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Level: Unknown #1
Level: Unknown
The magical world of Yensere holds the key to saving humanity from a horrific apocalypse. Too bad Nick can only get there in his dreams.
When an ancient alien artifact chooses research cadet Nick to explore the world stored within it—a place full of forgotten empires, heroes with strange powers, and monstrous creatures that he is automatically transported to when he sleeps—he finds he has no choice but to grow stronger within the realm of Yensere to uncover its mysteries.
But Yensere isn’t all fun exploration. In this land guided by statistics and levels, Nick is seen as a demonic threat by its diseased inhabitants and always killed on-sight. When he dies in Yensere, he awakens in his bed upon the research station, his body in a state of panic; when he sleeps again, Yensere drags him back for another life...and another death.
Nick can only keep this up for so long before he dies for real. But there’s a good chance Yensere holds the key to saving humanity from a terrible fate, and so he ventures on, getting stronger and stronger with each new enemy defeated. And there are a LOT of enemies to defeat…
From David Dalglish, author of The Vagrant Gods and The Keepers trilogies, comes the start of an exciting new LitRPG series.
About the Join Nick as he adventures through the incredible world of Yensere in this progression fantasy isekai. Featuring multiple POVs, traditional LitRPG elements, magic and fantasy weaponry combat, friendships, light romance, and sarcastic robot guides, this is the perfect series for anyone wishing they could explore the galaxy and fight terrifying liches at the same time.
When an ancient alien artifact chooses research cadet Nick to explore the world stored within it—a place full of forgotten empires, heroes with strange powers, and monstrous creatures that he is automatically transported to when he sleeps—he finds he has no choice but to grow stronger within the realm of Yensere to uncover its mysteries.
But Yensere isn’t all fun exploration. In this land guided by statistics and levels, Nick is seen as a demonic threat by its diseased inhabitants and always killed on-sight. When he dies in Yensere, he awakens in his bed upon the research station, his body in a state of panic; when he sleeps again, Yensere drags him back for another life...and another death.
Nick can only keep this up for so long before he dies for real. But there’s a good chance Yensere holds the key to saving humanity from a terrible fate, and so he ventures on, getting stronger and stronger with each new enemy defeated. And there are a LOT of enemies to defeat…
From David Dalglish, author of The Vagrant Gods and The Keepers trilogies, comes the start of an exciting new LitRPG series.
About the Join Nick as he adventures through the incredible world of Yensere in this progression fantasy isekai. Featuring multiple POVs, traditional LitRPG elements, magic and fantasy weaponry combat, friendships, light romance, and sarcastic robot guides, this is the perfect series for anyone wishing they could explore the galaxy and fight terrifying liches at the same time.
438 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 14, 2025
139 people are currently reading
1718 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
January 20, 2025
David Dalglish took a leap of faith into the LitRPG genre with success I might say. Making it feel just as new as the first time I discovered it. It ups the scale of its battles beyond what even this genre has been known for. Pair that with much deeper and more refined focus on impressive storytelling. Worth a read even if this isn’t your preferred genre. The RPG elements melt like butter in this fantasy world that you hardly realize it’s even there.
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January 6, 2025
3.5 Stars
This is an enjoyable progression style fantasy that plays around with the concepts of leveling. I have previously enjoyed the subgenre of LitRPGs.
It was fun to see how those elements were woven into the narrative. I liked enough to continue on with the series. While not a personal favourite, I still found this one to be an escapist read.
I would recommend this to readers who already enjoy LitRPGs or readers looking to try the genre.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This is an enjoyable progression style fantasy that plays around with the concepts of leveling. I have previously enjoyed the subgenre of LitRPGs.
It was fun to see how those elements were woven into the narrative. I liked enough to continue on with the series. While not a personal favourite, I still found this one to be an escapist read.
I would recommend this to readers who already enjoy LitRPGs or readers looking to try the genre.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
May 13, 2025
It's no Dungeon Crawler Carl, but it's alright.
It came along at the right time for me. While I was struggling with a lack of enjoyment of The Shadow of the Gods, I started this, and it was an immediate breath of fresh air. It made me realize a major thing lacking from my other book experience was fun. This was fun.
Level: Unknown is light on game mechanics for a LitRPG novel, presenting only a bare few stats, no inventory system, very few translated game functions as experienced by the MC. Might this work in its favour, keeping it more palatable for subgenre newbies or not-fans? Instead it focuses more on its sci-fi real-world story, the futuristic goings-on behind the game system that one character enters whenever he sleeps. These two settings (outer space and a basic fantasy landscape) bridge a single story.
Much about the characters, plot events, and dialogue is strongly reminiscent of the console RPGs I played in the 1990s. They have that simplistic, cheesy, but heartfelt quality. This was good for nostalgia and keeping the story light, but it also makes it difficult to take the book fully seriously. The writing style added to this; basic, serviceable prose, often with a tone that I associate with young webnovel or fanfiction writing. This keeps the book accessible, and I think it will appeal well to younger readers.
The climactic fight scene was particularly well done, although I think it featured the wrong boss. There's a whole subplot involving the MC's deceased father which didn't generate the emotional impact it was going for, largely thanks to the cheesy RPG story style, also due to a lack of actual dramatic tension throughout. I think the book dropped the ball on the forecasted major threat with the expected series final boss's lackey that was supposedly on its way to head off our heroes.
An enjoyable book if you want an all-around light sci-fi/fantasy blend that is mostly litRPG. My experience with it started strong, and the reader's evolution of the perceived nature of the game setting is a nice touch. Ultimately, a lack of emotional depth and sophistication in the writing kept me from praising the book more highly, but if any of the above appeals to you it's worth picking up. There are not yet many traditionally published litRPG books, and I can't say with authority quite how it stands up to the average of those that remain in web serialization, but it srikes me as an authentic and particularly well-edited example of the genre.
It came along at the right time for me. While I was struggling with a lack of enjoyment of The Shadow of the Gods, I started this, and it was an immediate breath of fresh air. It made me realize a major thing lacking from my other book experience was fun. This was fun.
Level: Unknown is light on game mechanics for a LitRPG novel, presenting only a bare few stats, no inventory system, very few translated game functions as experienced by the MC. Might this work in its favour, keeping it more palatable for subgenre newbies or not-fans? Instead it focuses more on its sci-fi real-world story, the futuristic goings-on behind the game system that one character enters whenever he sleeps. These two settings (outer space and a basic fantasy landscape) bridge a single story.
Much about the characters, plot events, and dialogue is strongly reminiscent of the console RPGs I played in the 1990s. They have that simplistic, cheesy, but heartfelt quality. This was good for nostalgia and keeping the story light, but it also makes it difficult to take the book fully seriously. The writing style added to this; basic, serviceable prose, often with a tone that I associate with young webnovel or fanfiction writing. This keeps the book accessible, and I think it will appeal well to younger readers.
The climactic fight scene was particularly well done, although I think it featured the wrong boss. There's a whole subplot involving the MC's deceased father which didn't generate the emotional impact it was going for, largely thanks to the cheesy RPG story style, also due to a lack of actual dramatic tension throughout. I think the book dropped the ball on the forecasted major threat with the expected series final boss's lackey that was supposedly on its way to head off our heroes.
An enjoyable book if you want an all-around light sci-fi/fantasy blend that is mostly litRPG. My experience with it started strong, and the reader's evolution of the perceived nature of the game setting is a nice touch. Ultimately, a lack of emotional depth and sophistication in the writing kept me from praising the book more highly, but if any of the above appeals to you it's worth picking up. There are not yet many traditionally published litRPG books, and I can't say with authority quite how it stands up to the average of those that remain in web serialization, but it srikes me as an authentic and particularly well-edited example of the genre.
December 7, 2024
4 ⭐️
This was my first foray into the LitRPG genre and it was a lot of fun. Dalglish does an excellent job of capturing the fun of a Souls Like world (mixed with other video game elements you’ll recognize as a gamer) while managing to maintain stakes and intrigue. If you like the blending of a sci fi mystery in the form of a mysterious artifact that transports our protagonist into a fantasy video-game like simulation, with fun banter and video game tropes…this is the book for you. I am so curious to see where everything is going…what is the artifact? Why is the artifact? Who is the artifact? Only reading on will tell…. This story is perfect for people who love video games and want something similar in book form but with some fun twists.
I will say though if you are new to the LitRPG genre like I am sometimes the actual leveling up with stats going up distracted me, but by the end I found it just another fun element to the story.
Thank you to the author for providing me a copy to review. I will definitely continue dabbling in the LitRPG genre this was so much fun.
This was my first foray into the LitRPG genre and it was a lot of fun. Dalglish does an excellent job of capturing the fun of a Souls Like world (mixed with other video game elements you’ll recognize as a gamer) while managing to maintain stakes and intrigue. If you like the blending of a sci fi mystery in the form of a mysterious artifact that transports our protagonist into a fantasy video-game like simulation, with fun banter and video game tropes…this is the book for you. I am so curious to see where everything is going…what is the artifact? Why is the artifact? Who is the artifact? Only reading on will tell…. This story is perfect for people who love video games and want something similar in book form but with some fun twists.
I will say though if you are new to the LitRPG genre like I am sometimes the actual leveling up with stats going up distracted me, but by the end I found it just another fun element to the story.
Thank you to the author for providing me a copy to review. I will definitely continue dabbling in the LitRPG genre this was so much fun.
May 25, 2025
Well dangit, I swore I would never read a LitRPG book, and yet here we are. (At least I didn’t start with Dungeon Crawler Carl, am I right?)
Level Unknown is about a young man named Nick who lives on a futuristic space station that his brother is the commander of. After they pick up a mysterious 50 ton alien artifact, Nick discovers that he is the only one who can interface with the artifact. It seems to transport him into an alternate dimension set in a decaying, Dark Souls style world. Nick spawns outside a local village, at which point the villagers see him as a demon, and as we all know “suffer not a demon to live” so they proceed to murder him. Nick respawns again and must discover how to level up in this world and how it all connects to the alien mysteries back aboard the space station. This dimsenion Nick assumes is just a simulation, but things quickly don’t add up. In the world he discovers grotesque monsters, magically twisted cities, and mysteries that tie his brain in knots. This is Level:Unknown!
So this book has a sense of humor and snark like The Martian, but it also melds some pretty wild fantasy and scifi ideas. It’s like the Martian meets Event Horizon meets Elden Ring with some portal fantasy thrown in for good measure.
Dalglish does a good job knowing exactly what this book is and then executing on it. This isn’t Lord of the Rings, this isn’t The Once and Future King. This is a portal LitRPG adventure that’s tons of fun and moves at a great pace. Dalglish knows how to plant an excellent mystery and pay it off just as the next one is starting.
The worldbuilding both within the portal and on the space station is fascinating but also doesn’t bog the story down. The leveling up mechanics are there (and tbh I’m still not fully sold on all that) but it’s integrated about as well as I could imagine it being done.
Dalglish also brings in his expected well thought out and well developed observations on the nature of faith and religion. (Yes even in a LitRPG book) We never get the impression that we’re being preached at or being lectured. Instead he serves up a lot of thought provoking situations and religiously motivated beliefs and lets us chew on them. (Hint: don’t play god if you’re not god. Bonus hint: you’re not god. Hahaha)
The book does take a bit to become clear in its direction. Once Nick is in the world it takes a while for the direction to become clear, other than fighting enemies and finding new locations. However about 1/3 to 1/2 way through the book it comes into focus, and the novel leaves us with a clear direction for the rest of the series. And I’ll say this, it’s a direction I’m excited to go down.
For one who was really reluctant to try this genre at all, I had a lot of fun with this novel. Dalglish brings his style to a story that in lesser hands wouldn’t have worked half as well. I’m really looking forward to book two.
PS. Anyone remember that fantasy novel from the 90’s ‘Heroes Die’ by Matthew Woodring Stover? This book reminded me a lot of that. There’s some similar story DNA, but also in the theming about violence and violent entertainment. If you like that, read this and vice versa.
Level Unknown is about a young man named Nick who lives on a futuristic space station that his brother is the commander of. After they pick up a mysterious 50 ton alien artifact, Nick discovers that he is the only one who can interface with the artifact. It seems to transport him into an alternate dimension set in a decaying, Dark Souls style world. Nick spawns outside a local village, at which point the villagers see him as a demon, and as we all know “suffer not a demon to live” so they proceed to murder him. Nick respawns again and must discover how to level up in this world and how it all connects to the alien mysteries back aboard the space station. This dimsenion Nick assumes is just a simulation, but things quickly don’t add up. In the world he discovers grotesque monsters, magically twisted cities, and mysteries that tie his brain in knots. This is Level:Unknown!
So this book has a sense of humor and snark like The Martian, but it also melds some pretty wild fantasy and scifi ideas. It’s like the Martian meets Event Horizon meets Elden Ring with some portal fantasy thrown in for good measure.
Dalglish does a good job knowing exactly what this book is and then executing on it. This isn’t Lord of the Rings, this isn’t The Once and Future King. This is a portal LitRPG adventure that’s tons of fun and moves at a great pace. Dalglish knows how to plant an excellent mystery and pay it off just as the next one is starting.
The worldbuilding both within the portal and on the space station is fascinating but also doesn’t bog the story down. The leveling up mechanics are there (and tbh I’m still not fully sold on all that) but it’s integrated about as well as I could imagine it being done.
Dalglish also brings in his expected well thought out and well developed observations on the nature of faith and religion. (Yes even in a LitRPG book) We never get the impression that we’re being preached at or being lectured. Instead he serves up a lot of thought provoking situations and religiously motivated beliefs and lets us chew on them. (Hint: don’t play god if you’re not god. Bonus hint: you’re not god. Hahaha)
The book does take a bit to become clear in its direction. Once Nick is in the world it takes a while for the direction to become clear, other than fighting enemies and finding new locations. However about 1/3 to 1/2 way through the book it comes into focus, and the novel leaves us with a clear direction for the rest of the series. And I’ll say this, it’s a direction I’m excited to go down.
For one who was really reluctant to try this genre at all, I had a lot of fun with this novel. Dalglish brings his style to a story that in lesser hands wouldn’t have worked half as well. I’m really looking forward to book two.
PS. Anyone remember that fantasy novel from the 90’s ‘Heroes Die’ by Matthew Woodring Stover? This book reminded me a lot of that. There’s some similar story DNA, but also in the theming about violence and violent entertainment. If you like that, read this and vice versa.
December 5, 2024
Level: Unknown by David Dalglish is a hysterical, emotionally-charged sci-fi/LitRPG mashup that is part nostalgic RPG meets Edward Ashton’s Mickey7 and Danny Boyle’s Sunshine; a perfect entry point for any reader looking to try out GameLit and one that will satiate veterans of the genre.
December 14, 2024
First, thank you David Dalglish.
Secondly, thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me with an eArc.
Dalglish writes damn fun adventures.
Nick, along with the other characters I latched on to, surprisingly faster than I have in any of his other books. I think my biggest praise is the great character work and developments of the characters.
The LitRPG elements are simple and light. I think for newcomers this is perfect, but for people dedicated to the genre they'll want more.
Finally, the actual plot and mystery presented was super engaging. I think this alone will make it stand out amongst the LitRPG genre easily. Also, unlike a ton of other lit books, this one is much shorter. Again, a point for a newcomer.
I'm looking forward to seeing Nick and company in book 2!
(And I'm excited for Radiant King! Dalglish's other book coming this year!)
Secondly, thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me with an eArc.
Dalglish writes damn fun adventures.
Nick, along with the other characters I latched on to, surprisingly faster than I have in any of his other books. I think my biggest praise is the great character work and developments of the characters.
The LitRPG elements are simple and light. I think for newcomers this is perfect, but for people dedicated to the genre they'll want more.
Finally, the actual plot and mystery presented was super engaging. I think this alone will make it stand out amongst the LitRPG genre easily. Also, unlike a ton of other lit books, this one is much shorter. Again, a point for a newcomer.
I'm looking forward to seeing Nick and company in book 2!
(And I'm excited for Radiant King! Dalglish's other book coming this year!)
December 12, 2024
2025
LitPRG
Review: Oh boy, this was too much fun. Very inventive for and fresh for an over-worked genre. I love this writer as his characters are always well made and likable/hatable. Only real detraction were the chapters with Simon..Mr. Dooright of space. Way vanilla and did not fit into the story line.
Get this, I think you will enjoy the world building as well.
I received the ARC for an honest review.
4.6/5
LitPRG
Review: Oh boy, this was too much fun. Very inventive for and fresh for an over-worked genre. I love this writer as his characters are always well made and likable/hatable. Only real detraction were the chapters with Simon..Mr. Dooright of space. Way vanilla and did not fit into the story line.
Get this, I think you will enjoy the world building as well.
I received the ARC for an honest review.
4.6/5
March 17, 2025
If you're a gamer girlie like me, this is basically like reading Dark Souls. And I love that. Because Dark Souls is my favorite game of all-time. Well, Dark Souls II is. But we won't get into that. Can't wait for the sequel!
January 8, 2025
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Level: Unknown is both my first novel from David Dalglish and my first time reading LitRPG and I was not disappointed!
I especially loved the blend of fantasy and Sci-fi. The way our main character switches between the two worlds instead of being stuck into one is a refreshing take on the genre.
The world building was interesting and fun, the story very intriguing and the characters are compelling. I very much enjoyed Nick’s growth both in levels, and in his emotional journey.
I’m definitely looking forward to next book and can’t wait to see more of the mystery unfold!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for providing this EArc)
Level: Unknown is both my first novel from David Dalglish and my first time reading LitRPG and I was not disappointed!
I especially loved the blend of fantasy and Sci-fi. The way our main character switches between the two worlds instead of being stuck into one is a refreshing take on the genre.
The world building was interesting and fun, the story very intriguing and the characters are compelling. I very much enjoyed Nick’s growth both in levels, and in his emotional journey.
I’m definitely looking forward to next book and can’t wait to see more of the mystery unfold!
(Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for providing this EArc)
February 14, 2025
After the death of his father, Nick is sent to live with his brother, Simon, at the Research Station he is the director of. While Nick's official title is "Research Assistant," Nick knows that most people on Station 79 view Nick as nothing more than a product of nepotism. That is, until they discover a strange alien artifact on Majus, the planet the Station is there to study. As soon as the artifact is activated, Nick loses consciousness and finds himself in a strange world. Even worse, when Nick attempts to approach a villager to find out where he is, they call him a Demon and attack him, ultimately killing him. Waking back on Station 79, he relays to Simon what happened to him, exhausted he falls back asleep almost immediately to find himself right back in the strange world he was in before. This is the beginning of what will be a hellish adventure for Nick. Every time he closes is eyes in the real world he finds himself back on the planet that he now knows is called Yensere, guided by an AI system called Cateloger he discovers he seems to be stuck in some sort of digital world, knowing this Research will be important Nick dives back into Yesenre over and over after dying, knowing that in the real world his body is wasting away. And when a Planetary Director arrives on Station 79 to destroy The Artifact and end the lives of all who live there both Simon and Nick realize that what is happening to Nick as far bigger and far more important than they ever imagined and while Nick maybe immortal in Yensere he certainly is not in real life. He is in a race across time to not just discover The Artifact's secrets but to save the people of both Yesenre and Station 79 before a great Calamity destroys them all.
This is the first LitRPG I've read, and now I'm kicking myself for never reading one before. Level Unknown is a kinda science fantasy that meets Isekai meets RPG, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It, of course, has the badass fights scenes and amazing world building I've come to look forward to in any book Dalglish writes with JRPG/ anime influence that made it unputtdownable for me.
Not only that, it's got some really amazing characters. Nick is great. Of course, his growth throughout the books is wonderfully handled. At the beginning, I kinda wanted to kill him myself. He just kept doing the same stupid thing over and over and somehow expects different results, but as the story goes on, he grows up a ton. By the end of the book, he's almost a completely different person. He's more confident in himself and he's accepted that regardless of whether Yensere is real it's a place he wants to protect as much as he wants to figure out what the Artifact is to save his own people IRL.
Gareth is also a great character as well because he's just so far in denial about literally everything that he can't see what's going on at all. He believes his faith in Vaan is strong, but it's clearly not making him the perfect example of "If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for everything." And oh boy, does he. He most definitely needs to grow up almost as much as Nick needed, too.
My favorite characters, though, aren't even really human. Cateloger, which is the AI system in Yensere, is absolutely fantastic. It's funny. It's as supportive as it can be for an AI, and it's a giant smart ass. All traits I love. Sorrow, Nick's sentient sword is equally amazing but in different ways. While there's definitely some comic relief there, Sorrow's back story is a huge part of Nick maturing in the book. Not to mention, it's got some pretty badass special abilities.
The magic system, while very generic to anyone who has ever played an RPG, is so much more intuitive and user-friendly than anything I've ever come across in a real game. Because at the moment, as far as we known Yensere isn't real but a digital reproduction. The user has a ton of freedom when casting spells. It is very much a "If you can imagine it you can do it" system, and I really loved that. It allows for standard elemental spells to be manipulated in ways that make the spells so much more useful.
Overall, I definitely recommend this. It was just a ton of fun to read and hit all of my points for a literary RPG. To be honest, I didn't even know I had requirements for this sort of the thing until I started reading this 😅
As always, thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eArc!
This is the first LitRPG I've read, and now I'm kicking myself for never reading one before. Level Unknown is a kinda science fantasy that meets Isekai meets RPG, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It, of course, has the badass fights scenes and amazing world building I've come to look forward to in any book Dalglish writes with JRPG/ anime influence that made it unputtdownable for me.
Not only that, it's got some really amazing characters. Nick is great. Of course, his growth throughout the books is wonderfully handled. At the beginning, I kinda wanted to kill him myself. He just kept doing the same stupid thing over and over and somehow expects different results, but as the story goes on, he grows up a ton. By the end of the book, he's almost a completely different person. He's more confident in himself and he's accepted that regardless of whether Yensere is real it's a place he wants to protect as much as he wants to figure out what the Artifact is to save his own people IRL.
Gareth is also a great character as well because he's just so far in denial about literally everything that he can't see what's going on at all. He believes his faith in Vaan is strong, but it's clearly not making him the perfect example of "If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for everything." And oh boy, does he. He most definitely needs to grow up almost as much as Nick needed, too.
My favorite characters, though, aren't even really human. Cateloger, which is the AI system in Yensere, is absolutely fantastic. It's funny. It's as supportive as it can be for an AI, and it's a giant smart ass. All traits I love. Sorrow, Nick's sentient sword is equally amazing but in different ways. While there's definitely some comic relief there, Sorrow's back story is a huge part of Nick maturing in the book. Not to mention, it's got some pretty badass special abilities.
The magic system, while very generic to anyone who has ever played an RPG, is so much more intuitive and user-friendly than anything I've ever come across in a real game. Because at the moment, as far as we known Yensere isn't real but a digital reproduction. The user has a ton of freedom when casting spells. It is very much a "If you can imagine it you can do it" system, and I really loved that. It allows for standard elemental spells to be manipulated in ways that make the spells so much more useful.
Overall, I definitely recommend this. It was just a ton of fun to read and hit all of my points for a literary RPG. To be honest, I didn't even know I had requirements for this sort of the thing until I started reading this 😅
As always, thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eArc!
February 5, 2025
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the second one. The only LitRPG type of books I've come across before this one is the Viridian Gate Online and the great Dungeon Crawler Carl books. They are very different from this one however as in the first example the main character knows he's in a virtual world, as his life on Earth is a few days away from being destroyed by a natural disaster and is transferring his mind (sort of) into the digital world in a way to try and stay alive. Dungeon Crawler Carl is sort of in a reality game show for aliens (not quite willing participants) and has a much more in-depth skill and leveling system then we see here and a much different tone. Its hard to fully describe this book's setting but just keep reading it and you'll get to understanding it as Nick learns about it. Nick is closer to an anti-hero then the traditional main character, at least at the start and eventually changes to a much more likeable character throughout the book as he learns that his actions do have meaning and lives are affected as villagers and people that attack him aren't scripted npcs. He's technically a good guy but the actions don't always translate as such. Gareth is an interesting character and it was strange not to be cheering him on as usually he's the type of character that you would be in a more traditional book. He's considered to be a Knight but I got more Paladin/holy warrior vibes from him. Frost (not real name) and Violetta are cool side characters and I hope that they'll continue to be around for the rest of the books. Frost is a bit off-putting at times but I feel like me and Violetta could be history nerds together, I don't care if its a made up world history I'm down for learning it all. I did find it alarming at how quickly Nick's real body started to fail in the "real world" like I get that he's in space and not doing proper day to day body maintenance but it seemed to go downhill really fast. As for Nick's brother Simon I'm very surprised by him as I'd expected him to more aloof and I don't know, corporate evil if that's a term? Like he's devoted to his brother, he's also wanting the data sure and for good reasons, but he's still very human with his interactions. The book sort of wanders around and we get to explore with Nick as eventually we're nudged toward finding out more about this Yensere and the societies that had thrived in the past, some were cool but incredibly dark when it came to death and I wasn't expecting death magic/technology but it made a sort of sense. When the book finally came to the end and Nick declares his goal for going back to Yensere, I was flabbergasted. Like its a terrible outcome for Yensere and in a way reminds me of One Piece's Luffy whenever he declared he was going to "Become King of the Pirates" like its a staggering and almost impossible goal but at the same time you want to cheer him on and see how the journey goes. I'm well and truly hooked for this trilogy.
January 15, 2025
This was a very fun dive into the LitRPG world for this author.
The main character and his brother are working together on an exploratory space mission when they come across an artifact. Once they interact with it, one of the brothers collapses and they find out that his mind has connected to the artifact and transported him into a world within it called Yensere. Every time he falls asleep thereafter, his mind gets transported back into this world.
The author did a really good job of creating a world in the artifact that was exciting to explore. There are a lot of unknowns in Yensere and the main character has to go through a lot of trauma during his time there. We follow POV’s of both brothers and get to see what’s happening on the inside of the artifact while also what is happening on the outside and the toll it is taking on the main character that is connected both mentally and physically. There are additional POV’s that come in to the book later that add a lot of intrigue and changed my perspective in certain ways.
This author has a strong suit for creating fantastic characters and I enjoyed them in his others series so I’m not surprised that these ones were really well written and unique. They all had strong storylines that connected and were all driving towards a big ending.
This book would be a really good entry to LitRPG if you wanted to try out the genre because it has elements of it without going too deep into it. Due to this, if you are well versed in LitRPG, you may find it lacking in those aspects but the other elements to the book still make it a strong story.
I look forward to seeing how the author grows within this genre and am excited to continue the series.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Orbit in exchange for an honest review.
The main character and his brother are working together on an exploratory space mission when they come across an artifact. Once they interact with it, one of the brothers collapses and they find out that his mind has connected to the artifact and transported him into a world within it called Yensere. Every time he falls asleep thereafter, his mind gets transported back into this world.
The author did a really good job of creating a world in the artifact that was exciting to explore. There are a lot of unknowns in Yensere and the main character has to go through a lot of trauma during his time there. We follow POV’s of both brothers and get to see what’s happening on the inside of the artifact while also what is happening on the outside and the toll it is taking on the main character that is connected both mentally and physically. There are additional POV’s that come in to the book later that add a lot of intrigue and changed my perspective in certain ways.
This author has a strong suit for creating fantastic characters and I enjoyed them in his others series so I’m not surprised that these ones were really well written and unique. They all had strong storylines that connected and were all driving towards a big ending.
This book would be a really good entry to LitRPG if you wanted to try out the genre because it has elements of it without going too deep into it. Due to this, if you are well versed in LitRPG, you may find it lacking in those aspects but the other elements to the book still make it a strong story.
I look forward to seeing how the author grows within this genre and am excited to continue the series.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Orbit in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2025
Level: Unknown is quite literally the first LitRPG book I have ever read, which is surprising considering I am a prolific reader of all the genres, and the daughter of one of the original inventors of role-playing gaming.
As someone who spent much of their childhood watching her siblings and cousins play video game RPGs instead of playing them myself, it was exceptionally easy to immerse myself into the novel. Reading stats and levels, watching health depletions and seeing new magics unlocked and artifacts acquired brought back much of those memories sitting on the floor of my brother's bedroom watching him make some either bright or not very bright decisions.
Level: Unknown is not only LitRPG, but it is also sci-fi/fantasy/technothriller genre bending. The main character, Nick starts off as a naïve visitor to the world of Yensere, but quickly learns the ropes., The inclusion of new traveling companions and their joint fighting skills that build off of one another are sure to delight any D&D fan, as anyone knows that large boss level fights are rarely won by oneself. Overall, this was just a fun novel to read.
My only complaints are that the characters of Nick's dad and his history with him was not well explained and I am hoping that the relationship is further explored in the next several books. Also, I cannot wait to learn more about Frost and Violette's background as well.
Although this is the first in the series, it does an excellent job of world-building and Cataloger is a great narrative tool to explain the mechanics of the world. The cliffhanger at the end sets up the second book in the series quite neatly and I cannot wait to dive back in.
Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and David Dalglish for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
As someone who spent much of their childhood watching her siblings and cousins play video game RPGs instead of playing them myself, it was exceptionally easy to immerse myself into the novel. Reading stats and levels, watching health depletions and seeing new magics unlocked and artifacts acquired brought back much of those memories sitting on the floor of my brother's bedroom watching him make some either bright or not very bright decisions.
Level: Unknown is not only LitRPG, but it is also sci-fi/fantasy/technothriller genre bending. The main character, Nick starts off as a naïve visitor to the world of Yensere, but quickly learns the ropes., The inclusion of new traveling companions and their joint fighting skills that build off of one another are sure to delight any D&D fan, as anyone knows that large boss level fights are rarely won by oneself. Overall, this was just a fun novel to read.
My only complaints are that the characters of Nick's dad and his history with him was not well explained and I am hoping that the relationship is further explored in the next several books. Also, I cannot wait to learn more about Frost and Violette's background as well.
Although this is the first in the series, it does an excellent job of world-building and Cataloger is a great narrative tool to explain the mechanics of the world. The cliffhanger at the end sets up the second book in the series quite neatly and I cannot wait to dive back in.
Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and David Dalglish for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 11, 2025
A strange, ancient, alien artifact takes over the consciousness of research cadet Nick and drops him into an artificial reality: the medieval world of Yensere full of knights, kings, monsters, magic, gods, and a frightening celestial phenomenon.
Nick and his stationmaster brother Simon are on a station orbiting a long dead planet called Majus. As Nick discovers the rules of Yensere, and his abilities there, as well allies and enemies, his older brother attempts, with the station's researchers, to determine how Yensere and Majus are connected, if at all, and what is the purpose of the artifact. More worrying, as they begin to accumulate data, is that the bizarre celestial phenomenon Nick sees above Yensere in the game-like environment, is something that has just appeared above another planet.
Nick manages to survive his many adversaries and deadly encounters with powerful men and beasts, each time unlocking more weapons and abilities. Early on in his time in the world, he had met a young woman he dubbed Frost because of her ice wielding magical abilities, and discovers she's there to find someone. The two team up, and attempt to understand more about Yensere, and with the help of a local, its ancient empires and legends and myths that could aid them in their trials.
This is not the first LitRPT I have read, but it is my first book by David Dalglish. He keeps the pace fast and the action frequent as Nick is dropped into a situation for which he has no knowledge and is forced to literally battle for his life in order to learn anything about his surroundings and its beings. He does get help from Frost, whose greater experience and skills allow her to more easily navigate the perilous places they travel. I liked Frost immediately, and Nick is a likeable guy, willing to learn from others, and not given to violence unless necessary.
I liked the nonintrusive way Dalglish showed how each of Nick's successes allowed him to level up, and how getting to better understand Yensere's ancient myths and empires are critical to progress through the world. As well giving a little background on what the heck that black sun-like thing in the sky is, which will no doubt factor into both Nick's time in Yensere, and in the real world, as Simon and his team attempt to figure out what that is.
I look forward to continuing this series, which was fun.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Nick and his stationmaster brother Simon are on a station orbiting a long dead planet called Majus. As Nick discovers the rules of Yensere, and his abilities there, as well allies and enemies, his older brother attempts, with the station's researchers, to determine how Yensere and Majus are connected, if at all, and what is the purpose of the artifact. More worrying, as they begin to accumulate data, is that the bizarre celestial phenomenon Nick sees above Yensere in the game-like environment, is something that has just appeared above another planet.
Nick manages to survive his many adversaries and deadly encounters with powerful men and beasts, each time unlocking more weapons and abilities. Early on in his time in the world, he had met a young woman he dubbed Frost because of her ice wielding magical abilities, and discovers she's there to find someone. The two team up, and attempt to understand more about Yensere, and with the help of a local, its ancient empires and legends and myths that could aid them in their trials.
This is not the first LitRPT I have read, but it is my first book by David Dalglish. He keeps the pace fast and the action frequent as Nick is dropped into a situation for which he has no knowledge and is forced to literally battle for his life in order to learn anything about his surroundings and its beings. He does get help from Frost, whose greater experience and skills allow her to more easily navigate the perilous places they travel. I liked Frost immediately, and Nick is a likeable guy, willing to learn from others, and not given to violence unless necessary.
I liked the nonintrusive way Dalglish showed how each of Nick's successes allowed him to level up, and how getting to better understand Yensere's ancient myths and empires are critical to progress through the world. As well giving a little background on what the heck that black sun-like thing in the sky is, which will no doubt factor into both Nick's time in Yensere, and in the real world, as Simon and his team attempt to figure out what that is.
I look forward to continuing this series, which was fun.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
January 13, 2025
This book was so unexpectedly fun. The premise sounded great, but the way that everything came together to create such a unique story is what really stands out to me. The multiple perspectives made the story so much more fleshed out, especially getting Gareth’s perspective. Having his viewpoint is what makes the world of Yensere feel real. These aren’t just video game characters. This version of reality is incredibly real to them, even if us as readers or Nick as a “visitor” don’t see it as such. That was such a unique way of looking at it.
I also loved the multiple stories/realities that are slowly starting to come together. The whole mystery of it is so fascinating to me, and I’m so invested in seeing it all come together.
As a gamer, the concepts of levels and stats coming up in the story made a lot of sense to me. For readers who aren’t also gamers, or readers unfamiliar with LitRPGs, I can see it getting confusing or distracting. But once you’re used to it, it’s a very unique and fun way to see character progression and growth throughout the story.
Stand out character for me was definitely Sorrow. I have a soft spot for sassy sentient swords. And his backstory was so unexpected and really helped mature Nick as a character I think.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit books for the arc in exchange for a review! You were so right, it really was up my alley
I also loved the multiple stories/realities that are slowly starting to come together. The whole mystery of it is so fascinating to me, and I’m so invested in seeing it all come together.
As a gamer, the concepts of levels and stats coming up in the story made a lot of sense to me. For readers who aren’t also gamers, or readers unfamiliar with LitRPGs, I can see it getting confusing or distracting. But once you’re used to it, it’s a very unique and fun way to see character progression and growth throughout the story.
Stand out character for me was definitely Sorrow. I have a soft spot for sassy sentient swords. And his backstory was so unexpected and really helped mature Nick as a character I think.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit books for the arc in exchange for a review! You were so right, it really was up my alley
March 14, 2025
↠ 4 ⭐ - My favorite David Dalglish book so far! This was such a fun ride. Great humor, great characters, a dark and exciting setting. It was very easy to draw parallels to some of my favorite video games, including Dark Souls.
I'm really excited to continue this series.
My fiancé and I were fortunate to have David Dalglish join us for the read along in the book club we host on over on Fable! Find our book club - Sagas & Sidequests - if you'd like to join us!
I'm really excited to continue this series.
My fiancé and I were fortunate to have David Dalglish join us for the read along in the book club we host on over on Fable! Find our book club - Sagas & Sidequests - if you'd like to join us!
August 2, 2025
I found this book while browsing the shelves at my library. It looked interesting so I grabbed it.
It is such a fun book! Part fantasy, part sci-fi, part video game... I loved the character building, and the world building. The way he infused the video game "imagery" in it was perfect, imho.
Now, it's definitely not going to be for everyone- people who absolutely do not game may not get the "Cataloger" part. But I think the story itself is interesting even without the "game" part. It does not wrap up and have all questions answered at the end, but since it was obviously the first book of a series, I forgave that. It wrapped up enough to feel completed but wanting to learn more. I immediately put the second book on hold.
It is such a fun book! Part fantasy, part sci-fi, part video game... I loved the character building, and the world building. The way he infused the video game "imagery" in it was perfect, imho.
Now, it's definitely not going to be for everyone- people who absolutely do not game may not get the "Cataloger" part. But I think the story itself is interesting even without the "game" part. It does not wrap up and have all questions answered at the end, but since it was obviously the first book of a series, I forgave that. It wrapped up enough to feel completed but wanting to learn more. I immediately put the second book on hold.
March 8, 2025
An enjoyable entry point to the litrpg sub-genre.
We have some interesting set up, enjoyable game mechanics and what promises to be an interesting inner and outer game world.
I’m invested enough to see where book two takes us.
We have some interesting set up, enjoyable game mechanics and what promises to be an interesting inner and outer game world.
I’m invested enough to see where book two takes us.
May 10, 2025
Such a pleasant read to stumble in after DCC came out of nowhere when I was looking up the author. Can't wait for the next in the series. 2nd half of the book was waaaaaayyyyyy better than the 1st half.
April 28, 2025
Loved this book. It is very unique. The concept is one I think a lot of people would like to live through.
December 18, 2024
It was a fun, immersive adventure that I felt like I was part of from the start. The world building is very interesting and I was still intrigued to continue discovering more until the end. It was a fun world to explore.
I wasn't particularly attached to the main character, but rather to the secondary ones. Frost, Violette and especially Sorrow. Even one of the villains, we eventually learn to respect for what he is, a hero in his own way.
The action and fight sequences were vivid, well constructed and described.
I really liked the fact that we alternate between the “real world” and the RPG world, going back and forth. That the story doesn't take place exclusively in the RPG world because everything that happens outside is just as important and moves the story forward. It's not just a long adventure, there's a mystery to be solved. And I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, I really need to know!!
I'm a new reader to the LitRPG genre that I discovered this year and this was easy and perfect to follow.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the eArc!
I wasn't particularly attached to the main character, but rather to the secondary ones. Frost, Violette and especially Sorrow. Even one of the villains, we eventually learn to respect for what he is, a hero in his own way.
The action and fight sequences were vivid, well constructed and described.
I really liked the fact that we alternate between the “real world” and the RPG world, going back and forth. That the story doesn't take place exclusively in the RPG world because everything that happens outside is just as important and moves the story forward. It's not just a long adventure, there's a mystery to be solved. And I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, I really need to know!!
I'm a new reader to the LitRPG genre that I discovered this year and this was easy and perfect to follow.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the eArc!
January 6, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for suggesting this read and ever enjoyable book.
Thank you to David Dalglish for another great novel.
Level: Unknown is a captivating fantasy novel that stands apart. Fans of David Dalglish's previous work will find this a compelling new direction. The story follows Nick, brother to the Science Research Center Director, as their expedition explores new planets for potential terraforming. During a survey, an enigmatic artifact is discovered, one that strangely resonates only with Nick. This discovery triggers a series of extraordinary events, pulling Nick into a world unlike any he's ever imagined. He finds himself transported to a realm ruled by a powerful, almost god-like figure, where the populace lives under a repressive regime. The narrative draws inspiration from elements reminiscent of the Final Fantasy series and anime like My Hero Academia, creating a unique blend of science fiction and fantasy. Nick's experiences in this new world are presented in a compelling way, with elements of progression and growth. This is a must-read for those who enjoy immersive world-building, intriguing mysteries, and stories of self-discovery.
Thank you to David Dalglish for another great novel.
Level: Unknown is a captivating fantasy novel that stands apart. Fans of David Dalglish's previous work will find this a compelling new direction. The story follows Nick, brother to the Science Research Center Director, as their expedition explores new planets for potential terraforming. During a survey, an enigmatic artifact is discovered, one that strangely resonates only with Nick. This discovery triggers a series of extraordinary events, pulling Nick into a world unlike any he's ever imagined. He finds himself transported to a realm ruled by a powerful, almost god-like figure, where the populace lives under a repressive regime. The narrative draws inspiration from elements reminiscent of the Final Fantasy series and anime like My Hero Academia, creating a unique blend of science fiction and fantasy. Nick's experiences in this new world are presented in a compelling way, with elements of progression and growth. This is a must-read for those who enjoy immersive world-building, intriguing mysteries, and stories of self-discovery.
December 15, 2024
This is an Advanced Review. The publisher provided a free electronic copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
"Level: Unknown" by David Dalglish marks the beginning of a new epic LitRPG adventure series, blending elements of fantasy with the mechanics of role-playing games. The story introduces us to Nick, a research cadet who finds himself drawn into the fantastical world of Yensere through his dreams, via an ancient alien artifact. This novel explores themes of exploration, growth, and survival within a world where statistics and levels govern the inhabitants' capabilities and perceptions.
Plot and World-Building
David Dalglish crafts Yensere with a rich tapestry of forgotten empires, mystical heroes, and monstrous creatures. The world-building in "Level: Unknown" is ambitious, drawing heavily from RPG aesthetics where characters progress through levels, gain abilities, and navigate a world that reacts to their statistical profile. The setting is intriguing, offering a mix of danger and wonder, though some have noted that the integration of RPG mechanics could feel overly game-like at times, potentially disrupting narrative flow for readers not accustomed to or fans of the LitRPG genre.
The plot follows Nick's journey from a reluctant dreamer to a figure of importance within Yensere. However, the pacing can be somewhat uneven, with the first half focusing on establishing the rules and world, while the latter accelerates with plot twists and character development. This structure might challenge readers looking for a more balanced progression but rewards those who invest in the world-building.
Character Development
Nick's character arc from a cadet with mundane concerns to someone confronting existential threats is compelling. His growth is tied intricately to the mechanics of Yensere, which provides a unique take on character development where personal growth and statistical advancement are intertwined. However, secondary characters, while interesting in concept, sometimes lack the depth to fully engage readers, often falling into archetypal roles without much deviation.
Writing Style and Tone
Dalglish's writing is straightforward and accessible, suitable for the genre's conventions. His background in fantasy writing shines through with vivid action sequences and imaginative concepts. The tone oscillates between light-hearted exploration of RPG elements and darker themes of survival and betrayal, which might occasionally jar due to the tonal shifts between the game mechanics and the more serious undertones of the narrative.
Themes and Message
The book delves into themes of identity, power, and the nature of reality. It questions what makes us human through Nick's interactions with Yensere's inhabitants, who perceive him as a demon due to his 'unknown' level status. This setup provides a lens to examine prejudice, fear of the unknown, and the quest for understanding across cultural or species lines.
Critiques
Pacing: The narrative sometimes struggles with pacing, especially in the buildup phases before significant revelations or battles.
Character Depth: While the main character evolves, supporting characters could benefit from more nuanced development.
Genre Conventions: The heavy reliance on RPG mechanics might not appeal to all, potentially feeling too formulaic or predictable for some readers outside the LitRPG fandom.
Conclusion
"Level: Unknown" sets up an intriguing universe with potential for exploration and growth, both for its characters and its readers. David Dalglish successfully blends traditional fantasy with LitRPG elements, creating a fresh narrative space. However, the book's reliance on game mechanics and some character development issues might limit its appeal to a broader audience beyond LitRPG enthusiasts.
Rating Breakdown:
Story: 3.5/5 - Engaging premise with a unique twist on the LitRPG genre, though pacing and plot structure could use refinement.
Character Development: 3/5 - Nick's journey is well-executed, but many secondary characters remain one-dimensional.
World-Building: 4/5 - A vivid, expansive world with detailed RPG mechanics that, while immersive for fans, might feel alienating to others.
Writing Style: 3.5/5 - Clear and engaging, but the integration of gameplay elements occasionally disrupts the storytelling flow.
Overall Enjoyment: 3.5/5 - Enjoyable for those who appreciate the LitRPG format, less so for those who do not.
Total Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
"Level: Unknown" is a commendable addition to the LitRPG genre, offering a blend of adventure and introspection wrapped in a statistical fantasy setting, best suited for readers who enjoy game-like narratives or are open to exploring them.
"Level: Unknown" by David Dalglish marks the beginning of a new epic LitRPG adventure series, blending elements of fantasy with the mechanics of role-playing games. The story introduces us to Nick, a research cadet who finds himself drawn into the fantastical world of Yensere through his dreams, via an ancient alien artifact. This novel explores themes of exploration, growth, and survival within a world where statistics and levels govern the inhabitants' capabilities and perceptions.
Plot and World-Building
David Dalglish crafts Yensere with a rich tapestry of forgotten empires, mystical heroes, and monstrous creatures. The world-building in "Level: Unknown" is ambitious, drawing heavily from RPG aesthetics where characters progress through levels, gain abilities, and navigate a world that reacts to their statistical profile. The setting is intriguing, offering a mix of danger and wonder, though some have noted that the integration of RPG mechanics could feel overly game-like at times, potentially disrupting narrative flow for readers not accustomed to or fans of the LitRPG genre.
The plot follows Nick's journey from a reluctant dreamer to a figure of importance within Yensere. However, the pacing can be somewhat uneven, with the first half focusing on establishing the rules and world, while the latter accelerates with plot twists and character development. This structure might challenge readers looking for a more balanced progression but rewards those who invest in the world-building.
Character Development
Nick's character arc from a cadet with mundane concerns to someone confronting existential threats is compelling. His growth is tied intricately to the mechanics of Yensere, which provides a unique take on character development where personal growth and statistical advancement are intertwined. However, secondary characters, while interesting in concept, sometimes lack the depth to fully engage readers, often falling into archetypal roles without much deviation.
Writing Style and Tone
Dalglish's writing is straightforward and accessible, suitable for the genre's conventions. His background in fantasy writing shines through with vivid action sequences and imaginative concepts. The tone oscillates between light-hearted exploration of RPG elements and darker themes of survival and betrayal, which might occasionally jar due to the tonal shifts between the game mechanics and the more serious undertones of the narrative.
Themes and Message
The book delves into themes of identity, power, and the nature of reality. It questions what makes us human through Nick's interactions with Yensere's inhabitants, who perceive him as a demon due to his 'unknown' level status. This setup provides a lens to examine prejudice, fear of the unknown, and the quest for understanding across cultural or species lines.
Critiques
Pacing: The narrative sometimes struggles with pacing, especially in the buildup phases before significant revelations or battles.
Character Depth: While the main character evolves, supporting characters could benefit from more nuanced development.
Genre Conventions: The heavy reliance on RPG mechanics might not appeal to all, potentially feeling too formulaic or predictable for some readers outside the LitRPG fandom.
Conclusion
"Level: Unknown" sets up an intriguing universe with potential for exploration and growth, both for its characters and its readers. David Dalglish successfully blends traditional fantasy with LitRPG elements, creating a fresh narrative space. However, the book's reliance on game mechanics and some character development issues might limit its appeal to a broader audience beyond LitRPG enthusiasts.
Rating Breakdown:
Story: 3.5/5 - Engaging premise with a unique twist on the LitRPG genre, though pacing and plot structure could use refinement.
Character Development: 3/5 - Nick's journey is well-executed, but many secondary characters remain one-dimensional.
World-Building: 4/5 - A vivid, expansive world with detailed RPG mechanics that, while immersive for fans, might feel alienating to others.
Writing Style: 3.5/5 - Clear and engaging, but the integration of gameplay elements occasionally disrupts the storytelling flow.
Overall Enjoyment: 3.5/5 - Enjoyable for those who appreciate the LitRPG format, less so for those who do not.
Total Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
"Level: Unknown" is a commendable addition to the LitRPG genre, offering a blend of adventure and introspection wrapped in a statistical fantasy setting, best suited for readers who enjoy game-like narratives or are open to exploring them.
September 5, 2025
Thank you to Orbit and Oliver Wehner for providing an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve only read one fantasy novel that delves into gaming, but I have read some of David Dalgish’s other books and loved them. If there’s an author who could get me into a LitRPG novel, it’s this guy. And I’m so glad I gave this a try!
My idea of gaming is playing on puzzle-type apps on my phone, but I’m not much of a gamer, especially not LitRPG-type games. So this type of scenario was new to me, but Dalglish made it a really enjoyable experience. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by John Patneaude. I thought he did a great job of breathing life into these characters and the worlds they inhabit.
Nick is the main character, chosen by an alien artifact to explore a whole other world contained within the artifact. He slips into the world of Yensere when he sleeps, and Nick’s job is to find information that will help prevent the complete destruction of his world. But Yensere isn’t quite the utopia that it seems to be.
Yensere is a setting much like Middle Ages Europe. There is a blight affecting the villagers, and Nick is perceived as a demon and attacked on sight. He regenerates to the same starting point, and realizes that there’s kind of a tour guide who speaks inside his head, who explains what all the stats that he sees means. If you’ve ever played a game where the character fights someone and loses stamina and power as they perform moves and wondered what the character is thinking?
If it’s Nick, he’s super sarcastic, not the brightest crayon in the box, kind of funny, and the type of guy you keep seeing everywhere. While he might not be brilliant, he is pretty quick at learning from his mistakes. And boy, does he make a lot of mistakes. He isn’t concerned, because he keeps telling himself that it isn’t real anyway. The stakes don’t seem as high when you can just regenerate after dying, until he finds out from his brother that his health is deteriorating each time he dies in this alternate universe.
The vast majority of the chapters told in this book are from Nick’s perspective, but some other characters take their turn at some POV chapters. Simon is Nick’s brother, and plays a big role in the running of the (correct me if I'm wrong) space station on some planet somewhere; we also get to hear a little from Sir Gareth, a knight of Yensere who turns out to be Nick’s arch-enemy. Finally, we also get a POV chapter from Frost, a woman who is like Nick—a ‘devil’ who regenerates when killed, and discovers that she’s from a dead planet and searching for her sister, who disappeared.
I loved seeing how Nick interacts with the worlds and the people in them. Everything felt fully rounded out, and the world building was fantastic. Dalglish always does an outstanding job of creating these incredible fantasy tales set in alternate universes (universii?) and he has the talent to make them actually feel realistic. While reading this, I really saw what a LitRPG novel really can be: as engrossing and entertaining as a video game, with characters that are easy to empathize with for the most part.
Overall, this is the kind of book that made it feel almost as though I was in a video game myself, and had me understand the appeal of RPG in a way that I haven’t been able to before. Just like Alexander Darwin’s The Combat Codes Saga and Fonda Lee’s The Green Bone Saga allowed me to see the inside mechanics of martial arts and street fighting, this one gives me an inside view of what it is like to play an RPG, although I don’t have the coordination to actually play them. Luckily this is the first book in a new trilogy from Dalglish, who could probably write a grocery list and I’d be glued to the page, so I don’t have to say goodbye to Yensere and the people involved in the story quite yet.
I’ve only read one fantasy novel that delves into gaming, but I have read some of David Dalgish’s other books and loved them. If there’s an author who could get me into a LitRPG novel, it’s this guy. And I’m so glad I gave this a try!
My idea of gaming is playing on puzzle-type apps on my phone, but I’m not much of a gamer, especially not LitRPG-type games. So this type of scenario was new to me, but Dalglish made it a really enjoyable experience. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by John Patneaude. I thought he did a great job of breathing life into these characters and the worlds they inhabit.
Nick is the main character, chosen by an alien artifact to explore a whole other world contained within the artifact. He slips into the world of Yensere when he sleeps, and Nick’s job is to find information that will help prevent the complete destruction of his world. But Yensere isn’t quite the utopia that it seems to be.
Yensere is a setting much like Middle Ages Europe. There is a blight affecting the villagers, and Nick is perceived as a demon and attacked on sight. He regenerates to the same starting point, and realizes that there’s kind of a tour guide who speaks inside his head, who explains what all the stats that he sees means. If you’ve ever played a game where the character fights someone and loses stamina and power as they perform moves and wondered what the character is thinking?
If it’s Nick, he’s super sarcastic, not the brightest crayon in the box, kind of funny, and the type of guy you keep seeing everywhere. While he might not be brilliant, he is pretty quick at learning from his mistakes. And boy, does he make a lot of mistakes. He isn’t concerned, because he keeps telling himself that it isn’t real anyway. The stakes don’t seem as high when you can just regenerate after dying, until he finds out from his brother that his health is deteriorating each time he dies in this alternate universe.
The vast majority of the chapters told in this book are from Nick’s perspective, but some other characters take their turn at some POV chapters. Simon is Nick’s brother, and plays a big role in the running of the (correct me if I'm wrong) space station on some planet somewhere; we also get to hear a little from Sir Gareth, a knight of Yensere who turns out to be Nick’s arch-enemy. Finally, we also get a POV chapter from Frost, a woman who is like Nick—a ‘devil’ who regenerates when killed, and discovers that she’s from a dead planet and searching for her sister, who disappeared.
I loved seeing how Nick interacts with the worlds and the people in them. Everything felt fully rounded out, and the world building was fantastic. Dalglish always does an outstanding job of creating these incredible fantasy tales set in alternate universes (universii?) and he has the talent to make them actually feel realistic. While reading this, I really saw what a LitRPG novel really can be: as engrossing and entertaining as a video game, with characters that are easy to empathize with for the most part.
Overall, this is the kind of book that made it feel almost as though I was in a video game myself, and had me understand the appeal of RPG in a way that I haven’t been able to before. Just like Alexander Darwin’s The Combat Codes Saga and Fonda Lee’s The Green Bone Saga allowed me to see the inside mechanics of martial arts and street fighting, this one gives me an inside view of what it is like to play an RPG, although I don’t have the coordination to actually play them. Luckily this is the first book in a new trilogy from Dalglish, who could probably write a grocery list and I’d be glued to the page, so I don’t have to say goodbye to Yensere and the people involved in the story quite yet.
February 9, 2025
When I heard that Dalglish was attempting to throw his hat into the LitRPG ring, I was skeptical at first. Why the heck would anyone want to read a first-person account of someone playing a game? This isn't Critical Role, people! There's no table around which a collection of competent actors can play out scenarios and improv their way to adventure and hilarity. No, this would all be from one writer's mind, trying to make something compelling, exciting, and maybe even emotionally relevant out of a world that is inherently known to be, well, NOT REAL. Even from a writer I love, how could that be entertaining? Where is the humanity? Where are the stakes?
To say that I was wrong would be an understatement, and I should've known better. I've been reading Dalglish for almost two decades, have read everything he's ever written, and I can count the times he's disappointed me on one finger. In this instance, he didn't only insert his usual blend of adventure, personal trauma, magic, and epic battles into this world-within-a-world, but did one better - he actually made it real. The digital realm comes alive, filled with real people and real stakes. Dalglish took the basic setup of a role-playing game, only instead of NPCs the hero is facing, they're individuals who are trying to understand the rules of the world in which they exist, and in many cases are learning real-time along with the hero-slash-invader who has thrown their home into chaos. Think "Free Guy," only not insipid and lazy. There is no male-fantasy toxic wish fulfillment here.
The setup of Level Unknown is just what the description says - Nick, a young adult living on a space station floating around a dead world, finds himself thrown into the digital world of Yensere when the ancient artifact his scientist brother has been examining comes to life. It's a brilliant plot device that allows the story to present multiple mysteries at once. What is the Artifact? What happened to the dead planet? What is the point of this digital world? Is Yensere merely a recreation of what came before, or is it real? Does what happens within those digital confines in any way affect the world outside the Artifact?
Some are answered fully, some partially, some none at all, at least mpt yet. But it's a blast of a book with heroism and mystery and adventure and exploration, that finds its emotional center in some of the most unexpected places possible. (Here's looking at you, Sorrow - you'll know what that means when you read it.) For me, it's one of the best books that Dalglish has ever written, and I can't wait to read more of them. I'll tell you right now, I'll be gobbling them up like poppers the moment they come out.
To say that I was wrong would be an understatement, and I should've known better. I've been reading Dalglish for almost two decades, have read everything he's ever written, and I can count the times he's disappointed me on one finger. In this instance, he didn't only insert his usual blend of adventure, personal trauma, magic, and epic battles into this world-within-a-world, but did one better - he actually made it real. The digital realm comes alive, filled with real people and real stakes. Dalglish took the basic setup of a role-playing game, only instead of NPCs the hero is facing, they're individuals who are trying to understand the rules of the world in which they exist, and in many cases are learning real-time along with the hero-slash-invader who has thrown their home into chaos. Think "Free Guy," only not insipid and lazy. There is no male-fantasy toxic wish fulfillment here.
The setup of Level Unknown is just what the description says - Nick, a young adult living on a space station floating around a dead world, finds himself thrown into the digital world of Yensere when the ancient artifact his scientist brother has been examining comes to life. It's a brilliant plot device that allows the story to present multiple mysteries at once. What is the Artifact? What happened to the dead planet? What is the point of this digital world? Is Yensere merely a recreation of what came before, or is it real? Does what happens within those digital confines in any way affect the world outside the Artifact?
Some are answered fully, some partially, some none at all, at least mpt yet. But it's a blast of a book with heroism and mystery and adventure and exploration, that finds its emotional center in some of the most unexpected places possible. (Here's looking at you, Sorrow - you'll know what that means when you read it.) For me, it's one of the best books that Dalglish has ever written, and I can't wait to read more of them. I'll tell you right now, I'll be gobbling them up like poppers the moment they come out.
March 4, 2025
Back Cover Blurb:
When an ancient alien artifact chooses research cadet Nick to explore the world stored within it—a place full of forgotten empires, heroes with strange powers, and monstrous creatures that he is automatically transported to when he sleeps—he finds he has no choice but to grow stronger within the realm of Yensere to uncover its mysteries.
But Yensere isn’t all fun exploration. In this land guided by statistics and levels, Nick is seen as a demonic threat by its diseased inhabitants and always killed on-sight. When he dies in Yensere, he awakens in his bed upon the research station, his body in a state of panic; when he sleeps again, Yensere drags him back for another life...and another death.
Nick can only keep this up for so long before he dies for real. But there’s a good chance Yensere holds the key to saving humanity from a terrible fate, and so he ventures on, getting stronger and stronger with each new enemy defeated. And there are a LOT of enemies to defeat…
Review:
This one is a bit of a departure for prolific fantasy author David Dalglish as he tried his hand at some LitRPG. I'm a huge fan of David's and his epic fantasies are some of my all-time favorites so to have a chance to read something out of his usual wheel house was intriguing for me. As I settled into the story I quickly realized that Dalglish can write whatever he wants because he has the chops to pull it off.
The pacing of this story is also somewhat different from the usual gradual buildup that Dalglish employs in his series. I feel like my head was spinning the entire time as we are dumped right into the action and it never really lets up. To say this is a fun book would be an understatement as the world building comes at you in waves and every hit to the system dazzles and fills you with wonder. I could almost see David banging away at his keyboard feverishly with a devilish grin on his face knowing that he was going to put the reader through a bevy of crazy moments and dangerous action scenes.
All in all I had a really enjoyable time reading LEVEL: UNKNOWN and I hope there are more books following this one because I really want to immerse myself in this world again. It was quite the refreshing change for me as I normally dig into long (and sometimes long-winded" fantasy books so to eb able to read something akin to a fantasy action movie totally hit the spot and cleansed my palate so brilliantly.
If you haven't read any David Dalglish, you need to start. The guy just keeps churning out winner after winner in the fantasy genre. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go read the first book in his other new series, The Radiant King. I told you he was prolific!
When an ancient alien artifact chooses research cadet Nick to explore the world stored within it—a place full of forgotten empires, heroes with strange powers, and monstrous creatures that he is automatically transported to when he sleeps—he finds he has no choice but to grow stronger within the realm of Yensere to uncover its mysteries.
But Yensere isn’t all fun exploration. In this land guided by statistics and levels, Nick is seen as a demonic threat by its diseased inhabitants and always killed on-sight. When he dies in Yensere, he awakens in his bed upon the research station, his body in a state of panic; when he sleeps again, Yensere drags him back for another life...and another death.
Nick can only keep this up for so long before he dies for real. But there’s a good chance Yensere holds the key to saving humanity from a terrible fate, and so he ventures on, getting stronger and stronger with each new enemy defeated. And there are a LOT of enemies to defeat…
Review:
This one is a bit of a departure for prolific fantasy author David Dalglish as he tried his hand at some LitRPG. I'm a huge fan of David's and his epic fantasies are some of my all-time favorites so to have a chance to read something out of his usual wheel house was intriguing for me. As I settled into the story I quickly realized that Dalglish can write whatever he wants because he has the chops to pull it off.
The pacing of this story is also somewhat different from the usual gradual buildup that Dalglish employs in his series. I feel like my head was spinning the entire time as we are dumped right into the action and it never really lets up. To say this is a fun book would be an understatement as the world building comes at you in waves and every hit to the system dazzles and fills you with wonder. I could almost see David banging away at his keyboard feverishly with a devilish grin on his face knowing that he was going to put the reader through a bevy of crazy moments and dangerous action scenes.
All in all I had a really enjoyable time reading LEVEL: UNKNOWN and I hope there are more books following this one because I really want to immerse myself in this world again. It was quite the refreshing change for me as I normally dig into long (and sometimes long-winded" fantasy books so to eb able to read something akin to a fantasy action movie totally hit the spot and cleansed my palate so brilliantly.
If you haven't read any David Dalglish, you need to start. The guy just keeps churning out winner after winner in the fantasy genre. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go read the first book in his other new series, The Radiant King. I told you he was prolific!
March 12, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!
3.5 rounded up
We follow Nick, an explorer who travels to the magical world of Yensere in his dreams. Every night he explores this world and fights enemies out for his blood, yet upon death he awakens back in his reality, only to sleep and begin the cycle again. He's convinced that if trains and "levels up" he could explore enough of Yensere to find a way to save humanity... but will he permanently die before achieving this goal?
Some readers may find the bouncing between the dream and waking world a bit jarring. It shuffles between a sort of fantasy video game and deep space exploration on a high tech space station. I wasn't bothered by this occasional shift myself, but I'd rather mention it than not.
The characters are a unique blend of genre staples, but the sentient sword Sorrow wins my heart. The sacrastic quips and petty comments are an absolute delight to read!! I can't wait for more lore and backstory about this sword in the sequel.
Additionally, I really appreciated the use of multiple POVs to provide much needed nuance and context to the various plights and concerns of the cast. We may primarily follow Nick, but the time spent with his elder brother Simon trying to keep his space station afloat and the Knight Garret struggling with his faith offered important information and never felt like filler or fluff. These two additions made both worlds feel real in a way that Nick's ping-ponging between couldn't provide.
As this is a LitRPG, expect the traditional gaming mechanics of health bars, skills and classes to come into play continously throughout the piece. This subgenre is a very specific sort of isekai and will lean heavily into the gaming—be it tabletop or video—aspects of surviving a fantasy world. Nick still has a plethora of things to learn and a quest to go on, but the narrative format will never let you forget it's functionally a game in his dreams.
Those who are well-versed in this genre may find the beginning of the book a bit slow—as it fills in newer readers on how things work in these stories—but if you stick it out things really snowball in exciting ways. The writing of the action scenes offers visercal reactions, especially when more gruesome monsters take center stage. I especially enjoyed whenever the traveler characters would functionally say "fuck it, this might as well happen" while on their journey, because I know that's what I would've done in their shoes.
If you enjoy self-aware stories about a game within a game and the isekai genre, perhaps give this book a chance.
3.5 rounded up
We follow Nick, an explorer who travels to the magical world of Yensere in his dreams. Every night he explores this world and fights enemies out for his blood, yet upon death he awakens back in his reality, only to sleep and begin the cycle again. He's convinced that if trains and "levels up" he could explore enough of Yensere to find a way to save humanity... but will he permanently die before achieving this goal?
"Wonder remains only in the unknown."
Some readers may find the bouncing between the dream and waking world a bit jarring. It shuffles between a sort of fantasy video game and deep space exploration on a high tech space station. I wasn't bothered by this occasional shift myself, but I'd rather mention it than not.
The characters are a unique blend of genre staples, but the sentient sword Sorrow wins my heart. The sacrastic quips and petty comments are an absolute delight to read!! I can't wait for more lore and backstory about this sword in the sequel.
Additionally, I really appreciated the use of multiple POVs to provide much needed nuance and context to the various plights and concerns of the cast. We may primarily follow Nick, but the time spent with his elder brother Simon trying to keep his space station afloat and the Knight Garret struggling with his faith offered important information and never felt like filler or fluff. These two additions made both worlds feel real in a way that Nick's ping-ponging between couldn't provide.
As this is a LitRPG, expect the traditional gaming mechanics of health bars, skills and classes to come into play continously throughout the piece. This subgenre is a very specific sort of isekai and will lean heavily into the gaming—be it tabletop or video—aspects of surviving a fantasy world. Nick still has a plethora of things to learn and a quest to go on, but the narrative format will never let you forget it's functionally a game in his dreams.
Those who are well-versed in this genre may find the beginning of the book a bit slow—as it fills in newer readers on how things work in these stories—but if you stick it out things really snowball in exciting ways. The writing of the action scenes offers visercal reactions, especially when more gruesome monsters take center stage. I especially enjoyed whenever the traveler characters would functionally say "fuck it, this might as well happen" while on their journey, because I know that's what I would've done in their shoes.
If you enjoy self-aware stories about a game within a game and the isekai genre, perhaps give this book a chance.
February 4, 2025
This is not my first foray into litRPG, but it isn’t a genre I would readily pick up. This book hadn’t even been on my radar until I received an email from the publisher recommending it based on some of my previous reads. I read the synopsis and was intrigued.
Within the first few chapters, I was hooked and became quickly invested in what was happening to Nick, and soon after, Frost. Gareth became a significant character through his own perspective of these interlopers into his homeland. There were some comical moments, particularly in the beginning as things are being set up, but as they adventure through the land in search of Frost’s sister more and more about the history of Yensere is coming out. There is a mysterious black sun in the sky, but it also appears where Nick is from. He is somehow connected with both this world and his own, as is Frost. Violette joins the duo on their adventure as she pursues knowledge. Turns out she’s quite the badass in a battle as well.
The author did a fine job blending science fiction with an interesting video game-esque twist. Nick’s real body is on a space station with his brother and crew, while the mysterious artifact they found is somehow transporting his consciousness (into a body also very much his own) to Yensere. As experience is gained in Yensere, he levels up. This all takes a rather large toll on Nick’s body back on the space station.
The story becomes high stakes with the future of several world’s in the balance, while Nick and friends are in constant danger of being killed. The action sequences are entertaining and easy to follow. The magic system while Nick is in Yensere is pretty cool. I cannot forget to mention the AI that guides Nick along the way (can hear his thoughts as well as what he speaks aloud) and may also be corrupted - I am quite curious about how this will unfold further in the series. And lastly, Sorrow - the sword that Nick finds. Sorrow doesn’t particularly like him, but there is character development on that end too.
The book ends with part of the story coming to a close, but also, not really. I look forward to further instalments in this series.
Thank you to Orbit Books (and NetGalley) for the opportunity to read this via digital copy.
The options expressed are honest and my own.
Within the first few chapters, I was hooked and became quickly invested in what was happening to Nick, and soon after, Frost. Gareth became a significant character through his own perspective of these interlopers into his homeland. There were some comical moments, particularly in the beginning as things are being set up, but as they adventure through the land in search of Frost’s sister more and more about the history of Yensere is coming out. There is a mysterious black sun in the sky, but it also appears where Nick is from. He is somehow connected with both this world and his own, as is Frost. Violette joins the duo on their adventure as she pursues knowledge. Turns out she’s quite the badass in a battle as well.
The author did a fine job blending science fiction with an interesting video game-esque twist. Nick’s real body is on a space station with his brother and crew, while the mysterious artifact they found is somehow transporting his consciousness (into a body also very much his own) to Yensere. As experience is gained in Yensere, he levels up. This all takes a rather large toll on Nick’s body back on the space station.
The story becomes high stakes with the future of several world’s in the balance, while Nick and friends are in constant danger of being killed. The action sequences are entertaining and easy to follow. The magic system while Nick is in Yensere is pretty cool. I cannot forget to mention the AI that guides Nick along the way (can hear his thoughts as well as what he speaks aloud) and may also be corrupted - I am quite curious about how this will unfold further in the series. And lastly, Sorrow - the sword that Nick finds. Sorrow doesn’t particularly like him, but there is character development on that end too.
The book ends with part of the story coming to a close, but also, not really. I look forward to further instalments in this series.
Thank you to Orbit Books (and NetGalley) for the opportunity to read this via digital copy.
The options expressed are honest and my own.
February 3, 2025
TL;DR: A fantastic intro to LitRPG or fun for a regular readers,
Source: NetGalley, thank so much to Orbit!!
Plot: A mysterious Artifact is found by a study station on a far away planet. Nick ends up bound to the artifact that sends him into another world. Is it real? The past? Somewhere else?
Characters: I really liked Nick and the AI he was able to converse with. I wish the side characters had a bit more flesh on them but that may come in future books.
Setting: We don’t get much on the space station but I really enjoyed Yensere, our ‘magical’ realm
Fantasy/LitRPG: The fantasy/litrpg part of this was fascinating, I’d like more details. There are some SF parts as well that I want to get a lot more of.
Thoughts:
LitRPG is a genre that has been slowly growing in the self-published and indie space and quickly. I’ve been waiting to see traditional publishers pick it up and this is one of the first I’ve seen besides DCC. It’s a great one too since I feel like it’s a perfect introduction for the casual and new reader to the genre.
Nick and Simon live on a research space station that has recently unearthed a large mysterious artifact. Nick is the only one that can cause it to react, and it sends his consciousness to another place. He has no idea if it’s the past, future, another planet, or if it’s just fake projection. Within that space he has levels, and he’s considered a Visitor by the system. Unfortunately that makes him a ‘Demon’ to the residents and they go out of their way to kill him. From here he has to try to survive while moving between worlds.
I really liked the setup on this one and I only have two complaints that may be fixed in the next books. The first is that I wish our other characters were expanded on. Frost, Simon, Violette - they needed more. I also wish we had a bit more of what was happening on the space station as it seemed… somewhat dire.
If you are interested in this genre or this title I definitely think it’s worth the read. David Dalglish’s writing is easy and fun to read, and the story is fast and engaging. A big yes from me.
Source: NetGalley, thank so much to Orbit!!
Plot: A mysterious Artifact is found by a study station on a far away planet. Nick ends up bound to the artifact that sends him into another world. Is it real? The past? Somewhere else?
Characters: I really liked Nick and the AI he was able to converse with. I wish the side characters had a bit more flesh on them but that may come in future books.
Setting: We don’t get much on the space station but I really enjoyed Yensere, our ‘magical’ realm
Fantasy/LitRPG: The fantasy/litrpg part of this was fascinating, I’d like more details. There are some SF parts as well that I want to get a lot more of.
Thoughts:
LitRPG is a genre that has been slowly growing in the self-published and indie space and quickly. I’ve been waiting to see traditional publishers pick it up and this is one of the first I’ve seen besides DCC. It’s a great one too since I feel like it’s a perfect introduction for the casual and new reader to the genre.
Nick and Simon live on a research space station that has recently unearthed a large mysterious artifact. Nick is the only one that can cause it to react, and it sends his consciousness to another place. He has no idea if it’s the past, future, another planet, or if it’s just fake projection. Within that space he has levels, and he’s considered a Visitor by the system. Unfortunately that makes him a ‘Demon’ to the residents and they go out of their way to kill him. From here he has to try to survive while moving between worlds.
I really liked the setup on this one and I only have two complaints that may be fixed in the next books. The first is that I wish our other characters were expanded on. Frost, Simon, Violette - they needed more. I also wish we had a bit more of what was happening on the space station as it seemed… somewhat dire.
If you are interested in this genre or this title I definitely think it’s worth the read. David Dalglish’s writing is easy and fun to read, and the story is fast and engaging. A big yes from me.
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