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Cosmic Games: An Isekai LitRPG
Suddenly finding himself on an alien world, a reluctant soldier becomes Earth’s ultimate champion in a secret war, in this portal fantasy adventure.
Max Cromwell was only fifteen when his mother died of cancer. Angry and depressed, he spent the rest of his teenage years a rebellious troublemaker, neglecting school and playing video games. Having barely earned his high school diploma, he didn’t even attempt applying to college.
But after drifting through a series of uninspiring jobs, Max joins the military for a year of service. The discipline snaps him out of his inertia, the physical exertion increasing his strength and stamina, the focus quieting his restless mind. With his discharge approaching, he feels for the first time like he finally has a future ahead of him. That is, until the sky tears open during a training exercise, casting him through a portal to the world of Alpha Ludus . . .
It seems Max is one of many people abducted from Earth to participate in the Cosmic Games, conducted by the Intergalactic Consortium of Civilized Beings. Humanity and three alien species have been recruited to wage war on behalf of ICCB members in a conflict over resources. The species that wins the game for their benefactors will return to their home planets, rewarded with the knowledge to guide them to peace and immortality. The other, losing species will be made extinct.
Now Max must learn the ways of the intergalactic channeling mana, developing powerful abilities, and acquiring supernatural weapons. And with every victory against natural threats and alien enemies, he’ll evolve into humanity’s fiercest protector.
The first volume of this LitRPG adventure series—with more than 600,000 views on Royal Road—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
Max Cromwell was only fifteen when his mother died of cancer. Angry and depressed, he spent the rest of his teenage years a rebellious troublemaker, neglecting school and playing video games. Having barely earned his high school diploma, he didn’t even attempt applying to college.
But after drifting through a series of uninspiring jobs, Max joins the military for a year of service. The discipline snaps him out of his inertia, the physical exertion increasing his strength and stamina, the focus quieting his restless mind. With his discharge approaching, he feels for the first time like he finally has a future ahead of him. That is, until the sky tears open during a training exercise, casting him through a portal to the world of Alpha Ludus . . .
It seems Max is one of many people abducted from Earth to participate in the Cosmic Games, conducted by the Intergalactic Consortium of Civilized Beings. Humanity and three alien species have been recruited to wage war on behalf of ICCB members in a conflict over resources. The species that wins the game for their benefactors will return to their home planets, rewarded with the knowledge to guide them to peace and immortality. The other, losing species will be made extinct.
Now Max must learn the ways of the intergalactic channeling mana, developing powerful abilities, and acquiring supernatural weapons. And with every victory against natural threats and alien enemies, he’ll evolve into humanity’s fiercest protector.
The first volume of this LitRPG adventure series—with more than 600,000 views on Royal Road—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
351 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 3, 2024
Really sloppy writing made this hard to get into. An example: Max and a friend find a settlement just before nightfall. No mention of them wandering through night or sleeping. And yet, it mentions a couple of times that it has been two days, somehow.
And don't get me started on all the times Max forgets he has a skill/power/ability. "Oh noes, I might break an ankle jumping down ten feet". Dude is a gravity mage. Making things lighter, including himself, was most of a chapter. This is only one example where he forgets to do something. Though most egregious may be forgetting to shoot a bug chasing him once he has space to do it (he literally thinks "maybe I should take a rest while it can't get at me" before it starts digging its way in).
And apparently everyone else in the budding human settlement can't find two brain cells to scrape together because it's one of Max's visits where he says "you know clay is a thing" followed later by Max going "hey, aren't bricks made of clay?!?" Seriously, thirty some laborers and artisans (those are literally the class names for them) can't think of how to build stuff? Really? It takes Max to innovate anything and everything?
The final straw was when Max finds a group of humanoids in the tunnels and thinks "they might be allies" even though he knows that this area has the other race they explicitly have to wipe out for humanity to make it to the next phase of the genocide they've been signed up for. I mean, it turns out they aren't the other team but he doesn't know that!!! Except he does because the author makes him intuit it somehow. So they can be buddies and give him phat lootz.
I made it about a third before crashing on this final mess. Frankly, I should have crashed on him not being able to figure out how to stop a guy kill stealing by using a spear to take out enemies before he could. I mentioned that Max does gravity right? There's at least three things I can think of that he could have tried before his "brilliant" notion to send the spear off target to anger something big.
Yeah. One star. I probably shouldn't have let it go the full third I let it. Frankly, I'm not sure why I did.
And don't get me started on all the times Max forgets he has a skill/power/ability. "Oh noes, I might break an ankle jumping down ten feet". Dude is a gravity mage. Making things lighter, including himself, was most of a chapter. This is only one example where he forgets to do something. Though most egregious may be forgetting to shoot a bug chasing him once he has space to do it (he literally thinks "maybe I should take a rest while it can't get at me" before it starts digging its way in).
And apparently everyone else in the budding human settlement can't find two brain cells to scrape together because it's one of Max's visits where he says "you know clay is a thing" followed later by Max going "hey, aren't bricks made of clay?!?" Seriously, thirty some laborers and artisans (those are literally the class names for them) can't think of how to build stuff? Really? It takes Max to innovate anything and everything?
The final straw was when Max finds a group of humanoids in the tunnels and thinks "they might be allies" even though he knows that this area has the other race they explicitly have to wipe out for humanity to make it to the next phase of the genocide they've been signed up for. I mean, it turns out they aren't the other team but he doesn't know that!!! Except he does because the author makes him intuit it somehow. So they can be buddies and give him phat lootz.
I made it about a third before crashing on this final mess. Frankly, I should have crashed on him not being able to figure out how to stop a guy kill stealing by using a spear to take out enemies before he could. I mentioned that Max does gravity right? There's at least three things I can think of that he could have tried before his "brilliant" notion to send the spear off target to anger something big.
Yeah. One star. I probably shouldn't have let it go the full third I let it. Frankly, I'm not sure why I did.
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March 24, 2025A stale bag of potato chips of a book. Not really much there except for some air, with the occasional rare crunch of something interesting. Yet for some reason I did still feel compelled to finish it.
July 12, 2024
Book one
While I somewhat enjoyed this story I do have some complaints.
By now everyone that reads my reviews knows that I hate soul bound items. Talking soul bound items even more so.
You will never have a moments piece for the rest of your life. If you die does that item follow you to whatever is next?
Super annoying.
Other characters, Christie comes out of nowhere and is constantly flirting with the MC. I got tired of seeing her husky voice. I started thinking she talks this way because she was a three pack a day smoker. Doesn't she have any other way of talking?
The MC himself, No leadership qualities or abilities. Needs to be loved and appreciated by those weaker than him. Example: I'll go if you want me to. You might be safer if me and my big fat bounty leaves. Then he hangs his head waiting to be told that he isn't wanted.
This fool is the strongest person that they have. There is no way that they would ask him to leave. I'm surprised that they aren't throwing women and anything else they can think of at him to be sure he sticks around!
SELF-DEFENSE ISN'T MURDER!!! How many times must I point this out?
At least he didn't go into a depressed funk over killing the stranger.
The author decided to get lazy towards the end of the book, around the point that the MC takes a group to the Deadlands.
No exp or loot from the yak or the two cave worms.
Very little looting of dead lizards as well.
I got seriously disappointed at this point.
As usual I will post mistakes that I found on Goodreads.
The story is also over on Royalroad. I'll be heading over there to see if the lizards ever got looted.
4/10 I'm here for the loots and you took it away. For shame I say! For shame!
While I somewhat enjoyed this story I do have some complaints.
By now everyone that reads my reviews knows that I hate soul bound items. Talking soul bound items even more so.
You will never have a moments piece for the rest of your life. If you die does that item follow you to whatever is next?
Super annoying.
Other characters, Christie comes out of nowhere and is constantly flirting with the MC. I got tired of seeing her husky voice. I started thinking she talks this way because she was a three pack a day smoker. Doesn't she have any other way of talking?
The MC himself, No leadership qualities or abilities. Needs to be loved and appreciated by those weaker than him. Example: I'll go if you want me to. You might be safer if me and my big fat bounty leaves. Then he hangs his head waiting to be told that he isn't wanted.
This fool is the strongest person that they have. There is no way that they would ask him to leave. I'm surprised that they aren't throwing women and anything else they can think of at him to be sure he sticks around!
SELF-DEFENSE ISN'T MURDER!!! How many times must I point this out?
At least he didn't go into a depressed funk over killing the stranger.
The author decided to get lazy towards the end of the book, around the point that the MC takes a group to the Deadlands.
No exp or loot from the yak or the two cave worms.
Very little looting of dead lizards as well.
I got seriously disappointed at this point.
As usual I will post mistakes that I found on Goodreads.
The story is also over on Royalroad. I'll be heading over there to see if the lizards ever got looted.
4/10 I'm here for the loots and you took it away. For shame I say! For shame!
November 20, 2024
I'm an isekai need, but couldn't get into this one. Just dnf'd it.
February 27, 2025
Fantastic story
Fantastic story! I like the characters and the way they, and the world, are developing. I'll be reading the next, and eagerly awaiting more!
Fantastic story! I like the characters and the way they, and the world, are developing. I'll be reading the next, and eagerly awaiting more!
March 20, 2025
Good fun.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews