know what a plane is; they know what an alarm sounds like (not the action of raising one or a bell but an electric buzzer). This is something some authors do, unconsciously, and it’s immersion breaking and frankly sloppy.
After five books, I am honestly finding myself skimming the tower/dungeon levels to get to the chest openings and any stat/skill gains. As I said, it’s all repetitive as this isn’t the kind of series killing off party members, so far at least. And I really wouldn’t want it to be. There’s plenty of series like that, but this one is a good guys win story and killing off characters after five books would seem less like a narrative atmosphere and more like contrived drama.
All in all a decent series. I may have gone on at length about my issues with it, but I’m only counting off one star for them. I hope that once the tower focus of the series is finally past us, we can get to the interesting stuff, at least interesting for me. And when that happens I may put this series in my recommend list on my profile.
May 15, 2024
Like the first book, I almost gave this 5 stars but settled on a 4.5. I like the book and really want to give it the full 5, but am held back by a few things. Spoilers for book 1 but not book 2 ahead.
Seth's skill, consume, provides a very interesting story telling piece because it's a blessing and a curse. While it can make him very strong, it's his only way of getting stronger. It also gives him that temptation to turn over to the dark side that I'm still very much here for.
For the most part though, there is no drawbacks because Seth and his party are absolutely spooned rare encounters and good loot with the excuse "the gods are looking out for him". There is an event about 80% or so through the book that puts the party in a tight-ish spot and forces Seth to do something his party doesn't want to do. It was compelling narrative, written well, and *good* but isn't too frequent because the party is given quite a bit for essentially free.
Lastly, I think that while the author does a good job of making characters that act like the people they're supposed to be, they don't always talk like it. It's partly because of the 15-18 age range he's trying to stay in and maybe some attempt at building swears in the world but it just feels weird to me. Better than "you've got to be crapping me" from the first book, but still weird.
Still, really good book overall - would recommend.
Seth's skill, consume, provides a very interesting story telling piece because it's a blessing and a curse. While it can make him very strong, it's his only way of getting stronger. It also gives him that temptation to turn over to the dark side that I'm still very much here for.
For the most part though, there is no drawbacks because Seth and his party are absolutely spooned rare encounters and good loot with the excuse "the gods are looking out for him". There is an event about 80% or so through the book that puts the party in a tight-ish spot and forces Seth to do something his party doesn't want to do. It was compelling narrative, written well, and *good* but isn't too frequent because the party is given quite a bit for essentially free.
Lastly, I think that while the author does a good job of making characters that act like the people they're supposed to be, they don't always talk like it. It's partly because of the 15-18 age range he's trying to stay in and maybe some attempt at building swears in the world but it just feels weird to me. Better than "you've got to be crapping me" from the first book, but still weird.
Still, really good book overall - would recommend.
August 10, 2025
I felt this book was a solid 4.5 but after writing out my thoughts in a review I realized it is more like a 3.5...especially with the ending.
Overall it was done as good as book one. The pacing, character development, audio narration, and everything else is done well here. The byplay between the characters in the group gets better as time goes on. The dialog seems a little bit more polished too, and that's nice to see.
The character development here is fast, and makes me wonder what the author has planned for later books. It has to be a complete shift in the world to acomodate this type of progression. It is nice to see though after a current spell of slow progression books.
My biggest issue developing with this series is a personal one. I don't enjoy a plot where the main character has something attempting to control them internally and limit/effect their choices. This never leads to something fun when left open without a resolution to the doom that is always hinted at coming. I really hope this "personality" of the skill is resolved and doesn't become a cheap crutch to cause suspense in the future.
Like almost all other litRPG authors this one has abandonment issues as well, so the book ends with a completely unnecessary cliffhanger. Someone really needs to start a theropy group for all these authors.
Overall it was done as good as book one. The pacing, character development, audio narration, and everything else is done well here. The byplay between the characters in the group gets better as time goes on. The dialog seems a little bit more polished too, and that's nice to see.
The character development here is fast, and makes me wonder what the author has planned for later books. It has to be a complete shift in the world to acomodate this type of progression. It is nice to see though after a current spell of slow progression books.
My biggest issue developing with this series is a personal one. I don't enjoy a plot where the main character has something attempting to control them internally and limit/effect their choices. This never leads to something fun when left open without a resolution to the doom that is always hinted at coming. I really hope this "personality" of the skill is resolved and doesn't become a cheap crutch to cause suspense in the future.
Like almost all other litRPG authors this one has abandonment issues as well, so the book ends with a completely unnecessary cliffhanger. Someone really needs to start a theropy group for all these authors.
December 6, 2024
Started strong but ended weak.
I‘d say 80% of the book was really good. Top tier, just like the first one. Of course there was the occasional internal whining and cliche inner demon plot, which I wasn’t a fan of, but kept to acceptable amounts.
The last part tho… Ever since he first entered the stadium it went downhill fast. So many stupid decisions. So much forced drama. Gone was the cunning and strongwillled protagonist.
Max gives in to everything his skill says. Being manipulated like a naive little boy and unnecessarily risking his identity. The excuse of needing the money was nonsense as there where ten other ways to gain it in safer ways. Or he could have just quit after achieving his goal. On that note: Damn his teammates turned out useless throughout the whole book.
Just as bad is the fact that it had no consequences as the queens were dull as rocks and missed all giveaways and his friends suddenly forget their qualms.
Its like every character rapidly lost IQ so the author could execute unlogical and out of character plot. Cheap drama. Unsatisfying conclusion. Hope that trend doesn’t continue. Finally: Whats up with that cliffhanger? Wasn’t the other stuff to create anticipation already cheap enough?
I‘d say 80% of the book was really good. Top tier, just like the first one. Of course there was the occasional internal whining and cliche inner demon plot, which I wasn’t a fan of, but kept to acceptable amounts.
The last part tho… Ever since he first entered the stadium it went downhill fast. So many stupid decisions. So much forced drama. Gone was the cunning and strongwillled protagonist.
Max gives in to everything his skill says. Being manipulated like a naive little boy and unnecessarily risking his identity. The excuse of needing the money was nonsense as there where ten other ways to gain it in safer ways. Or he could have just quit after achieving his goal. On that note: Damn his teammates turned out useless throughout the whole book.
Just as bad is the fact that it had no consequences as the queens were dull as rocks and missed all giveaways and his friends suddenly forget their qualms.
Its like every character rapidly lost IQ so the author could execute unlogical and out of character plot. Cheap drama. Unsatisfying conclusion. Hope that trend doesn’t continue. Finally: Whats up with that cliffhanger? Wasn’t the other stuff to create anticipation already cheap enough?
March 24, 2025
Pretty interesting
I'm enjoying the story for the most part. I do want to separate that the writing is not bad though I would argue that there's a couple of rough patches. Any criticism is really coming from my personal preferences. That said there's a couple of decisions made that I'm not the biggest fan of. Who knows what might take place in the sequel. Obviously if I'm talking about it checking out the sequel it means that I liked this entry well enough to continue on with the story. I believe at the time of this review the first four books of received the audio treatment and there are six books out in total. This is the first series that I've come across by not only this author but this company. I really don't know anything about them and honestly it is going to depend how well I like this story as to whether or not I read anything else from either. The book is currently available through the Kindle unlimited program which is why I'm giving this story a shot in the first place. If I end up really liking the series I'll double back and pick it up in the audio format. As of right now I'm going to go ahead and recommend that anybody reading this review check out the series.
I'm enjoying the story for the most part. I do want to separate that the writing is not bad though I would argue that there's a couple of rough patches. Any criticism is really coming from my personal preferences. That said there's a couple of decisions made that I'm not the biggest fan of. Who knows what might take place in the sequel. Obviously if I'm talking about it checking out the sequel it means that I liked this entry well enough to continue on with the story. I believe at the time of this review the first four books of received the audio treatment and there are six books out in total. This is the first series that I've come across by not only this author but this company. I really don't know anything about them and honestly it is going to depend how well I like this story as to whether or not I read anything else from either. The book is currently available through the Kindle unlimited program which is why I'm giving this story a shot in the first place. If I end up really liking the series I'll double back and pick it up in the audio format. As of right now I'm going to go ahead and recommend that anybody reading this review check out the series.
June 14, 2025
Let's start with the pros.
We have a somewhat unique world and system of magic but very familiar RPG themes that make it easy to read.
We can also blow through one or two books a day if we skip all the anatomy references and awkwardly written social interactions.. It will cut each page in half or more and at 450ish pages per book it makes for a breezy little weekend read!
Cons:
Anatomy. Unless you're a prepubescent boy lacking any adult role models you're going to get really tired of the nonstop direct and awkwardly indirect references to genitalia. We get it. The characters are all 12 and have never learned to curse. Eck.
Family. I think Shawn might have written for the Fast and the Furious franchise...or taken a lot of inspiration therefrom. Die for family. Live for family. We're all family and want to creep on each other.
Laughing. There is a LOT of chuckling, giggling, laughing, etc. The main characters are clearly covering up some serious trauma or spend an unhealthy amount of time fighting baddies while high.
But! If you skip all of that and just read the summary of the fights...it would be a solid 4 of 5! So...3 stars because there's a lot to skip in between good parts.
We have a somewhat unique world and system of magic but very familiar RPG themes that make it easy to read.
We can also blow through one or two books a day if we skip all the anatomy references and awkwardly written social interactions.. It will cut each page in half or more and at 450ish pages per book it makes for a breezy little weekend read!
Cons:
Anatomy. Unless you're a prepubescent boy lacking any adult role models you're going to get really tired of the nonstop direct and awkwardly indirect references to genitalia. We get it. The characters are all 12 and have never learned to curse. Eck.
Family. I think Shawn might have written for the Fast and the Furious franchise...or taken a lot of inspiration therefrom. Die for family. Live for family. We're all family and want to creep on each other.
Laughing. There is a LOT of chuckling, giggling, laughing, etc. The main characters are clearly covering up some serious trauma or spend an unhealthy amount of time fighting baddies while high.
But! If you skip all of that and just read the summary of the fights...it would be a solid 4 of 5! So...3 stars because there's a lot to skip in between good parts.
October 22, 2025
This one was definitely a set-up for future books, and it was a slough to get through. I appreciated the deepening of Max's relationship with his party and Aimee, having a bit more trust is always nice in these kinds of books.
I was hopeful with the first 15% of this book throwing us into the action that we would see a drastic shift in pace for the better, but it seems like the author is saving that for later.
The part with Max admitting his situation to his party was a little underwhelming. I expected him to wait a lot longer before telling them a secret as big as that. Doesn't seem very realistic, considering he had known them for a maximum of about three months before giving that up. I know it ended up well, but I think holding back and creating more tension there could've increased the quality of this book.
I wasn't the happiest with the direction this one took, but I'll continue to read the series because the power system is interesting, as are the existence of the battle towers. Hope to see that mystery unfold soon.
I was hopeful with the first 15% of this book throwing us into the action that we would see a drastic shift in pace for the better, but it seems like the author is saving that for later.
The part with Max admitting his situation to his party was a little underwhelming. I expected him to wait a lot longer before telling them a secret as big as that. Doesn't seem very realistic, considering he had known them for a maximum of about three months before giving that up. I know it ended up well, but I think holding back and creating more tension there could've increased the quality of this book.
I wasn't the happiest with the direction this one took, but I'll continue to read the series because the power system is interesting, as are the existence of the battle towers. Hope to see that mystery unfold soon.
August 24, 2024
A decent sequel, focusing on the more character development rather than plot side of things.
While this wasn't an enjoyable as the first book, it was nice to read about the growing bonds within the party. The progression they're making towards being able to hit the Towers, as well as the help they provide Max in order to ensure he doesn't get consumed by his skill is fun to read.
It's interesting to see Max develop as a character. He is clearly young and flawed, combined with an OP skill means he will make mistakes and be overconfident. There are attempts to show how he tries to get through this, showing us he's not just all brawn but has brains too with his meticulous note-taking and investigations into dungeons, but inevitably I fear that he will bite off more than he can chew.
Looking forward to reading Book Three.
While this wasn't an enjoyable as the first book, it was nice to read about the growing bonds within the party. The progression they're making towards being able to hit the Towers, as well as the help they provide Max in order to ensure he doesn't get consumed by his skill is fun to read.
It's interesting to see Max develop as a character. He is clearly young and flawed, combined with an OP skill means he will make mistakes and be overconfident. There are attempts to show how he tries to get through this, showing us he's not just all brawn but has brains too with his meticulous note-taking and investigations into dungeons, but inevitably I fear that he will bite off more than he can chew.
Looking forward to reading Book Three.
March 1, 2025
I feel this book is when I noticed some of the biggest + 1s in comparison to other fantasy or LITRPG. The dialogue is awesome. Questions you had before get answered and it makes sense. The world building is great. Each race has a culture so it leads to different interactions. Also Mac loves legs and spines. Can't get enough of them. I like using the brain alot too. Something you don't see too often. Adventures are also unhinged. Death rides with them, sleeps in their bed, and hovers wherever they go. They will almost die get up the next day and it's back to the grind. Broken bones during a fight? Heal up and it's back to it. I will say that ending was criminal. I'm such a hater of ending a book or season on a cliffhanger. I like the arc to be done and the next book starts the next arc.
June 18, 2025
So this genre has a traditional formula that it follows. Like other books by other authors, parts of this story line are locked in by genre constraints. Character slowly acquires skills and abilities through a systematic approach. Where there is wiggle room is in the character development. Shawn Wilson has done a masterful job of brining the unique characters of this series alive. Same with the group dynamics.
You can skip past the list of attributes. Just know that they slowly improve over time. That part could be a cut-and-paste from any other book in this genre, but it is an unavoidable pitfall.
Physical is strong. Magic is strong. But right now, at the end of book two, politics is the strongest force of all.
You can skip past the list of attributes. Just know that they slowly improve over time. That part could be a cut-and-paste from any other book in this genre, but it is an unavoidable pitfall.
Physical is strong. Magic is strong. But right now, at the end of book two, politics is the strongest force of all.
December 28, 2025
Read this book on my Kindle.
Pros: More of what was good about the first book. An adventuring guild that actually does things, teams and teamwork, fun powers, logistics of a dungeoneering squad.
Cons: So, so much worse than the first. Whatever issues there were with dialogue got worse, the social encounters are even more strangely disconnected, and events sort of just 'happen' without any strong connective tissue. The MC leaves a party because he doesn't want to endanger them, then immediately joins another. Inconsistency abounds, and characters burst out laughing all the time.
All in all, while some parts were fun, it literally hurt to read some of this.
Cannot recommend.
Would not read again.
Pros: More of what was good about the first book. An adventuring guild that actually does things, teams and teamwork, fun powers, logistics of a dungeoneering squad.
Cons: So, so much worse than the first. Whatever issues there were with dialogue got worse, the social encounters are even more strangely disconnected, and events sort of just 'happen' without any strong connective tissue. The MC leaves a party because he doesn't want to endanger them, then immediately joins another. Inconsistency abounds, and characters burst out laughing all the time.
All in all, while some parts were fun, it literally hurt to read some of this.
Cannot recommend.
Would not read again.
May 6, 2024
Went a little downhill from book one
I gave book 5 stars this book I only gave four. The pacing has been an issue throughout both books for the amount of growth to protagonists had it's just not consistent with the world that they've built people spend a life time reaching level 100 and yes it slows down as you get more powerful but he and his associates have gained like 10 levels going from 25 to 35 in a matter of like 2 months The times he'll just doesn't really work. I also don't really love the hole fighting against an inner demon thing. Was pretty disappointed with this one but it was still a solid story even well with its flaws I'll try book three.
I gave book 5 stars this book I only gave four. The pacing has been an issue throughout both books for the amount of growth to protagonists had it's just not consistent with the world that they've built people spend a life time reaching level 100 and yes it slows down as you get more powerful but he and his associates have gained like 10 levels going from 25 to 35 in a matter of like 2 months The times he'll just doesn't really work. I also don't really love the hole fighting against an inner demon thing. Was pretty disappointed with this one but it was still a solid story even well with its flaws I'll try book three.
May 14, 2024
Good but lots of small inconsistencies
The overall story is still fun and interesting like the first book. Maybe a bit less action as this one felt like it had the characters doing more research. The plot continues where the last book ends with Max and his group moving to the capital.
My only real complaint is all the minor inconsistencies both from the first book and plenty within this one. They're minor ones that don't really cause issues but everyone knows how enough minor issues can result in bigger ones. I hope the author reviews their work better in the future.
The overall story is still fun and interesting like the first book. Maybe a bit less action as this one felt like it had the characters doing more research. The plot continues where the last book ends with Max and his group moving to the capital.
My only real complaint is all the minor inconsistencies both from the first book and plenty within this one. They're minor ones that don't really cause issues but everyone knows how enough minor issues can result in bigger ones. I hope the author reviews their work better in the future.
May 14, 2024
I am sick of the constant "elf tits" exclamations!
Finally the "cute" powerlevel-random-acquaintances side story ends!
The decision to hide in plain sight at the stronghold of his hunters and becoming famous at the same time is "interesting". The fights are getting rather repetitive and dull and it gets a bit old that the protagonist has to carry the whole team all the time but at least the party interactions are droll..
The whole story reads more and more like a fan fiction about a computer game and ends in a huge cliff hanger..
Finally the "cute" powerlevel-random-acquaintances side story ends!
The decision to hide in plain sight at the stronghold of his hunters and becoming famous at the same time is "interesting". The fights are getting rather repetitive and dull and it gets a bit old that the protagonist has to carry the whole team all the time but at least the party interactions are droll..
The whole story reads more and more like a fan fiction about a computer game and ends in a huge cliff hanger..
July 21, 2024
10% in and it's just dungeon after dungeon. Plus we learn everyone "loves" our MC because he's a little beta cuck. The whole "men are evil" and "sex is bad" trope. Max (our MC) spends a few hours a day, every day, with Aimee, taking her through dungeon after dungeon so she can "get stronger" and gets nothing in return. What a f**king saint. Of course, she's happy to friend zone Max because she's our token lesbian for the book. She just uses him for, what we are told, is a power leveling worth a significant amounts of money in our poorly-built world. Yeah, let him eat cake.
October 11, 2024
It's good enough that made me want to read what comes next to the series. I was getting bored by the repeated dungeons, killing the Monsters and gaining new skills. What kept me pushing through was Max's internal struggle against his skill. Can he overcome it, or succumb to it.
I was surprised at the end. But it leads to more exploration. How far will Max go.
Overall, it's an enjoyable read with repetition, with internal struggle to mix in. I especially liked the last part of the book where Max was fighting in the arena while struggling against his skill. Looking for more.
I was surprised at the end. But it leads to more exploration. How far will Max go.
Overall, it's an enjoyable read with repetition, with internal struggle to mix in. I especially liked the last part of the book where Max was fighting in the arena while struggling against his skill. Looking for more.
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